Coasting

My body needed a vacation from my week-long outer island exercise in sleep deprivation.  All it wanted to do was surf the internet, take hot showers, eat, sleep, read, and watch marathons of television comedies.  I wanted time to coast, and thankfully, that’s exactly what my school was doing. 

Lessons ended as testing began, and testing ended the week I left for the islands. To fill the void between then and the graduation ceremony next week, there is morning singing practice, afternoon recess, and, for those desperate for entertainment, my house.

That my school spends so much time (five weeks now) practicing the same few songs that I recall from last year, and are likely recycled every year, is curious.  They say they are practicing for the graduation ceremony, but I wonder if we could use the time for other more productive things, like learning. 

Afternoons I think are optional.  Some students leave after lunch and others remain to toss around a rugby ball, play ping-pong, or play throw-the-broken-broomstick.  The form 5 boys, who are graduating from high school next week, are getting drunk with ministers in what I think is some sort of ritual initiation into manhood.  I don’t care what the ministers say – a seventeen-year-old former student slurring his Tongan to beg for chocolate while he needs two hands on my door frame to keep from falling over is not a man. 

Teachers are getting into the spirits too.  One of my favourite socialites came over while I was writing this blog and found the lit tea lights flanking my computer utterly fascinating and in her blissful stupor decided it would be fun to use them to light computer paper on fire.  I politely ushered her and her inebriated friends out of my house before they burned it down.    

I tried enjoying an afternoon glass of wine with two other more mature teachers, but they, like many Tongans, drink wine like it's Gatorade after a marathon, so I decided to put away my box of Franzia.

I mostly enjoy the visits from the cute form 3 boys and girls since they’re still too innocent for alcohol and are easily entertained by my episodes of Community and Parks and Recreation, though that episode of Parks and Rec where they visit a strip club, made things very awkward (as an NBC comedy, it was broadcast TV friendly without any nudity, but it was still too much for Tonga).  I provide them tea or water and I gave many of them the pictures from my wall.  Their constant coming and going gets distracting during my writing, but it’s difficult to get frustrated with their smiling faces. 

All this free time has fully rehabilitated me, and I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to bond with my favourite students and teachers before I depart for America.  Maybe this isn’t a bad way to end a school year.