People are strange

Helen: I wanted to write this before I forget - actually, I've been meaning to for ages but have been struggling with the words to express what I mean... It's so frustrating traveling. It really is. The concept of 'customer service' just doesn't seem to exist outside of, for want of better words 'Western culture' (an Australian described themselves as 'European' the other day to make the distinction from being polynesian - wierd). The only places we've been since we left home where we've had really good service have been owned by expats. And that makes a huge huge difference to how we feel - if people are friendly and helpful and provide good, clean, efficient services it makes you feel good - and the converse is true - the times we've been miserable on this trip, it's guaranteed that we've been in dingy accommodation with poor food trying to deal with grumpy people. But it's not like the locals aren't capable of good customer service - it just seems that it's not part of their culture. Someone suggested that that's because of the climate here - in more temperate climates people have to work hard all summer to feed themselves all year - here food just grows without much effort and it's warm all year so shelter isn't so much of a problem either. This means people literally don't have to work that hard...so they don't! Which is surely the state that most people in The West want to achieve? A life of leisure. And yet, when I see people doing it, it drives me mad and I want to shout at them 'why don't you DO something and work harder'. Crazy! And it's a particular problem in Tonga - every man gets 8 acres from the King automatically, and foreigners can't buy land, only lease it. So all the locals lease part of their land, and live off the money with no need to work for money.

Right, sociology lecture over. Only one other thing to say - saw this great saying in the loo of our favourite bar here: People who say something can't be done should stay out of the way of the people doing it!

OK, off for tea with our friends, and then to use a dremel tool to make buttons out of an oyster shell for the shirt I'm making C. Pictures to follow soon - the collar went ok, but I'm not looking forward to the button holes...

H&Cxxxxxxxx

PS ought to mention, briefly, our scooter expedition - I fell off...twice. Grazed my knee and elbow (and ego) but otherwise ok. Dented the scooter...and our plan of riding home on two motorbikes. Time for plan B....