POST

Sunday October 21, 2007
Yesterday Argentina defeated France in the rugby world cup semifinal to determine who
finishes in third place. France just could not get excited about the game and were
defeated badly by a hungry Argentina team. Today is the final between England and South
Africa. You bet we are going to the game or at least watch it on big screen at the local
Bill fisher Bar. Ant has the South African flag and is exploding with support for his
country's team. Deborah is of course squarely behind England and looking for an English
flag. John says he has been gone from South Africa for a long time and married to Deborah
so he is neutral. This should be interesting.

It is Sunday morning in Tonga even though the game is played at 7PM Saturday night in
France. Tonga does not allow any work to be performed; police fine people for exercising
on Sunday. You will be stopped if you are running and in big trouble if it is on the
street in front of a church. The town is very quiet there are very few cars on the street.
Almost all businesses are closed. The only place to get breakfast or coffee is in a hotel.

We dinghy ashore and walk the quarter to half mile to the Bill Fisher Bar. A lone man, the
only bar employee we are to see, is at the front gate to let us in. There are chairs set
up in front of a big video screen set up in front of what is usually a busy bar. Nothing
is be served the bar is not making any money; it is a weird scene as everyone takes their
seat and stares at the screen. Most of the crowd has England leanings, but the South
Africans lead the entire game. When a good play is made by either team everyone applauds.
It is only when a team scores that the in favor fans show emotion and approval. South
Africa wins the try less event.

There is nothing to do in town, so we return to Bella Donna to enjoy a lazy Sunday
afternoon. We notice a catamaran built in South Carolina leaving for New Zealand. The
husband and wife aboard had been at Big Mama's last night. He is a dentist and she teaches
music. They have been cruising around the world, mostly South America and the South
Pacific so far, stopping in each place for weeks at a time. They contact the local schools
and offer to come in and hold learning experience for the students. They brought a huge
amount of tooth brushes partially purchased and partially donated by the manufacturer. The
husband handed out the free tooth brushes and pencils to students with a lesson on how to
properly brush. The wife worked with the music classes. Her task was more difficult in
Tonga where music is a series of numbers rather than notes, thus like a foreign language
translation. Both helped with language and science classes as well. They are both
beautiful and generous people; I am sure they have made a difference everywhere they have
been.

God Bless Bella Donna.