Category Archives: Style

Retail therapy

04 Wednesday Jul 2012

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Some pretty things that have made their way into my online shopping cart.

In an attempt to make myself feel less stressed about leaving my heart in Tonga with my beloved dog and stop lamenting the dwindling number of days left in “paradise,” I’ve promised myself some retail therapy on the VERY DAY that my plane lands.

I feel that this is completely justified because in the last year I’ve probably spent less than $30 on second hand clothes and every single item I’ve brought with me has fallen apart in our washing machine/destroyer of clothing.

I’ll be headed to a shopping centre on the VERY DAY that my plane lands because my hair is super messy and needs a cut and I am desperate to get my fringe back once I do not live in a culture that primarily communicates through the used of raised eyebrows. Bravo Sydney for not needing to read my eyebrows. Said eyebrows are messy too. Solution? Get a blunt fringe.

I am however, planning a very strategic shop (limited to the hairdresser, Kmart and probably Target) as I am expecting a sensory overload again and an existential crisis about the nature of too much choice in consumer goods.

Life in Technicolour

21 Thursday Jun 2012

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For the last three months in Tonga, it has been more like Life in Monochrome.

For three months, Tongans and culturally appropriate volunteers/missionaries/expats have been wearing black, black and more black to show respect to the Royal Family after the passing of the Late King.

The three month mourning period ended this week and I feel like the first day of spring sunshine after a long, stormy winter. Or maybe I’m being a little dramatic. But it’s nice not to have to wear black everyday.

Black shows up every bit of lint and fluff that my dodgy washing machine plasters all over my clothes. Black may be slimming but it’s BORING, when repeated on end. Black clothes seem to store more heat. When you are already sweating against the 95% humidity, this is not a good thing.

And when everyone else in the entire country is wearing the same colour, the Saturday fair runs out of black clothes.

So, a rather un-stylish style post to celebrate the return of colour.

Hannah is wearing a denim jacket she thrifted from the Saturday fair. A red t-shirt that her friend Bronnie sent her. A maxi skirt from the fashion house of Big W. A necklace given to her as a birthday present and wedges from the only shop in town that carries her size.

What I wore: starting 3 months of black

27 Tuesday Mar 2012

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Super casual black for the gym.

It’s an interesting time to be living in Tonga. Last Sunday, 18th march, HM King George Tupou V passed away, while he was in Hong Kong.The death of a monarch affects all aspects of Tongan daily life.

Two days later, the Palace/Govt declared a three month mourning period until June 19. Which means three months of wearing only black in public – to work, around town, at the gym, to church, going to the beach and while shopping. This caused minor panic in our house as we have limited black items!

The mourning period also involves a ban on playing anything except “church music,” certain business activities are restricted, construction stops (with the exception of the construction that needed to take place on the Royal tombs to accommodate the late King), sports and arts events are on hold, no parties or noisy public events.

So I bring you, my latest outfit post from Tonga.

Dressed up black for after work drinks and dinner.

Weekend wear -  for shopping at the flea market and going out for coffee. 

Formal black for the office.

Extremely formal funeral black – worn today to watch the procession yesterday; the King’s body returned to Tonga to lie in the Palace overnight, before the funeral/burial today.

I’m wearing a ta’ovala (the large mat underneath) and a grass skirt that has a proper name I can’t spell. It is all very heavy and hot!

Day dreaming and shopping carts

10 Thursday Nov 2011

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I miss window shopping. I really miss wandering around an air conditioned shopping centre, trying on fun things and looking at window displays and sipping on an iced mocha from Gloria Jeans.

There is no window shopping in Tonga. There is no wandering around. No matter what shop I go into, the shop assistants follow me around, looking at what I am buying and just being pests in general.

I learnt how to say “just looking” and “go away” pretty quickly in Tongan. Its very intimidating trying to buy toilet paper and having the shop girl ask you “what’s your name/where you come from/are you married/where’s your husband/you have kids/why no kids/ something wrong with you?”

Yes, something’s wrong with me. I am about to hit you with my rolls of toilet paper.

The saturday flea market does offer some good browsing opportunities but the weather in Tonga is getting hot and gross, so I don’t like to spend too much time there these days.

To get my shopping fill, I’ve been wishing and daydreaming at stuff online. Here is what I would be buying if a) I wasn’t in Tonga and b) I had any money.

The cute clothes are all from Glassons and its not because I get paid to advertise their stuff but due to the fact that their online shopping cart loads best on my slow Tongan internet connection. Most of the stuff I like would not be at all practical for Tonga but I don’t care. Me likey.

Some Style

11 Tuesday Oct 2011

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It’s been forever since I’ve done an outfit post. I wore this to Elisabeth’s birthday dinner last week and for the first time in a while, liked what I was wearing. I definitely wouldn’t wear this outfit to church or around town during the day (you can see my knees) but it was fun to pretty myself up.

Our dinner was at Fiesta seafood and besides being AMAZING, served a very strange dish called grumpet fish.

They meant crumbed.

Piko is chowing down on his designated eating shoe in these photos. He’s gotten into the habit of trying to eat all footwear but how he has an eating shoe to call his own. He destroys it a little more on a daily basis.

Outfit: thrifted top from saturday market ($3 TOP), shorts from Glassons, shoes that I found at my garage sale but I suspect came from Bronnie, necklace was a gift from my sister.

Don’t tell my Grandma

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Beauty, Style

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But I am thinking about getting a new tattoo in Tonga. My grandma doesn’t like my tattoos. When she complained after my last one, I threatened to get her name on my butt.

I currently have three. “Yahweh” on my left forearm, tattooed in Sydney, my home. It represents my faith, as Yahweh is the most high name for God.

A dove on the back of my right calf, which I got in Thailand. It represents new horizons, and the dove is also a visual depiction of the holy spirit. (Matt 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32)

My third is on my left ankle. It says “Andrew” and represents my commitment to my husband. I got this one in the Philippines.

I collect tattoos from my travels, to represent different stages and experiences of my life. And because a tattoo is something you are going to have for a long time, I usually think about them for a long time before committing to my ink.

I also get them in discreet places which can be covered up, as tattoos are not everyone’s cup of tea. And I make sure they are small and elegant.

I won’t reveal what this latest tattoo will say or show. But I’m having trouble deciding on placement.

So I need votes.

Should I get photo 1, my wrist? Photo 2, my back? Photo 3, my shoulder? Or photo 4, my foot?

You can see these pictures and more on my pinterest. Just follow the link to the side!

There is no Sportsgirl* in Tonga

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Random things that happen in Tonga, Style

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Shirt – Saturday flea market. Tupenu – Local tailor. Necklace – Diva. Wedges – some random shop at the top of the Nuku’alofa marketi.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I this used to be a style blog. I like pretty things and putting cute, affordable outfits together. It took me a while to be able to openly admit this; I always thought as Christian women, this made me supremely vain.

It’s not really possible to keep my style blog going in Tonga.

My main motivation each day, when I select my outfit, is not what suits me or the latest fun thing I’ve bought or what flatters my haircut or even what I feel like wearing. My main motivation is modesty. And I mean Modest with a capital M. Each day I look at my wardrobe and ask myself what is going to cover me up the most.

This is a typical outfit for me in Tonga. Flowy cotton top that covers my shoulders and long flowy cotton skirt with sandals. I’m being scandalous and wearing wedges. Here I’m wearing my tupenu, which is sort of like a sarong. It’s difficult to walk in.

Sometimes I add accessories but I’m careful to be subtle as the other women in my office keep things quite plain. Sometimes I wear my kiekie, a traditional grass skirt/belt type thing that goes over the top of your regular skirt.

Always my hair is pulled back. Sigh. I like wearing my hair out.

Sometimes looking the way I do bothers me and I wish I could throw on pretty outfits like I would in Sydney.

Sometimes when it is just too hot to care, I’m glad that Tonga keeps things so low key.

*Sportsgirl is an Australian chain store. I am slightly in love with most of their clothes. I have made hubby promise that I can go shopping as soon as we return to Australia. Obviously, still working on that vanity thing.

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