The No Ringgit Traveler

FRIEND’S CAFE

“Oh Ed you should go to Friend’s Cafe in town (Nuku’alofa). That is the best place to hang out and the food...” she paused and bulged her eyes ”...alot. I mean really huge. I think for your size you can eat that for two dinners!” Sisela, my colleague in Telecom New Zealand suggested. She just returned from Tonga few days before Christmas and spent a week lazing around.

After snapping some photos at the Prime Minister Building, which looked British colonial architecture I headed to Friend’s Cafe just around the corner. The cafe situated at the intersection facing the New Zealand High Commission and next to the handicraft centre.

“Malo e leilei.” A lady welcomed me. She and her other colleagues wore a uniform that looked like Baju Kedah to me except the sleeves looked like Saloma’s agogo.

“Hi. What’s special here?”

She looked up at the menu hanging above her. “Everything is special here.” A non-bias (to the other menu) and standard answer for every waiter I guess.

I scanned the menu and there were so many thing and they all sounds good (no picture provided just the menu list written on black board with multi colour chalks.)

“Ermmm...I’m having Mango juice anddddd.... fish and chips.” I finally order after few seconds of thinking.

She handed me my table number.

“Should I pay now?”

She said pay later.

I took my number and got a seat outside. I didn’t know why but I guess it’s fashionable to sit outside and being seen. It didn’t take them long to bring in my drink. Honestly I was expecting real blended mango juice but the one that I had was cordial juice. How funny. This is tropical island and mango fruits all year round but I’m getting juice from the bottle.

It was midday and lunchtime, earlier there were quite a number of people but minutes after I came more people flooded in. I could see most of the customers were travellers. Looking at the price tag there’s no wonder why the local hardly there and tourist having more money to spend due to high foreign exchange to local currency.

The waitress came towards me and she brought my order. The first impression was, WOW..that can really eat for two dinners. Now I know why Sisela bulged her eyes! The fish wasn’t like the normal one cut fillet their version was the cut it in several medium size pieces and coated with crumb and deep fried like a nugget. I took time to finish the meal. I cut the nugget in small pieces and thrust the fork through and I did the same with the chip before I dip it to the delicious cream cheese sauce.


When eating in town, you should have a special technique to eat, one hand on the fork and the other hand fanning the food because the fly are just everywhere, on the table, on the floor. On my nose even! One second you stop (fanning the food), it will land right on your food. I don’t want that to happen, do I? In a way, it’s an exercise to loose those unwanted fat on my arm.

Wait a minute, do I really have body fat?

Eventually I finished the meal despite the generous amount but I didn’t count how long it took me. I wanted to loosen up the button of my jeans to give some room for me to inhale and exhale properly but too bad, I was in public places so I was going to suffer a little while. i leaned on the back of my chair and caught some air to breath. That fish and chip really make me full and there were no more empty spaces left.

I pulled out my laptop and turned it on but I couldn’t see the monitor because it was bright out there so I moved inside the restaurant and sat next to the fan. Inside felt warmer perhaps the ventilation wasn’t work that well.

It was like river my creative juice flowed and my finger typing at the same speed. My mind was so relax and the ideas to write popping up like popcorn. In minutes I have written several pages. Back in university time, it took me ages to write a 15-pages assignment. I guess over the time, the more I see and the more I experience things the better my brain works. I truly believe travelling is great brain stimulus.

But the writing wasn’t going that long.

The fan, the food, they all contributed to my drowsiness. My eyes felt heavy and my mind kept picturing the bouncy spring mattress at Heilala.

That’s it, I’m going home.

I packed my stuff, paid my bills and walked to the bus station which is only walking distance.

BUS RIDE & SIESTA

The buses in Tonga, don’t imagine it to be a 40-seater but cut it into two and that’s how the they look like. I would use the word ‘Coach’ instead of bus. Way before I reached the bus stop I could hear music from turned on to full blast. No, they don’t play the Hula-kind –of music but expect the US chart topping hiphop songs.

According to Sven’s wife, most of the bus will pass through the village and I could take any bus. That’s sounds quite handy for me. I hopped on the bus after I asked the bus conductor does it go to Tofoa.

I sat right by the door and I looked out from window to the wide open sea. The gust of wind got into the coach once awhile but each time it blew, the strength seemed like intensified. The clouds were still grey.

Buses or coaches in Tonga didn’t have a proper schedule when it depart or arrive. As I told you they have a very laid back culture. They will go when they feel like going and the driver will wait until the bus was completely packed like Tuna in a can, then they will finally go. I was sitting there for almost half an hour when the coach finally moving.

Riding a bus in Tonga really could ignite all your senses. With lots of people inside you could it imagine what I could sniff and smell? Tell you, sweet and sour! Then the loud music came from the burst speakers made me feel like in moving discothèque. Oh and that’s not all, the man behind the wheel keep playing the same song over and over again. Gosh, it drives me crazy. For those having migraine, I advised you take some other mean of transportation. This (the bus) can easily make you swallow dozen of aspirin.

I took a deep breath once I stopped in front Ace Hardware. Tried to get as much fresh air as I could then slowly walked to the resort. Even though my 5 senses were fully triggered yet I still feel sleepy. That’s the cool of being Shahwaluddin Mat Rasul, no matter happen it won’t stop him from getting doze off. Having afternoon was the best thing in my free time.

I turned the key and jumped face down to the soft springy with my jandal (Japanese sandal or flip flop) still on and the next thing I knew it was dinner time.

DINNER

I ordered Snapper (a type of fish) for dinner but I couldn’t recall what the dish called. It was absolutely fabulous. Sven said it was a hybrid menu of Tongan and continental. Whatever it was I think it work out simply delicious.

“Have you decided what to do tomorrow?” Sven asked before he closed the restaurant.

“I’m not sure. I feel like just roam around seeing the village by bike.”

“It’s Sunday tomorrow. Most of the things here will be close. It’s church day. I think it’s better if you take the island tour tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah, island tour then.”

He said he would call the different tour operator. The one that he was going to call cost only 30 Pa’anga compared to 45 Pa’anga the one advertised at the bar but the tour won’t include the cave visit.

“It’s ok. I’ve seen many caves before.” I told him. Oh well, did you all know I used to live in Batu Caves! I mean Batu Caves’ area and not IN-side Batu Caves.

The restaurant was close but I was still there working on my laptop and make full use of the resort’s free internet service. When it was getting too dark and too scary especially when the dogs barked, I guess that was the calling I should I get to bed.

P/s: No matter how modern Shahwaluddin Mat Rasul is, he still believe in after-life world.