Dec 2011

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Issue 2 Bridge Edition

Issue 2 Bridge Edition A publication of ON THE SPOT, Inc.

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ON THE SPOT (Incorporated) is a multi-dimensional group with a mix of nationalities, religion and talents with a passion to engage young people in activities which promote creative thinking, artistic expression, social responsibility, global awareness, and local action.

Cover art from Chopical by Minaira Fifiita

Letter from the Editors

Why Bridge Edition??

This edition of SPOT.ed is created with a vision to develop the OTS quarterly newsletter into a Tongan literary art magazine. SPOT.ed is for you: to DO, THINK and EXPRESS creative arts and ideas and inspire you to BE artistic. Local Artists are encouraged to submit your work whether it is a poem, short story or visual art to be featured on this magazine. There is a Chinese proverb that says It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward. We hope this is one of the small steps in the right direction. Enjoy the rest of the edition and tell us what you think! Malo Aupito From the SPOT.ed Team spot.ed.magazine@gmail.com

Tevita Vahai Ruha Fifita Elena Noyes

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8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 20 Chaotic Thoughts Discovery (Closeup 1) Discovery (Closeup 2) Sailing the Pacific Seas Untitled Chopical Kermadec Works Lidded Stage Fright recap Peace Building Ana Kolokihakaufisi Ebonie Fifita Ebonie Fifita Nabil Mercy Kafalava Ebonie Fifita Minaira Fifita Ruha Fifita Elena Noyes OTS Creative Director Ana Kolokihakaufisi

Contents

Ana Kolokihakaufisi

Chaotic Thoughts

Do we truly seek to comprehend? Or do we comprehend what we truly seek? As in all things that make sense Destruction and restoration must first make amends For in the hour of turmoil, We are one step closer to a burnt-out coil But are we walking towards truth? Or are our eyes sealed with lifes inexperience? Thus, the heavy tread towards the waves of tomorrows uncertainty continues

Discovery (Closeup 1)
Ebonie Fifita Acrylic and dye on Tapa

An interview with Nabil Mercy Kafalava

Sailing the Pacific Seas

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Where did you go and for how long? I attended a Voyage which started with extensive trainings in Fiji and then sailed to Aotearoa and from there to Tahiti, The Marquesas, all over Hawaii and on the California Coast starting in San Francisco and concluding in San Diego. This was the longest and challenging sailing trip Ive ever been on which took approximately 6 months (4th April to 4th September 2011) What was the purpose of your trip? The purpose of the trip was to use the wisdom of our ancestors, combined with modern science, to propel us into a more sustainable future, help heal our injured ocean, raise awareness, and to revive our cultural traditions of voyaging. Demographically, our crews vary. We have come together from many islands, men and women, young and older, to sail our seven Vaka as one. (continued on next page)

Ebonie Fifita Acrylic and dye on Tapa

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Discovery (Closeup 2)

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What was the biggest Challenge you faced during this trip? The biggest challenge was trying to be mentally, physically and spiritually strong at all times and to avoid feeling homesick to ensure that my mind was set on completing the purpose of the voyage because I supported and believed in it. What did you enjoy the most? I enjoyed all of it, from learning to navigate with the stars and ff-konga-tahi (touching the ocean to determine your location) to being able to go to places where youll never dreamt that youll go to in your entire life . It was also a pleasure getting to know other participants from various Pacific Islands within Hine Moana

(the name of one of the seven Vakas that I was on) and also the rest of the fleet. I also enjoyed the welcoming ceremonies by the locals when we reach dry land after days of sailing which was just OZUM! How do you feel the experience of this trip has affected/influenced you? This trip really made me appreciate what I have here in Tonga, a loving family, friends that cheers you up, and space given that crews on one Vaka are all crammed in a small space for days, even month. It taught me as well to be patient with everyone and appreciate our ancestors and knowing that every island in the wider Pacific Ocean is a one big family. With that in mind it means that wherever I maybe, whether in some island or in the ocean, Im always at home. Please share something interesting/funny you learned or discovered? One interesting thing that I learnt was that most of the Pacific Islands have really similar languages, and you can understand if you just forget about your own language and just listen to a conversation in another dialect and next thing you know, you kind of understand what theyre talking about. I also managed to gain some knowledge about traditional navigation in which I can easily identify directions, tell the time by looking at the moon, stars and the sun and even sighting birdsin the middle of the vast ocean...

We salute Mercy for being brave in taking up this challenging yet wonderful opportunity given that you just got out of High School, have never left Tonga and is only 18 years old. The Voyage will resume back again in January 2011 for an extensive South American sail and will end up at the Pacific Arts Festival 2012 which will be hosted by the Solomon Islands. Mercy would like to extend his gratitude to Taholo Kami and family for the recommending this great opportunity. To the youth of Tonga, you should all watch out for opportunities like this in the future. For more information about the voyage, go to http://www.pacificvoyagers.org/

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[
Be still feel the earths pulse. Breathe, Pause and Move With inner strength Guide the winds of change Leap Land Love Shift time and place Regard The scars Reach The stars Make your mark in music and motion Make the worlds heavy hopes light Lift the stones of impossibility Let the earths heart beat Free

Untitled

Ebonie Fifita

Minaira Fifita Acrylic and mixed media on Canvas

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Chopical

Lidded

Elena Noyes

Kermadec works

Dame Robin White with Ruha Fifita

The afternoon slanting Sapate sun draws a rectangle of unfilled light on the chalky wall stained just so from all the passings of bike brought laboriously inside (guarded carefully to hide) outlining reversed words pressed into window glass last reminders (eggs, kumala, pele) throughout the working week neat lists half forgotten, on this lazy day, today Sapate stuffed with Queenly yearly wishes and formal philandering dishes, a festival filled with stacks of monthly wage on laden tables to gorge and leave and barely able to sit disconsolate, after all, watching the afternoon Sapate sun drawing rectangles on the wall

Natural pigment on tapa

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performances by the SF Dance Squad and interactive creative challenges with the audience.

An OTS performing arts programme

Stage Fright

Since 2007, OTS has been developing its unique and exciting Performing Arts Empowerment Program called Stage Fright (SF). Many of you will be familiar with the SF events and activities. Since its creation, SF has drawn together members of the community to celebrate creativity and supported young people to complete challenges. The nature of the program is explained best in its name Stage Fright and the simple motto for participants to Feel it, Face it and Use it. Using the diverse forms and dynamic power of the performing arts, SF provides an opportunity for participants to develop the skills and confidence to express themselves, to use their individual creativityand create with others, to explore the limitlessness of their imaginations, to discoverand develop ideas, to direct their potential and finally to inspire and share their energy with an audience.

Being in front of an audience of any size for whatever reason is a challenge and often-frightening task. In such situations we are On The Spot and whether its a dance for hundreds or answering one persons question we decide how to perform. This Year, so far, SF has offered three cycles of its quarterly program. On March 4thwe celebrated Poetry with submissions from friends across the pacific, live poetry performances by local writers, original poetry inspired dance

Then on June 1st we celebrated Theatre with a 2 hour improvisation match between 3 mixed team including members of visiting New Caledonian theatre team Pacifique et Compagnie and local participants from OTS, Filitonu and Tonga Street Boys. The evening also featured opening performances by SFs Kids Creative Dance Class Students and the Dance SQUAD. In the wings of this celebration the Pacific et Compagnie Theatre Team conducted 2 weeks of workshops. They worked with; each of the 3 featured community groups to explore techniques

and tools specific to each groups needs; with two local schools to introduce students to the art, build confidence, encourage creative thinking and have fun; and for a select group of participants from all 3 community groups to train for the improvisation match. This will be the 3rd time that OTS has hosted the Theatre team in Tonga with SF. The recent Stage Fright was on the 14th of September and it was Devoted 2 Dance. The evening lasted for 2 hours with inspirational and imaginative dance performances from the SFs Kids Creative Dance Class students and Dare to Dance workshop members as well as the OTS Dance Squad. There were also other guest dancers and dance groups including professional dancer Rachel Aisling Smith, ICON dance academy and Tonga Street Boys. The last Stage Fright for the year is Musically Motivated and it is planned to happen on the 19th of December 2011. Thank You Ebonie Fifita (Creative Director)

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An interview with Ana Kolokihakaufisi

Peace Building

How do you feel the experience of this trip has affected/influenced you? It was an experience that was short-lived but will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life. The skills and people-to-people exchange that occurred definitely was a great experience for me! Please share something interesting/funny you learned or discovered? I found that we all sometimes interpret certain concepts/issues differently, it all depends on perspectives. Ana applied and was selected to represent Tonga with one other representative to this Peace Building interactive programme aiming to develop peacebuilding and advocacy skills designed to empower participants to be leaders in their own communities. This conference also addresses the themes of leadership and conflict resolution using examples in the Pacific region as case studies with the aim of empowering young people to take leadership and take action on issues that cause conflict in their communities. The conference was funded and supported by the Commonwealth Youth Programme [CYP], United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO].

Where did you go and for how long? Auckland, New Zealand for 1 Week What was the purpose of your trip? To participate as a youth representative from Tonga at the Wansolwara (One ocean one people) Youth Peace-Building Conference What was the biggest Challenge you face during this trip? Critically analyzing case studies and proposing possible solutions to resolve certain conflicts within these case studies. What did you enjoy the most? Meeting young people from different countries around the Pacific region and getting to know them on a personal and professional level. Furthermore, the cultural exchange between myself and other participants was a great source of wealth for me.

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About On The Spot, Inc.

aka: OTS

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Chris Clark (General Assistant): OTS has come quite a long way from when I was first introduced to the group, and I honestly feel that it continues to move forward with its efforts Yvane Fifita (Finance and Resources Director): we could do a lot better if we have more support to get involved/ run/ strengthen a few of our programs . Tevita Vahai (Communications Director): local action still needs to be encouraged but with a little bit more feel towards social responsibility For more information about the group Contact Us: on email to Follow us on Facebook onthespot.tonga@gmail.com http://www.facebook.com/ ONTHESP.T

ON THE SPOT (Incorporated) is a multidimensional group with a mix of nationalities, religion and talents with a passion to engage young people in activities which promote creative thinking, artistic expression, social responsibility, global awareness, and local action. Here are some of the reflections from the current Executive Members about what the group has accomplished over the years and what can be improved in order to achieve its vision. Ebonie Fifita (Creative Director): Im really proud and excited by the recent achievements of OTS members as a team. I feel we are really beginning to step up to the challenges proposed in our vision statement and step out to reach and benefit the wider community in our events and activities. Its awesome to see families and parents becoming more engaged and supportive of what young people are doing and inspiring to see young people challenging themselves and excelling beyond their expectations. Ana Longo Kolokihakaufisi (Youth Development Director): there are areas that need improvement and there is always room for growth...