u/Current_Mongoose_844

Sainuu! I will be visiting your wonderful country next month; with a group run by two shamans. We will be visiting the Darkhad Valley and several other places; staying with local families and learning about Mongolian shamanism. They said to bring gifts other than alcohol, including money. Any recommendation? What's the going rate for a shaman these days? I'm coming from England, do you think our hosts would like something British-themed?

Aloha,

Out of sheer curiosity, were foreigners accepted as ali'i when Hawaii was independent? Did the Kingdom have a separate peerage system for non-Hawaiians? I ask because I've been watching Chief of War and loving it.

Mahalo

I collect hats and would love a fez for my collection. I love the old photos of Arab and Turkish gentlemen in suits with fezzes. I would love to purchase one, preferably from Morocco.

This is a true story, the fact that I'm drinking means nothing.n full disclosure, this wasn't too far after October 7th and I hadn't unlearned the indoctrination.

I took a trip to the Kingdom of Tonga in 2023. It was a reward for not killing myself before I finished grad school. It's my favourite place in the world, and if my wife agreed I'd move there in a heartbeat.

Tonga is a very conservative, Christian country. Mostly Methodist. They love their King and they love Jesus to the point of sabbatarianism. Everything shuts down on Sunday by law except for tourist businesses. I had the privilege of asking the Prime Minister about what he thought about Israel's laws; because my hotel happened to be one of two fancy-ish restaurants on the island of Tongatapu. He said it was a good thing that Jews were keeping the Sabbath. (Honestly, I'm inclined to agree that this is one of the few good things about Israel.)

A few days later I was having a few drinks at the bar when I saw three men: two middle-aged palangi (white guys) dressed in "vacation attire" and a Tongan man in formalwear: tupenu (skirt, very comfy btw) and ta'ovala (a woven mat worn around the waist). The white men had a familiar accent and I heard the word "Jew". Naturally, my ears pricked up like an alcoholic horse. Craning to hear, I saw that the men were talking about October 7th and Christian Zionists in the USA. Additionally, a terrible summation of Covenant theology.

These men were obviously Israeli diplomats, trying to take advantage of the Tongan people due to their Christian faith. I probably still would have called myself a Zionist at this point but the propaganda was wearing off, and I have always despised Christian Zionism. I would wager that your average Tongan has read more of the Bible than your average American Christian (tm) has read anything in their lives. As they were leaving, I got up and "accidentally" shoulder checked one of the men. I said "oops, slicha", winked, and went back to my room.

Myself and the Prime Minister, to prove I'm not lying.

The Island of Ha'pai

A whale