Tonga: The Cultural Experience

I spent a lot of time walking in Tonga- even the 4km from the Heilala Holiday Lodge into town. Walking in Tonga is one of the best ways to meet people and get in touch with the flow of life.

Behind me in the National Cultural Centre, another large venue with several large halls that can be opened up to the tropical breeze.


As with anywhere, the best way to get in touch with people is to get away from town. This was on Crazy Toni's Tour. When the kids saw that I had a camera they just went wild. Kids in Tonga love having their photo taken and thank you for taking their picture. A wonderful change.

Even the local toughs are friendly. This is Nuku'alofa's only pool hall. The wearing of hats and dark glasses denotes the local rebel but these guys were as friendly as could be. The pool hall owner is out of frame, nursing his sleeping child.
You see a lot of young men just hanging about around the town, They don't seem to be waiting for anything or doing anything, just watching the passers-by.

This is a typical High School student from the most upmarket school in town, in his school uniform. The skirt and mat is the formal attire of Tonga, especially the thongs.

Rebellious young people can be picked out by their refusal to put on their dress thongs when going to town. If they also have a baseball hat, pants and dark glasses they are really asking for trouble.

This is just the tip of the cultural experience- there is also the foods, the dances and the oddness of seeing what is often a glum exterior transform into a warm smile and genuine interest. These people are so hospitable you can transform from total stranger to honored guest at a family feast in just a matter of hours!

I guess my point here is about the value of travel and experience. I can never understand the point of taking a conference to some exotic location and then cooping up the attendees in some fearful circle of five star standard vanilla.

Surely the point of an event is to have something new and different- something a bit risky- not another Sunday lunch at the Hilton.

Tonga: Venue Ideas

The University of the South Pacific is about 6 km out of Nuku'alofa with it's classrooms and lecture halls scattered across its lush large campus- useful for out of term times but also during the day otherwise as most classes occur of an evening.

The convention centre is used for a wide range of conferences and professional gatherings.

Signs of welcome to the various meeting groups are scattered around the town, usually straddling the main streets- a nice touch!

The new cruise harbour will probably be finished by the end of 2008. Probably a good idea to go before that to take advantage of the current low prices.

Apart from meeting venues, the main island has more than 400 churches including this- the main temple of the Mormon church in Tonga. Not all the churches are as impressive as this.

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Why Tonga? For two reasons:

1. My research back in 1996 delivered a number of contradictory frameworks that I wanted to resolve. I wanted to meld these into something more like a coherent image.

2. As I considered the idea of a Pacific venue that was out of the way, recently opened up with direct flights from Sydney, I found that the available data on a touristic level was also varied and contradictory.

I wanted to find out and also to enjoy what seemed likely to be a restful place away from the election and the political guff.

Imagine a place without traffic jams, with friendly people and a very relaxed pace of life.

Imagine also a place with a minimum of media and advertising, no gambling and almost no crime.

This is a place in transition where traditions are fading and the world is just beginning to intrude.

Soon the seaport will have a wharf to service cruise ships.

With that other infrastructure will soon follow.

But for now, there are several large venues to suit a conference including the University of the South Pacific, a convention centre and a rather nice meeting hall in the middle of town.

Accommodation can be hotel style or situated in the many small lodges that scattered around the town.

For many Australians this would be an interesting experience, culturally informative and yet also very relaxing.

South America, Worth a Thought

Dancers from the Diablada Urus group perform during a Carnival parade in Oruro, south of La Paz, Bolivia

I am currently waiting for some cost/benefit assessments of South America. All this because I met Anna Nagy at AIME in Melbourne (while sneeking out for a smoke).

Her point was so simple; it might cost a bit more in airfares but a well-designed tour could transform a conference into an unforgettable memory. This would be especially true if we could time the event to coincide with some of their wonderful public celebrations.

This fits exactly with my idea of what adds the most value to an event; having stories to share allows the delegate to relive and enjoy the event time after time.

Thus, the more unusual moments, the more remarkable experiences, the better the effect.

Please consider.

Sydney Wildlife World Darling Harbour

New Sydney Attraction!
13 habitats!
130 Australian native species!
Located conveniently beside the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour (eastern side).

But overall a bit of a stretch. Most of the species were insects. The habitats are mostly just cages behind glass- and often dirty glass so taking a decent photo is very difficult. And often the species is impossible to see.

Rating: overpriced and poor. 1/10
At $28.50 for about 90 minutes of wandering about, plus a 30 minute wait to get in: not value for money.

If you want to see Australian wildlife- go to Taronga Zoo!

Thailand: Phuket

Working in Thailand is both a tedium and a joy.

The tedium comes from the need to see every detail put in place and making sure that the person you are talking to really does understand and can actually be truthful. Otherwise 'yes' can mean anything at all.

The joy comes when you have the whole team working together, with a good lashing of 'sanuk' (fun) and a commitment to please the audience. Making other people happy is a central part of Thai culture, and it shows.

Of course the first trick is to get out of Bangkok. It is the country's magnet for business and education but it is not a happy place. Once away from the Big Smoke, everyone calms down and the result is just a delight.

Around Phuket, the Laguna complex is a set of international hotels (about a dozen) all connected by roads and water and separated from the world outside. It really is a tropical paradise.

The Sheraton Laguna featured here was listed as the fifth best 5 star hotel in the world for a time, a well-deserved accolade.

I left two days after our 5 day conference and as I went to my car I was astounded- all the staff had come out to wave goodbye- security, doormen, catering, chefs and managers!!!

It was a very touching experience.

Conference in Dubai

While there was a bit of a challenge organising this; the day before I flew out the client's secrertary sent out an old version of the program to the venue, telling to put everything back as it had been planned months before.

Rather than add to their confusion and paperwork, I just took the final version with me and told them we would talk it through when I got there. As usual I had several days to meet with everyone and talk it through.


As so often happens in such a situation, talking it through face to face, with all the usual cultural metaphors and rituals, makes everything flow much better.





Some cultures are simply incapable of clear communications over the phone- especially in English.

At the end of several days of meetings, we had the whole town on our side. Trucks were getting borrowed from cousins, backdrops in abundance suddenly appeared, themed morning teas materialised complete with tents and real Arabs and even a French theme with bunting and music.





Our formal themed dinner complete with 'international' buffet materialised to a treat; flags, backdrops, centrepieces, entertainment and catering. Just great.



And of course, careful adjustment of the lighting as well.





And the cruise on The Creek became a laid back evening of cool breezes and warm chat.

Dubai: Love & Hate

The Middle East is a bit confronting anytime- but probably best avoided during Ramadan. Luckily we went at another time.

Not long ago Dubai was just a bunch of huts by 'The Creek'. Now it is a metropolis of sorts and The Creek is a big thing- though still salt water.

Along the creek, which is quite long, the monuments to money soar upwards.

The Old City is still there to some extent- the romance of the mud brick mansions with their wind towers.

And there is a museum which is worth a bit of a look, though not for hours. I got stuck there so I wnt out and found the market at the back- very noisy.

But the international hotels are excellent and 'wet'. And the staff, almost exclusively from India and the Philippines are most accommodating.

Conference Dinner Kuta

Lack of space often means that dinner has to be in the conference room. The Kartika Plaza had such a problem, but with a realignment of the room and a few basic changes, we created a strong sense of difference for the 'formal' dinner which also included a Balinese Talent Quest where the delegates divided into teams and presented a 3 minute skit encapsulating their favourite moments of the week.

It was hilarious.

Conference in Kuta

We only had six weeks preparation time for this conference. The venue had been booked by an executive who had left the company, taking all the files with him. It was a mess.

But in the end we did get it together and produced an event that ran smoothly and happily.

As per usual I got there a week early to check out all the details and meet all the talent and suppliers. Just as well- as with any production project, it is absolutely necessary to check every detail, and then check it again.

With a language and a culture barrier, a lot can go amiss. Fortunately my studies in Social Anthropology included an in-depth study of Indonesia, so it was not entirely foreign to me.

Minus5 Auckland New Zealand

Linn Taylor (3rd from left) sent me this shot from Minus5, an Auckland bar where EVERYTHING is ice: furniture, glasses, walls. You name it.

It costs NZD$25 to get in which includes a cocktail.

However, the time is limited. I think she said 45 minutes; because after that you start to freeze over as per Batman & Robin remake with Arnie's Mr Freeze.

Princes Whart
Tel 64 9 377 6702
www.minus5.co.nz

Go freeze your nuts off!
(or tits as the case may be...)

Sheraton Nusa Dua

The foyers, bars and restaurants fan out around this garden paradise.



And then, the pool, about the size of two Olypmic pools, surrounded by sculpture and fountain.
A water palace.



Driving through the gates, a sense of grandeur.


This is the most fabulous hotel in Bali, situated away from the tawdry scenes of Kuta and Legian, it offers a true sense of tropical paradise.

Malasti Bungalows

The Melasti is right in the middle of Kuta, accoms 100 guests, 2 pools and offers an wonderfully sumptuous, quiet garden setting, in the middle of the action. And its cheap, from US$50 a night including breakfast. Even has 24hr room service.



This building is for sitting in the shade and chatting. Bees found a hole in the roof and established a hive. I could see it from my first floor verandah and watched them for hours.



The hotel temple; note the empty seats. In Balinese temples the places for Shiva, Vishnu and Krishna are empty, awaiting their arrival.

Every house and hotel has a temple.
Every village has three temples- for the three key elemental gods: wind, fire and water.

Of themselves, they are just places. Conferences need to be timed to connect with the worship events.

Like a Christian church, when empty it lacks its true sense of culture and utility.

Guests are welcome so long as they dress appropriately and make a donation.



A close look at the fountain offers another insight into the Hindu/Balinese mind.



A humble room, and yet elegant simplicity. Even room service. Not bad at around US$60 a night including pools to swim in and buffet breakfast.



A sense of 'elan vital' impossible in Australia, even Cairns.



Lush splendid aliveness.

Bali

This is from the "We are not Afraid' website.

This blog was inspired by the Bali bombing in October 2005.
Alexander Downer felt obliged to issue a travel warning AFTER THE BOMBINGS.
As a result, companies and organisations cancelled their conferences and events in Bali.
Others moved theirs to Singapore or Thailand.

THE TERRORISTS WON THE BATTLE.
THEY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED.

The aim of this blog is to present our explorations of PLACES THAT NEED US, that need our commitment.

If we leave them to wither, to starve, then we prove the terrorists' claims.

Please consider.
Please don't be afraid.
Please ask your people if they have the courage to keep travelling, to place themselves in harm's way.

Remember, fear is the mind-killer. (Frank Herbert, Dune Trilogy)



The Kuta Square bombsite, as we drove past.