Tongan

I thoroughly enjoyed Susan Spano's article on Tonga ("Tonga: Outpost of the South Seas," April 23) because it brought back fond memories of a recent trip there. The pristine beach with readily accessible coral reefs and the friendly hospitality made the Sandy Beach Resort a highlight of the trip. Dinner at the Seaview restaurant in Nuku'alofa was excellent. Outstanding restaurants are not plentiful in the Pacific, so it turned out to be a pleasant experience. RALPH MILLER Manhattan Beach Contrary to what Susan Spano writes in her article on Tonga, I have never seen dog served at a Tongan feast.

With the sun peeking out through scattered clouds Sunday morning, hundreds of people gathered inches from Huntington Beach's waters to celebrate the ocean through song and prayer. The Blessing of the Waves is an annual celebration that includes officials from various religions. This year organizers decided to include a more somber note: a moment of silence for victims of recent natural disasters in Southeast Asia. "The ocean is the center of our community here," said Ryan Lilyengren, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.

With the sun peeking out through scattered clouds Sunday morning, hundreds of people gathered inches from Huntington Beach's waters to celebrate the ocean through song and prayer. The Blessing of the Waves is an annual celebration that includes officials from various religions. This year organizers decided to include a more somber note: a moment of silence for victims of recent natural disasters in Southeast Asia. "The ocean is the center of our community here," said Ryan Lilyengren, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.

The captain of the Tongan ferry that sank and left 93 people missing and presumed dead said Monday that he was pressured into sailing the vessel even though authorities knew it had problems. Capt. Maka Tuputupu blamed the sinking on rusted loading ramps that allowed water into the ship, and he said the Tongan government should take responsibility because it knew there were problems with the vessel. Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele and Transportation Minister Paul Karalus have said the Princess Ashika was fully seaworthy, was fully certificated for the service and met all international maritime standards.

I enjoyed "In the South Pacific, a Splendid Isolation" (April 27). Years ago I took a Greek freighter carrying lumber from Coos Bay, Ore., to Papeete, Tahiti, a $300, 16-day one-way experience featuring Tongan crewmen, the smell of oil and seasickness. Being young, adventurous and impulsive, I had no return ticket to show the authorities in Papeete, and they were not too welcoming. After frantic calls to my housemates in Berkeley and my parents, I was sent a ticket to Honolulu. In Tahiti there was an inter- island ferry that the locals all used, and I ended up in Uturoa city, on Raiatea, and spent some lovely weeks with a family that took me in as if I were a relative.

Rick Majerus, Utah basketball coach, wasn't taking any chances after his heart bypass surgery last year. The 5-foot-9, 270-pound Majerus recently told Skip Myslenski of the Chicago Tribune about his rehabilitation process: "I went to Santa Monica to run. I wanted to go to a rich city where they have 911 and rich doctors with good equipment. I wasn't going to where they just let you lie in the street if you have a heart attack."

Greg, a non-Tongan, accepts an invitation from his high school classmate, Epafasi, to join him and other Tongan schoolmates after school at Epafasi's home. While the guys are sitting in the living room, Epafasi's mom returns from work. As soon as she spots Greg, she loudly scolds her son in Tongan. Although the language is unfamiliar, Greg senses the mom is talking about him. She then proceeds to place a large bowl of food in front of Greg; she serves no one else.

Paea Wolfgramm ignored a broken wrist, a broken nose and health warnings from his coaches to fulfill his Olympic dream and win a silver medal for Tonga. The super-heavyweight was determined to fight in the final against Ukraine's Vladimir Klichko whatever the cost. His South Pacific homeland wanted its first medal won in battle, not after a walkover.

The captain of the Tongan ferry that sank and left 93 people missing and presumed dead said Monday that he was pressured into sailing the vessel even though authorities knew it had problems. Capt. Maka Tuputupu blamed the sinking on rusted loading ramps that allowed water into the ship, and he said the Tongan government should take responsibility because it knew there were problems with the vessel. Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele and Transportation Minister Paul Karalus have said the Princess Ashika was fully seaworthy, was fully certificated for the service and met all international maritime standards.

A teenager pleaded not guilty Friday to charges stemming from the death of two members of the Tongan royal family and their driver when her car slammed into their sport utility vehicle. Edith Delgado, 18, of Redwood City was held in lieu of $3-million bail after arraignment in San Mateo County Superior Court on three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

A South Pacific war cry thundered through the palace of a dead dictator in a desert land. "Aye, aye! Aye, aye!" Three rows of men, broad-shouldered and thick-thighed, clench-jawed and bronze-faced, stomped their feet and punched their fists, their guttural chants bouncing off the marble floors and the high-domed ceiling. In the annals of farewell ceremonies, the one for Tonga's troops no doubt ranked as the most stirring.

CAMP PENDLETON -- Far from their South Pacific island homeland, members of the Tonga Defence Services are training here for hazardous duty in Iraq. Long days are spent doing exercises designed to help them in the uncertain days ahead. There's live-fire weapons training. Hand-to-hand combat. Singing. Yes, singing. But more on that in a bit. Soon the 55 Tongans will deploy to the Middle East to assume security duties at Camp Victory, near the Baghdad airport.

A teenager pleaded not guilty Friday to charges stemming from the death of two members of the Tongan royal family and their driver when her car slammed into their sport utility vehicle. Edith Delgado, 18, of Redwood City was held in lieu of $3-million bail after arraignment in San Mateo County Superior Court on three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

In a tragedy that has left the Bay Area's Tongan community reeling, two visiting members of the tiny nation's royal family were killed late Wednesday after their SUV was struck by a speeding Mustang. Prince Tu'ipelehake, 56, and his wife, Princess Kaimana, 45, had arrived in the Bay Area on Tuesday and were scheduled to attend a large community forum Thursday night at a San Bruno church to discuss the needs of Tongans abroad, said the Rev.

The two Bay Area police officers had traveled to the Kingdom of Tonga searching for answers. Like students seeking the wisdom of an ancient sage, the officers asked about an issue that befuddled them: How do we quell violence among warring gangs of Tongan American youths? The weeklong visit did not produce a recipe for peace. Instead, it provided the officers a different view of home.

The king of Tonga on Monday toured the Long Beach Water Department's ambitious desalination project, which he said might offer an affordable source of drinking water for a tiny island nation that now imports all of it. Escorted by Secret Service agents, his ministers and family, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV was driven around the facility, where officials boast of a 20% to 30% faster -- thus cheaper -- way to desalt seawater than by traditional means.

The Board of Supervisors has awarded a $10,000 contract for South Bay family counseling and job-placement services for immigrants from Tonga, a group of islands in the South Pacific. The program for low-income or unemployed Tongans will be offered by Special Services for Groups at the Asian Pacific Community Service Center in Gardena.

King Topou IV of Tonga was one of Mary Jones' first assignments as Orange County's new chief of protocol. And it proved to be a weighty order. Before King Topou and Queen Mata' Aho visited here in January, Jones first had to find out just where Tonga is. "I knew it was in the South Pacific, but I didn't know where," Jones said. She arranged for Supervisor Thomas Riley to make the king an honorary citizen of Orange County and also arranged for a tour of Disneyland.

I enjoyed "In the South Pacific, a Splendid Isolation" (April 27). Years ago I took a Greek freighter carrying lumber from Coos Bay, Ore., to Papeete, Tahiti, a $300, 16-day one-way experience featuring Tongan crewmen, the smell of oil and seasickness. Being young, adventurous and impulsive, I had no return ticket to show the authorities in Papeete, and they were not too welcoming. After frantic calls to my housemates in Berkeley and my parents, I was sent a ticket to Honolulu. In Tahiti there was an inter- island ferry that the locals all used, and I ended up in Uturoa city, on Raiatea, and spent some lovely weeks with a family that took me in as if I were a relative.

Greg, a non-Tongan, accepts an invitation from his high school classmate, Epafasi, to join him and other Tongan schoolmates after school at Epafasi's home. While the guys are sitting in the living room, Epafasi's mom returns from work. As soon as she spots Greg, she loudly scolds her son in Tongan. Although the language is unfamiliar, Greg senses the mom is talking about him. She then proceeds to place a large bowl of food in front of Greg; she serves no one else.