Welcome to Litsy!

This slim book of short stories focuses on how outside pressures like development, religion, and more put stress on and encourage the alteration of island cultures. It‘s told with sly good humor. I read this slowly and think it might get a bit repetitive if read at a quicker pace.

#ReadingOceania2024 #PapuaNewGuinea

My first book for #readingoceania24 and it‘s a great one! I learned a lot about the people and culture of Oceanic islands.

My favourite quote: we are a ‘Sea of Islands rather than islands in a far sea‘.

I‘m using this for #tonga, and it would also work for #papuanewguinea or #fiji.

Thank you so much for sending it to me, Holly, and I enjoyed reading along with you. I‘m so lucky that you sent me two books that I would never otherwise have read.

This book was a great find for #ReadingOceania2024, as anthropologist Hau‘ofa is steeped in Oceania. I particularly appreciated his way of looking at the region and the short fiction piece makes me want to read the book it came from. This one is best read one or two pieces at a time. #Tonga (would also work for Papua New Guinea, Fiji, or arguably any of the Oceania countries)

#readingoceania24

I‘ve only just read the preface and the first essay, Holly, and I can already tell this is going to be a fascinating book.

I keep Googling and making notes, (which countries are in Melanesia - Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea) and also so I can remember which countries are covered in the book.

At the moment I think I‘ll use it for #tonga for sure but may add some more obscure ones if they‘re covered.

#ReadAroundTheWorld #Tonga I thought this book was about the author‘s travels to Tonga. Well yes, however the author is an ethnographer and this is an in-depth 30 year ethnographic case study on how globalization is impacting traditional Tongan culture. Fascinating. I learned a huge amount BUT it was slow going with many discussions about the changing nature of ethnography as well. Phew. Of the 220,000 Tongans in the world 50% live overseas.

Planning for next month‘s #readaroundtheworld #Tonga. Or maybe not.

Some months are difficult because I‘m chaotic. Some months are simply difficult!

So close to finishing my #readtheworld challenge. #Tonga came today by mail. 🎉🎊🍾😻