Carols by the Sea draws crowd of 2000

King Georhe V sports a new royal Ta‘ovala - Sefita Hao‘uli:
Thank you for the update on the Carols by the Seas. We can only imagine that the Maopa choir lived up to its immutable reputation as the best Christmas carolers in the South Pacific, and that an increasingly cosmopolitan Nuku’alofa - going by the pictures that you’ve offered up for us to see, were by the sea to take it all in while we crave for it from this distance and away from it all. Not bad for a country that according to TVNZ is going down the gurgler quicker than the wash at the blow-holes in Houma. But I digress …

Just when you thought he’s done everything possible to set him up as the most capricious monarch that we’ve ever enjoyed, he goes out and proves us right yet again.

It isn’t enough that he has allowed the political reforms to take hold. And in case anyone missed it, he’s on record that those changes were his lifetime ambition and to make Tonga into a more democratic nation. His detractors will have us believe that he wasn’t overly worried should a keen and common democrat were to take the parliamentary and the governing helm. He even put in a couple of commoners and a visitor from Scotland among the nobles to help nudge that along a little - and if that wasn’t novel enough you had to be blind not to see another royal trend-setting moment.

I am talking about the black and gold-chequered number that George V sported as the royal waist-wear at the Carols by sea. It would certainly set tongues wagging on what can only be described as a royal fusion of Asian aesthetics and Tongan traditional sensibilities. In short it has given our traditional ta’ovala a badly needed makeover. Is this a case of an over-reaching orient obi or the ta’ovala finally becoming more transnational? Whichever, I am in full agreement. So chalk another one up for His Majesty.

Whoever said that the ta’ovala had to be woven from pandanus in order for it to be legitimate will just have to think again. And all men of good taste will look upon this as a signal that everything is on. And in one fell swoop, the ta’ovala’s shelf life will now be extended for another century. Not having owned or worn one of these for nearly 4 decades I’ve since hinted very loudly on what Santa can bring me this Christmas.

The capricious one may not have intended this to be a Christmas gift to the nation but you just never know with this royal.

So in case the wannabe fashionistas missed it, can you please serve up a few from the gallery. (See: Carols by the Sea draws crowd of 2000) - Sefita Hao‘uli