Vaingalo

About my family

My Family love to create costumes and different parts of an outfit for cultural performances and other activities/ events. Going to church a very important part of my family and celebrating the mass afterwards with a feast to share with the whole of the church. My Family Always love to cook and eat the cultureal foods. My Family always love to dance and have big family gatherings where dances are performed and people are celebrated. My family are very family oriented.

Both of my parents had it very hard growing up and didnt have much. My Dad struggled the most growing up as he has 8 siblings. His father passed at an early age and as a older sibling he had to finish school early and had to find a job to provide for his family and his other siblings. My Dads family are very known for being giving and caring. Back in Tonga in the village where my dads father is from, Ha'ateiho, his Grandfather Inoke had faught in the war and had become very known for it. Everybody in the village knows the last name 'Vaingalo' and his name 'Inoke' has been continuoulsy passed down. Inoke is my brothers name and many of my cousins and uncles names. Due to my dads Grandfathers bravery, he was given the village Ha'ateiho and became cheif. My Dad lived over in Tonga for a bit while his father and family lived in New Zealand. When his father passed away from a Heart Attack when he was around 7 years old, he didnt go over to Tonga much and stayed in New Zealand. His Mum struggled having to look after so many children as she had another Husband before my Dads Dad. Her last child she needed to give away to one of my Dads Aunties from his Dads side. This helped the families to stay connected and my Dad still has a good relationship with him.

One of the many memories my dad has as a child, is with his Nana, his mums mum. As a child he was his Nanas favourite. His Nana always had sweet and food so when my Dad came home from school she would sneak him any food or treats she had and he would take it to the room and secretly eat before anyone, especially his siblings saw. He Dad always tell us about how he was the favourite and everytime he laughed about it.

My Mum has 2 siblings but found herself being the one needing to take care of her siblings. My Nana (Mums mum) was a very welcoming and generous person who had many sisters and only one or two siblings, she came from a large family. She welcomed anyone into her home and provided one to friends that didnt have one. Many of my Mums friends lived with her growing up and spent most of there time at my Mums house. My Nana had become a Mum to many of my Mums friends growing up and to this day they still are. My Nana used to have a big van where she would take my Mum and friends on road trips and would always get fish & chips. My Mums parents split up and so my Mums dad met my Grandma and they got married and had two sons.

Growing up my Nana lived with us in a house next to us on the same property. She did a lot to take care or look out for my parents as they started there life together. My Mum always talked about how she was always so embarrasing around boys. Everytime they drove past a boy or a group of them, she would roll down the window and scream something or do something embarrasing. She always loved her treats and would always have a jar of them somewhere around the house. I was very close with my Nana before she passed away from Lung Cancer. There are so many memories with her and stories about her, She would always take me and my brother out to the beach or to watch the helicopters with fish n chips. She always had coke in the fridge and always had treats for us everytime she picked us up from school.

This is my Family and I love and appreciate them very much!