Tongan proverb of the week

Ala i sia, ala i kolonga - "Skillful at the sia, skillful at the kolonga" ::: This proverb derived its meaning from the pigeon trappers’ practice of heu lupe or the snaring of pigeons. The mound on which the pigeons were trapped was called the sia, and the (temporary) huts where the hunters stayed and the captured pigeons were stored, the kolonga. Thus, the proverb, which in normal spelling should be written as: Ala ʻi sia, Ala ʻi kolonga, was phrased to honor the trapper who was not only skillful in snaring the pigeons but also skillful at storing them at the same time. Later, this proverb became applicable to individuals that have the ability to successfully function in multiple contexts, a trait kept in high esteem by early Tongans. Furthermore, it captured an element of the wisdom that was known to the early Tongans. That is, human beings have a better chance of surviving if they are adaptable, skillful and functional in more than one environment.