The year was 1773; Captain Cook, the esteemed explorer of yore, stepped
ashore the fabled Tongan island of Lifuka. So enamoured was he with the locals
and their exuberant entertainments, copious feasting and general revelry - the
like of which he'd ne’er seen before back in Blighty - that he graciously
bestowed on them the title ‘Friendly Islanders’.
Somewhat ironic - for his hosts were actually planning to chop him into
bite-sized portions and serve him up as pre-dinner canapés. Luckily for Cook,
the scheme foundered when they couldn't agree on the finer details, such as
whether Englishmen go well with ketchup, or whether they're best served as a
small-plates sharing concept.
Nevertheless, the term ‘Friendly Islanders’ has stuck forevermore. And
indeed, it's been gratuitously appropriated by the most unlikely local services
(like Friendly Islander Vasectomies - ‘we snip with a smile..’) But
despite their panache for canny marketing slogans, underneath lies an
irrefutable generosity, something I increasingly discovered during my
med-student placement on these fair isles.
