Today was a big day for Nuku’alofa: the open of parliament for Tonga’s 2012-2013 Parliamentary Session.  And to make it even bigger, this session is the first to be opened by Tonga’s new king, HM King Tupou VI.

All of the secondary school children were required to participate, so you can see them here (just beyond that awesome bicycle), all gussied up in their kia-kia’s and ta’avalas, just waiting for the excitement to begin!  And I thought the Tonga Scouts and Girl Guides looked smart in their uniforms, too.  They’ve had an important week.  According to matangitonga.to (the online news here), on Tuesday, the Tonga Scouts and Girl Guides lit one of the first “beacons” (in this case, a bonfire) marking the Diamond Jubilee — a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years of reign (celebrated by the UK and Commonwealth countries).  Around 4200 beacons will be lit around the world for this occasion!