Village stay.

Part of our induction is to stay in a local village, NOT a made up one either! Before we went our language teacher made sure we'd covered the basic vocab that we might need. The villagers are relatives of his. In PNG villages live with their relatives and are related to all the villages nearby and are called wantoks which means people who speak the same language and are relatives. We were also encouraged to buy gifts although more help and advice might have been more useful to us all.

So we set off. Not by road but by boat as Karen, VSO Director's stepson was going to the place where we were stopping at to have more lessons. It was great to be on the water again. But half way there the rain came down with a vengeance! We stopped at the Marine centre [deep sea diving is a big thing here] had an interesting talk, lunch, eventually! And off by mini bus to the village!!

First impressions were how tidy and beautiful it was. Lovely welcome especially from the little children and then a tour round. Toilets first, yes 100 metres from the village and a typically pit latrine BUT a man's, (man) and a woman's, (meri) next to each other!

Time to make up our beds before it got dark. The two married couples were shown one room and the single men went to the next village. Then two mattresses were brought in for us, bought that day by VSO for the old ones! Normally you sleep on the floor.

So we then had supper and early to bed. Well 4 strangers sharing a room was to say the least, odd but we had loads of childish giggling to break the ice! Toilet visits in the night were interesting!

So we swam, helped cook, declined the offer to help kill the chicken and went to market. One of the things that the villagers enjoyed were seeing the photo album of our family. At least we could explain pikkini man and pikkini meri to them in Tok Pisin.

On the Sunday we went to Church, RC so for us a different experience. The men sit one side and the women the other. Both Ken and I worked out what the sermon was about as everything was in Tok Pisin. A young woman looked after me and walked home with us, a relative of course! In the afternoon she came to visit me and brought me pawpaw, two pineapples and a large orange!

So good experience all round and the headman's wife asked me to visit again which I hope I can.

I have loads of photos but finding it difficult to get them on to the blog. Another learning experience!!!