The Real PNG SuperStore

Well are you up for a real cultural experience?  Then head on down to the Hagen Market!  This is one of the first places that we visited upon arriving in the country.  It is certainly one way to just throw yourself in there.  It was a little over whelming and the boys stuck pretty close to us.  There are hoards of people all over and if you are to just stand back and give others the right of way you will get nowhere.  You need to look purposeful and just step out and go, oh but watch out for the ladies packing the huge bilums full of veggies.  They are a wide load and they pack a punch if you get in the way of their swinging bags.  If you are looking for a cart, you are out of luck, however they do sell market bags as you enter.  These bags are very resourcefully sewn from feed bags and can carry a large amount of veggies.  There is one problem, the bag often gets to heavy for me before I'm finished; problem solved there are boys hanging around the market who are happy to carry my bag and confirm what was already suspected, yes I am a wimp!  (especially when compared to a PNG meri)  This is the place to come for fresh fruit and veggies and a few other assorted things.  Since pictures are worth a thousand words I finally got some to share with you.  I am sorry that I can not pass along the smells and sounds that go along but you will have to do your best with what you have.  Smell, not bad once you get in, after you get past the piles of garbage and rotting veggies!  Sounds, just a low roar of many many people under a tin roof!  

A load of coconuts being delivered to the market, good thing we don't eat the outside!

One of the long rows of veggies, veggies and more veggies.  It is very easy to get turned around and just walk in circles.  Ah but the selection is great.   

The carrot lady.  I love the way they neatly arrange all of the veggies.  Each of these piles is 1kina about 50 cents

what size of orange do you want, that will determine what you pay, 20, 30, 40 toa

Jay buying a hand of bananas, so yummy!

Pineapple alley!  Do you think there are enough?  All different vender's with the same thing.  People determine who they will buy from by who is their one talk (same tribe)

A bunch  of peanuts anyone?  Great for a snack.  These are raw yet and tastes similar to a pea.

Oh beautiful berries!  I love the way they tower them up in these bowls. 

Need a new outfit ladies/  If you are looking for a one size fits all 'meri blous' this is the place to come.  You can find one in any color.  One major problem, they are made our of polyester and a little like wearing a plastic bag.  I feel sorry for the ladies here

The friendly tobacco man

And for one last thing on your list, chicken for supper.  Okay it may not be quite as easy as a grilled chicken from Real Canadian Superstore!

Happy shopping! 
Sad now that I am in Rumginae I no longer get to enjoy the market, however I am incredibly grateful for my veggie lady for doing my veggie shop for me and I get it air delivered by a very handsome pilot!
Mel for the Marshes

Welcoming ants!

We made it home again after a month in Hagen and it feels good.  As we  were flying along at 12,000 feet (Jay's thoughtfulness to keep us out of the bumps and me away from the bag) and I was freezing with goose bumps and cold toes, I tried to remind myself that it would not last for long.  Ahhh and I was right!  As we started making our descent the mercury was rising and by the time we landed at Rumginae the goose bumps were only a memory.   
Upon our arrival, we had to wage a few small wars to reclaim our house.  All looked pretty good after dusting off some cob webs, until I opened a drawer to put away some bags.  The whole drawer came alive as the swarms of sugar ant, who had taken up residence, put up a fight.  Some things were washed, some things were shaken, some were wiped and others were tossed (how do you get ants out of straws??).   In the end I got my drawer back, I think!
Mel for the Marshes

Fly River Adventure

Recently the boys had a chance to get out for a paddle on the Fly River.  We as a family had gone into Kiunga, mostly just to get away for the day and to visit some friend there.  Phil was able to arrange an outing for the boys with the help of a few of his friend.  The make shift shacks that you see behind Kaleb are part of a refugee settlement in Kiunga.  People who have fled across the border from the Indonesian side, due to persecution.                                                             

The boys started their paddle just down from where the Carters live (sorry a little confusing, the other families family name is Carter, good name!)  Taking two separate dugout canoes, they were able to paddle out to a large barge that runs up and down the Fly and got on for a tour.

Many boats and barges run up and down this river bringing supplies from the coast to inland stations.  Kiunga is the final stop as the river systems from there become to small to support the boats.  How well the boats function on the river also depends on the amount of rain received and if they can get through.  Sometimes they get stuck for a spell until the water levels rise again. 

The boys ended their adventure with an unplanned swim.  A motor boat offered to bring them back into shore, so they accepted but Phil and Henry came back in the canoe.  This meant they arrived back first and not to the exact location they had started from.  Knowing the general direction of the Carter's house they started out, opting to take the low road over the high road.  It was not long before they came upon what looked like a large puddle, so like any boys they walked through the middle, except the bottom fell out of the 'puddle' and they ended up having to swim across.  Needless to say when they got back they were a little wet and were able to take in both a paddle and a swim.
Mel for the Marshes

Tough Day

      There was lots of activity on the river just outside our house today but not the usual fishing, playing and splashing.  Yesterday one of the boys from the station went missing while down at the river with his friends.  He was quite new to Rumginae and had come from the Highlands to live with his uncle and attend school here.  However, coming from the highlands meant that he was not familiar with the river and was not a confident swimmer.  He had made a good choice to stay on this bank while his friends went across the river but when they got back all that they found of him was his t-shirt.  A search started immediately and went through the night.  Of course our initial prayers were that he would be found safe, however following the night, we began to pray for the many people out in the river diving, trying to locate him, that they would be able to find him and bring closure for the family.
      It was a tough day with not much we could do except pray.  It has also helped to remind us of the possible danger and to re-impress upon the boys the importance of staying with a group and making sure that they are home when we have asked them to be.
     In talking with one of the other national moms, she said that an accident like this has not happened since they have lived on the station (about twelve years).   Happening at all is to often, especially for the mom who lost her son!
Mel for the Marshes

MAMOTH MULI

They sure do grow some of them big here!  I was at our little market the other morning and could not pass up buying this lemon.  It was so huge, I just had to show it to the boys, who were still at home in bed.  You know how the early bird gets the worm, well they certainly believe that here as the market starts at 6:30 am and is finishing up by about 7:30am.  I have yet to cut it open to see if I am going to get record amounts of juice but I am sure it will make some mighty fine muli juice.  (Muli-lemon in Tok-pisin)

Mel for the Marshes 

Bird Listening

                                                                         

Well I have to start out this blog by saying that I don't think I got sweaty today!!  Some may think that is not to exciting but for us Rumginites that is an exciting thing.  I think it only got up to about 28 C today.  Boy, are we going to be in trouble when we come home!                                                                                          

This past week the boys and I had a chance to go out bird watching.  As the title suggests we were not to successful on the watching part but had a great morning regardless.  The other pilot based here at Rumginae with us is a bit of a bird enthusiast so he was our guide.  It was of no fault of his that we were not able to get a good look at the Birds of Paradise, which PNG is well known for. They were being difficult and playing hard to get.  He said he has been here on a number of occasions and has seen many displaying and showing off.  However, as we walked and strained our necks to try and catch a glimpse of them in the upper canopy, we could only hear them calling out to each other, doing their mating ritual.   We would have been much more successful recording bird calls than taking photos!

It is a long way up!  It gave me a new greater appreciation for the people who film and photograph wild life.  Most of their life is spent waiting to get the shot, and in some pretty uncomfortable positions.  They make it look easier than it is.  So instead of taking pictures of the birds I took pictures of the things that are well rooted and firmly planted!                                                                                                                    

It was so nice just to get out into the bush and go for a walk.  To listen to all of the sounds around and take in the beauty of GREEN!  I  read in a book (I think it was the Shack) where they described the brilliant green that new leaves are in the spring, God green.  I liked that and there was a lot of it around.                        

 

I just love the way the light filters through the leaves and lights them up!   Sorry now you know what my family has to put with!                                                                                                                        

While we did not have a successful bird watching experience (Oh I guess I did catch a glimpse of a couple as they flew from one tree to the next)  It was a great morning out.  In Carters words "even though we didn't see any birds it was a great walk in the jungle."  And hey, Matt even did up a work sheet for the boys to do, doubling as a school field trip!
Mel for the Marshes

Olympic Spirit

Well, while all of you back home have been busy watching the Olympics, we have been watching an up and coming  world cup team in our front yard.  A few of the boys come over to kick the ball around and before long our whole front yard is full of kids, and noise, and a full on game is under way.  These kids play hard and for a long time (one day, about 4 hrs) and they are very good.  Kids of all ages and sizes play, the only requirement is that your brave enough to get in the middle of the stampede.   However, it is sad to say that they will never get the chance to play on an organized team; that is to bad as I really do think some of these kids could represent PNG in the Olympics one day.  Oh well in the mean time they have a lot of fun and provide some motivation for our boys to keep up.
I also must say it has been a little sad missing the Olympics.  We have been able to keep up on the medal standings but that is about it.  So cool to see Canada doing so amazing!  No one else around here is as thrilled about that as we are.  I must say victory is always sweeter when it is shared!
Mel for the Marshes