We have been in country for JUST over 2 months now, and our first language evaluation is set for sometime this week. It has been a crazy two months as we dive into PNG culture and language with both feet, and soak up the good, the bad, and the ugly (which, by the way, was kinda the theme for the following video).
Video Caption 1: We have TONS of these huge fruit bats here that everyone calls “flying foxes” and they swarm here at nights. Reminds us of that part in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, where they are all riding the elephants under a canopy of huge bats. It really does happen, and apparently you can even “fish” them out of the sky by swinging an empty hook around on the end of your fishing pole! These things are nasty looking, and seeing them dead in the markets smoked and splayed is pretty nasty!
Video Caption 2: Saksak is PNGs Miracle food. This starchy palm tree is what keeps the river people alive here, and they make their WHOLE house out of stuff from this tree. Scene 2 of the video here is Christopher trying out some PNG delicacies -Fried Sacsac and the infamous Sago Grub.
Video Caption 3: Evie is coming up a true PNG lady and learning how to prepare “fried sacsac.” This is the “bread” of PNG, and they like to eat this stuff with fish, bananas, coconut, or any combination of these. The men and women all make coconut milk and oil by scraping the meat out of the coconuts, and squeezing the fat out. GOOD STUFF!
Video Caption 4: Our buddy willie is officially a man in his village, and has been through the coming of age ritual which involves some drugs, some starvation, some dehydration, some hunting, and finally some scarification. They carve themselves up to look like crocodiles here on the septic river. Pretty intimidating, huh?
Being so close to the sea, and almost right on the equator, we get lots of direct sunlight, which makes for lots of humidity and rain. Lightning strikes more frequently and intensely the closer you get to the equator, and it is lightning that has stolen internet from our entire base for this whole last month! We hope to get it back up again by christmas, but until then, we must travel to an upscale hotel on the outskirts of town to stay connected, as 3G has not quite made it to our neck of the woods yet!
There is so much green here, TONS of edible stuff grows wild here, and if all you did was forage, you could (and many do) thrive here. We have a great many creepy crawly friends we share our house with – Geckos, roaches, rats, and ants are the most prevalent of our house guests, but every once in a while we will find a creature we had never seen before! It all comes with the territory, and our friends and new family here in PNG are teaching us to take it all in stride!
Oh, and by the way… you should check out our next-door neighbors’ blog – their family has recently just returned from their bush orientation in a tribe called Mariama, and we regularly find her writing accurate and entertaining.
We think you’ll dig it!
OMGOSH!!! I almost gagged watching the sago grub go down!!! It does appear that it stayed down!!! Evie is looking like a real tribal chick cooking up the fried sacsac! Love you guys, and love the video.
Thought the “Green Eggs and Ham” shirt very appropriate .
I agree with Tom on the “Green Eggs and Ham!” Love it! Very interesting videos. Love to see what you all are learning and experiencing. Really helps to know how to pray. Love you guys!
OK, Had to watch it again. Geeze Christopher, I can’t believe you swallowed. Your the kid that couldn’t swallow a green veggie without gagging. I don’t know how you did it. : )
i HOPE THEY DON’T INFORCE THE CHEWING 32 TIMES BEFOR YOU SWALLOW
Love it guys. Miss you tons. We’re hoping to be in Papua in January. So close yet so far right?
Ryan & Laura
omg, you guys are really there now!!! amazing! and you look like you are fitting right in.
loved the videos! made me miss my png so much. ok, the grub was bad, but the saksak and marita really got me gagging! 
i never could get the marita down! way to go, chris. good job, evie on the saksak burritos. 
happy thanksgiving! love you guys. keep up the good cla!
Most Impressive guys !! Enjoyed the videos. The whole web page is really well done. Keeping you guys in prayer. Especially if you keep eating organically like that. HA ! Awesome.
Em i swit tumas long harim tok pisin! Loved the demonstrations and so good to see you guys thriving! I will be praying about all your adventures and maintaining a good spirit as you are challenged in many ways!
Oh my goodness, this takes me right back to PNG! The people, the land, the sights, even the smells. I miss it! LOVE seeing you guys there, taking part in the culture. Am praying for you all the time!
Thanks so much for following us you guys! It is always a blast to hear about what you all think of what is going on out here! Many days, it is what keeps us going!
It is a blessing to be here, as it seems many of you familiar with the sounds, smells, tastes, and language would know all too well!
Though the food here is not the greatest, Papa God is helping us with the adjustment, and most of you would be really surprised at how much of the west has made its way out here to PNG. When we are bummed, it is easy enough to make ourselves a pizza from scratch (albeit pretty expensive!). You pay for the comforts of home here, but they are there when we need them!
Thanks to you guys for keeping us fueled up with your thoughts and prayers – They keep us energized enough to make it through the next day, working through the daily grind, and continuing to get out there with the locals and learning to one day get the Godpel into a village language one day!
Hey guys. Thanks so much for the video. You guys look great!!! I can’t wait to show the kids the video tonight. They keep asking about you guys. They have a little MAF (actually Asas De Socorro – Brasil’s version) Styrofoam plane hanging above their beds and we talk about you moving out to a tribe soon and perhaps needing to use one of those depending on the final site. Miles still asks what clothes you are wearing. I assure him you are wearing clothes… he is not so sure.
Love you guys!!! Praying for you.
Blessings.
Chris – you eating the grub reminded me of the scene from the Lion King where Simba was learning to eat like Timon and Pumba. Hahah!
Evie – you’re going native! Oh yeah!