Epic Storms, playing in the mud and a mystery animal in my house...!

 Well, last week was learning how to cook Sago, this week I tried making Granadilla and Guava Jam. Boo-jah!! It is delicious, so much so that Uncle Colin, who grew up here and still lives here wants me to tell him how I did it! We have just introduced a new food to the diet! Very happy.

Exciting thing of the week: Watching my kids go outside during break to frighten away a flying fox. It involved one kid shooting a slingshot and then all the others charging the tree, screaming and yelling holding sticks and then chasing the bat away. Very amusing and made me think of tribal wars. Kids vs Bat.

 Thought it was about time for some pics of where I'm living - note the mossie net above the blue chair - an excellent spot for reading in the evenings by torchlight safe from biting insects!

I am feeling stoked to be getting to know some of the girls my age here more. I have had dinner with them and have plans for more. They are great, although I am gutted to only have 3 and a half weeks left here! Time flies in this place.

I had a breakthrough with one of the patient kids who watches me walk to school everyday but who has so far said nothing back to me when I say hello. My class and I sung E Te Ariki in church on sunday with me on ukulele and afterwards this wee kid jumped onto the path in front of me, mimicked playing a ukulele and sung 'ga-link-a-link-a-link' and then ran away laughing. I'll take that as progress!!

 The view out my kitchen window. Haven't had to close the storm shutters yet although we did have an EPIC thunder/lightening and rain storm over the weekend. It was incredible. Thunder just rolling and rolling around the sky and brilliant flashes of lightening that lit the whole sky up.

 My resting place! (note mossie net again).

Me off to find the mysterious animal that was doing poos in my shower for two mornings in a row. I was imagining a giant gecko/lizard like creature (apparently one lives somewhere in my house), or a family of frogs, or giant  (giant!) insects. Turned out to be a hen roosting. NOT LIKELY!! She was very stubborn when i ushered her out and I had to resort to actually hitting it and sweeping it away. This is MY shower!!!

I've had my first game of mud volleyball - badly reminiscent of an embarrassing Year 10 PE lesson. Didn't do much for my quest in getting to know the locals as I'm so bad at Volleyball i wasn't much help. It was fun finishing with mud all over my arms (proof that i did at least touch the ball on several occasions!) and mud splattered up my legs.

An important chief died here at the hospital over the weekend. I was woken about midnight by the wailing starting which continued for several hours. Then Sat morning it started again and most of us went to sit in the church singing songs until the coffin was made and we had a service for him. He was then taken down to the village where the traditional thing to do is wail and throw yourself in the mud. Pretty full on apparently. Very sad for the staff here as he was a guy who has done lots for the hospital. Another baby died during labour so was a pretty hard weekend for the hospital.

Otherwise things going well, am constantly learning about PNG culture and things. Am hoping to head up or down river at some stage to check out another village or two before i leave. I have just this week left with my class and then I'll be spending the last three weeks observing the primary class and trying to help get that running better.