new experiences: learning to work, PNG style

In addition to cooking and  eating all kinds of new things, something else we are learning a lot about is WORK.  The people here for sure have to work very hard.  We are learning so much from them about the ways they have to work in order to just live life.  It's all interesting and so humbling.  We are really amazed by our friends and the hard workers that they are!

A big part of our language and culture learning is all about us participating with them in "culture events".  (I think I will blog about that in more detail soon).  But basically, a culture event can be anything that they do--it's all a part of their culture.  And many of these culture events involve work, because it's such a huge part of their lives.

Most of it is all very new to us.  We come from such a different culture--one that has conveniences that these people have no idea about.  Again, so humbling.

My language helper, Sophie, has taught me so much.  She is a very patient teacher :)  I have learned how to wash dishes and clothes in the village...

I learned how Sophie gets water for her house.  Basically, she has to walk 10-15 minutes through the jungle to get to this "well"...where she fills up her containers and carries them back ON HER HEAD.  She is amazing.  You are probably starting to see what I mean about this all being very humbling...

Imagine this thing filled to the brim with water.  It's HEAVY!!

Sophie leading the way back to the village--carrying that heavy thing on her head.  Oh, and I should probably mention what Sophie gave me to carry back to the village:  a little teapot.  (I wish I could insert a little ashamed emoji here!)

To cook any food in the village, Sophie has to make a fire and cook it over the fire.  Which means, she needs lots of firewood!  And yep, we walked about 10 minutes to get the firewood, too.  And yep, you guessed it--we carried it on our heads :)

She let me try my hand at cutting firewood with a bush knife.  It's harder than you would think!  Haha, after I cut one piece, she took over from there :)

She puts them on these ropes that she made herself from a banana tree (!!)...

She made lots of little bundles so that me and my girls (and her daughters) could all carry some.  So sweet of her!  That's a lot of banana ropes she had to make!

Gardening is an absolutely huge part of her life.  Sophie took me to her garden and taught me how she plants some different things...on this day, we planted three things:  kau kau (like a sweet potato--a huge staple for them), and tapiok (I'm not too sure what that is yet, but Sophie's going to cook some for me next week!) and a banana tree.  Is this really my life??

Nathan's language helper, Gabinus,  also has been busy teaching Nathan lots of things!  Last week he taught Nathan and Kaine how to weave a wall for their houses...wow.  That's a lot of work!

 Kaine is happy to use his machete any chance he gets ;) 

It is so unreal to look at our lives these past two months and see ALL that we have learned!  Wow.  Just amazing!