The great PNG adventure...
DAY 1 (March 20th)- flight!
Whoohoo! We are on our way (leaving at 11pm!)
DAY 2- (March 21) Arrival!
It's only 5:30 am...and with a little sleep we are all excited to be in PNG! (can't you see it in our faces...)
Early mornings mean a day of adventure. First stop, the Amelia Earhart memorial. This was the last place she was ever seen. Amelia took of from Bau before she disappeared. With the least amount of class we could muster...
After sunscreen and flip flops, we were ready to go to the Rain forest preserve. There were tons of beautiful birds, alligators and other lovely creatures!
Everyone checking it out...
Christian and me...
and a snake to hold!
and the beginning to many dances...
An aunt of one of our tour guides made us a traditional dinner. The meat and veggies were wrapped in the leaves and buried with hot coals to cook!
DAY 3- into the Jungle
Sean, who came on the trip last year, donated about $200 for books! Knowing my love for children's book, he let me pick them out! I had so much fun choosing and buying books for the school and Culture Link Library!
6 hours in a tin boat can lead to insanity! (and dancing!)
On a stop Christian and I tried the waterproof feature of my camera. This is a picture of us (not underwater) taken from underwater.
We "caught" a fish!
Written in sticks in the word "ORO" (which is a greeting/welcoming call!)
And of course...welcomed with dancing...
DAY 4-First day of school!
The morning was spent sorting school supplies between the different schools we were going to visit...
and playing with kids... (I totally lost the thumb wars)
After sorting, we headed to the building site. A few of us took on a solar oven project!
I was the gluer...
We left it out for the bananas to cook!
The building site...
The building was mostly done so we helped paint!
In the evening, there was a culture program. Here some of the boys are trying to start fire with two sticks! The local boys (about age 6) could do it in about 2-3 minutes while after 30 minutes, two guys from our group were finally successful!
(Christian was not one of the two)
DAY 5-story telling
We spent the day sharing traditional stories! The kids told us many stories about their tribes history and we tried to share a few too!
In true fashion...we were welcomed with a beautiful dance...
Here the kids are sharing a story about a hunt...
Here we are trying to tell a story...
In the evening, we learned a dance that we will be doing during the opening ceremony for the school.
DAY 6-school visits...
We had our first of many school visits to a school called Winso duna.
ladies dancing on the side...
getting all decked out in skirts and head dresses (and playing with kids!)
back in the evening back in Bau it was another night of learning dances! This one is a little bit like jump rope. It was fun but a little pain when wrong...
DAY 7-and other school visit...
On day 7, we traveled a little ways to EU Primary school for another visit. Here we learned some traditional crafts and games. I learned to shave coconut for coconut rice...
Here is a wonderful game. There are 5 hoops. Each of the 4 members have a hoop and one is in the middle with 5 coconuts. The goal is to get 3 coconuts in your hoop at once.
This second game was spear throwing. It was us versus some kids. They killed us 9 to 0...
DAY 8-up the river...
Today we traveled up the river and stopped at the technical high school on the way. We were given coconuts to drink with AWESOME straws made of some sort of plant...
DAY 9-PEMA! (Home Sweet Home!)
I was SO excited to get back to Pema and be back in Waria River. It was so exciting to be back in the village...
We were not able to see the school completed last year and were so happy to see it and hear that with the new building and books we gave last year, Pema is now offically a reconized primary school in PNG!
Look at this beautiful school...
Hanging out in the school yard...
and hanging out with the kids...
On the boat ride up the river to the guest house...
playing at the guest house...(rick in a billum) :)
(billums are made to carry children in but a 25 year old adult...not so much!)
Giza (2nd picture) caught and held a huntsman spider that was hanging out in the boys room. After a bit of freaking out, I was very excited to hold him! (Christian pouted a bit since he missed this event)
DAY 10-Hike in Pema!
Last year we went to this same beautiful waterfall and played in the falls!
There is a cave on the side that if you go through, you shoot out in the falls...very fun!
(Christian and I in the cave!)
DAY 11- starting home and more dancing!
Christian may have been sad that he did not get to hold the spider but was happy he got to hold this giant stick bug!
Back in Saigara we were welcomed with a celebration! Nicole (the trip leader) and I were asked to light the giant bonfire!
and burn it did...
and what night would be complete without a wonderful dance...
Nicole and I...
DAY 12-Siagara donations and another school...
We donated school supplies to Siagara. I was excited because this backpack has Hello Kitty on it...
Nicole and I got beautiful billums full of fruit for our leadership of co-directing (me) and trip leading (Nicole). We were to carry them in the traditional way...our necks were a little tired!
I was very excited about this gift at the other primary school. It's an awesome mask!
This school had 4 poles carved to each for each of the clans. This is the bego pole and I am hanging with my bego family! (We the begos are hunters!)
DAY 13-travel and rain!
We were supposed to leave early and enjoy an afternoon on the island...but with rain we had a relaxing day reading on the beach! (under the protection of the roof!)
DAY 14-PARTY TIME!
It was time to dedicate the school. I wolk up that morning to the sound of the pig being sacrificed. It wasn't very pleasant but surely made me appriciate my food! Here was our dinner cooking! Not a piece went to waste...
The school was all decorated for the opening...
In America we cut the ribbon on a new building but in PNG...they smash a pot! Our fearless leader got the honor of smashing it!
I got the honor of pulling down the curtain to reveal the sign for the school...
Being our main project, Bau Elementary got the most donations. Every person in our group was able to give something. It was beautiful to watch 16 people with 8 boxes, a guitar and LOTS of toys and books donate!
Our whole group!
Our school...
YAY! Our school! (Christian and I)
and again
on the front of the school was a list of all those who came to PNG and all those who participated in the musical/made large donations!
On the way back to the guest house we were able the bego clan was able to stop by the bego house. It was really exciting for us girls to go onto the second floor! (Usually for men only)
DAY 15-on the way home...
Happy and sad to go home. happy knowing a shower was waiting....
we stopped by an artifacts shop and bought wonderful things! (beautiful bowls and other trinkets!) This painting was on the wall and we all were moved by it!
DAY 16-flight home
flying out with the sunrise... (flying from Bau to Port Morsby)
We had some time to kill in Port Morsby (play on words since Port Morsby is the 2nd most dangerous city in the world!). We were shown around by palament member, Sasa. He is from Waria Valley and was happy to show us around after we built a school in his village!
After a stop to a HUGE grocery store (I bought chocolate and oatmeal!) We headed to the parlament offices to look at the mural...beautiful as last year!
afternoon flight and we were back in Japan around 11 pm!
DAY 1 (March 20th)- flight!
Whoohoo! We are on our way (leaving at 11pm!)
DAY 2- (March 21) Arrival!
It's only 5:30 am...and with a little sleep we are all excited to be in PNG! (can't you see it in our faces...)
Early mornings mean a day of adventure. First stop, the Amelia Earhart memorial. This was the last place she was ever seen. Amelia took of from Bau before she disappeared. With the least amount of class we could muster...
After sunscreen and flip flops, we were ready to go to the Rain forest preserve. There were tons of beautiful birds, alligators and other lovely creatures!
Everyone checking it out...
Christian and me...
and a snake to hold!
and the beginning to many dances...
An aunt of one of our tour guides made us a traditional dinner. The meat and veggies were wrapped in the leaves and buried with hot coals to cook!
DAY 3- into the Jungle
Sean, who came on the trip last year, donated about $200 for books! Knowing my love for children's book, he let me pick them out! I had so much fun choosing and buying books for the school and Culture Link Library!
6 hours in a tin boat can lead to insanity! (and dancing!)
On a stop Christian and I tried the waterproof feature of my camera. This is a picture of us (not underwater) taken from underwater.
We "caught" a fish!
Written in sticks in the word "ORO" (which is a greeting/welcoming call!)
And of course...welcomed with dancing...
DAY 4-First day of school!
The morning was spent sorting school supplies between the different schools we were going to visit...
and playing with kids... (I totally lost the thumb wars)
After sorting, we headed to the building site. A few of us took on a solar oven project!
I was the gluer...
We left it out for the bananas to cook!
The building site...
The building was mostly done so we helped paint!
In the evening, there was a culture program. Here some of the boys are trying to start fire with two sticks! The local boys (about age 6) could do it in about 2-3 minutes while after 30 minutes, two guys from our group were finally successful!
(Christian was not one of the two)
DAY 5-story telling
We spent the day sharing traditional stories! The kids told us many stories about their tribes history and we tried to share a few too!
In true fashion...we were welcomed with a beautiful dance...
Here the kids are sharing a story about a hunt...
Here we are trying to tell a story...
In the evening, we learned a dance that we will be doing during the opening ceremony for the school.
DAY 6-school visits...
We had our first of many school visits to a school called Winso duna.
ladies dancing on the side...
getting all decked out in skirts and head dresses (and playing with kids!)
back in the evening back in Bau it was another night of learning dances! This one is a little bit like jump rope. It was fun but a little pain when wrong...
DAY 7-and other school visit...
On day 7, we traveled a little ways to EU Primary school for another visit. Here we learned some traditional crafts and games. I learned to shave coconut for coconut rice...
Here is a wonderful game. There are 5 hoops. Each of the 4 members have a hoop and one is in the middle with 5 coconuts. The goal is to get 3 coconuts in your hoop at once.
This second game was spear throwing. It was us versus some kids. They killed us 9 to 0...
DAY 8-up the river...
Today we traveled up the river and stopped at the technical high school on the way. We were given coconuts to drink with AWESOME straws made of some sort of plant...
DAY 9-PEMA! (Home Sweet Home!)
I was SO excited to get back to Pema and be back in Waria River. It was so exciting to be back in the village...
We were not able to see the school completed last year and were so happy to see it and hear that with the new building and books we gave last year, Pema is now offically a reconized primary school in PNG!
Look at this beautiful school...
Hanging out in the school yard...
and hanging out with the kids...
On the boat ride up the river to the guest house...
playing at the guest house...(rick in a billum) :)
(billums are made to carry children in but a 25 year old adult...not so much!)
Giza (2nd picture) caught and held a huntsman spider that was hanging out in the boys room. After a bit of freaking out, I was very excited to hold him! (Christian pouted a bit since he missed this event)
DAY 10-Hike in Pema!
Last year we went to this same beautiful waterfall and played in the falls!
There is a cave on the side that if you go through, you shoot out in the falls...very fun!
(Christian and I in the cave!)
DAY 11- starting home and more dancing!
Christian may have been sad that he did not get to hold the spider but was happy he got to hold this giant stick bug!
Back in Saigara we were welcomed with a celebration! Nicole (the trip leader) and I were asked to light the giant bonfire!
and burn it did...
and what night would be complete without a wonderful dance...
Nicole and I...
DAY 12-Siagara donations and another school...
We donated school supplies to Siagara. I was excited because this backpack has Hello Kitty on it...
Nicole and I got beautiful billums full of fruit for our leadership of co-directing (me) and trip leading (Nicole). We were to carry them in the traditional way...our necks were a little tired!
I was very excited about this gift at the other primary school. It's an awesome mask!
This school had 4 poles carved to each for each of the clans. This is the bego pole and I am hanging with my bego family! (We the begos are hunters!)
DAY 13-travel and rain!
We were supposed to leave early and enjoy an afternoon on the island...but with rain we had a relaxing day reading on the beach! (under the protection of the roof!)
DAY 14-PARTY TIME!
It was time to dedicate the school. I wolk up that morning to the sound of the pig being sacrificed. It wasn't very pleasant but surely made me appriciate my food! Here was our dinner cooking! Not a piece went to waste...
The school was all decorated for the opening...
In America we cut the ribbon on a new building but in PNG...they smash a pot! Our fearless leader got the honor of smashing it!
I got the honor of pulling down the curtain to reveal the sign for the school...
Being our main project, Bau Elementary got the most donations. Every person in our group was able to give something. It was beautiful to watch 16 people with 8 boxes, a guitar and LOTS of toys and books donate!
Our whole group!
Our school...
YAY! Our school! (Christian and I)
and again
on the front of the school was a list of all those who came to PNG and all those who participated in the musical/made large donations!
On the way back to the guest house we were able the bego clan was able to stop by the bego house. It was really exciting for us girls to go onto the second floor! (Usually for men only)
DAY 15-on the way home...
Happy and sad to go home. happy knowing a shower was waiting....
we stopped by an artifacts shop and bought wonderful things! (beautiful bowls and other trinkets!) This painting was on the wall and we all were moved by it!
DAY 16-flight home
flying out with the sunrise... (flying from Bau to Port Morsby)
We had some time to kill in Port Morsby (play on words since Port Morsby is the 2nd most dangerous city in the world!). We were shown around by palament member, Sasa. He is from Waria Valley and was happy to show us around after we built a school in his village!
After a stop to a HUGE grocery store (I bought chocolate and oatmeal!) We headed to the parlament offices to look at the mural...beautiful as last year!
afternoon flight and we were back in Japan around 11 pm!
1 comment:
Colleen, I can't believe I didn't look at your PNG post until now! I'm SO glad you got to pick out books with the money I sent. Awesome. And the rest of the trip looked just wonderful. Just great.
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