25 Things

I have learned while in Papua New Guinea

A did a similar post on my Peace Corp blog about my experiences in Zambia and based on the comments I received, people appeared to enjoy this type of entry. So here I go….

1. “Take care of your feet” wasn’t only good advice for the troops in Vietnam.
2. Blending in is hard to do.
3. Cuts, scraps and burns take 4 times as long to heal in the tropics.
4. One can live on the simple diet of kulau and bananas.
5. In PNG, your family and your land are your life, not your job.
6. Everyone loves a good country western song.
7. One can never have enough bilums.
8. Infections are inevitable; tropical ulcers are likely.
9. The arrival of a cheese shipment causes a buzz throughout the expat circle!
10. No matter how many times I see them, sea urchins scare me!
11. If you don’t wear a bra your boobs will sag to your knees.
12. Nature’s beauty can take your breath away.
13. Sago is the tree of life.
14. Asario mud men are the coolest ever!
15. If you want to know the gossip, buai loosens the tongue.
16. It’s possible to sit next to someone whose grandfather was a cannibal.
17. I have an eye for good finds in second hand clothing shops.
18. Emails and letters are precious.
19. Boiled, fried, or with coconut milk...either way, tree tastes bad!
20. Skin diseases can be seen as body art.
21. True beauty cannot be captured through a lens.
22. Sea lice are a bitch!
23. It’s not always better to give.
24. Papaya tastes better with lemon juice.
25. Piglets go crazy for breast milk (yes…its true, PNG women breastfeed pigs).