Madang,
Papua New Guinea
Monday, May 25, 2009
Png.16 .....you'll never believe what I saw!Smiles are part of life in PNG, big smiles as strangers greet you, smiles red from betel , smiles gleaming white . 'The land of the unexpected 'also produces its fair share of smiles and laughter. Scenes to entertain and surprise are one of the joys of a journey. Amongst the scenic beauty and the clear light the human eccentricity shines through to provide a smile, a giggle, or disbelieving hysterical laughter.............A whole crowd roaring with laughter at a sing-sing, when after several groups of traditional dancers dressed up in feathers and swirling grasses, the 'Snake Dancers' arrive dressed in grey paint and ashes. They mime out the snake hunting and being hunted, and the crowds laughter rolls on and on as the parody is played out with sliding , then high lifting steps, elaborate shoulder lifts and bum wriggles at strategic intervals to further entertain the near hysterical audience.Silhouetted across the school grounds a father cuts the grass with a push me lawnmower, walking straight lines between the classrooms in the early evening. As he completes the cut his two youngsters, miniature matchstick men in the distance, race towards him along the freshly cut track in the grass. He turns and cuts again. They wait, then as he finishes another race is run. They are so far away we can only just hear the lawnmower, but when the race begins the banshee wails of the young runners echo clearly right across the school grounds.More children, this time in a cloudburst of water, sheeting down and turning the field into a lake. PNG adults don't like rain. The children feel differently. They are off! A gang, all ages. Screaming and giggling, creating a slide across the water soaked grass which very soon turns to a mud patch filled with slithering laughing bodies, who rush away across the grass, turn streaming with water, then charge back to hurl themselves along the slide yet again, bumping into spread-eagled bodies and resting breathless in the mud for seconds, before bursting noisily up and away to start the whole mad rush again. And all the time the rain pours down.Dogs provide lots of amusement. They usually ignore humans and spend time on strictly doggy business. A new pup at school had not yet reached that stage of independence, still linked to the human mother surrogate. Sunday is early mass, church communion time. Mistress attending with 500 students and add ons from the village. They pray and sing and listen, then line up for communion. The pup, intrigued, follows and lines up too. Very orderly with no pushing, pup in line, waiting properly. At the head of the line there is a hesitation in front of the priest. Mistress receives her bread and turns and goes. Pup waits, tail wagging expectantly. When nothing comes it sits, puzzled, in front of the priest. Nothing offered but a gentle foot pushing the pup on as the line moves again. We wondered. Will she come again, or like many find another way to spend her Sunday mornings?People now, or students anyway. Demonstration of an English lesson on description and characterization in stories. Extensive presenting of key ideas receives small gain, students who are not used to drama and practical lessons are struggling and silent. The characters become Robin Hood, Little John and Maid Marian. There are parallels here in PNG society. A glimmer from the students. Stand up. Act bold and brave.....a small movement, a start. Brave and bold figures move experimentally and tentatively, some boys, some girls. But still not sure. The character of Little John.....much better. Noise and big body movements produce a bit more involvement, a bit more energy. The class is waking up and realizing they can do this....understanding of characterization is possible. But what about the heroine, Maid Marian. Key words and explanation again, the story sketched and retold......the gaps between the desks are suddenly filled with curvy giggling heroines as the boys strut their miming talents and the whole class roars its laughter sound...which actually resembles a football crowd as a goal is scored, and can be as surprising as macho male students entertaining themselves by wiggling hips and pursing lips as they become the femme fatale of Sherwood.Stories told are a major part of conversation in PNG. In fact conversations are referred to as storytelling. So a PNG people story. One of the minibus drivers is an ex prison guard. He describes a duty run through a part of central PNG, with reports rife of an ongoing tribal fight which has got very nasty. As he drives along a rough track, suddenly a tribesman leaps into the road, with much arm waving and spear pointing. His moment has come, there is no way back. 'Wait boss, Wait boss' and the tribesman runs along the track, shouting and waving arms. Figures rise from behind trees and bushes on both sides. Bows and arrows, spears, bush knives...and more worrying a shotgun or two and a grenade launcher. 'Wait boss, Wait boss' is all he hears. Wait for what? Another figure in the track, bigger, more authoritative. Now the arm waving is telling him to proceed, 'Come boss, Come boss' He checks the doors are locked and the windows are up, gets into gear and drives slowly forward. The men step aside and wave him through. 'No problem, yu arrait, yu arrait. No problem' The war has stopped to let him go past. Looking back he sees the figures melting back into the trees which closely bank the track. They have other things to attend to now. Traffic control time is over. People provide smiles, including of course the VSO volunteers. A birthday party, this time planned with fancy dress and candles on the balcony. Superman as host and we appear as Dalmatians 102 and 103.There is Daisy Duke with the curves of TV fame, Katherine Hepburn in her pyjamas, Indiana Jones ready for adventure and a delicate Dutch elf. The visiting manager is Jake...he has been working mightily to keep things glued together, with much travelling and report writing and no breaks. 'I'll come, just sort out a costume, I don't mind' There are giggles and secretive going ons. He disappears to the dressing room to get his costume, not seen yet. Appears gracefully with much - heralded entrance as a blushing bride in full regalia with veil and bouquet. Which is funny. Funnier when you realize that Jake is about 6ft 7", very lanky, blonde hair, and because of all the time spent inside at work has a milk white complexion. He smiles demurely and takes the applause as his due. Sadly no bridegroom but with Superman present, who knows!
