Where is normal?

Furlough . . . it's one of those things you always hear about missionaries doing . . . it means they will come speak at your church wearing odd clothes and show you pictures of themselves eating bugs. I have seen many people come and go from furloughs, but somehow I didn't think it would actually happen to me. In thirteen days, though, I will join the ranks of the furlough-goers and set off on one of my own.

It's kind of an odd feeling, really. I am literally counting down the days until I get to see family and friends at home. But at the same time, I've grown accustomed to life in PNG . . . walking to work on gravel roads, simple choices at the only store, calling my neighbours to borrow chairs from them, asking for butter on the "wanted board" when the store is closed on Saturday, and having friends in my house all the time. When I think about going back to the USA, I can't decide whether I feel like I'm going back to normal life or leaving it behind me.

You also might be in Ukarumpa if . . .

. . . you remember that you have invited eight people over for dinner, but you only have six chairs. So 45 minutes before your guests arrive you call your next door neighbours and ask to borrow two chairs from them. And their dining room chairs are exactly the same as yours.

You might be in Ukarumpa if . . .

. . . you are out for a morning run and you see an airplane parked in somebody's driveway.

Boat ride

Speeding down a river in Gulf Province:

Gulf Pictures

To see a few more pictures of Gulf Province, go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/pngsurvey/GulfProvince#

Don't wade in this water, children!

This river in Gulf Province serves as a natural sewage pipe. The bathrooms are built over the river, and gravity and currents do the rest . . .

My soundproof recording studio

On survey, when I'm writing down a list of words in the local language, I nearly always have perfectly ideal conditions. A level table on which to set my recording equipment. A comfortable chair for the person who is telling me the words (and usually one for myself as well). A quiet place, free from distractions or outside noises that might interfere with the recording . . . . You don't believe me, do you? I can tell by your skeptical silence. OK, OK, if you want to know how it really goes, watch the video.