Thursday, August 11, 2005

Backtracking... to the Rosary

I can't believe it's been about a month since I got back from the Sepik and I still haven't written anything about Part II, or put up any photos or anything. Events have just overtaken me, and I knew if I posted the photos without the story I'd never get around to writing it (see Tufi - classic example) (or classical example, as Pia would - and frequently does - say).

So, my plan this weekend is to get back on track and start writing about the village bit - because it was incredible, and to do something like that and not tell the story would be ridiculous.

So, in the meantime, the intemission scene in the Sepik Saga...

Conclusion to the previous Act: being dropped back in Wewak by Father Lawrence after spending about 4 days in Angoram on the Sepik River. We had done the 4-hour car trip (with me being upgraded to shotgun after the first 40mins, remember?!), lunch and goodbyes to Sr Jacqueline, a brief spin around Wewak town, a beautful swim at Wom Beach, and a short visit to the basket market for a few more Sepik treasures.

Enter Sister Sophie and the girls at Rosary Novitiate...

Josepha had organised ahead of time for us to stay the night at the convent before heading off to her village by PMV the next morning. Sr Sophie had 4 girls (well, women) under her care, all training to be nuns. We had a lovely room each, and I collapsed in mine almost as soon as we unloaded our stuff and were shown where the loos and showers etc were. The novices were at prayer, and Sr Sophie told us to listen for the garamut - that would be the sign that dinner was ready.

When we heard the drum, Josepha and I headed downstairs for a traditional PNG dinner of chicken, kaukau, taro and banana. We met the girls properly and a visiting priest. I enjoyed just listening to them telling stories (the national past time) - especially when they were getting excited about their upcoming cards games on Sunday. On the Sabbath day they're not allowed to work - so they play cards all day (and didn't seem to see any irony in that!).

It got darker and darker, and harder and harder to see the food - but no one made any comment until finally it was getting crazy and Sr Sophie got up and flicked the switch, announcing "Let there be light - and there was a light" (word for word what she said a few days later when we returned - and the same words the priest at the seminary used last weekend - must be a well-known expression...). Apparently money is very tight, so they do everything they can to save electricity. They also had a lot of rules about shoes, and when they could and couldn't talk, and when they could use the upstairs toilet and when they had to go downstairs instead, and which doors must always be shut, etc etc - but I didn't waste time memorising them. I figured they probably already knew I wasn't cut from the same (or for the) cloth.

After dessert (icecream - yum!) they sent me straight to bed, for which I was very grateful. I was so exhausted I slept almost straight away, not getting up until after they'd already had mass and prayers etc in the morning. Josepha went into town to find the PMV and told me to wait there because it might take an hour or two - so I settled down with my book and made the most of having a proper bed to lie on for a few hours... and a few more... and then another one... til it got so hot inside I had to go outside and sit under a tree instead while I waited.

Lunchtime came, and I heard Sophie calling out "Poro! Poro!" (she'd forgotten my name, so just called me friend), beckoning me to come sit in the Haus Win with her to eat lunch. So I joined her on the roofed platform and we chatted while we ate. It was a bit stilted at first because we didn't know what to talk about - but we soon realised that we had something precious in common to both of us - Xena!!! She made a comment about needing to save electricty so we were cooking outside, I said I knew they were short of cash for power so I was surprised to see a TV, and she replied that they watch their favourite program one night a week. I assumed it would be Praise (the PNG church music show) - but no, it was the Warrior Princess herself on Saturday nights!!! So she got me up to speed on last week's episode, which I had missed in Angoram - though she did say she was very confused about how Xena had managed to conceive the baby she had given birth to on last week's episode: "She doesn't walk around with men, so how is it that she has a baby?"

There are more things in heaven and earth than I can explain the philosophy of to PNG nuns...
- and to be honest, I'm still a bit confused too as to how that bun got baked - so we left it as a mystery.

Anyway, after much discussion and then a bit more reading, Jospeha finally turned up with a truckload of passengers, and it was time to hug Sophie goodbye and hit the road - with a promise to be back in time for Xena the following Saturday evening!

..... watch this space...

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