I’ve alluded to the fact that we’re enjoying Vermont-like summer days since arriving. If we’d gotten here on our original schedule (the first of June), we would have actually gotten some taste of what winter in the PNG highlands is like. Since homes aren’t heated (except some by fireplaces or wood stoves), we would have been pretty cold with the drafty windows in this house.
We walked to our offices this morning, leaving the house without coats and enjoying clear blue skies above. Since most regulars here never go anywhere without an umbrella, I remarked to Julie that we might regret not bringing our slickers or an umbrella. Julie said there was no way the day could turn.
Famous last words.
We live just off the widest road that passes through the center, a direct path (straight line) for the nationals who want to get from the far side of the SIL center to the other, even though they may not work here. That includes many children who are headed to school. One thing I’ve often noticed is how few children smile when you smile at them. In fact, many have a scowl on their faces. I heard today that smiling is not a part of the PNG culture and that, should they smile at you, it’s because they’ve learned that expression in order to communicate with expats. Talk about cross-cultural communication.
Anyways, around 11 am I was asked by one of the programmers for help getting a computer in an office in the high school to be able to use a printer on the other computer in the same room. I walked down the hill, past Julie’s office, and got the problem solved within a very short time. During a quick “wokabout” (tour) of the high school, I noticed the dark angry clouds that had poured over the surrounding hills. (There are no inside hallways, just outside porticos or sidewalks, so the tour was entirely outside.)
It was 11:30 am by then so I decided to grab Julie and head for home for an early lunch to beat the rains. By the time we got going, it had started to spit. Half way home it was turning from drizzle to rain. Just then a good friend stopped with her car and offered us a ride the rest of the way. No sooner did we get into the house (at 11:58 am), then the heavens opened up and we experienced the heaviest rainfall since we’ve been here.
You have to realize that all houses have tin roofs. There is no sound deadening when the rains hits the roof. What a racket! We also watched all this rain run into the gutters, into the PVC pipes, and into the rain water tanks. It wasn’t long before the excess water was spilling out the top and onto the ground. And then the thunder… the first we’ve heard since coming. Of course, we’re used to thunder back home, especially the late afternoon ones after a blistering hot Carolina day. Still, it got our attention.
By the time we headed back to our offices, we slid into our slickers and galoshes. Yes, those old fashioned, pull-the-over-your-shoes, ugly things. But they certainly do help when walking along the dirt, mud and puddle roads here. It wasn’t raining nearly as hard but it continued off and on the rest of the day.
We went to a Bible study tonight. There was one German, one Austrian, two Swiss, and one other American. Since Julie also speaks German, I’m thankful they stuck to English. Anyways, we donned our slickers and galoshes again and walked in the dark to the Bible study, about a 10 minute walk. Fortunately one of those at the study offered us a ride home afterwards because it’s STILL raining.
From what we hear, this is just a mild foretaste of what the weather’s like starting January.
Got any room in that ark, Noah?
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