Coconuts

Our neighbour is climbing our tree without a rope..

Soz

A graduation, two birthdays and an anniversary

Our immediate neighbours Pak Anis, Ibu Susanna and twins Keti and Leni. They treat us as family and we're very thankful for the way they include us and look after us.

Preparing for the big meal to celebrate Keti's graduation, Ibu Susanna and my birthday and Pak Anis and Susanna's wedding anniversary. In case you're wondering, it's dog.

Our garage was transformed into a dining hall for the party.

There is always a LOT of rice.

Pak Anis and family are Catholic, and their local pendeta always comes to preach and pray at any major family celebration.

The dog was a hit.

Celebrating my birthday on another occasion with more familiar cuisine at a local restaurant.

Our Papuan Home

This is on the main street of Sentani. Notice the guy selling newspapers by the road, and the enormous pile of rubbish awaiting collection. Rubbish is either dumped roadside, burnt or thrown into the river headed for Lake Sentani. We're exploring ways to reduce and recycle our waste!

This is our street, to the left. There is no street signage, so we say after the second big mosque on your left, past the police station, turn left just before the bridge.

While we were in Malang, the government paid for our road to be sealed, which is great for bike riding, and makes walking through the neighbourhood more pleasant.

The road winds its way past several houses, a pentecostal church, lots of coconut trees, gardens, banana trees..

..and a pinang and ice-block stand. Pinang is a narcotic which is chewed and then spat out, very popular with Papuans of all ages. In PNG it's called betel nut.

The river just behind our house.

There are tropical fruits everywhere. This one is called chocolate fruit; the seeds are dried and used to make cocoa.

We have pineapples growing in our garden.
The kids don't seem to care that the yard is dirt.

Soren is really into card games at the moment.

August Randoms

Fun in the backyard on an especially hot afternoon.

Like his father before him, Soren indulges in the occasional strut.


Note the lovely new paint on the side-porch wall, courtesy of Pak Anis the landlord.

Soren gathered the others together for a photo.

Leni, one of the twins from next door, meets Autumn.

A mobile clinic comes to our neighbourhood each month to weigh the children and give immunisations.

First photos on return to Papua

Sweet Autumn.



Perhaps the transition has caused some regression..


It's too hot and humid for long, luxurious hair in the tropics, so off it comes.

Reuben up on the kitchen bench. I have a wonderful kitchen in our Sentani house. Sometimes I like to just stand and behold it.

Ubi (one of the many forms of potato here) mash. Phil eats this every day for lunch, with a huge bowl of vegetables, as he's still avoiding rice and wheat.

Last photos from Malang

Beautiful Reuben.

Some of our lovely neighbours dropping in to congratulate us on Autumn.

Autumn's little room within our room.