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March 1, 2001
Dear Friends,
The rainy season seems to be officially upon us, and I thought I'd share with you 10 things that I suspect during that time in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.
1) There's a better chance of the Yankees losing the next World Series than our clothes getting dry on the porch clothesline.
2) Our solar powered hot water heater, which I previously thought was a great energy-saver, is actually a cruel joke. Its inventor laughs every time I take a freezing cold shower.
3) Most Papua New Guineans will hibernate during the rainy season. All activities are cancelled, and only those owning umbrellas go to church. If you do happen to see one of the local people out and about, they are noticeably cold. They huddle in sweaters, under blankets and sip hot tea, teeth chattering miserably. Hey, I'm sure it's been at least down in the 70's. I've even worn socks a couple of times.
4) We'll avoid going anywhere that you might have to cross a river. You might just have to do what our teammate just did in order to get back--ditch the car, jog to the ocean, canoe around the river, jog back to the road, swim the next two rivers and walk to town.
5) Our new watchdog seems to be afraid of thunder. He's likely to tear the window screens, track mud everywhere and generally act insane.
6) The sun probably still shines in Kansas and Texas, but it has quit us entirely here. I haven't seen a patch of blue sky in weeks. There are rumors that it will return with a vengeance in a few months, dry up all the rivers and heat our water again--once it's hot enough that I no longer desire a nice steamy shower. (Attached is a picture of the daily gray view from our front step.)
7) It will continue to be impossible to keep a white tile floor white during the rainy season.
8) If something didn't mildew a few months ago, it will. The walls, the clock, the books, my watch, etc.
9) We'll have to adjust to noise or less sleep. A tin roof does not allow one to sleep during the rainy season. Pitter patter pitter patter....
10) Ants and mosquitoes will continue to move into our home, liking a nice dry place to stay during the rainy season. As a part of our community service, we have opened our house as a shelter for these poor, neglected creatures. During the past weeks we have housed hundreds of ants and dozens of blood-sucking, malaria-giving mosquitoes.
Well, that's it. Don't feel too sorry for me. I have discovered that if I heat water and pour it into Hannah's bathtub and fold my legs just right, I can actually have some semblance of a warm bath.
Does anybody know if this is called culture shock?.
Diane Reese (with Marcus and Hannah)
The rainy season
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