Purpose Asia

Taking off from the airstrip near Ukararumpa  Tendrils of cloud wrapped around the bony shoulders of the hills like a cotton wool shawl. Tiny villages teetered on sharp ridges that leapt down to deep shadowed ravines below. Early morning mist and fog had crept along the ground and swirled around our rumbling Kodiak plane as we sat on the dirt airstrip waiting for takeoff. As I looked across the field to the surrounding hills I saw a thin shaft of sunlight caressing the hill and trees overlooking the airfield. This is my home, I thought, with its casava and coffee, cicadas and mud, mist and mystery. My heart ached. I already missed my new home and I hadn't even left yet. I was leaving and I didn't know when I'd return. An urgent family emergency had called me back to the USA and I sat in the murky uncertainty of the future, much like the clouds that covered the runway. I hoped that my unknowns would dissipate much as the clouds began to dissipate and the engine of the Ko...

Market at Ukarumpa      I tumble into the front door of my apartment (called a "flat" here in Papua New Guinea (PNG) due to the Australian influence) and make a bee-line for the kitchen. I put down my keys and bilum  and survey my kitchen like a general assessing his troops. What's for lunch? I ask myself as my eyes scan my basket full of produce, the cabinets and refrigerator. Lots of people ask me what types of things I eat here in PNG. My response is generally, "What don't I eat here." Frozen Crocodile Tail      Often when I get asked what I eat in PNG, I imagine from their expectant looks that they anticipate me answering with the outlandish, such as: "monkey brains," "Giant tree ants roasted over the fire," or "deep sea squid cooked in casava root." However, the food here in Papua New Guinea, although delicious, is actually very plain. The most exotic things I've eaten (other than the unusual fruits and vegg...