The rain falls,
plenty of rain.
People sit around,
too wet for them to work.
plenty of rain.
People sit around,
too wet for them to work.
Gardens can wait.
Pigs scrounging for food,
the odd snort and the odd squeal.
Ren em pundaun planti tu mas.
Ren em pundaun planti tu mas.
Village life.
People wandering past…
same clan,
different family.
All related, all one.
same clan,
different family.
All related, all one.
They stop and talk for a while,
and then keep walking.
and then keep walking.
More people come.
Pigs, dogs, rain and coconuts,
hard floors and no chairs.
As bilong me em gat planti pen.
hard floors and no chairs.
As bilong me em gat planti pen.
The body adjusts.
Village life.
The rain stops.
People sitting around
telling stories
Tok ples.
People sitting around
telling stories
Tok ples.
The old ways, still alive.
Ways long forgotten elsewhere.
Ways long forgotten elsewhere.
Yes, the old ways!
Survival and romance,
but a hard life.
but a hard life.
The rules of the game different.
Survival!
Survival!
Stories.
Sharing.
Someone brings some food,
chicken.
All eat.
chicken.
All eat.
Community and interaction.
The ‘old’ ways…
long forgotten where I come from.
Inetraction, love, caring, sharing.
long forgotten where I come from.
Inetraction, love, caring, sharing.
One.
The pigs get into the pineapple patch,
someone yells.
Some kids run over and throw sticks and stones,
the pigs squeal but they run.
someone yells.
Some kids run over and throw sticks and stones,
the pigs squeal but they run.
Pigs!
PNG and pigs!!
People sit and talk,
old and young,
men and women, girls and boys, babies…
and of course dogs and pigs.
old and young,
men and women, girls and boys, babies…
and of course dogs and pigs.
More Tok Ples, more stories.
Always stories.
Buai…
Yes, buai…
the red stains,
everywhere,
the red stains,
everywhere,
in the mouth.
Spitting, yes spitting.
Even the women,
especially the women,
young and old chew.
Even the women,
especially the women,
young and old chew.
Just one of those things about PNG,
I chew and I spit!
I chew and I spit!
Village life.
“Takue’s” garden…
big garden,
plenty of kai kai.
big garden,
plenty of kai kai.
To understand the PNG men and women,
one must understand gardening.
one must understand gardening.
Master gardeners…
More to this gardening than meets the eye,
old tradition.
old tradition.
PNG men and women,
the oldest gardeners in the world.
Gardening, food, existence, meaning, livlehood.
the oldest gardeners in the world.
Gardening, food, existence, meaning, livlehood.
Time for a nap…
(Snoozing)
Sitting around, nothing to do…
but sit around.
Nothing to do.
but sit around.
Nothing to do.
Bored?
Peopled, kids, babies and animals.
All sharing,
all loving.
All sharing,
all loving.
The rain has stopped,
the boys play marbles.
Some pineapple, some coconut juice.
A women yells in Tok Ples,
there is balance and there is harmony.
the boys play marbles.
Some pineapple, some coconut juice.
A women yells in Tok Ples,
there is balance and there is harmony.
“Yakin” goes…
she works very hard,
all PNG women do.
all PNG women do.
“Yakin” goes to her garden,
tonight all will eat.
tonight all will eat.
“Yakin” so pretty, so strong.
PNG women, incredible.
I am falling in love,
young and old, all strong.
young and old, all strong.
All special.
Will I marry one?
Or will I go home single?
Or will I go home single?
I, you, us and me.
All the same, all equal.
Black, white or yellow,
all children of life.
all children of life.
Village life!
The boys play marbles,
they yell and they fight and they laugh.
All play.
All watch.
they yell and they fight and they laugh.
All play.
All watch.
There is love.
End game : all boys win.
End game : all boys win.
Dreams, they do come true.
Mine has.
Mine has.
To be here with these people,
deep down, very deep down…
…I resonate, I cry, I witness.
deep down, very deep down…
…I resonate, I cry, I witness.
Village life!
tingting bilong yu…
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