On pigs, death and “haus krai”…

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- Got this thing happening with the two pigs : “Prof” and “Princess”. Learning about their differences, their quirks and their individual idyosyncrocies. “Princess” the girl is the loudest and a born trouble maker – she’ll egg “Prof” on – espeically around dinner time. There is no ignoring the “squeal” – when they start to squeal – best to attend to their needs. I suppose a little bit like when a baby starts to cry. One needs to drop whatever one is doing and “tend” to the young. The “Oinks” know when I come home and although they can’t see me – they know it’s me – and when I walk in through that gate – they grunt and oink and snort – a pigs way of welcoming home their “papa” I suppose. I remember when I was back in Sydney and how little work it was looking after my blue burmese “Bluey” – compared to the “Oinks”. Pigs are definitely high maintenance. When my neighbour (Anthony) “cracks” open a coconut or if I “crack” one open – althoguh the pigs can’t see who is doing the “cracking” they know (somehow) whom is doing the “cracking”. When Anthony does his coconut routine there is quiet, but when I start to chop that coconut with my bush knife – the “Oinks” know. They know. The sound of their “papa” cracking a coconut is always followed by a serving of coconut meat for them. How fast they learn. Sometimes I can hear the squeal in the back of my mind – sometimes at work or other times when I’m about town or on the PMV – I can hear that squealing – ever so quiet – but still a squeal nevertheless – somewhere there in the back of the grey matter.

- Death. Death in PNG is in your face. A week doesn’t go by that I don’t hear of someone dying. I mean you read about death in the news papers all the time – I’m not referring to these stories. I’m talking about people I know or close relatives or friends of people I know. In PNG death is in your face. In the past 3 weeks – 2 students from UNITECH and one of Eli’s relatives have passed away. One due to an illness the other two after drinking sprees. All three young people. What a loss. A waste of a life in a way.

- The PNG “Haus Krai”. Been to a few now. Two in the past three weeks. “Haus Krai” a PNG tradition – a coming together of the relatives and friends and any one else wanting to give their respects to the grieving family. I went to a “Haus Krai” yesterday afternoon – over at “Tent Siti” – another settlement close to the UNITECH campus. Yesterday’s “Haus Krai” was for one of Eli’s relatives. A young boy – hit by a car during the early hours last Sunday morning. A hit and run. To experience a “Haus Krai” is something else. A sense of privilege to be invited into the personal spaces of grieving family members. To sit and share and grieve and tell stories with the family is something special. It’s also painful. The wailing by the men and women reaches deep down into the gut. Somehow my own grief and loss is shaken lose and I too feel the pain. Yesterday’s “Haus Krai” was special – many relatives have come down from the village and when I walked towards the “circle” late yesterday – I was greeted and welcomed by many people that I met during my stay in “Kaubasis” (Eli’s village). Strange – as we hugged and cried – I felt one with the clan – their loss was also my loss. A strong sense of belonging – when a member of the clan dies – it’s like part of the clan is lost. And so it is in PNG.

- Pigs, death and “Hais Krai” – the front line experience of living in PNG. You can shove the Kokoda Trail and the luxury cruises around the Trobiands or organise tours. I want to experience the real thing – the real PNG. It’s happening for me man. It sure is. Perhaps I’ve gone troppo or perhaps not. There exists within a passion for life and human interaction, a drive for experience and beyond. Life was never meant to be stuck in an office and paying of a mortgage (for me anyway). I came close to losing my mind in the attempt at following someone elses concept and path to happiness. I desperately needed to find my own way. And in a way I have.

May this adventure continue…
towards the unkown.
And in the meantime…
let their be passion, truth and fulfillment,
for me, for you and for all human beings.