Wrapping up survey time

One of the NGO's (Non-Government Organization) put on an expo in town the other weekend. We decided to take advantage of the event, and set up a small table for people to try out the orthography survey. It was a great success. Within a few moments we had drawn quite a crowd, and in just over an hour collected 18 surveys. Each school we have gone to has taken at least 2 hours, so that was pretty exciting! The survey is comprised of 48 words and 6 sentences which focus on sounds that are not used in the national language. We are curious to see how people are representing those sounds on paper.

A couple days later we made that long trip with an overnight (my "new hilton") and collected more surveys from schools, government officials, and people who were hanging out and willing to do it. The survey was done on a ping-pong table in one school, a non-ventilated room in another, a government office, a small restaurant, and outside someone's home. I did a little babysitting while some ladies worked on the survey. Apparently dad passed by, so that's what we're looking at. :)

Of Blinkers and Horns

What's a blinker for? In the U.S. you let someone know the upcoming movement of your personal vehicle by signaling. Here, when someone is coming down the road towards you with their blinker on, it isn't information. It's a command for you: You there! Get over! Make more room. I'm comin' through, and you are not giving me enough space.

What about a horn? If I'm not mistaken, in the U.S. (at least in the city) they are generally used for warning or to announce anger/annoyance. Not here. You'd better honk--at everyone. Anyone you pass on the road--coming towards you or going around. It's a friendly greeting or announcement of your presence, and you might be thought rude or arrogant not to honk. I have gotten so much in the habit of honking at people I pass on the road, that when I'm not paying close attention, I occasionally find myself honking at animals, too, and embarassingly, once at a pile of bricks.

The New Hilton

Yeah, so my idea of a great getaway has definitely changed. On Monday we drove 2+ hours away to a town to do more language (orthography) surveys. We stayed in a little local guest house type place. It had a single bed with a trundle, just enough space to pull out the trundle bed, a floor fan, and a bathroom which was just big enough for a squatty potty. I tell you what, that place was a great getaway! It was so relaxing! Mostly because I was able to hole up in the room and not talk to anyone, and because they had electricity the whole time we were there. I wish I took pictures; there is not really a way to describe the place. This is the only pictue I have. Not much to see, as I couldn't back up for perspective. :) I would be mortified to stay there if I came across it in the U.S.. But here... wow. I loved it.

Why DID the chicken cross the road???

I was driving my motorcycle down the road today--on the left side, where we drive here. From my right a rooster bolts from his safe position well off the road, darts onto the road, crosses over the road to my side, and comes to a screeching full stop--smack dab in the middle of my path. WHY?????!!! I want to know.

Chickens have got to be THE DUMBEST animals ever!!! Or at least close to the top. You really get terribly accurate insight into the chicken jokes living on this island.

My Hemisphere

So, after about a year back in the States, my sister is now only a couple time zones away from me. And thanks to the wonderful world of Internet, I can talk to her almost without planning ahead! It is so fun to have her on this side of the world. My parents just took off back to the States (mom had bilateral knee replacement--ouch!--on the 15th of Aug), so I was left alone in this hemisphere, but now I have been rejoined by my sister. I happened to be at camp where I check email, noticed an email that had come through from my sister only moments before, so I hopped on skype, and VOILA! We got to have a little Friday night chat! One in which we could both say "good night." Lovely. :)

Actually, in all honesty, it is almost as easy to catch my parents online with skype on the other side of the world. But it ends with "have a good day" and "have a good night" at the same time. How wonderful Internet is! It connects the whole world right at your fingertips. Now if only they could figure out a way to instantly send over a piece of that warm bread my sister's neighbor just dropped off over at her apartment...

Right now I'd like...

...to be able to sit outside in shorts and a sleeveless top and eat some s'mores. Hmmm... no, if I had to choose, I'd say chips and salsa. YUM!!! Followed by fajitas with bell peppers and SOUR CREAM!!!! Sad. That won't be happening anytime soon. :( If only there were a Don Pablo's in the area....

Fun on the town

A chance to see "town" from the perspective of some of our village friends several weeks ago. A lot of crazy picture-taking. :) The day ended with more photos on a ferry that was taking half of our village to a wedding on another island.

Ortho-what?

ORTHOGRAPHY...

noun:
a method of representing the sounds of a language by written or printed symbols.

(WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University)


or·thog·ra·phy (ôr-thŏg'rə-fē) n. pl. or·thog·ra·phies


1. The art or study of correct spelling according to established usage.
2. The aspect of language study concerned with letters and their sequences in words.

3. A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling. (American Heritage Dictionary)

What if you had only ever spoken your language and never seen it written down? But you knew how to read and write in another language. How would you write your own?
We are in the process of surveying the speakers of this language--focusing on schools, but seeking all ages and occupations. How do people write their own language that they have never read before? So far we have surveyed 50 or more individuals, and the writing styles for the same words are nearly as numerous as those taking the survey. Hmmm....

Annihilate Templeton

Okay, so our new cat, Ophelia, is too little to catch mice--the only reason we got her. We decided it was time to take matters into our own hands, so we got some mega-iron traps. In one night we caught 2 mice. BAM! BAM! Ophelia was really excited. She thought she did all the work. She thought it was the best meal of her life. The rat poop has almost stopped since killing those 2, but peanut butter keeps disappearing from the traps, so there are still some sneaky mice out there...

What's in a Name?

A neighbor had her baby at midnight on July 15 after 2 days of labor. They ended up going to the hospital since her labor was so long. When I went to visit several days later, they had not yet named her, but were waiting for the father’s sister to come and name her. Then, if the name “suited” her, it would be kept. In other words, if the baby doesn’t reject the name—by getting sick or something was the example they gave. Interesting. I have much to learn about the culture around names here. Often titles only are used (aunt, grandma, big brother, sister, etc.) and sometimes people seem reluctant to give a name of a person. I have heard of people's names being changed if they get really sick. I hope to learn more....


Pictured above is mom and once little sister, now big sister.

Recent thoughts on prayer

I was just thinking today (July 27) that I need to not be so hard on myself, trying to remember all the things I feel I need/should be praying for... There are SO MANY good things to pray for and people to pray for--I don't want to forget anyone! I want to continually pray that I'll understand the Father's grace more, pray for Him to be glorified, pray for me to know Him more, pray that I'll trust Him more, pray using His words... the list has no end. Everytime I hear something new or even something old, I think, oh yeah, that’s a good thing to pray for every day. That’s a good thing to pursue. Or, man, I forgot to be praying about that.... The guilt never ends!

After a discussion with some friends on the importance of prayer & our inability to even do that on our own, it began to hit me that He even guides in what and how we pray. A friend said that once while praying about a certain issue on her heart, she felt the Father informing her that He had already taken care of the issue and she need not think on it again. Now, with a different heart issue, she feels He has not yet released her but wants her to be like the persistent widow before the judge (Lk 18).

A day or 2 went by. Rummaging around my room I saw the name of a person I had not thought about for quite some time, and offered a quick prayer for her. The next day I received an email from someone, asking me to pray for that very same lady, who, it turned out, was in a special situation at that moment! It really blew me away in light of my recent thoughts on the matter of prayer. Since then I have been aware of many seemingly random thoughts/insights about daily life that have left me thinking, I do believe that is a prayer He wants me to pray! He really does lead in all things--even to the tiny details of the thoughts I have! It has given me a new and different appreciation for Ro. 8:26 which says (CEV): "In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words."

Gravel Ice

On Thursday last week we were coming home from language survey work at another school. We were on the motorcycle as usual, and had ventured out the farthest we’ve ever been on the island (35 km/22 miles/1.5 hours from the airport), which was exciting. Roads are great out that way, but eventually you get off the paved road, and the potholes aren't bad, but it's loose dirt and they're working on the roads. We haven't had rain for a few days, so, if you didn't know, dry, loose gravel may as well be ice.

We were approaching a sharp corner, and a truck came around the bend. He was in our lane, and we had no option but to swerve left, and as soon as the brakes were applied, down we went. I'm ok, maybe because I was on the back. Just a few scrapes and bruises. My teammate, however, lost the skin on her big toe and got a deep gash in her knee, but otherwise ok. Praise the Lord our heads and bones are fine! She did lose consciousness for about 10 minutes or so, which added to the excitement. Some really nice men stopped to help. The truck driver left as soon as he saw we were alive. Our language helpers were behind us and they were more shook up than us I think. Some man (still think he might have been an angel) drove our motorcycle, C slumped over his back, with me on the back making sure she didn't fall off. Didn't think our little Honda could hack the 3 of us, but he drove great, nice and slow and in control. He took us to the village secretary's house, and C "came to" on the way. The family was super nice, got water for C, laid out a pillow and mat for her. Turned out we were in a village where we are wanting to do the survey later this month! They were interested in our work and wanted to do the survey.

We stopped on the way home to eat on top of a hill overlooking a gorgeous beach view, and halfway through my slice of tuna, I realized it was alive with maggots. Eeeewwww.... Yeah, more grossed out now than I was then. How long would it take me to get sick from that? Yesterday I was sick to my stomach, but surely 5 days is too long, right?