Some nights it gets cold

My sympathy goes to those of you suffering through the cold winter in Melbourne. Our weather never really gets very cold, but since we’re used to high temperatures of 30 degrees most of the time, when the temperature drops to 25 degrees or below, we feel it cold. That usually only happens after dark. I have a blanket which I use on these nights as one sheet is not enough. If it drops down to 21 degrees, I need to fold my blanket so that it is double thickness, but it doesn’t cover my legs then.

One day it was rainy and overcast all day, and when it was shower time in the afternoon, I couldn’t face having a shower with cold water, which wouldn’t have had the chill taken off it by the sun that day, so we heated up some water and mixed it with cold and I had a nice warm shower. So far, it’s only been once that we’ve needed to do that.

Here are some photos that were taken on that same day later in the evening, when they had started a fire for warmth. I too, heated myself up next to the fire.

Even the dogs felt cool and appreciated the warmth of the fire.

When you feel cold, have a cold shower to make you feel warm

This is a strange bit of logic that the people up the mountain at Namatoa (where it's a bit cooler) were telling me. It basically went like this: "If you feel cold, wash in the cold water, it will was the cold off your skin and you will feel warm". That really doesn't make sense to me, but the people seem to think it works. They say things like "I'm feeling cold, so I'm going to have a cold shower to make me feel warm". Of course, having a hot shower isn't an option since they don't have hot water services. I would think of having a hot shower when I am cold to heat me up, rather than a cold shower.

Another strange thing is: at Buka airport, there is a sign that says 'Sugaman welcomes you to Bougainville' (Sugaman = Sugarman) and then underneath that, it says something like 'Avoid sik suga' (ie. avoid diabetes). So here we have the Sugarman welcoming us to Bougainville and then we are told that we need to avoid getting the sugar sickness (diabetes). I can't quite figure out the logic in that either. I would think of the Sugarman as being a nice man who gives you sugar which could lead to diabetes (given that you have the other risk factors too), so why would he be telling you to avoid diabetes? Maybe he's nice enough to withold sugar from you too, if you are at risk of diabetes.

Anyway, early next week I will be without a computer for a few days and once I am set up again with my computer, I will put up some more posts about my time at Teop and in Bougainville.

What a way to start!

I started my journey to PNG with a visit to Cooktown and as soon as I got off the plane at Cairns, I started sneezing and developed a cold! It was not much fun!

I had a good time with my friends in Cooktown and I bottle-fed on of their baby goats. My friends have very basic accommodation and I was sleeping on a mattress in the back of their ute.

By the time I left Australia, my cold had got much better. I just have a tickle in my throat now which makes me cough.

I am in Madang now where I will be for the next three months. I am sharing my room with another girl. The orientation course starts on Wednesday, so I have a couple of days to enjoy before all the work starts!