January 7th

We've eaten root vegetables for at least the last 5 meals, maybe more, I can't remember that far back, and we plan to have taro for quick breakfast in the morning, making it at least six meals in a row. I guess this is a sign we're adapting to the fasin blo ples ia (fashion of this place, fashion belong place here). We seem to always make our root vegetables with onions, chili and garlic, which isn't really the fasin blo ples ia, but were eating the same foods, just cooking them different.

Alex and I walked to one of the villages antap (We live close to the beach and it's straight up hill as you walk east (away from the saltwater), it's called 'on top'). It was about a 45 minute walk to the village of 30. Alex had to make some health surveys and we thought it would be good for me to at least see all the villages that we are working for. The village was beautiful and everyone was so nice. We saw a pigeon in a cage, I don't know why there was a pigeon in a cage, it wasn't a pet as it was very much afraid of people, I suspect it's someone's dinner.

We think we might get doors and window covers tomorrow, we think. the house is getting closer and closer...not finished yet...but we're hoping soon.

the flying fox is just as sad as we are to see mango season come to a close, he/she is eating little banana and crying whenever Alex or I walk past. We think it's crying, it could be screaming for all we know, we don't know as it seems the flying foxes can only make one noise and it doesn't sound anything like crying or screaming, more like a funny noise that only gigantic bats can make.

The cat likes to kill lizards and giant mice and eat them in the middle of the living room floor, often leaving some parts unfinished.

Alex cut her finger with a bush knife yesterday, while cutting firewood, it's not a serious cut, but it looks pretty big/bad.