July 8th - New Guinea time

I still can't believe I'm here. I look around, at the mountains and the flowers and the clear sky and the Nationals to try to get my bearings and to let it all sink in. It's so indescribably beautiful.
It's true what they say - PNG is the land of the unexpected. You have to be super flexible because things rarely go according to plan. They are a relationship-oriented culture rather than a task-oriented, which is prefect for me. Relationships are their number 1 priority. However, when things need to get done - such as a new roof needs to be added - if someone comes by to see you, you have to drop everything to talk with them. Things don't get done very fast.
The food here is great! We mostly eat "western" style food, but it definitely tastes different. Like we'll have fish, chips & veggies... but the chips are kaokao (sweet potato) and topiak (another root here). And we have fresh fruit every day - pineapple, papaya, guava and bananas with passion fruit. mmmmm.
The Nationals are very friendly. They LOVE us. We are their TV. They just sit and watch us and smile at us. They can't differentiate the students from the other missionaries, so to them we are all missionaries. That means that we have to be VERY careful about how we dress, act and talk so that we don't damage the Gospel for them. We are learning a lot about their culture so that we don't offend them. For instance, guys and girls don't do ANYTHING alone with each other unless they are in a relationship. So if a guy just jokes around with me, like rumples my hair or elbows me - they would assume that we are in a sexual relationship. Or if I stand close to a guy and look him in the eye for more than 2 seconds, it means the same thing. This kind of behavioral change is difficult, but we're all doing our best to represent NTM in an honorable way. Every one has such great attitudes, so it is just a blessing to be a part of this group.
We've started classes and are learning Tok Pisin (Pidgin English). In our free time we mostly hang out and get to know each other, but we sometimes play games or Ultimate Frisbee. Now that we are learning the language we are hoping to be able to communicate with the nationals soon. They are all over campus and very willing to sit and talk with us.
Personally, this place is like magic to me. I'm not able to use a hair dryer or flat iron, but my hair is all curly and cute on it's own (now that I've figured out what to do with it). And I SLEEP here! So far, every night, I go to bed and immediately fall asleep and don't wake up till the morning. It's fantastic! The weather is perfect... the highlands of PNG is labeled one of the best climates in the world. It gets warm in the sun during the day, but nights & mornings are very cool. We don't have heat or a/c, but the weather is perfect for wrapping up in a sleeping bag at night, and there is usually a cool breeze during the day. I love the fruits & veggies & the coffee. Maybe it's the high elevation, but everyone here thinks I'm hilarious. And the stars at night... oh my goodness. I don't remember ever seeing anything like it. They are so bright & seem so close!
I guess that's it for my initial impressions. I will continue to keep you posted on my thoughts & activities.