Behind the Scene selfie by Bryan Pitcher
It's been raining heavily this morning, so I have time to write this update.
I want to run my generator today and get all of my equipment charged and ready to continue filming. For the next few weeks, I will be focusing production on DD and the old woman with the grass skirt, who's name is KK. Sorry Jordan, but since you have left, I've made some nice home improvements on the bush house—both inside and out. Without sounding too much like Jim Carrey, “This bush house is FABULOUS!" And, I bet my clan sister Ashley would approve with two thumbs up. Nevertheless, I hung the large photo of you and the family up in the kitchen as sort of a memory that you all lived here in this home—a shrine of sorts.
Fun Facts of Life in the Bush:
There is a running expression in PNG that describes the natives, which is "Size 28." This is shorthand for their small bodies and small waists and is usually only a reference for men. In other words, telling someone he is Size 28 is the same as telling them that you think he is small. Dimdims on the other hand are bigger in height and girth and so they refer to Dimdim men as Size 32.
I believe that I have mentioned before that I often feel like Gandolph Grey, who lives with Hobbits. I regularly hit my head inside my own bush house, which is where this image of Gandolph Grey first came to mind. These past two and a half weeks on the mainland have further cemented this imagery in my head.
Immediately upon entering the Parascos home, they saw how tall I was. David said he was sorry but they built their house for Size 28. I told them not to worry but truthfully I hit my head about three times each day, while coming in and out of their home. And every time my head thumped against a cross beam, someone would shout "Sorry, Size 32." It was both funny and frustrating at times. Because of my height, I am already hunched over and looking down. This makes me vulnerable to hitting my head because my eye line is downward watching where I step instead of in front watching those dastardly cross beams.
One night while having dinner, I was sitting on a wood box that was intended for people to sit on while they ate. While I was taking a bite of food, my seat dropped out from under me. Luckily, I caught myself but my host said, "Sorry, Size 32." I apologized for breaking their seat just as much as they apologized to me for not building it strong enough.
While standing over a toilet pit, pulling up my pants after going to the restroom, a wooden plank snapped under my left foot and my leg dropped through the floor just passed my knee. I caught myself and pulled my leg out, feeling glad that the pit was deep enough that my foot didn't go into the smelly mess below. I got scraped up on my shin but I was wearing pants thankfully and so it wasn't as bad as it might have been. I walked back to the house with dirt on my body from the fall, and apologized for breaking their bathroom floor. I was quick to defend myself and reminded them that "I am a Size 32." They were extremely embarrassed about the incident but laughed for some time about it. "The dimdim is size 32!” they repeated aloud.
Vocabulary: Dimdim = White skin/European
