Wrong or Different?

    "They're different than us, which means they can't be trusted." "...they're barely even human..." In the culture course that is currently keeping us very busy, we watched a short video clip that illustrated differences between two cultures. The animation showed settlers moving into a new land and emphasized some of their thoughts and feelings as they discovered native inhabitants. The most fascinating element of the video was that both groups of people -- the white settlers and the natives -- both used the same quotes. "They're different than us, which means they can't be trusted," leading to the conclusion that "they're barely even human..." 
    Each of us has a worldview, a lens through which we view the world. Our worldview causes us to make assumptions about what is normal in terms of behaviours, beliefs, and values. But as we've begun to see throughout this course, we don't even realize many of the assumptions that we make until we confront someone who operates from a different worldview. In Papua New Guinea, the culture is basically the opposite of Canadian/Western culture. Whereas our society is individualist, PNG is collectivist. Whereas our culture is time oriented, PNG is event oriented. Our culture is a "doing" culture, but a "being" culture exists in Papua New Guinea. 

    When we meet with these stark contrasts, we automatically think, which is better? Which way is right, and which way is wrong? After hearing what our presenters have had to say in this course, my question has begun to shift: What if neither is right or wrong? What if different is just different, with no value attached to it? 

Preparation

    Entry permit applications, check. Visa application, check. Things on our seemingly endless to-do list slowly but surely get checked off, and our minds are transitioning from simply living life in Agassiz to being stuck somewhere in between the present reality of BC and our future life in PNG. While still enjoying each minute we are able to have with family, we are also looking forward with eager anticipation to our new home; though unknown, the image in our mind continues to get clearer as we learn more about Papua New Guinea. 

    An exciting meeting that really helped to answer some of our questions was a Skype call with our link family. MAF links each pre-field family with a family that is already on the field to offer support, encouragement, advice, and to answer any questions. We had a great conversation and also discussed many of the questions and concerns that we had, which helped to relieve some stress that had been building about various things! A few of the things we discovered were that baby items like toys and clothing are very difficult to purchase in-country, malaria rapid-testing kits are now available in most MAF locations, men can wear "whatever they want" (appropriate clothing for women is much more rigid), and that Papua New Guinea not only has different outlet plugs, they also run on different voltage -- so we have been told to take very few, if any, electrical appliances. As more questions continue to come up, it's great to know that we can get answers from somebody who is actually living where we soon hope to live.    

    As one more step of preparation, we downloaded a language app at the beginning of this week to dive into a bit of Tok Pisin. Even though we will be getting a language tutor when we move, we wanted to get a head start! Tok Pisin is an English Creole language, so it has been amusing to see the translations of some words. Everything is phonetic; "Excuse me" translates to "Eskus mi." You can probably guess what sori and gutbai mean if you say them out loud as well! One phrase that I think we might be using a lot of when we first move is "Mi no klia," which translates to "I don't understand." 

    Nova has also been practicing her language skills! After eight months of watching and listening, she has begun copying not only what we say, but also what we do. "Dadada" is her favourite thing to say, and she thinks it is absolutely hilarious to imitate us if we cough. While this is cute and funny, it is also a good reminder of how much impact what we say and do can have on someone so young. Being parents has been our biggest responsibility so far, but the privilege we feel to raise our child is one that cannot even be measured. We are excited to have a little one join us on our journey to the other side of the world, and hope that she may make a positive impact on children in Papua New Guinea as she grows up in their land and culture.