Here it is the first couple of days in June, and we already have a few notes to share.  I'm sure we'll probably have to update the page again in a few weeks. 

 We were able to take a few pictures of Papuans all "dressed up" today. 

All of their bows and arrows are hand made.  The arrow shafts are made from bamboo, and they have hardwood arrow tips that are carved to a sharp point.  The bows are made out of hardwood and are strung with bamboo fibers. 

Eric trying his best to be as fierce as a Papuan warrior....

We've both been working out a lot, just because we really have no excuse NOT to since we live across the street from the fitness center.   Eric recently tried an alternative diet plan: the malaria diet.  He managed to lose 10 pounds in about 4 days.  Hmm, I'm surprised this is not a more widely marketed diet fad in the Western world.

Things I’ve learned in the past few weeks ….

1. If you only know a couple of words in a different language, don’t use them in the presence of someone else who knows it, or else the person will assume you actually know how to speak the language and start talking at you very fast.
2. Beware of termite dust in woodcarving shops.
3. Never take city utilities, especially trash pick-up, for granted.
4. The way to properly pick out a Papuan bow is to make sure it is at least as tall as you.  In my case, I couldn’t find one quite big enough.
5. Keeping your currency straight when negotiating a price is important to keeping your sense of reality in check.  While negotiating for a piece of hand carved artwork from 130,000Rupiah to 100,000Rupiah may be important to your pride, you also have to take a step back and realize you are arguing over a price difference of $3. 
6. Before visiting an Indonesian ATM machine, make sure you have a large-capacity wallet, as the currency they give out is the equivalent of 5 dollar bills.  

The Ibu Network

Getting inducted into the “Ibu Network” is an extremely important occasion here for women.  The word Ibu (pronounced ee-boo) means wife or Mrs. in Indonesian.  I (Cherine) have been officially put on “The Ibu Network List” now, so I will be included in all forms of information exchange.  Items for sale, fresh lettuce at the grocery store, craft sales, special lunches, etc.  If you are on the list, you are “in the know”. 

Since I actually work, I have not met very many wives yet, and those I have met were not keepers of The Ibu List and couldn’t add my name to it.  It is something they guard heavily, and treat as a secret entity, yet everyone knows about its existence.  Until now, I wasn’t sure if I believed it really did exist – I was told more than once, “You should get your name on The List,” but conversations were left at that, with not even a compass direction to point me in the direction of The List Keeper.  Luckily, The List Keeper happened to find me at the restaurant last week and now I’m officially part of The Ibu Network.  The bad part about being on The List is now I will know when fresh lettuce shows up at the store, but it will all be gone by the time I get there after work, because the rest of the Ibu Network will have bought it all.  But the List Keeper has assured me that if I ever need anything as simple as an extra casserole dish to give her a call, and the Ibus will come to my aid.