More with the Grandparents

Jack and Melinda returned to the states the last week of June, but we had such a wonderful time with them here, I, Erin, wanted to post more of the things here that we were able to share with them!  Many of our friends were eager to meet our family; we therefore had people over all most everyday.  We managed to continue studying, because of the constant playmates grandparents are, and even take a trip outside the city, into some mountains.  Even after a year living here I, Erin, am still amazed at the significantly different cultures there are, just on this one island. 

This is a picture from our trip to another island where we met up with Jack and Melinda.  Check out the chain restaurant complete with its own alter for daily offerings (yellow shelf to the left of the logo). 

We hosted a birthday party for a friend, blue shirt on left.  He and his friends did all the cooking and cleaning!

We went out to lunch with this family.  John has spent multiple Sundays with the eldest son, middle back, speaking English.  He is a 15 year, who just graduated high school and desires to study in the states. 

This is a well known port, and tourist attraction apparently.  Our neighbors will go at 4 or 5am to buy shrimp.  We decided to forego going that early and this is about all we saw.

A favorite local meal of mine that we had to share with Jack and Melinda, we ate out, I have no idea how to make it.  Grilled rice and chicken, with very spicy salsa.  There are more ways to wrap and cook rice here than I ever imagined. 

We were blessed with a ‘date night,’ so we took the motorcycle, which was our first motorcycle ride together.



The motorcycle was running very poorly as we set out on our ‘date-night,’ so we stopped at a road side tire repair stand/gas station.  Usually the wooden rack off to the left is full of bottles of gas.  They were all empty when we arrived, but not to worry, they had gas.  The little boy just had to siphon it out of their motorcycle. 

A traditional cake we enjoyed while visiting our host family.  Made from bananas, coconut milk, nuts, sugar and maybe eggs.  Wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed. 

 

the inside



Funeral event site in the mountain area we visited with Jack and Melinda. 



This mountain area is know for their funeral events.  People save, probably their whole life time, for money to buy a buffalo.  They may cost anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000.  The buffalo are killed on the day of the event, cooked and eaten by all the attendees. 



The deceased is placed in a coffin for burial only after all family members and friends have come to pay their respects, this could take months.  (Where exactly they keep the body I still have yet to learn) During the funeral event the coffin is put on display along with a statue made to look like the deceased and a photo.  We were able to witness this event taking place, nothing private about this service.  The deceased's coffin will later be placed in a cave.
In our city, the two major ethnic groups require their dead to be buried, under ground, within 24 hours.   There usually is a funeral event at the family's house, but the deceased's body is no longer there.  A meal is served, but it does not include buffalo.  The locals here usually save their money to pay a dowry or bride price rather than buy a buffalo.  Such significant differences within one province!