Signs in PNG - guest post by Nancy

This is Nancy again. Sara is on a survey trip off the coast of New Britain Island. If you missed her last post, be sure to read it and please pray for her and the rest of the team (Juliann, Bonnie, and Jacob). It sounds like they will have some interesting stories to tell us when they get back.

Look for another automatic post from Sara on Tuesday, but meanwhile, she said I could keep you entertained with more photos from my trip to visit her. I only have a few more posts planned, and then it will be back to Sara full-time.

This time, I thought I’d share some “signs” from Papua New Guinea.

Here is a sign of the National Emblem of PNG. It was on the door of the Mapang Missionary Guest House, where I stayed my first night in Port Moresby. The emblem shows a Bird of Paradise sitting on a kundu drum, with a traditional spear going thru the drum.
Next we have a sign on the building where Sara works. The language survey office is a part of LCORE. This sign also has a kundu drum on it.


The next photo is of a speed limit sign along one of the roads in Ukarumpa. I’m not sure what the numbers were changed from… but 30 kmph is approximately 18 mph, I think!


Be careful how fast you drive, because this next sign is nearby. Of course, Sara and I walked everywhere we went, so we didn’t have to worry about the speed limit!
The next sign is at POC (Pacific Orientation Course). Families (many with small children) go there to learn the culture of PNG and how to speak Tok Pisin.

(It says "Sink for washing children".)

This next sign is at the airport in Madang. It warns that chewing Buai is not allowed here. Buai (or Beetlenut) is the nut from a type of palm tree. It is chewed with lime (kambang) and mustard (daka), which creates a red juice in the mouth. This stains many Papua New Guineans’ mouths and teeth red. They spit the juice out, so it is very common to see red stains on the ground. Unfortunately, it is also addictive and can be cancer-causing.


Here's another sign at the airport (this time at Aiyura, near Ukarumpa). Are you familiar with going through security at an airport? This is the “security gate” at Aiyura! Your pilot walks over, says “Going to Madang?” (or wherever) and you walk through the gate!


Next is a photo of Sara standing by a sign along the road in Ukarumpa. We tried to figure out what it said, but we really couldn’t tell!


And finally, here’s a sign at the store in Ukarumpa. It’s in Tok Pisin… but I think you can figure out what it says. The word “Digicel” should give you a clue! I’ll post the answer in the “comments” after you have some time to try to figure it out.