5k Kate

I've missed writing the past few days because it's been a bit crazy and exciting around here. I did go on a run yesterday but it was a rough one. I had stayed up all night thinking about verbs and grammar and when I woke up all I wanted to do was not think about anything for a while. Yesterday, Tonny and I input the 500th verb into the verb database and the 4000th word into the dictionary. The 500th verb was suwe  tïngg which means 'to urinate on something', Tonny offered this one because he knows I like verbs that end in - ngg . When I put a verb into the database, I have to ask, how do I say "I verb one thing, I verb two things, We verb three things, today and yesterday" for each verb. So I got to ask Tonny how to say "Yesterday, we three peed on three trees each." He must know I'm crazy. The 4000th word in the dictionary was also a verb. That morning we knocked a ripe papaya out of the tree near our house for lunch. Tonny told me that the pap...

Another early morning run in before the heat. It's been higher than 90 degrees every day and well into the evening. It was a good way to start the day - much better than yesterday.  Yesterday I thought I might go on a run, but stayed in instead. I'm glad I did because the young boy with burns over half of his body came over again. He had fallen into a fire at the washing place. I had put a loose cloth over the burn gel the previous night to try to keep it clean but when he came in the morning, the third degree burns had stuck to the cloth, the second degree burns had all grown blisters and the first degree were more visible. I cried because I knew I couldn't help him. Grace helped take the bandages off. We gave him some more pain medicine and sent him with his mom to Upiara. It really tore me up inside, especially because I don't know if Upiara can care for him and his mom doesn't have a way to get to Daru. Grace and I comforted one another and sent some messages on...

Bright and early 5k this AM. Felt slow but had lots to think about. I dropped off the medicine for little Dabi and she wasn't looking very good. I don't think her parents are caring for her and I was a bit angry at her father for letting her wound get so dirty. She looks stiff and I'm worried she's getting sicker.  On the run I was thinking about the verbs and about how there might be evidence for clitics. Some post nominal morphology seems to be closer to the noun than other postpositions, but they don't harmonize with the noun, suggesting a distinction between suffix and clitic perhaps? I'll write a squib up today. I got back home and did some work in Wagiba's garden, then showered and washed some clothes. As I was finishing up, the village erupted with "Käza! Käza! Käza da aittan!" A crocodile! A crocodile had been caught! I grabbed a video camera and followed the young men down the narrow bush track to the creek. It was my first time down this ...

Officially in week 2 and feeling good. Went on a run this morning that was pretty slow first because my stomach was being funny, and hungry, and sick-feeling and second because I had a lot to think about. I ran out towards the canoe place again, which conveniently brings me past little girl Dabi's house who needed her 6am antibiotic hidden in peanut butter. She has such a sweet smile whenever I come by, which makes it all worth it. Tessa says her good temperament speaks volumes about her health so I'm reassured. After I pass Dabi's house, I pass Christina and Gidu's. Gidu is the town announcer and is unique for having  dreadlocks. He also killed a python two days ago and I got to see it, huge, coiled, and bleeding from a tree branch. I saw it again last night when they brought some over for our dinner! It was weird to eat, very chewy and muscly, but tasted like tuna. It was obviously a dear present for us. I thanked them again even though I think the python is to blame ...

Wow, very hot 5k today! Even though I waited until the heat broke, it was a tough run. I found a trail around the back of the hotel that had a long steep hill (about 5 floors), that I ran up and over, then back over, 5 times. The sunset on the top made all the climbs worth it and I was much less center of attention, only saw a few other ex-pats walking the trail and a few kids.  Today was a really great day. Grace and I had a buffet breakfast and morning chat. The food here incredibly expensive so we were being sneaky, with me paying for the buffet and bringing out a nice big plate for us to share. We weren't sneaky enough though because one of the waiters came up to me and said "It's okay if your daughter eats your food too." I, of course, laughed and the guy got very embarrassed and said he was sorry. He brought us heaps of food to the table and Grace messed with him by calling me Mom in front of him. We suspect it's the height difference and the matching shoes....