5k Kate

I should retitle this blog: Reasons why I didn't run today by Kate.  I didn't run today because the skin on my back is falling off in one big sheet from that terrible sunburn. Also it was cold and I was cozy in my sleeping bag. I know that that image of me shedding probably doesn't sound cozy, but you learn to put up with a lot here for basic comforts.  Today was an incredibly productive day linguistics-wise. My corpus of verbs is really coming together and I'm able to sort verbs into various conjugation classes based on their root allomorphy. Their conjugation class has implications for the phonology, for example it determines if the root will undergo reduplication or nasal metathesis. I have been transcribing and translating a lot of stories and finding plenty of examples for the short grammar texts that I've been writing up. I can't believe we only have one full work week left. I wonder what I want to get done... I promise to run tomorrow. Or at least come up...

Another no-run streak of days. I feel like there is always something. On Saturday when I caught those fish, I took my shirt off so it would stay dry and clean while I jumped in the swamp. I was in and out of the water for about an hour or two, then we harvested sweet potatoes for a while. Anyway, I got a terrible sunburn on my entire back, so much that I haven't been able to wear a bra for past three days - so running is out.  Moreover, yesterday morning we received the news that a woman in next-door village Malam died in childbirth. She was in labor for four days and no one brought her to Limol or to Upiara where there is a health center. Many Malam people, and all the leaders, were in Upiara, so when they came home yesterday via Limol, they heard the conch shell from Limol on the way and learned the sad news at the canoe place. The mother and father of the girl jumped out of their canoe in grief. I was able to carry the mother's baskets to Limol, when Wagiba, Grace, Lauren an...

It's been a few days since I last wrote. I've been sick and so I haven't been running. My appetite finally came back last night so I thought I might run today but I was only able to walk and then I had to stay close to the house (and toilet). Hopefully tomorrow will be better.  The past few days have been very productive though besides. More and more verbs keep coming in, and I started writing up a paper about the floating nasal pattern. I'm working on a few other papers too about general grammatical topics. Yesterday I had a productive conversation with a young woman who speaks an Ende language game where you replace the endings of words with the sound -sko. I hope that this may provide some evidence for stress and/or wordhood! Besides this I've gathered a number of stories and songs and have slowly been transcribing and processing them. It's very important to keep this going because I need examples of all the grammatical constructions that I claim are in the l...

Playing doctor This weekend has been a really difficult one. Dabi, the little girl with the infected buttock, needs medicine four times a day and she is very reluctant to take it, even mixed in peanut butter on a bit of sago. The poor thing. Her temperature was still high today and Grace and I cleaned and redressed the wound. I've sent all updates to Tessa for advice but unfortunately the west coast is asleep most of the day. Since Saturday, we've had more then ten people come asking for medicine. It's become a source of tension in the house. I don't want to be the village doctor and am hesitant to give out medication to anyone for anything. I'd rather just be the emergency first aid care. Lauren thinks everyone that wants medicine should have it. Grace is in between. The fact is that the health situation in South Fly is so terrible that even if we do help, it's just a drop in a very large bucket. Upiara's health post doesn't dress or even look at wounds...

Wow, we just arrived in Limol and I can't believe it. What a long, difficult journey filled with surprises and gratitude.  Musato found us a boat and boatman to take us to Limol Saturday morning. Our original hire had been thwarted by the infamous Sam George who took us to Limol our first year. We went down to the wharf on a prayer, hoping that a boat and boatman would appear. Before ours did, a boat came in with a man who had fallen off the boat onto his motor. His arm was very badly cut, and a big crowd surrounded him as he was helped to the hospital. When our boat arrived, we had also amassed a crowd for much happier reasons. The boat was smaller than we would have liked - we had to leave some people behind - but we did fit all of the gifts and supplies that we bought for Limol under two large tarps. I was very pleased with the packing except two large pots with handles were placed behind my seat of honor to dig into my back for the next two days.  The ride through the Paci...