update

Hi all! Sorry for the delay in getting an update out, but i am now on a laptop and ready to update you!
So my journey went smoothly (London -> Abu Dhabi -> Manila -> Port Moresby -> Kiunga -> Rumginae!) and I arrived here on Thursday morning (9hrs ahead of UK here). Highlight of the plane food was probably the tuna and raisin pasty I had for breakfast on one of the flights....hmmm!
It is very warm and wet here!
For my first couple of weeks I am staying in a missionary family's house while they are away on leave. All the houses are sort of bungalows on stilts, and I have incredible views over the river. The other lady missionaries have their houses next to mine in a row, and I have been dining with somebody different each day so far! There are tiny ants EVERYWHERE, so I've been making all my food ant-proof in tupperware boxes (they can chew through packaging!). The first evening I thought I had seen a snake in the grass [read: swamp] but it turned out to just be a wiggly stick. Smooth.
I have an MAF plane parked outside my house! [www.maf.org] However we won't have a pilot this week until the MAF family return, so hopefully there won't be medical emergencies requiring evacuation to here (altho planes elsewhere can step in if needed). I'll hopefully get to go up on a medevac at some point though! Last week, 2 of the doctors went on a medevac to a guy who had been shot with a bow and arrow. He wasn't brought here in the end, but they have had news that apparently he is doing well.
The hospital is just over the little airstrip, and is also on stilts with wooden walkways! I had a bit of a tour on Friday and will get stuck in this coming week. A little gem for you: [note: a 'billum' is a string bag, a 'pikinini' is a baby] a 'bladder' in pidgin is 'billum for pisspiss' and a uterus is 'billum for pikinini'! Also, there was a big dead fish in the outpatients fridge because there has been some kind of leak into the river and people are worried that fish are dying, so the fish is waiting to be seen by the authorities. I'll keep you updated on the fish-river-fridge situation!
This morning a lady showed me around the station a bit more, and showed me how they collect rubber from rubber trees! I also met some of the Community Health Worker students, who come here for 2years training before returning to their villages to apply what they have learnt.
One of the missionary doctors gave me some homegrown peanuts, so I was impressed with myself for successfully shelling and roasting them! Yumyum. I was also pleased that my plan to keep ants away from my pineapple was successful! (in a bowl sat in a dish of water. genius!)
I can pick up internet on my kindle here which is unexpected and rather cool! I can't do big messages or blog updates on there (use one of the dr's laptops for that), but am very much appreciating picking up various messages! Thanks everyone!
Lots of love xxxxx
(will try to upload some photos soon!)