The local gas pump also sells kerosene and used diesel oil. The people
from the village often do not have electricity or if they do, elect not
to use it often. So for light, they use kerosene lanterns, as they
often eat outdoors.
The PNG village house is often little more than a bedroom. Traditionally
the men and women sleep in different houses (called Haus Man).. but that
value has gone away and often times now, inside the house, the men/boys
sleep in one area, the women/girls in another area.
The bathroom is an outhouse, the kitchen is an outdoor area called a
Haus Kuk (house cook), and you often eat near the haus kuk on mats.
Today I went to get petrol. I saw an older lady walking with a cast on
her arm. I let my mind imagine how she wound up with that broken arm,
and then how she wound up with that cast. I've seen people borrow the
cast of other people, to save a trip to town or money. IT was a full arm
cast, but that doesn't mean she broke her full arm. In fact the cast
looked rather large and bulky and so, I (perhaps mistakenly) assumed it
was formerly a man's cast that she borrowed. (I didn't get a chance to
look for a cut, nor did I see it taped shut).
She removed from her bag, a 1.5 liter Pepsi bottle, and the fuel
attendant filled it up with the blue Kerosene. She paid her coins, and
left.
She made the trek only for the kero.
I began to think about the light that fuel would bring. How long it may
last, and how soon she might have to return for more.
I thought about the parallels of Christ being the light... and also
being the water of life, such that we would never thirst again.
I knew there were some parallels there that my mind was too lazy in the
afternoon sun, to put together. It was a nearly poignant moment, but
then, I see it often enough, so perhaps we weren't all that close to
deep thought.
Then I had this thought.... kerosene is a common fuel here. People know
what it smells like, looks like (and even maybe tastes like), and feels
like.
And I wondered how many of my friends back home knew these things about
Kero. Often we talk about the things people living here never see or
know about. Like... what a bluetooth headset is, but it works both ways.
The fuel vendor told me 'we buy the kero in 55 gallon drums, to dole it
out one liter at a time means leakage. But we do it, and we allow it in
any containter they bring, because it's such a huge need.'
There's something there about context, and making your work 'relevant' I
think I could probably dig up too, but like I said, lazy brain, sunny
afternoon.
