Max & Kaure in Alotau: Max and friends

Maxine

Gudi! (pronounced Gooody) When in Milne Bay, that's the standard greeting. While English is widely spoken, most people here are multi-lingual. On the mainland, Tawala is the main language then as you head out to the many,many Islands, there's Dobu (Fergusson Islands), Kiriwina (Trobriand Islands), Suau,Misima,Rossel etc etc.There are said to be more than 50 different languages in Milne Bay.I speak Sariba but not fluently. Because I've spent a lot of my youth outside of the province and country, when I'm home,(Sawasawaga village-Sariba Is.), everyone loves to listen to me attempting to speak Sariba and the minute I make a mistake they crack up and never let me forget it! At the same time though, they appreciate the effort and I must say it's always interesting communicating with my bubus (grand-parents).

My bubu taubada (mum's Dad-Elia Nadile) was a young boy during The Battle of the Coral Sea

when The Allied forces (American and Australian soldiers) set up camp in our village. I recall one particular conversation we had at about 1am when everyone else was fast asleep. Here's how it went:

Bubu(in Sariba): Mekisini (Maxine), before when all the Amelican soldias were here, all the time, I used to hear them say -"Son of a bitch, Son of a bitch,ede tena saha (what does it mean)?"

Me:(trying very hard not to crack up!) Oh Bubui, tenata se wane kedewa natuna", (Bubui, it means child of a dog).......somehow it just didn't sound right and the more I tried to explain the phrase to him, the more I confused him. Of all the things he remembered after all those years!!!

Anyway,I'm supposed to be introducing you to my friends.....

Allow me to introduce you to Jean Callister-The Smartest,toughest,sassiest,craziest,funniest and most unselfish person I know. She's also married with three kids (sorry guys!),business woman, supermum.....you wouldn't think it though as she often passes for a 15 yr old and has the wickedest laugh not to mention sense of humour. Jeannie's part Misima and Manus. She's an amazing woman and mum and if you ever hear a tiny lady with a really loud voice yelling out something to someone on the road as she flys past in her ute.....that's probably her! Here's Elaine, as she's known to us.Her full name is Mercinta-Elaine Maras. Recently employed by EMB to assist with the Distance Education School, she is also sweet,smart and a tonne of fun!.Elaine's background is in Education,she speaks Bahasa fluently amongst other languages and she's Kavieng mix Indonesian and Central. Already she's been mistaken for a Milne Bayan.....which I have trouble understanding as she has legs like Naomi Campbells' and is often likened to Pamela Anderson for some reason (well, a PNG version anyway)....hmmm, most Milne Bayans are very,very short. Perhaps it's because she's picked up Milne Bay English in no time- "So How?", "Det one oledi I did it!"

Elaine's a breath of fresh air in Alotau and has become more like family really. Always positive, she's also well travelled, great to talk to, awesome with kids,a fantastic cook and I love all the wonderful spicy Indonesian sauces and dishes she makes for us.

This is Murray Abel and Delcie Chariton's haus win by the sea. We (Elaine & I) turned up to pick up a couple of sauce pans that I'd left at their house a few months back and ended up enjoying a bottle of red with them well into the afternoon!Murray and Delcie are such a wonderful couple and always so hospitable. I always enjoy their company. Needless to say we left their house and only remembered the pans when we arrived home.