Trick or Treat
The kids here in the Louisiades do not know what Trick of Treat is, but they have the concept down to perfection. Everywhere we drop anchor, within minutes, we are besieged by a fleet of kayaks and outriggers. They are very careful of the boat, which is a relief, though their wooden kayaks or the occasional plastic one could hardly harm us. Some of them call out “hello”. The shyer ones just float there gazing up at us until we greet them first. The more daring ones hop up on the transom. It took a while for us to figure out how to handle them, what to say and what to do, but after a few days, we, too, had perfected Trick or Treat Louisiade style!
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What do they want? First and foremost: lollies. Initially, we really dumb American DimDims did not know what a lolly is, but we were quick learners. Once under the protective care of Australia until their independence in 1976, here in the Louisiades they use the Australian nickname of lolly for a lollypop, and lolly is what these little urchins all want.
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Alas, we do not have lollies or any kind of candy on the boat, not because we are mean DimDims but because we have seen graphically throughout the Pacific that the last thing most kids need is sugar. Tooth decay leading to rotting and missing teeth is rampant, and dental hygiene is non-existent as is any kind of dental care. Very fortunate is the person who reaches adulthood without losing at least one tooth. Fiji was one of the worst countries we visited, and Tonga was not far behind them. No, most Pacific Island kids do not need sweets. We quickly see, however, that things are different here in the Louisiades. These islands are so low on the subsistence chain that sugar is a luxury. Thus, teeth around here look pretty good. We see few adults with missing or rotted teeth.
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What we do see are red-stained teeth and gums. This is from the chewing of the betel nut which stains the teeth. We have seen this all across the Pacific, but it appears to be much more widespread here. To us, it looks hideous, even disgusting, especially when the person one is talking to has a wad of saliva-coated red gunk in his mouth, but that is their way. “Get used to it,” we tell ourselves. We learn that there is something in the betel nut that actually helps prevent decay. Maybe that is why we see so few missing or rotted teeth. We also note that the more educated are apt to have stopped chewing the nut or do so in moderation. Their teeth are white or only mildly stained. We cannot figure out at what age a person starts into betel nuts, but it is not something that children are given to masticate, as it is a mild stimulant. Their teeth are white, and they want lollies!
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Not having lollies, candy
or even cookies, we start handing out from our supply of crackers.
These are accepted, but it is obvious a cracker is no substitute for a
lolly. We vow that when we get to Misima, the one and only town here in
the Louisiades, we will load up on lollies, sincerely hoping that the
store there does have them in stock.
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Our little Trick or Treaters are also after a trade. They have something for us. What do we have for them? They offer us bananas, papaya, lemons, shells, and eggs. What do they want? School work books, pencils, pens, fishing line and hooks for the boys, something pretty for the girls — their list is so meager and simple. Some have been obviously coached by a parent. Clothes of any kind and size, sewing thread, reading glasses, batteries, laundry detergent, rice and sugar — all such basic necessities. The First Mate’s heart goes out to these little ones who come paddling out in leaking kayaks that need constantly to be bailed hoping that a mango will give them some treasure to bring home.
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It is not just the children who visit our boat. Adults get in the act, too, often paddling out with a small child. What is your name? “Where are you from,” they ask. We respond and ask their names. “Where is your village?” we ask if its location is not readily apparent. Then there is a moment of awkward silence. Leaning over the side of the boat, we ask them what they have to trade. We soon discover that there are only so many papaya, potatoes, eggplants and lemons we can use on the boat.
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What to do if there is nothing we need? The First Mate decides that she cannot send them away empty handed. She tells them, sadly shaking her head, that she needs none of what they have, but would they like a small bag of rice or flour as a gift? Yes, a bag of rice would be fine, but do you have any soap? The next thing she knows, she is gifting a bag of rice and a bar of soap — and if she’s not careful the list will go on. Shyly, they will continue to quietly ask, “Do you have ….?” It is hard some times to get them to understand that the trading or the giving is completed. They are always polite, but their need is so great. She has to make excuses. The need to do her laundry, which they readily understand, is a good reason to break off discussion. The First Mate finds she needs to do a lot of laundry.
In our turn, we have
learned to ask for things we, too, want, and those who can are happy to
respond. We have enough papaya, but some bananas would be nice. Do you
have lobster in this area? What about crabs? We would like some if
you can provide. If they can, they will, for these are items of great
value. Two t-shirts or a fishing wheel or kina, the local currency will
be readily traded for a lobster. We have paid 10 to 20 kina for a
lobster. That is the equivalent of $5 to $10 USA and is a lot of money
for these islanders.
Gwen, the organizer the Ladies’ Luncheon on Panasia, kayaked over to Avante the day after the luncheon. By that time, we were full of papayas, bananas, sweet potatoes and lemons, but Gwen did have something The First Mate wanted: the recipe for the papaya biscuits. Invited onto the boat, Gwen was at first puzzled. This woman wants to trade for a recipe? What’s a recipe? I pulled out a papaya and flour and measuring cups. Now, she has the idea. One medium papaya, mashed, half a kilo of self-rising flour, about 1/3 cup sugar and enough coconut milk to make a thick biscuit batter. No eggs? No, they do not use eggs. The self-rising flour is enough, and besides their rooster died a while ago. Without a rooster, she explained there are no eggs. Of course. It would seem a simple thing to bag a rooster on some relative’s island, but apparently that is not the case. Never the less, Gwen was absolutely tickled that anyone would want her recipe. I thanked her happily and gave her a dust pan & brush, a bag of rice and a bag of flour. Gwen left the boat a delighted trader with a story to amuse her friends about this strange DimDim who liked her papaya biscuits.
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Trick or Treat: It was The Captain who coined that term, and we have come to take it all in stride. We know that within 15 minutes of first anchoring, a flotilla of wooden kayaks and smiling faces will be looking up at us. The places that see the most boats seem to have the most traders. When a bonanza like the Rally fleet arrives at a location, traders come from well beyond the local village.
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What starts out as quaint and interesting can get annoying by the time the 10th canoe arrives. We try to be patient, but The First Mate starts to set limits. If we are on deck enjoying a meal, we tell them to come back later. That’s okay with them. They paddle out about 50 feet from the boat to patiently wait until we are finished. Then with a resigned smile, we beckon them over to the side of the boat. “What do you have?” What is your name” Do you have …” Over again, it starts.
It does not take long for us to see that trading is not just a way for these people to turn something that they have plenty of like coconuts or bananas into treasures. It is much more than that and much more essential, for few of these island villages have even a one-room store from which to purchase necessities. Misima is the only town in the Louisiades, and for many it is a long trek to get there. The very remoteness of these islands, the distances between some of these islands and the cost of getting around by motorized boat negates the existence of any kind of periodic service, and thus there are few ferries and no peddlers making a circuit of the islands loaded down with clanking pots, bolts of cloth, needles, flour, rice and sugar. That does not mean that traveling around the islands and to and from Misima does not happen. Rather, it surprises us how much these people do get around by their rather primitive, often rickety, Sailaus. They head off to visit family and friends, to attend church, celebrations and feasts, but it takes money and time to go to Misima. Time they have, but money is another issue. Those that make the occasional trip to Misima must stretch their Kina as far as it will go. A few bags of rice, some sugar, some soap, needles, thread, fishing line and very expensive batteries. Their Kina does not go far, and those few bags of rice will not last the many months before they can again return. Clothing and material are very expensive. Most villagers can only look.
As mentioned in the blog “The Annual DimDim Migration”, these islands are not visited heavily by yachties. The Papua New Guinea government does not make it easy for us to clear customs here, and thus not as many yachties show up on these shores as they do in countries like Fiji, Vanuatu or Tonga. In those countries, we are somewhat “ho-hum” to them, but here is the Louisiades, we are the proverbial sight for sore eyes. Kids run along the beach. “Yacht, Yacht!” they cry.
They race into the gardens, pull out a pumpkin, scavenge for eggs, climb a tree for an orange or mango and then race to the kayaks. Essential we are, but what fun, too, for these young ones.
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They have so little that your heart goes out to them. Their clothing is torn and stained. Some wear little more than rags. You want to give them as much as you can. But we have to be careful about the impact we make on their society. While these people have few material things, their basic needs are met. The land and sea give them the food they need. They are in no fear of starving. They live in close-knit family groups and have extensive clan systems. They are happy and smile and laugh a lot. The children are dear with each other, the older ones watching over the younger. Clothes may be tattered and stained, but they are clean. We see industry at work with care taken of land, homes and canoes.
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The introduction of more material goods and modern wonders will only aggravate the poverty issue by creating a desire for something they cannot readily obtain or maintain. We fear for what they may be asking for in 10 to 15 years, but at the moment, such basic items as clothing, fishing line, rice and school work books are what they want and need.
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One may wonder how we converse with these islanders. To our delight and surprise, we have no trouble communicating. English has been taught here in the schools for many years. It amazes us how good a command of the English language these people living in such an isolated area have. They speak their own language at home amongst themselves and do not begin English instruction until they enter school. They have no TV, radio or internet to reinforce the English they learn in school. Misima, the only town in the area, has no TV, no movie theater, and only a few businesses there have internet access. How, then, do they learn and retain the English they learn in school? It is a puzzle to us. Despite the limited opportunity to practice their language skills, the people of the Louisiades are among the most proficient we have met across the Pacific. We are amazed and constantly complement them and any teacher we happen to meet.
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With those whose language skills are very good, we have been able to strike up a rudimentary friendship. A particularly bright, outgoing child or adult will want to know more about us. They will ask to see the boat. Their eagerness to know more is apparent, and their curiosity goes well beyond the desire to see what we can give them. With these people, we have had many interesting conversations about governments (theirs and ours), about children, and about their lives and activities, for their everyday doings are as much an enigma to us as ours are to them.
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We now have lollies on board having liberally supplied ourselves with these treats in Misima. We also have plenty of rice, sugar, flour and detergent. We have gone through our boat-worn clothes to see what we no longer need or are using. We are fully immersed in Trick or Treat here in the Louisiades, and to our delight, we have found we have received as much as we have given. Our little trading deals have given us an opportunity to know and learn so much more about the people of the Louisiades than we would have in any other way. The two simple questions: “What do you have?” and “Do you have …?” have been the keys to open doors of understanding and knowledge on both sides.