We read a book before we left that discussed different cultures in terms of temperature: hot or cold. There are various differences, and of course, none fit neatly into a tidy little box. However, it is good to be aware that there are obvious differences in approaching life. PNG is designated as a hot culture. They are people-focused, they are not driven by time...
As I readied myself, I thought I had this concept down, and actually, I tend to be more of a hot culture sort of person, even though I live in a cold culture (and if this doesn't make sense, I can write more about it later or you could probably look it up online). But really, in the typical day here, everything is slower...it's not just one activity, and then you move on through your list. It is everything. When we came to Madang (where we are doing the VBS), we needed to stop in town first for souvenir shopping, lunch, and grocery shopping. I was great with leisurely souvenir shopping and lunch. I wasn't even all that bothered by the long stay in the bank waiting to exchange funds (mainly because I had a great conversation with a local man about the differences in currency of our two countries, which led to a longer conversation about the difference of our two governments, and some information about the history of PNG). Fascinating. But then it came to grocery shopping. Those who know me may know that I am not really a huge fan of the grocery store in general. So, imagine me going to three different grocery stores in the same afternoon after having already been shopping. It was an exercise in culture study for sure.
For the team, I think it is easy in some ways to adjust because we know mentally that we are here for a short time, and we are here with our friends who know the culture and the trade language (the official language is English, but many are more comfortable with the trade language). It is hard to imagine moving here. I think it would be very easy to be overwhelmed.
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