png birthday pt.2

on friday night we stay up late preparing food for the mumu. one of my jobs is to peel bananas - and this was serious work, there were loads (3 different types, all savoury ones). along with chickens (2), taro and various sweet potoatoes (of course), the food was then placed, carefully, layer by layer, into a pot.

saturday, we get up at 5am (ahm) to finishing preparing (coconuts were scraped, their meat pressed into a strainer, and the milk we got from that went into the pot so everything was cooked in a coconut cream). then when it was getting light we went down to the 'mumu pit' (ie. the tin drum) and set it up.

wood was crammed into the drum until it was full, then kindling on top, then - just there, in the middle, where you can't see - the mumu stones (non-exploding fire stones) were heaped on top. we added paper and set the whole thing to burn. someone watched it and as it burnt and caved in, made sure the stones stayed ontop and inside, heating. meanwhile i ran down to the markets to pick up some more pumpkin tips and ibaika and some other greens. these were cooked much later, the old fashioned way, on the stove.

when the stones were considered really really hot, they were taken out, pot inserted, and stones placed around and ontop. and then it was left for a few hours, for the food to steam cook.

later, we gingerly take off the stones and take out the pot. it smells so good! it's about 11 now and i'm tired and hungry. but people were coming early afternoon so had to push on, clean up, make cake, wash self...

and eventually we had a pretty good party. this is some of the mumu food: right in front is some chicken, the purple rather uh phallic looking things are bananas. it was delicious. after everyone left we sat down for a few hours - oh yes and then the power went off too - and had a beer or two and people 'told stories'. and kids in png, there are stories! fiction pales in comparison to life here. it was a great birthday.