Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Pikininis bilong Gelegela



These pikininis (children) were all enjoying the Tambu Ceremony but were a bit bewildered by the white misis taking their photos. The pikinini on her brother’s lap burst into tears about two seconds after I took the photo, and screamed the place down!!!

Do you notice their blonde hair? Many Tolai children have blond hair – natural not bleached!!!

15 comments:

quintarantino said...

Jules, did you know that in other days and places some people and tribes believed that if they let someone take their photo their soul would get stucked (like a prisioner) in the photo? Thus making the one who had taken the photo master of that soul... imagine the terrible consequences for some...

Anonymous said...

Hi Jules,
Think mendi, think nex, think net, think au. Hope this is not too cryptic. Hopefully she didn't get the phone number stuffed up too; I knew I was on shaky ground when she started to giggle so I tried pidgin but obviously to no avail. If the phone details are incorrect you can leave your details at the Naval and Military Club here in Melbourne for me. The number is 0396504741. They'll pass on any details to me. Otherwise, I'm home all weekend and Fri, after 11.30 is good. I'm usually galivanting till 11.30 in wonderful downtown Emerald (Vic).
I used to hate it when PNG'uns started to giggle cause it usually meant that they were not understanding you or you'd done something to upset them. One had to learn to walk away and try again later. But then a lot of people in life are like that! I hated that the more colonially minded among my generation of expatriates used to brand them as dumb, they are not, they are in many ways the most intelligent and generous people I have ever met. They have a wicked sense of the ridiculous. I watched Les Sylphides" in Port Moresby and when the tutus were up en pointe the local audience cracked up with cries of bigpela muruk. And do you know, from they perspactive they did indeed look like a line of on legged, hoping big birds. I held my sides in laughter and wept with mirth alongside them. I've never been able to justify the price of going to the ballet ever again.
If you post some Vietnam images I'll feed you some vietnam stories from the memoirs if you'd like.
I look forward to making contact with you. Pia

Neva said...

wow..I think you had to learn a new language when you moved to PNG...I mean..you are writing in English and I still have to re read a few times to make sure I get it!! What a hoot!

Tom said...

Stunning pictures Jules.. the blond hair is great.

Anonymous said...

Wow, these are amazing children. The hair color got me. Is it natural? So nice, and they seem so innocent. I like your photography.

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CaBaCuRl said...

That little 'un looks quite fearful already...I'm not surprised flooding tears ensued!!

• Eliane • said...

I was gonna ask about the blond hair. Those kids are gorgeous.

Jules said...

Hi Pia -
I think I get it!!!
She wrote mendinext.aet.au
Will ring you next week
Cheers

quintarantino said...

Jules, just to say you are quite right... it is really Supertramp. But there is, at least, one cover made by Goo Goo Dolls.

Jules said...

Quinto - wow, do I get a prize!!!!

NorthBayPhoto said...

Great series of photos. Wonderful stories with them too!

M.Benaut said...

That hair is so unexpectedly amazing. If you figure out what, in their diet, causes this phenomenon you could make a fortune. You could even put us all on this diet; Jules included !!

lv2scpbk said...

I've heard about that too what Quint said. Anyway, I think you captured the people very well.

Jules said...

m benaut - I'll bottle it and will send you a case.

Ann (MobayDP) said...

They are darling!
Did you know that in Jamaica we call little children "Pikininis" too?
You'll usually hear people referring to children as "Pik'ni" though.