Preparing Papayas

We have a papaya tree in our front yard and this year it is loaded with fruit. However, according to the natives when it is still green, it is considered a vegetable.

So, we are going to be learning to cook a special green papaya dish as an ulam. That’s a topping for rice and a main course. The ripe ones are sweeter and used in fruit salads, shakes and just eaten by themselves. We’ll be sure to post pics of the green experiment. Papaya is the fruit of the month in its diverse forms.

Monday night was FHE and we weakened and had a Halloween themed activity. Elder Smith did a regular lesson and then the games went off the deep end.

We had a mummy wrapping contest,

bobbing for apples, ghost bingo and a wonderful dinner. Each missionary as they arrived made their own tinfoil (hobo) dinner. We had the charcoal ready and they all simmered and cooked while we had the lesson and such. Very few of the missionaries had ever tried to make one and they were quite delighted with the results. We love sharing new ideas and foods and love when we get new ideas back. Our mission has very much been a cultural exchange.

These are Philippine Weed Whackers. There are work crews along the highways chopping weeds and grass nearly every time we go anywhere. They use big machete type knives and whack away. The same method is used to trim lawns and yards. You will rarely see a lawn mower or mechanical weed whacker being used.