The cultural challenge

When I was in Brisbane recently, someone commented that interacting in such a different culture must get very tiring. I think that would be true if I was living in a remote community, but in my role I mostly interact with speakers of Aboriginal languages in small bursts. I quite enjoy the challenge of seeing if I can navigate my way and achieve my goal in a world with different rules. Here are a few examples from last month.

One afternoon I was at the shops and saw a lady we check the PEV with sometimes. She asked me for a lift home. I was on the way to see a friend, so I said I didn't have time to take her all the way, but I was going to Nightcliff (halfway). She asked for a lift to the shops near there. In the car, she asked for $1 for the bus, and I asked whether she knew the word 'cripple' (which had come up in my translation that day and we needed to ask people about). I got a very useful answer, and then she asked if I had any more words, so I asked about how 'country' and 'land' are used. I got another useful answer and then dropped her at the shops and gave her $5. I thought $5 and 2 minutes of my time for 2 useful PEV answers was a great deal. And I think she did too!

One evening a lady who speaks Burarra called my now elderly colleague to get some Burarra Scripture for Nungalinya chapel the next day. I recognised the name but had no idea where or when I'd met her. I checked my phone when I got home and I had her number, but no record of how we'd met. I went to Nungalinya chapel the next day, and we went around shaking everyone's hands (like a greeting of peace). I saw a lady I recognised sitting with the group running chapel that day, so I asked if she was lady in question and introduced myself. She later came to our bookshop and we arranged for another colleague to take some books to Maningrida sometime. Then she asked if I could print Psalm 23 and some other Burarra Scriptures and laminate them for her, which I did. I'm still not sure when we met, but I'm glad we reconnected!

While in Brisbane, I caught up with a couple at Bible college who are interested in helping with Murrinhpatha Bible translation in the future. When I got back to Darwin, the Murrinhpatha speaker who helps teach the translation course at Nungalinya College was there studying another subject. I thought it would be good to let her know about this couple, to start building relationships. I was hoping to sit with her at Friday morning tea but she wasn't there when I arrived, I looked for her at the end, but couldn't see her. Then I saw her in morning chapel one day (her last day of class), so I approached her and reminded her who I was and told her about this couple, showing her a photo. I thought that would be it, but she gave me her number and asked them to call her to talk about Murrinhpatha Bible translation and the course she is teaching. Another win!