What's in a Bilum?

Before I tell you what’s in a bilum, it would probably be helpful to know…what is a bilum?! A bilum is a bag made from plastic string, yarn, or natural fibers (like from a tree or something similar).

Two of my bilums; the one
on the left is made of string
and the other is yarn.

The women work on these bags in the evenings while they stori (talk) or even while they’re walking to market! (Yes, I have seen a woman working on a bilum while walking along the road!) They come in various sizes, from small enough to only fit a water bottle, to big enough to carry gallons and gallons of water in small Coke bottles, all their produce coming and going to the market, and even their babies!

One of the babies taking
a nap in a bilum.

The women carry their bilums on their head, with the load resting on their back. Mothers give their daughters bilums with only a little weight in them, then gradually add more weight, in order to strengthen their neck muscles. It's totally normal for men to carry a bilum, too. They generally carry it around their neck, hanging in front or over one shoulder, cross-body style.

In PNG, it’s a good idea to carry a few things with you wherever you go. Here’s what I generally have with me in my bilum:

• Kina: PNG money, helpful for market shopping to fill up with produce or if you stop at a store and want a Coke
• Umbrella: since we live in the tropics, it rains a lot (even in the dry season!)
• Water bottle: depending on where you’re going, you may not be able to find clean drinking water
• Torch (or a flashlight): since we pretty much live right on the equator, we have about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, so it’s dark from about 6 pm to 6 am
• Toilet paper: again, depending on where you go (or for tissues if you’re sick!) this is a good thing to carry
• Pen & paper: to write down any new Tok Pisin phrases you hear (or just jot down notes so you don’t forget!)
• Camera: PNG has beautiful scenery and wildlife to take pictures of!
• Sunglasses: my awesomely cool-looking clip on sunglasses (and the case, so they don’t get smushed) to protect my poor little eyes from the strong sunlight
• Sunscreen: to protect my very white, Swedish skin from the hot sun (I have developed quite a farmer’s tan, though!)
• Biskits: a tasty snack in case you get hungry; they come in a variety of flavors, including beef, chicken, bush biskits (similar to graham crackers), cream biskits (a slightly sweet, white cracker), Navy or Wopa biskits (not pictured, a plain unsalted white cracker, passable with peanut butter), and last but not least, your sandwich biskits (basically any kind of Oreo-style sandwich cookie)

A few varieties of biskits
available here; my favorite
is the cream biskit, either plain
or with peanut butter.

Kina: PNG currency;
K2, K5, K10, K20,
K50, and K100 notes
and K1 coin (with the hole),
and 10, 20, and 50 toea coins
(similar to our cents)