© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
© irene waters 2018
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Irene Waters
Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
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Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
In India it was a real curse if they spat the betel nut onto your feet/clothes, impossible to wash out! It gets them high …
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Every culture has its drug of choice. I’m glad betel nut is not ours. Yes we saw red pools of spit everywhere. Luckily none landed on us.
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yes here it’s pharma abuse … doctors are happy to write scripts.
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Yes that is true but I think it is alcohol that is our societies biggest problem.
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pharma is very close behind now!
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Sad that we can’t enjoy life without being out of it. Seems self defeating.
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guess for some it’s accidental while others definitely pursue it … never been for me!
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For some life is so bad it is a way out of it.
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Pingback: WPC: A Story in Pictures | Lillie-Put
Fabulous photo essay, and I didn’t know about betel nuts.
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It is a drug of course that acts like coffee whilst giving a sense of euphoria. They chew it with slaked lime (crushed coral or builders lime) mixed with a bit of lime juice to make it palatable. It has a horrendous effect on their gums and teeth although some of the girls like the redness it gives their lips.
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Yikes! Kind of like meth and how it destroys users’ teeth.
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Oh gosh. I didn’t know meth did that to teeth. Just looked at a picture – ghastly. The same without the red staining.
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Meth is tragic. Kate’s SIL is a police detective in Montana where Meth became a huge problem. Gangs from Los Angelos would drive up to these small communities and get people hooked. He worked on a Meth task force and said the first time it was the biggest high ever. The rest of the addiction was trying to get that high again but never achieving it.
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So sad a life for them and their families. No easy solution sadly. I think we have the same problem here that ice (I think that is meth) is becoming the drug of choice.
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This is a revealing photos essay. Does the betel nut rot their teeth? Or is that coincidental?
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Direct result Sharon. They cut the betel nut into thin strips and roll it in a betel leaf with slaked lime (crushed coral or if you can afford it builders lime). That is the white bags of powder. They also add lime juice but I think that is just to flavour it. It is of course a drug which gives euphoria and all the symptoms of high caffeine intake such as alertness, high blood pressure etc. The concoction discolours the teeth (it gives women red lips which is seen as desirable ) and the lime of course leads to mouth ulcers and gum disease. It is addictive and hard to stop doing once started. You can always pick a betel nut user from their mouth.
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What a high cost for addiction.
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True.
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Pingback: Story of “Hope” – What's (in) the picture?
Old folks back home use it like chewing tobacco. Young folks use it for facial colorings such as temporary tattoo or henna.
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Thanks for adding your experiences. Where do you come from? I have to admit I didn’t know anywhere other than New Guinea used it but I have learnt that it is also used in India.
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Philippines. We tried chewing them when we were kids. Yuk. They are better as food colouring.
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LOL. You probably did your teeth and gums a favour by finding them yuk.
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Laughing, they were used for medicinal purposes, not to get high.
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LOL. Another use I hadn’t realised it was used for.
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Sample recipe we call it asuete
http://www.filipinofoodrecipes.org/pork-adobo-asuete-recipe
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Thanks for that. I’ve never heard of it being used in recipes before.
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Try using the recipe. It’s a common famous meal. You can use chicken instead of pork.
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I don’t know if I can get the ingredients but I’ll have a look.
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An interesting set of photographs, Irene. It is quite an eye opener to see these sorts of photographs.
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Couldn’t agree with you more Robbie.
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