MAF_Mike&Cathy

MAF_Mike&Cathy
Originally uploaded by NRMgoesPNG.

Mike & Cathy Jelliffe are running MAF out of Hagen at the moment... I've posted on MAF before, they do an amazing job for prices which (commercially) almost shouldn't be possible to places no-one else will fly. They put on a lovely meal and chatted with a (relative!) newpela to PNG. Hope to catch you guys again soon!

These are The Best Bit

I just came back from a graduation last night of another 6 people from our little MYOB course (1 week).

OK - so because of power shortages during the day, the certificates for the end of the course graduation couldn't be printed until later in the afternoon. So it's now my Friday night that will be holding graduation. Have to say, I was B*ggered from the week of work/auditors/etc - so I was a little testy, but anyhoo's - drove out there (just past dark - out to 9 mile) in the Anglican Bus and sat down to dinner with the bunch.

They had LOVED the course. Lapped it up. 3 of them were up until 2:30am on the Thursday night finishing a larger excercise. For a few of them, of course, having power and a computer for more than 3 hours in a day (ie. when the generator is running at night) was a huge bonus.

How much do you think to run x2, 1 week courses for 13 people (altogether)?? Well. Let's just say it's well more than K20,000 when you add up the plane fares, boat fares, PMV, accom., meals, course fees, pick-ups form the wharf etc. It's a LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE actually - and we only had x2 people over the course of the 2 sessions pull out/not be able to make it at the last moment. x3 of the Pariticipant were advised via Radio that the course was on - and to go to the airstrip at such and such a time. Annnnnyways - for those in PNG, will be going "yeah - so?" - but in Melb, you'd call all 14 on their mobile phones, give them a time, and hey-presto, you've got a training session. But as usual I digress.

I did some slik lik speech, and chatted some more with them all.

One of the bursars for a large highschool in the highlands had been working for 8 years with the Anglican Church/Matyrs - - this was the first time he'd been given training.

3 of the people at the course are bursars for schools of 600+ students. None of them are really using MYOB (one tries). I'm all for being careful about "appropriate technology" etc. - but for school's this large, there's no questions.

IT WAS SO GOOD THAT THEY GOT SO MUCH OUT OF IT. Really. Hmmm... hard to capture.

more random pickings - Burma

Anyone stop by the Age and read Saturday's article on Burma??

Argh.

Excerpt:

Locals refer to living in Burma as being "on the inside", as if their whole country was a prison. Since 1988, at least 127 democracy activists have died in prison, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

This is Burma in 2006. When they talk about Big Brother here, they don't mean a television reality show. There are at least 1156 political prisoners, child labour is everywhere and the military regularly uses forced labour to carry supplies and munitions.

Where is Ms Suu Kyi in all this? Since 1989, she has spent a total of 11 years under house arrest. Her current detention, since 2003, is the strictest yet, isolated from all but her maid in the family home in Rangoon.

In the West, questions are raised about how relevant Ms Suu Kyi can be, locked away as she is. A road trip through Burma answers that question. The Lady, as she is known, because to speak her name aloud is dangerous, is the one figure who unites the rural poor and the urban elite. Leaders of the ethnic minorities respect her.

There is no other political opposition. Prior to the huge demonstrations of 1988, when more than 3000 civilians were massacred by the military, there had been periods of unrest every three or four years. Since the election and subsequent bloody crackdown, there have been no significant protests.

Lik Lik story from another AVI

Another AVI in Lae that I've only managed to catch up with a few times posted a story on his website today that I thought I'd link to. It's about the passing away of a friend's eldest son.

Ummm - I wont say more than that, except that it's written fairly personally (it's his own mail/website) - so keep that in mind. I'll say no more, as it's not my story!

Here tis...

AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!! 2 robberies in 2 days of MY staff/people

Joyce (accounts clerk, hired her in Jan of this year) and Stephanie (auditor just arrived today) were walking back from work towards Eriku together last night and were robbed. Just outside the Aviat Club there on Huon Road. Another (relatively) busy, open street – well before dark (around 5pm).

Right. So for those following the blog-sphere, you’ll have seen the previous post. I visited J yesterday and he’s sitting up and talking away, though very ‘stiff’ around the midriff. I’d say at least around 30 other people came to visit over the course of the day (I can see the cars going backwards and forth from my work window). Mother is still a bit unsettled, but it alright as well now.

So J’s getting better. X-rays showed that knife didn’t hit intestines or any other important bits swimming around in there. Thank God for that…

I spoke to Joyce last night... and she’s alright, though Stephanie has scratches on her face (?) and a few other minor injuries.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Retail Dangers – Lae

I get a call this morning around 10:30am from the local parish priest (on my compound) saying that my next door neighbour/friend of mine has been shot.

“SHOT!?!?!?” (I said…)

[He’s alive/ok – I’ll get to that in a minute tho.]

Mental Aside: [I got that sick/sinking feeling in the stomach straight away. I’ve had “that sinking feeling” a few times in life – but this was another level again. Because this time it was also anger and frustration… Thinking: he’s got kids and he’s a nice guy and he’s a local business owner and he’s a good employer and, and, and… it’s just not fair!] Arrrrrgh! Right – off to the hausik.

Anyways, this guy is a good friend, a current cheque signatory for ACPNG, early 40’s, came to the work chrissy party lives in the next house to me on the compound - I work with him quite often. In fact, he’s one of the few people who (for example) was helping me somewhat with the last 6 months of legal shenanigans.

I just got back from the clinic where he’s at now. He was being sewn up when I went in the first time, and he was droopy, but complice the second time. Had a brief chat. Then I went and bought doughnuts for the 15 friends/family standing around outside the clinic and came back to work.

Right – so it turns out he was coming out of his business (he’s part owner of a 2nd hand clothes store) down at Eriku, and getting into the van out the front. Three guys came around the side all shooting pistols into the air. Eventually, one of the raskols has stabbed him once near the car – but thankfully not very deeply. I learned later this was during the snatch-and-grab of cutting his clothes/bag away from him. By the time I was called by the parish priest (20 minutes later or something), the story was that he’d been shot. Typical chinese whispers. But understandable since everyone heard shots, then there’s a guy bleeding from the stomach getting rushed away in a van. But he’s going to be OK.

Of course, the raskols made off with some cash.

If anyone was reading my Retail Therapy blog a week or so ago – that was the same strip, and Value City (that same store) was that store where I got the books and shoes the other week. Good store. Good man. Crazy b****rds...

A half decent West Papua article

Check it out:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/05/14/1147545204362.html

Or click here.

Christian Revivals, BBQ’s, Da Vanda and all sorts...

Just Diarising again...

Reading for the week: Zadok & re-reading of “A Burnt-Out Case”. Exxxxcellent book. ppls – it’s on my shelf and finished if you want it.

Music for the week: Compliments of high-quality Gorokan AVI mates I have another 5GB+ of classic tunes to play with. Highlights include, but not limited to, RobD-Club to Death; Basement Jaxx; some Barry White; INXS; MoS (Hard NRG – black cover I bought ages ago and had stolen from car); Counting crows; more Daft Punk. Yay!

Sunday – PMV ride back from Goroka Coffee festival… then once back had a guy from our largest funding body (bar Ausaid) staying o/night with me for a few nights.
Monday – Dinner & chats with this same very nice guy from Oz. We cooked kau kau in coconut milk with highlands kumu (anyone in PNG know it’s English name?) + tuna steaks and talked work till late.
Tuesday – Yoti as usual. Pan fried Red Emperor with a side of SP.
Wednesday – Talked into drinks with a mate from 4pm with some of his business partners. Progressed into many drinks followed by 3-course dinner at the most expensive place in Lae with his boss and an Ausaid procurement/shipping guy. Big, big night.
Thursday – BBQ at a mate’s place. Steak & mash. Mmmm… red meat.
Friday – Worked late then a little escapism with WC3 (campaign on hard) & Scorched Earth (remember that one Anf?!?)
Saturday – made up numbers for a friend of a friend on a table for the “Christian Revival Centre’s” fundraising dinner (K100 per head which I didn’t pay). Actually was a well run dinner (200+ people). The new church they’re building will seat 2000, and will have accommodation and all sorts of things there. Must ring the head-pastor and ask what HIV things they’ve got going… or whether they need/want help. I have to look up on the web just what the CRC is all about generally… but nice crowd.

Heh – a good week of extra-curricula’s. It’s a tough volunteer life at the moment!

However interspersed with yet another overbearingly tricky week at work. Darn. Had a large… legal thing that’s been taking up all my time work-wise (but not something you’d blog about) which was decided against us last week – means more work and some other things. Still wrestling with this one and staff shortages, though lots of our partners overseas have been very good at helping in our recent recruitment drive.

The new AVI in-country manager is taking us out for dinner on Sunday evening – more chance to talk about the whole staff shortage thing then…

Heh – and finally tonight Muandu (night time sec. guard) is liking my guitar playing. Whenever I play 12-bar-blues he says it’s like how they play in Chimbu. Perhaps it’s the New Orleans of PNG up there? :-)

Goroka Coffee Festival-: Bilas & Balls

Those zany Gorokan's...

The coffee festival draws a huge crowd and a large number of sing-sing groups (traditional dance/ceremonial groups). There were stands set-up by local schools, private companies, NGO's, medical research institutes... all sorts.

I was actually up there to (really) visit with AVI mates - but there was a ball and a festival with market stalls (yes! I wore black shoes and black pants for the 1st time in 6 months... not counting Flan's wedding perhaps).

Crazy weekend... the festival was half a foot deep in mus in parts and it was fun just trying to get around without going face-first into the mud. Had a tour guide (thanks Eden!) for the Sat.



Some great wekeend action amongst too much work otherwise! The photo's are up at the usual place if you're keen.

Hard to know which other bits to Blog... more about the mud?? 21 Nukes - just in case?? *grin* PMV ride back down the mountain in the pouring rain (x3 land-slips)?? Bilas, bilas, bilas... the photo's will have to do most of the work for now. Though the trip back was special in it's own PMV-like way:

Spent 1 hour or so finding a PMV on a Sunday morning around the Goroka market in the
heat (cold overnight, hot the next morning); 17 people squeezed into a van the size of mine; rained most of the way back (4+ hours); x3 land-slips since the Friday when I pmv'ed up there which brought the highway back to (barely) one muddy lane against the mountain-side all three times; driver smoked extra long spears and chewed buai (a process involving much hand-movement) the entire way whilst driving one-handed down some of the steepest bits of PNG. There was a kewl highlander dude from Kainantu who had some broken english next to me, and he took great delight in teaching me a little more pidgin for most of the trip back. Alllll good. Though the next day was a struggle!

And here was me thinking I'd get some catch-up sleep on the ride home...

I'm in the Paper!

They got my position kinda wrong, and picked the worst bits of the speech i had to give, and didn't mention that it was the Church Partnerships Program (which is Ausaid, but they could have plugged our program)... but still!

Go you Anglicans...

Happpppy BIRTHDAY Mrs Caroline...

Msg (minus extraneous bits):
[Thank you for the call. Sorry to miss you. I was inside the Tax Office building. That's me in front of their building now. Will be here for the whole day for a whole day on tax on superfund.]

Close friend's birthday today.

I rang her via skype on a lunchtime thing, and it went to messagebank... here's the picture I got back from her phone-camera thingy (and the message) - all over the cyber-space, and all in the space of a half-hour to PNG...

HAPPY BITHDAY FROM PNG CAROLINE - tax office all day for your b/day??? Harsh!!