On Wednesday, we finally moved into our new home. Not Era Dorina as planned – a long story that one… But in true PNG style, we have unexpectedly dropped into Pacific Vista, and boy does it have a Vista. Fantastic pool, great neighbours, and 4 toilets! Of which we do need all of them…. Later my friends later.

Firstly, lots of sad news, in no order except what is in my mind.

1. Dr Wendy, of Educating Wendy is leaving Lae and off to Borneo.. Yay for Wendy! I will miss her musings about Lae, but happy that she is happy. Still read her blog though eh! In true expat fashion, leaving is called – go pinis (go finish), however I was told by my PNG team, that to go pinis, is to be said when you have actually gone… I have so much to learn.

2. And Airlines PNG plane crashed the other day, and killed most on board. Yesterday, we found out that one of the guys that was in at work doing a phone system audit for me the other day, was amongst the departed. RIP

3. One of my team, Geraldine – was robbed on a PMV on the way to work, by two men at Koki. Whist organizing a lift home for her, and getting her some counciling, I found out our HR Manager had been robbed at the same spot earlier in the week. I will never stop outside Koki markets again! Earlier in the week, one of our expats smashed his car up going past 2 mile settlement, thankfully he is OK. But not a spot I would like to have an accident…..

4. It was my 39th birthday the other day. Does this make me middle aged? I think, I don’t look 39, no balding head, no midlife crisis (no marathon or triathlon here), and I so don’t feel that in 363 days, I’ll be 40. On the bright side, it was also the companies birthday – so we had a BBQ lunch, and then after work I got half drunk at the Yacht club, came home and passed out on the couch. My day did start out in typical Bird fashion, up early, then Xaria (X3) vomited all over me – yay!

So on Wednesday, we moved into our new place. Customs still haven’t cleared our container, and now I am being asked for 4000 kina for storage charges. This must be why, in the past 12 months, the customs department has been the most profitable government department in PNG. When you make more than the Tax department, then you must be doing something right/wrong/dodgy.. (delete the most appropriate)

Thankfully, our new place has 4 toilets, even more if you count the ones out at the pool. And this morning we need them all. It started with X1 vomitting, then X3, then JB, then X2 shat himself, X3 had the runs, then JB, then X1 with the vomit again (in the bed), then X2 shat himself, then vomitted, I then ended up on the bog, JB did too whist trying to clean sheets. I was dry retching whist trying to clean vomit and spew off the floor, and finally – apart from us all being very exhausted from being up all night, we might be OK.

Something tells me, I won’t be going to the Yacht club to watch the league or the rugby today….

Let’s hope our container gets here soon, so that at least we have spare sheets!

On the awesomeness scale, digicel have released new prepaid data rates. 500mb of goodness (to be used within 30 days) on the mobile 3G network, for just 80kina. Beats the hell out of 100kina for about 150mb! And thus, my portable 3G Huawei mifi hotspot is getting a hammering – hello world!

And finally, on actually the saddest note. My hero: Steve Jobs passed away. Steve had a mantra, which I use every day: “The journey is the reward” – yes Steve, it certainly is. RIP you genius of all technology, everyone will miss you – but everyone won’t miss you. Your presence will endure for ever, and you will be remembered as the revolutionary of our generation, our century.