Category Archives: Papua New Guinea

Our Compound’s Generator

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All yesterday we had issues with power brownouts, starting at 9am – they continued all day, and then happened again this morning. Normally, the generator kicks in and we get a very short loss of power, anything on a UPS (TV etc) stays on, and once the power starts again, it’s all good.

Yesterday however, the generator wouldn’t start. This has happened recently, the day of the Rugby World Cup Final (yes – rugby mad here) we had a brownout, and the genset didn’t start. Myself and one of the other guys in the compound got it going by putting his truck battery in the genset to start it. We made it just in time for the start of the Haka – phew.

So yesterday, when it didn’t start – it was exactly the same problem. The battery was dead, obviously the alternator is not charging the battery, and the genset doesn’t start after a while. So the company that fixes the genset, came out with a new battery. They stuck it in and fired up the generator – all good.

About an hour later – another brown out, however the power died in all the apartments. So I stuck my head up and checked to see if the genset was working – and it was… So the genset fixing company guy comes out again, and starts scratching his head. I thought it was reasonably obvious what was wrong, either the circuit feeding the genset power to the apartments wasn’t up, or the alternator was completely stuffed – but, who knows… I’m certainly no expert.

Anyhows, (is that even a word). Thinking they were fixing it, I left – but they didn’t fix it. More brownouts, more heat in the apartment… it’s a vicious circle that…

Today, I just recieved the most comical email from the management company that manages the compund.

Please be advised that the generator has a major problem with the alternator. So when PNG Power’s supply goes off, you will have no power during this time until the main power comes back on again.

ahh yes – no shit sherlock…

So the funny thing is, this has been happening for a while, and instead of wondering why they were replacing batteries, they just replaced them.

And that is why every day is as fasinating as the one previous – lol

As least – when the power is off, I just have to turn on the shower for some moisture – instant SAUNA!!

Aaron

Port Moresby sunsets

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Cockroach Heaven

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 Yes, there is a roach house that lives on my desk at work.  Apparently, if you chop a cockroaches head off, they will live for about two weeks before starving to death…  Currently there are about 50 of the little suckers in there – pictures to follow…

so, tonight after having dinner with Peter (also baching it), who also has Malaria – go figure, we missed each other at the doc by about 30 minutes…  I came home to find the mother of all roaches sitting in the kitchen.  I actually don’t have too much trouble with cockroaches, but huge ones give me the shits… This was huge!  How the hell did it get inside?

I had already taken off shoes, so I grabbed a plastic container to try and trap it…  The bloody roach took off – and man could he motor.  Here I am running after the roach as he raced out of the kitchen and through into the living room – I threw the container at it, and he dodged, and ran straight back at me…  Hahaha – there was no way I was going to barefoot crunch it, and it bailed itself up into a corner.  I grabbed the container, and caught the big bastard.  Now that I had trapped him under the container, I had to slide some paper under it, hold that firm and flip the container.  Needless to say – he was pissed off.  A quick trip to the balcony, and he was sailing through the air into the neighbours back yard…

Take that roach!

Funniest thing I have done all week 🙂

– malaria update: Peter got the expensive jabs in the butt, and was feeling much better basically that afternoon.  I am now feeling better, and went back to work today – but am taking things slow as I am rather exhausted all the time.  Hoping the drugs kill the little buggers eh 🙂

Cheers

Aaron

Malaria is crap

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Worst than the dreaded manflu, even a mild dose of malaria is crap.  I’m not exactly the best patient, as I have found out – I have to play nurse and patient with Jacinta still in New Zealand…

Apparently I only have a low dose of malaria… Well strike me down and smack me in the face – I can’t wait for a good dose!  In fact, until seeing the doctor yesterday, I did not have malaria – total denial.  I didn’t have the cold sweats, the vomitting, or the feeling that I was on some mighty good drugs (hallucinating).  I just felt like shit, very tired, sore neck, headache, diarrhea, nausea, not hungry, you know… The normal stuff you expect to get. I was really sick on Saturday, but that might have been more to do with how much alcohol I consumed Friday night more than anything else.  Then Sunday, I was still blah.  Went to work Monday, and felt “average” – which meant I felt like shit but really needed to be in the office.  Monday night came, and all day I had been having ups and downs – so I went to bed early, and slept for eleven hours.  Yesterday, Tuesday – got up, felt worst than Monday – but thought I would see if I felt better after a shower and some breakfast.  Of course, felt much better – so off to work I went 🙂

The guys at work said I looked worst, and the banter was – you have malaria…  Bullshit!  But by 10am, I was going downhill, so thought I had better see a doctor.  I grabbed Billy, just in case I didn’t feel like driving – but by the time we were about to go I was feeling good again.  So we went to the doctors which in true PNG fashion was full, but with possibly only had a half dozen actual patients – the rest were the hangeron’s like Billy – lol.

The doctor was rather amused by the self-diagnose from the boys at work, and even more amused when I said I just needed some drugs.. (hell – it works at the pharmacy).  Proceeded to take my weight, and send me off for 3 sets of bloods.  One is a rapid test, the second is a more detailed test, and the third let’s them look at any parasites.  A little pinprick on my finger, and then it was a waiting….

Half an hour later – and lots of philosophical discussion with Billy about religion, God, and a 500kg coconut, and the doc called me in, with the fantastic news that the boys back at work knew exactly what malaria is…

D’oh

Thankfully, the parasite count was low, which explains why I just like crap.  And then she told me that the malaria parasite was a nasty little one called Plasmodium falciparum and proceeded to tell me how we could get rid of it.

  1. Have a jab, then go on a course of pills
  2. Have lots of pills, then go on a course of pills
  3. Have a jab a day for the next few days
  4. Get some really cool hardcore drugs that cost K600

So I chose option 2. just give me the pills so I can get out of here…..  I’ve got a wee stash of: Artesunate (take 6 the first day, then 3 each day for 6 days – with food) and Fansidar (take 3 tablets on the 3rd day).

Back to work, and still feeling off, I went home for the afternoon.  Early to bed, hoping that I’d feel better today and be back at work.  Another eleven hour sleep, and this morning I just felt completely wiped out, huge headache…  So feet up at home today.

Thanks to Wendy I downloaded blogsy to my iPad and am now able to lie down and blog – awesome!  The only problem is, the ole brain ain’t working too good – so this is taking a hell of a long time to type.

Hopefully, I get well rested today – and am back off to work tomorrow.  There nothing like having nothing to do, to get you back to work!

Later

Aaron