Hopefully the title of this post will kick the google algorithm into life and bring me some visitors!

This last week, one of my team came down with Malaria. Two days later he arrives in the office to drop off his medical certificate, he was sweating profusely, looked like death warmed up, and yet came all the way to work. This is really significant, as I’ll explain soon. The next day, he came in and was fine, said he still felt awful but was ready to take anything on… Amazing fortitude! The previous night I was bitten by a mozzie 3 times on my leg – so paranoid me, especially with one of my guys down with malaria, I brought up the subject with my team.

This is the PNG method in how to get over Malaria really quickly… Freeze yourself! They say you will feel very cold, but be very hot – and the last thing you will want to do is jump in a cold shower, but that is what they say you MUST do. Their advise is that the cold kills off the parasite that is attacking your system, it loves being hot, hates the cold.

Given how quickly the recovery was this week – If I get Malaria, it’ll be the first thing I do.

So the really significant thing about one of the team coming in whilst sick. It’s not like they can just jump in a car, and two minutes later be at work. Nope. It might be a couple of km walk to a PMV stop (bus stop), then a very crowded ride to work taking anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. In some areas they run the very real risk of having the PMV held up by opportunistic thieves. And each time they board a PMV they are putting themselves in the hands of a crazy PMV driver, who speeds and doesn’t give a shit for other cars, and in a PMV which is being held together by rust… and people.

I so admire, not only my team – but everyone that does this. It takes a fortitude that most people do not have, just to get to work… And to top that off, most have little pikinini (children) at home being taken care of by a Pikinini Meri (Nanny), as well as supporting lots of their immediate and extended family, their wantok’s (one talk). High rents, high food prices, and being able to do it all on sometimes (most times) less than the NZ minimum wage. They are an amazing people in an amazing country. And they still have time to make sure the big pela dimdim (mwha) is OK.

If you are reading this blog, rest assured – PNG is not for everyone. I will never get used to being called Mr Bird, nor Bossman or Sir. And even less so “white man”… Or people, especially pikinini’s staring at me – and then getting scared when I smile at them – too cute. This place is… inspiring!

Aaron

Since my last post, I have so much to say – but really not enough brainpower to say it. I still have Mosbi Belly, and the construction on the hotel just outside my window has some nights been going through till midnight!

Saturday, I went to Ela Beach Markets – took one of our new expats (Cesar) who started a day after me. He is lacking in a little confidence :). Met Lesley and family expatsinpng.wordpress.com so that was nice to meet someone that Jacinta had been emailing :). Their kids will get on very well with ours – they are all loud! Yay!

Off to the Lodge that evening for the ABs game, where the only thing won, was the raffles – of which I won 2. A nice bottle of gissy wine, and some kiwiana nickknacks. Then, got offered a spot on a boat for Sunday, going out to one of the local islands (thanks Wayne). We went out on the MV Tiata which is a 65 foot cruiser, it truly was a magical day. I did have a panic when we had to swim ashore to the island though, about 100 meters, and although pretty confident in the water, I am not actually the worlds best swimmer – lucky the crew had some fins for me, and off to the beach on Fishermans Island.

Quite a few drinks, good company, and back by 7pm… Magic – although would have been nicer to share with the family.

Work this week has been really good – we are achieving a lot, although outside of work I’m not. The apartment I looked at magically increased in price from 5500 kina a week to 6500 kina a week overnight… And there is so little on the market… Gutted.

We worked late the other night, so I drove one of the guys home, we stuck to the main roads, and he got out and walked the km or so to his house. We almost got taken out by a PMV, so I’ve decided to not take lane directions from someone that doesn’t know how to drive – lol

And tonight I got a call from my Dad, he works fly in/out here in PNG as well, and as we hadn’t seen each other in 5 years it was about time to catch up over dinner. He’s going to make an effort to connect with his grandkids and spend time with us when in Moresby – that is really good…

I’ve now been here for 2 weeks, and am really finding the swing of PNG. I think, if you embrace, rather fight it – it is so much easier… Like taking a week to just get a bank account number, no eftpos or chequebook yet though – so although I’ll soon have money, I won’t be able to get it – lol, I need this system in NZ too!

Above all – I love it here. The people, the sounds, the smells… Funny thing: skyping Jacinta the other day “what’s that noise?” she asked….. my reply: “PNG!”

em tasol

Today is the National Day of Repentance, a new public holiday here in PNG, dedicated to prayer. Officially, I started mine last evening as the reef fish I had the previous night (which didn’t taste quite right) started attacking my system. It’s not nice having a crook gut, but at least I wasn’t disturbing my wife 🙂

This morning, feeling rather exhausted – I got to Skype and see the family (less bubba) back in New Zealand. I wish I had a better connection, as it was a little choppy. And then, of course – I get the public holiday phone call: email down. And then a call from my old work back in NZ – to give me a hard time about my office… lol – and to get some advice regarding something that I had been doing for http://www.stclairbeachresort.com

So drag myself into work, call one of the guys, and thankfully with some direction, I sorted it out, so that he didn’t have to come all the way in. Domino and Blackberry – one I have never had to use, and the other was some 6 years
ago….

Back to the hotel, and have spent this beautiful day (must be in the 30’s) asleep, doing some work and then watched a movie called Surrogate – which stars Bruce Willis (thanks Rob!). I am hoping I feel better tomorrow as it is the last Saturday of the month, and the Ela Beach Craft Market is on from 8am to 11am (I think). And the off to a Kiwi Club social event, they are hosting a Fish and Chip night to watch the All Blacks thrash the Ozzies. Should be good fun!

Yesterday, I stuck a claim down for an apartment up on Paga Hill, is really nice – family friendly, and even has undercover parking! Hoping everything goes through and we get it. The only bummer thing about it – the pool is VERY deep, no real kiddies part. It’s the deep alright, and it goes ALL the way around. I had a half hour chatting to Albert, the guard at the gate. He helped me out with telling the way the wind blows (so it isn’t coming straight in the apartment), what the existing families were like, what the area was like etc – nice chap, who I’m sure we will get on well with

Back at the hotel last night, yet again – no car parking. People using the gym had taken the carparks – this happens most nights, but this time they took down my room number, plonked me into a managers carpark, and I promised to come back down after dinner to move the car. Took some cheese rolls that I had bought down to the guards when I went down to move my car, to show my appreciation :). They are really nice guys, except for this old guy who never smiles or says hello – though, maybe he is just shy 🙂

Funny thing at lunch today, I recognized Bea Amaya who blogs here http://bea-amaya.blogspot.com/. Bea was one of the first bloggers we found when deciding to make the move to PNG all those months ago. So naturally, I introduced myself (not shy me). And will have to make time at some stage in the future to catch up proper. Port Moresby is a big place, but activity wise it’s a little limited, so I’m sure I’ll see the same people in my travels…