P.N.G. Gossip Newsletter - 5 Mar 2002

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PNG Gossip Newsletter Meri Milne Bay

Welcome to the Papua New Guinea Gossip - 5 Mar 2002. A very special welcome is extended to any new readers. If you have comments or suggestions to make then please e-mail them to giaman@png-gossip.com

Articles for this newsletter

To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter -- please e-mail your contribution to pngnews.queue@png-gossip.com

Remember that this mailing list is mainly meant for people who have an interest and already know a little bit about the people and geography of Papua New Guinea. The PNG Kina, which is mentioned from time to time, is currently worth somewhere around 25 - 26 United States cents but varies on a daily basis.

If you are really keen on finding out what the Kina is worth a currency converter for most world currencies can be located at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/moni.html

For those who are not so familiar with the geography of Papua New Guinea I suggest taking a look http://maps.expedia.com and then click on the find a map option. Go to this link for a quick start to a link to a map of Port Moresby. http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/pom-map.html

Also remember that the accuracy of the information in this newsletter should not be relied upon - it is, after all, a gossip newsletter.

Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"
wan - one
tu - two
tri - three
foa - four
five - five
sikis - six
seven - seven
et - eight
nain - nine
ten - ten
wanpela ten wan - eleven
wanpela ten tu - twelve
wanpela ten tri - thirteen
tupela ten - twenty
tupela ten wan - 21
tripela ten - thirty one
wan handet - 100




Links

http://enterprise.powerup.com.au/~billpurc/index.htm Bill Purcell a pilot who has flown many hours in Papua New Guinea owns this site. For all of you who have lived in PNG and dealt with Pidgin he has a short article on that very subject at http://enterprise.powerup.com.au/~billpurc/tokpisin.htm




Red Cross

The Red Cross / Red Shield organisation has set a target of K250,000 for the Red Shield Appeal launched recently in Port Moresby. Brian Bell and employees have kicked off the appeal by donating K10,000.




Proof Reading

What is the easiest way to get this newsletter proof read? -- Simple pick on the mistakes of some other poor soul. Here goes. This is one that I couldn't let slip by.

It is an advertisement for a Doctor who is resuming duties at a clinic in Port Moresby. One of the qualifications listed in the advert is a "Diploma in Infectious Decease" - Now that is one infectious disease I wish I never catch although, I suppose, we all catch it eventually.




Tourism Board

Sir Pita Lus has made changes to the Board of the Tourism Promotion Authority. The diving sector now has no representation on the board despite it being the biggest sector that brings in tourism to the country. The new members are Sir George Constantinou, Joseph Chow and Sane Gao.




Private Hospital

The vacant private hospital built by the Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust years ago has had a change of guards. The Pacific Finance (PNG Banking Corporation) Guards have moved out and the place is now guarded by The Corps of Commissioners. Does this mean the place has finally been sold or simply that Finance Pacific has run out of money to pay the guards?




Mendi Hospital

The closure of the Mendi Hospital by the Minister for Health has shocked the province. The Catholic Bishop of Mendi has said that the minister did not bother to contact anyone in Mendi to assess the tribal fight situation.




Early Campaigning

Many people including the Electoral Commissioner and former Prime Minister, Sir Rabi Namaliu are concerned that many intending candidates are already campaigning. Intending candidates are only allowed to campaign in full force after the writs for elections are issued on the 4th of April. Up until then intending candidates can only hold public information campaigns. Many people are also concerned that the governments free education policy is being used by politicians to hand out cheques to the various schools.




Raun Raun Travel Show

The Raun Raun Travel show is set to go from the 15th to the 16th of March. The 15th has been reserved for the travel industry and the 16th is open to all to come and see what is available for travel within PNG and also outside.




Aviation

The chairman of the Aviation Representatives Board, Peter Sharpe, has said that the airline industry does not think that Tari airport warrants millions of Kina being spent on it especially when the airport serves less than 3000 passengers per year.




Facilities Charge

Another rumour has implied that the Civil Aviation Authority has used more of the passenger facility charges tax of K30 per passenger to refurbish the OCA boardroom. This is after rumours of the money being used to fence the CAA training college. Passengers are certainly wondering where the money is going as little benefit can be seen at the international terminal at Jackson's airport.




Squash

Rising PNG squash star, Naluge Guy, will be attending the Vasser Open in New York from the 4th to the 7th of March. From here she will then compete in the Swiss open from the 8th to the 10th of March. Naluge is rated 59th in the Women's International Squash Players Association.




Web Access

Daltron http://www.daltron.com.pg are offering pre-paid Internet access. This has the advantages of not having any connection fees and hidden excess fees such as download fees etc.

Hours must be used within a month.




Industrial Action

The Amalgamated General Workers Union is taking Eda Ranu and New Britain Oil Palm to court over breaches of the industrial act. The union says that the oil palm company has not paid union fees and that Eda Ranu has sacked one of their workers simply for being a union member.




HIV / AIDS

It is estimated that between 10 to 15,000 people will be affected by HIV / AIDS in the next 20 years within PNG.




Kar Kar Island

The Melanesian Foundation has helped the Kar Kar High School with repairs to the school generator that had been affected by salt-water corrosion due the strong northwesterly winds.




Bogia

The Holy Spirit High School at Bogia has received 20 desks for Grade Nine students from the Melanesian Foundation.




Pomio

An earthquake has shaken the Pomio region of East New Britain. The earthquake measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and was felt in Port Moresby. It is the second earthquake in less than two months in the area.




Talasea

Reformed criminals recently handed in firearms and ammunition at a ceremony held at the Talasea police station in the West New Britain province.




Pediatrics

A specialist medical team from the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne Australia is in the country to help a local pediatric surgeon treat children with deformities and other problems. The team will spend one week at Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae and another week at the Port Moresby General Hospital.




Aitape

It has been reported that drug abuse is rife in Aitape. Two men have been sentenced recently for drug possession. One man had 100 grams of Marijuana and another had 100 seeds that he had sold to another man.




Enga

AusAID has helped to build a new market for the Paim mining township located in the Porgera Valley of Enga Province. It is hoped that the new market will become the centre for small-scale commerce in the area.




Goroka Show

The popular Goroka show may not be held this year if sufficient funds are not available. The show may have to be held every second year if organisations such as the Tourism Promotion Authority and the Eastern Highlands Provincial Government cannot guarantee funding.




Chris Haiveta

A man has been charged by police with the attempted murder of Gulf Regional MP and Mining Minister Chris Haiveta.




PNG Power

Legislative changes have been drafted to allow PNG Power (ex Elcom) to settle land claims and contingent environment liabilities. This will allow PNG Power to pass on some of the costs to the consumer.




Privatisation

Ben Micah is expected to announce the timetable for sale of public assets at his farewell function. As reported previously he has been forced to resign after an insolvency proceeding was brought against him by one of the companies he is privatising. (PNG Banking Corporation).




Lihir Gold

Lihir Gold has announced a profit of US$42.75 million for 2001 which is a sharp turnaround from the loss of almost US$100 million in the year 2000




Silver Sea Cruises

The Silver Shadow, a luxury cruise ship, has cancelled a stopover at Samarai in Milne Bay and Port Moresby due to a Travelers Alert issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Port Moresby. The PNG agents claim that they were not consulted before the decision to cancel was issued. Samarai would have to be one of the quietest spots in PNG and the cancellation tends to prove that the cruise operator has very little knowledge of PNG geography.

The owners of the liner have apologised for their actions saying that it would seem that what was reported to them initially was not entirely accurate.




Political Parties

23 parties have already registered for the coming elections. It is expected that this is only half of the number expected. Another 23 are pending approval.




93.9 FM

Here is a letter I have received about 93.9 FM from one of the many readers of this newsletter.

start

I have been listening to a new radio station on 93.9 FM which to my way of thinking is operating outside IPA guidelines and is not contributing anything to the economy of PNG.

This station is a religious content which I do not have any problem with but it appears to operate with either recorded or direct feed from satellite from an American source.

The "announcer" is normally someone with an American accent who mispronounces PNG place names and to my way of thinking adds nothing to the PNG economy.

I would presume though I have not heard such, that the station will be asking for donations to the associated church and I would expect that these donations would go directly out of the country, much like the visiting evangelists who fly in with their private jets, collect the cash and fly out again.

This operation needs some authority to look closely at the issues before PNG is flooded with similar Radio and TV stations doing the same thing and not contributing in any way to the economy.

EM TV employees in excess of 90 staff in PNG and 99% of these are locals, that to my way of thinking are a responsible operation that is looking after the country that they are located in.

end

It seems that whilst the mainstream churches are struggling to make ends meet in PNG, like everyone else, these so called "fly in - fly out" evangelists have even been rumoured to be able to negotiate with airlines to give them a big discounts on air cargo so that they can ship their amplifiers, speakers etc to and from PNG.




Bailey Bridges

The Works and Implementation Minister has claimed that each province of PNG will benefit from a batch of Bailey Bridges costing K163 million. The bridges are being made in England and will be shipped to PNG with the first of many scheduled to arrive near the end of March.




Big Rooster

It has been reported that the Public Officers Superanuation Fund purchased the Big Rooster fried chicken outlets as a going concern for about K12 million only to have it revalued at about K3 million six months later. A case of an astute seller making a quick profit?




PNG Stamps

PNG Post has angered many stamp collectors by selling old obsolete stamps at 4 toea a stamp (about 1 US cent) - I thought old obsolete stamps were what philatelic collectors paid the most money for? Is this a case of an astute investor taking advantage of PNG?




Cairns Conservatory

As far as I know the court proceedings in relation to the Cairns Conservatory is still pending despite being instigated by the PNG Government. The Conservatory was purchased for AUD$19 million when in actual fact it was only valued at AUD$3 million. More astute sellers?




Car Dealers




Books

One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights:
Folktales from Wantok Newspaper
Translated and Edited by Thomas H. Slone

One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights is a two-volume collection of folktales that were originally published in Papua New Guinea's Wantok newspaper. The folktales were in Tok Pisin, the pidgin English language of Papua New Guinea. This two-volume collection presents the complete set of 1047 folktales published between 1972 and 1997. This book represents one of the largest general collections of Papua New Guinean folktales. All of Papua New Guinea's provinces and approximately 35% of Papua New Guinea's 700 language/culture groups are represented. The first volume includes the introduction and 550 folktales; the second volume includes the remaining folktales, indices, a glossary, a set of maps and a gazetteer. The folktales have been extensively indexed by author, village, original language (or culture group), province, flora and fauna, and folklore motif.

This book is available directly from the publisher at: http://THSlone.tripod.com/masalaipress.html
and from http://www.amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/external-search?tag=abibliogrofmelan&keyword=slone+papua&mode=books

http://www.barnesandnoble.com:
http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=slone+papua
and http://www.bamm.com: http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?type=keyword&find=slone+papua&x=6&y=6

Further information about the book and a couple of sample stories can be found at: http://THSlone.tripod.com/1001PNGnights.html

A sample story from Milne Bay, reprinted with permission of the author, can also be found at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/1001.html

Thomas H. Slone is a staff scientist at the University of California at Berkeley.

Volume 1: Tales from 1972-1985
ISBN 0-9714127-0-7; U.S. $39.95 paperback; 528 pages, 8.25 x 11"

Volume 2: Tales from 1986-1997,
Indices, Glossary, References, and Maps ISBN 0-9714127-1-5; U.S. $44.95 paperback; 613 pages, 8.25 x 11", illustrated

Thomas has one query and that is "I have been unable to locate issue number 1138 from 1996 of Wantok. Please let me know if you can send me the ancestor story from this issue"




The Independent

The following page is worth a mention. Please take a look at some real news items from Papua New Guinea.

PNG Independent - Newspaper - I fully recommend their Beehive column for a good source of PNG Gossip.




Don Bosco

The Don Bosco Technical Institute has received books to the value of K39,000 from Australian Aid (AusAID) The books covered a wide range of reference topics.




Jackson's Airport

The police have now stepped in at the airport in an attempt to stop people from parking for more than two minutes outside the terminals. Residents of Port Moresby are wondering whether the roadway is actually gazetted as being a road and whether police have any jurisdiction over that piece of asphalt. Most feel that the airport land is private property owned by the Office of Civil Aviation especially since it is fenced.




PNG Power

A change of name from Elcom to PNG Power has provided the company with any magic solution to the lack of power around the country. The company has come under fire from the Mount Hagen local government council in the Western Highlands due to four recent break and enters during a power blackout at the council offices.




Tokyo Flights

Air Niugini is gearing up to fly direct to Tokyo once a week starting on the 20th of April. Several other attempts to other parts of Japan have failed in the past so the CEO of Air Niugini has called upon all of the tourism industry to help to make this attempt successful.




Financial Institutions




Port Moresby Waterfront

A 1.56 hectare piece of land on the Port Moresby waterfront near the "new" Royal Papua Yacht Club marina will be up for sale soon. The piece of land has planning authority approval for a 156-bed hotel.

The site will have access to the RPYC marina and the supermarket currently being developed on an adjacent site.

PNG media related sites

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-- THE END --


The following list for "the end" has come from Liz at ITS, UniTech, Lae. When I get a chance I will redo the list above and below into a table.

If you can add to this list then please send email to PNG-News@png-gossip.com


Created 5 Mar 2002
Updated 24 May 2002
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©2002 - 2011 Gia Mann