Links
Port Moresby - Papua New GuineaHere is a very interesting link supplied by Sharon in USA
-- Scientists crack malaria's genetic code -- http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/conditions/10/02/malaria.genetics.reut/index.html
Here is another one supplied by Rick in Port Moresby and Sharon in USA --
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/10/04/world.cities/index.html.
The page deals with various cities in the world and whether they are good
or bad for an expatriate to live in. Moresby Northeast MP Casper Wollom has defended Port Moresby. He said that the magazine should visit Port Moresby to find out that the city is quite different to the image the magazine has portrayed in their rating.
AC Fox and Associates -- http://www.acfox.com.au
Courts Superstores -- http://png.courtsretail.com
Kenmore group of companies -- http://www.kenmore.com.pg
Markham Group -- http://www.markham.com.pg
Milne Bay Estates -- http://www.mbe.com.pg
National Research Institute -- http://www.nri.org.pg
PNG Poetry -- http://members.cruzio.com/~png/prev.html
Seeto Kui -- http://www.seetokui.com.pg
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~triplehb/KokodaTrail.htm
-- A report on the Sutherland Bush walking Club's trek across the Kokoda Trail
in 1999
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ccb/png.html
-- Information about the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea especially the
Dogura Cathedral, Milne Bay Province. Don't forget http://www.portmoresby.anglican.org
http://www.pacificwrecks.com --
The Pacific Wrecks database has a list of known wrecks in PNG. For example
information on the wreck of B-17E serial number 41-2446 can be found at http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/png_agaiambo.html
http://www.billzilla.org/aviationpage2.htm
-- this is a website with short paragraphs about flying in PNG with various
pictures of planes.
The combined Ela/Murray International School has a new website located at
-- http://www.elamurray.ac.pg - email
addresses are elabeach@ebis.iea.ac.pg
and murrayis@murray.iea.ac.pg.
For those unfamiliar with the Ela / Murray schools -- The Ela Site offers
Early Learning, Preschool programs and Prep to Grade Two. The Murray Site
has primary and middle school grades from Grade Three through to Grade Eight.
They are a member school of the International Education Agency. The Agency
is responsible for twenty private schools operating throughout Papua New Guinea.
News Items
GFS (Girls Friendly Society)
Three Popondetta women have returned to Papua New Guinea recently following
their attendance at a major World Conference of Anglican men and women at
Cairns and Townsville. The Conference, which attracted 220 attendees from
around the world, was the World Conference of GFS - an Anglican family ministry
that is growing rapidly in the Popondota Anglican Diocese.
Mrs. Lucille Haembo is the Coordinator of GFS at Popondetta and was the senior
delegate for GFS in Papua New Guinea. Mrs. Alison Boworo and Mrs. Mary Bagu
who are both members and leaders of the organisation accompanied her.
GFS is still called the Girls Friendly Society in some parts of the world,
having been started in England in 1875 to work with disadvantaged girls. A
number of African countries, Australia and Papua New Guinea now have male
members and so use the shortened name.
GFS works in many different areas around the world, in AIDS Education, working
with the homeless and disadvantaged, empowering women to assist in leadership
roles and in organising children's Christian activity groups (the main focus
of the organisation in Australia). In Popondota Diocese the organisation mainly
works with young men and women encouraging them in leadership roles and in
service to others, following the motto of the organisation to "bear one
another's burdens".
During the Conference Mrs. Haembo was able to report to the World Council
on the World Project that for the last three years has been the support of
GFS in Papua New Guinea. The project has met the required funds from donations
from around the world and which have provided training visits from GFS leaders
from Australia in the past three years and for the building of a training
centre in Popondetta (expected to be completed next year).
Although the World Project has been completed, GFS in Australia has elected
to continue to support GFS in Papua New Guinea to continue annual training
visits and assistance in preparing resources suitable for PNG culture.
Members of Parliament
Did you know that currently PNG has a total of 109 representatives in parliament?
The constitution allows for a total of 120 members, which was when the country
only had a population of 3 million. The constitution allows for an electorate
for every 35,000 people and some of the electorates have double this population
since the constitution was written.
Population by Province
Province -- Year 2000 Population
Central -- 183,153
Chimbu -- 258,776
East New Britain -- 220,035
East Sepik -- 341,583
Eastern Highlands -- 429,480
Enga -- 289,299
Gulf -- 105,050
Madang -- 362,805
Manus -- 43,589
Milne Bay -- 209,054
Morobe -- 536,917
National Capital -- 252,469
New Ireland -- 118,148
North Solomons -- 141,161
Oro -- 132,714
Southern Highlands -- 544,352
West New Britain -- 184,838
West Sepik -- 185,790
Western -- 152,067
Western Highlands -- 439,085
Total Population -- 5,130,365
Population by Region
Region -- Population
Southern -- 1,034,507
Highlands -- 1,960,992
Mamose -- 1,427,095
Islands -- 707,771
ConXions
ConXions PNG have come up with a novel idea to help students of the Business
Training Institute gain work experience. The students are visiting major customers
of ConXions - Ericssons and cleaning telephones. This is part of a course
that the students have done at the ConXions Training centre. The ConXions
website is currently under development at http://www.conxions.com.pg
and is being done by Nelson Lee & Associates - PO Box 743 Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea. http://www.nla.com.pg.
Pacom Communications
Pacom Communications have a web site located at http://www.prosec.com.pg/pacom.
They are the sole Motorola distributor in PNG who deal with VHF, UHF handheld
and vehicle radios, HF SSB long-range communications equipment and Cellular
and Satellite phone equipment.
Mobile Telephones
What has happened to the "new" GSM Mobile Telephone system? It has
been talked about for years and now I would assume that the equipment will
be obsolete before it is used a bit like the present analogue system.
Mobile Phone Rentals
If anyone is thinking about visiting PNG and is used to being able to use
their digital mobile then be warned - PNG is still using an analogue system
and your digital phone will be as useful as a Philips head screwdriver trying
to undo a flat head screw.
A.C Fox and Associates can rent you a Nokia or Motorola phone. Contact karinah@dg.com.pg
- If you are going to be around for a while then I suggest contacting the
Motorola agents in PNG for the best deal in PNG -- salespom@pacom.prosec.com.pg
- they may even be able to rent you a phone for a short period. Their website
is located at www.prosec.com.pg/pacom
Private Hospital
What has happened to the 79 bed, partially equipped hospital that has sat
on a hill close to the Port Moresby Hospital unoccupied for over two years?
It was up for sale as part of the privatisation process but I haven't heard
anything about it for a while.
Danish PNG Association
http://home.worldonline.dk/~csv/
-- This is a site set up by the Danish - Papua New Guinean Friendship Association
to promote intercultural understanding through public meetings and cultural
exchanges between the two countries. They are committed to maintaining an
atmosphere in which both cultures are equally important and able to learn
from each other.
PNG Australia Association
Don't forget the Papua New Guinea Australia Association of Victoria which
holds regular functions such as barbeques, casserole nights and sports days.
Any readers living in Melbourne, Australia or close to Melbourne can contact
Jack Devlan for further information on - Phone +61 (0)3 9763 3730. - Mob.
+61 (0)403 468 915. If ringing from overseas do not dial the (0) -- e-mail
jackd@bigpond.net.au. Jack produces
a regular newsletter.
Other Associations
If any other PNG Associations would like a mention here then please send email
to PNGNews@pnggossip.com.
Divine Word
The Divine Word University has had security increased following an upsurge
in criminal activities in and around the Madang campus. Reports coming from
the university have said that students have been held up and robbed on the
campus.
PNG Books
Looking for books about PNG then try -- http://www.pacificbookhouse.com.au
once there select the catalogue option for books about PNG / New Guinea.
Andersons Foodland
The manager of Andersons Foodland in Lae has been brutally murdered by criminals
when he arrived at his home. Residents of Lae are concerned that the attack
may have been carried out by some of the recent escapees from the Lae police
cells.
The St Mary's Catholic Church in Lae was packed to capacity as friends and
colleagues including his three children gathered to pay their last respects
to slain Australian, Dennis Patrick McLean.
Languages of PNG
The National or official languages of PNG are Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin and English.
The number of languages listed for Papua New Guinea is 832. Of those, 823
are living languages and 9 are considered to be extinct.
For information on the languages a visit to http://www.sultry.arts.usyd.edu.au/ling/research/papuan2.html
will start you off in the right direction. Another interesting article is
located at http://www.krysstal.com/langfams.html.
It deals with language families and mentions the Rotokas language - Rotokas
is spoken in Papua New Guinea on the Island of Bougainville by approximately
4,300 people and it has the fewest sounds of any language, 11 (compared to
the 44 or so of standard English). The 11 sounds are made up of five vowels
and six consonants: A, E, I, O, U, B, G, K, P, R, T. - can you imagine that
- a language with only 11 sounds.
It has been reported that PNG has one language for every 900 square kilometres
of the country or roughly one language for every 350 square miles for those
readers who don't use the metric system.
Southern Highlands
Peter Barter, the Minister for Inter Government Relations, has said that the
Southern Highlands have more guns than Bougainville ever had. He went on to
say that the police are outgunned and out manned in the province.
Tari Police
The police numbers in the Tari area of the Southern Highlands Province have
been strengthened by the deployment of mobile squads from Port Moresby and
Mount Hagen. The extra police will be used to help provide security for workmen
attempting to fix sabotaged power lines pylons. Hooligans felled three power
pylons, disrupting the flow of power to the Porgera gold mine from the Hides
gas project. Police have now been able to apprehend two suspects who they
believe were responsible for felling the power pylons.
Malaria Facts
More than 300 million cases occur each year. Up to 2.5 million die annually
from malaria. About 1,200 cases are diagnosed in the United States. Other
mosquito-borne diseases: encephalitis, the West Nile virus, and Dengue fever.
-- Sources: WHO, CDC, Nature
Solomon Islands
I know this is a newsletter about PNG but skipping away from the PNG scene
for a quick look at our near neighbour -- the Solomon Islands -- shouldn't
hurt too much. Try http://www.commerce.gov.sb/Tourism/index.htm
as a starting point with links to many places located in the Solomons.
Historical Papua
Whilst away from PNG here is a bit of information about the region that also
shares the island of New Guinea with PNG. When the Netherlands East Indies
won freedom in 1949, the Dutch kept only Papua of their once vast Pacific
Empire. Prior to the hand-over of Papua to Indonesia in 1965, the Dutch endeavoured
to help the Melanesians of Papua progress to a point where they were able
to determine their own future. http://www.janesoceania.com/papua_historical/index.htm
Just to keep the PNG flavour in there somewhere here is a link to a PNG segment
of Jane's Oceania pages -- http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/index.htm
Talasea TLW
Air Niugini did plan to have been able to make their first flight to Talasea
at the same time this newsletter came out but Civil Aviation has not yet certified
the runway. Once the runway is certified the airfare is expected to be K389
one way. The Talasea airport is 39 kilometres west of Kimbe. Air Niugini are
now planning on the 17th of October for the first flight if all goes well.
My suggestion is to ring your local Air Niugini office for an update.
Air Niugini has had to cancel flight to Hoskins due to the eruption of Mt Pago.
ANZ Bank
A reader writes -- I note with interest that the ANZ Bank has been voted the
"Worst Bank" in New Zealand based on level of service in a survey
taken from bank customers.
At the same time Port Moresby has been voted "The most dangerous city"
maybe we should have a vote in Port Moresby to see which bank gets the best
or worst vote in the worst city!!
Further to the ANZ saga, I have been informed, only of course after phoning
several more times that the Access card embossing machine is fixed, but of
course we still have to wait until next week for our cards.
Another staff member here has been having problems with the big "A"
he wanted to sort out some problems with his ANZ credit card and when he rang
"Customer Service" he was asked to confirm his birthday, which of
course he did, the reply was that he has given the incorrect date.
When he questioned this the girl said that the birthday they had in the system
(which he later found to have two different dates, neither correct) was not
what he had given so she could not help.
This was despite the fact that he had recently sent to ANZ a copy of his passport
with his birthday clearly shown in it.
He has now been told that he will have to wait for 11 days before the ANZ
can sort out their internal problems, my friend has just faxed copies of his
last four passports to try and prove that he has not changed his birthday
in the last few years.
The "E" bank appears to be trying for "The most difficult bank
to deal with" prize.
Cheers
Fight Against Corruption
PNG Media Council president, Peter John Aitsi, has assured the country that
the media will continue to fight corruption and expose its perpetrators without
fear or favour.
Senior Doctors
Three doctors have been made life members of the PNG Medical Society. Dr Adolph
Saweri, Dr Puka Temu and Professor Michael Alpers received the award at the
recent Medical Symposium held in Alotau.
PNG Media
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Articles for this Newsletter
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Some of the above are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of
Technology in Lae. http://www.unitech.ac.pg
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PNG Gossip Newsletter Archive
22
Sep 2002