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Tok Pisin Language
Here is an article on - "Tok Pisin" - The National Language of
Papua New Guinea --
http://www.siu.edu/departments/cola/ling/reports/Etepa/
-- Prepared and written by Edward Etepa.
Here is a paragraph from the article.
The historical beginning of Tok Pisin can be traced in the early 18th century,
however, it does not appear fully formed until mid 1885. Its genesis was the
result of a gradually stabilizing and expanding contact language which went
through the following stages of development: jargon stage, to stable pidgin,
expanded pidgin, followed by creolisation on the notion of the pidgin/creole
life cycle. The history of Tok Pisin is complex, recent research by numerous
pidgin/Creole linguists have shown that it would be an oversimplification
of the situation to suggest that Tok Pisin represents a direct linear descendant
of Pacific Jargon English which developed in several varieties in various
parts of the South Pacific before the middle of the 19th century as a result
of contacts between Europeans and South Sea islanders.
Jimmy Harlindong, who looks after various websites about Papua New Guinea,
has announced that he has readied his Pidgin / English / Motu dictionary website
located at http://www.pngbd.com/dictionary.php
to a stage where it can be used. It allows the user to lookup the meaning
of words in all directions. Of course, like any web site, it will never be
finished so if you have some words to add or alterations that need to be done
then let me know and I will pass them on to Jimmy.
PNG Tourism Promotion Web Site
The official website of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority
can be found at -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg
-- If you are interested in Papua New Guinea then this is the web site to
visit at least once before you arrive.
Tourism Sites
Air Niugini -- http://www.airniugini.com.pg
DIVErsion Dive -- http://www.diversionoz.com/en/png.htm
Lonely Planet Website -- http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest/aust/png.htm
Madang Diving -- http://www.madangdiving.org.pg
Melanesian Tourist Services -- http://www.meltours.com
MV Golden Dawn -- http://www.mvgoldendawn.com
Niugini Art -- http://www.global.net.pg/niugini-art
Niugini Diving -- http://www.niuginidiving.com
Tourism Promotion Authority -- http://www.paradiselive.org.pg
Trans Niugini Tours -- http://www.pngtours.com
Jane Resture
If you want good information about PNG then I cannot recommend highly enough
Jane's PNG web pages starting at -- http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/index.htm
--
Education Web Sites
http://www.ibs.com.pg -- International
Business Institute
http://www.iea.ac.pg -- International Education
Agency
http://www.iti.com.pg -- PNG International
Training Institute
http://www.pngmc.ac.pg -- PNG Maritime
College
http://www.pta.com.pg -- Pacific Training
Academy
http://www.unitech.ac.pg -- PNG University
of Technology (Lae)
http://www.uog.ac.pg -- University of Goroka
http://www.upng.ac.pg -- University of
PNG
http://www.workersmutual.com.pg
-- Computer Training
News Items
Internet Kiosks
Air Niugini in conjunction with a local Internet Service provider is about
to introduce Internet ready computers for its Executive Club members. Initially
they will be set up at the Jackson's airport International and Domestic Paradise
Lounges but if this proves to be successful then there is a possibility of
extending the service to some of the main domestic outports. Just as Air Niugini
has found an employee with the drive to get the Paradise Lounges going the
employee has decided to leave the shores for Australia. It is hoped that Air
Niugini can find someone with the same drive to expand on the work already
started.
Coming Events
The 4th Annual Forest Investment Seminar is being held on the 17th of March
at the Crowne Plaza in Port Moresby.
PNG Awards
PNG is introducing its own honours system to eventually replace the Imperial
(British) Honours System which has been in use in the country since Independence
in 1975. The awards will be known as the Order of Logohu and will be modeled
on the British Imperial system. "Logohu" is a Motuan word for the
national symbol of PNG - the Bird of Paradise.
Lae Morgue
After a mass burial of bodies the morgue at Angau Memorial hospital in Lae,
Morobe province is now open again. Some of the reasons given for having to
do a mass burial are that society has come to ignore the dead and others simply
say that it is a fact that burials cost money and money is in short supply.
Fokker F100
Air Niugini is preparing its flight attendants for the introduction of the
Fokker F100 plane between Cairns, Port Moresby and Lae and return. The Flight
Attendants are currently undergoing a month long training course in Australia
to be "type approved" on the aircraft. Part of the pre-requisites
for the course they are attending is an intensive course on the responsible
serving of alcohol something is lacking from many establishments in PNG. The
course has opened the eyes of many attending to the dangers of alcohol and
the legal requirements in Australia that vastly differ from what happens in
PNG.
Horse Race Machines - NCDC
The National Capital District Commission (NCDC) has impounded a total of
seventy horse race gaming machines. The Internal Revenue Commission has also
declared war on those importing parts to maintain the equipment. All gaming
machines parts, other than licenced poker machines parts, are classed as illegal
imports into PNG. The crackdown has been successful mainly because of the
cooperation of the general public. Unfortunately the NCDC crackdown cannot
be completed fully because of an outstanding court case between the NCDC,
the gaming board and the owners of some of the horse racing equipment.
Horse Race Machines - Mt Hagen
A group of mothers in Mount Hagen also wants the Horse Race Gaming machines
outlawed in the Western Highlands province. It has asked the MT Hagen City
Authority to remove all horse racing and bike racing machines in the city.
Pacific Mobile
Pacific Mobile Communications, the arm of Telikom responsible for the running
of the mobile telephone service in PNG and ably headed by Peter Loko, may
be deeper in financial trouble than first thought. A reader has been trying
to get a refund of a K200 bond paid for the old analogue system since the
change over to the digital GSM system all with no luck despite many, many
trips to Pacific Mobile Headquarters. Of course this could just be bureaucracy
at its best and nothing to worry about unless you are trying to get your refund.
The SMS messaging system has also been delayed over and over possibly due
to a lack of money to fund the system or a lack of expertise - no body really
knows because Pacific Mobile are keeping very quiet about the event. Some
people are able to send SMS messages so the system is working so it could
possibly be ready this month but don't wait for me to SMS you about the event.
They also seem to be keeping very quiet about the suspension of the chief
as well.
Jerry Singirok
The former commander of the PNG Defence Force, Jerry Singirok, has been cleared
of sedition charges in connection with the Bougainville conflict. The National
Court Judge hearing the case ruled that General Singirok had acted innocently
when he called on the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister to resign in
1997, and for the people to help the army and police to remove the government
of the day. General Singirok has said that he has no work plans but if the
government request he would be prepared to rejoin the defence force.
Bill Skate
The Speaker of Parliament, Bill Skate, who is currently the acting Governor
General, has stepped aside due to a court hearing against him. The case involves
a charge of misappropriation dating back to February 2000. Mr. Skate has said
that he will resume the acting Governor General's position if the court matter
is resolved in his favour.
PNG Stamps
Post PNG has just issued twelve new stamps and a souvenir sheet highlighting
prehistoric animals. The issue consists of a sheetlet of six K1.50 stamps
that depict dinosaur creatures of Edmontonia, Struthiomimus, Psittacosaurus,
Gastonia, Shunosaurus and Iguanodon. Another set of six stamps depicts yet
more historical animals and a souvenir sheet valued at K7.00
Edmontonia - an armoured, plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late
Cretaceous period, roughly 76-68 million years ago
Struthiomimus - "the ostrich mimic" dinosaur.
Psittacosaurus - meaning "parrot lizard", was a small, primitive
ceratopsian, a plant-eating dinosaur.
Gastonia was a member of the family of armoured dinosaurs that included Ankylosaurus.
Shunosaurus lii was a slow-moving herbivorous dinosaur that lived around
170 million years ago and probably had a lifespan of over 120 years. Shunosaurus
(meaning "Sechuan lizard;" Sechuan is a province in China) was a
sauropod dinosaur about 40 feet long.
Iguanodon - meaning "Iguana tooth", was a beaked, plant-eating
iguanodontid dinosaur with conical thumb spikes
Radar
The use of the radar gun around schools in Port Moresby has indicated that
some drivers are doing 100 kilometres per hour past schools and the slowest
was still double the legal school speed limit of 20 kph. For those outside
of PNG and for some in the country the PNG speed limits are supposed to be
20 kph around schools, 60 kph in towns and a maximum of 80 kph on the open
road. There are many drivers that do more than that on the streets of Moresby.
On one of the recently completed streets close to three main schools officials
have decided that they will have to modify the design of the road to slow
drivers down to a reasonable speed. It is a shame that this sort of exercise
could not have been done before millions of Kina were spent on upgrading the
street.
Goroka Coffee
Coffee worth millions of Kina is rotting away in rural areas of the Eastern
Highlands province. The coffee harvested last year is stranded because of
transport problems to bring the coffee to Goroka for sale. Much of the coffee
is organically grown.
Tari - Southern Highlands
Air Niugini has had to suspend flights to the Southern Highlands town of
Tari due to lack of maintenance to the runway. Air Niugini will not resume
flights until the Civil Aviation Authority carries out the necessary maintenance.
They have also had to suspend flights to Buka due to tall grass making it
unsafe to use the runway.
Aussie Cops
The row over the immunity for the Australian police to be deployed in PNG
is still not sorted out. It has been reported that the Prime Minister is opposed
to granting legal immunity to the Aussie police and bureaucrats despite the
fact that it is the usual practice world wide to grant immunity.
Go Home Aussie
It has been reported that the Governor of Morobe, Luther Wenge, has urged
a gathering of up to 2000 of the Morobe public to physically remove Australians
who might be posted to work in the province under the Enhanced Australian
Aid Program. He told the gathering to either chase them away or come to his
office and he would personally make sure that they go away. Mr. Wenge is against
the deployment of Australian public servants in various government departments
including more than 200 police personnel and four judges to help clear the
backlog of cases.
The Governor has also threatened to declare independence for his province
if the national government allows the deployment of Aussies to the province.
Needless to say the governor has been heavily criticised for his opinion and
for inciting people to break the law.
Lae City Airport
The Lae City Council has won a large section (18-Hectares) of the old Lae
city airport. The council plans to turn the land into a residential area but
lacks the necessary money to develop the land within the five-year time scale
imposed on the council by the National Lands Board. Other sections were awarded
to different parties for development.
Vanilla Theft
The court at Waigani has discharged the two Air Niugini employees accused
of helping in the theft of vanilla from the Air Niugini Cargo shed in Port
Moresby. The airline has been instructed to reinstate the national airfreight
manager and the other accused employee.
Vanilla Problems
Money from the sale of vanilla has been linked to many social problems in
the East Sepik province. There have been reports of husbands fighting with
wives, brothers fighting and a general downturn in law and order all related
to the fights of money brought in from the sale of vanilla. There has also
been an increase in the frequency of alcohol related problems.
Daru Hospital
The Daru General Hospital in the Western Province is facing a serious drug
shortage. There is an extreme shortage of all drugs especially drugs for asthmatic
patients.
Angau Memorial Pharmacy
The pharmacy at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae has been upgraded recently
thanks to funding from Australian AusAID. The pharmacy was being funded under
the first phase of the AusAID's K13.5 million project. The project aims to
improve the health of PNG people by preventing and treating diseases through
the availability and rational use of safe, effective, and affordable medical
supplies.
Local Lae company Niugini Builders completed the upgrade on time.
Teacher Training
The training of teachers has moved closer to other advanced countries with
the introduction of a K1.8 million information technology-learning centre
in Port Moresby recently. The faculty, the third built with AusAID assistance
is one of five new learning centres being built at cost of about K10 million
under the AusAID primary and secondary teacher education program. Centres
have already been established in Lae and Madang with work on two other centre
for Rabaul and Mt Hagen underway and expected to be completed by July 2004.
Governor General
A five judge bench will deliberate on the case being brought by a losing
Governor General candidate against the winner. The Supreme Court is expected
to deliver its decision before parliament resumes in June. If the election
in December is deemed null and void then parliament may meet earlier to go
through the election process again.
Markham Bridge
It has been estimated that it will cost at least K300,000 to restore the
Markham Bridge in Morobe province. The condition of the bridge is considered
too dangerous for vehicles to cross. Cargo is being unloaded from vehicles
on one side and then wheeled across on a trolley to vehicles waiting on the
other side.
School Cults
In recent weeks there has been much discussion about cults and certain schools
in PNG. The East New Britain education advisor has said that various cult
movements are probably entrenched in all national high schools. The Post Courier
has reported that Grade 11 students at Keravat National High School are being
forced by Grade 12 students to join the generation cult, much to the disgust
of parents. A similar generation cult, involving satanic worship, has been
reported by The National at Sogeri National High School last month.
Namatanai Roads
The governor of New Ireland has said that work on the roads and bridges in
the province have been delayed due to the lack of funds from the national
government. Australian AusAID has allocated counterpart funding towards the
project. The main part of the funding will cover the upgrading and maintenance
of 116 kilometres of the Buluminsky Highway as well as 20 kilometres of the
West Coast Road.
Justice Mockery
The sentencing of a rapist to a seven year suspended sentence has been described
as a mockery of justice by the Office of the Public Prosecutor in Lae and
goes against public outrage over crimes against women and children. The Public
Prosecutor will be appealing the lenient sentence given to the man who was
in a position of trust as a deacon of the SDA Church.
PNG Media
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