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PNG Weather Sites
The weather in PNG has been considerably wetter than usual. For those interested weather details for around PNG can be obtained from the following weather sites. (http://www wunderground.com and http://weather.yahoo.com)
Yacht Club
Yacht Club members are wondering what hit them after suffering from what they reckon is food poisoning when they attended the Yachtie Christmas party. Several members suffered and there have been no explanation from the catering staff. http://www.rpyc.com.pg
Post Courier
The Post Courier http://www.postcourier.com.pg has started to charter an aircraft to get copies of the Post Courier to places such as Kimbe, Rabaul and Buka as early in the morning as possible.
Mumu pits
Recently a comment was passed by someone visiting from Australia on the size of the ever-present pothole situation of Port Moresby roads. The observant visitor commented on how "these potholes are big enough to cook in".
Swans on the Trail
A few members of the Aussie Rules Football club the Sydney Swans and a New South Wales MP braved the elements with their guides and made their way along the infamous WWII Kokoda trail. This was one of a few activities undertaken whilst their stay in PNG, the other being a visit to the children's ward at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
More refugees for Manus
The governor of Manus has accepted the Australian request for more refugees to be sent over for processing. All that is needed is the cabinet to give it the green light. The governor has also raised two issues that he has asked be dealt with before anymore asylum seekers are sent. That the refugees will be processed therefore will move on to new homes sooner or later. The other that if more are sent that they send only what the facility can handle and no more.
Gunning for a firm date
Moi Avei, Bougainville Affairs Minister, wants a firm date to be set for the proposed arms disposal on the island, as required under the new peace treaty. The UN Security council also encourages the parties involved to implement the weapons disposal as soon as possible as it is the first step towards a successful Peace Agreement.
Red Cross
At one of the times of the year when the Red Cross is out in force helping the public it is sad news to hear that their office in Arawa has been destroyed by fire. It has been reported that people disgruntled about the weapons dispoasal plan stole a vehicle and 40 drums of petrol before the office burnt to the ground.
Mendi
Tribal clashes in Mendi between the Erep Urum and the Runjup tribes have seen the Mendi High School burned to the ground.
Christmas Star
The Star on Signal Hill has been lit up each night and hopefully will stay lit until after Christmas.
Liquor trading hours
Liquor trading hours have been cut for the duration of the Christmas-New Year period. All trading hours for specific classes of licenses would be enforced from Dec 23 to Jan 3 next year as shown below.
- Dealers -- 10am to 4pm week days, 10am to 12 noon on Saturdays, closed Dec 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1 and 2.
- Stores and bottle shops -- 8am to 6pm daily, closed on closed Dec 24, 25, 31, and Jan 1 and 2.
- Clubs/publicans/taverns/limited hotels -- 11am to 8pm week days; 10am to 8pm on Saturday; 11am to 7pm on Sunday, 12 noon to 8pm on Christmas and New Year; 12 noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 9pm on any other day as part of meal at any time to lodgers, guests and bona fide travelers as room commission
US Marines
Patients at the Port Moresby General Hospital children's ward recently had visitors from the US to brighten their Christmas. Nine US Marines normally based in Okinawa, visited the children's ward accompanied by the US Ambassador to PNG, Mrs. Susan Jacobs, to hand out Christmas toys to the sick children.
National Capital District Commission
The drama continues. Port Moresby city residents seem to be waking up each morning with a different group of people running city hall.
Chief Justice Sir Arnold Amet's advice to the rival groups in the National Capital District Commission saga to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of a court hearing, fell by the wayside when City Manager Bernard Kipit resumed control at City Hall recently.
Gobe Oil
Once again talks with disgruntled landowners and the Petroleum and Energy Minister Roy Yaki seem to have been successful in paving the way for a return to normal operations at the Gobe Petroleum project site.
Rabaul Attack
A Canadian yachting couple were victims of a senseless attacked in Rabaul recently. The man responsible for the attack has told police that he did it to vent his frustration over non-payment for work done on Rabaul's Sulfur Creek Garden. According to reports, the man said he had planned to attack any tourist he met because he was not paid for his work.
The couple have been flown to Australia for treatment.
New Britain Oil Palm
New Britain Palm Oil, the country's largest palm oil plantation owner, is now listed on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange (PomSoX).
The POMSoX gave its approval for the company's 120 million ordinary fully paid shares to be listed on the Stock Exchange.
NBPOL is the single largest employer outside the public sector with a workforce of about 5,500 people. The company is the nation's largest palm oil producer and enjoys an average yield per hectare that is approximately 60 per cent above the world average, making it one of the world leaders in palm oil production.
Oil Palm
The World Bank is planning to fund a nationwide oil palm project in the year 2004. The Bank is now conducting feasibility studies in various oil palm growing provinces such as Oro, Milne Bay, West New Britain and New Ireland.
Rugby League Tournament
PNG is amongst eight countries that will be contesting the Asia-Pacific Cup rugby league tournament in Hawaii next year. The tournament is mooted as a major international rugby league event, second only to the World Cup.
The Asia-Pacific Cup encompasses 15 matches and one exhibition match and will be broadcast to over 500 million people in 149 countries worldwide on a combination of cable, satellite and terrestrial television, print media and on-line broadcast.
Roadblocks
Several random Christmas roadblocks have been set up at various locations in the national capital after the shootings. I believe that up to nine cars are being stolen every day in the city. Police have also stepped up foot and vehicle patrols of many areas.
Hagahai Links
Several articles on the Hagahai people of Papua New Guinea and patent rights (US patent 5,397,696) for the human DNA material of the those people --
http://www.niugini.com/wwwboard/messages/76823.html
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/w95-13c.html
http://www.nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9609/0107.html http://www.nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9609/0103.html
http://www1.jaring.my/just/archives/letters/hagahai.htm
Aibika
Many recipes in PNG use Aibika. Here is an explanation of what Aibika is.
Aibika Hibiscus (Abelmoschus) manihot, Aibika also known as, Bele (Fiji) Pele (Polynesia) and Ailan kapis (Vanuatu)
A perennial in the tropics or an annual in cooler climates Aibika bears edible leaves on plants reaching 6 feet in height. Pale yellow flowers 6 inches across with dark centers make Aibika another attractive background plant. The leaves have a high level of leaf protein, iron, potassium, magnesium and calcium. They are eaten raw as salad, or mixed with other vegetable in a stew or as a cooked green vegetable. Aibika should not be cooked longer than 5 minutes and turned only once. The flavor is sweet and mucilaginous. Flower buds are consumed either raw or cooked.
Give aibika a sunny location and moist soil, and it will be happy. As summer heats up, aibika will flourish.
Baked Sweet Potato
- 3 Cups mashed sweet potato or Kau Kau
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons finely sliced onions
- 3 eggs
- Half-teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- salt and pepper to taste
After mashing the cooked sweet potato, mix in the butter, onion, milk, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
Beat them separately.
Fold the egg yolks into the mashed potato followed by the egg whites.Place mixture in a greased baking dish. Brush the top with butter and bake in the oven with the dish placed in a pan of water for 35 to 40 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius. (325 degrees Fahrenheit)
The Drum
Do not forget that the famous Post Courier Column "The Drum" has finally caught up with the electronic age. For all of those people who are familiar with The Drum you can now email tidbits of gossip to thedrum@spp.com.pg or you can still send a facsimile message to +675 320-1781. For those not familiar with The Drum then I suggest taking a look at the Post Courier website located at http://www.postcourier.com.pg
Privatisation
The Chairman of the Privatisation Commission, Ben Micah, has resigned over allegations that he is unfit to head the Commission after he was declared insolvent last week.
Important Note: - Once again I stress that all people reading this newsletter must remember that the accuracy of the information in this newsletter should not be relied upon - it is, after all, a gossip newsletter.
Weather Images
Satellite Image -- http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/Australia/satellite_image.html
PNG media related sites
- Post Courier Newspaper -- http://www.postcourier.com.pg
- The National Online Newspaper-- http://www.thenational.com.pg
- Chin H Meen (Music) -- http://www.chmsupersound.com
- EM TV (Television) -- http://www.emtv.com.pg
- Hitron (Cable TV) -- http://www.hitron.com.pg
- Pacific View Multimedia http://www.pvm.com.pg
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