P.N.G. Gossip Newsletter - 6 Aug 2003

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PNG Gossip Newsletter Meri Milne Bay

Welcome to the

Papua New Guinea Gossip Newsletter


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@pnggossip.com

Articles for this newsletter

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Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"
Tok Pisin
English
abus / game animal
binatang insect
blakbokis flying fox
bulmakau / kau / abus bulmakau beef / cattle
han bilong pisin wing
hos horse
hukim pis catch fish
kakaruk chicken
kapul cuscus
kiau egg
kindam crayfish
koki cockatoo
kokomo hornbill
kuka crab
mausgras catfish
meme / me goat
moran carpet snake
mumut bandicoot
muruk cassowary
pis fish
pisin bird
pukpuk crocodile
pul bilong pis fin of fish

 

 

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 in this newsletter, is currently worth around 27.5 - 28 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

Want to find out more about Papua New Guinea? Try searching at http://www.michie.net/pnginfo and http://www.michie.net/png_faqs. The PNG Business and Tourism Directory located at http://www.pngbd.com is also an excellent place to look for PNG information.

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.



Links

The Yahoo regional directory on PNG is located at -- http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Papua_New_Guinea/


Papua New Guinea information includes Anthems, Defence, Economy, Flags, Geography, Government, Maps, News, Weather.
http://www.emulateme.com/papuanew.htm


Jane's Papua New Guinea -- A pictorial insight with comments on Papua New Guinea traditional culture, art and history. Contains a series of excellent photographs and can be located at -- http://www.janeresture.com/png_home/


The Lonely Planet Guide to PNG is located at -- http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/australasia/papua_new_guinea/


Papua New Guinea - From Sky to Sea -- http://www.totheweb.com/personal/travel/png/

 

One Thousand One Papua New Guinean Nights. These stories originally appeared in Wantok, the Pidgin English (Tok Pisin) newspaper of PNG over many editions. Thomas Slone has translated and cross-referenced these into two volumes. Information about how to buy a copy and a few sample copies can be found at -- http://members.tripod.com/~THSlone/1001PNGnights.html -- Another sample authorised by Thomas can be found at -- http://www.michie.net/pnginfo/1001.html

 

A site worth visiting, especially if you are into diving is http://www.walindi.com

 

Another Site worth visiting is http://www.diversionoz.com/
This is the home of Diversion Dive Travel
P.O. Box 7026, Cairns 4870, Australia,
Ph.: +61-740 390 200, Fax: +61-740 390 300
within Australia: Ph: 07-4039 0200 Fax 07-4039 0300


 

News Items

Air Niugini



A couple of major events are coming up for Air Niugini. The first one is that the Boeing 767 currently registered as VK-NCE on the New Zealand aviation register will be re-registered as P2-ANG on the PNG register by the 16th of August. The other event is, despite all the financial hardship the airline seems to have suffered every financial year since Independence, the airline will be celebrating 30 years of service to the public of PNG. Due to financial constraints the 30th anniversary is being celebrated as a low-key event but it is still being measured as a major milestone for the airline.




Illegal Entrants



Three illegal visitors are in police custody waiting for immigration officials to help police prepare charges. The three people entered PNG without proper documentation from neighbouring Indonesia recently. It is said that they were on their way to Australia.




Kayak Trip



I have just recently received word that the proposed sea kayak trip from Townsville in Australia to PNG has had to be cancelled due to the last minute pullout of some of the people participating. It is hoped that the trip will be able to go ahead next year when the conditions are once again favourable. -- http://www.users.bigpond.com/kayakkhan/Paluma_Voyage.html




Yam House



A traditional Trobriand yam house built at the Gordon's roundabout has been dismantled and it has been relocated to a safer position at the same roundabout. It has been suggested that the original location was a traffic hazard and this is why it was removed.




Parliament



The Clerk of Parliament has said that If K7 million is not found within the next 3 months then parliament will not have any money to pay the Parliamentarians.




Miss PNG



The RH Hypermart has agreed to sponsor a contestant in the Miss PNG red Cross contest. The 22-year-old contestant, Miss Bogahenao, is employed as an Accounts Supervisor with the company. She is the eldest of six children. RH has donated an initial amount of K5000 towards the fund raising activities of Miss RH Hypermart.

Trends Hair and Beauty is also supporting an entrant in the quest. The entrant, Alice Solomon another 22 year old, will carry the official title of "Miss Skala / Evoluse.




Manus Detention Centre



The government of Australia will close the migrant detention centre currently located on Manus Island. The detention centre housed up to 356 detainees at the height of the Pacific Solution that saw 1500 asylum seekers headed off on their way to Australia. Only 3 residents remain and these are moving to Australia.




Ela Beach Road



The new road going along the beachfront from Koki to Ela Beach has been closed off again. Sources say that the construction company has not been paid for the work. The construction took over two and a half years to complete with one stoppage lasting many months when the funding ran out. The construction company claims they are owed K16 million and the City Council claim they only owe less than a million.




Finschhafen



The Postmaster at Finschhafen Post Office has been jailed for misusing funds belonging to Post PNG. The employee was sentenced to five years for stealing K34,000. The money was stolen when it was shipped from Finschhafen to Lae.




Goldie Barracks



An exercise known as "Exercise Pukpuk 2003" is underway between Australian and PNG soldiers. The exercise views training as an important aspect to rebuild Goldie Barracks. Members of the PNGDF Engineer Battalion from Lae and 21 Construction Squadron, Brisbane are working together at the Goldie River Training Depot (GRTD) to improve facilities. The exercise consists of 68 ADF and 46 PNGDF soldiers . The group consists of electricians, plumbers, carpenters, drivers, plant operators, mechanics, surveyors, cooks, logisticians and combat engineers.




Kwikila Market



The MP for Rigo, Anderson Vele, has committed K100,000 towards a facelift for the Kwikila market in Central Province. People from the Rigo District and other surrounding villages use the market.




Office of Rural Development



The Office of Rural Development has a new head. The former Agriculture and Livestock secretary Paul Saii has been appointed to head the Office of Rural Development (ORD).




Kick Boxing



Another PNG person is entering the world kickboxing scene. Billy Mamu lost his fight against New Zealander Chris Johnson but still managed to impress the man promoting World Champion Stanley Nandex. Mamu will fight in the light middleweight (72kg) division and he will get his first crack on the world stage when he makes his debut in the professional circuit on the 39th of November in Melbourne.




Electricity



Consumers of electricity have been hit with a 12.5 percent increase in the cost of electricity. The electricity company (PNG Power) is under pressure to pay off some of the debts it has accumulated over the years. A report by PriceWaterhouse Coopers has indicated that at least a thirty percent increase is needed to get PNG Power back on track.




Nonga Base Hospital



The Nonga Base Hospital in East New Britain will be relocated. The hospital in Rabaul is very close to the volcanos and is considered to be in an unsafe location. It is possible that the hospital will move to Vunakanau.




Libraries



Once again book week has come and once again it has been highlighted that the many libraries around PNG are suffering from a chronic shortage of funding to keep them running. This statement rings true even for the National Library located in Port Moresby. Even access to new books has come under criticism because most of the places that sell books in PNG are hidden away from the general public and located in places were only tourists visit or stay. This leave little avenue for the typical PNG person to have access to books.




PNG Information



Elder statesman, Sir Paulias Matane, has urged nationals to write more about Papua New Guinea rather than allowing foreigners to do it. He said it had been a long time since Independence but there were not many books on PNG by local writers




Buka Ring Road



Emergency work on the ring road around the island of Buka in the North Solomons Province has commenced thanks to assistance of K1.3 million form AusAID. Public Motor Vehicles have refused to travel on some sections of the road due to the extremely poor condition of the road and villagers have had to resort to tractors. Even the tractors have had problems with the Post Courier recently showing a picture of one with a flat rear tyre stuck on the ring road.




Rabaul



Residents of Rabaul are protesting because Post PNG are closing down the only Post Office in town at the end of August. Residents and nearby villagers will now have to travel to Kokopo to post letters. The official post office was destroyed during the volcanic eruption in 1994 and the Hamamas Hotel has been acting as a post office.




MV Minigulai



The MV Minigulai has had to be slipped in Madang because of damage to the engines caused by volcanic ash clogging the engines. The state of the art 450 passenger ferry belonging to Lutheran Shipping has been on the slipway for over 12 months due to serious engine problems.




Open Heart



The Operation Open Heart has received donations from two sources. Both the Bank South Pacific and the Public Officers Superannuation Fund have donated K10,000 towards the Open Heart team at the Port Moresby General Hospital. The money will be used to help pay the costs of bringing patients from other provinces to undergo heart surgery. 43 patients benefited from the scheme last year. The Australian surgeons performing the operations have bought their own drugs to help the shortage at the hospital.




Port Moresby Hospital



What many patients have known for ages has finally been reported as being official. The Port General Moresby Hospital has run out of basic drugs. Patients are being given prescriptions to buy the drugs from pharmacies around town. Of course what is given out for free from the hospital costs anything from K10 to a couple of hundred Kina. Many patients cannot afford to buy medicine at these prices. Operation Open Heart will still go ahead despite this crisis.




Home Brew



The brewing of alcoholic drinks at home is a major concern raised by the Member for Jimi, MP Francis Kunai. He said that homebrew was becoming a social problem in urban centres and villages.




MAF



Up to 3000 people fly on MAF (Missionary Aviation Fellowship) services each week in PNG. Most of these are inaccessible by road and MAF is the only aircraft serving these places making the service a necessity in some cases. The airline gets little publicity for the work it does around the country.




PNG Cricket



PNG Cricket has named the junior team to compete in the World Cup qualifier in Namibia in October. Chris Amini will captain the 14-member team. Two vice captains have also been named - John Boto and Mahuru Dai. The rest of the team consists of: John Gavera, Assad Vala, Vivian Kila, Kapena Arua, Gavera Dai, William Harry, Kupana Amini, Kila Pala, Mavara Tamasi, Vali Vali and Jack Lou.




Breast Feeding



World breastfeeding week is about to finish and PNG has been cited as being a very good example. PNG was the first country to adopt the international code of marketing of breast milk substitutes. Under the legislation baby feeding bottles, formula, baby cups, dummies and teats are only available on prescription from a paediatrician.




South Pacific Games



Ryan Pini was named the best male swimmer in the 2003 South Pacific Games. He won seven gold, four silver and one bronze medal. Other swimmers managed to win 14 other medals with Anna-Liza Mopio the only other PNG swimmer to pick up a gold medal.

Ryan Pini

-Gold Medal - 50m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 100m freestyle
-Gold Medal - 200m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 50m butterfly
-Gold Medal - 100m backstroke
-Gold Medal - 100m butterfly
-Gold Medal - 200m individual medley

-Silver Medal - 50m freestyle
-Silver Medal - 100m-medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay

-Bronze Medal - 200m freestyle


Anna-Liza Mopio

-Gold Medal - 200m freestyle

-Silver Medal - 100m freestyle
-Silver Medal - 50m freestyle

-Bronze medal - 100m butterfly


Matthew Sheenan

-Silver Medal - 50m breaststroke
-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay


Leo Biggs

-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay


Ben Wells

-Silver Medal - 4x100m medley relay
-Silver Medal - 4x100m freestyle relay
-Silver Medal - 4x200m freestyle relay




Sewerage Blockage



Residents of downtown Port Moresby must be taking the HIV/AIDS message to heart. Condoms have blocked the sewerage system recently. The water and sewerage company have put out adverts advising residents and office workers not to flush condoms down the toilet but they have not been listening.




Hockey Wars



The war between the Port Moresby Hockey Association and the PNG Hockey Federation has gone on for over a year. Hockey players are being deprived of opportunities to excel, upgrade their skills and compete in overseas competitions because of the dispute. It is time that both bury the hatchet and get back to promoting hocky. Hockey is a sport in PNG that is like many others - rapidly declining.




Goroka Show



The Goroka Show will take place as scheduled in September near Independence Day.




Enga Cultural Show



Enga Province is holding its 2003 Cultural Show. It was due to start from the 8th and go until the 10th of August but due to the recent murder of an Engan business man the show is now postponed until the 2nd to the 5th of October. This has left the Engan provincial government K80,000 out of pocket. The show will be held at the Mommers oval in the heart of Wabag town. There will be the usual singsing groups, ritual demonstrations, craft demonstrations, wood chopping using stone axes, traditional bridge construction and a whole lot more.




Enga Telephones



It is hoped that with the commissioning of a new telephone system in Enga that communications problems will be a thing of the past. The new telephone exchange system was imported from Israel and it replaces and old ARK Analogue telephone exchange. The old system allowed for a maximum of 300 subscribers of which only 16 people could call out at any one time. The new system allows for a total of over 1200 lines but Telikom is only installing equipment for 600 people at present.




Western Province



The provincial assembly of the Western Province has made a call to see Concord Pacific ousted from the province immediately. It has been reported that the logging company has been in trouble for continuously logging the forests without any regard to the laws of PNG.




East New Britain



Commuters in East New Britain have recently had to find more money to ride on public transport. The bus fare for trips within towns will now cost 60 toea. The costs increases have been blamed on the rising cost of parts and new vehicles due to the fall in the exchange rate of the Kina.







PNG Media


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-- THE END --

Some of the ways of saying "that's all" are courtesy of Liz and her friends at the University of Technology in Lae. http://www.unitech.ac.pg

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

 






Created 6 Aug 2003
Updated 16 Aug 2003

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©2003 - 2011 Gia Mann