Links
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.
Kokoda Trek
If you are interested in walking the Kokoda Trail then please read
the following account -- http://www.kokodatrail.com.au/forums/index.php?showtopic=218
Surfing PNG
Surfing information for PNG can be found at the Surfing Association
of PNG website located at -- http://www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg/home.htm
-- and -- http://www.surfing-waves.com/travel/papua_ng.htm
-- The Tourism Promotion Authority December 2003 Newsletter also had
an article on surfing PNG at -- http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/news/newsletters/newsletterdec.htm
PNG Diving Sites
The following is sample of some of the web sites dealing with diving
in PNG. It is not a complete list and if you would like your organisation
mentioned in this newsletter please let me know.
Dive Discovery -- http://www.divediscovery.com//png/
Mike Ball Dive Expeditions - Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef, diving
-- http://www.mikeball.com/
Diving Liveaboards and Diving Resort Packages in Papua New Guinea --
http://www.divingtravel.com/png.htm
Scuba diving Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea. Liveaboard dive charters,
PNG -- http://www.png-diveboat.com/
Diversion Dive Travel -- http://www.diversionoz.com/en/png.htm
Peter Hughes Diving, Star Dancer -- http://www.peterhughes.com/phstar/starmain.htm
MV FeBrina -- http://www.febrina.com
Moresby Arts Theatre
The Moresby Arts Theatre has a web site located at -- http://www.mat.org.pg/home/home.html
-- The Moresby Arts Theatre or MAT is a 90-year-old non-profit organisation
that aims to encourage and promote the Arts in Port Moresby. MAT owns
a substantial asset - the Moresby Arts Centre. The centre is comprised
of a two hectare block of land that includes serene garden areas, a
purpose built theatre, café, bar, foyer area and a pottery workshop.
It is located in Waigani, next door to the New Zealand High Commission,
near to Parliament, the National Museum and the Library.
Jane's PNG
Jane's Papua New Guinea web site -- 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/
PNG Manufacturers Council
The Manufacturers Council of Papua New Guinea -- http://www.pngmade.org.pg/
-- The Manufacturers Council is a non-government organisation, established
in 1991, to promote the manufacturing and downstream processing sector
within Papua New Guinea.
Superannuation Funds
The Association of Superannuation Funds PNG (ASFPNG) has a website
located at -- http://www.asfpng.org.pg
-- ASFPNG is an industry body established in 2002 by interested industry
participants with the common goal to protect superannuants retirement
savings within a regulated environment whilst fostering a competitive
industry.
News Items
PNG Honours
The new PNG Honours System - "Order of Logohu" will
run side by side with the present British Imperial honours system. The
Logohu honours will allow more people to be recognised as there is a
quota system in operation for the British honours system. It is hoped
the new system will be ready to help celebrate the 30th Anniversary
of PNG becoming an independent nation on the 16th of September 2005.
The Order of Logohu is modelled on the British Imperial system.
"Logohu" is a Motuan word for the national symbol of PNG -
the Bird of Paradise.
Message From a Reader
Here is an email from a reader - I have a copy of a booklet called
"Pidgin English as used in The Mandated Territory of New Guinea"
by E. C. H. Helton, Wewak, Territory of New Guinea
from the front cover it reads Sole publishing & distributing rights
The Coconut Grove Souvenir Shop
102 Adelaide St
Brisbane B4039
I found this information about the book on the web:
Helton, E. C. N. (1945). Pidgin English as Used in the Mandated Territory
of New Guinea Dictionary of Nouns and Phrases. This Language Is Used
in Conversation with Natives, Asiatics and German White Missionaries.
1st edition. Published by Cocoanut Grove Souvenir Shop in Brisbane,
2nd edition. Brisbane: W. H. Adams. circa 1940. Out of print.
apparently this is a first edition?
Can anyone tell me what this is worth, it is in very good condition
but does have a water stain on all pages from the lower left corner
in a triangular shape about 1" x 1"
Coffee Festival
The recent Coffee Festival held in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province
appeared to be a success for the organiser. The festival was more of
cultural display than a coffee festival with very few exhibits and hardly
a coffee grower in sight. It was a bit of a pain for people attending
the festival during the day due to the fact that there was only one
tiny gate for the crowd to enter through. The entrance fee was very
reasonable but having to be crushed in a crowd for an hour or so saw
many would be visitors turn around and go home again. The play "Muzee
Land" held at the Main Lecture Theatre of the Goroka
University on Friday night was good. The rehearsals dragged on forever
with long gaps between scenes but on the night the play was a reasonable
success thanks to King Muzee and his Court Jester or is that Chester
keeping a tight reign on events.
PNG Coffee
The PNG Defence Force is still talking about being able to help coffee
growers transport coffee from remote, rural locations to the various
coffee buyers in towns. At the moment the road infrastructure has deteriorated
so much that some roads are considered impassable and the only method
considered suitable for reliably getting coffee to market is to fly
it out. It is too expensive to do this on commercial flights so the
Defence Force will use its virtually unused aircraft to do this. The
National Government has committed K4.6 million towards the operation
that is part of the green revolution programme. This exercise will hopefully
cut out the existing transportation problems and the associated middlemen.
Australian Tourism Office
The government has committed K4 million to the set up of a tourism
office in Australia. Australia is seen as being the biggest tourist
market for PNG and it is hoped that the new office helps to attract
more tourists to PNG not only from Australia but to get a flow on from
tourists from other countries visiting Australia.
Arafura Games
The Arafura Games have commenced in Darwin, Australia. 150 athletes
from various sporting bodies in PNG are competing in the various events.
PNG is pinning its hopes on the boxing team, swimming and shooting to
do well at the games. Others sports competing from PNG are hockey, volleyball,
netball, soccer, and weight lifting. Some of the teams are full PNG
teams but most are provincial or town teams. Along with the various
teams there are 16 management and VIP guests from PNG.
Australian Assisting Police
A court decision has been handed down that is unfavourable to the Australian
Assisting Police (AAP) within PNG. On the surface this means that the
AAP will immediately have to cease deployment and withdraw from PNG.
The PNG government is now going through the decision by the court to
see what ramifications it really has.
Jeepneys
Whatever happened to the Filipino Jeepneys that were seen doing the
rounds of Port Moresby? Surely the trials by a prominent big man have
not stalled. The Jeepneys were declared as being the obvious and ideal
solution to the appalling transportation in Port Moresby?
What about the 60 + prisoners that escaped from Bomana this year in
January? How many are still out there on the loose? Has anyone heard
about how EcoNet are going in their case against the government over
the purchase of Telikom PNG?
PNG's 30th anniversary is looming on the horizon but what has happened
to plans to renovate the old House of Assembly in town near DataNets?
The site of the Papua Hotel still remains vacant and is a major eyesore
for anyone visiting downtown Port Moresby as do many other "old"
buildings around Port Moresby such as the Pineapple Building (Marea
Haus) at Waigani not to mention the old domestic and international terminal
at Jackson's airport. Rumour has it that the cash strapped Civil Aviation
Authority is trying to rent it out at rents that would be more attune
to property in downtown Port Moresby.
Mt Hagen Market
Thanks to a K7.5 million grant from AusAID the Mount Hagen market in
the Western Highlands will undergo a major upgrade that will be finished
in October 2006. The upgraded market will have 2,000 lots for vendors
to sell their produce as well as storage and washing areas. The market
will have a separate area for livestock along with security and ticketing
offices. People from all over the Western Highlands including people
from the Southern Highlands, Enga, Chimbu and other provinces come to
sell their produce or to buy goods at the Mount Hagen market - one of
the main economic hubs in the highlands. Part of the grant will be used
for training programs.
PNG Information Technology
Currently PNG is rated one of the lowest among other Pacific Island
nations in telecommunication that comprises of the fixed line segment,
mobile and Internet segment and television segment and the lowest fixed-line
density. PNG has only about 700 payphones, by far the lowest per capita
phone coverage of all Pacific nations. PNG also ranks with the lowest
in internet penetration, less than one per cent of the population, while
its internet access costs are among the most expensive in the Pacific
Island Nations States. It has also been recently revealed that Fiji
with a tenth the population of PNG has 14 Megabit of Internet bandwidth
and PNG with a population of over 5 million can only muster 8 Megabit
of bandwidth. Of course there have been rumours that this limited bandwidth
has been reduced to 6 Megabit due to faulty, intermittent equipment
but that rumour can not be confirmed apart from the fact that trying
to visit an overseas website recently is like watching paint dry.
PNG also ranks among the lowest of television receivers in the Pacific
Islands Nations States with a TV penetration accounting for only eight
per cent of the population.
Marine Nav Aids
The marine provinces will benefit from a K93 million Rehabilitation
of Maritime Navigational Aids project. The project in its fourth year
has already seen a vast improvement in some of the various Navigational
Aids around the country.
Tribal War
Two tribes in Tari, Southern Highlands are at war over the killing
of a father and a son recently. There have been reports of homes and
other property going up in flames as the tribes engage in a battle over
the deaths. The tribal fight is a spill over of an earlier conflict
where six people were killed last year.
Air Niugini
It has been rumoured that the much awaited for second Fokker F100 (P2-ANB)
painted in Air Niugini colours will soon arrive in the country replacing
the loan F100 that has each side painted a different colour scheme and
none of the sides advertising Air
Niugini. This loan plane has confused many passengers who have thought
they are getting on the wrong plane.
Pacific Islands Tradeshow 2005
Pacific Islands International is an Export Company Based in Thuringowa,
North Queensland, Australia and specializes in the sourcing, supply,
documentation and shipping of Building and Construction materials into
the Pacific Islands Region. They are holding two tradeshows in the country
one on the 23rd May 2005 to be held in Lae in the Morobe Room located
at the Melanesian Hotel and from the 25th to 26th May 2005 in Port Moresby
at the Saraga Room located at the Gateway Hotel)
Coming Events
East New Britain Warwagira and Mask Festival. The Warwagira will be
held on the 6th to the 12th of July followed by the Mask Festival on
the 13th to the 16th of July. Both events will be held at the Queen
Elizabeth Park.
PNG 30th Independence Day Celebrations -- 16th September 2005.
Hiri Moale Festival -- the week leading up to Independence Day
Goroka Show -- Independence Weekend
Mining Conference -- to be held in Lae between the 23rd and 25th of
May 2005.
The Port Moresby International School, run by the International
Education Agency, is holding its annual United Nation's Concert
on the 21st of May 2005 at the school oval. It is recommended that all
residents of Port Moresby attend this concert at least once. Many residents
attend year after year.
Canoe Festival
The Milne Bay Canoe festival is set to be held this year starting near
the end of October and finishing early November. This coincides with
the southeasterly winds that the canoes need to sail from the outer
islands of Milne Bay to the provincial capital of Alotau. This year
the festival will be extended to make it a national festival with invitations
being extended to other coastal provinces and also to parts of Milne
Bay that did not participate last year particularly Kiriwina, Rabaraba
and Misima districts.
Education Sites
http://www.pngmc.ac.pg -- PNG
Maritime College
http://www.dg.com.pg/Che/index.htm
-- Commission for Further / Higher Education
http://www.ibs.com.pg -- International
Business Institute
http://www.iea.ac.pg -- International
Education Agency
http://www.pngimr.org.pg -- PNG
Institute of Medical Research
http://www.unitech.ac.pg -- PNG
University of Technology
http://www.uog.ac.pg -- University
of Goroka
http://www.upng.ac.pg -- University
of PNG
Fly The Flag
Sir Peter Barter has said that the whole of PNG should be flying the
PNG flag as the 30th anniversary of Independence approaches to display
the pride and patriotism of the country. He has urged the population
to celebrate Independence with their hearts and not their pockets. It
has been reported that each province will receive K20,000 from the National
Events Council to help celebrate the day. The council has also ordered
10,000 PNG flags.
I have had a request from overseas to see if anyone is interested in
sending a PNG flag to the enquirer. If anyone is interested please contact
this newsletter and I will pass on the details.
PNG Media
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Articles for this Newsletter
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