PNG Gossip Newsletter - 6th October 2005

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Neo Melanesian

"Pidgin English"

Neo Melanesian
English
bilas finery / jewellery / decoration
bilasim decorate
bun bone
bun i bruk fracture / broken bone
bun nating thin
de day
de bilong malolo day off
de bilong wok workday
dukduk ritual costume representing a spirit
gras / gras bilong het hair
gras grass
hariap hurry / hurry up
hariap quick
haus building / house
 
Interested in having your own Web Site? Worried about the cost? It may be cheaper than you think. Take a look at pricing at the PNG Web Hosting site. Sites with space for 15,000 MB of data, 300 GB transfer per month and 24 / 7 ticket / phone support for less than US$3.00 per month. -- DOT COM Domains from US$9.00 per year.
 

Remember that this mailing list is meant (mainly) 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 30 - 31 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 -- The PNG Business and Tourism Directory also has daily rates based from a PNG perspective

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 click here and use the submission form.

Articles for this newsletter

To send a message for submission to the PNG Gossip Newsletter -- please click here and use the submission form to make initial contact.

Warning: PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a web site and there is not much return on the outlay to most businesses in PNG. If you do click on a link and use the services or even have some comments to make then please contact the people at the relevant web site and let them know so they at least know that someone has gained some value from their efforts. If you are so inclined then mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.

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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

Warning: PNG web sites seem to come and go. The fact of life is that it costs money to host a web site and there is not much return on the outlay to most businesses in PNG. If you do click on a link and use the services or even have some comments to make then please contact the people at the relevant web site and let them know so they at least know that someone has gained some value from their efforts. If you are so inclined them mention that you heard about them from this web site. -- The PNG Gossip Newsletter.

Mention of a website or service does not necessarily mean that this newsletter endorses the website or service



PNG Aviation



Shane Thomas has launched a new aviation web site recently. It can be found at -- http://www.PNGAir.com/. -- Other aviation sites can be found at



BMW Travel



http://www.mrbeem.com/ -- Read about a BMW motorcycle rider and his travels around the world including Papua New Guinea.



Port Moresby and Central Accommodation





Alotau Accommodation



Napatana Lodge is the first eco-tourism lodge in Alotau. It is a traditionally built pole house that has been made from tropical timbers. The lodge reflects Milne Bay architecture, demonstrating traditional building skills by local craftsman -- http://www.napatanalodge.com

Masurina Lodge is the oldest hotel in Alotau. For many years it was the only hotel. The website to visit for Masurina Lodge is --http://www.masurina.com -- and not -- http://www.masurina.com.pg -- The .com.pg site is a mess when viewed with my version of Internet Explorer (v6) and virtually unreadable. The straight .com site is much better and is now the official site. The site is linked to the Marlin 1 dive boat charters website located at -- http://www.marlin1charters.com.au/ -- The Marlin 1 site claims that you can see the best of coastal PNG from the safety and comfort of a well equipped and surveyed live-a-board charter boat.



Aussie High Comm



The Australian High Commission has revised its travel warning for Australians visiting PNG. The full text can be found at -- http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Papua_New_Guinea



Car Dealers





Tok Pisin Links



Here are a few links to sites dealing with Tok Pisin - one of the three official languages of PNG. The other official languages are English and Motu.

The University of New England (Australia) -- http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/tokpisin.htm

Wiki Books links -- http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Tok_Pisin

Robert Eklund's Tok Pisin Page -- http://www.ida.liu.se/~g-robek/PNG-TokPisin.htm

Tok Pisin - English Dictionary -- http://www.calibercreations.com/pisin/searchall.asp

The Google Directory of Tok Pisin Sites -- http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Social_Sciences/Linguistics/Languages/Natural/Pidgins_and_Creoles/English_Based/Tok_Pisin/

Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin -- http://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/resources/lang-no/lang_no.php?c=4

Bill Purcell's Web Site pages about Tok Pisin -- http://www.billpurc.com/billsview/tokpisin.htm


News Items

 

Corporate Challenge



PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Challenge is on again on the 23rd of October 2005. The challenge helps to raise money for the Sir Buri Kudu Heart Foundation. The winner last year managed to run the course in just under 17 minutes with the last walker being clocked in at 80 minutes. The course starts at the Ela Beach School and travels along Ela Beach until climbing up and over Lawes road passing Sir Hubert Murray Stadium coming back into town past Steamships and St Mary's Catholic Church before returning to the school and the finish line.



Languages



The number of languages in PNG has now been reported as being 867. At last report nine of the 867 are considered to have become extinct in the last fifty years as some groups are absorbed into others and more influence is exerted by tok pisin speakers to make it a truly national language for the country. With a large number of people from many language groups drifting to Moresby looking for employment the City Manager, Peter Loko, has claimed that Port Moresby should be known as the language capital of the world.

For information on PNG 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 PNG 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). These 11 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. Six of those are used in the name of the language.

PNG has three national or official languages -- they are Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin and English.



Boat Cruises



The Tourism Promotion Authority has announced that there will be a cruise boat visiting PNG this month. The boat, operated by North Star Cruises, will visit Alotau in Milne Bay Province carrying 40 - 50 tourists. The boat will also stop at a number of interesting sites in West New Britain and will leave for Rabaul and Duke of York in East New Britain after that, with Kavieng in the New Ireland province being the final destination.



Goroka Crime



A new community based system is on trial for minor offenders in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province. The scheme allows minor offenders, who have been sentenced by the court, to undergo supervised community work for a specified number of hours. Prisoners who complete the number of hours without incident are discharged.



Freeway Carnage



One of the worst motor vehicle accidents in Port Moresby has happened in the front of the Andersons Supermarket in KondeobuKonedobu. A semi-trailer laden with sawn timber ploughed into the cement gates of the supermarket claiming six lives. The truck driver lost control of his vehicle while driving down the Poreporena Highway from Hohola towards Konedobu and crossed from the left lane into oncoming traffic outbound from Town. The truck then smashed into the Habourside Andersons supermarket gates crushing a vehicle driving out of the supermarket car park stopped to give way to traffic. Four people were also injured, one with a broken leg. St John Ambulance Search and Rescue National Superintendent Fred Bukoya said it was the fifth accident at the same spot since the highway was opened nine years ago.



Sealark



Bismark Maritime Limited have advertised that they will be offering a Lae - Port Moresby - Lae service with one way single fares starting from K200 with huge discounts offered for children, students and groups. No date has been set for the service at this stage but it understood that it could be as early as the end of this month.

The Sealark is a 75 metre, 700-passenger ship that has been based in the Philippines. The ship is being brought to PNG due to the high cost of airfares around the country especially between Port Moresby and Lae.



Princess Anne



Thanks to Chris Luxton, the Secretary of the Papua New Guinea Church Partnership in London for the following article -

28th/29th Sept. The Princess Royal received a rousing welcome from 3000 grassroots - mainly children from the settlements near Jackson's Airport (causing a minor security scare!) on her second historic visit to PNG. The Princess spent a day visiting the Cheshire Homes, Koki Development Centre and Anglicare StopAIDS PNG, a testing, counselling and support service opened by ACPNG in March 2004

Thanks Chris -- Check out the Portal (Home) run by Chris -- http://hometown.aol.co.uk/pngcpluxton/



Uniformless Army



If it wasn't for the help of a local firm members of the 1st Royal Pacific Islands Regiment would have not been able to participate in the 30th Anniversary celebrations due to not having suitable uniforms for the celebrations. Robmos Defence Uniforms has donated a total of 235 sets of uniforms for the regiment. The regiment now has ceremonial uniforms but it is immobile without field uniforms, vehicles or rations to operate. 100 of the regiment are supposed to be based in Kiunga to patrol the southern border but even their base in Kiunga has been condemned by the health authorities.



Police Mobile Squad



The Police Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Gari Baki has threatened to disband all the police mobile squads because some squad members have protested over the police management's failure to pay them allowances in connection with the security duties they performed during Independence Day celebrations and Princess Anne's visit in Port Moresby. The National Events Council has already given K85,000 to the police for providing security for both events.



Roads & Bridges



After damage by storms the Works Department estimates that it will need K24 million for emergency repairs and replacements to roads and bridges around he country. Although the geography of PNG makes it disaster prone the Works Department is not prepared for such emergencies and has no money to fix the problems. The Works Secretary, Alphonse Niggins, has written to the Planning Department for the urgent release of funds.



Menyama Arson Suspect



A man has been arrested over the burning down of the Menyama police station during the Independence weekend. The accused and other people are said to have burned down the police station in retaliation over an incident that saw police shoot a man in the leg while trying to stop a drunken brawl. The shot man later died.



PNG Power Strike



PNG Power workers may still go on strike if the government continues to fail to respond to the energy workers demands.



PNG Coffee



The Pride of PNG 2005 International Coffee Cupping Competition has just finished in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province and it has been declared that PNG has some of the best coffee in the world. The competition has been aimed at identifying the best coffee from some 300,000 small coffee growers in PNG. The competition was organised by the PNG Coffee Growers Association. PNG currently exports 1.1 million coffee bags.



MP Exemption



The Members of Parliament who has moved the controversial bill to exempt Members of Parliament from dismissal from office if convicted is highly unlikely to get the support of his political party for the bill. Members of the party have indicated that the bill is a private bill put forward by MP Kappa Yarka. It is hoped that the bill is not passed as it would mean that there was a separate law for MPs.



6th Coroners' Conference 2006



PNG will become the second country outside of Australia to host the Annual Australasian Coroners' Conference next year. The only other country has been New Zealand in 2002. The prestigious conference is held once a year. The theme of the conference will be "Managing Diversity - The Multi-Skilled Coroner: and will bring together 100 participants from the Australasian countries including Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island nations with representatives from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines also attending.

The 5th Australasian Coroners' Society Conference will be held in Western Australia from the 15th to the 18th of November 2005.



Telikom Cable Plans



Telikom PNG has plans to re-commission the old Pacrim West Cable connecting Sydney and Guam and move its end point to Port Moresby. Under the plan, a massive section of the cable would be spliced and recovered by a cable ship where it is currently laid north of Solomon Islands this would then be re-laid from Port Moresby and spliced into the Australian end of the cable somewhere off the Queensland coast. Telikom is investigating this due to the high cost of laying new cables as well as environmental concerns about laying new cable over the Great Barrier Reef. Telikom currently only has 20 Mbps of satellite capacity and 16 Mbps of capacity on the old Port Moresby - Cairns analogue cable that was commissioned in 1976.

Telikom has also recently signed an agreement with the satellite division of Multimedia Ltd (NewSat) to supply satellite communications to PNG. The agreement will see the two companies providing co-branded services such as high speed internet, web browsing, data transfer, video streaming and multicasting around the country.



Telikom Woes



Members of the PNG Chamber of Mines, Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce, PNG Institute of Banking, Australia-PNG Business Council, Manufacturers Council, Media Council, Fishing Industry Association, Forest Industries Association, and the PNG Institute of National Affairs have signed a letter saying that the country faces a very real possibility of catastrophic telecommunications failure. This is because the 30 year old undersea cable only has a an expected lifespan of 25 years. The mobile telephone network had a complete failure due to aging equipment in the Boroko Telephone Exchange. The business community has also called on the government to deregulate the internet industry to allow internet service providers to develop bandwidth to reduce costs and ensure a reliable service.



Hela Province



The push for the Southern Highlands to be divided up in to two provinces has been debated for a while. Benson is passionate enough to have provided his opinion on the issue. His views can be found at http://pnggossip.com/stories/hela01tml. Please note that the views expressed in the article are not necessarily the views of the PNG Gossip Newsletter.



Milne Bay Show



It has been announced that the Milne Bay Provincial government will allocate K200,000 towards the running of the 2006 provincial show to be held in Alotau. The show will be held over a one-week period



Milne Bay International Airport



Tim Neville the Governor of Milne Bay has announced that the Treasury Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and himself will be having discussions with the CEO's of Virgin Airways and Jetstar (a subsidiary of Qantas) with a view of introducing international flights from anywhere in the South Pacific.



Armoury Break-in



The five men accused of breaking into the Lombrum Naval base armoury in August will appear before the Lorengau committal court in Manus on the 14th of October. The accused, all from Manus province, have also been charged with possessing live ammunition.



Coming Events



Daffodil Corporate Golf Challenge - 7th of October at the Port Moresby Golf Club.

Morobe Show, Lae -- 15th and 16th of October 2005

PricewaterhouseCoopers Corporate Challenge is on again on the 23rd of October

The Milne Bay Canoe and Kundu (drum) festival will be held between the 4th and 6th of November this year.

Miss PNG Crowning night 26th of November 2005

Air Niugini Ball - 1st December 2005

Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March 2006.

2006 - April 8th to the 16th -- National Game Fishing Titles

PNG 31st Independence - 16 September 2006

6th Coroners' Conference 23rd October to the 26th of October 2006.






PNG Media


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-- THE END --

In Tok Pisin - em tasol

For other ways of saying the end please pay a visit to -- ../emtasol

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 click here and use the submission form.

 



Created 6 Oct 2005
Updated 6 Oct 2005


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