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27.09.09 - 11.10.09
Nightmare: Laptop crashes, Alison fraught. Lifeline cut.
Yes the ol' laptop finally lost it - and all the programmes with it. Luckily all our documents are backed up on external hard drive. So we had to start again with a clean sheet (though the dirty rotten viruses are still worming their way around the system). Within 24 hrs we were up and running again and back on the internet - not bad considering our technical know-how-not-to. Having got it to that stage Mike was advised to install AVG anti-virus software and run a complete scan. The scan took 3½ hours and threw up 350 viruses!
Nightmare: Laptop freezes, Alison fraught. Lifeline cut. Yep - it all happened again. Next morning having slept on it Mike decided to uninstall the AVG and hey presto, it seems that this laptop thrives only on a healthy diet of virulent viruses. In fact it won't work without them - symbiotic or parasitical?
Anyway, if you have Mike's email address please send him an email, so that he has your address. All his contacts disappeared along with Outlook. (Actually this is just a ploy for Mike to get more emails than Alison for a change)
Things have come to a standstill at the moment. Schools returned after the week's holiday, so they didn't want volunteers in for that first week. Last week was Grade 10 exams, so again they didn't want us in and so it continues for most of term 4.
Also, a couple of our schools are in the midst of tribal fighting. In one local community, two people were shot dead last weekend - one a woman, which in this Province, is the greatest sin that feuding tribes could commit. She was the mother of 4 and she was 5 months pregnant. It's ok to kill or maim as many blokes as you like, but to kill a woman in a tribal fight is unheard of and unforgivable. Not much chance of a resolution to that particular dispute then.
Our weekly 'You couldn't make it up' slot:
VSO attends briefings at the Provincial Office every morning at 8.00. Also known as Devotion, everyone stands around the perimeter of the office and the proceedings begin with a few songs/hymns - often 'Amazing Dirge' sorry - 'Amazing Grace'. One of the office ladies leads in the singing, so when her mobile went off in the middle of a hymn the other morning - to a tune which was indiscernible to Mike (in fact the mobile was somewhat more musical) the singing collapsed to become even more of a mystery melody! Having answered her call she resumed the lead and all finished well - and together. It was a bit like the game on Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
The singing is immediately followed with a prayer by whoever decides to pray that day - interspersed with 'Luke Chapter 6 verse 2' and such like.
Newspaper article:
Eight killed after gang attacks villagers at a school fete.
Four villagers were killed when a gang went on the rampage at a primary school fete. The villagers quickly mobilised and retaliated, killing 3 of the gang. One was beheaded and his head hung on a power pole. A fourth member of the gang was shot when police and villagers went in search of the rest of the gang.
Last Tuesday we accompanied Phil on a ramble, starting at 7.00 a.m. The intention was to walk for 4 hours to a village that Philip needed to visit to take a copy of a photo which he took some weeks ago. Along the way we met with the usual friendliness of people along the road, asking where we were going and taking deep intakes of breath when we explained. After 3 hours, we decided that to go the whole hog would be too much - it was hot and there were some long, steep inclines. After 3 hours Philip went on, whilst we returned. Some teenagers at a bridge that we crossed pointed out a corpse on the river bank. They said it was a woman who had been hacked with bush knives and thrown in the river! This was a little unsettling to say the least. They said the police hadn't yet been to investigate. We carried on when a PMV passed going the other way and someone shouted that there were 'rascals' further along the road. Luckily a vehicle stopped and we asked for a lift back to town - hitch-hiking too now. Alison is now nursing her feet (and legs) - or at least Mike is on her behalf.
We went to Mt Wilhelm School Graduation on the same day that Winter Gardens was holding a fund raiser for Mt Wilhelm computer suite. (We still haven't quite got enough money - by the way!). We were meant to meet the truck at 3.00 p.m. but this is PNG so we didn't actually leave town til 6.30 - in the dark. Mike and I squeezed in the cab while the back of the truck was a booze cruise with frequent stops to buy more crates of beer at the stores or to have a pee. We had three burst tyres which all had to be repaired on the spot and we felt we were never going to get there - but arrived shaken though not stirred at 10.30 p.m. Crowds of people were walking along the roads that night in order to be there in time for the ceremony.
Along the way we saw the place where two drunks drove over the mountain side in their truck and died. The villagers didn't blame the two men for driving while drunk along a precarious road - no - they felt someone from that area had put a spell on their two menfolk, so they burnt down 35 houses in the area of the accident as a punishment for the curse. This is a predominately Christian country but old beliefs survive.
Next morning we took part in the procession, along with invited guests - the MP, the Bishop, etc and were presented with a flower garland and sat on the stage like dignitaries. We were the first to give our speech to over 1,000 people and we were well received. Then there was prize giving and Alison gave the prizes for Home Economics. The students had designed and made the bilum dresses ( see photos). Mike gave out prizes too.
Barry's challenge to us was to photograph a national in full bilas (traditional costume) playing yo-yo (one of the many things he and Hilary sent for the children). As you can see we were successful on the very day after we received the parcel! The students hadn't seen a yo-yo before and so when we explained what to do the student tried but forgot to keep hold of the string! After a few tries he managed and kept the yo-yo to practise.
The ceremony lasted 4½ hours and was followed by kai-kai (food). We had planned to stay another night but the MP invited us to travel back in his truck which was nice - safe and relatively comfortable. Just as we were leaving they gave us broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, onions, peas as well as bunches of flowers. What a goodies bag!
Anyway, love to all
Alison & Mike
- comments
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