UNITECH students breakup today for a 3 week break. Lucky buggers ! Many of them heading of to their homes for the semester holiday’s, so the next few weeks should be fairly quiet on campus. Not the same luck for “us” academics, we are busy marking papers and getting results prepared in prep for a bunch of meetings next week to determine final results for the students. Marking!!! I will say no more on marking.
If you have read The Reporter article (Issue 1575 newsletter)…
….you would have noticed in my article that I make reference to the Oz Government website www.smarttraveller.gov.au. Well, you would’nt believe the response/reaction. It appears that some of the staff went for a bit of surf to this website and read the travel advisory on PNG. The description of PNG is pretty negative and some of the academic staff took offense to the description on PNG. It basically describes PNG, specially Port Moresby, as a very violent place. Perception !!! We definitely do not have control over someone elses perceptions. But all I will say here is that if I had relied solely on the information on PNG supplied by the Australian Government I definitely would not have come to this place.
If you read my article under “About the Author” on the main page you will get an understanding of how “my” perceptions are evolving during my stay here.
I am in an interesting situation as the article in The Reporter also makes reference to my web site (Trupela Tok) and since the latest edition was issued to campus I have observed around 35 unique visitors from UNITECH alone. This basically means that what I write and publish on to my blog is open to scrutiny by the locals. Last night I reflected on this situation and considered establishing a login system for my blog so that only people that I “authorise” can access articles and photos on my blog, my blog allows me to do this. I thought about for a while (only 5 mins really) and concluded that I will continue to write and post as I have been without incorporating any form of access restrictions. This situation could potentially change if anyone takes umbrage to my entries. Eg: some people might not like there photos posted on to a public website. I am open to any feedback on this matter (if you have any).
A few of us (DBS Staff) are about to take a drive into town for a “beer” run, it has been a hard week and I think a “little” R&R is well deserved.
Until soon….
“The beer run”
Do they have PNG beer and is it any good?
Are they natives you went with or westerns?
Mum