Robert@PNG

Before leaving I promised my family that if things didn't work out in PNG that I would have the humility to admit this and slowly make why way back home.

I have been away from home now for close to 3x months. Time is passing quickly and I am starting to enjoy life here in PNG. In many ways living and working in PNG is a dream come true.

So for now…  I'm staying “put”.

I remember back in 1988 when I had the privilege to witness a gathering of aborigines in Hyde Park. I realised then that tribal people have a dynamic and concept of relationship very different to our own. This is when the “dream” of one day working and living with tribal people was born.

Now in PNG for almost 3x months I feel that I made the correct decision to come here and know at a level that this “move” will alter the direction my life takes from this point onwards. Where I go from here after my 2x years is up, is at this stage anyone's guess. In my observation there are two types of people that come to PNG…  those that learn to enjoy life here and those that don't. Many of those people that learn to enjoy life in PNG end up staying on for longer periods. It is too early to say whether I fall into the 1st or 2nd category, only time will tell.

So for now…  I'm staying “put”.

 I came here wanting to confront certain personal fears. I came here knowing that I would confront certain fears. Now that I am here, I continue to confront these fears. And as I confront these fears and release them, a sense of feeling lost and scared are replaced with a sense of feeling free and safe.

It is true, there are many problems facing PNG and from day to day one has direct experiences of these problems. One must develop patience and acceptance if one is to stay sane in this place. There isn't a day when one doesn't experience the end result of these so called problems. But, there are problems everywhere, here in PNG there are problems, back at home there are problems. Brunei has problems. When man went to the moon, they had problems. I'm sure Bill Gates also has his fair share of problems. Problems are a fact of life. So yes, PNG has it's problems.

Seperate to these problems there exists, in this place, a beautiful way of life. PNG has a mythology and a history which is very much alive in it's people. A way of life that has been around for thousands of years. A way of life that is currently been challenged by the incursion of “western” ways. A way of life that will eventually erode and disappear. Change, it happens to very one !!!

We have a department meeting this afternoon at 2pm to review exam results. This meeting has already been deferred twice due to many staff not having their results ready. I'm taking it all in my stride, it would be very easy to get frustrated and complain. Long PNG tasol (Only in PNG).

In the meantime, I might go and check how the weather is doing outside….

Rob