Home sweet home !

Check out the inside of my “cave” !!  A couple of weeks ago I took a few photos of the inside of my home on campus. I have posted these photos to the Home sweet home photo album for your perusal.

My home is my “cave” and thank god for the lock on the front gate. Since coming to PNG I have learnt how to spend many a evening at home – just relaxing. There was a time in my life when the thought of staying home for an evening absolutely terrified me. Nowadays, I look forward to going home and pottering or just sitting outside with a coffee and taking in the melanesian evening/night.

Why am I grateful for the lock on the front gate?  Well…  apart from deterring the raskol element from breaking-in it also keeps out the wantoks and the tambus. There are days when I just want to be alone and sit in peace and quiet. There are never a shortage of friends and colleagues that pop around for a coffee and a chat and this is fine…  well, most of the time but…  there are other times when I need solitutde and quiet or I've had a hard day and just want to rest. It is these times when the front gate gets locked and my friends now know…  when the gate is locked : Rob is not to be disturbed!  Mind you, there are some whom are slow learners and persist in calling my name even when the gate is locked. Note that if it was'nt for the gate…  they would be knocking on my front door !!

I have observed that within melanesian culture there is very little privacy. One persons business is everyones business!! When someone knocks on your door, you are expected to drop whatever you are doing and attend to the visitors. This might be the melanesian way but it is certainly not my way!!  I need my privacy and solitude and will do whatever is within my means to preserve this precious commodity.

On a different note…

Today (Saturday) I head into town to one of the local kickboxing schools. A couple of weeks ago I found a kickboxing school in Lae and went in one Saturday afternoon to check it out. I was very impressed with the quality of teaching and also the attitude of the students (mostly male).  In Lae there is an obvious lack of strong positive role models for the young men and  these classes led by John Wal (Chief Instructor) are a  positive move towards doing something about this  shortcoming that  goes with living  in a  settlement riddled town such as Lae.

I have since decided to sponsor 3 young boys from West Taraka to attend kickboxing classes three days per week. Today, I take these boys into town for their 1st class.  I am very excited as I believe it to be a turning point in the lives of these young men.

I have much more to share on th kickboxing thing but will leave this for another day and another time. It is 11:55am and I arranged to meet these boys at the bus stop at 12:00pm.

So, got to run !!