Goroka General Hospital Budget Workshop 2008

Not another Budget workshop?!

Yep! (This year being facilitated at the Lecture Theatre of the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) which is located adjacted to the Hospital grounds.

Last year it was held up at the Big Theatre on the grounds of the University of Goroka (UOG) and I did manage to snap a couple during our busy three days…

A quick exit and here I am in the the Library of IMR writing this post!

Here’s a summary (in point form) of recent events:

• We just had a long weekend and we stayed in Goroka for the three days.

• It wasn’t without it’s dramas. On the Saturday morning we got woken up by loud yelling come from the neighbours. One of the young lads currently staying with our neighbours has been doing a bit of tom-catting and the sister of a certain young lass rocked up demanding compensation payment of K30,000. She yelled and screamed and yelled and screamed. It certainly woke us up.

• And just after finishing out 1st cup of Goroka coffee…

• Another fracas diagonally across the street from us – this time a little more violent than the 1st incident. A bunch of Bena’s stormed our neighbours home and proceeded to give all whom happened to be in the house at the time a good old fashioned flogging. I didn’t see anything but certainly got an ear full of all the noise and shouting. It turns out that this incident was also caused by some shenanigans from the night before. Except the payback was directed at the Mum and Dad of the kids concerned. About half an hour after home invasion – the police turned up armed after having rounded up some culprits and collected a couple of witnesses before heading of to the cop shop. Apparently there’s court in the Peace Park Wednesday this week.

• By about 10:30am I was well and truly awake.

• My phone connection at home as died again! I dread the call to Telikom to log the fault. But I will have to if I want to dialup and Internet of an evening.

• I never really found out the reason for the Public Holiday yesterday. Was it Queens Birthday?

• Eli’s brother – Lumba – turned up unexpectedly a couple of days ago and has been staying with us since. Interestingly he has no way of getting back to Lae unless we chip in for his bus fare. A true PNG phenomenon – folks turning up at your doorstep – knowing full well that there not going to be turned away – and the only way to get rid of them in the end… you guessed it! Give them the bus fare to get home – in Lumba’s case… Lae. It’s certainly not a malicious sort of a con – it’s kind of expected from family members to help out in these sort ‘s of situations. Drives me nuts and pisses me off!!  I had an argument with Eli last night and let of a  bit of steam about her family turning up: 1) Uninvited and 2) Without the means to get home again.

• Poor me…  poor me!!

• All this whilst the Budget Workshop is in full swing!!

• Ah yes… finally got to write a letter to my mate Michael. Michael’s been in the clink for some years and we exchange letters from time to time. He is due out at the end of 2009.

• Almost forgot…. I’ve almost got a website setup for the Hospital. If you click on www.ggh.org.pg it will take you to a “under construction page” – hopefully this will change within the next week or so.

• Can’t think of any other points right now.

• Not going to stop me from writing though…  I’m on a roll!!

• I’m going to stop…   who reads my blog anyway?