10 things that I really miss in PNG

It is easy to take things for granted when one lives in a place such Sydney or any other largish town for that matter. One has access to the full gamut of goods and services and in most cases these can all be found within minutes from home or work. Although since coming to Papua New Guinea early 2005 there hasn’t been any major items that I have dearly missed, occasionally I do yearn for something which isn’t readily available around these parts.

It is a question that I get asked from time to time and always at the top of my list of things I miss are of course family and friends. The rest I don’t really think about very often. Or do I?

An email from a dear friend the other day prompted me to write this post because it got me thinking about stuff that is either not available in PNG, very expensive or very difficult to find. My friend had just returned from a chiropractor he’s been seeing and could not stop raving about how good he felt after the treatment.

So here’s that list of 10 things that I have missed at some stage since coming to Papua New Guinea (not necessarily in order of priority):

1. My dear Mum and the rest of the family.
2. Friends.
3. A regular massage.
4. An early morning swim at Wylie’s Baths.
5. Cinemas.
6. Thai, turkish and vietnamese cuisine.
7. Outdoor cafes and believe it or not but the coffee.
8. Being able to occasionally isolate when in a crowd.
9. Fast and cheap Internet access.
10. The general cleanliness.