Robert@PNG

Last Saturday I was in town with Eli when a fight broke out on the street just outside of Foodmart (the local supermarket). I had my camera handy so I started taking some photos. As with all public distrurbances - people flock from everywhere and they move fast. Situations can and do get out of hand very fast. A week does'nt go by that I don't witness some agressive or even violent situation in public. It might be a wife bashing or a pickpocket in action, or perhaps the police beating up some petty criminal. It is a fact that PNG is a violent place. I put it down to the strong tribal heritage and culture.

When I first moved to Lae and I witnessed public violence, it really frightened me. This has changed slightly. I no longer carry around the fear that consumed me for the 1st three months in PNG. I would see people running towards some disturbance and “slowly” walk the other way - concerned for my safety. I believed that everyone was going to “get into it” and it would be best for my personal wellbeing to be totally removed from the situation. I worked out after a while that the reason people move hastly towards a public commotion is because they are vying for front row seats! People want to find out what's going on and get a close glimpse of the action.

So… having been here for 18 months now - I too move with the crowd towards whatever it is that's drawing attention.

With the situation at Foodmart last Saturday and the street fight outside of the store - I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to snap some “action” shots. There were two groups of about five boys each, Eli mentioned afterwards that they were “town” boys - boys actually living in the center of town. Quite a few punches were thrown and umbrellas used as weapons, no iron bars, bushknives or guns.

There was one instance during the fight when I was right in the middle of it. Click, click, click went my camera. The next thing a boy standing right next to me picks up a rock the size of large mango and starts looking around for someone to throw it at. At this moment the heart did start to beat a little faster than normal. Eli started to yell at me…  stones! stones! Yume go!! One of the boys copped a stone to his ribs and another stone to his legs. We started to walk for cover and the next thing the whole melee disperses, as if nothing had happened. One gang chasing the other gang down the road and out of sight.

Eli and myself then headed up to the Melanesian for a coffee and to check out the photos I had managed to capture. Three photos in all and these can be viewed in the Lae album.

PNG the Land of the Unexpected.

Speaking of the unexpexted - this morning the students were given a repsonse to their petition by the University Council. The request for the re-instatement if licensed premises on campus was rejected. The students aren't happy and presently there exists a state of confusion. Will the strike continue or will the students return to classes. Either way suits me… I remain an observer.

Things will unfold as they unfold…  but one thing is for sure : in PNG the unexpected is always just around the corner.