Suppurating Pustules

17th June 2009

The old body erupted - three boils, one after the other!One of the blasted devils was up my left nostril and I thought my face was going to explode!John's suggestion that a rearrangement might not be a bad idea, didn't go down too well at the time!I was convinced I had bubonic plague!It didn't help that I'd just finished reading a book about the plague (for anyone who's interested it's called 'Book of Wonders' by Geraldine Brooks and it's absolutely brilliant).I wasn't a pretty sight.John manfully carried on regardless, climbing mountains, crossing rivers, wrestling with crocodiles, the usual stuff, anything to keep out of my way.Anyway, on the mend now and milking the sympathy card for all it's worth.Phil offered to bring a flour ball to my sick bed from the school they were visiting yesterday.A thoughtful soul.Flour balls are made up of flour and yeast only, which is then deep fried. Yum! A staple diet here, sold by the road side and eaten by children everywhere.Often offered to us in schools at break time and surreptitiously stuffed by me into a waiting plastic bag secreted in my bilum, not wanting to offend, but totally unable to force it down my throat!John and Phil don't seem to have the same problem - it's food isn't it?So my response to him by text was, "Come anywhere near me with that and it'll be stuffed where the sun don't shine!" He didn't visit!

It is the Queen's Birthday to-day.Well, actually no, it was the Queen's Birthday on Monday and in PNG it's a public holiday.Quite straight forward you might think.However, on Friday we have the launch of the 10 year Education Plan (only 3 years late, it was compiled in 2006!) so, in their wisdom, the Education Department decided they would move the Queen's birthday (don't tell her) to Thursday, so that schools could have two consecutive days off.Great you might think, (could you imagine a Bank Holiday being moved in the UK!).However, on the radio and in the newspapers there's total confusion as to which day is the holiday, head teachers didn't know about the change til last Thursday, so they didn't inform their staff (those who were in school on a pay Friday that is), so I suspect teachers will cash in on the confusion and if they turn up in school at all this week it'll be a miracle!It could only happen here!

It's here again - flower show time.It coincided with World Environment Day and all students were charged with planting a tree in the school grounds (see photos).It was a bigger event than last year and involved the obligatory endless speeches and traditional dances.John and I did our bit for the environment by buying an orange tree seedling to plant behind the house, plus an orchid and an aloe vera plant - I hadn't realised what beautiful flowers they produce - exquisite.The other wonderful find was some rhubarb.I stewed it with fresh orange juice, loads of sugar and some ginger.To John's delight, I had a little custard powder at the back of the cupboard, untouched by weevils and purchased ages ago in Goroka, so he enjoyed rhubarb and custard, which brought a smile to his face!

At the latest head teachers' meeting, there was huge consternation, as schools have not yet received the operational grant from the government, many students haven't paid their fees and costs have risen, so many schools are in danger of having to close.They were concerned about the newly introduced minimum wage ruling as it meant they would have to pay more to their ancillary staff if they had been employed for more than a year.From this conversation it transpired that heads had tried to buy insurance for said staff, (a security guard had recently been stabbed by a pupil) but no insurance company would cover them, once they knew their school was in the Highlands.Too risky!

Talking of which, sadly the school in Karamui is going to be closed indefinitely because of the threat of violence, as a result of a dispute over money.So we are unlikely to be visiting next term as planned.What a tragedy for the students about to sit their exams, the head teacher is devastated.Lots of violence around at the moment, exacerbated by the State of the Origin rugby league competition.One of our neighbours has a television, so on the night of the match he put it on his balcony and the whole neighbourhood turned out to watch, you can imagine the racket.Everyone gets very worked up and, just like matches in UK, fights break out fuelled by drink.The Senior Inspector (whose wife supports a different team to him, so he has to watch the match elsewhere!) was telling us that TV sets are smashed up regularly after the match and there was an incident during the last series involving a husband and wife who supported opposing teams.When the wife's team won, the husband was so enraged he killed her!Luckily the electricity didn't go off at a crucial moment this year, so PNG power wasn't stoned as it was last year, when, rumour has it, that the engineer who threw the switch, supported the losing side and couldn't bear to watch any more!

There is racial tension generally in the country with anti Asian feelings causing trouble in some parts of PNG.We haven't seen anything in Kundiawa, even though there are plenty of shops owned by Asians here.However, VSO were so concerned for our Asian volunteers (we have one Indian and a couple of Philippinos) that they have been given the option to end their placement and get out of PNG.It has caused quite a lot of anxiety amongst them, trying to decide the best thing to do.The violence seems to be aimed at shopkeepers mostly, so I think the volunteers are safe, but they have to make that decision.

Talking of violence, two fat pigs appeared under our neighbour's house a couple of nights ago, so I feared the worst.When no-one was around I threw them some potatoes (the last supper!) but they weren't interested, I think they'd got wind of events to come.The next morning they disappeared.I went out onto our balcony (can't remember the reason) only to be confronted by a pig being bludgeoned to death by a man wielding a huge plank of wood only a few metres from our house.I was transfixed, not just by inadvertently witnessing the grizzly slaughter, but by the fact that not a metre away, a group of small children were playing in the dirt and even closer, was a little girl skipping, and the rope never missed a turn as this pig was felled right in front of her.Yes I know, I will have guzzled meat in the past which was probably reared under much worse conditions and the slaughter would have been possibly more traumatic in an abattoir, but my sanitized western sensibilities were stunned by such raw, violent happenings unexpectedly taking place right under my nose and the fact that the children didn't bat an eyelid.

Talking of pigs, I am checking out arrangements should swine 'flu reach these shores.It is sweeping Australia pretty rapidly, but to my knowledge has not yet invaded PNG, though I ask the question if it did, would we know?The trouble here is that once it does, it's likely to spread very rapidly owing to the poor hygienic conditions and the habit of spitting betel nut juice everywhere.We're trying to get some answers from VSO medical team and I understand that they have the necessary medicines in Madang as, should anyone catch it, the medical facilities here are unlikely to be able to cope.We are awaiting a response from VSO as to what arrangements are being made for us in the Highlands in the event of an outbreak.

On a lighter note, I enjoyed doing demonstration lessons last week.The students are a total joy, as they are so keen to learn.It was a bit unnerving having teachers watching and taking notes, especially as it must be about 10 years since I was last in a classroom, but they seemed to have benefited from seeing in action what we have been proselytising.However, they seemed more hung up on the use of voice, whether timing was good, and how the lesson was structured rather than on methodology, which was the whole point of the exercise.We were trying to demonstrate student centred learning, with students being more actively involved, rather than the teacher lecturing, writing on the board and the students copying it down (with beautiful handwriting of course) and possibly not understanding any of it.All teachers complain at the poor level of English of the students, but they never get a chance to speak in class and practise!

We're beginning to prepare for yet another head teachers' conference and the final workshop of three, teaching the in service co-ordinators facilitation skills, so they can deliver workshops in their own schools - it's hard going, as presentation skills are not their forte!Like their students, they're very shy and their presentations tend to be monotonous and long winded, as they love to talk but they are as about as stimulating as watching paint dry, but we're working on it.

Only a few more weeks before we're on holiday. I understand the UK has been enjoying fabulous weather - hope it lasts until September! Enjoy all those BBQs, summer evenings and English gardens in summertime - mmm!

Love from us both

PS I shan't be attending the Education Plan Launch.Can't sit down for long enough, so now you know the site of one of the other boils!Painful!

PPS Just heard the Launch of the Education Plan has been postponed (this is Thursday evening and it was supposed to happen tomorrow).Lack of available speakers, who probably didn't get their invitation til this week!So, my best laid plans for not attending through illness have been thwarted, although maybe they'll wait another 3 years before they try again!John's fed up, he's just had a wash, a memorable event.Teachers will be delighted - yet another day's holiday for free tomorrow.