This picture is of our guides showing us the way back to Rempi Village where we stayed our first weekend here in PNG!

What at a week it’s been! Got back from Aiome on Friday and it’s been all go since. Now we’re in Malala having arrived an hour or so ago and had to give the place a good clean [we were told that three men had used it last!]So now the floor has been washed, the burnt pan cleaned and I won’t go into the grotty bits!
Aiome was good again. And the plane got us there and back in one piece [there has been a bad crash recently killing all passengers]. Again we stayed with the Deputy and his wife who is the secretary and their two little boys. We had two good afternoon training sessions and yes I do have to admit that Ken is very good, bit of an actor at times and it’s good to listen to someone who is fluent when they speak!!! I observed some lessons which I really enjoyed. The HE teacher, Dorothy and I do enjoy a laugh as well as serious discussions! I ended up asking if I could buy two mats that the kids had made. She asked the students who wanted to give them to me but we agreed a price. They are making me some bilums [bags] to bring home, that’s if we ever do come back! Only jesting, well………..I do love to see Sandra’s boys sleeping in their bilums when they have their afternoon naps. Strangely though they don’t sleep in them at night. One afternoon Jajo, the 2 and a half year old, was carrying a bilum and his Dad went mad as he was carrying it around his head and he was told in no uncertain terms that only women carried them like that!
On the Thursday a load of market ladies come to the school and set up shop. Sandra’s cousin came and so I bought plantain to bring back but when I unpacked in Madang I found that I had twice as much!!!Plus all the yam I’d been given and two large mats!
One afternoon I watched the students making brushes. They had to make 12 in their class groups. It was fascinating watching them take the large coconut branch, rip off the “leaves” and then shred them finer still. One lad was sent up a coconut tree to get coconuts which they then prepared for us to drink! Another great drink we had was a smoothy made from Pawpaw, all done without a blender of course and no additives!! One morning Sandra made us some bread which tasted just like ciabatta bread, honest. This was made over a fire remember! As I had told her about using green pawpaws as a veg I had to make a dish. I used a stock cube and some onion and it worked, thank goodness!
Mind you watching the HE students was very impressive. They made pasties with a green veg filling. Now that may sound easy BUT they cooked them in a huge saucepan over a wood fire outside the classroom and to make the “oven” they then made a fire on top of a piece of metal sheeting and hey presto an oven!! They tasted great too.
This time in Aiome we had a generator working but no water except from the tank. The school relies on the water which flows to a huge tank on the top of the hill but if the flow is week it misses them and goes on to the village. So the night security man was sent up to switch off the village supply in the night so that our tanks filled up and then switch the supply back on at dawn!! So we didn’t have to wash in the river but just from a bucket which we were grateful for as it is a very steep hill back up from the village which rather undoes the wash!!
So it was a great visit which came to an end all too quickly. We walked over to get my mats and the students were singing the National Anthem and raising the flag. Ken was asked to say a few words and he brought tears to my eyes, just the right things were said and the right length!! So off up the hill we walked with our luggage helped by Clement the security man.
Before we took off we waited as usual on the air strip chatting to two old fellows, had a bit of a party when Ken walked to the stoa [shop/store] to buy some cokes and some crisp things. I don’t think they’d ever had crisps before as they couldn’t open the packets!! The oldest didn’t know how old he was [they count by how many Christmases they are] but he told us he was fine in spirit if weaker in the body. His name was Abraham and he and Ken had a great chat about religion. The theology of the Trinity no less and all in Tok Pisin. He didn’t have much warmth for Catholics though! Then when the second fellow came Abraham changed his tune when he was told that the fellow was a Catholic! We did have a laugh. The agent joined us and was telling Ken how great the single propeller planes are compared to the twin engine ones, they crash whereas the single ones glide!!! I don’t think I needed to hear that though. The plane arrived at 11 and we were back home by 12 for lunch. The man behind me had to sit with the mats in his neck, mind you he was so sick when he got off, No seat belts but the pilot told him he’d be ok!
Friday night was a Rotary do and Saturday Ken found a craft fair nearby and I bought two African Violets and two necklaces. Tried to go out in the boat but the engine won’t start again. Had loads of rain again, no signs of the dry season. After Chapel on Sunday Ken had his first top up Tok Pisin lesson whilst I read by the pool.
Monday saw me trying to sort out my camera. I had found that I couldn’t download my Aiome photos. What I had done was try and put the photos onto Sandra’s PC and yes it gave me loads of viruses! The camera was sorted but then was warned not to use the lap top until it had been checked and yes two viruses. So the new VSO volunteer who is IT spent most of Monday sorting me out. Now I am virus free and learnt my lesson!!!!
So as I say we arrived a couple of hours ago and Ken has gone to talk to the Head. Whilst there is power I am using Word to write the BLOG and some emails so that we can send as soon as we get home on Thursday night.
Found a load of BLOG entries that never got put on for some reason so need to sort those now while the power is on.
Tuesday night – knock on the door – quite late. Two students standing there with a note for us. It was our schedule for tomorrow and Thursday!! We are to be available for consultations on ANYTHING with staff until the end of school and then we’re to hold an Inservice session for an hour, then a dinner break and recommencing at 6:30pm until 8:30pm! Well that had us in fits as usually by this time we’re knackered.
Wednesday 2 September
Are sitting in the conference room which is air conditioned having sat through the staff briefing which started at 7:45am. Staff dead chuffed to have an evening session I don’t think! As I look around there are shelves with official circulars on but nothing about the new curriculum that is now completing it’s second year. Some curriculum documents were circulated as early as 2006 but here some senior staff have been hindering the implementation which makes our job difficult. But hey ho we’re enjoying the challenges!