The computer of the department is standing in the bookshelf at my house. I’ve awkwardly propped myself up behind this bookshelf to type this blog entry. A slight throbbing feeling in the back of my head and a relax feeling is the reminder of the amount of alcohol I had yesterday. I usually have an easier time writing my stories, but even these few sentences take a lot of effort.

The mumu yesterday was special as expected. Some fifty people came to my garden to say goodbye. As is customary in PNG we had a lot of speeches of people who have worked with over the past two years. Some speeches were quite emotional and it was good to see and hear what people think of me and the work I have done. When the mumu was finished we had a few beers (and some more) and some good stories.

I only took one picture today of this empty mumu pit. It signifies how I feel now. The pickings were rich and Mt Hagen has given me so much, but it is time for me to move on. I’ve build up my confidence again and I’m ready for a challenge like DWU.

PNG gave me the opportunity to integrate and I feel I did it well. Don’t get me wrong though; I know I will always be a white guy in PNG. A good reminder was that some of my PNG friends wouldn’t want to get close to my white friends during the mumu out of a fearful respect. I can see what colonialism and missionaries have achieved. I have kept on battling people wanting to treat me differently. Sadly though looking at how Highlanders can treat each other I sometimes think that the only reason volunteers can work here is that we get a form of wary respect because of our skin.
Today another volunteer asked me why I loved PNG so much. After consideration I found that the love and hate for it can change within a minute and this makes me truly feel alive here. But I also feel I can be an agent for change in this troubled country. I want to help a minority group like people with disabilities by providing this country with physiotherapists. There are also some unresolved issues with violence against women. Maybe I’ll have an opportunity to do something with this as well.

But first: The Netherlands. To everybody there; get ready for the new and improved me that hasn’t changed a bit.

Since my task list is disappearing like snow before the sun I had to do something else for the last two days. So I made a movie…an informational movie.
What to do when you have back complaints? A little bit of anatomy, some causes and finally some exercises. It took a day with my colleagues and the result is really good. It was so good that when I showed the CEO of the hospital the movie why in heavens name I was working as a physiotherapist in the hospital and not as an infomercial producer for the hospital. He thought I had kept the best thing for last, which would have offended me if I hadn’t known that he was joking. I put the last scene in a picture. You can download the movie here. Mind though; the file is huge.

I’m now preparing my finishing mumu like crazy. Luckily with Papua New Guineans around it is very easy. I myself usually don’t cook for 50 people.

Oh and by the way, since I will have the introduction week at the DWU in January I’ll leave PNG around the 22nd of October. A little earlier than expected.

I already had my last year and last month; now I’m in my last week in Mt Hagen. It is going to be weird that is for sure.
I heard that Unicef rated PNG just below war zones like in Afghanistan or Iraq when talking about safety.
Mt Hagen has been a very safe place however; a dad to do the paperwork in the Netherlands (thanks dad), VSO to pay my allowance and the hospital management to keep the outside world of my back. This experience has made me find my confidence again and I am ready to face the world. Thank you Mt Hagen.

Yes!!! It looks like VSO has found a replacement for me to work at the physiotherapy department of Mt hagen General Hospital.

I know the Post courier has not the most objective journalists in the world, but if a prime minister of a country like PNG can tell the media what to print and what not…

“PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare yesterday revealed he would introduce legislation to regulate the media.
Fuming at yesterday’s front page article in the Post-Courier which detailed his discreet arrival in Port Moresby from America, the Chief told Parliament it was time the country’s daily newspapers were regulated as they continue to publish anti-Government stories.

Speaking on his moves to regulate the country’s two daily newspapers, he said: “Mr Speaker, long 40 years now, I am fed up with this country still allowing the foreigners in this country to own newspapers. I will be bringing the legislation to regulate the papers. Australia does it, don’t turn your head, Australia does it. Any other country does that. We are the only country that allow the profit motivators and profiteers to get away with.”
Post Courier today

Why can’t I be the boss of the world and do things the way I see fit? Why is there something like bureaucracy?
When you feel like the best manager in the world (I said only feel) and you do the best to keep you staff happy, I believe there should be a law that says managers of physiotherapy departments in PNG should have the power to do something terrible to somebody else who is lying to you and stealing from you…pfffff (panting here).
You know the feeling? You try and try to help and correct somebody but it seems to no avail? Makes me pissed anyway…grrrrr.

There cannot be a lot of countries where the capital of a country is not connected to the rest of it.

“THE National Government will spend K3 billion to build the proposed 170km Trans-Islands Highway linking Lae and Port Moresby.
The road project which will run through Wau along the Bulldog track to Tapini in the Central Province and to Malalaua is expected to start mid next year and will go on for a period of 10 years.
The final report of the Trans-Islands Highway feasibility study jointly conducted by the Queensland Department of Main Roads and the PNG Department of Transport was presented to the Government of Papua New Guinea yesterday.”
Post Courier today

I got some good pictures of other people when they came to the Hagen show. You really have to see them.

Since I’m going to leave Hagen pretty soon I have to say goodbye to everybody. The way to do this is to do a mumu. Download this invitation write your name on it and join the party.
I’ve chartered a plane from the Netherlands to PNG and pick everybody up along the way.

Yesterday I went around the North Waghi district with the local CBR volunteers. It was really good to get confirmation again for the need of rehabilitation services in the villages. There are so many men, women and children that need our help. We went out with the local CBR teams to give them training in how to assess clients and how to setup a care plan.
It is good to see the volunteers at work and see their brains working in a meeting afterwards.

Other news; A Korean trade store went up in flames today in Hagen. Rumor has it that somebody left the gas bottle open. The fire department came in and tried to extinguish the fire, but they had not enough water pressure or water to douse the fire. The fire truck of the airport was called in to put the fire out (luckily no plane crashed today).
Unfortunately everybody has gone on a looting spree. Teargas and bullets are flying around town like flies on a heap of dung.
I might not go to the store to buy coffee I think.

And last, but not least; the new Network is out. Download it here.

First day of work and immediately I got smacked in the face. In the morning I was dropping Maaike off at the airport when I got a phone call saying that Angela passed away. Angela was six years old when she died of dysentery. I hate especially when children die, but Angela would have made a difference in PNG.