Internet

Saturday, so a chance to go to the Telecom office for a dongle which I’ve been assured will solve all my internet access difficulties. The wi-fi connection at the lodge is weak and expensive. The office has not had internet or even a landline for months because we haven’t paid our bills and are unlikely to in the near future.  Anyway, arrive at telecom office in the rain to find it is not open, the heavy rains of last night have put all the town’s telephones out of action and the staff are either out on site solving the problem or have decided to take the day off rather than face their customers. So I end up buying a few more hours at the Lodge after looking further around the town centre. Too wet I decide to go across to the park and get a fresh fish as planned, maybe tomorrow.  Bump into a cheerfull Australian builder who is just completing two years in Madang, warns me to be ever on guard for the roaming villains (called ‘rascals’) but assures me that this is the best town of PNG to be in and that I will be sure to love it.

The other day a boy, drunk on homemade brew was knocked down by a car next to one of the settlements and had to be taken to hospital. His mates spent the next day stoning passing cars and in the evening the police moved in demolishing a handful of shanty houses. One of the councillors is upset but I’m not sure what she is going to be able to do.

Am sharing an office with the Building Control officer who deals with 2000 applications a year, and Sonia, the Parks and Gardens officer. There is another desk for the Town Engineer (post vacabt for some time). No windows but acceptable climate due to air-conditioning when we have power – on Thursday we lost power and boss Titus had to rush to the electric Company’s office in town to apparently pay a bill and get re-connected. Never a dull moment!

problem with picture uploads agaon.... sorry