Wild times

So, return from England after a lovely, if frenetic Christmas break and bearing with me new teeth (plastic) , new glasses and sandals and full of happiness and bulging bags.

Back in Madang I find that a colony of flying foxes have taken up residence in the large mango tree at the entrance to our small compound. I had never realised just how noisy and boisterous they could be.  It’s party night every night and seems to be all night through – drowning out the noise of drunken youths on the main road outside.

In the office it seems that half the staff are still on their xmas break till sometime in February, the single phone we have has been cut off (unpaid bills) and there is no electricity although after two weeks it seems some new agreement on paying off our debts has been arranged. The Provincial Administrator having re-confirmed the town manager in his position before Christmas, and busy finding how to pay a substantial fine for ignoring a court order, has changed his mind and again re-appointed his predecessor  leading to more legal fighting and uncertainty. The Council’s proposed budget as usual has not yet been submitted to Port Moresby (it will be taken by plane with 3or 4 Councillors and the manager when they can organise tickets) so that we will shortly run out of fuel for the rubbish truck, stationary for the office and wages for the manual workers. Good to be back!

My own new year resolution to keep blogging regularly is already looking to be a forlorn hope but we shall see…. 

' waste' land wanted by residents to add to gardens

 'waste' land wanted for hotel development

 refuse recyclers house at town dump