Wantok Weekly 20.08.12

Regular Activities

Aerobics – Body Attack Classes Monday & Wednesday 5:30pm Stadium Gym Entry is K10 Circuit Classes Tuesday & Thursday 8:15am Stadium Gym Entry is K10 (on hold until 18 Sep 2012) Saturday Morning Runs Saturdays, 5:45am Weekly runs starting from various venues in Lae. This run is not for the faint-hearted as it is fast paced & is anything from 12km to 21km long. Please contact Rhys Griggs for more info at: rgriggs@tepng.com

This newsletter ast Thursday the Lunch of the Month group held their annual “Birthday Lunch” at the Huon Club. It was attended by roughly 40 ladies all dressed fabulously

according to the black and white theme. A delicious Indian buffet was served (externally catered) and a bit of competition ensued as the group were split into teams for a few rounds of world trivia. With two lucky groups coming out equal on top, and only enough prizes for one, the drawer was settled using the good old fashioned method of “pick a hand from the behind the back”! The day wouldn’t have been complete without the usual raffle draws, this time offering more than 10 prizes to lucky winners. The most exciting being the donation of a gold nugget by Golden Valley Enterprise which took one lucky lady home with a big smile on her face! The committee really put a lot into the event with the organization, catering, decorations, raffle prizes etc. and they should be commended for their efforts.

Upcoming Events 24 August, 2012 Lae Oil Search / Mapai Transport Daffodil Cup Corporate Golf Challenge In order to help the PNG Cancer Relief Society in its efforts to assist the National Cancer Treatment Centre in Lae, we invite you to participate in the inaugural golf day by nominating a 3 person Ambrose team to participate in the Corporate Golf Day, and/or a donation of 3 sets of prizes and give-aways for teams supporting this event. Team Registrations: K2,500 per team Contact Jein Brown Ph: 7360 836 Email: blackcattrekking@blackcattrekking.com.pg Or Beulah Mapi Ph: 7362 1868 Email: bmapi.markhamfarming@global.net.pg To drop off cheque: Kapi & Clarke Accountants Ph: 472 7910 Fax: 472 7908 Email: jc@kapiandclarke.com.pg

25 August, Lae Yacht Club Commodore’s Ball “Black & White Twist”. Tickets K150 per person including food & beverage. Major lucky door prizes. Sponsored by Digicel and SP Brewery. Phone Alice for more info on 472 4091. 31 August, Early Chicks At the Lae International Hotel’s Aero Bar from 6:00pm. All Ladie’s welcome. 1 September, Lae Game Fishing Club Annual Presentation Night & Cocktail Party This event will be held at the Lae Yacht Club from 6pm to 10pm. Tickets are K100 per person and available from Niki Collins at mcp@global.net.pg Non-members are more than welcome to attend. 6 September, BBC in PNG Brisbane Boys’ College warmly invites you to join with our Head of Senior School, Middle School Housemaster, Boarding Housemother and Director of Admission to discuss the world of opportunities awaiting your son at BBC. See the advertisement on the following page for full details. 20 October, 2012 Markham Masquerade Ball The Markham Ball is being held again on Saturday the 20th of October 2012, 7pm. Tickets are K250 per head / K500 per couple & include live music, dancing, food & drinks. Corporate tables of 10 are only K2,500 & available until 30th September. Limited tickets available. Contact Roberta at 7351 5505 or Roberta.homeindustries@gmail.com

On this day in history–20 August 1896: Dial telephone patented 1908: Congo Free State becomes Belgian Congo 1913: 1st Pilot to parachute from an aircraft (Adolphe P,goud-Frnace) 1930: Bradman scores 232 in 5th Test Cricket at The Oval 1966: Beatles pelted with rotten fruit during Memphis concert 1977: NASA launches Voyager 2 towards Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune 1992: Rocker Sting weds Trudie Styler

L

Quote of the Week

“The most

wasted of all days is one

without laughter”.

E E Cumming s (1894 – 1962)

The next edition of the Wantok Weekly will be produced on the 3rd of September. Please ensure any submissions are emailed to jackie.burke@hotmail.com by Thursday 30th August.

Recipe of the Week Lime & Coconut Cakes Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Makes: 15 Ingredients • 125g butter, softened • 1 cup (200g) caster sugar • 2 tsp finely grated lime rind • 3 eggs • 1/2 cup (45g) desiccated coconut • 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour • 1/4 cup (40g) self-raising flour • 1/3 cup (90g) natural yoghurt • Shredded coconut, to decorate Coconut frosting • 100g butter, softened • 500g icing sugar mixture • 1/4 cup (125ml) coconut milk • 1 tbs lime juice

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line fifteen

1/3-cup (80ml) muffin pans with

paper cases.

Use an electric mixer to beat the

butter, sugar and lime rind until pale

and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a

time, beating well between each

addition. Add the coconut, combined

flours and yoghurt, in alternate

batches, and stir until just combined.

Spoon mixture evenly among the lined

pans and smooth the surface. Bake in

oven for 15-20 minutes or until

cooked through. Transfer to a wire

rack to cool completely.

To make coconut frosting, use an

electric mixer to beat the butter until

very pale. Gradually add icing sugar,

beating well between each addition.

Add coconut milk and lime juice; beat

until well combined.

Use a round-bladed knife or pallet

knife to spread . icing over each cake.

Sprinkle with coconut to serve.

Lioness Club of Lae – Visit to the women’s prison The woman’s prison in Lae is not a place you would expect to be doing a casual visit. However, the community projects taken on by the Lioness Club of Lae encompass many aspects of life in Lae, and this was one that the club had chosen to reach out to. Early in August a group of women involved with the club got together and boarded a Guard Dog bus out to the prison. Travelling with the bus was a van loaded with goods provided by the Lioness Club to help make the women’s lives a little less stressful. I think most of us were surprised at the calm controlled atmosphere that surrounded the small complex. It was also well maintained and neat and tidy. We were met off the bus by the warden and shown into the cyclone fenced enclosure, to a small multi-purpose outdoor room where we deposited our donations. We met with the 32 currently incarcerated women; there were also two who were not allowed to meet directly with us as they were in a punishment cell. This is full capacity for the number of beds provided. These women have committed various crimes, mainly related to domestic violence. There are also white collar criminals, and yes, also murderers. However, they all just looked like women trying to survive in a hostile environment when we met with them. And their faces lit up when they were handed light blankets and soaps and toothpaste, towels and face cloths.

I know that this is a prison, and these women have all committed serious crimes, but when you see the truly spartan environment in which they now

find themselves living, you cannot but feel sympathy.

However, the Lioness Club of Lae is not just about bearing gifts for those less privileged, but about trying to find ways to improve and enhance the community. Along with the donated goods already mentioned were two enormous boxes of wool for the women to use to create bilums for sale, the proceeds of which were to go back through the prison system to benefit the prisoners. In the past the club has also donated sewing machines and materials, and training in their use is provided by a local church group that comes in and conducts classes, all aimed at giving the women chance to learn a skill that could be put to use once back in the greater community with potential to earn an income. Also given out was a small box of toys, as the women are able to keep their children with them to the age of two years. There were two such children in the compound on the day we visited. We were allowed to wander around the enclosure and through the cell block at will, and we also got to inspect the small garden area and the rabbit hutches where the rabbits are bred for meat and their skins. Once we had covered all aspects of the women’s lives, we were treated to a sing sing of about three songs, undertaken without accompaniment, but with good humour and sweet voices. At the conclusion we re-boarded our mesh enclosed guarded bus and went back to our barred and fenced, razor wired and guarded homes. You see – we are all the same really.

Travel Review from the Lae Explorer’s Club The Big Trip - Alotau Once a year the Lae Explorers do a big trip. And this was it. There is so much to see in PNG that I don’t know how Shelley Knox narrows down the options to find a little gem like she came up with this year. Not only that, but in a country where accommodation and airfares are not inconsequential, she managed to make it affordable. Hats off to you Shelley! (Glad it’s not my job) Has anyone noticed a change of atmosphere in the domestic terminal in POM? Is it just that I was having a good day and nearly all was right with the world, or have they been trying hard to provide an actual service to the travelling public. I know I don’t get out much, but this time there just seemed to be an organised structure to the processes required to pass through said terminal. The baggage carousel worked, and although it was no faster getting the luggage, it was actually there. Going back the other way, the check-in was labelled with destinations and flight numbers, the queues were contained behind barriers and allowed to pass through one at a time, I didn’t have to fight and throw a tantrum with the official checking the hand luggage regarding weights, the x-ray machine worked and the operator smiled and shared a joke with me. And the shining stone in the crown of all things flying, there would appear to be a new food shop in the building, with serve-over cabinets, and food……. Ahhhhhhh, so I suppose you want to know now where we went to using such a wonderful process? Well, you can be sure it wasn’t Port Moresby. But we did all meet up there from our various respective overnighters, sixteen of us all told, and boarded a jet (wow) to Alotau in Milne Bay. We were met on arrival by our transport and taken an hour and a half along the coast with a quick stop at the supermarket in Alotau on the way. But we weren’t there yet! Next we transferred to a small boat that took us to a big boat that took us to Tawali Resort. Perched on a cliff of uplifted coral at the end of a promontory the resort sat

beautifully nestled into the surrounding bush with all rooms having a scenic view of water and trees. There was a certain amount of hilarity as rooms were allocated, re-allocated and then changed, and it was a free for all with the luggage, some ending up with none and others with way more than their fair share. Arrival at Tawali

What an amazing setting. There were two rooms to each little bungalow, set on poles on the sloping land, connected by wooden walkways that went between all the buildings and all the way down to the pool, set at beach level off to one side of the resort. These pole houses made for some interesting vibrations from one room to the other, which gave great material for jokes and digs in the next few days. Picnic on the beach

Day one was a free day, as we had started early from POM we were all a bit slow to get started and most of it was spent relaxing. Our next day was a surprise for everyone, Tawali put on a picnic for us and we all boarded the boat and headed out to Boiboiwaga Island, where the sun shone on our snorkelling endeavours. The water was crystal clear and highlights seen were a shy lion fish that just could not be coaxed out of his nose in position in a hole in the coral, and the largest number of neon blue fish I have ever seen in one place. Lunch was a long and leisurely affair laid out on a tarp on the white sands of the beach, and the

afternoon was filled with round island walks, beachcombing and more snorkelling. Skull Caves

Our third day saw us dropped off a quarter hour boat trip along the coast to visit the famous skull caves. A short walk from the village where we disembarked our guide took us to the first cave, where a number of skulls were clustered on the ground at the base of a sparkling calcite (?) deposit that actually enclosed one or two of the skulls. It was difficult at first not to be a little underwhelmed, until you considered the reality of each skull representing a previously living person. (No other skeletal bones were in the cave.) These, we were told, had been scattered around the surrounding countryside, as this was a tribe cannibalising neighbouring villages in a clandestine fashion and hiding the evidence. Hence the skulls in the cave. The second cave we were led to was even more inhabited by the remains of unfortunate locals, and had an offshoot smaller alcove that was positively bulging with skulls, and the odd large spider. From this somewhat humbling visit we walked back through the village and out the other side along the coast to a waterfall, where we were treated to the local boys putting on a show of leaping from the cliff into the pool below. Village Walk

Amazing what you can do to cheer

yourselves up, after returning to the resort we ate and drank as usual, then a hilarious game of charades, an even more hilarious game of bottles…….. Our final full day with all our members was begun with yet another boat trip to a spot along the coast where we were dropped off and made to walk back to the resort (they called it a beach trek). It was an easy flat walk through the local villages along the path they use every day, as most of them work at the resort. Observation Deck

The local Myers did a roaring trade from passing foot traffic that day, with many members returning with baskets. That afternoon we lost four of our team that had to return early, and we spent a somewhat damp and windy time playing cards and eating and drinking. It was back to Alotau in the morning and a night at the Driftwood Hotel just out of town. We had a fantastic wind down dinner sitting on the jetty out over the water, fortunately under cover as it rained a little. A small diversion was provided by a local running amuck with a bush knife, but hey, it just reminds you that you are still in PNG. So, a special thanks to the staff at Tawali for doing everything they could to ensure our stay with them was enjoyable and that we got everything we wanted from it. And to Shelley, bet you can’t do it as good next year!!.................... Shelley & John chilling