A Successful Farewell…

BACK AT HOME

Mcdonald’s fries, fresh salad with cheese, water from a tap, soft couches, espresso coffee, refrigerated milk and electricity, they all feel so delightful and I have been relishing these comforts all day.

Our time in PNG has come to an end and with the team back in Australia and I hope that I can speak on behalf of everyone when I say that it has been truly a wonderful experience.

This morning there was no 6.00am bell and I woke at 8.00am to soft light entering a dark room. Having no immediate purpose but to get up and have a cup of coffee left me feeling slightly displaced. Last night I marveled at the silence surrounding me. In the past five weeks I had become so accustomed to the unusual sounds of nocturnal animals and rain on my tent that I now wish I had captured those sounds and brought them back with me.

Saying Goodbye…

Our closing days were emotional. On Wednesday night, the village of Kelkel organised a farewell dinner. We were experiencing our first monsoonal cloud pattern and the rain was coming down in bucket loads. I had though at the time that it would dampen the evening but as it turned out it dampened nothing but the ground and their spirits remained high. They welcomed us with a traditional greeting, delivered speeches, handed out gifts, danced in the rain and performed some short but humorous plays on the effects of poor sanitation on health! Our meal was eaten in a ‘Haus win’, an outdoor eating space built along the beach and we feasted on fish, cassava cake, taro, cooked banana, sweet potato and rice.

On Thursday evening the rain continued to pour as Laukanu put on their farewell dinner on. Each section of the village dancing from their homes to our eating space to deliver the food whist singing and beating drums; those who didn’t want to dance needed to hide because they swept up any onlookers into their parade. The variance to the meal was turtle meat, a great honor to receive but also something I haven’t yet quite been able to get my head around.

Our final farewell on Friday before the boats left was a surreal experience. I don’t think any of us were really fully aware of what was to take place. After a series of speeches, many thanks and a song dedicated to Sago Network, we stood in a semicircle as every village members came to shake our hand and say goodbye. Their overwhelming sadness was apparent. I had been pre warned that many of them were worried about us leaving and that there would be broken hearts and lots of crying but their display of raw emotion took me off guard.

From young children to the elderly they all lined up to say goodbye. They shook our hands, hugged us fully, endower us with gifts and wish us well with our onward journey. Their tears were genuine and it dawned on me in that moment how special and meaningful our visit was for them.

Together with the community of Laukanu and Kelkel, Sago Studio has built 6 new pit toilets, two new shower blocks, two new laundry facilities, 4 new hand washing facilities, revitalized two wells, redefine the water supply area and improved the landscaping to both the main shower/water supply and to the three toilet areas. This has been a tremendous effort and in reflection an incredible achievement for everyone involved within the short time period of 5 weeks.

Over the next few weeks we will keep you updated with the details of the exhibition and upload some more photos.

Thank you all for following.

Joanne Taylor

last day

shower block

toilets

A Big Hello!

A big hello to my family!  Missing you all very much!  I wish could share this experience with you.  Everyday is adventure, physically, mentally and emotionally.

We just had our Christmas & New Year celebrations, which were fantastic. There was a huge fire set up in the water around which we all danced at 12.  That night the locals kept saying how much they’ll miss us.  The Sago Network are also saying it to each other.  Us Sydnesiders have been teamed up with the most amazing students.  It not their skills but great personalities.  It really feels like family.

Just trying to find phone reception is an adventure whether we walk around the beach along the rocks with phones up or paddle out in canoe toward Dot Island not realising were heading towards the waves.  Take a look at Sandra’s post…..

Well once again I miss you all at home! I will see you soon!

Much love,

Domsy/Rakatany/Chuck Norris (My PNG Names)

Final Stretch

Now being well and truly into the construction phase, the days are sliding by fast.  I’ve found that by working hard the days go quickly, and also brings the team to closer to our target result, and things are really looking great.  I have really benefited from seeing the process of consultation, design, and construction fast-tracked while having my hands across all aspects, a fantastic experience across the whole process.

The wildlife here has also lived up to my expectations, with many previously unseen (by me anyway) species spotted everyday.  Today, I saw another beautiful bird, similar to our Black Cockatoo, with a loud shrieking call, and every morning I see Hornbills flying overhead.  With my love for reptiles, I’m always on the lookout for unfamiliar species too, and while I have seen many skinks, geckos, dragons, I was disappointed to miss a large python which Jak, Penua and Nixon spotted while bathing in the forest.

Being now into the final stretch, my body is holding up ok with just a few small wounds my legs. Some of the team are starting to have some minor complaints such as swollen ankles and exhaustion, however the story of Joanne’s tapeworm at mealtime was still the most unsettling.

I’m really my little baby and Katherine.  With each day closer to seeing them both, can’t wait! The food is also starting to wear me down as well, with so many things I’m missing, and while curried veggies are great, I still have a major craving for a good Japanese restaurant, or Harry’s Cafe de Wheels.

MW

Calling Home

Take 6 friends, an outrigger, an important phonecall and you have yourself a funny story to tell! That, my friends, is what I’m about to share with you.

I was feeling restless at night, and I needed to call home.  My lovely teammates decided we should borrow an outrigger and paddle out to sea in search of reception.  Easy as that we thought….! We’ve got a skipper, Domenic ‘Domsy’, champion rower ‘Lekei’, passengers Vesna ‘Vesy’,  Joanne ‘jo-jo’, Stephanie ‘Stex’ and me: no experience required, only the willingness to help out.

As it turned out and according to local reports, we were rowing around in circles like six lunatics, flashing our torches around much to our amusement, but to the confusion and concern of the locals.  Amusement turned into nervousness where we realised that we were rowing aimlessly, trying to dodge little waves, the sea toilets or capsizing in 1m deep water!

Poor skipper was squeezed at the back while champion rower was paddling her heart out. As for the scared and almost hysterical passengers……well, we were all trying to ‘guide’ Domsy and Leks by shouting ‘left, right, straight’………still no reception.

Then we see lights flashing from the shore so we flash back. More flashing and we flash back thinking that they were playing around.  Then Lek’s points out that they must have seen us paddling around and they are flashing the lights to guide us back home.  So the journey back to shore is filled with more laughter, ‘guidance’ and nervousness of capsizing in 1m deep water, also in keeping in mind not to head straight into the men’s sea toilet and bump out one of the posts!!!  Story to tell, a memorable moment for all of us and proof that friendship can and will achieve anything.  In the end we found out that Anticus, one of local friends, had a phone that could call out! That night I slept well knowing that all was fine at home, and to that, I love my friends dearly.

xx Sandy

PS – A big shout out to my family and friends back home! Only a few days to go but I wish we could still have another week or two