Clown fish defending his anemone!

Alcohol abuse is a major problem here in PNG. Binge drinking is the normal pattern, drink driving is rampant, and violence and sexual assault against women is some of the worst in any developing country and much of it is alcohol fueled. So I may have thought I was going to do some pleasure reading and maybe join up with the sailing club, but yesterday I ended up talking about alcohol and health and experiences in the US at an alcohol conference here in Port Moresby (a couple people didn't show up so they asked if I could fill in for 10-15 minutes! I had 5 minutes to prepare.). Today is all about the problem with alcohol and youth in PNG so I'll be there again all day and I have a number of meetings set up with people such as the head of the mental health section of the Department of Health and the Chief Magistrate of the city. So much for "easing in" to the situation here in PNG!

I have not quite figured out my new camera's panoramic settings, but I didn't want to punish you by not at least posting my first attempt. You can get the gist of what I look out over every day. And that is not even all of it. At some point I'll have a Picasa link for more pictures.

Arrived!!

I arrived in Papua New Guinea finally on Thursday, February 14. Valentines Day. While not traditionally for me a holiday fraught with meaning, I now have a favorable memory of this particular date for the rest of my life. Stepping out of the plane and heading down the steps I was struck by the…how shall I say…oppressive humidity? Glancing over my shoulder at the plane as I walked across the tarmac I realized that I was the only one wearing a sweater, even a thin one appropriate for the atmosphere on a medium sized plane. I had planned to apply for my visa upon arrival in the country and was pleased to be towards the front of the line until I realized that I needed cash to pay for the visa. No credit. Fortunately there was an ATM that proceeded to reject my first attempt with my Citibank card. Not a good sign. Next I tried my Johns Hopkins credit union card and for some reason, this card was agreeable with the money machine. Out popped a pile of brightly colored money with a platic-y kind of coating. I also was given a balance of how much kina I had remaining in my checking account which briefly made me feel like a baller, but one kina equals 50 cents so that was short lived. I was also at the end of the line at this point as everyone else seemed to already know that you need kina. Not being familiar with local or even regional allowances, I didn’t even attempt to get back into my place in line. After about an hour I was finally through the line without a hitch.

Now keep in mind that I am not only wearing a sweater (now wrapped around my luggage handle), but I am also wrapped up in jeans, socks, and my trusty Chucks. I have been promised lunch upon my arrival so at this point I almost don’t notice the weather as my stomach is reminding me that I haven’t eaten anything since around noon the previous day save a bag of chips about 11PM the previous evening. Wayne has met me and we head to Airways, the super high-end restaurant and hotel overlooking the airport. Quite a stunning view, but not something you could have at any airport with more than one plane an hour. Airways to me looks like I’m on a movie set. There are huge woven fans above your head in the bar area that are swinging back and forth from a large arm controlled by a pulley at the end and a swimming pool at one side. Lunch was a curious buffet of rice, beef goulash of some sort, green beans, salads of various sorts, and some really really really good desserts. More about the curious food in PNG in general later.

We live on Ela Beach and have a 50 million dollar view. It’s a good thing the view is so spectacular because I’m fairly contained in this place to some degree. Security and safety in the place is a whole other story. 

I'm behind in writing about my experiences, but they will be coming. I've found myself to be busier than I thought I would be right from the start. And pictures shortly, too.

And just to clarify, yes, I will be doing some serious scuba diving and surfing when I'm there. And sailing. And hanging out at the beach. And visiting Fiji perhaps. Or Vanuatu. Or Singapore. And other fun things....

So I left the US on Monday, February 11 at 3:48PM, traveled through Chicago and San Francisco to finally land in Sydney at 7:45AM on Wednesday the 13th. That is about 24 hours travel time combined with a hop over the international date line. I understand they will give me that day back upon my return.

My day in Sydney was fairly uneventful. I walked around the city for about 3 hours, found some awesome Thai food and then crashed out in my hotel for a few hours. Now it's almost 1AM and I feel like it's time to get up and get moving.

At 7AM I'll be on a plane to Brisbane and then on to PNG. The adventure begins.

Papua New Guinea is one of the most undeveloped countries on earth. I'm hoping to explore some of the public health issues there including any alcohol policies and look at the effects of multinational companies on a developing country. And look at the effects when the transition is swift as in PNG with the discovery of oil and natural gas. At least these are my ideas for now.

Introduction

I am moving to Papua New Guinea in five days. My last official day at work was the 31st. I haven't fully packed nor have I visited Mama's on the Half Shell for the last time for a while although plans for completing both goals is in the works.

Papua New Guinea is a large island in the south Pacific off the northeast corner of Australia.