Food

I have previously blogged about the abundance of fruits and vegetables here. In this blog I would like to list out the options available to an individual who does not wish to cook on a given evening and chooses instead to patronise a local hashery. Below is a comprehensive list that will serve you well should you happen to find yourself in Goroka:

Kai Bars - They all have the same menu of chicken, chips and lamp flaps but some add secret herbs and spices to their fried chicken and have windows. Kimi's at the back of SVS is a quite popular with executives out for a power lunch.

SVS - a supermarket with a bakery at the back. Stocks pies, sausage rolls, cold burgers and egg sandwiches. Another popular lunch venue.

Bird of Paradise - You can get most western food here for around K25-30. Stay away from the pizza.

Pacific - The other fancy place in town. Definitely order the BBQ chicken pizza. Rest of the food only serves to normalise your taste buds so you can truly appreciate the pizza once more.

Mandarin - Every city needs a dodgy chinese place. Stay clear unless you enjoy pork trotters and bland noodles cooked the night before.

****

Claire's - Can somehow turn 2 onions, a tomato and a cucumber into a feast. We're going over to her place for dinner tonight. Waste no time in making friends with her.

Celine's - Argued by some to be the original Claire. Though I was quite impressed with the quiche and stuffed capsicum but sample size (of 1 dinner) is still too small to topple Claire's throne.

Em tasol.

I'm ok

I wanted to avoid talking about it because of the fear and worry it would have caused amongst my well wishers. Looks like the Australian media had no such qualms about it. The constant news articles in SMH and The Age in the last days have had many concerned friends and family worried about my safety.

Firstly, thank you for all our emails, facebook messages and texts. I personally have not been harmed and am holding up ok. I will not comment on a public blog on the happenings but rest assured that I'm safe and in no danger. It was a truly a freak incident and definitely not the norm. I feel quite safe in Goroka and have never once felt that I was in any physical danger.

The incident has left us all in a pensive mood here - more out of concern for our friends that for our own personal safety. We have also been given utmost support from AusAid and VIDA for which I am extremely grateful.

Thank again.

Can we please just change the topic now?

:'(

Our thoughts are with you buddy.

PSP project and Port Moresby

Moresby seems like a city built for expats. Nice hotels full of mainly expats, fancy restaurant with even more expats. Shopping centres stock expensive imported merchandise that no local can buy (mushrooms for $30 a kilo). All of this is quite a contrast to Ghana with it's one Shop Rite and a few shops in Osu.

I got to know the PSP project a little better. It's quite ground-breaking especially in this country. Here's why: the Poro Sapot Project does HIV "intervention" (I learnt that this is HIV/AIDS jargon which mean whole bunch of stuff around HIV/AIDS prevention and support) for sex workers and men who have sex with men. Both of these are illegal in the country. The PSP runs a free STI clinic for this demographic. The project also run HIV awareness campaigns, works with government on policy changes and also educates the police force.

There is always a colourful crowd hanging in front yard playing cards or making themselves a cup of tea. I learnt the term "sister girls".

To POM

I am off to catch a flight in 20 mins to Port Moresby, affectionately called POM. I'll be there for 4 days doing an IT audit of the office, decommissioning old hardware and cross-checking the Asset register.

Later.