Visit to Mongop High School After 13 years

Mongop High School is a catholic educational institution located along the Buluminski highway of New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea. This high school has been a premier educational institution in the early 60s through to the 90s and I was privilege to have graduated from this school in 1997.

Saying goodbye to the school and the province as it is commonly known as “Bilas Peles” in order to further my education and eventually find employment was a sad moment but with hope that one day I will return as an adult to see the place again.

13 years later, on December 18th 2010 I finally return for a weekend visit to the school together with my noble family – the chapaus.

I took my family and we walked down memory lane as I showed them my grade nine classroom, went into my grade 10 classroom and showed them where I used to sit in class. We saw the dormitory from a distance and walked down to the student Mess, the very place as a prefect on duty I would silence the student population and lead the prayer before meal.

It is sad to admit the fact that the state of the school infrastructures has gone beyond accepted building conditions. Also heard from people in the area that the school has been forced to closed mid-year and students did not graduate in the recent past. A sad fact knowing that a once premier institution can reach this state and a young dream in the making for a bright New Irelander as gone to dust.

We enjoyed our tour of the school and regardless of its current state and condition I proudly hold my heads high and thankful for this institution have played a part in shaping my future and even happier that my two kids and their mummy have walked down memory lane with me.





Local tourist to mongop high is
Tawali, Pondros and Jerry
our tour guide








Pisiolle, Christopher and their
Mum with the School Dining hall
behind them.











Walkway to that grade 10 classroom used in 1997.

That is the School administration office

Pisiolle infront of the Science Lab building

Boys domitory, my room away from home.

This is the school library












Famous school canteen










School Chapel. also used for graduation and other big school events.











My grade 9 classroom, still the same since I last saw it.

Happy 3rd Birthday Pisiolle Chapau!!!!!!!!......

13th day of December was a special date in the Chapaus calender as it marks our first born son's birth day. 2010 was his special year as he turns 3 years old and a very hyperactive kid.

It was a very small celebration enjoyed by the immediate family members. Pisiolle received surprise telephone calls from aunties and bubus from Rabaul and Manus wishing him a wonderful celebration and lots of love....

Above: Pisiolle blowing in the action of blowing out his candles... His energy came from the three little pig story of the big bad wolf.....I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow my candle out!!....

Below: That's my birthday cake...yep yummy "Black forest"....



Pisiolle cousin sister (Celestine) helping him cutting his cake



Above Left: Uncle Tawali helping himself with my birthday foods
Above right: My unties admiring Pisiolle's camera stunt.ee.

Above left: Mummy with Unty Jule and Benedette and sister Celestine and Sulianne.

Above right: Uncle Francis and family (unty Elsie and Celestine)

The spirit of walking together – 2010 pwc corporate challenge

The pwc PNG firm corporate challenge is an annual event to raise funds for the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Foundation and including other charitable organsations in Papua New Guinea

7th of November 2010 at 5am was the wake up call for the chapaus to go walking. There were alot of different companies bringing along their families for the morning walk showing different colors from all angles. The chapaus were blue in color

We really enjoyed the walk, our two youngest star Pisiolle and Christopher smiled all the way to the finish line.


Above left: Christopher Above right: Pisiolle


Mummy and Daddy doing their normal duty....

Christopher and Mum doing the last lag of the walk down to the finish line.

Everybody smile!!!!

Niandros, Benedette (carrying Pisiolle) and Betty leading the chapau team

The spirit of walking together as a family....finally reaching the Finish line after 1 hour of walking.

A little nap changing my whole day's schedule...

Saturday 2nd of October 8pm was my scheduled arrival time in PNG where I'd be hugging my family and chewing bettlenut to relief the stress of this long 12.5 hour journey.


But this did not eventuate, all because I decided to take a little nap two hours before my scheduled check-in time at the Perth Domestic terminal.


I was supposed to catch the Saturday 7:30am flight together with two of my friends who were heading back to India via Singapore while mine was through Brisbane.


That little nap surely took a toll on me, only to be ended when my mobile phone rang. I jumped out of bed and quickly grabbed my phone. I was so surprised to see the time and name flashing on the screen -... 7:00am...7:00am....


It was my friends from the airport trying to bid their last farewell. I did not answer the call as it became my alarm snooze - THE PANIC BUTTON WAS JUST SWITCHED ON.... I went into rush hour mode.


I quickly dragged my luggage out of the apartment (left the key inside as instructed by the agent) and into the lift at level 8 while calling Swan Taxi Service for pick up. The lift opened at level two and I carried my stuff one by one through the door and into another lift heading for ground zero.


As I was moving my stuff out of the lift I saw the cab drove into the parking lot. I immediately ran to the cab, ID myself and asked the taxi driver to help me with my stuff. He was very helpful. He even used his blackberry mobile to look up the Qantas Customer Service line for me to call and inform them of my situation.


At 7:15am, Brisbane bound passengers boarded the plane. My two friends were already inside the Singapore airline while I was at a RED light traffic somewhere in the middle of Perth. My head was spinning like crazy, my blood's flashing through my vains at full speed and in all direction as my call to the Qantas Customer service line went to the answering machine ....damn...Why??...Why???...Why did I have to take that little nap????....


7:25am, the taxi pulled up at the Perth domestic terminal and the taxi driver said "$26 dollars please", I paid my due and quickly loaded my luggage onto a trolley. It dawned on me that very split second that I had left one of my stuff back at the apartment. What the f###$$$!!!..

Fronted up at the Qantas check-in counter only to be told to reschedule my flight to the next available flight out of Perth and that was 11pm that evening. A scheduled 12.5 hour journey has now turned out to be a 30 hour journey all because of the little nap.


Consequence of the little nap:

• My journey has extened by an additional 18 hours
  
• Did not get to bid farewell to my Indian friends in person
  
• Left one of my stuff back at the apartment, a very valuable item
  
• Had a very uncomfortable sleep at the terminal for 18 hours

Despite the troubles I went through during this journey and the consequences faced, I did manage to get the stuff at the apartment on the same day while waiting at the Perth airport.

Why did I decide to take this little nap when it was nearly hours before my check-in time?? A statement came to mind - "THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON".

Sitting in the Perth Terminal while waiting for my 11 midnight flight I reflected on this very statement and the day that had just passed. And it clicked on me that on Friday night as I was packing up I made a phone call to my two year old son and told him that I was arriving the next day Saturday at 8 o'clock in the night.

My son was filled with excitement and joy through his voice on the phone and then he said "Daddy, I want you to come during the day" and I replied and said "Son, the plane I'm getting on is scheduled to arrive in the night". And we ended the conversation with a "love you daddy" and "goodnight".

If things really do happen for a reason, then this little nap I had, which triggered my rescheduling of flight happened for a reason.

My rescheduled flight allowed for me to arrive in Port Moresby (PNG) on Sunday during the day as requested by my son during our phone conversation that Friday evening.


HIS WISH CAME TRUE....


Do not take your children's words for granted.




(Above): Me, sleeping at the Perth airport

(Below): My two kids, Christopher (6months) and Pisiolle (2yrs). Very busy discussing Daddy's arrival plan.





(Below): Yep, Back home - My complete family

35 years since the day I moved out of the House.....

Who am I?, Historians and archeologists said I was once part of the continent of sahul, I am also known as a Melanesian (from Greek: meaning islands), Astrologist identifies me as being guided by the Southern Cross and categorized as part of the southern hemisphere.

I was born to the earth family and while still lingering on my mother’s breast, I was dished out into the world to make a mark for myself, determin my age, find my identity and give myself a name.

After all this years of being dished out, my aging Earth parents while enjoying their cup of tea decided to send out exploration teams to find their lost children and to see how they a going. Their eldest children became the exploration team to search and administer their smaller siblings. Yeh and they found me, drifting alone under the blue sky plotting my every move as the Southern Cross became my GPS.

One of my elder brother, Germany found me in 1884 and established a permanent presence and declared a protectorate over my northern coast while my other elder brother, Britian took similar action over my southern coast. The two elder brothers later combined their administrative rules of both the northern and southern coast and in 1906 handed me over to a close brother of mine named Australia.

Australia had a eight bedroom house and he let me stayed in one of the rooms after Germany and Britian gave me away. I had to live by the rules of the eight bedroom house and that means that if Australia said bedtime is 8pm, I have to close my eye by 8pm sharp. While still living with Australia I was fortunate to be given self governance in December 1973. The power of my self governances only extends within the walls of my bedroom but not into the kitchen, shower room, living room and the backyard of the eight bedroom house that Australia had at that time.

Over time, my self governance energy became so strong and my room became so small for my size that I decided to tell Australia on the 16th of September 1975 that I am now a mature adult and I want to move out of the house. Australia was comfortable with my decision and allowed me to move out but he said “have you already found a house for yourself to stay?”, I replied with a smile and said, “Yes, I have found a four bedroom house and guess what?, “I have named my four bedrooms by names – Island, Highlands, Momase and Southern and my Name is now Papua New Guinea.

My dual name results from my complex growing up before my menhood. The word papua is derived from pepuah, a Malay word describing the frizzy Melanesian hair, and "New Guinea" (Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who in 1545 noted the resemblance of my people to those he had earlier seen along the Guinea coast of Africa.

Today, 35 years on my inhabitants call me home and cherish me with all their hearts. The day 16th of September 2010 was marked with celebration through songs and dances to the tune of my local melodies.

And the PNG community based in Perth, Western Australia was no exception. They celebrated this day with traditional dances, string band performances and fun activities for both children and parents. No matter where we are, how small we may be, the power of unity still realises in our celebration and togetherness.

The National Pledge

We the people of Papua New Guinea

Pledge ourselves, united in one Nation

We pay homeage to our cultural heritage

The source of our strength

We pledge to build a democratic society

Based on justice, equality, respect

And prosperty for our people

We pledge to stand together as

One people, One Nation One Country

God Bless Papua New Guinea

Kaikai buai, saksak na tok pisin wantaim ol wantok stret....The Sion Family.

Sunday 12th of September, nothing good planned for the day but switching from TV channels to channels with no real intention of watching any particular program. All the while my work clothes was spinning in the washing machine. Then, all of a sudden at around 10:30am my mobile rang and I answered the phone - transcript:
Me: Heello..
Caller: Papu yu redi na stap, bai mi kam kisim yu kam lo haus. Narapla papu blo Lou na family blo em bai kam tu.
Me: Thankyou turu, mi stap tasol lo haus, nogat plan blo displa sunday
Caller: Bai mi arive in 15 minutes time..
Me: Ok..ok..klostu taim bai mi go wait tamblo lo rot..
Caller: Ok catch
Me: OooKey.

The caller was Mr. Kanau Sion and I have just been invited to spend this Sunday with them. (Photo to the right: The Sion Family - From Manus)




Photo to the Left: Kanau Sion na Mica (sine) - Fathers on a shopping mission with shopping list approved by the wives.


We papua new guineans love to have coconut juice in all our dishes regardless of where in the world we're residing. This two Manusians, Lou na Kurrti are seen buying canned coconut milk.

After the shopping, we took a detour to a local winery not far from the shopping centre...

(photo to the right: vineyard at the back)

We were given free glasses of wine to taste and not long we were requesting to taste different flavours of wine.. ..heee...we must have drank three glasses each...chance free wine ya...hee...eee.


After all these free glasses, we settled on this two bottle of wine.















It was a really fun filled family gathering, with all children enjoying each others company without any care of the cold weather.

The mothers were tuck into their corner chating away and keeping a watch on the papas and their laughing noices in the backyard..

Compliment to the mothers for a wonderful meal. Typical PNG made and surely SAKSAK was on the menu with boiled red snapper. It's been a while so I dived for the red snapper and a bit of everying on the table.

Ending the day with Buai, daka and Kambang even makes the afternoon feels like I was in PNG.


Children busy at their own games...



The Sions' residence