Saturday, September 28, 2013

Steering clear of the dark side.

So I begin this post by saying yes, its been forever. Not to say nothing has happened but exactly the opposite, too much has happened. One thing I've noted, if youre young, have a good career and perks and single, the tendancy for people to make up stuff about you like your kidding about your age, you must be married, etc seems to skyrocket exponentialy. Also it seems to be a winning formula for attracting fools who think its okay to scam you and then lie through their teeth like the antisocial personality disorder addled humans they are (fullfilling more than three criteria mind you).

But I learned a long time ago that it's okay if people talk like that because deep down, I'm still the woman my mother raised me to be. Yes, the truth of the matter is that after work all I do is go home and study or watch TV and sleep and its boring but it pays to be comfortable in your own skin. I mean, hey someone's got to have that boring life. And being a tech head fits in with the homebody lifestyle a great deal.

Speaking of technology, its amazing what has been thought up to help the world of medicine. Just returned from the PNG Medical Symposium and my my, the stuff I wish we had. Imagine having the lab back up to do viral cultures at each hospital, to do genetic studies to predict disease, to be able to do fiberoptic scopes at every hospital. Okay, pretty much still a dream outside Port Moresby but still. I know most people will say, forget the technology, what about all the people dying from diseases like Malaria and TB, but I say, look to the future of what we can offer our people. Lets not live in the dark ages of medicine and guess fire work (I think it must be this so I will guess and treat with this). Dont you wish you could say: I think it is this so now am going to investigate, prove that it is this and then treat? What a day when that happens in every place you go to in PNG down to the health centre level.

So I've decided not to live in the dark ages, to try and strive to see where the light of education and information leads me, and definetaly to steer cleer of people who dwell in the shadows of disbelief, dishonesty, those who try to change who I am for the worse. I figure I am one paduan steering clear of the dark side. May the force be with you all.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Moving back to the relatively real world

So I had to move recently to grow in this career. Turned on the phone and noted 3G network, more than two radio stations all in english and increased human traffic on the streets. Now I note that I miss that little beach town I had to leave behind. Walked to work this morning and noted the many vehicles, the noise, the dirty drains and my thoughts turned back to walking to work along the beach, pausing to note the size of the waves and the colour of the sea. I'm homesick for the town I left behind.

Standing at the airport when the plane landed and thought of the airport I left behind where my sisters all came. My brothers feigned excuses not to come say goodbye that they didn't want to see waterworks when I knew they were sad to see me go. The airport where my cousin hugged me and I knew he wanted to cry but was holding it back. Where my nephews and nieces helped me eat the chocolates I was supposed to take with me and where they insisted on staying while the delayed flight sat on the tarmac for an hour (it helps immensly that the sun doesnt set there till 1900HOURS).

Walked into the market and there was green produce aplenty and smiled as I thought of Koiya (a small Indonesian mini town) market and buying vegetables from the supermarket after the container ship arrives. But when a fight broke out outside the market and people starting running, I had palpitations and wished I was a million miles away.

So, yes I moved back to the relatively real world but I miss that sleepy little town where the sun doesnt set till late and everybody knows your name and respects your work. Where I found my voice, learned to lead and found laughter, friends and re-united with family...