Some strange sightings, etc.

Some strange sightings. One thing good about living in the bush (I live 10 miles away from the city so I consider myself a bush-dweller) is that you get to see nature up close. I was on my way home when at the corner of my eye I caught a glance of a huge brown bird the height of a 10-year old child, prancing around the backyard of our research director’s house. Turns out he has a pet Cassowary, a flightless bird native to PNG and Australia. Adult Cassowaries have black plumage while adult chicks, like the one I saw, have dull brown coloration. I also saw a pair of red tree kangaroos at a hotel downtown as well as another tree-dwelling animal called Cuscus, a type of possum, all native to PNG. People catch Cuscus for its meat, while the fur is made into bags. Poor thing, it’s too cute to be eaten (and worn).

No gat. “No gat” is my favourite Pidgin phrase. It means I don’t have or there’s none, “no got.” Makes sense doesn’t it? I don’t know why but I just find the phrase very amusing and downright convenient. You go to a store and ask for something that happens to be out of stock, they tell you “no gat.” Someone begs you for some money?, simply say “no gat.”

Good night. When someone bids you “good night” at 6 in the evening you might think the other person is nuts. Who in his right mind would go to bed at 6? At least of course he is working night shifts or something. First time someone greeted me “good night” on my way home at 5pm here, I couldnt fight the urge to stop and tell the poor guy that I wasn't going to bed yet! For some reason, “good night” in Pidgin actually means “good evening” or even "good night."

Pinoy bonding in PNG. In Japan, bonding comes over a game of badminton, or singing your heart out at a karaoke bar. But in PNG where you might probably end up beaten to a pulp if you insist on amusing yourself at a local bar, how then do expatriates, specifically Filipinos, bond? Well, they go to a local ukay, among other things. Ukay or second-hand shops are quite popular this side of the world. With goods coming from Australia and New Zealand, they offer better variety than their counterparts in the Philippines. What more, locals don’t really care much about whether it’s a Levi’s, Esprit or Gap they’re buying so that leaves fashionistas (like me) very happy. Some people may frown upon ukay but hey, even Miriam Quiambao and some well-heeled people frequent the ukay shops in Manila! Besides, there is only one department store that sells western clothes downtown, and it’s not even good enough. Just give your ukay finds a good wash, boil if you must and there you go!