Am unable to blog at the moment because of problems here with phone lines. My so called "broadband" connection is such in name only!!!!
I've been told it's because it is cloudy......hmmmmm, so I guess until it gets sunny I'll be out of action.
Have a great Christmas and see you when the weather breaks!!!!
Jules
This was taken at 6:00 in the morning......
....and this at 6:00 in the evening.
Ash falls have been so heavy in Rabaul that like my friends snowed under in the Northern Hemisphere, the locals here have to dig their way out of their drive-ways too!!!
Notice the depth of the ash behind the fence where it hasn't been compacted by vehicles.
An Operation Open Heart team has visited Papua New Guinea almost every year since 1993. Specialised medical and health personnel including surgeons, anaesthetists, physiotherapists, intensive care and operating theatre nurses and technicians all donate their time, skills, expertise and money to perform cardiac surgery on Papua New Guineans, two thirds of the patients being children.
Operation Open Heart is coordinated by the San in conjunction with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Nursing, medical and allied health professional staff, from all areas of Sydney and Australia, make up the team.
The team convert two ordinary operating theatres at the Port Moresby General Hospital into cardiac theatres. Operations can include the implantation of permanent cardiac pacemakers, surgery to overcome congenital heart defects such as “hole in the heart” or severe conditions such as “blue baby syndrome”, caused by multiple holes in the heart. The surgical program also includes the treatment of rheumatic heart valve diseases such as valve repair, the opening of narrowed valves and the replacement of severely damaged valves with artificial valves. (The visits also provide invaluable opportunities for PNG doctors and nurses to learn new skills).
Costs of this type of surgery alone would be $25,000 per patient if they were forced, or able, to travel overseas.
“Congenital Heart disease is one of the most common birth defects globally, affecting millions of children around the world” said Melanie Windus, Sydney Adventist Hospital’s Health Care Outreach Coordinator.
“It is estimated that one third of these children will die before their first birthday because of lack of appropriate care.
Following successful cardiac surgery, these patients lead active and normal lives.
Information taken from this site.
The wet season has started (thanks goodness - it has been so dry), and every afternoon the storm clouds gather and thunder rolls across the sky......
............although at times it is hard to work out whether it is thunder or the volcano - they sound the same. The other night a sonic blast from the volcano across the water, shook the house and rattled the windows.
Liam's next door neighbour in East New Britain has a great garden ornament in his back yard. Can you guess what it is?
The aeroplane had a wingspan of 12 metres, was 9 metres long and weighed 1680 kilos when empty. Capable of reaching a maximum speed of 545 kilometres per hour, it was usually armed with two small 20 mm cannons installed in the wings and two 7.7 mm machine guns behind the engine hood. If needed it could also carry up to 120 kilograms of bombs. This plane’s exceptional maneuverability and its range gave the Japanese a distinct air supremacy for the first months of the war in the Pacific.
Information taken from this site.
It's interesting to note that parts that couldn't be manufactured, were taken from these Zero components and used to assemble the Zero in the War Museum in Canberra.
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Sorry this is late - it was in draft all done, waiting to be posted but my server has been very slow and freezing and I was unable to upload anything all day.
Guava trees grow like weeds here. I have them popping up in the garden all the time. This tree outside my kitchen window is always full of birds that get the fruit before we do.
The trunk of the tree is quite beautiful.
This fruit however seems to have done a kamikaze off the tree onto the fence to escape.
Liam sent me this message in answer to a number of your questions re the houses in Liam's Blog on Dec 1.
This photo was taken as I half fell out of the car in my rush to catch these very friendly farm workers. We were on the road near Liam's place, along where I found the houses in my last post.
These farm workers were most excited when they saw my camera - yahooing and waving in enthusiasm.
If I jumped out of a car and took photos of farm workers in your area what would they do??
In Cape Town South Africa there now lives a boy called Liam, who was born here in East New Britain. He is able to keep in touch with what is happening here, and explain his amazing homeland to his teacher and class mates, by checking my blog regularly.
Hi Liam and a big hello to your teacher and friends. These wonderful houses that I photographed for you before I went to Australia, are out near where you lived.
Maybe with the help of Mum and Dad you might like to explain to your teacher and students how they make the wonderful patterns on the walls.
Just on dark yesterday we heard a hell of a commotion outside the house. Looking out the window I saw a large group of people chanting with drums and following this figure down the road to the beach. I grabbed my camera and did another of my "mad dashes". I asked if I could take their photo and with much glee they arranged themselves around the masked man. They told me they were going to a singsing down the beach. I took a quick shot and then nothing ....my battery died. I was so annoyed. The group was calling out "Take more, take more..." and all I could do was mumble and stump on back up to the house.
The figure seems to be in the form of a dukduk but is not the real deal. Can you see what is sticking out the top of his mask?
Heading home one afternoon I saw this rainbow out to sea. We pulled off the road and I jumped out and ran down to the beach.
The rainbow went right down to the water, although it is hard to see it on the photo.
I snapped a couple of shots but it disappeared very quickly. I turned to go back to the car and saw a stunning sky behind me but that will have to wait until next week.
To see more skies from around the world go here to Sky Watch Blog.
A few ex-Rabaulites and Kokopuddlians have asked to see more pictures of the road works happening around the place. So I went around yesterday to catch a few. The weather is very dry and incredibly windy so I had to dash back to the car when the dust blew up.
The new Post Office is taking ages to build but is finally getting there. It is across from Brian Bell, where the sport's field was. This is to be a new commercial area and all the roads around it are new.
I am standing on the Brian Bell corner looking towards Anderson's. The new Bank South Pacific is on the left. - where Rabtrads used to be and the new round-about is in front of me.
This is behind Andersons looking towards the market with Air Nuigini on the left. This was just pot-hole heaven. My little car needed planks to cross some of them they were that big!!
I am standing on Anderson's corner looking at the Fire Station. The new round-about here is taking forever it seems. There have been concerns that it may be too tight for the fire engine to fit around.
A friend of mine, a volunteer doctor from Germany, took this photo of a very healthy looking baby at Vunapope Hospital, Kokopo.
This house, on the outskirts of Kokopo, has a wonderful view...
There is always a mad rush to get home after the Saturday markets.
Although this guy was really cool and not rushing!!!
There is an amazing amount of road works being carried out in Kokopo at the moment.
Every street seems to be under construction. Not that I am complaining I might add.
