Always good to have a Plan B up your sleeve, but today both Plan A and Plan B came off. As the clock ticked closer to 5 pm I was starting to think I was going to have an enforced detox for the next 2 months, but a text came through from a Swiss guy I'd met at the weekend to say, "Be at front gate in 5 minutes". After running home to grab some money and switch my Blackberry for my cheap mobile that I wouldn't miss if robbed, I headed into town with him and his companion. The bottle shop was not large, nor well stocked but had the redeeming feature of being open. I soon discounted the spirits as the imported prices were outrageous - $100 for a small bottle of vodka or Bacardi. So I bought a dozen bottles of wine (which equates to 1.5 bottles a week for the next 2 months if I don't share which is unlikely, not that I'm counting…) though given the hot conditions in the shop and the strange yellowy colour of some of the contents, I am not entirely sure that all the bottles will make the grade. And a snip at just over $300! Plan B was having asked Liz at the Lodge to buy some bottles there that I would reimburse her for. It always pays to have a commodity in short supply… something I learnt from my Russian days when I traded well above my weight! Smuggling the alcohol onto campus also proved to be a breeze – thank you Faculty Dean!
I did see a couple of machetes being carried around in town today and it is amazing how quickly you develop a tolerance for seeing weaponry around. They were decently wrapped though, covered in wee sheaths which naturally makes them much less threatening…. I heard a lovely story the other day of someone seeing a man on a domestic flight carry his machete onboard, complete with little 'Security checked' sticker. How cute!
I found out today the real reason why I wasn't able to get a lift from Koni last weekend. There was nothing actually wrong with the car he used, but somebody had driven it to Lae and on the way back had overtaken rashly and caused a double bus crash. Nobody was badly hurt but given the PNG system of 'pay-back' or taking revenge, it is not a good idea to be seen out and about in that vehicle for a few weeks.
The caution being advised by the DWU staff is more extreme than what I am being told by some Westerners who live here. I found out today I am not getting the maintenance guy's car – I am not sure why, so I asked somebody in the VC's office about my idea of getting a push bike but was told that was not safe either, and advised again not to even walk to the Lodge. I pointed out that even a few other white females had told me that was safe in daylight hours but the very polite rejoinder was that they weren't tall, blonde, and new in town. At that point I am afraid I lost my cool and may have said with some feeling something along the lines of, "But I am going to lose my mind!' So from tomorrow, Koni is going to drive me to the Lodge each day so at least I can get off campus and use the fitness centre. Hallelujah, as I like my mind, I am quite attached to it and I wish to retain what is left of it!
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