Finally graduation!

And finally a journey that started earlier this year finally ended at Lae International Hotel when we graduated!
I have truely enjoyed the journey when we undertook this Postgrad Certificate course at Griffith University.

First visit to Suncorp Stadium

I remember I began watching rugby league as a kid in the late 80's. I remember watching the state of origin on TV when the game was played at Lang Park (which is in Brisbane, Australia) which was the home of the Queenslanders. In the late 90's Lang Park was redeveloped to become what is now known as Suncorp Stadium. It currently can fit just over 52,000 seats. Its massive. It has so many amenities but i just couldnt list them all. I think the obvious ones to point out are that it also has around 25 food and beverage outlets, around 34 bars and 5 ATMs.

One of the entrances into the stadium

We (my colleagues from Griffith course) got to watch rugby union match. It was a test match between the Argentina Pumas and the Australian Wallabies. It was Will Genia's last game and he played well. We all cheered whenever he did something great on the field. Here is the story Wallabies beat Argentina 16-10 in Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane

Myself with the King Wally..lol

Getting ready to start with teams warming up

The games started and the group looks on

Waving them Wallaby flags

Joseph, Jimmy and Tony focus stret..lol

Midway through the game. Two giant screens shows the game.

After the game we all meet in before we make our way out

Myself, Gigil and Irene meet up. HM UP!

I, off course, wasn't too interested in the game as I think i was overawed by the place itself. It was huge and the noise was intense. There were over 30,000 people and I could see people behaved themselves but those who were a bit cheeky had the security come take them out of their seat. I guess the match was not too great at times because we had to do the mexican wave which was too fun to take part in and see the wave swell as it moved through the rows of the stadium.
It was my first visit to a stadium in Australia and it was great fun.

Catching Up

Its not too often that university class mates catch up.
Our lives are often filled with work, family, sport, recreation etc so it is indeed rare to ever meet up in one place. Well this week, I had the opportunity to meet some of my class mates from university. It had come at an unfortunate time as one of my class mates sister had died so we went to the 'hauskrai'.
Best tumas!

Beemo, Priss, Chuggy and myself with the kids

Beemo painting Loperth's nails

A visit to the Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Im always fascinated by Aboriginal culture and this visit was very informative!
Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre is based at the foot of Burleigh Headland National Park in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast, alongside pristine Tallebudgera Creek.

We first visited the centre building where they gave us a talk on the history, peoples, art & craft and cultural activities of those who had inhibited the Gold Coast area long before it became a city like what it is today. We were fascinated by their stories and then they performed traditional dances showing times and seasons, animals, journeys and many more.

After this session, we went on a walk along the Centre's footpath. It was enjoyable to see birds, smell the sea, meet other walkers and experience the lifestyle of those who had come to love this place.

Southbank

I have always heard about this place but to actually see and experience this place just feels so right. Southbank is just right in the city of Brisbane. It is just outside the Griffith University campus in Brisbane so as soon as class ends, you just walk out and then you are already on the part of the stretch that is Soutbank. I noticed that it is really a peaceful place to walk, run or exercise.

People ride, walk or jog along the bank of Brisbane River

Im standing at Southbank while Brisbane city is in the background

At night

Myself, Jimmy and Gigil enjoying the afternoon walk

Thinking about things...

Im standing on the beach at Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia

Sometimes He plans the most remarkable things in His own way....things that we have lost faith in and takes the pain away in the most unexpected of ways. We question the way things are. We ask why. There are more questions than answers. But we never give up. We should never loose faith on He who holds our breath in His hands. We hold onto His promises each day.

Australian Outback Spectacular

This was a night I just wish my three kids were here to see - it was just too beautiful!
The group was invited to attend the Australian Outback Spectacular which was around 45 minutes from with the bus shuttle from where we were staying. The AOS (just to save time tying the whole thing) is one of the Gold Coasts must see tourist attraction. It is a Village Roadshow theme park where a story of love happens along the backdrop of the harsh but stunning Australian outback.
It was just like a move with lights, music, great acting, great props and stunning visual artistry.
Of course we ate a three course meal and had wine!

Surfers Paradise

I have always heard about this place called Surfers Paradise. Well now I am finally here at this famous place in Queensland. Surfers Paradise as I learnt is a coastal suburb along Gold Coast city. The place is clean, has efficient transport and many shops too.
The beach itself is clean and stretches for a long way along the coast. In the mornings, I would come down to the beach and walk along the cement footpath. There are so many people walking and running to get some exercise in the morning.

Early in the morning at around 5.30, the sun is already up

Experiencing the sand on the beach

Looking from the room back to the beach

Myself with Wattie exploring the place on foot

Beating Sago

Beating sago the Kurti way.... (Kurti is a language group on the north coast of Manus island, PNG).


The men and boys beat the sago this way and then the women collect the pulp in bags (see two bags already filled) and then wash it using a filtration and decanting process.

The bow (n'drangkei) that Iam holding is made from the root of tree. At the edge of a bow, we attach a piece of bamboo (modou). As we lift the bow and strike the sago, it is the bamboo that scraps the sago off. The finer the sago pulp, the easier to wash by the women thus more sago is produced. A really mature sago tree like this (which is sectioned into three parts) can in total produce between two to four 10kg bags of sago

Lorengau Market

Lorengau market at its best!

I remember the old market where the roof and benches were wooden. But the new market built with money from Australian taxpayers looks good. However, I think the thing Iam most unhappy about is that the sale of store goods at the market. I wish the management would place these sellers somewhere else and let the people who sell garden produce be the majority in the marketplace.

 The market is still the most popular place to hang out. You get to meet relatives and friends here. You get to eat food from the sea such as smoked fish, sea shells and garden food like baked cassava and down it kulai (coconut juice). Life is pretty must simple for most people here in Lorengau.

But being at the market too, one can see that people struggle to sell their items too. For those who come from the outer islands, they have to bunk up with wantoks (relatives) to sell their fish. This is the same for those who travel down from the highway. They either walk down or catch a PMV. Life is not easy for many people too.

The story of a chase

My father tells the story of how he, Ku-u and Paleh chased a cuscus ('kapul' in tokpisin). Cuscus are marsupials, even though they have some appearances, traits and attributes like those of lemurs of Madagascar, which are prosimians. Most Manusians living in Manus have eaten cuscus since childhood. It is quite difficult to locate and catch them as they live high up in the trees. Young men who are really good at catching them can get three or four a day. It is not easy as one has to venture deeper into the forest and spend the whole day walking through the forest to locate one.