The Season Of The Go-Finish

The guards are changing, an end of an era, the closing of a chapter ... yada, yada, cliché, etc.

It is all a bit sad though. Lots of people who have been here since I first came are all heading off roughly around the same time. Doing a count I have tallied up eight mates around the country who are leaving for good within a month of each other.

Just here on campus there are three of us. Me and the other two who are departing during this week, including my good mate and next-door neighbour, Martin. I am going to miss popping around to his house, having a tea, or a beer, or a campari and soda and having whinge about Howard or Costello or Abbott, or hearing stories from taim bipo (before independence). Like I said a closing of a chapter is happening. I will make sure I continue the talks at some stage in the future down in Melbourne with him and the fam.

Yesterday we had a send off for another long-termer, who I will stick into the hardcore volunteer category (three years now completed in PNG and nearly four years in Vanuatu before). He is a little different, as even though he is heading off back to the Netherlands, he will most likely be back somewhere in the Pacific, either in PNG or in Samoa. He loves this part of the world too much.

The send off involved a mumu and lots of home brew, which unfortunately was mostly a tad warm (PNG Power gave us an 8 hour blackout). We still drank a fair few litres of it. Quite a lot (although not as bad as the other time 18 litres between four of us, was it?).

My own go-finish is closing in. Only two weeks away now for a big party at my place and then another week at work. The invites were sent out a little while a go and I am guessing with all the work colleagues and the mates left around the place, it should be a fairly big do. One last one at least before the coconut trees fade with the tropical sunset.