Wednesday 2nd November 2016
 |
| 2XS in Alotau |
Most of the
shops in PNG are owned and run by Korean and Chinese families. They work extremely hard and the shops are
very successful, and provide a much-needed service for the communities. But…they
don’t seem to assimilate very happily.
The Korean and Chinese children, don’t go to the local schools, for
example – they go to private boarding schools in the larger cities. And the adults work work WORK and don’t have
time to play, or chew betel nut with the locals…
In every
Asian-owned shop there is a sentinel, seated high up on a sort of tennis umpire chair, behind the cash registers, with an eagle-eyed watcher observing every single
transaction. NOT fun! Boring and stressful! I very much wanted to get a photo but it
seemed a bit rude just to snap away. I
persuaded Pete to ask one of the watchers in Alotau, and he was more than
happy, and beamed happily as I got out my iPhone.
We were approached
by many carvers in the streets of Alotau.
Some of their work was just beautiful.
While we were loading with fuel I bought the middle of these statues, a lovely
mother with baby and toddler and basket on her head. I am sad to say I didn’t buy her husband…I still
regret leaving him behind. Mistake! (They were quite expensive and I was saving my
kina for pamplemousse!!)
No comments:
Post a Comment