Misc.

One thing I really love about Port Moresby is that wherever, whenever I am reversing my car, there will be someone there with a friendly hand to direct traffic and guide me out. I love this free service, even when it leads me to parking in places I didn't want to or my car pointing in the wrong direction. Even when it comes to this, I still wave my thank you and keep smiling:

In other news, this week I had to undertake the at-home invention test with corn. As now is the case - I felt the presence of George, Matt and 'that other guy' watching over me in the kitchen as the clock struck 7.30. I had 60 minutes to prepare a nutritious family meal that was tasty, creative and featured the key ingredient. I didn't know what I was doing, or where it was going to go, and I knew the judges were a bit worried about my lack of a plan/direction. In the madness of it all I started to boil water - just because. And then I just went free-form (man). Outcome: potato cakes with haloumi and lemon served on corn + red pepper salsa with a coriander/lemon/garlic sauce. It was full of pretty colours and lots of nutrients. Success!

*****

One thing you never want to see your baby do in the supermarkets of Port Moresby (or any place) is lick the handle of the shopping trolley while you are pulling something off the shelf.

*****

A small step for baby-kind

Our baby is crawling - it's really something!

These milestones can be ho-hum, I admit ... but I am really in awe of this period, watching her evolve from baby into baby-shaped small funny person. It seemed to all come at once, but now she is rocking out in her little world; she (appears to) read books, laughs at actual funny things, and comes to me when I call her. This - I love! (Must try not to call her as though she is dog, but sometimes the lines are blurred, esp. when I ask her if she wants to go on a w-a-l-k).

She has become an avid bird watcher as captured in the below:

She actually has a scream of joy when the breadwinner walks through the front door every night. Oh how we love the scream of joy.

Ok - enough baby love for one day.

Over.

More Moresby, streetside.

Mould Catcher

I spent a lot of the weekend chasing mould - it just keeps cropping up. I guiltily and diligently keep the AC going for hours at a time to STAMP OUT mould, but I am losing the battle. Much of Emerald's infrastructure ended up on the lawn in the sun, it looked like a garage sale.

And as for the "GREAT DEBATE" last night, it was a long hour that saw me drift over to unpacking the dishwasher and straightening the tea towel drawer. What does this say?

In another slightly odd moment over the weekend, I found myself standing in the kitchen, staring out the window wondering what it would be like to vote Liberal ... "Why not? ... What difference would it really make? ... Maybe I'd like it? ..."

As soon as I caught myself in this zone, I ran up the stairs and changed out of my crisply ironed Country Road shirt (thankfully collar still turned down) and pulled on a second hand tee bought from the Fly Market with the sleeves cut off and and an unhappy looking animal on front declaring 'Wanted Alive'. Much better.

And Masterchef ... as my beloved declared this morning "now we can get our lives back". We sat around until 9.30pm last night for it to begin, and were engrossed ... endured regional ads .... engrossed .... endured more regional ads .... fatigued ... started to doubt why we were still on the lounge at 11pm ... watched more regional ads and then finally saw Adam get showered in pretty gold sparkles and of course - cry. What a great dessert though! Oh how I want to eat it.

A week of violation

There was the wax earlier this week ... when the girl found it hard to accept I didn't want a brazilian. And although this seems kind of impossible, strip by strip she tried to actually sneak one in ... ummm I WILL KNOW IF YOU GIVE ME A BRAZILIAN. And just as a side project, she waxed a strip off my thigh. No I was not getting my legs waxed, and no - I did not ask.

And I paid in full with a smile on my face. The torment!!

No - I did not give consent for my haus meri to 'loan' my undies to her daughter. But it has happened, and I have been reassured all undies concerned have been thoroughly washed.

Pay rise?

Washingtom DC a go-go!

Oh my, what a groovy Foreign Correspondent last night. Very funny to see dorky white ABC journo in the thick of some serious musique and vibe in downtown DC.

Check it.

Some more pics of Moresby from the passenger seat.

What has she seen?

Oh I can't stop talking about Master Chef. ... Yawn. Am now completely enthralled, along with the other 20% of our nation.

Why the hell is Jimmy still there? He is the annoying Mr Average - rissoles, ice-cream served in a saucer (???), evil streak to bring comrades down .. just an all round pain in the ass. Even bigger pain now that he is down to the serious end of the competition. Be gone with your turmeric!

Quite settled into the jive of compound life this week. Loving this burst of breezy dry summery days and the chance to go easy on the air con. Emerald is loving birds and trees, and often stares wistfully out the window with her hand delicately dangling somewhere mid air ... before she then proclaims "bird". I have raised a flower child! Chuffed.

Political situation here is completely nuts. Waiting for parliament to be dissolved any day ... but the big cheese keeps on keeping on. Meetings under trees, protest marches, lots of press coverage, heavy handed hard core question time yesterday ... but as far as I know there is still a government.

Oh, and there was another earthquake. Hmm ... a lot of rumbles in the jungle over last few days.

Dinner last night was supposed to be a salad ... which never goes down well. So I went with Asian, and am quite stoked about being under the tutorship of David Thompson. It's paying off!

Stir fried kan-kong (great local stuff here for 50t a bunch), deep fried chilli/5 spice bean curd, egg fried rice and chilli/soy dipping sauces.

Although I try to resist, when I am cooking now I imagine I am in the Masterchef kitchen ... was pleased with self that I could throw together 3 dishes in 45 minutes .... but was it GOOD enough? Was there enough of that special something, enough creativity?

Cannot believe Jimmy won the cake challenge ... he is the ultimate interloper.

Mondays are a drag even for stay-at-homers

The election was called over the weekend and I am worried already. My shining beacon-in-the night-Gillard has an appalling ad running on the TV already. Julia - you are better than this, why are you trying to sell steak night at the local RSL?

We went to yum-cha on Saturday. There are occasional dumplings to be found in this town! Not quite Hong-Kong or Sydney ... in fact there was one trolley doing the rounds for the whole floor. Eventually all parties gave up and simply parked in the corner where punters helped themselves to whatever was left.

Took some snaps along the way from the passenger seat ... the streets of Moresby on the weekend ...