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1980s: A woman discvoers the wonders of Papua New Guinea and a few surprises along the way
1980s: A woman discvoers the wonders of Papua New Guinea and a few surprises along the way
In the wilds of the most diverse nation on earth, while she copes with crocodiles under the blackboard and sorcery in the office, Trish Nicholson survives near-fatal malaria and mollifies irascible politicians and an ever-changing roster of bosses – realities of life for a development worker. With a background in anthropology and a successful management career in Europe, five years on a development project in the remote West Sepik province of Papua New Guinea more than fulfils Trish Nicholson’s desire for a challenge.
Papua New Guinea is the most diverse nation on earth, rich in resource, natural environments and cultures – 800 indigenous languages have been identified……
The country is an enigma that defies consistent description and there are still white patches of ‘unknown’ on maps and flight charts that not even Google Earth has penetrated.
The author travelled to Vanimo in 1987, twelve years after independence, to work as a member of the local administration, implementing a development project with World Bank funding. She studied anthropology and wanted to understand other ways of life and alternative cultures. She quips that her somewhat dysfunctional family and childhood – moving around a lot – had prepared her for her future.
She came to Papua New Guinea with an open mind – now this memoir and a glossary of Tok Pisin words really helps to immerse the reader further into the book’s setting.
Destination : Papua New Guinea Author/Guide: Trish Nicholson Departure Time: 1980s
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