Getting an ex-pat-titude

I was sitting in a local establishment last night to have dinner with a friend when an Australian voice came over a loud speaker announcing that "The super jackpot is about to be drawn tonight. one hundred thousand kina is on offer. That's fifty thousand of the real ones." 'Real ones!' I kind of chuckled to myself at the fact that he basically labelled the local currency as being about as valuable as monoploy money even though of late the Papua New Guinean currency made a big jump on the Australian.


Like it or not expatriates are here to stay in Papua New Guinea and they are also important in a sense that they prop up a lot of the economic activity here, they bring in valuable expertise from the outside world some in fields not available to pursue here and many bring in services or start businesses which are vital to progress in a newly developing country.

It is hard not to get an ex-pat-itude in Papua New Guinea. A lot of the people who come from overseas to work here are sent by companies with great allowances made for them because it is felt that life here comes with great sufferance which needs to be compensated. Many businessman and workers only stay for 2 or 3 months at a time, some staying at pricey hotels every night, because they'll work here only until they can go back home. Rent in Port Moresby is astronomical. The rent for a decent place starts upwards of AUS$1000 and then there is the pricey end of town.

Most homes have a haus meri (female house maid) who will clean, wash, iron etc. The wages are small for these people but without this arrangement many homes would be without the needed income. The haus meri where I am staying quit her job as an accountant to be a domestic house cleaner because, as a Papua New Guinean, she was paid just to clean and it was less hours she had to work and more to look after her children. As ideal as it sounds to have someone to do all this for you what does it do to people, particularly children, who don't learn to take care for themselves?

And another thing is that ex-pats live in homes or compounds surrounded by security fencing and guards. Razor wire and metal bars are necessary because of the high crime rate which naturally targets those with money but it's unfortunate that it creates a kind of apartheid feel between locals and those from overseas. Because of safety fears you will barely find a light coloured face walking down the streets of Moresby but go to an expensive restaurant or a club like the one I was in last night and its like you're looking for the little black ying in the middle of the white yang (or is it the other way around?)

Then there is the double-standard treatment walking into the shopping centres. The Papua New Guinean security guard swipes his metal detector over everybody walking in until you, a 'whitey', walks past him and he puts away the machine, smiles and holds the door open for you. Not every Papua New Guinean has such benevolent feelings towards their feelings and nor does every ex-pat have such a sheltered experience when they come to PNG. I once met a New Zealander who felt right at home in this country. He couldn't stand trips back to Australia or New Zealand where he felt traffic lights, regulations and paper work were hassles he could get away from back on the island.

I've had a few conversations with ex-pats who tell me how much they hate going to certain, more isolated parts of the country (where they are usually put in hotels or self-contained compounds at great expense). I listen sympathetically because on one hand it is difficult to put someone who is use to the technology, the access to friends and family, the food, the entertainment and culture of wherever they are from but on the other hand it shows how far removed many people are from having a little hardship in their lives. I mean hardship to the extent that it gives you an appreciation for what you have and for the difficulties of others. There is a huge gap between the plight of the poor and the comfort of the rich in this country. This is part of the reason I'm pleased to be involved with an effort that can help to empower the population to take the driver's seat in their own progress and development. Hopefully one day coming to PNG to work will be an opportunity not a burden!