bikpela weekend

Another crazy weekend, full of action – packing everything I can into these last days and going a little wild with the last of my freedom here in POM. Out to Ozzies’s Bar on Friday night to catch up with my English mate and see a great jazz band – Freddy who won Ice Discovered (PNG’s very own Idol) proving to be much better live and with the help of a great band, than solo and on TV. An interesting night indeed. Met a cute guy from Mauritius who turned out to be a musician with a gig on the next night (big concert at the Country Club), and so Saturday afternoon I wrangled favours from Josepha and Wailoni and organized a lift into town so I could take up the offer of a ticket to the gig, and meet up with Island Baby and her friends there too. That arvo I went swimming with Mrs P at Gateway, recovering from the night before and preparing for the night ahead.

It was the girls’ last firehouse, and I’d promised them and Doris that I wouldn’t miss it – and it was also Sr St Francis’s Feast Day and in the afternoon Sr Dominica came over to invite me to have a celebration dinner with them. So Saturday night was certainly an interesting mix: dinner at the convent, where Sr Angela managed to set the scene for the rest of the evening by pouring out the wine and sending me onto the girls’ dance party already tipsy; dragging various teachers onto the dance floor and really giving it with Mrs Andrew and the girls all night at Firehouse; then being dropped at the Country Club by Josepha, Pia and Wailoni. There I met up with IslandBaby and her mates, and also my friend the guitarist who turned out to be playing with the ‘star’ of the evening, Justin Wellington. A good concert, although the place seemed nowhere near as crowded as when we had our fundraising. But K had got us passes to the ‘exclusive’ section upstairs (it was NauFM’s birthday celebration and she clearly had contacts!) so it was fun watching everyone from up above. Around midnight though they wanted to move on, so after a minor dilemma about whether to go on with them or stay with my musician, I arranged to meet up with him later and headed off with the girls to Lamana, where we caught up with a whole new bunch of people and did the rounds for the next couple of hours. Too much smoke in that place, and too much to drink, but a bloody good night with almost too many choices – Islands-girl ran into an old mate who was there with a bucks party, and there was one lovely young pilot… Think I made the right choice though – friend for life wins over friend for a night (even if very cute), and I’ll definitely be keeping up with this IslandBaby long after Sunday when I fly out of here. But I’m also blaming her for my very tired state on Sunday at the Gardens picnic with my girls - spent most of the afternoon propping up my head on my hands and trying to keep my eyes open. Finally drove home at 4.30, after the parents as well as the girls were telling me that I needed to go home to bed! Big, big weekend. Really going to miss this place.