National Mask Festival

14th National Mask Festival was held for 16-19 July 2008.

This year, the venue has been moved from Rabaul to Kokopo.

There were lots of discussions regarding the relocation, but considering the fact that the Festival can not continue without the support from the private sector, it is logic when most of the business houses (including Hotels) are moved to Kokopo after 1994 eruption.

Some tourists stayed in Rabaul town (which is 45 minutes drive to Kokopo) had to wake up 4 am to see Kinavai ceremony which was coming to the shore of Kokopo this year. Despite that, they have enjoyed the sacred ceremony which, except the show time, is confined to the secret society members. The next Mask Festival is expected to held in Kokopo again in July 2009.

Future Generation

Visited New Ireland for Filming project.
I have first visited New Ireland in 1995 and so impressed with friendly local people and laid-back atmosphere. As I passed the coastal villages by bicycle (I travelled from Namatanai to Kavieng by bicycle in 5 days !), everybody came out and waved hands.
Since then, I had several chance to visit New Ireland but not really in the villages.
This time, I went to the village and was wondering how the place and people has changed.
But to my relief, it is not much changed after 13 years.
Photo: Twin sisters posing for the camera with curiosity and fear. Putput No.2 village near Kaut

World Heritage Site

Kuk Early agricultural site of Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea has been listed for World Heritage. This is first World Heritage listing in Papua New Guinea.

Soils of Kuk have evidence of garden draining system dated back to 9,000 years ago.

This makes Highlands of Papua New Guinea as earlist known farmers on earth.

Ironically, the Highands of Papua New Guinea was "Discovered" by Europeans in 1930s, and First Farmers in the World is regarded as one of the last-found-tribes in the world....

Detail of World Heritage as follows.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/887

Women only

We have women group all the way from Germany, visited Mt Hagen, Goroka, Lae by road and now in Port Moresby. The Group is made up of all women, meeting different women groups around the country, and guides are all women. Male staffs are only backing up just in case they need men power ! They met different organizations and shared the issues affecting women.
In the male-dominate society of Papua New Guinea, women are struggling, trying to be independent and to grab equal opportunities as men.
Remember, before being a Lawyer, a Doctor, a Pilot or a Prime Minister, everybody was born from the Mother; without women, nobody is given birth.
Cheers for all the Women in Papua New Guinea, Germany and all around the world !!

Jewels of Papua New Guinea

One might wonder what is the cherry-like fruit in the village. These are coffee beans, the Jewels given by the nature, and the most popular commercial crop in Papua New Guinea Highlands.
Unlike other countries, most of PNG coffees are produced by small holders - by individual houses or villages rather than produced in large plantations.
If you visit villages around Goroka, you will not miss coffee trees.
PNG is in the middle of Coffee season and run through around October.
We can arrange village stay (or day trip) where you can try to pick the coffee beans.
If you are tired of drinking coffee at Starbucks or Luxurious hotel bars, what about tasting the freshly cultivated world-class coffee in the nature ?