Areas of Unrest

QOTD: still haven't unpacked the quote book

Reading: Ayelet Waldman, The Big Nap

Listening to: Da Vinci's Notebook, Bendy's Law

Decluttering accomplishments: slowly unpacking from the move

1 September 2002 - While I've Been Gone

I do not recommend going on vacation immediately after moving. A month or so after would be ideal. That would provide time for all the moving related chores and the vacation would be a nice getaway from all that stress. Instead, I got to come home to the joys of unpacking.

I'm deliberately taking it slowly, unpacking just a few boxes at a time. I'm making long lists of things I need. My mind is still halfway around the world, though. I will do a travelogue, of course, but I need to find the USB cable to download the digital camera pictures. And I need to feel a bit more in control here.

Anyway, the trip was good. We had an excellent group. There were a few times I was annoyed at one person or another, but nothing major and there wasn't anybody who I would avoid spending time with. I'd have preferred a lower end type of travel, but there really isn't any safe way to do it in Papua New Guinea. Not that I felt in any particular danger. Things happened, but not so close as to scare me. There was a gunfight in Mt. Hagen while we were there for the sing sing, but that was in town, not near the hotel. And we had to go to Ambua by helicopter because election-related violence closed down the Tari airstrip for a few days. The whole story will have to wait until I am more settled.

One thing about traveling in the developing world is how much you lose touch with what's going on elsewhere. In Mt. Hagen and Port Moresby we had TVs in our hotel rooms and I actually managed to watch the Red Sox on ESPN from Mt. Hagen. (They lost, alas.) But once we got to the wilderness lodges, there weren't even telephones. Reading the newspaper today, it seems that nothing at all has happened while I was away. Or, more accurately, more of the same has happened.

On another note, the supermarket nearest me has a dreadful selection in general, but does sell Canada Dry bitter lemon. Not quite as good as Schweppes, but definitely acceptable. I need to find a good hardware store and a good bookstore (the one near work is okay, but rather small) and a good coffee roaster (not Starbucks, who burn their coffee) and all the other essentials of life. And I really need to find the stereo speakers, a hammer, and the USB cable.