Immersion at Airways Hotel, Papua New Guinea

The Airways Hotel is one of the best hotel in Papua New Guinea! It is an independent hotel and has over 500 staff, hotel rooms, apartments, restaurant, bars, cigar lounge, a good gym, retail outlets, a spa and only 2 minutes from the international airport.

The Health and Racquet Club was fitted with stunning décor, good cardio and strength exercise equipment, a lap pool, squash courts, sports massage rooms, saunas and nice beautiful Zen garden that overlooks the mountains, sea and the valley……..I loved the great positioning of the gym – surrounded by serene beautiful landscape with good fresh air. My room was so comfortable but unfortunately I had no time to laze around on the king sized bed with 5 pillows!  I forgot ………….each room had a Nespresso coffee maker with assorted coffee capsules !!!

Chef Arnitha and I were there to train the kitchen staff to cook Asian food and to conduct master cooking classes that were opened to the public. It was one of the most enlightening experiences in my life – working in a sophisticated huge kitchen but with lots of staff who were not hospitality or culinary school trained. This staffs were so quick to understand instructions that at times I thought it puts my staff in my restaurant to shame!

For about 3 days Chef Arnitha and I started work at about 9 in the morning and train and cook with the staff to prepare Asian buffet dishes for the Poolside Café at the Airways Restaurant. The staffs were than expected to replicate the same dishes for dinner or another occasion. My carefully planned kitchen tested recipes were not put to good use there as the genius staffs in the kitchen were able to gauge food ingredients by just lifting it up and then tell the weight! And measuring cups were hardly used as huge ladles were used as measuring cups. We had to substitute ingredients as not all Asian ingredients were available in Papua New Guinea. I realized that not much food is wasted. Even trimmings of vegetables are thrown into the stock pot. There is absolutely no stock powder, MSG or stock cubes used in the kitchen!! Everything is made from basic. The kitchen is well organized under the supervision of Chef Rajiv and Chef Ravi. Chef Rajiv is from India and he heads the Bacchus Fine Dining Restaurant and also conducts master classes. Chef Ravi is from Negri Sembilan, Malaysia and has several years of work experience in Vietnam. Both these very patient chefs had very calm, unassuming personalities. I guess it was the environment they were working. They did have their share of stories to tell of the frustrations of working with staff that are not F & B trained but they have got along well and at the end of the day, work was done and the hotel guests appreciate that.

We conducted a couple of master classes that were attended by the expats and the locals of Papua New Guinea. I enjoyed teaching and working in the well organized Bacchus kitchen – pride of Chef Rajiv! During this trip, I made some wonderful friends and that include the chefs, the cooks and some of the students. Special mention is to George Constantine, one of the owners of family owned Airways Hotel, Pankaj Pandey, Kevin Yaxley, Graham Ablett, Shankar Ghoshal and new girlfriends Ms. Allison Kindelspire and Ms. Debra Lam Murray. Everyone was a joy to work with and know as friends.

Am I patriotic to Singapore?

The husband mentioned something and I asked him “What is happening tomorrow?” and he looked at me cynically, almost angrily and commented “Tomorrow is National Day. You cannot remember it and you are not patriotic at all.” I laughed and told him “Well, you only remember it because it is a public holiday for you and you waited for this day; whereas I work every day and am self-employed and therefore public holidays are just another day”.

picture taken off the internet

What he said about met set me thinking? Am I a patriotic Singaporean? What is being patriotic then? My late father, used to tell my siblings and I that only when we vote or pay our taxes then we are true citizens of Singapore. Shanmugam puts out a Singapore flag outside the house every year without fail as he is patriotic to Singapore. I am glad for him. I have friends staying in HDB flats where the Residents’ Committee members go door to door selling flags and encouraging residents to put up the flag. Patriotism did not come from the heart for many!! It is even awful to know that some organizations wanted to try to break Guinness Book of Records by hanging the most number of flags on a said date and time!! Well, I do pay my taxes and I do vote but I never put out a flag.

I am not educated enough to understand politics thoroughly but I have enough education to understand, to recognize, to criticize and disagree when I do not like certain political views. And I dare stand up to comment or write to the Forum in the Straits Times without worrying if I am going to be called up or questioned by any authority. Therefore I think I am patriotic because I do not ‘close my eyes’ or behave like a hypocrite and just discuss issues I don’t like amongst good friends and taxi drivers!

I also feel that I am patriotic because I have compassion and tolerance for all the different races that stay with me in Singapore. Every day, I come across so many types of people everywhere. The Filipino domestic maids who wash the cars of their masters at the car park; the Chinese, Thai, Indian foreign workers who travel in the lorries to work; the European expats; the tourists, the PRs and all citizens of Singapore – all living harmoniously – that itself is being patriotic otherwise there will be racial clashes and fights.

Sometimes, I do ask myself a question, especially when I see Tamil movies or watch the Indian news on Sun TV – if I feel so much for the Indians, does it mean I am not patriotic to my country? I realized that being patriotic is different from being compassionate to people whether they are of your kind or from another community. So then does one become patriotic to a country because he was born there? Or can he be patriotic to an ideal country he chooses to be patriotic to? I think you can choose the country you want to be patriotic to.

I see parents bringing their children to watch the National Day Parade or even on TV – they are educating their children about the importance of patriotism. But these are the same parents whom I hear saying “my children have no future in Singapore” and they plan and save to send their children abroad and even encourage them to work and start a family in another country. I see little children with flags painted on their cheeks, I see people wearing red and white clothing, I see so many things happening around me just before National Day………..but how many of these people truly understand why they are doing certain acts or do they understand what is being patriotic to a country.

Will I die for my country? I will if I am standing in the battlefield with the army from another country. But I will not if a foreign worker is going to rob me off my day’s earnings. Being patriotic is about being respectful and trusting to our country just like we would show respect and trust on our spouses or children. Being loyal to my country is very important to me as well as to all who live here. My family and my community shaped me to who I am today and guess what; my community was shaped by the government here. Let us look at it this way – we cannot receive what we want for ourselves unless we give something from ourselves.

I am proud of my country. My red passport says volumes at immigration and custom offices. “I am from Singapore” is always said with the head up and big smile. “You are from Singapore” is always said by the other party with a smile too……..Singapore is a well renown celebrity on its own.

When I go overseas I give patriotic gifts to my friends and hosts. I may not buy a figurine of the Merlion to decorate my house but I will go for it when I want to buy a gift from Singapore. My patriotic gifts are ways to show love, consideration and appreciation to the country I was born in!! I feel patriotism when I give it to someone in another country and explain to them what it is.

I respect all people in uniform be it the army, the police, the nurses, the drivers or the NEA officers. I think they are patriotic too. Just wearing a T-shirt with the Singapore flag on National Day is not patriotic enough. One must treat Singapore like they would look after their homes – flush after you leave the toilet; don’t litter when no one is looking; don’t vandalize or urine in the lift. Don’t speak ill of the ruling party behind their back and then wait for the CPF top up. Pay your taxes so that you get good clean roads that are dug and re-surfaced every few years. Pay your taxes so that you get good telephone and internet service. Don’t try to cheat the government by under declaring your income! In your free time, do some social service for the under privileged brothers and sisters of the nation.

Instead of buying Gucci and Prada, go for locally made products as far as possible. Encourage your family to eat local fruits like papaya and bananas instead of cherries and kiwifruits. Travel round Singapore and know the roads, the back lanes and the place of interest very well before even talking about travelling to Johor! Get to know the stories and history of Singapore. Buy and read story books written by Singaporean authors. Buy and cook from cookbooks written by Singaporeans instead of rushing to buy a Jamie Oliver’s. Buy bouquets of Vanda Miss Joaquim and give your girlfriend or someone in hospital instead of going for imported carnations and roses! Make it a point to watch a Singapore produced film.

Well, instead of running away for the long weekend to enjoy a holiday in a neighboring country, stay back and celebrate with the others. Instead of watching TV the whole of National Day do some constructive work. Learn about each other’s culture and mix around with your neighbors and get to know them first before complaining that Singaporeans are not as friendly as the American who says “hi there” to everyone on the street. Instead of going to Cambodia, Thailand or Haiti to do social work, help the poor and needy in Singapore!! Instead of saying this is an unfair country; see if you have said something unfair after enjoying and indulging the perks you receive from the country.

To me if one does at least 70% of what I have listed above, he or she is patriotic to her country and I found out………….I am patriotic to Singapore!

What I learnt from PNG

Many Marriages

It is alright for a man to have several wives but a woman must be married to one man only!! I met Bundi, a chef at a hotel who has three wives. His Wife No. 3 who is 16 years old was a gift to him from the villagers. They gave him a wife as a present as a token of appreciation for all the financial and moral support he gave the village people.

Innocence
I learnt that lots of people think Indians only live in India. I came across a school teacher in one of the settlements and she asked me “are you from India” and when I told her that I am from Singapore, she was shocked and said “I didn’t know there are black people in Singapore!”. I simply burst into laughter.

Birthdays
Most of the older people in Papua New Guinea do not know their birthdays or their own age! And therefore I think only the younger generations of people celebrate their birthdays.

WanTok System
The most enlightening thing I learnt from the Papua New Guinean is the WanTok system which basically means 'friend' system or those speaking the same language. When someone needs something like money, a room to stay, clothes or has a big event like birthdays or wedding, they go to all of their friends and tell them about it and their friends will pool their resources and help contribute to this event – even as much as donate a chicken for the party etc. On a personal sight, I think this system will make the people poorer as they always seem to be going round in circles within their own kind of people and therefore not exposed to new things that is happening in the world. If most offices and the government is practicing the WanTok system, then I guess most of the offices and businesses are dominated by relatives and friends which may also be the downfall of the company or a government!! I guess in a typical office, all the staff who will then be relatives and friends will have more time to gossip and waste time. Guess what – if someone dies in the family, half or more of the office people will be on leave as they will all be relatives! Though it is nice to know that our relatives and friends will help one based on the ‘WanTok’ system – it also means the system will be able to breed a big chunk of citizens who will become lazy, expecting others to help all the time.  And it will be stressful on the diligent ones.

Pidgin English
They speak Pidgin based English in Papua New Guinea. It was interesting and amusing. Some words I learnt:

• Bagarap – broken – like you would use to break palm sugar. To me it sounded vulgar like the use of “bugger up”

• Balus – aeroplane or bird

• Bilong wanem – why?

• Belo – lunch

• Hamamas – happy

• Haus – house

• Haus meri -lady domestic maid

• Haus moni -bank

• Haus sik -hospital

• Liklik house – toilet

• Kaikai – food or it also means eat

• Kakaruk – chicken

• Manki – small boy

• Man meri – people

• Maus gras – moustache

• Meri - woman

• pikinini - child

• rokrok - frog

• sapos - if

• sista or sousa – sister

• susu - milk

Bilums

A bilum is a bag made by hand using string with a process called string looping. Well it is more like crocheting. It used to be strings made from plant materials but this days they also make bilum with wool and nylon strings. The use of wool yarns and nylon has brought about very colorful bilums that are highly visible especially so with the different color combinations and patterns! Every Papua New Guinean use a bilum for something or another – be it for carrying their shopping or their babies. I observed that men carried bilums with longer handles and women were carrying bilums with shorter handles. Some people carry the bilum using their forehead or neck!!

 

Food Matters in Papua New Guinea

  

Port Moresby has only a few large markets where fresh produce is sold daily and large supermarkets which sell local and imported goods. Every street corner you look, there is a little stall selling betel nuts and cigarettes!! Like all chefs the world over Chef Arnitha and I visited a couple of markets of Papua New Guinea. We went to the Gordon’s market and another market whose name just escaped my mind at this moment. I loved the markets I went – the tiny stalls are basically low tables with the vegetables and fruits displayed; some had the food stuff spread out on the floor. Everyone had a smile and was ever ready to be photographed! There seemed to be many jobless people sitting around chewing their betel nuts doing nothing except gossiping or following the philosophy of “life is but to sit and stare”. 

I found out that all markets in Papua New Guinea will definitely have stalls selling tobacco, betel nuts and sago flour.

PNG has its own native vegetables, fruits and nuts. “Sugar fruit” also known as passion fruit in other parts of the world is a common fruit. It is available throughout the year. You can go bananas over the types of bananas that are available in this island. Bananas are also one of the staple foods of the people of Papua New Guinea. Apparently there are more than 30 varieties of bananas from the dwarf types to the giant types used as a staple as well as cooked in the form of simple desserts.

Yam, Kaukau, sweet potato, sweet potato and rice is the staple food of the Papua New Guineans. The root vegetables are more often cooked with chicken or pork and coconut milk into a stew like dish. I guess ingredients and cooking methods will also vary from area to area in Papua New Guinea. Coconuts are used widely in coastal areas and therefore I think it may not be used in abundance in the Highlands. Spices are hardly used in their cuisine. I heard from some of the natives of PNG that one of the home favorites is sardines in cans and corned beef with rice. As for green vegetables, the most commonly used leaves are called the Ibeka – this is a kind of spinach. I also came across many types of dwarf tomatoes and chillies. But the chillies though small and pretty, are deadlier than the chilli padies.

I also came across another interesting food item called the curry nuts. They were longish, brown on the outside and white inside and definitely did not smell of curry!! I tried it raw and taste of an in between of coconut and almond. Apparently, the PNG people eat it roasted.

Most people cook over open fire and a lot of times it seems food is just wrapped in banana leaves and placed directly on the fire. If they have a function like a wedding, a large pit called the mumu is dug with rocks layed in and then the fire is lit it seems. I never got an opportunity to see this but from the description I get from the different people I spoke to, it sounds like a great way of cooking. Some leaves are placed on it and then the meat and root vegetables along with leafy vegetables like the choko (also known as chow chow in Asia) leaves are placed over it and thick coconut milk is poured over the food and more leaves are used to cover it and then the food is left to cook in the hot rock. It sounds so good and yet I never got an opportunity to try it! Pork and chicken is the favored meat here. Mud crabs are huge and meaty. They are literally covered with mud.

For the beer drinkers, Papua New Guinea has 2 beers - SP Lager and SP Export Lager!

Until I went to Papua New Guinea, I have had no idea that PNG produces one of the best coffee beans in the world!! Yes, the Arabica and the Robusta beans and the ever popular, expensive Blue Mountain coffee is also from Papua New Guinea. Most of the coffee grown in Papua New Guinea is organic. Coffee drinking is such a delight in PNG and of course I had to buy several packets of freshly ground good coffee. Each night I cannot wait for the morning, to sit and enjoy another cup of coffee at breakfast time….mmmmmmmm.

 

Papua New Guinea - paradise undiscovered by many!

Chef Arnitha and I reached Port Moresby by Air Niugini, capital of Papua New Guinea at about 7 am on a Monday morning. We were there for a mission – to train chefs and cooks at the famous Airways Hotel to cook Asian food and prepare the food for the Asian Food Festival lunch and dinner buffets for the next 5 days.

Few days before we left for PNG, friends and relatives have been cautioning us with regards to our safety. Everyone had a story to tell – “better to go in groups otherwise you will be robbed”; “they drink human blood”; “it is a country of uncivilized people running around with bows and arrows”; “don’t venture out on the streets after dark and even better during the day”. The last sentence was said by my mother!.

As I am typing this, I know one thing – never listen or believe until you see it for yourself!! The people of Papua New Guinea are just wonderful! They had such toothy smile. They are kind and humble and many of them shy. I felt as if I know many of them before. There are many poor people around but I certainly did not see any beggars nor did I come across touts.

 Although most Papua New Guineans have dark skin – they are certainly not like the Africans. Their features are softer and I hardly came across anyone with a bad complexion. Papua New Guinea is also home of Chinese, Indians, loads of Australians and New Zealanders. There are over 800 languages spoken in this island it seems! I was told that if you are a Papua New Guinean, you will be able to look at the structure of a person and tell which province of PNG he is from – example, whether he is from the Highlands, Madang, Central etc. 

Throughout my 7 days of stay at Papua New Guinea I came across only one spectacled person – which means their eye sight is very good. I did not come across any sexily dressed ladies nor did I come across a woman with make up on her face. Most people had frizzy hair that almost never needs no combing. Though majority of the people in PNG are Christians, I did not see an image of Jesus or Mary anywhere.

I always believed that Indians chew lots of betel leaves and paan but now I think otherwise. I noticed several people with bright red stained teeth and lips and found out that the people of PNG do indulge in betel nut chewing! You can see it everywhere – bright red dried spit on the road and on the walls. Apparently they chew betel nuts, limestone powder and a kind of stick called the mustard stick. Chewing betel nuts suppresses hunger and heightens the senses – to a kind of high like you get from drinking strong coffee I guess.

Our new PNG friend Fabian Chow, whose family owns Lae Biscuit Company Limited in Papua New Guinea brought us to what he calls the “Settlement”. A Settlement is established by migrants from the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea. Apparently, half of Port Moresby’s population lives in squatter like places called Settlement. Simple homes are built with pieces of aluminum, scrap kind of wood, plastic and canvas sheets. Here most people do not get water or electricity supplies as well as sewerage facilities.

Only a few people staying at the Settlements have a job or they may have very low salaried jobs and therefore every family lacks funds. It is because of these conditions that PNG is reputed to have violence, rape, prostitution,drugs and crimes. I heard car junking by thugs wielding machetes are common but then I feel all these are happening because of poverty and oppression by police and politicians.  I guess everyone here live on a day-to-day basis and try to survive. But as we were in the midst of them, celebrating a boy’s five year old birthday, I could only think of one thing – the friendliness of these people and the freedom they have compared to those staying in a house that has locked gates or armed security guards, guard dogs or wire fence!! Here I saw happy poor families – all trying to survive – just like all of us all over the world!! 

National Flag of Papua New Guinea -

Currency used in Papua New Guinea is Kina (dollar) and Toea (coins)

More of my experience...............coming soon