Even the hotel signs are in pidgin, and most of it is easy to pick up.
Here’s some great pidgin words:
Bagarap – broken (literally, buggered up)
Arse Tanket – bunch of tanket leaves stuffed in a belt to cover your bum
Kwik Piksa Leta – fax (quick picture letter)
Nambawan – the best (number one)
Haus Sik – hospital (house sick)
Singsing – festival or dance
Wantok - fellow clanspeople who speak the same language (one talk)
The ‘Wantok’ system is the same as elsewhere in the South Pacific and Micronesia whereby any member of the extended family / village is always provided for. Of course this also means that any wage-earning person ends up supporting at least 10 ‘wantoks’ at home. As fast as they earn it, their wantoks are taking it from them to pay for hospital visits, bail, weddings, funerals etc. Even in the city a ‘bride price’ is still expected before marriage and it can be a crippling debt for the groom’s family (over 10,000 Kina when the average wage is less than 2 Kina an hour). Whilst it’s good that families value daughters, the tradition of paying for a wife also perpetuates the sense of ‘ownership’ and domestic violence is widespread.
The staff live on the neighbouring island with no power and very basic facilities, so they rely on the resort boat to take them and their families to town for shopping or for hospital visits. The hospital is a joke and no matter what the symptoms, Amoxy is prescribed (if it’s in stock). Malaria is also rife and even Nozaki our Japanese Instructor has had it five times whilst living in Medang & Manus for the past 6 years. So, in addition to the standard plasters and antiseptic cream, we give the anti-malarial Artesunate out to the staff if they feel a bout coming on.
They had a sing-sing a few weeks ago on Enuk Island for a somewhat bogus ‘film crew’ from Italy. Sadly, none of our guests were interested in going to see it so we missed out, but at least we got to see Rapan dressed up in his traditional dancing outfit. It’s nice that the most educated and modern of the staff (Rapan & Tame) take a great interest in preserving their heritage and teaching the younger ones all the old songs and dances.
