TAS

PNG Is Not for Beginners

In 2018, our software team was commissioned to develop a financial reporting system for one of the largest financial institutions in Papua New Guinea.

The work involved integrating with their core systems and building a financial package that their team could use for day-to-day reporting. It was an important project, but before we could even begin talking about software, Port Moresby gave us a completely different kind of introduction.

When we landed, the person waiting to collect us was actually the CEO of the organisation we were working with. We had met him several times before. Despite being the CEO of one of the biggest organisations in Papua New Guinea, and one of the major companies in the South Pacific, he was an extremely humble and down-to-earth person.

That was why what happened next caught us completely off guard.

As soon as we got into the brand-new blue Navara, the vehicle sped off. He was changing lanes, ducking in and out of traffic and weaving between vehicles. It felt less like an airport pickup and more like we had suddenly found ourselves in a car chase scene from a Tom Cruise movie.

The whole trip, not a word was said.

Eventually, we arrived at the hotel.
The first thing we noticed was the security fencing. The walls were topped with coils of barbed wire, the kind of setup you would normally associate with a prison or some heavily guarded compound.

Then the front gate opened. The vehicle drove in and stopped. The first gate closed completely before a second gate opened in front of us.
It was similar to the security system at commercial banks. One gate closes behind the vehicle before the next one opens.

Except this was not a bank or a high-security cash facility.

It was our hotel.

Still, not a word was said.

We collected our bags and made our way inside. Despite the intense security outside, the apartment itself was extremely luxurious. It had a huge living space and every type of amenity one would need.

Only after the doors had closed did our contact finally speak.

He explained that visitors in PNG could become targets for carjackers and that you could never be too cautious when going about your day. Some carried homemade guns and moved quickly.
We were then given a full security briefing, including the dos and don’ts, the lay of the land and what to expect over the next few weeks.

It was very different from our other experiences around the Pacific. We had travelled to Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Niue, Nauru, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Most of those places had been extremely relaxed.

In Kiribati, we once found ourselves beside the seawall late at night with a group of locals who were drinking toddy and fishing. We joined them for some talanoa, heard a few good stories and carried on with the night.

PNG was the only country where our welcome included a security briefing before we had even unpacked our bags.
Since that first visit, we have returned to Papua New Guinea several times. We have made friends, become more familiar with Port Moresby and gradually become more comfortable moving around.

Once you know the place, know the people and understand its culture, it is not as crazy as people sometimes make it out to be.
And to be fair, trouble can find you in any country when you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But if you are heading there for the first time, PNG is not for beginners.

27 July 2017 - in the beautiful island of Tuvalu. We were tasked with setting up software solutions for Tuvalu Fisheries including training and support. This bike trip however we were on our way to meet with 2 Fijians who had been stuck in Tuvalu with charges against them that they had little to no means to defend.

HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE - TONGA

In 2017 our team were commissioned to provide software development for the biggest superannuation fund in Tonga, and this was our team’s first time travelling to the island.

So no doubt, we were excited.

It was one of those trips where work and travel meet in the middle. You’re going for a serious reason, but at the same time, it’s a new country, new people, and you can’t help but feel that little buzz before the journey starts.

Tonga, the Friendly Isles as it is known, couldn’t be any friendlier. If you didn’t already know, you wouldn’t be able to tell that the current Parliament had been suspended just three days prior by the King of Tonga. Everything was as normal as it could be.

The flight in from Nausori Airport was the usual. A small ATR100 flight managed by Fiji Airways, with extremely limited leg room. In this case, the destination, not the journey, was the hero.

As we reached the airport an hour before departure to drop off our bags, we were informed that seats had been oversold by Fiji Airways. Late arrivals were being cast out like lepers in the dark days.

A guy who went to the counter before us was frantically pleading his case to the lady patiently serving him. He was wearing a bright rock-and-roll T-shirt with black microfibre trousers. It was hard to tell whether he was travelling for work or for pleasure.

After fifteen long minutes of waiting, the girl smiled and told us that check-in was closed.

We asked, “Even if we were standing in the line waiting, we don’t get a seat?”

She let out a polite yes.

We quickly explained that we had already checked in online, and off we went.

Crisis diverted.

At least for now.

The flight was supposed to reach the Friendly Isles at three in the afternoon, so we were hoping to get some work out of the way once we landed. The security screening was a breeze, with a lot of customs staff available.

The first thing one normally does after landing in a new country is get a new SIM and data to make that call back home.

So off we strolled, smiling cheek to cheek, pushing the self-braking cart into the flashy Digicel airport store with huge signs proclaiming, “FREE SIM.”

Our smiles quickly disappeared when the woman manning the counter told us they had run out of SIMs.

We hadn’t been this disappointed since the tragedy that was The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

She quickly handed us a pamphlet that said “FREE DATA” and said, “Take this to our city branch and they will give you a SIM with free data.”

The smiles returned.

We quickly got in line to change currencies, and after waiting an eternity, we were on our way to the city branch.

We rode to the city, got our SIM, bought additional data, and hurriedly made our way to the office.

After the office visit, the ride to the hotel was short. About eight minutes from the city centre, along the sea, sits Mamta Villa.

The drive itself had that familiar island feeling. The sea on one side, the slow pace of traffic, the relaxed atmosphere. For a moment, you could easily mistake the surroundings for the Nasese seawall in Suva. It had that same coastal feel. Quiet, familiar, and peaceful.

It had a restaurant serving gourmet authentic dishes. The rooms were very clean, with free internet and a TV with four entertaining channels.

And finally, after the airport drama, the oversold flight, the non-reclining seat, the SIM card disappointment, the city branch mission, and the long-awaited return to the online world, I could rest my head.

This was where the day slowed down. The team settled in.

This was where I could breathe.

And this was where I could finally make that call back home.

Hello.

In 2013 in the beautiful island of Niue our consultants were asigned to develop a software solution for Kiwi Bank. We boarded the flight from Fiji on a Monday and reached nuie on Sunday. Turns out Niue time is a day behind. This wasnt great planning as everything in the country is fully closed on the Sabath.

There was a bit of scramble for food and we may or may not have caught one of the many chickens strolling about. But the Lord always provides.

The weeks passed pretty quick and not long after our team was done and ready to head back home. We skipped a day and landed into Fiji, bringing a little of Niue back.