Christmas 1975 at Noel Butler's place in Wewak

 

Yours truly somewhere in the wilds of the Sepik District

 

While I'm still in the Christmas spirit and before the mice start chewing on them, I thought it best to scan some of these old black-and-white photos and put them up on the net. They date back fifty years to Christmas 1975 when I visited my best mate Noel Butler in Wewak.

I had just come back from Burma after having - very unwisely - resigned from what was the perfect job, and was spending Christmas 1975 with Noel before jetting off to my next assignment in Tehran in Iran.

Noel had been one of the Territorians I met aboard the Greek ship PATRIS at the end of 1967. Our love of chess made Noel and me shipboard mates and we spent many hours hunched over the chess board as the ship ploughed its way towards Europe. And as we played game after game, I learnt about the Territory and listened to stories of some the Territory's 'old-timers', and my mind was made up that one day I too would go to the then Territory of Papua & New Guinea - click here.

 

Outside the post office, about to cable my ETA to my new employers in Iran

Noel Butler at his saksak house just outside Wewak

Noel (left) and yours truly

Noel and yours truly somewhere on a hill overlooking Wewak

Noel's old ute with yours truly in the back somewhere outside Wewak.

 

All good memories!

 

Googlemap Riverbend

 

Ein chemisch gereinigtes Weihnachtslied

 

 

Weihnachtslied, chemisch gereinigt Erich Kästner   Morgen, Kinder, wird's nichts geben! Nur wer hat, kriegt noch geschenkt. Mutter schenkte euch das Leben. Das genügt, wenn man's bedenkt. Einmal kommt auch Eure Zeit. Morgen ist's noch nicht so weit. Doch ihr dürft nicht traurig werden, Reiche haben Armut gern. Gänsebraten macht Beschwerden, Puppen sind nicht mehr modern. Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann. Allerdings nur nebenan. Lauft ein bisschen durch die Straßen! Dort gibt's Weihnachtsfest genug. Christentum, vom Turm geblasen, macht die kleinsten Kinder klug. Kopf gut schütteln vor Gebrauch! Ohne Christbaum geht es auch. Tannengrün mit Osrambirnen - lernt drauf pfeifen! Werdet stolz! Reißt die Bretter von den Stirnen, denn im Ofen fehlt's an Holz! Stille Nacht und heilge Nacht - Weint, wenn's geht, nicht! Sondern lacht! Morgen, Kinder, wird's nichts geben! Wer nichts kriegt, der kriegt Geduld! Morgen, Kinder, lernt fürs Leben! Gott ist nicht allein dran schuld. Gottes Güte reicht so weit . . . Ach, du liebe Weihnachtszeit!

 

Feliz navidad and all that!

 

 

A very Merry Christmas to those who have followed me and thank you for having made this another interesting year. Is there anything to add? Perhaps just a word of warning: watch out for that sixpence in the Christmas pudding. Finding it may cost you more than that in dental bills!

"Felíz Navidad a aquellos que me sigan y gracias - y próspero año nuevo"

 

Googlemap Riverbend

 

"Wir verlangen, das Leben müsse einen Sinn haben - aber es hat nur ganz genau so viel Sinn, als wir selber ihm zu geben imstande sind."

 

 

Weihnachtsabend

Hermann Hesse

 

Am dunklen Fenstern stand ich lang Und schaute auf die weiße Stadt Und horchte auf den Glockenklang, Bis nun auch er versungen hat. Nun blickt die stille reine Nacht Traumhaft im kühlen Winterschein, Vom bleichen Silbermond bewacht, In meine Einsamkeit herein. Weihnacht! - Ein tiefes Heimweh schreit Aus meiner Brust und denkt mit Gram An jene ferne, stille Zeit, Da auch für mich die Weihnacht kam. Seither voll dunkler Leidenschaft Lief ich auf Erden kreuz und quer In ruheloser Wanderschaft nach Weisheit, Gold und Glück umher. Nun rast' ich müde und besiegt An meines letzten Weges Saum, Und in der blauen Ferne liegt Heimat und Jugend wie ein Traum.

 

 

Bean there, done that!

 

At 12:19

 

At last count, I received the grand total of FOUR Christmas cards this year - yes, Reg & Kini, that includes yours! People who used to send me Christmas cards are either dead or think that I am. To make up for the shortfall, I did a Mr Bean and sent myself a handful of cards - for the full video, click here.

Christmas cards are said to have been around since 1843 but not with me. I only became a recipient and reluctant sender after I had settled in deepest suburbia in 1985 following a Christmas-less and Christmas card-less lifetime spent in some of the most remote corners of the world.

Back in Canberra, my suburban neighbours used to engage in an annual 'look-I-received-more-cards-than-you' contest by stringing up their Christmas cards across their lounge room windows. With my competitive spirit aroused, I began to keep the few cards I received each year until, a few years later, I was able to string an impressive-looking collection across my own window. 'Look, I received more cards than you!' On closer inspection by one particular neighbour, I had a bit of explaining to do why, in the year 1990, a friend was wishing me "all the best for 1986!"

Thanks to my last-minute impression of doing a Mr Bean, I can now start my countdown to Christmas after having rolled out the razor wire across the gate - another old German custom! - to keep visitors away because I want more than just one silent night; I want a totally silent Christmas!

Thank you for not bothering me!

 

Googlemap Riverbend

 

P.S. As I sat on the sundrenched verandah and watched the gyrations of the stockmarket on this last trading day before Christmas, I noticed someone reaching across the razor wire at the gate to put something into the mailbox. Turned out to be Christmas card number FIVE! Grrrh!