At home at RIVERBEND on the beautiful Clyde: The die was cast!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The die was cast!

As a member of the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia, I always look forward to reading their excellent journal "Una Voce" whose editor keeps inviting readers to contribute their own stories of life in Papua New Guinea.

So I cobbled together my little story The die was cast!, wondering if they might publish some of it. Well, they just did and in full, and it runs to five pages in their September edition!

In the closing paragraph of my story I wrote, "If you know any persons mentioned or their present whereabouts, please contact Peter Goerman at riverbendnelligen@mail.com." Before I had even received my copy "Una Voce", I had already received this email:

"Hello Peter

I read your article in Una Voce re Hancock Woodward & Neill. I am in touch with Grahame Ward who is in Port Moresby and Brian Wallace who resides in Mackay. Rob Lees who may have worked for the company after you is in contact with Peter Langley and other company people.

I remember you sharing a donga at Comworks in Rabaul with Ward and myself early in the piece. I worked at Rabaul Garage selling cars for John Dowling; now retired on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Ward was a drinking friend. I haven't seen him for maybe 20 years but spoke recently. I will track down Peter Langley's contact in Sydney and let you know. I am led to believe that he is in contact with Mark Henderson. Brian Wallace left Hancock's and worked with me for John Dowling. Rob Lees arrived in 1971 or thereabouts. Jerry Carr-Boyd was in Sydney last I heard. I hope you get a reply from Grahame as he is not noted for his responses to emails. I will forward Peter Langley's details when they come to hand. I note from your CV that you did work in Samoa. I was in that area both Pago Pago and Apia in 1994/95. Great part of the world. I didnt leave PNG until 1990. Was based in Port Moresby for final 8 years.

cheers
Peter Logan"

Thanks, Peter; what a blast from the past! From as long ago as 1970, more than forty years ago! I look forward to hearing more from Peter and the others he mentioned in his email.

In eigener Sache!

Ich wanderte im Jahre 1965 vom (k)alten Deutschland nach Australien aus. In Erinnerung an das alte Sprichwort "Gott hüte mich vor Sturm und Wind und Deutschen die im Ausland sind" wurde ich in 1971 im Dschungel von Neu-Guinea australischer Staatsbürger. Das kostete mich nur einen Umlaut und das zweite n im Nachnamen - von -mann auf -man.

Australien war der Anfang und auch das Ende: nach fünfzig Arbeiten in fünfzehn Ländern - "Die ganze Welt mein Arbeitsfeld" - lebe ich jetzt im Ruhestand in Australien an der schönen Südküste von Neusüdwales.

Ich verbringe meine Tage mit dem Lesen von Büchern, segle mein Boot den Fluss hinunter, beschäftige mich mit Holzarbeit, oder mache Pläne für eine neue Reise. Falls Du mir schreiben willst, sende mir eine Email an riverbendnelligen [AT] mail.com, und ich schreibe zurück.

Falls Du anrufen möchtest, meine Nummer ist XLIV LXXVIII X LXXXI.

Notice to North American readers:

This blog is written in the version of English that is standard here. So recognise is spelled recognise and not recognize etc. I recognise that some North American readers may find this upsetting, and while I sympathise with them, I sympathise even more with my countrymen who taught me how to spell. However, as an apology, here are a bunch of Zs for you to put where needed.

Zzzzzz

Disclaimer
This blog has no particular axe to grind, apart from that of having no particular axe to grind. It is written by a bloke who was born in Germany at the end of the war (that is, for younger readers, the Second World War, the one the Americans think they won single-handedly). He left for Australia when most Germans had not yet visited any foreign countries, except to invade them. He lived and worked all over the world, and even managed a couple of visits back to the (c)old country whose inhabitants he found very efficient, especially when it came to totting up what he had consumed from the hotels' minibars. In retirement, he lives (again) in Australia, but is yet to grow up anywhere.

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And finally, don't bother trying to read between the lines. There are no lines - only snapshots, most out of focus.