Fern Ridge (Safla Rama) Digest

For one year my family had no TV. The one we had no longer worked. Without a TV I found myself watching cheap pirated DVDs on the home PC. For news and other inforrmation I relied on the daily newspapers, radio, and other electronic media such as the internet and Face Book. I can easily get my news in seconds using the internet or on my mobile phone. Incredible, within one year the world of information was just at my finger tip—I didn’t have to wait until the 6.00pm news or for &.30 Report for my news. I depend on my traditional print media for other news and information. I walk every morning down to Waigani market and shopping centre to pick up my newspaper. In doing so I am also exercising and refreshing myself before tackling the challenges of the day. I’m usually up by 4.00am and by 6.00am I need an hour’s walk to and back from Waigani. There aren’t many people in the mornings so it is kind of nice. By the time I head back to my house I meet people making their way to work,...

  I was honored to speak at Waigani Primary School Speech Day on 08 December 2011. The following is an edited version of my speech. In his book, Change Your Thinking Change Your Life, Brian Tracy says: “You can learn anything you need to learn, to accomplish any goal you can set for yourself. This principle offers the way for you to take complete control over your future.” I urged the graduating students to take complete control of their life and future: “This is not an easy rule, but it is definitely simple,” as one would agree with Brian Tracy. Everyone can be anything they want to be once they have set their goals for themselves and work on achieving such goals. One of the greatest President of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, once said: “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.” In realizing our Independence some 36 years ago our founding fathers had no doubt about the futur...

I asked myself if the column I created is of any value to me as a writer. I have given a lot of thoughts about it. At first I wanted to close the window for ever.As it turned out the loyal followers of Steven’s Window seem unrelenting in that the window must open again. I did resist the temptation to open the window last year. This year is a new chapter in our lives. We have to pick up from where we have fallen and move on. The world is changing every second. So many things happened in the year 2011 that were not brought to those who follow Steven’s Window column. I was unable to contribute anything for the column. I watched, the world go by, beginning with the political whirlwind and change of regimes in the world: Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Lybia; USA captures and executes Osama bin Ladin, earthquake in Christchurch, then Japan’s worst Tsunami and near nuclear disaster, and at the home front, the change of the guards between the Somare group and the O’Neill group, and the worst ever p...

 Lotus Plants, or Buddha;s Tears  DEAR FRIENDS,  HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL WHERE EVER YOU ARE READING THIS IN THE WORLD. One of my committment this year 2012 is to keep this blog busy.  I will reopen the print version of this blog with The National newspaper of Papua New Guinea, starting next Friday. Here is a sneak preview of the first article for this year. Visit this blog as often as you can and indulge yourself in some creative ideas and discussions. I asked myself if the column Steven's Window  I created is of any value to me as a writer. I have given a lot of thoughts about it. At first I wanted to close the window for ever. As it turned out the loyal followers of Steven’s Window seem unrelenting in that the window must open again. I did resist the temptation to open the window last year. This year is a new chapter in our lives. We have to pick up from where we have fallen and move on. The world is changing every second. So many things happened in the...

Manui Media Connections

Young Cultural Dancer at Waigani Primary School 2009 The quick pace of electronic media development in the world has no time to wait for people like me. Until recently, more specifically, a month ago, I found myself, entering the world of Facebook as a reluctant traveller. Like so many people I know about these technological innovations that are shaping the world second by second and minute by minute. Like many people, the decision to participate in these technologies, is one of experiment and see where it leads me to. Apart from discovering many people I know on Facebook I also realized that there are many wonderful things one could do with electronic media technologies. Apart from developing one’s own social network you can have instant communication with friends online, share conversations on common topics, post notices, links to news and information of interests, and even share photographs and videos. One could easily do that with mobile phones, laptops, or from a desktop anyw...

One of the things I wanted to do was to walk up the ridge next to the University of Hawaii in Manoa Valley. The ridge is known as the Wa’ahila Ridge. I wanted to get a different perspective to the one I already have walking between the buildings of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and of the Waikiki metropolitan area. I also wanted to do this walk because the day was gorgeous for such an activity. I also live at the foothills of the ridge in the Wa`ahila Faculty Apartments. With a perfect day and the mind to tackle the three hours hike up Wa`ahila Ridge I rang my countryman, Muguwa Dilu, from Simbu, and asked him if he wanted to accompany me on this hike. Muguwa is studying for his Masters in Economics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was happy to come along. Our walk began on Cole Street in between Manoa Stream and Wa`ahila Faculty Apartments. Our walk upwards would end where the Wa`ahila Ridge State Park is located. We began our hike with Muguwa sharing stories abo...