Fern Ridge (Safla Rama) Digest

The topic of good writing and communication surfaced at this time of the year for many students in the education programs around the country. Good writing and communication lead to success and achievement of one’s goals in the end. Those who succeed in their education are good communicators using good writing tools and knowledge. Good writing and communication is also important in work, business, government, and all works of life in this modern world. The importance of good writing is obvious to me, but it may not be to many people. Writing is a skill we learn to use for our benefit. Once we have the benefit of writing we can communicate with a broad range of people in our society. Working for example with Professor Pulapa Subba Rao, the Pro Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, at the University of Papua New Guinea I began to understand the tenacity and rigor of the good professor. He works hard at making sure there are no misunderstanding in the communicati

Sometimes I hear people tell me how much they like reading this column. The question I have is then: What was it about my column that people like? My column has no fire or feisty political critique that readers would want me to season my writing with. In my search for answers I came across this motivational literature.    I subscribe to David Tracy’s online motivational site. He alerted me to a new piece on seeing oneself as a salesperson. “Everyone who is effective in any area of life that involves other people is an excellent salesperson of some kind. Everyone makes his or her living selling something to someone.  Everyone works on commission. Everything that we get in life is determined by how much value that we contribute to the lives and work of other people.  And the more, and better we sell, the more we make.  The better we sell, the better our life becomes.” David Tracy talks about the importance of seeing oneself as a salesperson with a mission to selling solu

I have been teaching in the University of Papua New Guinea since 1992 that part of the growth of the university was unnoticed until I was given a tour of the university operations in the Yangoru Sausia electorate of the East Sepik Province. The Yangoru Sausia Electorate has the support of the Member, Honorable Richard Maru in bringing the University of Papua New Guinea operations to the district and ward level in the strategic locations in the Electorate. The first official opening of the Kanauki University Centre was done at the Kubalia High School in 2013. At that time the late Executive Director of the UPNG Open College, Professor Samuel Haihuie, worked very hard to establish this sub-centre of the University of Papua New Guinea. The Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology, Honorable David Arore gave the official speech and opened the centre together with the Member for Yangoru Sausia Electorate. I was there for the opening as the Vice Chancellor’s r

I participated in a bridal ceremony during the holiday period I took between December 2013 and January 2014. As a member of my tribe I had customary obligations that I have to fulfill. I could not opt out of this customary activity because it was too close to my family. I participated in was the bridal payment ceremony, which took place in my village of Ulighembi. The bridal payment involved my aunt, from my mother’s side, who married a man from Rofundogun village in the Kubalia area of the East Sepik province. My aunt gave birth to many children in this marriage. Two of them live in Port Moresby. Her son, Thomas Ponjam is the Commander of the Langron Naval Base, who was awarded the 2014 Logohu Award for Distinguished Military Service Medal. A daughter, Anna is the Deputy Principal of the Paradise High School in Port Moresby. The other teacher is Juliana, who has been living in Nissan Island for most of her adult life. Commander Thomas Ponjam initiated and let th