Last few days I've completed my MTAS application. BUt a new problem arose.... I had severe diarrhoea!!!! It could be due to the 1) salad - more people are leaving the college now, so the salad turnover rate is slower. There were new helpers to help with the conferences as well.... 2) The anti-biotics I was taking 3) the bottled water that I had with me since I arrived in sydney. I did not wash the bottle, and kept refilling and drinking from it.........

I kept having diarrhoea, felt feverish, couldn't keep anything down.... all flushed out as soon as I ate it. Had twisting tummy pains, writhed around on my bed....... luckily the weather was crappy, so I didn't miss out much............... I was so sure I was going to die. But after buying a new bottle of water, I think i'm feeling marginally better.............. will try to blog up my past journey. Geez, what an adventure.............

The net facilities here absolutely sucks. There is no place to make a phone call properly (besides the dean's office!), no place to log on internet properly -- there's only 3 computers in this whole campus for students. I can't access my mail at all...

THe weather here is hot, dry and musty...... let me try posting this first as I think the net won't last very long... :(

Phew -- finally got my visa from the PNG embassy. They suddenly decide to add $50 to the visa fee. When I asked why, the guy said he doesn't know. He only knew that when the documents came back, there is an additional fee of $50. I mean -- how does an embassy go back on its word? Not only does it take ages for the visa to come, it costs more too. I went by the book and got an "occupational trainee" visa, whereas my travelling buddy got a tourist visa for less, and quicker. I was almost worried that the visa will not come, and I will be stranded and have to cancel my flights. When I asked the embassy guy what currency I should bring, he seemed to falter! "Er.... American $ should be safe." Should!?

Booked some inland flights in Australia -- I asked Qantas whether the roudn the world ticket I have can give me freebie tickets. maybe I'm too used to freebies from drug reps, I think the rest of the world probably worked differently. :P Anyway, checked out STA in singapore too, which doesn't give me and my buddy any new ideas. So we decide to skip one spot, and take the cheap inland flights. (Okay they're not THAT cheap, but compared to the ridiculous flight paths from Qantas, they're cheap)

Qantas supplied flights that are WAY expensive, and have to fly down to Brisbane and then UP again to certain spots, as they don't have direct flight paths. That's simply ridiculous. can't believe they are not competing against smaller airlines like jetstar.

Anyway, my buddy started taking Mefloquine today - apparently one of the side-effects is depression. (hence I went for the more expensive veresion malarone = Atovaquone + proguanil) My doc said if I take Mefloquine, I might get tearful and depressed. (Hmmm she did appear grumpy when we were arguing over flights - s/e?) malarone is relatively free of S/E, but a LOT more expensive from GSK. Maybe the real gateway to cash is pharmacy - not medicine.......... Anyway the other common prophylaxis is doxycycline, and the S/E is photosensitivity. MAN! I'm going for the beach and sunshine, no way I'm gonna take doxycycline!

My buddy's doing a 2 week elective in Singapore in neurology while I'm rotting away in the comforts of my home -- Bit worried that when I reach sydney, my knowledge will be zilch. Well not that there is much now, but afte 2 weeks of holiday and sunshine, probably the last thing on my mind will be neurology.

Hmm think some people speak English in PNG. Oh well, I'll just mumble something to the kids adn *smile*

Counting down - bit apprehensive.

There's a big difference between the level of civilization, even from the embassy itself. Applied for the Australian visa some days ago, and I could do it over the internet electronically: something called the ETA. My passport data will be entered into the government computer system, and counterchecked at the airport.

Whereas the application for Papua new guinea (PNG) has been bit hilarious. The guy at the consulate was a bit blur, telling me I could mail my passport to their consulate and save the trouble of coming down. Then when I got the email with the application forms, it told me I need to hand in $50 Singapore dollars cash. Confused, I called the guy up again:
"Err... so I could mail my passport and forms over?"
"Yes that's right."
"Hmm.... and I need to give $50 cash, do you want me to mail that over?"
"Oh no no, never mail cash over."
"Right. So I can't mail it over. But you said I could mail the forms and passport over..?"
"Oh sorry, that was just a slip of the tongue. On second thoughts, you would have to come down to our embassy."

At that point I thought: what? As an embassador of PNG, he sounded as if he just woke up! Or.... more possibly hardly anyone ever apply for a visa into PNG I guess?

When I reached the embassy (which is smaller than a normal office in an obscure building), I rang the bell as the place was locked. (For security???) No response. I rang again, and there was no response. Desperate, I called the embassy again, and a female picked up the phone.

"Hi there, I called earlier this morning and I need to hand in my application for a visa. WOULD YOU PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR?"

I was flustered, thinking I've never heard of any embassy that needs a phone call to let me in. What if I didn't have the phone number, or a cell phone for that matter? Ominious start to the preparation....