I remember the Late Solomon Mamaloni getting his bag of betelnut hrough Brisbane Immigration to share with friends. it was part of a luggage this famous politician never went without. Bart Pasia during his many commentaries at Lawson tama never went without his dose and no one ever seemed to mind. The City Council mayor chews it, its part of a tradition that is still going strong.
A lot of our Public Servants managed to get their current jobs because their parents sold betelnut and a whole lot of students nowadays go to school because of this plant. It is not an illegal product, and it is as timelessness as the story of Rapu'anate and Hauhari'i.
All we need is just one location for vendors to call home., Somewhere where they do not have to feel like strangers in their own home. I remember Kukum market getting torn down, folowed by the Rove market and White River markets. is it because these locations promote a lot of sexual immorality and drunken stupour such as our night clubs do? Do they cause as much dismay and consternation as our RCDF's and the popular $50,000 grants did? Is it because it is foreign introduced? The look of things is that the frown is targeting the wrong way of life. Bless you the night clubs and the cassinos and the RCDF's.
I sometimes chew my betelnut late in the evenings and sit back and reflect on life's intricasies. in my times of loneliness, betel nut is a friend indeed. more that once I've smiled and offhandedly told the strugglin mothers selling betel nut to "no worry.. keepim change" because I know these small profits will add up to fight the evils of a third world curse, and they in turn have always offered me the extras from their own bags.. bonus ones.
How many countless friends I've met over a betelnut I can not remember not because of memory loose attributes of betel nut but because they are indeed countless and I have figured out that they are nore genuine than beer friends.
I do not encourage people chewing betel nut, but as they say "One persons garbage is another persons food". But i see the daily struggle that instills in the vendors that determination to lose sleep and get that extra buck as well as well as serve their customers at any time of the day.
if I were to have lots of money, I'd build a barge over the sea where vendors can sell their supplies.. its no ones land.
Somehow, some people somewhere are not seeing the reality that one mans poison is another mans food... and they do not see the background benefits. the School fees, the bus fares, the tuck shops springing up in the villages and that new dress struggling vendors sister is wearing.
Oh brother.. Why have thou forsaken me.
Why have thou forsaken me???
Sat, 10/31/2009 - 18:47
okay..me no man blo kai kai bil nate....but Thinker admits he does...so thats why perhaps he feels strongly about this issue.
I gotta give it to you man, some of your points are valid, let me just raise my concern on issues such as cleanliness and hygiene. I am not insinuating that you are not clean but what really gets to me is the blatant disregard that some chewers have. They spit their spittle everywhere and sometimes I just narrowly miss these flying missiles. That is what bothers me. Now it is a difficult habit to kick and a even more difficult past time to miss but we can all agree that some basic changes in behaivour should be exercised by our bettle chewing population. Educating chewers to be mindful of how their habits can put people off is important. I do not mind talking to my bettle nut chewing friends....many of them are very considerate but when I just miss a straight shooting spittle - thats when it becomes disgusting.
my other concern is young adults and students who are easily influenced into this culture. its not marijuana, its not crack but it is addictive and has its side effects . Hem save mekem people wea sporty not perform to their best. It is a choice but I would like to see everyone make an informed choice but its availability and mass usage is making it difficult for our young people to make that kind of choice.
Finally, i agree on the hypocrisy of those demolishing the stalls. They are acting according to policy and rules passed by the council - whether the Lord Mayor chews or not is really not the point. He has demonstrated true leadership by acting on an issue rather than on his personal preference. BUT to whose ideals must we subject ourselves? As in the Watergate Scandel - follow the money trail...it does lead to a certain someone in this case.... I think there is a place for bettle nut, it is cultural but as I have said in the olden days there were still rules and guidelines (unwritten but widely accepted) that ensured that this practise was safe and within accepted cultural norms - I NEVER for one moment believe the notion that we were once mindless savages!
Thinker thank you for bringing up the issue.
Well said Neo.
Me, I believe that it should not be a matter of give only by the responsible authorities but by both parties. I myself do chew betelnut and I should not be giving two jacks about a central location for selling as I can get my stuff off any where and be content. However I do think the tearing down of someones means of survival is barbaric and akin to ethnic cleansing and discrimination. I actually send this to this coming weeks papers just for the fun of defending a belief.. (he he) against a whole population. This is because I owe them vendors for teaching me about sharing and giving. Something i have never received from any shop, casino, night club, government office, private company.. maybe if I beg hard enough?
I do believe that a location should be provided for vendors, and with it strict rules to be adhered to. Rules relating to spitting and cleaning, age limits, illegal usage crackdowns. These are just procedures and any one struggling to survive will keep them rules and protect their rights.
When the government and the Town Council can provide for our population, then I'll condone this public dispersing of a health hazard. I welcome any discussion on this issue and till my dole cheque and a good literacy rate comes in, I'll speak for the unspeakables.
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I am just a poor boy and my story's seldom told - Simon and Gaffunkel
Sorry guys, but unfortunately, there is no forum for queries so I am using this page in the hope that one of you guys who works with Our Telekom may have an answer.
My query is regarding the idea that is being floated of Our Telekom having a 3G network in the future. My query is: Is there a timeline for the introduction of the 3G network - next year or two to 3 years time?
An earlier article on the acquisition of services from Huawei Technologies Ltd, our reporters and sources said that the Huawei solution will provide a 3G network by default. Huawei has given a tentative timeframe of March 2010 to get their alternative system up and running. Whether Our Telekom also provides that accessibility may still be all marketing hype. Perhaps I will dig up more from our sources.
Senior Lifhaus Administrator
"Simplicity is an art" | The views and opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.
It's certainly very barbaric of the H/town council to dismantle the stalls. On the one hand i welcome the actions taken simply because the stallers have personalized the markets as their own dwelling places.
I mean markets are supposed to be markets. It is a sadding sight to see stall owners fighting over rural growers who brought in sacks of betel nuts to sell there (save pusim price up 100 times).
These rural growers simply don't have a place to sell their products as the stall owners occupy the areas 24 hrs aday.
the THC should provide and an outlet for all local products including betel nut (excluding kwaso which is a local product!).
If they is anyone to benefit from the dismantling of the stalls then its the G/province. With its close vicinity to the town , it should develop markets areas at both end of the town (ideal placeas are adjacent Kauvare and some 100meters east of Bula Bar.
These markets should then allow sellers to sell anything from timbers,betel nut and the lovely road side hot bbq.
Thanks Senior Lifhaus Administrator. I feel a lot of the members of the public, include myself, would love to see the introduction of the 3G network in Solomons in 2010. That is if it comes into fruition.
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