From the Southern Highlands of PNG, let me squeeze in a final post on the eve of 2023.
As I grow older, it's easier to make me contented. You can say I'm getting lazier but I see this as a sign of growth and maturity, and is in line with my ever-decreasing tolerance of bullshit and drama. You can clearly see this from my blog posts of late as updates become more minimal and mundane. This also means that my work life has gradually become more exciting than my non-work life which I never expected would happen. In this last post of the year, I'll share some photos that will give you a taste of what happens at work and how FIFO life has been for me for 2022.
As a rotational worker, there's lots of flying and this is me on an Air Niugini flight when the mask requirement was still in place (thank goodness it's not anymore). This is the first time I flew business class for work but they didn't serve any food in the name of COVID restrictions (which was bullshit as it was simply a cost-cutting measure), so I didn't really enjoy the full business-class treatment.
2022 saw yet another round of company restructure when the organisation I joined last year got acquired by another company. Naturally, people would be let go and this was the farewell party for one of the biggest boss on site after many years of service. We sent him off at the airport too and had the fire truck spray water over his departing flight as it taxied on the runway. He must have been so touched.
I don't eat very well in the day when at work as the cribs as we call them (basically pre-packed lunches) are not good but we get to eat well at the main mess for dinner. In fact, food choices can get a little over-the-top during festive celebrations. Pictured here is the spread we had on Christmas night. I guess this is the only way the company can compensate us for having to spend the holiday period on site.
Lots of flying means lots of time spent in airports. This is Cairns Airport when we still had the charter flights. The company wanted to reduce costs with them but because occupancy was so low, each ticket turned out to be ten times more expensive than a seat on a commercial flight. This charter service ended soon after it was introduced and now we're back to transiting in Brisbane on Qantas.
Apart from the gym on site (which unfortunately is closed for renovation at the moment), there are many ways to exercise and one of them is to walk from the plant back to the camp after work. Because of the rugged terrain and the fact that you can only walk at a pace to suit the weakest member in the party, the journey takes about 90 minutes. On my right is one of my bosses (a silver muscle daddy). He stole a glance once when I took off my top jogging with him and that made my day. By the way, I don't keep my finding him hot a secret to his back-to-back!
Under my care in PNG are two oil and gas plants, a refinery and an offshore platform. This was me on a helicopter flight to the platform and it was my first trip to that work site. I aim to drop by once every other hitch but there had been various restrictions that stopped me ranging from COVID breakouts, helicopter damage, bad weather or simply being too busy. Hence, I've been there only once. I'll continue to try visiting in the new year.
On Sundays we have a good lunch feed at the plant and we call that "Sunday barbecue". This is the thing that keeps us sane as we have to put up with bad cribs through the week. The barbecue pictured took place just before the major planned shutdown in April this year. The original idea of the barbecue was for us to cook the raw meat as a group and socialise in the process but over time, the cooking responsibility fell on the shoulders of the same few people and they got unhappy. Since then, the food comes delivered already barbecued. And yes, we always overeat every Sunday.
COVID restrictions made travelling to work extremely tough. I absolutely don't miss the PCR tests and paperwork that I have to put up with as I prepared for an upcoming hitch. This green band was to indicate that we've been tested and confirmed negative before we were allowed in the camp. This band is simply a small circular sticker now that most restrictions have eased.
A snap from the volleyball tournament finals when I went to support my team. I usually sleep soon after dinner i.e. before 8pm and this event was way past my bed time but I had to be there to cheer them up. My team won the match and the tournament, so it was all worth it.
This was my first post on LinkedIn where I gave everyone a glimpse of my work life. A lot of the people in the picture have moved on to other roles. One thing that didn't change from my previous 2014 - 2016 stint in PNG was how cheerful and spirited the people always are, despite the tough work conditions. And yes, this photo was taken during one of the Sunday barbecues.
We have to be put up in a hotel often due to flight schedule changes and bad weather. The hotel is called "Airways" and is next to the Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby and is supposedly the best hotel in PNG. Pictured is the best room-type I was once allocated. Not too shabby huh? I usually also get to stay a night there before I fly home which is a perfect chance to decompress and adjust back to civilisation.
This is me on the offshore platform and stealing a moment for a selfie! The food there is really good as the team is small and so the chef can focus on cooking well instead of worrying about feeding the masses. There are also snacks available around the clock. How I wish I were working there every day!
This is what locals call a "mumu", a celebration as a reward for our efforts during the planned total plant shutdown. "Mumu" is essentially a method of cooking where you bury food in the earth and apply heat with coals. We had two pigs cooked that way in a nearby village (home of one of my colleagues) and boy was everyone happy!
This is the view from the block where I stay in the camp. No filters needed. I sometimes pause for a moment to admire the view. Although being in the Production Team means I sometimes only get back to my room when it starts to get dark, you also get rewarded with the perfect sunset when the timing's just right.
I actually spend more time at work than at home (including travelling time) so you kind of have a second family on site. For the first time in my work life, I actually have genuine care for my colleagues (especially one of my bosses), which makes work so much more fun. This is us celebrating Christmas in the plant office.
Life is never boring in PNG as operational issues crop up constantly e.g. we're currently in the initial phases of a prolonged plant outage required to rectify pipeline integrity issues. The good thing about being on FIFO is no matter how tough life is, it's all going to end after four weeks, albeit temporarily. You recharge back home and then do it all over again. It's not for everyone but I love it.
To conclude 2022, here's this month's musical offering which is my rendition of a very popular song called "追" by the late Leslie Cheung. This song was made famous by the Hong Kong movie "金枝玉叶" ("He's a Woman, She's a Man"). I performed this when I was busking with my sister three years ago in Singapore (my previous busking clips can be found here: 1 2 3 4). Enjoy the song as well as the festivities. and here's wishing a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2023!
