The Central Sepik students at the University of Papua New Guinea perform a traditional dance during their provincial day celebration in September 2010. They have their own unique culture - one among thousands of others in Papua New Guinea.Bonjour! (Hellow!)
You may have wondered why I named this blog a A THOUSAND NATIONS.
Well, as you may already know, PNG (my country) has more than 850 languages. That is almost about a thousand - which means there are about 1,000 different people groups in PNG.
Before you doubt this take note of this.
Take the Motu-speaking people along and around the Port Moresby coastline.
There are a good number of Motuan villages stretching over about 100km east-west along the coastline. All the people in those villages - of Manumanu up west, to Hanuabada in Port Moresby and to Gabagaba in the east - are Motuans and speak Motu (the language).
But when a local from each different village speaks Motu you will notice that they have their peculiar way of speaking, possibly what the linguists may call the "dialect".
Thus, if you count all those different dialects, then the number of languages in PNG may really be over a thousand.
That makes us, Papua New Guineans, unique.
My big question to my friends is: Can we find a way to trade our skills in languages?
That is: Can we create something with our skills in language that we can trade with the Western world without destroying our forests, seas, rivers and atmosphere?
Think of it, in PNG, the typical person grows up learning at least three different languages.
For a rural kid she or he already knows the local language.
In school s/he learns Pidgin to communicate with friends from different language groups and also learns to read and write in English (the language of education from secondary to tertiary learning).
For those who move from district to district or province to province for various reasons (e.g. parents transfer from one posting to another) pick up many more languages.
The typical person in the Western world grows up learning only one language, work and pass on with that one language.
It is a wonder and blessing, isn't it? I mean, to come from a country that has more than a thousand dialects/tongues, hence, a thousand nations.
You may have wondered why I named this blog a A THOUSAND NATIONS.
Well, as you may already know, PNG (my country) has more than 850 languages. That is almost about a thousand - which means there are about 1,000 different people groups in PNG.
Before you doubt this take note of this.
Take the Motu-speaking people along and around the Port Moresby coastline.
There are a good number of Motuan villages stretching over about 100km east-west along the coastline. All the people in those villages - of Manumanu up west, to Hanuabada in Port Moresby and to Gabagaba in the east - are Motuans and speak Motu (the language).
But when a local from each different village speaks Motu you will notice that they have their peculiar way of speaking, possibly what the linguists may call the "dialect".
Thus, if you count all those different dialects, then the number of languages in PNG may really be over a thousand.
That makes us, Papua New Guineans, unique.
My big question to my friends is: Can we find a way to trade our skills in languages?
That is: Can we create something with our skills in language that we can trade with the Western world without destroying our forests, seas, rivers and atmosphere?
Think of it, in PNG, the typical person grows up learning at least three different languages.
For a rural kid she or he already knows the local language.
In school s/he learns Pidgin to communicate with friends from different language groups and also learns to read and write in English (the language of education from secondary to tertiary learning).
For those who move from district to district or province to province for various reasons (e.g. parents transfer from one posting to another) pick up many more languages.
The typical person in the Western world grows up learning only one language, work and pass on with that one language.
It is a wonder and blessing, isn't it? I mean, to come from a country that has more than a thousand dialects/tongues, hence, a thousand nations.
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