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Sports |
SO this is Wednesday. Thank goodness – yesterday our ancient vehicle
Lurch went on strike and would answer neither to impassioned blandishment
nor increasingly dire threats, including references to the wrecker’s
yard. Then a friend’s dog decided that our shanks might be edible and set
about proving that proposition with exposed fangs and many a snarl. Ouch.
***
PENDING the arrival of the exceptional Carlos, he who ministers to the
unspeakable Lurch’s every real and imagined mechanical need, we were
forced to walk home. Naturally, rain appeared from a hitherto clear sky,
knitted its brows over your poor columnist, and forcefully descended.
Grimly determined, we plodded home, sans car, enfanged and rained upon.
***
AND here we are. A friend has asked us to issue a timely warning to
owners of popular upmarket four wheel drives. He is one such; driving
innocently through town a week or two ago, he was constantly hailed by
people calling “Geoffrey” and smiling and waving.
***
AS his name is not Geoffrey, he was mystified – until he realised that an
election candidate of that name drives an identical vehicle. Taking
advantage of his unexpected popularity he now waves and smiles on demand.
Others with contemporary vehicles take note. Ah, what it is to be famous!
***
THOSE poor people of Matupit Island! Our competitors wrote yesterday that
post-eruption, the islanders have been reduced to unearthing “mega pots”
from the base of Mt Tavurvur. We confess we were somewhat confused at
that point; the Matupit people have never been noted for their production
of pots, be they mega or mini.
***
THE news story then added that the mysterious mega pots are commonly
known as wail kiau. Suddenly daylight dawned – we were reading about the
wild fowl that lay their large eggs in the warm pumice-filled soils on
the lower slopes of the volcano. Matupit youngsters have been collecting
and selling them for decades. Great for breakfast.
***
AND mega pots? Might megapodes have been intended, the ornithological
term used for the wild brush turkey species? The Mt Tavurvur members of
the family are megapodius affinis, or the New Guinea scrub fowl.
***
– Dee Nesenolis
 
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