volunteering is about having fun

Last weekend ex-volunteer and now world nomad Jeremy returned to have a party and show finalists in the Sydney short film festival. Other vollies came down from Goroka and bunked down in various parts of Lae. I was lucky to have three house guests over the weekend - good company helps to break up the semester and ease any tensions and they give you reminders of home and let you know that one's own experiences are as bad as they get. Wendy, an ex-VSO from England was here to take some film for a project she was doing and she talked with my immediate superior on his experiences with AIDS victims I think it was and mate R's acculturation experiences all over the place. So generally the weekend was an excuse for all the vollies in and around Lae and their associates to hang out and have fun. Altruism is one reason for being a vollie but enjoying life in another culture is as good as any other reason while you are trying to help out with capacity building. So I couldn't get to the Rotary Ball as I chose to hang out with the other vollies - most of whom are young professionals who have had several years experience in their career and are able to share something with others. At K250 a ticket plus being partnerless, the Ball was not possible for me although I would like to have been able to go.