Chinese in PNG
I haven’t quite got the same story as
Steven to tell...but having arrived in Lae in the early 1970's, I recall many a
Chinese shop.
China town was well and truly established and trade stores were everywhere.
I can clearly remember Chandra and his sister Ileana arriving from Indonesian and as they say the rest is history. Chandra has many different companies now; Papindo, Haus Bilas, just to name a couple and Ileana went sideways into property; hairdressing; leasing shops; shipping and must own a fair amount of land and property in the Port Moresby area. Like the puk puk building in Boroko...the SVS centre near 2 mile...the Plaza Guest House building in Waigani Drive nears the car club and much more.
James Seeto I remember well as I used to play tennis with his daughter Belinda Seeto and of course Cedric Chee my husband's employer for over 14 years. The airline company was first known as Chee Air and later as Morobe Airways. I remember Mr Chee telling me what it was like for the Chinese community during the war when they were all rounded up and put in a camp in Rabaul. He told how horrible it was and how they all felt at the time. I think this too made them all stronger and able to succeed when in fact the war finished.
I ran a video library in Lae for many years and my partners were Chandra and Cedric Chee. I did the work and they took 50% of the profits. It did buy me a cute little yellow car and for me back then it made me very happy not to have to drive around in a bomb anymore.
I can still recall a young man by the name of Wayne Golding and his lovely wife Pat. Wayne at the time used to work in the office for Seeto Kui. He remarked to me one day that he was heading for stardom and would leave Seeto Kui and start his own business. That same Wayne is now in his own right a very successful businessman and the President of the Manufacturers Council of PNG.
The saying in Lae back in those days was that Seeto Kui owned half the properties in Lae and Harry Pelgen owned the other half... Harry was married to a Chinese lady and she used to have the biggest diamond on her finger punching away at the cash register whilst pregnant with another child. I can picture the children in the shop attending to their various duties.
One funny thing I can definitely remember.....one day I popped home from work. My son Nathan who was around 4 at the time came running out and said....mummy there are Chinese in the cupboard. He grabbed me by the hand and led me into a bedroom in the house.....YES THERE WERE THREE TEENAGE CHINESE BOYS IN THE CUPBOARD. Seems they were visiting the house one would assume trying to court my teenage daughter Cheree. When they heard my car coming they got scared and ran and jumped into the cupboard. I can still picture their frightened faces when I OPENED THE CUPBOARD....haha
I can recall many a time playing tennis at the Tennis Courts in China Town and mixing with the many Chinese residents of Lae. They had names like 'Lucky Soo'!
Jim Seeto was always a little different to the other Chinese as he would mix socially with us Aussies and would play a game of golf and his children as I said played tennis and also mixed with the expatriate community. My husband and I attended Belinda's wedding in Lae.
Other Chinese seem to keep to themselves and except for a wedding or out at a restaurant, we never saw much of them as they were I guess always working building up their businesses. The saying was once they had eaten they would always depart and go home. It was very true...home they went.....not once do I recall seeing them hang around and drink the night away like the average Aussie.
Chinese New Year would always go off with a BANG and the many Chinese crackers would hang from every Chinese store in town.
A lot of the Chinese could still not speak good English back in those days and I can recall our neighbour one day yelling out to the guy next door.... SLOW THE MUSIC DOWN, SLOW THE MUSIC DOWN....
what do you think this Aussie did....YES, he TURNED IT UP!!!
In fact back then to most trade store owners it was far better to communicate in pidgin which 90% of people could speak in the 70's including the Aussies.
I can still recall being told how Eriku got its name. Someone once mentioned that it came about because of Eric Woo......somehow the translation got interpreted into ERIKU.
On the Gold Coast if any of you ever drive around the streets of Runaway Bay you will think you are back in Lae. I believe a Chinese person from PNG developed this area and named all the streets after streets in Lae.
I can still remember my husband bringing home a red envelope with his yearly bonus inside.....
The many beautiful Chinese restaurants that were in Lae in those days makes my mouth water just thinking about them. I am pretty sure thats where I got hooked on 'Sweet & Sour Chicken' to this day. And the pork buns.....mmmmhhh nice. Fortunately, the likes of the Grand Palace here in Port Moresby now have them on their weekend menu.
My Uncle married a chinese lady by the name of Doreen from Rabaul and I now have four Chinese mixed raced cousins. Back in the 50's I used to have fun explaining to my fellow school friends how I came across my Chinese cousins when they would arrive down from PNG for their 3 months holiday every 18 months.
My children got used to eating Chinese sweets that Mrs Betty Chee would give them so much so even today when I am heading south, they will ask for Ginger and salty plums! I always found salty plums really bitter but my children loved them!
How about anyone else out there reading this....do you too have a story to tell about the Chinese community of PNG?
China town was well and truly established and trade stores were everywhere.
I can clearly remember Chandra and his sister Ileana arriving from Indonesian and as they say the rest is history. Chandra has many different companies now; Papindo, Haus Bilas, just to name a couple and Ileana went sideways into property; hairdressing; leasing shops; shipping and must own a fair amount of land and property in the Port Moresby area. Like the puk puk building in Boroko...the SVS centre near 2 mile...the Plaza Guest House building in Waigani Drive nears the car club and much more.
James Seeto I remember well as I used to play tennis with his daughter Belinda Seeto and of course Cedric Chee my husband's employer for over 14 years. The airline company was first known as Chee Air and later as Morobe Airways. I remember Mr Chee telling me what it was like for the Chinese community during the war when they were all rounded up and put in a camp in Rabaul. He told how horrible it was and how they all felt at the time. I think this too made them all stronger and able to succeed when in fact the war finished.
I ran a video library in Lae for many years and my partners were Chandra and Cedric Chee. I did the work and they took 50% of the profits. It did buy me a cute little yellow car and for me back then it made me very happy not to have to drive around in a bomb anymore.
I can still recall a young man by the name of Wayne Golding and his lovely wife Pat. Wayne at the time used to work in the office for Seeto Kui. He remarked to me one day that he was heading for stardom and would leave Seeto Kui and start his own business. That same Wayne is now in his own right a very successful businessman and the President of the Manufacturers Council of PNG.
The saying in Lae back in those days was that Seeto Kui owned half the properties in Lae and Harry Pelgen owned the other half... Harry was married to a Chinese lady and she used to have the biggest diamond on her finger punching away at the cash register whilst pregnant with another child. I can picture the children in the shop attending to their various duties.
One funny thing I can definitely remember.....one day I popped home from work. My son Nathan who was around 4 at the time came running out and said....mummy there are Chinese in the cupboard. He grabbed me by the hand and led me into a bedroom in the house.....YES THERE WERE THREE TEENAGE CHINESE BOYS IN THE CUPBOARD. Seems they were visiting the house one would assume trying to court my teenage daughter Cheree. When they heard my car coming they got scared and ran and jumped into the cupboard. I can still picture their frightened faces when I OPENED THE CUPBOARD....haha
I can recall many a time playing tennis at the Tennis Courts in China Town and mixing with the many Chinese residents of Lae. They had names like 'Lucky Soo'!
Jim Seeto was always a little different to the other Chinese as he would mix socially with us Aussies and would play a game of golf and his children as I said played tennis and also mixed with the expatriate community. My husband and I attended Belinda's wedding in Lae.
Other Chinese seem to keep to themselves and except for a wedding or out at a restaurant, we never saw much of them as they were I guess always working building up their businesses. The saying was once they had eaten they would always depart and go home. It was very true...home they went.....not once do I recall seeing them hang around and drink the night away like the average Aussie.
Chinese New Year would always go off with a BANG and the many Chinese crackers would hang from every Chinese store in town.
A lot of the Chinese could still not speak good English back in those days and I can recall our neighbour one day yelling out to the guy next door.... SLOW THE MUSIC DOWN, SLOW THE MUSIC DOWN....
what do you think this Aussie did....YES, he TURNED IT UP!!!
In fact back then to most trade store owners it was far better to communicate in pidgin which 90% of people could speak in the 70's including the Aussies.
I can still recall being told how Eriku got its name. Someone once mentioned that it came about because of Eric Woo......somehow the translation got interpreted into ERIKU.
On the Gold Coast if any of you ever drive around the streets of Runaway Bay you will think you are back in Lae. I believe a Chinese person from PNG developed this area and named all the streets after streets in Lae.
I can still remember my husband bringing home a red envelope with his yearly bonus inside.....
The many beautiful Chinese restaurants that were in Lae in those days makes my mouth water just thinking about them. I am pretty sure thats where I got hooked on 'Sweet & Sour Chicken' to this day. And the pork buns.....mmmmhhh nice. Fortunately, the likes of the Grand Palace here in Port Moresby now have them on their weekend menu.
My Uncle married a chinese lady by the name of Doreen from Rabaul and I now have four Chinese mixed raced cousins. Back in the 50's I used to have fun explaining to my fellow school friends how I came across my Chinese cousins when they would arrive down from PNG for their 3 months holiday every 18 months.
My children got used to eating Chinese sweets that Mrs Betty Chee would give them so much so even today when I am heading south, they will ask for Ginger and salty plums! I always found salty plums really bitter but my children loved them!
How about anyone else out there reading this....do you too have a story to tell about the Chinese community of PNG?
__________________
Gail Thomas
www.pngbd.com
www.kokodatrail.com.au
www.kokodatrail.com.pg
www.quadrahosting.com.au
Gail Thomas
www.pngbd.com
www.kokodatrail.com.au
www.kokodatrail.com.pg
www.quadrahosting.com.au
Hi
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