Jim Lawrence
accessd at shaw.ca
Sun Nov 23 13:57:05 CST 2008
Hi Stuart: Your area sounds like it is really very nice... A little rough but it is never as bad as the press makes out. Jim -----Original Message----- From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McLachlan Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 7:07 PM To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Web Design There's a fairly high proportion of Phillipino and Indian/Sri Lankan expats as well as a lot of aussies, kiwis and brits. The most racist group would be the nationals, but it's not them against the expats, it's tribal/regional. My missus is local - Southern Region Coastal and she really doesn't like Highlanders :-) The country was very heavily influenced by missionaries over the last 100 years, so churches are very strong - and in most of the country are the only ones providing decent health and education services. There's a small Islamic community, mainly ex-pat but a few converted nationals, there is aboslutely NO fundamentalism. Although everyone will tell you they are Christian, and a lot will go to church every Sunday, there is an almost universal belief in socrcery, spirits, animism etc. Religion is fairly new, the culture is thousands of years old - quite a few people are still killed every year in villages, especially in the Highlands, after being accused of sorcery. It's a really fascinating country to study - over 800 languages and numerous totally different cultures - the Highlands and coastal regions where settled at different times by totally different people - highlands languages are totally different from coastal/island languages. The Highlanders are more like Australian aboriginals, the coastal/islands are more like polynesians. -- Stuart On 21 Nov 2008 at 17:31, Rocky Smolin at Beach Accesand many different -- Stuart > Dang! Sounds nice. Oh, forgot to ask - race relations (most of the whites > are going to be ex-pats. Yes?) and religion, everything peaceable? It would > seem with almost 100% Christian. In wiki > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Papua_New_Guinea no mention of > Islam. So no Moslems? Animism? > > P.S. I'll be 60 myself next month if everything goes according to plan. > Late starter. Kids are 12 and 18. > > > Rocky Smolin > Beach Access Software > 858-259-4334 > www.e-z-mrp.com > www.bchacc.com > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart McLachlan > Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 5:19 PM > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Web Design > > Raised a family here in the late 80's - they're now grown up. > Not sure where that wife is now :-) > > My current partner is PNGean and we have a six year old daughter (and I'll > be 60 in 3 montsh time <g>) > > The picture is the downtown area of Port Moresby - the rest of the country > is very different! > > There are good international schools in Port Moresby - they use an > Australian curriculum and the students generally do *very* well in the > Australian examinations! > > Public healthcare is very primitve , but the private medical practitioners > in Port Moresby are fairly good. > > Government is fairly stable, but also fairly corrupt. The economy went > through a bad patch but is looking good - huge LNG prospects dveloping over > the next few years will quadruple the countries GDP - business confidence is > high and there is a lot of development going on. > > We're actually better off at the moment that the rest of the world - PNG was > not really exposed to the financial crisis and is a major exporter - even > with the drop in commodity prices it's on track for budget surpluses even > after failry large infrastructure/development spending next year. > > Law and Order is a bit of a problem - a lot of unemployment and crime in the > urban centres, but it's not as bad as the Australian media tries to make it > seem. > > The big plus is the lifestyle: > > Great social life, great climate and a lot of freedom to do your own thing. > > No speed cameras or breath testing - get stopped at a road block on your way > home after a night drinking at a club and the cop will probably as drunk as > you are <g> > > > Cheers, > Stuart > > > On 21 Nov 2008 at 16:58, Rocky Smolin at Beach Access Software wrote: > > > Interesting. Further nosiness (and Mr Moderator - it IS OT Friday) - are > > you married and/or have kids? Can you raise a family there? It looks > > pretty moderne from the picture on the web site. Decent infrastructure? > > Healthcare? Stable government/economy/society? > > > > > > Rocky Smolin > > Beach Access Software > > 858-259-4334 > > www.e-z-mrp.com > > www.bchacc.com > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart > McLachlan > > Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 4:49 PM > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Web Design > > > > It needs to load fast, a lot of potential clients in PNG are on dial up. > > > > > > Since you ask: > > I came to PNG in 1986, on a three year contract, to set up training and > > testing systems with the PNG Police College. They were looking for people > > with disciplined forces and training backgrounds and I had 12 years as an > > infantry officer in the New Zealand Army including several postings as an > > instructor in various areas. > > > > I'd been into computer since about 1980, both as a hobbyist and at work > and > > ended up developing student records and exam marking systems in Dataflex > > (running on C/CPM on serial networked ICL Quattros - ah, those were the > > days<g>) > > > > Found that I liked the lifestyle here so I stayed. Started developing > all > > sorts of Information > > Systems on the side for various people and ended up in 1993 going > > independent full time, using Dataflex mainly, but about then I discovered > MS > > Access 1.1 and I've never looked back. ( although we only put the last > > Dataflex system that I was involved with to sleep at the beginning of this > > year!). > > > > > > -- > > Stuart > > > > On 21 Nov 2008 at 15:49, Rocky Smolin at Beach Access wrote: > > > > > Lovely. Loads fast. I like that. > > > > > > OK, I gotta ask - how'd you end up in PNG? Or did you start there? > > > > > > > > > Rocky Smolin > > > Beach Access Software > > > 858-259-4334 > > > www.e-z-mrp.com > > > www.bchacc.com > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com > > > [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Stuart > > > McLachlan > > > Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 3:44 PM > > > To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving > > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Web Design > > > > > > I've just updated my site at http://www.lexacorp.com.pg over the last > > > few days. > > > > > > I built it using frames <bleuch> about 6 or 7 years ago and it was > > > looking very tired and old fashioned. > > > > > > The new version uses Server Side Includes for a consistent layout > > > > > > That way I just need a line > > > <!--#include virtual="header.html" --> in each page rather than > > > repeating all the background, header image, menu code etc. > > > I do the same for the footer. > > > > > > Incidentally, the menu is a straight lift from <quote> > > > /*********************************************** > > > * CSS Horizontal List Menu- by JavaScript Kit (www.javascriptkit.com) > > > * Menu interface credits: > > > http://www.dynamicdrive.com/style/csslibrary/item/glossy-vertical- > > > menu/ > > > * This notice must stay intact for usage > > > * Visit JavaScript Kit at http://www.javascriptkit.com/ for this > > > script and 100s more ***********************************************/ > > > </quote> > > > > > > Feel free to steal any ideas you need for content. > > > Rocky's site, build by Karen Rosenstiel, may give you a few ideas too. > > > > > > Actually, I've never found a WYSIWYG site designer that I like - I've > > > ended up doing it hand with a text editor which understands HTML > > > syntax. (I swap between Crimson Editor and > > > NoteTab) > > > > > > -- > > > Stuart > > > > > > > > > On 21 Nov 2008 at 9:28, Tony Septav wrote: > > > > > > > Hey All > > > > After much research, I finally settled on looking at the trial > > > > version of WebEasy7. I had to start somewhere, the more I > > > > researched the topic the more confusing it got, with all the pros > > > > and cons to different approaches. As I mentioned at the moment all I > > > > am concerned about is getting a web page up and running, fancy will > > come later. > > > > Thought this would give you all a laugh (talk about naive). The part > > > > I am finding most difficult, is filling in 4 pages of information - > > > > Home, Products, About Us and Contact us. I know from a marketing > > > > point of view you are supposed to be trying to sell the company, but > > > > I have always been known as an individual who keeps things short and > > > > to the point. I figured one page would do it , but looking at other > > > > sites I don't think that is a good marketing idea. So I guess I will > > > > have to "time trip" through my 20 years of developing applications > > > > and put together an overview of what I can provide. Here I thought > > > > I could bang this thing together in a couple of days, but now I see > > > > it is going to take me 2 or 3 weeks to just initially put it > > > > together and come up with a powerful presentation. My hat is off to > > > > those of you that have web sites, I now realize the work you put > > > > into to getting them up and > > > running. > > > > > > > > -- > > > > AccessD mailing list > > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > > > > -- > > > AccessD mailing list > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > -- > > > AccessD mailing list > > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > > -- > > AccessD mailing list > > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com > > -- > AccessD mailing list > AccessD at databaseadvisors.com > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd > Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com -- AccessD mailing list AccessD at databaseadvisors.com http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com