A few introductory tips on PNG matchmakers

BY PETER KRANZ

BEWARE OF THOSE PNG matchmakers

Am I being sexist or racist?

No, I am talking from experience.

I don't think I am particularly prejudiced, and I am happily married to a lovely PNG woman.

Matchmaking seems to be an occupational option for older PNG women beyond a certain age.

They may have nieces, daughters or cousins whom they truly believe could make a better life for themselves and their children. So whities are fair game.

They engage in matchmaking on an industrial scale.

This may not be much spoken about, but is a fact of life.

If you're an expat in PNG you will be approached by an older lady giving you an unmissable opportunity from a young lady who has seen you from afar and wishes to give her undying love to you (plus of course her mother, uncles, nephews and neices and several cousin-brothers).

It progresses from there.

Maybe you are naive enough to invite the young lady around for dinner (invariably she is beautiful).

Then you are hooked.

And the relos descend.

I found a way of countering this. I said to prospective matchmakers - "Meri bilong mi lon Simbu" [‘My wife is from Simbu’]

They get rather worried when told this and made a hasty retreat.

This leaves open the question of how I got to meet Rose, and what she is up to now organising certain things with her sisters.

C'est la vie, as we say in Tok Pisin.

Comments

[Trevor Freestone.]

Even before the Europeans appeared in PNG, Chimbu families were always looking for wealthy men for their daughters.

Wealth in those days was measured by the number of feathers you wore at ceremonmies, the number of pigs you owned and the number of wives you could support.

This wealth was so much better than the dollar of today. Just imagine you could not hide the fact you were corrupt; the number of pigs you had wandering around would give you away. You would be unable to hide them by sending them overseas.

Another huge advantage was the fact that you could not buy beer with pigs or feathers. Agreed you could buy betel nut.

As for having numerous wives you had to be a strong man to be able to handle them all and keep them happy. At least you didn't know about Valentine's Day so didn't have to give them all a pig.