The term Melanesian Way is a derogatory expatriate word to raise a laugh among expatriates drinking at the hotel bar.
It is used during criticism of the blackfellas. It covers some behaviour that was predictable, not understood and laughable.
It was the sign that blackfellas were basically stupid.
I used to go to PNGDF officers' messes in the 1970s. Often there was a group of Australian officers at the bar who all enjoyed stories of the stupid blackfellas.
And do you know what he did then? He opened the box and stuffed all the reports in and put it in the cupboard! (Roar of laughter).
Why? Who knows? That's the Melanesian Way.
PNGDF officers were drinking outside on the wooden tables. They were not telling stories of stupid white men.
That is what PNG Attitude writer Corney Alone thinks of the word. He says it is derogatory against PNG people not an aspect of culture. But there are both positive and negative meanings.
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At the same time, there is a very negative aspect to Papua New Guinea.
There is an attitude in business that a successful businessman is one who can lie, cheat, steal, threaten, not give the service paid for, vary pay from what was agreed to, change goal posts and ignore contracts. Not all businessmen are like this.
That is the Melanesian Way too.
Please read below a report posted on the Charlie Lynn Kokoda blog. It is a report that I wrote to record an encounter with a PNG trekking company owner. Please click:
1 Jan 2011 – The following article was published by Bruce
Copeland, a former Army Officer now living in PNG – it is a
timely reminder for Australian trekkers ...
No rose tinted glasses.
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