The "F"s of PNG

Whenever any new expat asks about working in PNG, inevitable someone provides them the "Four F's":

1. Follow up
2. Follow up
3. Follow up
4. Fuck it, do it yourself

That's great for private sector or business or if you actually have the resources for #4.  But at uni, well, it's slightly different. I'm on a repeat cycle of #1-3.  Trust me, not by choice.

I was told by my boss when I first got here that I need to always follow up and ask for feedback.  Those are our two "F"s.  Um.  Not as effective as #4.  Anyway, I digress... 

My floor.  I've called maintenance.  I've been to their office.  I've called the manager's personal cell phone (as the secretary got tired of me calling her).  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  I've emailed my boss.  I've called maintenance again.  I've called his cell phone again.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  Monday I did get him to physically SEE (and SMELL) my office.  I do believe his reply was that he could try to put down new carpeting.  (Uh, perhaps we could do something that we won't have to rip up again when it floods again?)  

Seriously, at this point, I don't care about aesthetics.  I want my office to not stink of turpentine and I want the floor not to be sticky. Em tasol.  The best we can do is open the one door to the outside and put paper down so you don't break your shoes.  It's frustrating.  I've asked "permission" to call a professional cleaner.  No. Work with maintenance and let them organize it if they can't do it.  Lovely.  

So, I repeat #1-3 again.  Today was another mobile phone call and another email to my boss stating the urgency of the matter.  (Um, one is that I'm not sure of the side effects of inhaling turpentine, but it can'd be good; and, two, I postponed the training Monday, but Jonika starts all of her training in SIX working days. I've only been fighting this for over two weeks now....)

Anyway, my life would just be easier for certain things to just be able to do #4.  And, if I couldn't myself do it, have access to money where I could contract things out to get done.  But, alas, I work at uni.... 

Oh, and my contract renewal form was sent back to me because it wasn't typed.  My printer has an issue.  I wanted to meet the deadline, so I hand wrote in my responses.  Oops.  Silly me. They said no hurry, but get it done, we need you to renew!  Yep, I'll get right on it...