[Mihalic] Pidgin in journalism

[John Burton]

>From the Post-Courier today. Comments?

J

Simple Kabui

JOSEPH Kabui stopped taking his life-saving medicine four months ago because
he didn't have the money to pay for it and felt ashamed to ask for help.
"Yu save sister blong mi, mi no man blong askim long samting sapos em I
concernim mi,'' he told me in his last media interview on Friday afternoon
immediately after he arrived in Buka from his Manus trip.
About 12 hours later, he collapsed from what is believed to have been a
massive heart attack and was dead before he could be rushed to the nearby
Buka Hospital.
Late president Kabui, who could give me an interview at his Gateway because
he was either tired or tied up singled out to me from his Gateway room after
returning from the Manus Governor's conference: "ringim mi tomoro (Friday)
na bai yumi stori."
Kabui, the villager, as he was described in numerous eulogies and tributes
in a State funeral in Port Moresby when asked why he did not want to get
more medicine supplies said he had a lot of faith and trust in a local brand
of water reputed to have healing powers and that he did not want to infringe
the Autonomous Bougainville Government funds for his own use.
PC: "President, why yu no laik toksave long Masono olsem Administrator long
redim sampla moni blong yu long go long Mosbi tasol long December last year
long check up?
Kabui: .mi gat planti wok long wokim, display taim mi sapos long go long
check up em mi bin stap long wanpla important miting wantaim olo lida blong
yumi na tu mi bin tied up long miting blong displa education subsidy blong
ol sumatin,ol pikinini bilong yumi."
PC: Taim marasin i pinis, why yu no laik kisim moa supply?
Kabui: Sista blong mi, tru tumas mi wari tumas long planti wok long wokim na
mi no tingim tumas marasin. Yu save sister blong mi, marasin em traipla moni
tumas tu, na yu save mi no man blong askim long samting sapos em I concernim
mi, so mi bin save kisim tasol ol liklik antibiotics''
PC: SO as we speak, you sure need medicine president? Can I suggest we do a
fundraising for you?
Kabui: thankyou, mi orait, review blong mi long Australia em long display
mun, maybe two weeks time (bai mi mas check wantim Townsville) tasol, mi mas
lukluk long painim sampla toea long kisim mi go, bikos last check up I
costim mi planti moni stret."
This was part of the last interview held with late President Kabui on Friday
(not Thursday as we published yesterday).

 

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