Lessons for PNG from Taiwan

By MALUM NALU

Those who follow this blog know that I'm one of the staunchest critics of buai pekpek (betelnut shit) and littering in Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea, so coming to Taiwan for me has been like coming to heaven.
 I just took an evening stroll through the well-kept park next to the Monarch Plaza Hotel in Taoyuang City, Taiwan, wondering when we in PNG will look after our parks and playgrounds like this!
Clean, pretty flowers and plants, mum pushing babies on prams, couples walking their dogs, children and parents playing happily in the playground...we only dream about this in Papua New Guinea, and yet, it doesn't cost anything!
 I'm  posting because I hope it can inspire us to stop spitting buai pekpek, littering everywhere without a care in the world, and not taking care of our recreational facilities!
Here are some of the pictures I took today:

No buai pekpek in sight!

Immaculate sidewalk and evergreen garden against a spectacular backdrop of skyscrapers!

Wow!

An urban jungle

Green plants in an urban jungle

I love this!

Kiddies' playground

I loved walking in betwen these trees!

Beautiful!

Resthouse

Lovely sidewalk

Sidewalk in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, today...stunningly beautiful!

It takes teamwork to trim the trees

The rules of the park are laid out on these signboards

Take my breath away!

Playing with the dog in the park

Seats under shady trees

You can just sit down on the side and watch the world go by

My walk continues

Note the garbage bin on the side

This dog and his master were a delight to watch as doggie fetched the tennis when wherever his boss threw it

A man's best friend

Well-kept toilets

Sweeping the leaves and grass

Space age playground

Kiddies' playground

It doesn't cost much money for PNG to maintain a park like this, only common sense and self-respect!

The park with skyscrapers as a towering backdrop

Kiddies' playground

Kiddies' playground

Walkng through the park is a refreshing and unforgettable experience

More park scenes

That's the Monarch Plaza Hotel where I'm staying towering in the background

Plants are treated with loving care

Well-kept trees make the place so environmentally-friendly

Sidewalk in Taoyuan City, Taiwan, today...stunningly beautiful!

A magical moment...I walked through the park after lunch basking in after-rain sunshine, watching all the activities going on, including people walking and playing with their dogs. As I was walking out, this guy (of European descent) and his best friend, walked out and jumped on their scooter, doggie taking the captain's seat, and away they went!

Well-manicured flowers, which are treated with tender, loving care and respected by the public

Woman and her dog!