influencer Klenneth Pombo

Conversation BREAKFAST WITH …

KLENNETH POMBO COMEDIAN & SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER

BY CARMEL PILOTTI | PHOTOGRAPH: GODFREEMAN KAPTIGAU

Why have you chosen the Kopi Haus Restaurant at the Holiday Inn for breakfast? I love the place – been coming here since I was a kid. And love the breakfast buffet. What have you chosen for breakfast? I got bread, beans, salami and ham. For breakfast I like to carb load because I move around a lot. Lots of carbs and lots of protein. You chose stand-up comedy as a career a few years ago. Stand-up is not very common in Papua New Guinea, so how is it going? It started out as a hobby and came from telling jokes and making memes, and then turned into my career. In PNG, the audience don’t really get stand-up comedy yet, so I’ve been trying to find the balance between introducing it while keeping to what makes Papua New Guineans laugh. What makes Papua New Guineans laugh? It’s mainly slapstick comedy. It’s more people laughing at you than laughing with you. With stand-up, it’s more of you bringing stuff that makes you laugh and sharing with other people for them to laugh with you. How nerve-wracking is it to do a stand-up routine? I’ve been performing for a while, since I was a child, so I’ve never

The only thing that makes me nervous is if the crowd is not getting my jokes.

had stage fright. The only thing that makes me nervous is if the crowd is not getting my jokes. When I first started out, I was really worried about it. So, finding the balance was important, between bringing my flavour and fusing it with what people are familiar with. Most admired comedian? I see my most admired comedian every day I look in the mirror – you didn’t see that one coming did you (ha ha)! It’s almost a sin to copy someone’s style – while you do admire them, you can’t really have a favourite, because it might have too much of an influence on your work. I look more at the science than people – I read about what triggers laughter, how to write better. You can draw some things, though, from certain comedians. You can get the power of an accent and how it works from Trevor Noah. You have Kevin Hart who has very good storytelling skills. He can tell an ordinary story, but his delivery makes it funny. Then you have people like Dave Chappelle who delivers in a serious manner, but his ideas are the funny part. You’ve built quite a following on your social media platform PNG 4 Realz. What is it about? When I started the page in high school, there were a lot of regional pages talking about which place (in PNG) is better, so I created PNG 4 Realz (facebook. com/Png4Realz) for the purpose of pointing out that we have good and bad, and only together can we make the nation better. I do what I do to elevate and educate people’s mindsets, whether through humour, or actively going out into the community. Do you find that your audience receives your content well? What are some examples of your content? Yes, I would say they receive my content well. Most of the time I will make memes and do skits. But I’m starting to see people are also responding well to my videos, in which I give my take on current events. People like seeing my take on things, and in fact they ask me to have my say on certain things so they are more knowledgeable on it. I do a lot of research so people appreciate that.

What is the main inspiration for what you’ve chosen to do with your life so far? The main inspiration is people. I want to see the people of this nation prosper, especially the young people. If the young people are stronger, more robust and economically empowered, the nation will change. Everyone speaks about different forms of empowerment; what the country really needs is economic empowerment. So I focus on business ideas and helping people start their journey towards economic stability. Why do you feel that what you do is important? I think it’s important to show people that if they do things for themselves and not rely on other people or authority, they’ll be able to get things done for themselves. When that happens, they stop being dependent, and when they are not dependent, they see things in a different light, because they realise the power they have. Where do you hope your path will take you next? Right now, I’m trying to create the pathway for other content creators who are coming up because I had to wait for about eight years before I actually saw any (financial) benefit from what I do. So I’m sort of like a manager/ agent now – going out and getting endorsement or sponsorship for other creators.

The Kopi Haus Restaurant is on the ground floor at the Holiday Inn at the corner of Waigani Drive and Wards Road, Boroko. Open from 6am daily.

Klenneth Pombo, a stand-up comedian, also has a serious side with his social media influencing.

FYI AROUND TOWN

BY RUBY GAMOGA, NATALIE CHOLOHEI | PHOTOGRAPHS: DEAN AREK, RUBY GAMOGA, POLIAP M’BULEAU; SUPPLIED PHOTOGRAPHS BY FISHO’S & COZY’S DINER Port Moresby gets its vibe back

Above: Bunka Cafe, a new kid on the block. Left: Bunka owner Kali Alu, serving simple but tasty food.

Port Moresby has seen an upswing in restaurant, bar and hotel openings in recent months. Some are new, while others are old favourites that are reopening after being forced to close because of COVID-19.

Numerous plans for new city apartments (see story on Page 58), are another sign that life may be returning to some normality despite COVID-19.

Three new diners include Bunka Cafe on Baruni Road, Cozy’s Diner on Ela Beach Road, and Fisho’s, the only fish and chip shop in the heart of downtown.

When I ask owner Kali Alu where the name Bunka comes from, she says it is a phonetic spelling of the word ‘bunker’, one of the relics left behind from World War 2 at Paga Hill, where she had originally planned to set up shop before finally settling on a site at the industrial ECM compound.

“It’s a very friendly environment,” Alu adds. “I try to know everyone by name. The food is simple but tasty. My assistant makes the drinks and I make the food, so it’s quick service as well.”

Bunka’s menu includes sandwiches, sides, pies, smoothies and teas. The food is made and served from a shipping container kitchen, and customers can dine alfresco.

Cozy’s Diner, which opened last December, is another place with a good feel. There’s good food, live entertainment (they provide a small platform for new vocalists to play for free) and an excellent variety of beer and spirits.

Co-owner Andreas Kotsonis says Cozy’s has a lot of repeat customers. “People keep coming back – they absolutely love it here,” he says. “You see them relaxing, with their feet folded on the chairs. They become one with the environment. We have a great family vibe.” With its brown pallet facade, Cozy’s is inconspicuous and

easy to miss. There is a modest outdoor setup, but Kotsonis has plans to develop that into a beer garden to make use of the beachfront views. The place also has unique internal decor, with a bike as a centrepiece, hung by chains above the bar counter, and many curious antique items on display such as cultural masks, a legless foosball table, retro diner signs, and a collection of paper money from around the world.

Another striking feature is the value for your buck: nowhere else in Port Moresby are you able to get three sizeable drumsticks in a mains meal for only K35. Says Kotsonis: “In Cyprus where I’m from, we either have a lot of little dishes served up as a feast or we serve an overkill of a single plate, so you’ll find most of our main meals are served this way.”

Fisho’s, the latest addition to the chain of Meat Haus outlets, also serves portions that surprise. Their battered and crumbed ling

Above: Cozy’s Diner has quirky interiors, including a bike hanging on the wall.

fish, at K10, is the size of your hand and it can be paired with a side of potato scallops, coleslaw, salad, pineapple fritters, battered crabsticks and calamari, plus chips of course. The place is located at what was previously Meat Haus Town. There isn’t much room for dining in, but customers are able to sit at tables at the adjacent Buffalo Burger, its sister company.

A fourth noteworthy opening is that of the Japanese-influenced Akura at Harbourside. To see our review of this vibrant restaurant/ bar that opened in April, turn to Page 44. RG

Bunka is open from 7.30am to 3pm weekdays. Cozy’s Diner is open from 10am until late every day. Fisho’s is open every day from 10am to 9pm. Left: Generous portions are the order of the day at Fisho’s, a new fish-and-chippery in the downtown area. Above: Grilled lamb rack at Akura, an elegant dining and lounge bar that has opened at Harbourside.

Bar with views open again

Summit Bar, the sophisticated cocktail lounge on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel at Hohola, has recently opened after being closed for two years due to COVID-19. Patrons can now enjoy twinkling views of bustling Waigani on the outdoor patio or sit back in the stylish leather chairs in the moodily lit interior (pictured on Page 4).

To help usher in this new epoch of nightlife, there are two-forthe-price-of-one discounts on selected signature cocktails, wines, spirits and food items available until 7pm from Sunday to Thursday. RG

See facebook.com/hiltonpng. The Summit Bar’s outdoor patio.

On the buses

A new bus service has been launched in Port Moresby by the National Capital District Commission (NCDC) to cover eight routes not served by PMV operators. NCDC Governor, Powes Parkop (pictured), recently took a ride on one of the buses. The new routes include Gerehu to Laloki via the Nine-Mile roundabout; Nine-Mile to Manu and return; and Gerehu, Baruni, Badihagwa, Ela Beach, Koura Way and Waigani-Gerehu. “This service is affordable, convenient, and a safe transport system for our city,” Governor Parkop said.

There’s room at the inn

The Holiday Inn Express has reopened after a two-year shutdown caused by COVID-19.

The eight-storey hotel in the heart of Waigani has 199 queen and twin rooms, including two wheelchair-accessible rooms, a small conference room, an undercover parking area and airport shuttle bus.

Area general manager Maoro Leone says business looks promising in the next quarter. Since the reopening, the hotel has had a good number of guests coming in.

“The hotel was officially closed for two years, even though we did use it as an overflow when the Holiday Inn & Suites was full,” Leone says.

Leone says the most difficult part of the closure was letting staff go. “Hotels are a big family, and it was sad to send them off, but the happy thing is that slowly we are getting a lot of them back.”

Hotel manager Rashmi Tulsiani says: “We are very excited we are back in the market.”

The Holiday Inn Express shares facilities such as the gym, squash and basketball courts, pool, bar and a walking track with the Holiday Inn & Suites.

NC See ihg.com or call 1800 007 697.

Out and about

If you’re looking for things to do in town, here are six suggestions. 01 SECOND-HAND SHOPPING Moale Dabua at Waigani often has surprise bargains of designer items. 02 COOKING MASTERCLASS Handson training run by a Bacchus restaurant chef at Airways Hotel,

food_beverage@airways.com.pg.

03 YOUNG PROFESSIONAL NETWORK OF PNG Meet engaged, like-minded individuals at their monthly ‘Cuppa at the Copper’ sessions, facebook.com/ YPNPNG. 04 MORESBY ARTS THEATRE See well-known plays adapted for a PNG audience, facebook.com/MoresbyArtsTheatre. 05 J’S CAFE Try the famous all-day tower breakfast at this new getaway spot at 17 Mile. Overlooks the Laloki River, facebook.com/jscafepng. 06 DONUTS AT KOPIBIN Drop into POM’s only specialty donut store, with branches in town and Eight Mile, facebook.com/kopibindonuts. RG

Donuts in the display case at Kopibin.

WHERE TO FIND US

PNG Now has extensive distribution in cafes, hotels and other social hubs.

In Port Moresby, this includes Duffy outlets (pictured), Airways Hotel, The Hilton and The Stanley (cafes), Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CHM at Vision City, the POM City Markets and Harbourside Night Markets.

In Lae, it can be picked up at the Lae Chamber of Commerce and the Lae International Hotel.