Shifting Views of Jakarta

My impressions of Jakarta have completely changed from what they were a year ago. Less romantic now than before. Originally I thought it would be a small(ish) city, maybe twice the size of New Orleans with the same rundown historical charm or twice the size of Las Vegas without the glam. Now, my opinion is that it is much more similar to Las Vegas (although size wise Jakarta is massive: between 8 and 10 million people!) if you just replace the casinos for malls with “many and close between” areas that are overflowing with the poor, jobless, malnourished, and disabled. When I first arrived in Jakarta, my first week in Indonesia, the taxi driver drove through some sketchy areas on rivers that were next to the highway. I could see the occasional squatter (those poor people who have set up small makeshift homes in illegal areas) like under bridges, near rivers, next to highways, etc. My first week with Mercy Corps I visited flood-prone areas in West Jakarta (see earlier blog) and even though that perspective contrasted with where I was staying in a guest house in the wealthy, suburban, western-friendly haven, South Jakarta, I thought most of Jakarta was like the former: rundown, poor, disaster-prone, troublesome sanitation systems galore, etc. But this week I have been able to see central Jakarta quite a lot and my perception of the city has completely changed. The central areas is near the national monument called MONAS that stands for Monumen Nasional. It’s a tall statue similar to our monument only it has a bronze flame at the top that is covered in 35kg of gold leaf. The tower itself is made of Egyptian marble supposedly. Surrounding that area is a large park, many buildings for the banks, government buildings, cafes. Then all around the main monument and spreading out in a large radius are tons and tons of shopping malls. And in between the current shopping malls there are many new ones being constructed. Throughout all of this there are many streets, all completely swarming with taxis, buses, ojeks, motorcycles, bendi (horse drawn carriages), bajaj (tri-wheeled motorcycles with carts on the back for passengers), and beggars in the street weaving in and out of traffic trying to get money from the cars, on the sidewalks, in the park, outside the cafes. You get the point. The biggest surprise though and what has made me completely disappointed in the lack of charm, is that everything looks new and modern. Not much has retained its historical style or cultural architecture. It’s a city trying to catch up to other modern cities and quickly losing its history, in my opinion. True, much of my opinion of Jakarta, is from the Mel Gibson and Linda Hunt movie, The Year of Living Dangerously. But I was kind of looking forward to that, (without the rampant crime, government corruption, and no freedom of press thing of course). Honestly, I wanted to see areas that have been plagued by riots and civil unrest for decades, seeing the old dutch style from the founding of Jakarta, seeing Indonesian style government buildings or hotels, still seeing areas in Central Jakarta with cobblestone or smaller, non-modern roads.

But you will see none of that downtown. This must be the reason behind its dwindling tourism numbers and frequent conversation piece that other than food, shopping, and nightlife, Jakarta doesn’t have much to offer. I refused to believe this though. The last week and especially this holiday weekend (today is Indonesia’s 64th anniversary of independence) I set out to prove these widespread expatriate opinions false. Originally I wanted to go to central java and see the 17th century temples, see Mount Merapi, and see what outside Jakarta looks like. Reality soon set in though and being that it’s a holiday weekend and all planes, trains, and automobiles are booked solid and I didn’t think it was a good idea to rent a car/driver for the weekend alone when its takes at least 10 hours each way to get there, and that I AM a graduate student that needs to seriously budget this coming school year, I decided to stay in Jakarta and explore its culture and especially history and save money. Soo much easier said than done. I emailed and called numerous tourism places to see what bus tours there were around the city (since a few websites mentioned there were some). No one answered the phone and no one emailed back. None of the websites mentioned where the tours start so I couldn’t even just show up and hope to get a ticket. When I asked coworkers no one even knew Jakarta had day tours for sightseeing. I spent hours on the internet looking at blogs, travel websites, discussion boards, expatriate sites, to find event calendars, museum schedules, postings of anykind. Still no luck. On Saturday desperate for some kind of cultural experience other than going out to a bar and partying with skeevy western businessmen (which is what I did on Friday night), I went and looked at TimeOut Jakarta. Still nothing for this weekend and only very general listings for movies and cultural activities.

It was official. It was going to just be me and my lonely planet guide. But that’s OK. I did that for part of my Australia trip and things worked out fine. Fortunately on Sunday I was able to not be completely alone as Cynara and her boyfriend from Germany were here and looking for things to do too. So we went to the Wayang Museum, Shadow Puppet Museum, and watched a really cool Javanese puppet performance (couldn’t understand most of it though as it wasn’t in Indonesian, but only Javanese, the local language of the island of Java). This area is the only area I found in Jakarta that has preserved some of its dutch heritage. It’s called Old Batavia, and there is still a cobblestone center which is now surrounded by museums, and a fence made out of cannons. We took photos in the center of the square and then walked to an outdoor Indonesian restaurant for lunch. Lots of nasi goreng which I am officially sick of (friend rice with egg). We did pass some areas that are definitely abandoned buildings that have probably been standing for at least 200 years, so that was kind of cool to see a glimpse of the rundown, historical Jakarta I was expecting. We then walked to Glodok, thanks to our LonelyPlanet Guide, on the way visited a church that was from 1695. Here’s what our friend told us:

“Near the Kota train station, this church dates from 1695 and is the oldest remaining church in Jakarta. Also known as Gereja Portugis (Portuguese Church), it was built just outside the old city walls for the so-called “black Portuguese” – the Eurasians and natives captured from Portuguese trading ports in Indian and Malaya and brought to Batavia as slaves. The exterior of the church is very plain, but inside there are copper chandeliers, a baroque pulpit and the original organ. Although more than 2000 people were buried in the graveyard during 1790 alone, very few tombs remain”

Here’s the description for Glodok too. This is what I expected to find:

“ The neighbourhood of Glodok, the traditional enclave of the Chinese, is a bustline rundown part of town with fading markets and decadent nightlife (it’s wise to be careful here after dark). It was also the sight of the terrible riots of May and November 1998, which reduced huge swathes of the area to ash and rubble. Much of the legislation that had discriminated against the Chinese and their language for decades was lifted in 2000, but it will be years before the scars are fully erased and the last of the burnt buildings rebuilt.”

As we walked through Glodok it didn’t seem much different than other residential areas, except there were a few burnt buildings (the exteriors), hard to tell if they were from the riots are not though. We definitely saw one that was from that time though because they weren’t renovated and had many plants growing wildly from the inside to the outside. Definitely would take years to get that way. We passed one of the Chinese temples, but not sure of the name as there was no sign (not good for tourism, come on Jakarta!)

Today we did one more of the Lonely Planet Guide suggestions and something I wanted to visit since I read the travel writings of Adam Karlin (click here for his story about this place, he definitely writes better than me and has a much more interesting story to tell: http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/a_writers_port_of_call_20080422/ ). Sunda Kelapa, the old port of Jakarta. We went there at sunset (almost missed it though because of lazy taksi drivers and the Independence Day festivities today). Lining the first dock of the Marina are many Makasar schooners (pinisi). Most of the marina though is really rundown with tons of men just hanging about (some bathing as we walked by, oops. But not the first time here I have startled a bathing sailor in Indonesia oddly). We walked to the end of the first port (the left side was the cool schooners and the right side was large cargo ships) and there were two small ships blocking our view of Jakarta Bay. Bryan and Cynara were going to just pier through the space between the boats and head back but I wanted to see the bay, to prove that Jakarta is coastal since you can’t really tell when just staying there. So we asked the sailors if we could go on their ship to see the view from the other side. They obliged with a puzzled look on their faces but continued on working on the side of the boat. We took tons of photos (of course a titanic one for the couple) and then headed back out. It was a very rundown ship with very little room to move. Not the safest I would guess and would never want to work on it out on the sea because of all the lines, metal chains, sharp metal edges, and large equipment thrown all around the deck.

After the old port we went to a mall for dinner and shopping to end the night. I have been in about 10 malls in three days. I will never make jokes about the shopping culture of South Florida again! Ok, I totally will, but not about the abundant malls. Jakarta is a bit ridiculous with them and it seems they are totally moving away from the charming street markets that make Indonesia so much fun to travel in. I hope they realize what they are doing. I had a quesadilla (just black beans and cheese, no onions, no peppers, no guacamole, no salsa….it had the nerve to say “authentic Mexican”). Something very clever about malls here though. You can’t easily take an elevator to the floor you want, or just one or two escalators. They are each about six floors and you have to take an escalator to the next floor, walk around the loop passed all the stores, to the next escalator, and do that all the way up. It guarantees you must shop and see everything and not just go in and go out with what you want. A nightmare for people like me who feel claustrophobic in the two-story Roosevelt Field Mall, let alone these overpopulated six-story malls that make it difficult to get out!

My overall verdict of Jakarta is that more needs to be done to restore the cultural, but moreover, the historical significance of Jakarta. I understand the desire to match other cities for nightlife and shopping especially as the world’s 10th largest city, but they shouldn’t also sacrifice the treasure of their past. The Dutch occupation is honestly really cool since it dates back centuries ago, and the Indonesia’s independence also offers a really neat story that should be told. The puppet museum did have a puppet scene behind glass of the Indonesian independence, but not much else can be seen in Jakarta unless you REALLY go out and look for it with a lonely planet guide. Granted I did not have time or desire to fight the holiday weekend crowds and visit the national museum so I could be wrong. But many cities have their history not just locked up in a building with an admission fee and often hokey gift shops, but in their architecture, walking tours, street signs, and the streets themselves. While exiting the Shadow Puppet museum I was stopped by the manager. He asked where I was from. When I told him America is was ecstatic and thanked me so much for coming to visit the museum. Apparently two days before my arrival the US Ambassador and the Embassy staff held an event at the museum where they donated $46,000 USD to the museum. This is a huge grant in American standards, so just imagine what that means for Indonesians. They showed me a letter signed by the Ambassador that says they donated the money to “support the preservation of Indonesia’s Wayang [shadow puppet] culture…The grant was made under part of the U.S. Department of States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program, which provides support to cultural heritage preservation projects in select countries.” (NOTE: Odd that there wasn’t a bahasa Indonesia letter). Go Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama! This is seriously needed. Even if you don’t think the Shadow Puppet culture should be preserved, although you should see a performance then, because they are so creative, the actual building of the museum in Old Batavia should be preserved. The building dates back to 1912, BUT in the downstairs courtyard there are memorials to Dutch governors generals who were once buried here, including Jan Pieterszoon Coen, founder of Batavia, who died of cholera in 1692 during the siege of Mataram! This is by far the oldest gravestone I have ever seen (if you don’t count Pompeii in Italy as one giant gravestone).

OK, but back to how awesome our Secretary of State and President are. Yesterday I was also able to visit the childhood home and school of Barack Obama. Amazing! First of all, it was very difficult to find a reputable source online for the address so I just used what I found on flickr.com and took a taxi there. Once we got to the tiny RW (subvillage) we stopped people on the street and asked where his house was. 3 different people told us the same thing so I am pretty confident that was it. Also, considering broken glass has been added to the surrounding wall, which I would think signals newfound interest in the house. There are no signs to tell you its his home or tour guides or anything like that. Its simply a person’s house now (who wouldn’t open the gate. I think they were sleeping and didn’t want to be bothered). It’s a one story house, very small and rundown compared to the others on the block. The street itself is lined mostly with homes but also very small “stalls” for small businesses like a tailor and a small store for snacks. Afterwards, we drove about thirty minutes to where the international elementary school is where he attended. That has a sign out front reading: “Barack Hussein Obama II, the 44th President of the United States of America attended this school from 1969-1971. Plaque donated by Friends of Barack Obama.” But being that it was a Sunday the school was “tutup” (closed). Still amazing though.

well off to bed for me. I have to do a presentation tomorrow at MercyCorps about the private sector survey I organized and the big boss, Sean (country director) comes back from vacation. Then in the afternoon I am meeting with other Climate Project presenters since Al Gore's The Climate Project just opened a 50-volunteer chapter. Yay! Note: I meet the other climate project presenter guy over some food with the Program Director. It was Javanese food. The conversation was great, but I learned Padang food is definitely "lebih baik" (better). Ok, I am really going now. Selamat Malam!

En Route To Jakarta

Hello All!

Just a quick update until a more awesome one about the best night dive EVER with my boss from Jakarta and two draft editorials, one on West Sumatran weddings and the other on driving in Indonesia (suspense?).

Yesterday was my last day in the Mercy Corps office. It was so sad. I am really going to miss all of the P3DM team (Popo, David, Yudi, Jupe, Tasrif, Indra, and of course Bu Endang). We took banyak final photos (banyak=many)after a day full of running errands at the Trade and Industry Department for West Sumatra Province and doing a final results presentation on the Private Sector Survey Project to the staff. Malka, the Program Manager, also conducted trainings for the staff on Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Logistical Framework Analysis.

My flight out of Padang was supposed to be at 6:55PM today but was delayed until 11:00PM tonight. Of course a swell came in today but I was so busy packing and hanging out with the family for the last day that I was only able to go watch surfers for five minutes. Why me?? It looked perfect!

I am bringing my surfboard back and I hope its worth the expense. I was only able to surf five times while here but the board is really perfect for me and I think it's the ultimate souvenir. I hope I made the right decision.

Anyway please wish me luck for my flight (Selamat Jalan-Jalan is the appropriate phrase to use when sending me good thoughts). I will arrive in Jakarta pretty late and probably get to the non-international hotel around 2AM. Grrrr.

I will write soon from comfy accommodations of the Grand Flora Hotel in South Jakarta with an actual shower and air conditioning, yay!

Cheers, A very sad and also excited Kasey (less than two weeks and I will be home!)

Exploration of the Underwater Realm of West Sumatra

I finally made it to the happiest place on Earth. Absolutely not Disney Land, although living in West Sumatra sometimes can feel like you are in Disney because everywhere you can see t-shirts, underwear, sneakers, posters, and even buses of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. I mean the place where you can test your limits, see amazing creatures, take artistic photographs of breathtaking sights, and witness the realities of the globe all at once! Under the Sea .

On Saturday I did two dives with the ONLY dive center in Padang. There was a lot of management screw ups but I guess I can't be too picky here and at the end of the day I still was able to dive. There's an island off of Padang (about a 30 minute boat drive) called Gosong Pieh. Supposedly there are many hammerhead sharks here but I didn't see any. The second dive though I did see a black tip reef shark for the first time. I have to remember to tell dive guides NOT to get my hopes up about what we'll see. This is always happens to me. They say, "i always see hammerheads when I go there. You'll love it!" and then, "nada". That did happen again unfortunately.

Here are the dive details and more importantly please look at my beautiful photos. I think I will try to enter the triggerfish one into a photo competition (I need a good name for it though). "Trigger Happy" has probably been used before I'd imagine.

First Dive: 35 meters, 5 minute rest/safety stop, bottom time was 36 minutes. This was a reef wall with a strong current at the top. I suckd a lot of air trying to get to the wall. My dive buddy (the assistant instructor for the shop) had a sinus infection and couldn't make it below 10 meters. I went on my own to the bottom of the wall while he watched me from the top of the reef. Saw a stingray, TONS of triggerfish, trevalle, clownfish, clown triggerfish (my favorite kind of trigger), and a green eel.

Second Dive: 20 meters, 3 minute safety stop, bottom time was 54 minutes. This reef is on the other side of Pulau Pieh (Pieh Island) and the dive instructor personally calls it the Great Wall. I took amazing shots here because the contrasting colors were perfect. Had some fun with another stingray, saw lots of lionfish (yes the poisonous kind), big eye, sweet lips, no nudibranchs (even though they were predicted), and a really cool crown of thorns seastar. Again lots of triggerfish (in March when I dove the Caribbean there was an insane amount of parrotfish and here in Indo there are tons of triggerfish).

My friend Ole accompanied me on the boat even though she can't swim or dive. It was her first time ever on a boat! It never ceases to amaze me how the citizens of West Sumatra, who are mostly fishing families, cannot swim, do not go out on boats, and have no real desire to see the amazing coral reef around their home.

For lunch we ate on the boat, next to the island watching the waves (kind of in a bowl shape). Very relaxing. But, First time ever that I went diving, took pretty photos of the fish, and then IMMEDIATELY came up and ate a reef fish. I'm going to vegetarian hell!

Usually diving for me is like an escape from all my problems and a way to just simply be. This time, though, an unfortunate realiy intruded on my serenity (but good for research I guess). A HUGE section of the Great Wall was blown up from previous dynamite fishing. That's an illegal form of fishing where they use dynamite to blow up the reef and then basically just collect the dead fish as they float to the top and dive down to collect pretty coral to sell as souveniers. In areas like the Mentawai they also use the coral for building roads. I was told diving off of Padang is better than the Mentawai (which was relieving since I really want to dive there too but no time to go there) although 70% of the reefs of West Sumatra are damaged as a whole. I also included the photos of the dead reef here too. Sorry to depress you but it is the world we live in.

On the boat ride back I asked the dive instructor if we could stop by a fishing boat(see photo). They are really cool because they pilot out in the afternoon, find a spot, stay there and wait until night fall. Then they put the nets out on one side of the boat on the wings and put the lights on only on that side of the boat. Then they wait for the fish to come. Once the net is full they just pull it up using a few men and haul the nets on the boat. I would like to spend a day with the fishermen but I have a feeling spending the night with a western woman isn't something their culture allows. As we pulled up to the boat I immediately took pictures which wasn't very nice of me since one of the men was naked and I accidentally took his photo. They started whistling because I took photos first and waved second. Oops. I heard yesterday there's a program to help the kids of these kind of fishermen study since they work all night and arrive back to their houses to sleep and go back out again. Could be kind of cool to be an english teacher for those kids if anyone is interested in helping out the poor fishermen children.

Have to get back to work. Last week here. Maybe I will go diving again on Friday if I can fly to Jakarta on Saturday instead.

Kasey, West Sumatran Celebrity turns West Sumatran Star Athlete!

As if things couldn't get more strange here for Kasey Jacobs in West Sumatra, Indonesia, a whole new celebrity status was applied to me yesterday.

My day started at 5:30AM where I washed with my bak mandi and bak air (water tank and water scoop), ate nasi goreng (fried rice) freshly made by Bu Elly since she was already up after morning prayer, and waited for my ride. Mercy Corps was holding a School Socialization Workshop for Disaster Risk Reduction in Painan, probably my favorite coastal town here. It's a two hour drive and the workshop was starting at 9:00AM. 6:00-8:00AM slept uncomfortably in the car because of the windy roads, odd driving style of Indonesians, and at times unpaved areas where cows, small children, motorcycles, trucks, cats, monkeys, etc play in the street. Arrived at the school and learned about school DRR from my colleagues and our partner organization, Kogami (komunitas siaga tsunami-tsunami prepared communities). I went to the workshop to take notes and photos for documentation and to learn more about the way a socialization workshop operates but of course my foreigner status prompted the Head of the Education Department to insist I sit on stage with him, Bu Endang, and Tommy from Kogami, even though I played no role in organizing this workshop and could not offer any information about DRR in schools. He kept thanking me for coming. I felt really akward. It should have been Jupe or Yudi (Mercy Corps staff and school awareness officers) that sat up on stage.

After the workshop the plan for weeks was I was going to swim in a fun race that kicks off the Langkisau Festival, an annual festival in Painan. Pak Iqbal, head of local police and someone becoming a close ally here (he's the one that helped me set up the interview for the Bupati and Water Power Source Department in Pesisir Selatan) is an organizer for the event and when he told me about this weeks ago I immediately asked if westerners could participate. How much fun would it be to swim in the Painan Harbor surrounded by awesome fishing boats and finally get a workout?!

So I arrived at the Festival grounds with the Mercy Corps driver, Roni (who can't speak English and we were alone so communicating was difficult) and was immediately asked to change parking spots because the Governor (my friend Bapak Fauzi) was on the way. The race is going to begin in about fifteen minutes. After reparking we found our way to the docks and I asked to change my clothes. All these people are looking at me and a few are actually following me. I changed in the most disgusting bathroom (Jones Beach on the Fourth of July is marvelous compared to this)into my SCUBA skins. Its very important to be culturally sensitive here. I must always where at least 3/4 length sleeves and at least capris or long skirts when in public. I thought that meant swimming in a festival race with a western bathing suit would be inappropriate so I opted to wear my long sleeve, long pant thin SCUBA skin instead. Right after I change I pass my stuff off to Roni to put in the car and find Iqbal. He hadn't really registered me so I wasn't given a swim cap with a number. I didn't mind, because for a fun race, I didn't care if I was really registered or not. I just wanted to swim. The race organizer asked me which event I wanted to participate in, the 1km or the 2km. This means nothing to me as I am terrible at doing math in my head quickly so as a true swimmer/lifeguard who would not do the lesser race I said, "2km please". As we are walking to the starting line, Governor Fauzi and his wife, followed by an insane amount of cameras and reporters greets me. We shake hands, he tells the reporters who I am, his wife asks me questions, I talk a bit about Mercy Corps, and then he walks away after asking if I was swimming. WHen I said yes, he said "you must be the champion". I laughed and said, "oh please no pressure Governor". As he walked away, the race started without me! I couldn't believe it. I quickly handed my shoes to Iqbal, threw on my goggles last minute and dove into the water from the docks. I was a good 25 or 30 meters behind everyone else.

I swam pretty fast on the start and caught up to the pack. After about ten minutes though the pack seemed to disappear and the only way I could keep on pace was by occasionally looking up to see a few green caps. Then I would put my head down and keep swimming. About half way through I finally did the math and realized I am an idiot for agreeing to 2km when I haven't trained or even swam in a pool since March or April! 2 km is 2000 meters (my long distance event in high school was 500 yards), this is roughly 1.2 miles. In the photo above you will see the city of Painan and the blue water body is what I swam completely across.

Another 15 minutes later I realized it was just me and this one guy left in my direct vicinity. I was starting to worry since there were no buoys around. Were we way off mark? Can I trust the guy next to me to know where we are going? A few minutes later my question was answered. We were right on mark but soo many of the swimmers gave up and were on the rescue boats being brought to the finish line. After what felt like an eternity we came up to a really cool catamaran fishing boat (very old, kind of look liked Kevin Costner's in WaterWorld) and then I swam under an anchor line for a smaller boat. That's when I could finally see the finish line. I picked up speed at this point as best I could but the SCUBA suit was starting to really fill with water and was giving me a lot of drag. Oh I should have mentioned earlier, that all the women in the race were wearing modern swimming suits, just with tight shorts so they didn't show too much leg. If I would have gotten to the line earlier I would have ditched the huge drag suit. Silly me and being culturally sensitive.

I finally make it to the docks and I see Roni, my driver, running to the end. There's a very excited Indonesian woman with a clipboard yelling at me to run becuase I came in 8th place. I looked around me and there was no one to fight to for the finish line so I walked akwardly while everyone stared at the weird westerner in a SCUBA skin. As soon as I was handed the 8th place tag and signed my name cameras were in my face. Pak Iqbal came up and translated for me. They immediately wanted to know what handicaps I had, I am guessing they all saw my late start. I took photos with the 1st and 2nd place women (I feel bad for 3rd through 7th place who were shafted because of the westerner). About twenty minutes later there was a ceremony where we all took photos and stood by a podium and the big surprise was I was given 500,000 Rupiah ($50 USD) for winning 8th place. The first place woman got 4 million rupiah ($400 USD). If I knew this was NOT just a fun race but for that amount of cash I would have made sure to not talk to the governor, to wear my modern racing suit, and to haul ass and win. I know I could have beaten the others. So bummed! My time was 43 minutes which is like a nice and easy swim. Haha, I'm totally kidding in my disappointment. I was the first foreigner to ever compete in the Langkisau Swimming Competition and so I think I will donate the money to the Padang Swim Club since there are far too many people here who don't know how to swim. What happens when a tsunami comes? This weekend I will stop by the local pool and give them my winnings. Kind of funny though how out of all the American swim competitions I ahve been in for school and for lifeguarding and never was money offered as a prize, but in Indonesia, developing country, I make $50 for a leisurely swim and 8th place!

As I walked around the festival with Mercy Corps and Pak Iqbal tons of people wanted to take photos with the "foreign swimmer" (since I was forced to keep my skin suit on while waiting for Roni). Such a nutty feeling. I really felt like Dara Torres or Michael Phelps and realized I am soo glad I am not them. I am not someone meant for the spotlight. So uncomfortable and difficult to smile so long while people are taking 3,4, or 5 photos of you each.

We went up to see the paragliding event (and I think because Pak Iqbal so how uncomfortable I was and wanted to get me out of the main area). I meet my first other American up there. His name was Ray, originally from Jacksonville, Fl and living in Bali now. He spoke fluent Indonesian and had competed earlier in two paragliding events. He was also getting a lot of attention. Nice to see it inflicted on someone else actually, haha.

The day ended with a Dorian party at Iqbal's house with Mercy Corps (and black rice and coconut to complement the fruit, a divine dessert)and playing with his kids. Then headed back to Padang where we all passed out in the car, the windy roads, cows, children, and dogs on unpaved roads not bothering us at all. Arrived at the house, attempted to watch an old 80's movie on the couch with Poppy, and fell asleep soon after. Pak Iqbal is going to check the newspapers for me for photos or at least ask the Tourism Dinas for some photos since I left my camera in my other swim suit.

Mercy Corps Internship and Research Update

Hello everyone,

I apologize for the delay. I have been soo busy with my internship and with my research. Today I will update on both. Actually wait, I should mention I am fine and was not involved in the bombings at all. I am on a completely different island and other than being traumatized by the grotesque images allowed to be shown on Indonesian news channels I am perfectly OK. I might delay my return to Jakarta but that's the only impact this bombing has on me. Please keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Really terrible what happened.

My Mercy Corps work has really started getting interesting. Before I was attending most of the community meetings, trainings and workshops, documenting them all, and compiling for a case study report for the international community and potential funders. I am still doing this for two MercyCorps Indonesia projects: Public-Private Partnership for Disaster Management in West Sumatra (P3DM) and the Jakarta Flood Risk Reduction (FRR) Program that is now completed. Additionally, I am supposed to help the office bring in at least one more business to the P3DM program (the private sector part of the partnership). Those are my deliverables in my contract for before I leave Indonesia.

Last week the Country Director, Sean, came for three days and did field visits with us. Weeks ago I had recommended a private sector survey be complete but it seemed we were understaffed and it wouldn't be possible. One night I was helping Cynara, my Indonesian sister, edit her CV, and I learned about a program at Andalas University for Governance Research that worked with GTZ and Munich Re in 2007 doing risk assessments through household surveys and in-depth interviews. Discussing this program more with Cynara I learned that they have students trained for doing surveys and each student loves to help becuase they get a certificate and can put it on their CV's. This got me thinking about how we can do the survey quickly and cheaply without utilizing Mercy Corps resources. I brought this idea up to Sean while in the car to Pesisir Selatan and he loved it. We all brainstormed (Bu Endang, POPO, and Sean) about the project and after getting back to the office late that night I was so excited that I created the survey and a brochure to be handed to each business.

Yesterday we finalized all the planning and on Tuesday (Monday is an Indonesian holiday) we will begin. The Andalas University Governance Research Program has recruited 9 students. Each student will be required to complete 10 surveys per day in each nagari (village). We will canvass for three days in four villages for a total of 360 surveys (360 times the amount agreed to in my contract, haha!). Each business will also be left with a brochure about the program that includes how they can get in contact with Mercy Corps, and 10 things they can do to be a disaster prepared business. I am so excited about this project because it will help jumpstart the private sector engagement here in the villages, will create a communication network for disaster risk reduction work, will increase awareness of the private sector, and at the end of the month I hope to create a Private Sector Engagement in DRR Tool Box for Mercy Corps. Additionally, I am going to meet with the Trade and Industry Department of the Provincial Government here to get their data on small, medium, and large businesses to improve our data collection. All of this will not only result in the tool box but also a private sector matrix to keep information about all the businesses in our field sites. When we do trainings or need support for a disaster risk reduciton or mitigation infrastrucutre project there will be a user-friendly database ready for the West Sumatran Office's use. Wish me luck. Lots to do before Tuesday to make sure this runs smoothly. How funny is it that I leave CCE and leave the country and still I find myself running a canvass. Once a canvasser, always a canvasser. Never leaves the blood I guess, haha!

Research Update: I have completed 20 in-depth interviews about climate change adaptation for the coasts with heads of departments at the Provincial Government such as Fisheries Dinas (Department), Social Dinas, Health Dinas, Environment Dinas, Public Works Dinas, and Forestry Dinas. On Friday at 2:00PM I have a meeting scheduled with Governor Fauzi to interview him as well. That will complete my provincial level interviews. While the canvassers are doing the private sector surveys next week, my translator, Redian, and I will be conducting interviews at the district-level and village-level. Hopefully I will complete enough of these next week and be done with interviews in West Sumatra so I can finish up my Mercy Corps projects and go SCUBA diving and surf every evening (but I highly doubt that. I can dream though, lol).

The part of my fieldwork that I know I am terrible at is keeping organized and up-to-date field notes. A good researcher makes sure to spend about four hours every night writing up what they did for the day and trying to make sense of the data so they can tweak things as they go. Living with a host family makes this just about impossible unless I want to start doing that at 11:00PM. I am telling you this because I figure that if I mention to everyone the flaw in my research then maybe I will be motivated to correct it as best I can.

Climate Project Update: Somehow I also managed to get myself invited to give presentations on climate change and so on Wednesday I spoke to an international high school, about 70 students, to motivate them about education and future careers, and also on climate change. The speech was about one hour with lots of questions. A reporter was present and so I was in the newspaper on Thursday (Singgalang is the name of the paper) - an article and a photo! The next day I gave a presentation (through a translator, my first presentation with one) to the local disaster NGO, KOGAMI (Komunitas Siaga Tsunamis). There were about 20-25 facilitators present and it was on Environmental Management and Climate Change in Disaster Risk Reduction. This went about 2 hours and 20 minutes. They said they will incorporate what they learned into their action plan. Sweet! I have noticed here a big misunderstanding between global warming, change in the weather, and the ozone layer. So hopefully I cleared that up with the students and with the KOGAMI facilitators and they will spread the word.

Tomorrow and Monday I will be in Bukattinggi, THE tourism attraction in West Sumatra up in the highlands near a volcano. This is where I will buy everyone's postcards and souveniers most likely. I have seriously tried five places now for postcards and still no luck (2 places I tried this afternoon after buying supplies for the survey next week like clipboards, pens, ID holders, etc). Please be patient and know that a postcard with your name on it is on the way!

Love you all and miss you lots. Please comment. Keeps me sane.

Ps. The top photo is of Sean, our country, director, Bu Endang, my boss, POPO, our engineer (with the map), and the others are Kogami facilitators. the second photo is at the Uni and Uda Pageant (basically a competition to be Tourism Ambassador). The former winners are wearing the traditional minang clothes. The third picture is in a traditional fishing boat at Pantai Air Manis after a surf session.

Indonesia's Presidential Election and Shopping with the Girls

Yesterday was the Presidential election for Indonesia. A National Holiday so no work, yay! Kind of exciting the last few weeks to watch the debates and campaign commercials, which by the way are much more fun than our campaign commercials) and then watch as Bu Elly is voting for SBY, while her husband, Poppy, is voting for JK. Political tension in the household, love it!

To celebrate the day off, I had a girls day out with Bu Elly, Cynara, and Livia. We went to vote where I took photos of them in the voting booths (afterwards they have to get ink on their finger so they can't vote twice) and then we went to the traditional market for shopping. I am going to buy a custom-tailored Kebaya (will only cost me between $25 and 40 USD) so we went to about four or five stores looking at fabric. A kebaya is Indonesian traditional dress that has a sarond (although I am going to have a dress made becuase it's hard to move in a sarong) and then a unique ornately designed jacket to go over a tank top. I looked at numerous designs and now know what I want so on Friday or Saturday we are going to go buy the fabric and show the design to the tailor. So excited!!

Livia got her hair cut (for $1 USD) and Cynara was on a hunt for a really nice all- black outfit to wear for professional photos she is going to use to submit to the Miss Putrih Indonesia competition. Black outfits are very hard to find here. I jokingly asked her if they have any gothic stores like Hot Topic. Once I told her what gothic was she laughed. Nowhere in Indonesia has that! Cynara sadly left empty handed as here you negotiate all prices and after trying a strategy of telling them no and then leaving with the intention of going back later and getting the price you want, the garment was sold. I bought a really nice green and black dress (to be worn over jeans of course). Bu Elly negotiated for my and brought the price from $16.50 down to $12.00. I am wearing it right now as I type at work. My first outfit bought in Indonesia. Can't wait to do more shopping. I also bought a really cheap phone card in the traditional market so Mom, expect a phone call soon!

After shopping we went to eat fish (ikan) at the beach. I had squid on a stick that tasted amazing with the spicy sauce, seaweed vegetable dish, and huge prawn that were perfectly cooked. Everytime I eat seafood with the family or coworkers they want me to eat fish head or the kind of fish that is cooked whole. I tried the body of a whole fish once and there were so many freaking bones that I refuse to eat it anymore. Indonesians are really skilled at eating it quickly and spitting out the bones, but I can't do it so I am being cautious and will no longer eat that. Plus, eating the body of something while its face is looking at you with wide eyes is not my idea of yummy food. I'll take my fish impaled on a stick instead, thank you!

After the fish Bu Elly bought 2kg of either a barracuda or a Wahu that we watched the fishermen chop with a huge butchering knife. Kind of cool to pick out the fish though while the small boats (perahu) are behind the fishermen being unloaded and still have today's nets on them. Very fresh.

We then went home where soon after I realized somehow I seriously hurt my back and was doubled over like a 90 year old all evening. This morning it is still hurt. I have NO IDEA what I did. I wish I could say I hurt it while surfing or something exciting, but my board is in the shop and all I did was walk around all day. It's a mystery. Just FYI, "sakit" is the word to use for pain and being sick here. So if you are sick with influenza you say "Saya sakit" (for "I am sick") and if you are in pain you say "Saya Sakit" or my back is "sakit". I find it kind of confusing. Requires too much explanation to actually tell someone what's wrong with you.

well back to work. The Country Director, Sean, is coming today from Jakarta so I should be prepared to show him my progress.

Ola/Ole and Putu

This is a picture of two of my friends and a fun Indonesian food called Putu. At night you hear carts with horns, whistles, or music to signal the Putu Man is on your street. It's just like our ice cream men, only sometimes they also bring dinner foods like sate. Putu is more a dessert and made from coconut.

Ola and Ole are staying with me while my host family is in Bali. Today we went to the beach to go surfing with their friend, Yudi, who is a Padang surfer. Then we all (there were about 10 of us) went to a river to swim and eat dinner (and thankfully there was a family on the river with a small shop and outdoor seating and they had cappaccino - I was in heaven!).

Will write more soon.

Traditional West Sumatran Home

This photo was taken on the way back from Air Manis. This area is outside the city of Padang so this is not what the houses look like in the city.

Pantai Air Manis for Surfing and to Witness Local Minangkabau Legend

On Sunday, I went with my translator, Redian, and his sister to Air Manis Beach. I brought my new surf board to test it out without the pressure of my "surf gang" in Padang since I haven't been on a board in a year.

Redian has never swam in the ocean before which was a bit frightening as a swell came in and the waves were pretty big for a newby. Luckily the water is very shallow there and so he could stand everywhere we went. I tried to teach him to paddle but after a few minutes he seemed quite content using my goggles and going through the waves.

I caught a few waves because thunder and ligthning came and the board is perfect for me! It felt so great to paddle again (my arms just might be ready for all the weddings in August). I am probably going to bring the board back to the states with me, even though it's second hand, it was a good price and we work well together, lol.

The coolest part about Pantai Air Manis is the local myth about rocks on the beach. See story below that I found online, although like any true myth orally passed down, I have heard a few different versions of it:

"Malin Kundang is a famous Minangkabau and Malay folklore and the legendary story is said to be originated here in Padang where the remains of "Batu Malin Kundang" is located.

This folkfore is about a man named Malin Kundang who hails from a poor family. Just like any other Minang men, Malin Kundang decided to travel elsewhere to seek good fortune, leaving behind his old mother. His life changed when he married the daughter of a rich man in Siam. Soon after achieving success and gaining great fortune he sailed back homeward on his own ship to Padang together with his wife and crews.

Upon hearing of Malin Kundang's return, his mother rushed to the beach to meet her long lost son. Unfortunately, Malin Kundang felt ashamed upon looking at his old and poor mother - he was a rich man with fine clothing and a beautiful wife while his mother was looking ragged and poor as she was. In his undisguised disgust he ignored his mother, refused to greet her and returned to his ship.

Humiliated and heartbroken by her arrogant son's behavior, his mother fell to her knees in desperation and prayed to God asking that her son be punished for what he did. Soon a terrible storm rose up and Malin Kundang's ship was wrecked upon the rocks. Realising his mistake and sin for ignoring his mother, the badly injured Malin Kundang tried to get ashore to seek forgiveness from his mother but as he crawled on his hands and knees he was suddenly turned into stone.

Until today, a stone that from a certain angle resembles the figure of a man on his hands and knees with his head seemingly buried in the rock can still be found here in Pantai Air Manis. It is said that Malin Kundang has been forced to stay on the beach forever, begging for forgiveness from his mother. Around this rocky figure barrels and ropes have been carved into the stone to represent the shipwreck washed up on the shore.

The tale of an ungratefull son makes the tranquil Pantai Air Manis a legendary location to visit that may offer some lesson in life".

Monday was spent in the office in the morning playing with Sandrina, the four year old who scolded me about my poor grammar, because the power was out. Then Redian and I went and conducted two interviews and set up a few more for the remainder of the week. Research is moving along nicely and as long as the power stays on this evening my Mercy Corps work will as well.

Picture of My Indonesian Bapak dan Bu in the house cleaning rice for the month

Reunion with an Old Friend

Last night I felt as though I was reunited with an old friend: the Southern Cross. For those that don't know the Southern Cross is a constellation that can only be seen near the southern hemisphere. It is the national symbol of Australia and on their (and numerous other countries in Asia-Pacific) flag and is also tattooed on my left foot. While in Australia I would look for the Southern Cross everyday even if it meant going way out of my way to get to a dark location or to be patient and wait for clouds to pass. It was the one constant thing I had for three months while there. I was hoping you could see it from Indonesia and thought I saw it the other night but couldn't be sure because it wasn't bright enough. Last night though I confirmed that you can in fact see this constellation here.

As I walked home from the office, while listening to the evening call to prayer, I could clearly see four of the five stars in the cross AND two stars that lead up to it (which are also tattooed on my ankle). Yay - reunion! I did noticed that it is in the position of what is on my foot, and not the way I saw it in Australia (sideways). I think that's because of the time of year. In Australia it was February to the first week of May so the constellations were in different positions then I guess. That or being a bit more south makes a difference. These are the times I wish I took astronomy.

After I saw it while walking home I rushed inside, ran up the stairs after a quick hello to the family, and went to the upstairs balcony near the water tower to look more closely at my friend. Then I ran downstairs, grabbed Meertri, and ran back upstairs to point it out to her. She was excited I think because I was being goofy but didn't actually care about the stars. I asked her if Indonesians name the stars and she said no. I asked if the Minang language has any words for constellations and she said no, which explains why she thought it was weird that I was pointing it out to her.

Quite honestly I found it hard to believe that Indonesians don't name the stars. I thought every culture does that. So I googled it and found out that Indonesian's refer to it as "the stingray". However, I just asked Bu Endang and she thought it was funny that we name the stars and that each constellation has its own story. She said they do have a name for a really clear night, bright stars, big moon and that's "Bulan Purnama" which means a "god blessed sky/moon". I find this intriguing. If I was doing social science just for the sake of curiosity and not to address an environmental issue I think I would change my project right now to find out why in West Sumatra (at least, maybe all over Indonesia) the stars are not named and don't have stories.

This does explain it though why when asked what my tattoo is and I tell people, they look confused. So at least that mystery has been solved.

This evening from 3:00 to midnight we will be in the field, District Pesisir Selatan, for a community meeting about what they are going to build for disaster mitigation infrastructure. This morning I meet with the head of the Oceans and Fisheries Department for a research interview and he said I should visit a mangrove area there that is made of natural mangroves, as well as restored mangroves by the local community. Bu Endang agreed that we can go there first so now I am extra excited for our field visit.

I will report back soon. Selamat siang (Good afternoon)!

Excerpts from My Field Notes

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Field Notes – First Day Out and About in Padang, Flying Solo

Today I was determined to “do the tourist thing” in Padang and I finally accomplished that for the most part. I went with Meertri on the “Blue Opelet” or “Opelet Biru”, which is the public transportation from the house to Plaza Andalas, which is the stop closest to the beach. I have started to get used to the stares and the “hello misters” “how are you?” “what’s your name” “where are you from?” But walking to the intersection to pick up the blue opelet I realized that Meertri hasn’t experienced that with me since we don’t usually walk around together. She said, “everyone is going to be looking at you in the opelet”. Which thankfully didn’t happen this time.

In regards to Meetri not walking around with me much: As Meertri told me last week, “Indonesians don’t really like to walk.” The shortest distances seem to be torturous for her to walk, especially when it’s hot. This morning she had a hard time understanding why I wanted to just cruise around Padang by foot. I would ask how far the distance was from place x to place y and she would say oh that’s far! Probably a 5 to 7 minute walk! Popo, a coworker, confirmed this for me this afternoon when I mentioned that I wanted to walk to the “westerners” hotel for a veggie cheese burger (which is really tempeh on french bread with non-American cheese, paprika, onion, pepper, and tomatoes).

After we got off the Blue Opelet near Plaza Andalas for 2,000 Rupiah we walked to the toko buku (bookstore) to try to find a map of Padang for me and postcards. I had the strongest want this morning to just sit on the beach, have an orange fanta (and not the sugar water Indonesians drink; I wonder what the rate of diabetes is here), sun tan a bit (or as best I could with still wearing my long sleeve shirt and skirt), listen to my mp3 player and write postcards to friends and family. That’s all I wanted to do today. Well we couldn’t find postcards at the bookstore and the map they had was more a wall map, not a walk around town map. I didn’t buy it.

I find that as with Redian, my translator for research interviews, I have to repeat myself often with Meetri. She understands what I say but still needs me to repeat myself. Long explanations for things don’t work here I realized. They are a no excuses kind of people I think. For instance, yesterday I was invited to go to a family gathering but I wasn’t feeling up to it and wanted to translate a document the chair of Commission III gave me on Thursday. At first I said yes and then a few minutes later I realized that I really didn’t want to go. So I went to Meertri and said, “Is it alright if I don’t go actually? I want to translate this document so I don’t have to do it on Sunday.”

Her reply, “you don’t want to go?”
Me: “I want to go, but I think I should stay here and translate the document”. M: “you don’t want to go?”
Me: (defeated): No, I don’t want to go. I need to stay home to work.
M: Ok, “no problem”

Then downstairs in front of “mommy”: “Kasey, why don’t you want to go to the family gathering?”.
Me: “because I should stay home and translate this (holding up the book)”.
M: “OK” (doesn’t translate that to mom I’m pretty sure).

They leave. Exhausting!!!

So anyway. Back at the bookstore. After I decide I don’t want to buy the map, Meertri asks the clerk if they have postcards and she uses the word “postcards” in English. When we depart I tried a store next to the bookstore, I think a photo shop, thinking they might have postcards. I go in and say, “Punya postcards?” (do you have postcards?) They had no idea what I was talking about. Why does it work when Meertri says English to an Indonesian, but for me I am met with blank stares? I think when people expect you to only speak English, they don’t hear the Indonesian even when you try. Because I have spoken Indonesian, granted very elementary Indonesian, and sometimes I get the blank stare. It’s like they are trying to figure out what English words you just said, but you are speaking Indonesian.

I gave up and went straight to the beach. I had it in my head I was going to walk around to the shops but gave up right away.

Instead I walked to the beach, determined to get to the surfing area that Meetri told me about. As I walked past all the fishermen, most of them wanted my attention. Not for their fish but more for their English. Again the “hello”, “How are you?” etc etc. Some of them yelled which I found irritating. I am pretty sure they don’t yell to women in their own culture so why is it appropriate to yell at a white woman? Honestly, that bothered me. The ones that weren’t too aggressive with their yelling were the ones I would actually smile at and say something IN INDONESIAN to. One very nice fishermen spoke to me for a few mintues in his broken English and my terrible Indonesian. The convo basically went like this: “Did you catch those this morning”, “Yeah, pagi pagi”. “where are you from?” “America, New York, staying here for two months”. “oh where are you staying?” (for some reason even here I feel like a five year old when asked that question because I am automatically thrown back into kindergarten when you are told, never tell a stranger where you live. To this day I never know how to answer that question even to an adult AS an adult, haha). “you fishing tonight too?” “malam-malam”. “Want a fish?” “oh, no thank you, just looking”. “have a good day”

I walked farther still and finally got to the end, the sea wall. Felt like an obstacle course and I reached the end where my reward was solitude for a whole forty minutes. I actually managed to sit and stare at the Indian Ocean for a whole forty minutes while sitting on the sea wall with a fishermen to my left and a couple cuddling close to the waves to my right. I sat there and took pictures of all the trash that floated by and the crabs that lived on the man-placed stones. The water smelled like low tide even though I am pretty sure it was mid-tide or high tide. There was green algae all over the rocks. My dream of swimming in the Indian Ocean temporarily squashed while I saw what I would be swimming in.

After that I went to the other side of the sea wall and watched two surfers make their way out to the waves and two recreational trawler fishermen, each with there own net, try to catch fish in their nets by the mouth of the river. The same river folks are washing their clothes in and most likely defecating in. I didn’t see them catch anything but I took videos and photos.

Next I decided I was really thirsty and so went towards the umbrellas and picnic tables. I was distracted by all the trash and tried to capture it with my camera. I don’t think I was able to truly capture how disgusting the beach is. A lot of children (about ten, four girls and about 6 boys) started calling to me, asking my name mostly. I told them and they said it over and over and laughed. Then they followed really close. I thought that maybe if I ignored them they would go away. Instead they got closer. So I asked them there names. Lucy was one and the others I don’t remember. Saw a Sunkist so went and paid enam ribu ($6,000 RP) and sat at a table. Took out my headphones, my postcards from Jakarta, and pen and began to write. Within seconds my followers were right behind, basically breathing on my neck. I looked up and smiled in a polite, “Your cute, now go away” kind of smile. They no longer tried to speak English with me, instead just stood there. Then slowly moved there way to sit at the chairs next to me also under my umbrella. I tried to write a postcard to my parents and brother but they just kept watching me. I was honestly very perturbed at this point but thought, “they’ll get bored soon and walk away”. Nope. Actually, to make matters worse a bunch of teenage boys came up, asked if they could sit down, and “talk to you for a while”. I said sure. They asked me tons of questions. Said I was the first westerner they ever meet. They are not from Padang but from Solot, a place to the east of Padang. They asked to take photos with me in which I took two with each of the boys a piece, then a group shot, then individual of me standing up with them.
When I thought my westerner duty was done, they started asking more questions of me. Then a group of girls who were traveling with them came up and we took another group shot. Then more questions. Finally they left. I started writing again peacefully when the beach flute player came up and interrupted me (who is definitely the worst flute player I have ever heard, in fact I don’t think he actually plays, just blows in the instrument, moves his fingers, and expects money). A long time ago I decided I would always give money to flute buskers and so I gave him some coins. Not worth much but enough that he left. I then tried to go back to my postcards and music, when the peanut man came and I said no, terima kasih, he of coursed stayed a few more seconds hoping I would get bored and buy some. I held my ground and he left. A little while later, a woman with peanuts came and again the same thing. She stayed longer though just staring at me. I kept saying no. Finally she left. Then I went back to my postcards. Few seconds later my teenage paparazzi were back, asking for more photos of me standing since the others didn’t come out as they hoped. I also noticed they had sunglasses this time (I think to match mine).

They then sat down and said they wanted to talk to me more for a long time. I smiled politely and said “about what?”, hoping to discourage them. That didn’t work. They said anything, they want to practice their English. “Why me??” I kept screaming in my head at this point. I obliged and we chatted for a few more minutes. I got up the nerve to ask them about why there is litter all over the beach. They said, “hmm, oh probably because the government doesn’t clean it up.” I nodded. They asked if it was the same in America. I said it used to be that way in the 1980’s but not anymore. I said we have frequent beach cleanups where the community members/citizens pick up the litter. I don’t think they understood what I said but interesting nonetheless that they felt it was the fault of the government that there was litter.

More pointless chatter, then I was saved by Popo from work. He waved hello from across the picnic tables and I greeted him with a huge smile. We spoke for a few minutes, I said, “oh I am just sitting here, making new friends, chatting, writing postcards…” He introdued me to his friend, “Guril” who is like the surfing Bodisafa of Padang. He actually kind of looks like a cross between my Australian friend Nathan and Suni Garcia (Pro Surfer from Hawaii). Popo said do you want to go for a walk? I said yeah that would be fun. The boys from Solat seemed offended and sad but I was so happy to be with a friend. They said, “we are sorry, we made mistake”. I said “what mistake?” they just repeated themselves. I said “no, no mistake. Tidak apa apa (no worries in Indonesian). You want to go for a walk?” They just left with a nice to meet you, “I am so happy now after I meet you” and that sort of thing. I don’t know why it’s so exciting to speak with a westerner. I am boring for one and it’s not like I am a celebrity. I didn’t even know their favorite American band they told me about so how cool could I be?

Anyway, I went back to the seawall with Popo and Guril and we watched the surfers and talked. Guril organizes trips out to the Mentawai for people, shapes boards, sells boards for a living (no job he told me, although that seems like a job to me). He drinks. Has partied with Jack Johnson, Kelly Slater, and others on the Mentawai. We talked surf, about Bethany, the teenage surfer who had her arm bitten off by a shark, and a 14 year old Padang Grommett chick who was surfing as we watched. She’s competed in a big Grommet competition (Quicksilver maybe). Guril kept asking about how many surfers I knew and so I told him a lot but most can’t come to Indonesia. I said Hector, my friend from Surfrider CT, most likely would so I can put the two of them in touch. He remembered his name a few minutes later so I think he must be good at networking. Probably how he makes business. Guril told me that one year ago the city of Padang put up this “fucking seawall”. Their break used to be just north of the wall but now is south and not as good. Boy, they were pissed. Popo had mentioned it earlier but I didn’t get what he said because he phrased it as “the seawall is in the middle” or something like that. I asked if people complained about the wall and he shrugged (guril) and said no. There would be no point. The government doesn’t listen. They didn’t even ask the community before constructing it. No public consultation. Just put it up. Popo said in America the government goes to the community and asks what they want. I corrected him and went through the process of the developers wanting to do something, how its required by law to have public input, but that they could still just go ahead with developer plan. Guril said something about America being the light of freedom. I also asked them about litter in the Mentawai, if there was any. They said no but had a look on their face as though they were slightly offended I brought it up. I saved myself by saying Fiji had trash all over the place so I was just wondering.

We started to leave to go back to Guril’s house to get Popo’s bike so that he and I could go tot eh westerners hotel for dinner and a beer (which turned into a latte because I was too chicken to get a beer in front of a moslim, didn’t want to drink alone and dind’t want to ask the question that could turn akward, “do you drink?”). Guril made a joke about “his gang” and how I was now in it (Mom, don’t worry, he was seriously kidding). I said something about us getting tattoos and that was immediately rejected from another friend (Henry maybe) because moslim’s don’t get tattoos. Guril said the beach place where I got the Sunkist from was his gang place and showed me a Malibu surfboard that was too short for me. He said he has a larger one that is 7’0 and $200. I think I will buy it from him. Then popo and I went via motorbike to the other gang place, haha. I sat on a bench and waited for Popo to pray, watched a pregnant cat wait patiently half in and half out of the house hoping for someone to give it food, and then we were off to the hotel. Cats and dogs aren’t really kept as pets here because they are considered unclean, so instead they wander around half starved.

The hotel was fun. It’s on the river where there are lots of boats. Popo’s friend has a charter boat and is currently out with oceanographers from Jakarta doing a research cruise between the Mentawai Islands and Neis (the island where the earthquake struck causing the 2004 tsunami). We ate listening to the entire Dido CD over the soundsystem. As we were leaving I found some old Padang postcards in the lobby and bought a bunch. The only postcards I have found and they are black and white and from the 40’s probably.

Well that was my Sunday.

Oh quick note about last Thursday. I was in my first Earthquake! It was tiny but lasted a few minutes. The only way we could really tell it was an Earthquake was because the water was shaking in all the glasses at the training workshop I was at with Mercy Corps. It was pointed out to me and then everyone went about their business since compared to the earthquakes West Sumatra usually gets that was nothing for them. I, on the other hand, just sat there attempting to feel every second of it. Kinda cool.

Miserable!

What a weekend! I can honestly say that for the last three days I have been absolutely miserable. I thought with all the vaccinations and pills Yale and my mom have pumped me with that I would be immune to just about everything, but apparently not the flu. My boss, Bu Endang and her family, had the flu and since I have spent so much time with them I got it too. On Friday my throat started getting scratchy and then on Saturday I had a full on fever. To top it off my legs are completely covered in mosquito bites. I am pretty sure if anyone from the Indonesian Health Department saw me they would deport me. Mom, my legs are even more covered in bites than when I came back from Australia and the pedicurist thought I had a disease. I have been putting on an ungodly amount of mosquito repellent (with DEET!) and have basically been poisoning myself to no avail. AND (if you can believe there is another thing) I burnt my leg on a motorcycle last week when I was picked up by a friend to go to the NGO Paku. It’s a huge welt that will definitely scar (although I am using Placental extract to hopefully avoid that, yuck!) and that really stings when you accidentally get repellent into it. Last night I finally resorted to gassing my room before going to sleep. Good thing I don’t want to have children, LOL.

I am baik (fine) so please don’t anybody freak it’s just been a hard weekend. I didn’t go to Bukatinggi because the family was sick which at the time I was really disappointed because I finally was going to be able to do the tourist thing, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I just would have been sick anyway AND wouldn’t have been able to work on the journal article my RRAD friends and I are working on for the Environmental Hazards Journal due soon. Although doing that with a fever was a joy, let me tell you. No amount of concerta can help a person concentrate while you are scratching your legs, holding your head in your hands, and practically falling asleep from taking Benadryl.

Ok enough complaining. One enjoyable thing happened on Saturday morning before the nightmare began. I went swimming at a fancy hotel with Meertri and Livia. So much fun! They are only just learning to swim so I got to play instructor for a bit and then become a big kid again. At first I couldn’t get them to do much because they were scared of most things so I pulled out the underwater camera. They have never taken photos of themselves underwater so they were so excited they quickly forgot their fear and would go under the water constantly! I taught them how to go under without getting water up their nose and how to stay down longer by blowing out some air. I tried to teach them how to float but that’s hard with people when they are the same size as you. I even taught them how to do an underwater tea party and showed them handstands and somersaults (Tara, I really missed you during all of this. I felt like I did when the two of us used to play in the pool). Then I started teaching them actual things like freestyle and helping Meetri improve her breast stroke. Afterwards we went to KFC for lunch (Indonesians LOVE KFC) and back home so I could start working on the journal article.

The photos are on Facebook. Still can’t upload to the blog site because the files are too large.

Well that’s my update. Have to get back to work now. At 10:00AM we are meeting with our local NGO partner on our Public-Private Partnerships Disaster Risk Reduction Project for West Sumatra. Their name is Kogami and we will be discussing a three day training we are starting tomorrow for the private sector.

Cheers!

Settled in Finally: May 30, 2009

My first night in what will be my new home for the next two months or so. It’s not an apartment or a rented house or a hotel room or a hostel. It’s my very own host keluarga (host family). I wanted to be able to walk to the office everyday and Bu Endang remembered that childhood friends of hers lived just two blocks away.

My mommy (she asked me to call her that, lol) is Bu Elley, my Poppy is Pak Salmantos (or Mam for short), my 21 year old sister is Meertri and an 11 year old sister Livia. The brother who I only just meet is Goethe (25) and the sister whose room I am staying in is Cynara. Cynara is 24 like me and likes to travel a lot. She did a student exchange in Canada before and right now is in Germany until June 18th. We will share a room when she gets back.

So far there aren’t many differences in living with a Moslim family than at home, except today Meetri asked me while we were watching TV if I drink. Of course I was honest but I wasn’t sure if I should have been. They are also very social and family oriented. I have meet most of the extended family I think already and they can all sit around for hours chatting and laughing.

Yesterday I felt as though I did two things that got me here: 1) going with Bu Endang’s flow – I usually let others take the lead when that’s the most convenient option for others and 2) being too polite. I did start worrying in the process if once again I was too polite and I should have just asked for a private apartment that I would take a taksi to the kantor and other places everyday, and to request air conditioning and the works. I was so worried about living with a family that I kind of lived it up in the hotel with room service, movies, cold cold air conditioning and not going out. Total me time. Now as I lay here after my first water tank bathing experiencing, first Indonesian family meal eating with hands, and first TV night with grandpa, Livia, and Meertri, I realize how foolish my fears were.

So far it is relatively not awkward since Meertri speaks English and after taking the bath my body temperature cooled down substantially. The non air conditioning is fine. My only concern is finances. I budgeted $800 per month for rent and this will be $150, so I need to figure out my budget again. I’m going to use the extra money to make my research even better but I am not sure if that means I should travel to more districts, although I am still under time constraints, or if maybe an interpreter for just about everyday, including Mercy Corps events, could be beneficial. Tomorrow evening after getting back from Risa’s NGO where she teaches English to poor fish kids I have to go to the office or lock myself in my room and make a 7 week plan for Mercy Corps and my research and stick with it.

My first week (satu minggu) has been very successful and busy getting settled, acclimated to Mercy Corps, and understanding the local system here, so now it is time to delve deep and devote 50% of my time to research.

Funny moment yesterday though: Bu Endang’s youngest daughter, Sandrina (4 years old), asked me if I know how to drive a car. I tried my best to answer in a long Indonesian sentence. Apparently I could have just replied with “bisa” (I can) so she scolded me and said “Please speak well!”. Then when we were entering her Aunt’s house she stopped at the door while taking off her shoes, looked at me, and directed me firmly by saying, “don’t speak like before”. Bu Endang, Risa, and I were cracking up. By the far the funniest moments in Indonesia to date.

May 29, 2009

My living arrangements for the next two months were decided today. I am going to live with a nice moslim (how it is spelled here) family whose house is near the office. Way out of my comfort zone so I am going to spend my last free night watching loud movies, eating American food from room service, freezing in my air conditioning since my room at the rumah (house) only has a fan and then work on the RRAD article outline for the Environmental Hazards Journal due in the morning. Then sleep, swim in the pool, and then move into my new house. I just have to keep reminding myself that I want to go way outside my comfort zone and to think like a researcher. Granted I am not studying culture here but this information will be useful when processing my data on climate change responses here.

May 28, 2009 Padang

I feel different somewhow. It always amazes me how my entire mood changes when super close to the ocean (“laut”). I noticed it even as we flew over Sumatra from Jakarta, but I feel it even stronger as I lay here in my swankey hotel room (only $50.00 a night but beautiful) right on the beach. I could tell I made the right choice saying no (I actually learned the word!) to Sean yesterday when he asked if I wanted to stay in Jakarta for two more weeks before coming to Padang, when within ten minutes of driving in the car with Bu Endang, my boss in Padang, and her daughter, Risa, we were discussing fishermen and climate change. Big change from urban issues and flood risk reduction. Risa even invited me to join her one day when she teaches English to poor fishermen’s children. Can’t wait!

And Bu Endang requrested I give the climate presentation to her staff and the staff of a local NGO, Kogami. Kasey, The Climate Project Presenter, goes international! I’ll be sure to tell Jenny Clad, the Executive Director. Not sure if they have had any presentation in Indonesia just yet.

When we drove into Padang they offered to treat me to dinner and so we went to a seafood restaurant where we ate rice, green veggies like spinach, and whole prawns BBQ in coconut sauce on a stick that all together was $15USD if you can believe it. Enak sekali (very delicious).

My first Indonesian meal with others. I’ve been all alone when not in the kantor (office) so it was so nice tonight. Just what I needed. We ended at the restaurant with 2 pictures being taken, one next to the live crab tank, yes crab not lobster, and the other on the deck where we ate overlooking the Indian Ocean.

I can tell I am going to have to be much more cognitive of customs and etiquette here than in Jakartra which I like. I agree with what Vanessa told me this afternoon over NY deli sandwiches and lattes – W. Sumatra is the REAL Indonesia.

First Mercy Corps Field Day: May 26, 2009

Lots of firsts for me today. My first field day. My first motorbike tour on the back of a bike driven by a local Indonesian who didn’t speak much English, weaving through the narrow, crazy passageways in North Jakarta as we looked at the progress of Mercy Corps flood risk reduction program. My first visit to a tofu/tempeh making establishment. My first up close and personal experience with a polluted river being used for bathing, wasting, and making food.

It’s funny how I have always considered the field to be research sites studying non-human objects like eelgrass or coral. It makes sense for the social sciences that the field would be communities as I have been learning in the classroom since August but it felt wrong for a few minutes today to be using that terminology when discussing these very poor areas. Makes them seem like objects instead of subjects to me.

The areas we were in today were definitely the poorest areas I’ve ever been to but I didn’t feel sad or emotional like I’ve always thought I would. I think that’s because they were so happy and well adapted to conditions most Americans would never stay in for one night, let alone a life time.

Yuni, the MC person in charge of the one year flood risk reduction program, explaind to me that this wasn’t considered the slums or poor, just flood-prone. What is poor than to Jakarta’s standards???

May 25, 2009

First day in the Mercy Corps Indonesia headquarters office in South Jakarta. The staff is huge, much larger than I was expecting. The taxi (“taksi”) took a while to get here because he kept thinking the address was “tiga puluh” (30) when it was tiga (3). I tried my best to explain it in Indonesian by politely asking “tidak, tiga atau tiga puluh” (no, three or thirty) and showing him the paper with the written address – all proud of myself for using the bahasa but it didn’t work. By the time I arrived I was a bit late but no one seemed to notice (late being 8: 20 instead of 8:00am). The taksi took me through the Mercy Corps security gate in which there were three or four guards outside, all with big smiles, and then he dropped me right at the front door. When you walk into the office its slightly air conditioned with a receptionist desk and a seating area with the Kompas and Jakarta Post (daily newspapers here) and then you walk through another set of glass doors ot the main office where there are lots of cubicles. Not the normal kind of cubicles you would imagine with the carpeted walls, but dividers made of dry wall (basically ½ walls).

I was taken to see Malka Older, the Program Director, in a back office that she shares with Vanessa, another ex-pat from Arizona who has been here for seven years and has a four year old. After a brief chat Malka gave me the tour of the first floor. The cubicles are divided by teams, the Flood Risk Reduction program, the Healthy People, Prosperous Places Program, the breast feeding program, the Urban Povery Reduction Program, and a few others. I meet Sean the Country Director (I think he’s Australian) and was shown the back yard and kitchen where there’s a maintained swimming pool and a break room in the back. The break room was occupied by two national staff members, one laying on his back and the other rubbing his feet. The one laying down seemed to be sick and contemplating going to the hospital. Malka turned to me as we walked away saying sometimes you see weird things with the national staff. I just laughed. There’s tea and kopi (coffee) every morning. The kopi is gross but the tea is pretty good.

The great thing about the office is that it is mostly local staff, which can be a problem with international organizations always hiring ex-pats instead of employing local knowledge. Later I learned from Sean that in 2007 when he arrived there were 15 expats and now about 5, and Vanessa is leaving in 15 days for a long sabbatical back to the states with her family. They are actively trying to reduce the number of expats and increase nationals as time goes by. Oddly he did mention that part of my job would be to increasing the self-confidence and English language skills of the staff in Padang, West Sumatra where I’ll be headed on Thursday for the summer, because there are no ex-pats there and they need help with their capacity. I am also going to be helping them learn how to process data into decision making which I wasn’t expecting but am prepared to do. Feels a bit elitist but I am sure necessary tasks for me to be doing this summer.

May 24, 2009

Up until today the above stated fears were becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. But no more! I’ve had my break from Yale and had 1 ½ days of absolute vegging in the South Jakarta guest house, Grya Patria, I’m staying in. Today is the first day of not only my internship but research AND actively trying to converse in Indonesian.

For some reason when I stepped off the plane all the months of training with Pak Indryo went out of my head and other than “terima kasih” I couldn’t remember much of anything in Indonesian. I don’t know if it was from exhaustion or nerves or overwhelming chaos at the airport and customs, but something freaked me out of being able to speak basic bahasa Indonesian.

To get myself out of this stupor and odd vegging mode I had to yell at myself: “No Excuses Kasey! Fac id ("just do it" in Latin)”. I thought that if Christian missionaries could live most of their lives with the Dyalo in Thailand (influenced by my book companion: Fieldwork) than I can spend 3 months as an Indonesian. Even if it turns out I suck at this and am not meant for developing country fieldwork, at least I gave it my all. No regrets allowed on August 19th!

And so today is the day I woke up and realized I am in Indonesia and this is the first real day of my masters thesis research fieldwork summer.

First Day of Summer 2009: May 21, 2009

Today I time traveled.

When I left the U.S. “yesterday” it was Thursday, yet here I sit in Hong Kong on Saturday having only experienced Friday for a few hours while at 30,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean. My flight to Jakarta leaves in about 45 minutes but it still hasn’t really sunk in that I will be living in Indonesia for three months. When I went to Italy and Australia I think the realization set in much sooner because I had spent my childhood daydreaming about such trips. But Indonesia has only been a destination for me since December or January.

I am nervous! What if I’m a terrible Mercy Corps intern? What if I don’t get enough research interviews in because of my combo summer or just because I drop the ball? What if I am just not able to achieve my goal of eventually learning the language fluently? What if my computer problems ruin everything? What if I get myself into an uncontrollable situation or a natural disaster strikes and being new to my surroundings I don’t react the way I should?

All the preparations for this trip, finals week, RRAD Student Interest Group work, and my jobs I think distracted me from really thinking about my fears. Time will only tell what happens.

Here goes...