I doubt any of us will ever forget that experience or what we have learned here from local farmers. I certainly have developed a much greater appreciation for the food I consume not only here but every day.
-Meghan
Saturday, May 30, 2009
From Field to Mouth.
After a long (25 hours to be exact) and adventurous (to put it kindly) bus ride, we arrived back in Bali on Thursday morning. It would be an understatement to say that all of us were relieved and thrilled to be back in this paradise. We began our time back in Bali with a wonderful meal that night at Buddha Bali, followed by a full nights rest that we all were really in need of. On Friday we had the opportunity to work in one of the local rice fields and it was actually owned by one of our upcoming home stays. This was something that none of us have ever experienced before, and I felt completely exhilarated to take part in something that is such a core component of the culture here. The fields were muddy, a few of us fell in while walking along the small paths to get to them, and we significantly struggled to plant the customary perfect grid lines, but when it started to rain, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that it is considered a blessing. After we finished assisting with the small plot, we were taken to a much larger rice field that contained the village's temple used for crop blessing. While at this field we were able to walk far into it and observe harvest. We all were even able to sample some of the rice directly from the shell and I can personally say that is the closet I have ever encountered food in its process from the earth to my mouth.
I doubt any of us will ever forget that experience or what we have learned here from local farmers. I certainly have developed a much greater appreciation for the food I consume not only here but every day.
-Meghan
I doubt any of us will ever forget that experience or what we have learned here from local farmers. I certainly have developed a much greater appreciation for the food I consume not only here but every day.
-Meghan
What Isn't Said, Tells More
look, that's me (right) and jill drinkin' some es soda gembira,
or "happy soda," in Bali. it's a picture from the beginning of the trip, but one
of the very few i was able to upload when we had slightly faster internet in yogya.
okay. agustini said we lacked pictures on the blog. there's the picture. :)
Oh, hey there, dedicated blog reader. After a week or so in Yogya and a 25-hour, roach-infested bus ride, Team Indonesia is back in Bali. As much as Yogya had to offer with its city scene, returning to an island where the culture is integral and very visible in the workings of daily life. (It also helps that Bali is much cooler than Java. And Bali is in the high eighties. I'm not even joking.)
We checked out the pesraman of the Pengosekan village today. Basically, it's a once a week, compulsory culture school for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the area. The costs are covered by the village fund, and the children are even provided some clothing and snacks. "What's the purpose of this culture school? What do they do, Nina?" Hold on, hold on -- I'm getting there! The pesraman teaches Balinese traditions; things like weaving boxes for rice offerings, learning the Balinese language, practicing yoga, and learning particular arts such as gammelan music and Balinese dance. It's usually held on Saturdays, so that's why we were able to visit and observe those fidgety youngsters at class. (Once again, we donned our sarongs for the occasion.)
The pesraman in this village follow a basic, established curriculum. Pengosekan's pesraman, according to the village leader we spoke with this morning, did not exist until 2005. In all honesty, I was taken back by this fact. Why didn't the Balinese in the Ubud have this before to share the complicated Hindu traditions in Bali with their children? The village leader, the Bendesa Adat Pengosekan, said that they really haven't seen tourism industry pull away older children from traditions as the children find jobs in hotels. "They still can go to the temple by themselves," Agustini translated to us. "A job doesn't mean they have to give up their traditions."
Sure, I'll buy that, but the independent twenty-year-old working in a hotel doesn't have the social structure -- the cranky grandpa, the jovial aunt, the stern mother -- to keep them involved in tradition. Again, I was amazed at how new the pesraman culture program was. It makes me think about how the culture on this island has evolved. In the past, the extended family was enough to teach and maintain traditions; now, they have a school to help share these valuable aspects of the culture. If anything, it illuminates that with the onrush of industrialization and tourism, there has been an impact on the people's ties to their culture in the modern world.
Food for thought. Just mull over that one for a while.
Peace, love --
Nina
We checked out the pesraman of the Pengosekan village today. Basically, it's a once a week, compulsory culture school for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in the area. The costs are covered by the village fund, and the children are even provided some clothing and snacks. "What's the purpose of this culture school? What do they do, Nina?" Hold on, hold on -- I'm getting there! The pesraman teaches Balinese traditions; things like weaving boxes for rice offerings, learning the Balinese language, practicing yoga, and learning particular arts such as gammelan music and Balinese dance. It's usually held on Saturdays, so that's why we were able to visit and observe those fidgety youngsters at class. (Once again, we donned our sarongs for the occasion.)
The pesraman in this village follow a basic, established curriculum. Pengosekan's pesraman, according to the village leader we spoke with this morning, did not exist until 2005. In all honesty, I was taken back by this fact. Why didn't the Balinese in the Ubud have this before to share the complicated Hindu traditions in Bali with their children? The village leader, the Bendesa Adat Pengosekan, said that they really haven't seen tourism industry pull away older children from traditions as the children find jobs in hotels. "They still can go to the temple by themselves," Agustini translated to us. "A job doesn't mean they have to give up their traditions."
Sure, I'll buy that, but the independent twenty-year-old working in a hotel doesn't have the social structure -- the cranky grandpa, the jovial aunt, the stern mother -- to keep them involved in tradition. Again, I was amazed at how new the pesraman culture program was. It makes me think about how the culture on this island has evolved. In the past, the extended family was enough to teach and maintain traditions; now, they have a school to help share these valuable aspects of the culture. If anything, it illuminates that with the onrush of industrialization and tourism, there has been an impact on the people's ties to their culture in the modern world.
Food for thought. Just mull over that one for a while.
Peace, love --
Nina
A muddy encounter with the Priest...
Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the entire program so far. We had the honor of meeting with a Balinese Priest, Mangku Made Gina, to learn about his role in the Pengosekan village. He welcomed us into his home where we all sat on the tiled floor of the meeting platform, first listening to him explain what he does and then later asking questions to better understand the dynamic of the village.
His two main roles are to prepare and lead ceremonies in the village temple and also to control the farming activities and water distribution within the village. I find the whole system of irrigation in Bali to be fascinating; it's controlled by priests and has been successfully functioning for over 1000 years in a sustainable way. Mangku Made Gina is in charge of the social organization of farmers called the Subak which creates rules for farmers and controls the water distribution to each farm. There are rules for what farmers can plant, when they can plant it, and when each farm will recieve water. At first glance this system of rules and sanctions for breaking rules might appear to be overbearing, but in actuality it's a carefully calculated formula for mainting the precarious Balinese ecosystem and the economic livelihood of the people. By regulating the water distribution and farming activities, the priests ensure that each farm will get enough water and at the right time during the growing process. The Subak also helps to maximize harvests by controlling pests and diversifying crops. How amazing that people can live harmoniously with nature and it benefits the public health, economy and social lives of the community.
Despite the picture I just painted, there are certain challenges to the Subak system. Farmers might choose to use pesticides and tractors, which can deplete the fertility of the soil which the Subak system maintains. But at the same time these technologies can decrease the workload for farmers and allow them to yield a bigger harvest, in turn increasing their income. Would you continue to use traditional practices in your occupation even if newer techology existed that made your job easier and more fruitful? It's a tough question, especially considering all the factors that are affected by the answer.
After meeting with the priest we got a taste of what it's like to farm in Bali; we were given the chance to plant young rice in a padi outside of Mangku Made Gina's home! We watched as the farmer effortlessly plucked the perfect number of strands from the young plant and delicately but efficiently stuck them into the mud of the padi. It looked easy enough...but despite the fact that it rained while we were planting and this is supposed to be a blessing, our crooked rows and haphazard placement of the rice stalks was all too apparent in the end. It was very gracious of MMG to allow us to help plant the new padi and get a hands-on experience of the daily activities of a Balinese farmer. I thoroughly enjoyed getting knee deep in mud and planting the stalks which will someday feed someone in the Pengosekan village of Ubud...what an amazing day. :)
Jill
His two main roles are to prepare and lead ceremonies in the village temple and also to control the farming activities and water distribution within the village. I find the whole system of irrigation in Bali to be fascinating; it's controlled by priests and has been successfully functioning for over 1000 years in a sustainable way. Mangku Made Gina is in charge of the social organization of farmers called the Subak which creates rules for farmers and controls the water distribution to each farm. There are rules for what farmers can plant, when they can plant it, and when each farm will recieve water. At first glance this system of rules and sanctions for breaking rules might appear to be overbearing, but in actuality it's a carefully calculated formula for mainting the precarious Balinese ecosystem and the economic livelihood of the people. By regulating the water distribution and farming activities, the priests ensure that each farm will get enough water and at the right time during the growing process. The Subak also helps to maximize harvests by controlling pests and diversifying crops. How amazing that people can live harmoniously with nature and it benefits the public health, economy and social lives of the community.
Despite the picture I just painted, there are certain challenges to the Subak system. Farmers might choose to use pesticides and tractors, which can deplete the fertility of the soil which the Subak system maintains. But at the same time these technologies can decrease the workload for farmers and allow them to yield a bigger harvest, in turn increasing their income. Would you continue to use traditional practices in your occupation even if newer techology existed that made your job easier and more fruitful? It's a tough question, especially considering all the factors that are affected by the answer.
After meeting with the priest we got a taste of what it's like to farm in Bali; we were given the chance to plant young rice in a padi outside of Mangku Made Gina's home! We watched as the farmer effortlessly plucked the perfect number of strands from the young plant and delicately but efficiently stuck them into the mud of the padi. It looked easy enough...but despite the fact that it rained while we were planting and this is supposed to be a blessing, our crooked rows and haphazard placement of the rice stalks was all too apparent in the end. It was very gracious of MMG to allow us to help plant the new padi and get a hands-on experience of the daily activities of a Balinese farmer. I thoroughly enjoyed getting knee deep in mud and planting the stalks which will someday feed someone in the Pengosekan village of Ubud...what an amazing day. :)
Jill
Monday, May 25, 2009
spaghetti for breakfast in Indonesia
The end is closing in as I have 2 nights left with my host family here in Yogyakarta before returning to Bali. I have fared well in the random draw of cards. The children in my family are grown and now have homes of their own, so I'm basically alone with my ibu (mrs), bat (mr), and ibu's mom. As people in Indonesia are known to dote over their guests, I feel like the prized only child with grandparents saying, "eat more, eat more!" It's a nice change to be the center of attention, until I get asked about Obama's cabinet or women in US politics. Questions like these make me wish I was a PoliSci major, but then again, maybe not. I do love drawing my feelings in art school...
5 choice host family moments:
1. Breakfast is dinner, but with the added bonus of yogurt
2. The dog, Pepi's, beady eyes staring me down when I eat
3. Bat telling me that I need a rickshaw to myself because of my size
4. My host family having actually heard of Kalamazoo before
5. Learning Indonesian word-by-word with sassy, gun-shootin', can't see straight host Grandma
As awkward as it was at times to come "home" to a family of strangers, my host family did become a safe haven. It's the best sleep I've had since coming to Indonesia and I don't think I'll ever eat as much food in one sitting as I have in the past week (cross my fingers).
And finally, some recent developments:
- starting to rethink that whole move-to-a-busy-city thing
- prefer beverages to come in small sealed container with an attached straw
- impossible to stay up past 8PM
Until next time Yogya.
drawing you during important meetings,
ashley
5 choice host family moments:
1. Breakfast is dinner, but with the added bonus of yogurt
2. The dog, Pepi's, beady eyes staring me down when I eat
3. Bat telling me that I need a rickshaw to myself because of my size
4. My host family having actually heard of Kalamazoo before
5. Learning Indonesian word-by-word with sassy, gun-shootin', can't see straight host Grandma
As awkward as it was at times to come "home" to a family of strangers, my host family did become a safe haven. It's the best sleep I've had since coming to Indonesia and I don't think I'll ever eat as much food in one sitting as I have in the past week (cross my fingers).
And finally, some recent developments:
- starting to rethink that whole move-to-a-busy-city thing
- prefer beverages to come in small sealed container with an attached straw
- impossible to stay up past 8PM
Until next time Yogya.
drawing you during important meetings,
ashley
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Who needs a hotel anyway?
Hello! This week, I have been staying in a homestay with another GIEU member. At first, I was a bit nervous about everything. I hoped that I would say and do the right things and develop a bond with my family. After three days, I am very glad I was placed with Agung and Bu Wiwi. Last night/this morning were especially meaningful. Last night, we (Me, Sarah, Bu WiWi, Agung, their son and a servant) all went to the middle of the city and ate a traditional Javanese dinner outside of the palace. We sat on mats with other families and ate some of the best Indonesian dishes I have thus tasted. While eating, a four piece band played for us, taking requests and also playing Traditional Indonesian songs. The night ended with sweet teas and a performance by a traditional Indonesian Shadow-Puppet show. I came home tired but feeling overjoyed at what I had just experienced. The next morning, Sarah and I got up at 5:30AM and traveled with Ba WiWi to the daily market. What greeted us put all the farmers markets I have visited to shame! Most (if not all) of the food was picked or prepared that morning, often coming from wild sources! Talk about local food. The people at the market were warm and greeted me as if I came there everyday. Along the way, Ba WiWi explained the different tastes and uses of various fruits/vegetables, as well as some of the interesting dishes prepared around the market. That morning, we had fresh juice from Jackfruit bought at the market moments earlier. What a treat.
I am so lucky to be here in Indonesia. Not only am I growing close to 14 fellow students, I am forming a deep bond with Indonesia and the wonderful people that I encounter.
Best,
Stephen
I am so lucky to be here in Indonesia. Not only am I growing close to 14 fellow students, I am forming a deep bond with Indonesia and the wonderful people that I encounter.
Best,
Stephen
Homestays
When finding out that we would be doing home stays while in Indonesia I was nervous more than anything. Would I be able to communicate with them? Would it be awkward? Would they like me? However, as we spent more and more time in Indonesia I was excited more than anything to meet my family and become more immersed in the Indonesian culture. Meghan and I are living with our amazing ebu Lena, her husband, and two sons. Maybe we don't have servants like some of the other home stays but I feel as if we are receiving the most authentic and hands on home stay of the bunch. She immediately told us that we were part of her family now and that she was like our mom and we could come to her with anything. She has a huge heart and is always making sure that everything is going okay with us. I can tell she even practices her English when we are away during the day. She is also a talented cook who combines both Chinese and Indonesian recipes to create her own delicatessen. She never seizes to amaze us with her cooking. However, it has become a double edged sword for she keeps giving us more and more servings saying "again again" until we have to unbutton our pants. You know you're living the good life when the only thing to complain about is having to much great food.
-Hannah
-Hannah
Don't talk to strangers... or foreigners?
Well, it's been over a week here in Indonesia, a surprisingly large island nation. So, when we finally had our first beach day yesterday, it was a pretty big deal! The ocean was so much more than I could have ever expected! I personally have limited experience with oceans, so to see waves that might easily have been twice my size was very exciting. Although a clearly marked sign (in English!) read "Dangerous, no swimming", of course Mas Bam Bang (our trusty Jogja travel coordinator) disregarded this altogether and jumped right on in. Now, at this particular beach, "jumping in" really meant trekking out far enough that the waves were still bigger than you are, and waiting at the breaking point for it to either push you over, under, or in. So in essence, we didn't really ignore the sign, because it really would have been quite difficult to "swim" at this particular beach!
One aspect of the beach that surprised me was the amount of trash that littered the sand and clouded the water. With each crashing wave a few pieces of trash would float past you, and there were rarely repeat offenders. If it managed to hit ground without being sucked back in with the next swell, it would end up as just another rotting decoration on the sand. Never in my life have I experienced such a lack of concern for the tidiness of a beachfront. Either at lakes or oceans I have visited, there are always plenty of trash cans available, and usually at least one personnel in charge of keeping up appearances, we even have grooming equipment to rake the sand! This really brought to mind how much of a difference there is between the states and Indonesia. In this culture, it seems that aesthetics are rarely attended to. It is very likely that most people/companies simply do not have the funds to do this, but on the other hand, it seems very much like the people are concerned with the functionality of a store more so than how it looks. If this were not the case, it seems that many stores might go out of business, which is something I have not noticed in my short time here. All of my speculations may be completely inaccurate, but I will be interested to get to know the culture more in order to determine the nature of some of these differences. It makes more sense to me that businesses would exist for functional purposes rather than as a result of marketing of the brand or the aesthetics of the stores.
Another difference I have noticed here is the fact that our group of 15+ "bule" (the term used for foreigners, although the word actually means white, or white people) draw so much attention and fascination. This goes beyond feeling like you're being watched, to actually being approached by groups of school children and asked to take photos, or even to sign your name! It's a huge ego boost for us, we are all getting a taste of the celebrity lifestyle. But on a more serious note, it really points to the ingrained cultural differences between the United States and Indonesia. The people here have been incredibly friendly and patient with us, and always seem to notice us, even if we have broken off into smaller groups. In the U.S., I can't say that I have ever had this reaction about a "foreigner", in fact, it has never even crossed my mind that I might want to take a photo with a group of tourists! Why would I want that? I don't know these people! But here, in order to know someone, you might only have exchange a smile and say hello! This friendliness is such a concept to us, I will certainly carry it back to the states with me. Unfortunately, the difficulty there is that in the U.S., almost anyone could be foreign. To me, a "foreigner" is someone that does not live in the United States, but obviously this is a hugely varying term and a source of controversy in itself. Regardless of the chosen definition, there are many cases in which it would be almost impossible to pick out a group of visitors or tourists by only their appearance because of the variety of nationalities we have in the States. Being the friendly, outgoing person that I (think) I am, I much prefer the genuine and natural interactions in this culture. People want to know who you are, and they aren't just asking to be polite! This is such a strange thing to encounter from a perfect stranger, and so great!
After all of these great experiences in Yogyakarta (and still more to come), I am getting more and more excited to meet Ketut Liyer (the medicine man mentioned in Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert) and see what my future holds! This book is an amazing journey through one woman's self discovery, and because 1/3 of it takes place in Indonesia, I loved it that much more! I found myself relating to and understanding her experiences because I finally was able to say I had been to an international destination worthy of publishing in a book!
All I can say is that she is definitely not lying about the motorbikes!
...and Ketut accurately predicted her future.
- Jenny
One aspect of the beach that surprised me was the amount of trash that littered the sand and clouded the water. With each crashing wave a few pieces of trash would float past you, and there were rarely repeat offenders. If it managed to hit ground without being sucked back in with the next swell, it would end up as just another rotting decoration on the sand. Never in my life have I experienced such a lack of concern for the tidiness of a beachfront. Either at lakes or oceans I have visited, there are always plenty of trash cans available, and usually at least one personnel in charge of keeping up appearances, we even have grooming equipment to rake the sand! This really brought to mind how much of a difference there is between the states and Indonesia. In this culture, it seems that aesthetics are rarely attended to. It is very likely that most people/companies simply do not have the funds to do this, but on the other hand, it seems very much like the people are concerned with the functionality of a store more so than how it looks. If this were not the case, it seems that many stores might go out of business, which is something I have not noticed in my short time here. All of my speculations may be completely inaccurate, but I will be interested to get to know the culture more in order to determine the nature of some of these differences. It makes more sense to me that businesses would exist for functional purposes rather than as a result of marketing of the brand or the aesthetics of the stores.
Another difference I have noticed here is the fact that our group of 15+ "bule" (the term used for foreigners, although the word actually means white, or white people) draw so much attention and fascination. This goes beyond feeling like you're being watched, to actually being approached by groups of school children and asked to take photos, or even to sign your name! It's a huge ego boost for us, we are all getting a taste of the celebrity lifestyle. But on a more serious note, it really points to the ingrained cultural differences between the United States and Indonesia. The people here have been incredibly friendly and patient with us, and always seem to notice us, even if we have broken off into smaller groups. In the U.S., I can't say that I have ever had this reaction about a "foreigner", in fact, it has never even crossed my mind that I might want to take a photo with a group of tourists! Why would I want that? I don't know these people! But here, in order to know someone, you might only have exchange a smile and say hello! This friendliness is such a concept to us, I will certainly carry it back to the states with me. Unfortunately, the difficulty there is that in the U.S., almost anyone could be foreign. To me, a "foreigner" is someone that does not live in the United States, but obviously this is a hugely varying term and a source of controversy in itself. Regardless of the chosen definition, there are many cases in which it would be almost impossible to pick out a group of visitors or tourists by only their appearance because of the variety of nationalities we have in the States. Being the friendly, outgoing person that I (think) I am, I much prefer the genuine and natural interactions in this culture. People want to know who you are, and they aren't just asking to be polite! This is such a strange thing to encounter from a perfect stranger, and so great!
After all of these great experiences in Yogyakarta (and still more to come), I am getting more and more excited to meet Ketut Liyer (the medicine man mentioned in Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert) and see what my future holds! This book is an amazing journey through one woman's self discovery, and because 1/3 of it takes place in Indonesia, I loved it that much more! I found myself relating to and understanding her experiences because I finally was able to say I had been to an international destination worthy of publishing in a book!
All I can say is that she is definitely not lying about the motorbikes!
...and Ketut accurately predicted her future.
- Jenny
Clean Water, Fresh Fish, and ...
Living in Yogjakarta, we have experienced a mostly urban lifestyle. Today, however, was a delightful exception. We were invited by Rotary Club Indonesia to visit their clean water initiative that was funded by rotary clubs both in and outside of Indonesia. Unfortunately, most Indonesians do not have access to clean water, so this initiative is something desperately needed and appreciated. We drove deep into the "Jurassic Jungle" (as some of our members called it) to see the reservoir. This system took two months to complete and was built entirely by hand. The well cost $13,500 and is 60 meters deep. From a well, water is pumped in to a large cleaning reservoir spanning 350 meters, where is further pumped a mile up the mountain to serve 1000 families. After traveling up the mountain, despite a few car malfunctions, we were greeted by some the warmest people we have met thus far. We were instantly welcomed as friends of the community and were proudly shown around the village. We were then ushered in to a meeting hall, where a surprise feast awaited us. There was a smorgasbord of cassava, bananas, sweet potatoes, un-roasted peanuts, water and tea. The meal was particularly meaningful because it all locally grown on the mountain. Our leader is constantly telling how guests are highly honored in Indonesia culture, and today it really showed. And then, to conclude our time withe Rotary Club, it started to rain...or downpour. Oh, Indonesia.
For old time sake, Herry and Augustini took us to a similar restaurant where they had their first "date" (its quite a story). At the restaurant, tables surrounded a pond filled with fish that one could catch for their meal. THAT WAS NOT ALL. Their were also traditional boats to ride on and a stage with a live band (gladly accepting karaoke singers). After ordering our food (no one decided to fish their own) Stephen and Avery "lept" at the opportunity to sing both "My Heart Will Go On" and "Killing me Softly" both on and off key. It was quite a show. The video will be up on youtube after the trip. No, seriously.
-Hannah and Stephen
For old time sake, Herry and Augustini took us to a similar restaurant where they had their first "date" (its quite a story). At the restaurant, tables surrounded a pond filled with fish that one could catch for their meal. THAT WAS NOT ALL. Their were also traditional boats to ride on and a stage with a live band (gladly accepting karaoke singers). After ordering our food (no one decided to fish their own) Stephen and Avery "lept" at the opportunity to sing both "My Heart Will Go On" and "Killing me Softly" both on and off key. It was quite a show. The video will be up on youtube after the trip. No, seriously.
-Hannah and Stephen
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Sultan #9 vs King #10
As I entered my name and related information into my homestay parent's guestbook after tonight's dinner, it struck me how fortunate we all are to be half way around the world fully immersed in a foreign culture. My name is one among nearly 200 individuals from around the world in their book, but the father assured us that our faces and names would not be forgotten. From what I have gathered about the Indonesian people is that they are some of the most personable individuals I will ever come across. It has been mentioned before in the blog, but this has been one of the underlining points that has made our trip so enjoyable thus far.
This trend continued with our trip to Solo today. I can't tell you anything about the trip over since I was passed out in the back of the van for its entirety (our American desires for sleep and food have followed us everywhere), but the day's activities were very interesting. We began at the Kraton Kasunanan Solo, the King of Solo's palace. Everywhere Mas takes us we seem to be granted VIP access (he is royalty after all). This provided us the chance to see the room where important guests are entertained when visiting Solo. The tour was complete once Mas filled the air with an enchanting performance on the harp which he finished off with a tune on a flute. We also visited Pura Mangkunegaran, another palace. It is strange to me walking around the dwellings of royalty, shoes off of course, but doing so continues to provide insight into the lives of the varying classes of Indonesian people. Today, as with all days, we were bombarded by a variety of people selling a variety of goods on the street. Contrasting these livings with my own is very humbling. Our daily discussions have helped to shed light on this topic though and have been a great means for learning about ourselves and eachother.
The afternoon was spent shopping at a batik store and museum. The cultural experience of it was interesting, but it was unable to hold my attention for quite as long as others. Thankfully my childhood background includes many shopping trips with four women... experience that is apparently invaluable worldwide. It's way past my bedtime at this point (10:42 local time), so I'll sign off. Selamat Malam!
-Jake
This trend continued with our trip to Solo today. I can't tell you anything about the trip over since I was passed out in the back of the van for its entirety (our American desires for sleep and food have followed us everywhere), but the day's activities were very interesting. We began at the Kraton Kasunanan Solo, the King of Solo's palace. Everywhere Mas takes us we seem to be granted VIP access (he is royalty after all). This provided us the chance to see the room where important guests are entertained when visiting Solo. The tour was complete once Mas filled the air with an enchanting performance on the harp which he finished off with a tune on a flute. We also visited Pura Mangkunegaran, another palace. It is strange to me walking around the dwellings of royalty, shoes off of course, but doing so continues to provide insight into the lives of the varying classes of Indonesian people. Today, as with all days, we were bombarded by a variety of people selling a variety of goods on the street. Contrasting these livings with my own is very humbling. Our daily discussions have helped to shed light on this topic though and have been a great means for learning about ourselves and eachother.
The afternoon was spent shopping at a batik store and museum. The cultural experience of it was interesting, but it was unable to hold my attention for quite as long as others. Thankfully my childhood background includes many shopping trips with four women... experience that is apparently invaluable worldwide. It's way past my bedtime at this point (10:42 local time), so I'll sign off. Selamat Malam!
-Jake
Homestays and More
Last night was the first night at our homestays, and most of us were unsure of what to expect. As we gathered together this morning to discuss our first experiences with our families, it is clear that there is a dynamic array of households. Religion, family size, and student interaction with their host family is widely variable. In one home, girls and boys are not allowed to be in each other’s bedrooms, while in another home the family invited their GIEU student to watch the finale of American Idol. Something that caught my attention was the amount of families that have servants. My household is the home of a professional photographer in Indonesia, and when he first introduced us to his female companion, we did not understand that she was a servant. While our host father is very hospitable, he does not converse with us often. Agustini has explained to us that it is customary for guests to be treated as royalty in Indonesia, and they are given the best the family has to offer. While maids, butlers, and other forms of service are common in the United States, this experience is my first when it comes to having someone nearby that is dedicated solely to meeting any needs that I may have. My American instinct tells me that, as a guest, I am always expected to treat my hosts with respect and gratitude by always offering my assistance. It is hard for me to understand what kind of interaction I am expected to have with the servant and whether it should be different than the interaction I have with my host father. I am most curious about her history and how she came to be at this job, but I cannot ask her because she is truly invisible. We have met her once, and while she arranges our breakfast and takes care of the house, we have never seen her again. Now I often wonder how many invisible people exist in the United States whose voice is never heard.
Today was a beautiful day. My accomplishment was finally figuring out how to flush the toilets at the restaurant. We had quite an interesting lunch at a seafood restaurant. Some of our braver GIEU students ventured out of the box and ordered fish. It seemed like an innocent idea at the time until one student received her tray of “succulent morsels.” We still aren’t sure what kind of fish they were, but we hypothesized that they were plucked directly from the pond next to us and cooked mid-swim due to the fact that each fish came fully intact. Eyes, head, fins, bones, and spikes included. Students had to put up quite a fight to dig out what little meat was available. At times it was a dangerous task to work around all the sharp bones. I never knew a dead fish could be so frightening.
Afterwards we received one of the greatest workouts of our lives as we climbed up about 400 steps to the top of the Imogiri Royal Cemetary on the way to the beach (believe me, we counted them all). Sadly, our effort was not well rewarded because once we reached the top we discovered that you had to pay a fee to enter the tombs in order to obtain traditional Indonesian clothing that is required to see the graves. We concluded that with the limited amount of time we had, our exhaustion, and the heat that we would not enter. We walked around, saw some very big spiders, and were able to meet our guide’s niece as she was present at their tomb site to pay respect to their family since they are Indonesian royalty. We saw many priests in traditional garments, and we watched his niece arrange flowers as an offering. After we lumbered back down the steps, taking in the gorgeous view around us, we went to what is supposedly one of the most dangerous beaches on the island. In conformation of this claim, the first sign we saw said “no swimming,” but it didn’t stop some brave few (lead by our very brave guide) from venturing into the water to wade. It was truly breathtaking on the beach. The sun was setting, there were cliffs around us, and the water was stunningly warm with awe inspiring waves. We quickly understood why swimming was not allowed because the force of the waves could easily drag people under and far out from shore. Eventually a lifeguard came to instruct us that it was important to stay out of the water, and we returned to the vans after a remarkable day.
:) Kellie
Today was a beautiful day. My accomplishment was finally figuring out how to flush the toilets at the restaurant. We had quite an interesting lunch at a seafood restaurant. Some of our braver GIEU students ventured out of the box and ordered fish. It seemed like an innocent idea at the time until one student received her tray of “succulent morsels.” We still aren’t sure what kind of fish they were, but we hypothesized that they were plucked directly from the pond next to us and cooked mid-swim due to the fact that each fish came fully intact. Eyes, head, fins, bones, and spikes included. Students had to put up quite a fight to dig out what little meat was available. At times it was a dangerous task to work around all the sharp bones. I never knew a dead fish could be so frightening.
Afterwards we received one of the greatest workouts of our lives as we climbed up about 400 steps to the top of the Imogiri Royal Cemetary on the way to the beach (believe me, we counted them all). Sadly, our effort was not well rewarded because once we reached the top we discovered that you had to pay a fee to enter the tombs in order to obtain traditional Indonesian clothing that is required to see the graves. We concluded that with the limited amount of time we had, our exhaustion, and the heat that we would not enter. We walked around, saw some very big spiders, and were able to meet our guide’s niece as she was present at their tomb site to pay respect to their family since they are Indonesian royalty. We saw many priests in traditional garments, and we watched his niece arrange flowers as an offering. After we lumbered back down the steps, taking in the gorgeous view around us, we went to what is supposedly one of the most dangerous beaches on the island. In conformation of this claim, the first sign we saw said “no swimming,” but it didn’t stop some brave few (lead by our very brave guide) from venturing into the water to wade. It was truly breathtaking on the beach. The sun was setting, there were cliffs around us, and the water was stunningly warm with awe inspiring waves. We quickly understood why swimming was not allowed because the force of the waves could easily drag people under and far out from shore. Eventually a lifeguard came to instruct us that it was important to stay out of the water, and we returned to the vans after a remarkable day.
:) Kellie
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Puskesmas Health Clinic
Thus far, Indonesia has been a rather sublime experience. The ability to look out of my room and see nothing but a beautiful green rice field is truly a gift to wake up to everyday here in Yogyakarta, Over the past few days we have visited various organizations and encountered issues that are neither glorious nor wonderful in nature but the efforts of certain people address and create change are more extraordinary than any sunset or landscape. These social and economic issues are not unique to indonesia but are prevalent in nearly all nations. Prior to today, we dealt with two groups, one focused on educating and sponsoring street children and the other was centralized around proper business affairs and tactics. As my particular interest are focused on Public Health, I felt nothing but eagerness today when we ventured to Puskesmas, a local health clinic that serves the two surrounding villages in this area. The clinic currently provides health services ranging from general practice and midwifery, to x-radiation and lab testing. We were able to briefly tour the facility including its 24 hours emergency unit as well as speak with one of the four Doctors that practice there. He provided us with basic information and demographics of the two villages they service. The people who utilize this resource are able to receive care for free if they have proper government issued poverty identification to certify their economic status. For patients who lack this identification, they are able to obtain most services for the cost of 3000 rupiah (about 30 cents USD). The organization is funded by the government and fifty percent of the payments made by patients remain in the funds for Puskesmas. The center also has recently been immensely effective at achieving their target number of patients and treatments for various medical conditions ranging from childbirth to disease detection and prevention. The center appears to be rather accessible and equipped with a staff sincerely dedicated to improving the health of the community. This is visible through their mobile clinics and actions in the case of disaster such as providing free healthcare and treatment for one year after the earthquake in 2006.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this center as I was able to see efforts from an institution dedicated to improving the overall health of a community outside the United States. As with any social effort, the health of indonesia as a nation has a far way to go in terms of access, proper identification, and treatment, but the efforts of this health clinic are moving in the right direction with their continuous desire to achieve their target. The place to start with improving the health of people is to allocate them proper access and by providing this to identified poverty is a great start. This visit has made me significantly look forward to my further encounters with Public Health as well ass the rest of the organizations we will see during our trip.
-Meghan
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at this center as I was able to see efforts from an institution dedicated to improving the overall health of a community outside the United States. As with any social effort, the health of indonesia as a nation has a far way to go in terms of access, proper identification, and treatment, but the efforts of this health clinic are moving in the right direction with their continuous desire to achieve their target. The place to start with improving the health of people is to allocate them proper access and by providing this to identified poverty is a great start. This visit has made me significantly look forward to my further encounters with Public Health as well ass the rest of the organizations we will see during our trip.
-Meghan
Rotary Club - Yogyakarta
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
-???
This seems to be the mentality of the Rotary Club of Yogyakarta which we visited this afternoon. Their micro credit and training program to educate students at Yogya Agriculture University is based on an empowerment principle that basically focuses on working with people rather than just changing their situation. This program promotes organic farming and is a model for local farmers looking for more sustainable agricultural practices (rather than relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are currently overused). The Gaia Foundation that we visited Monday and Tuesday seems to operate in a similar fashion. The Gaia Foundation provides scholarships for street children to attend school and educate themselves rather than just feeding them and giving them a place to stay. Both of these organizations - the Gaia Foundation and the Rotary Club of Yogyakarta - are working to educate the street children and farmers, respectively, in Indonesia rather than just changing the situations in which they are currently living.
This micro credit and training program for farmers is just one of the Rotary Club's many projects; others address poverty, health care, literacy, etc. This project, however, is especially important because over 40% of Indonesians work in the agriculture field, and 60% of the poorest of Indonesians are farmers. Therefore, it is important that there is a program that introduces farmers to organic farming and teaches them sustainable farming practices. This micro credit and training program provides seed, fish, rabbits, goats, etc for the farmers. We walked around this afternoon (right before the mini flash flood) and saw some of the goats, rabbits, and rice fields that were part of the program. Joglo Tani (an Association of Organic Farmers) and Yayasan Kaula Karya (an NGO) also support this micro credit and training program.
In summary, this program is one way that Indonesian farmers in Yogyakarta, who provide vital products for the island of Java, can receive revolving loans to begin organic farms and become educated about farming, which is central to Indonesian culture.
Also, I just lost the game. :)
~Sarah
-???
This seems to be the mentality of the Rotary Club of Yogyakarta which we visited this afternoon. Their micro credit and training program to educate students at Yogya Agriculture University is based on an empowerment principle that basically focuses on working with people rather than just changing their situation. This program promotes organic farming and is a model for local farmers looking for more sustainable agricultural practices (rather than relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which are currently overused). The Gaia Foundation that we visited Monday and Tuesday seems to operate in a similar fashion. The Gaia Foundation provides scholarships for street children to attend school and educate themselves rather than just feeding them and giving them a place to stay. Both of these organizations - the Gaia Foundation and the Rotary Club of Yogyakarta - are working to educate the street children and farmers, respectively, in Indonesia rather than just changing the situations in which they are currently living.
This micro credit and training program for farmers is just one of the Rotary Club's many projects; others address poverty, health care, literacy, etc. This project, however, is especially important because over 40% of Indonesians work in the agriculture field, and 60% of the poorest of Indonesians are farmers. Therefore, it is important that there is a program that introduces farmers to organic farming and teaches them sustainable farming practices. This micro credit and training program provides seed, fish, rabbits, goats, etc for the farmers. We walked around this afternoon (right before the mini flash flood) and saw some of the goats, rabbits, and rice fields that were part of the program. Joglo Tani (an Association of Organic Farmers) and Yayasan Kaula Karya (an NGO) also support this micro credit and training program.
In summary, this program is one way that Indonesian farmers in Yogyakarta, who provide vital products for the island of Java, can receive revolving loans to begin organic farms and become educated about farming, which is central to Indonesian culture.
Also, I just lost the game. :)
~Sarah
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Indonesia
Amazed. That's the first word that I can think of to describe my experience here so far. I'm amazed by the beauty of Indonesia - the scenery of the trees and rice paddies, the spirituality of the people, and especially the visibly rich culture. We had the chance to visit a lot of amazing places earlier this week. We saw Borobudur (the largest Buddhist temple in the world and also the eighth wonder of the world), saw the largest Buddha statue in the world, saw the Ramayana ballet, and of course shopped along Malioboro (our GIEU faculty leader remarked, "You haven't been to Indonesia unless you've been to Malioboro").
While we had a chance to immerse into the Indonesian culture, we also have had the chance to do some field work here as well. Today, we visited the Ombudsman Swasta again and were fortunate enough to have a chance to listen in during a focus group discussion. In the room, there was one of the consumers, a representative for the housing developers, an agrarian officer, a local government representative, a representative from a rural estate association, some NGO representatives, the ombudsmen, and some independent parties. The consumers were complaining about the delayed process of obtaining a building license, the slow certification process, and the lack of transparency within these processes. While the discussion took place, I was surprised by how peaceful the discussion was; there was no shouting over anyone and while the mood was serious, it was not tense at all. Typically, this type of issue is resolved within three to five days, and again, I'm surprised by how quickly such a dispute is resolved.
Afterward, we had lunch and then drove to a local cafe to meet up with Difla, one of the founders of Yayasan GAIA, and one of her employees, Ari. Yayasan GAIA is a local NGO devoted to helping street children attend school and obtain free health services. Durin the discussion, Difla told us that there were three main reasons that led these children to become street children - poverty, natural disasters and problems at home with the parents. Hearing her talk about the street children made me think about the poverty in Indonesia and despite all the beauty of the country, the juxtaposed signs of despair. It was something to think about and something I will continue to think about during this trip. However, to end on a slightly more positive note, hearing Difla and Ari speak with such passion about social work was uplifting and leaves me with some hope about the work of NGOs in Indonesia.
Also, on a quick side note, here are my other two highlights of the day that I felt compelled to mention:
1. trying dragon fruit, which is an amazingly delicious fruit. I also love the name! -a shoutout to Stephan for buying it
2. and one of the GIEU students getting left behind at the bookstore and the vans actually driving away. -I wont mention who it was for fear of embarrassing the person but I have to admit, it was kinda a funny situation ;)
-Karen
While we had a chance to immerse into the Indonesian culture, we also have had the chance to do some field work here as well. Today, we visited the Ombudsman Swasta again and were fortunate enough to have a chance to listen in during a focus group discussion. In the room, there was one of the consumers, a representative for the housing developers, an agrarian officer, a local government representative, a representative from a rural estate association, some NGO representatives, the ombudsmen, and some independent parties. The consumers were complaining about the delayed process of obtaining a building license, the slow certification process, and the lack of transparency within these processes. While the discussion took place, I was surprised by how peaceful the discussion was; there was no shouting over anyone and while the mood was serious, it was not tense at all. Typically, this type of issue is resolved within three to five days, and again, I'm surprised by how quickly such a dispute is resolved.
Afterward, we had lunch and then drove to a local cafe to meet up with Difla, one of the founders of Yayasan GAIA, and one of her employees, Ari. Yayasan GAIA is a local NGO devoted to helping street children attend school and obtain free health services. Durin the discussion, Difla told us that there were three main reasons that led these children to become street children - poverty, natural disasters and problems at home with the parents. Hearing her talk about the street children made me think about the poverty in Indonesia and despite all the beauty of the country, the juxtaposed signs of despair. It was something to think about and something I will continue to think about during this trip. However, to end on a slightly more positive note, hearing Difla and Ari speak with such passion about social work was uplifting and leaves me with some hope about the work of NGOs in Indonesia.
Also, on a quick side note, here are my other two highlights of the day that I felt compelled to mention:
1. trying dragon fruit, which is an amazingly delicious fruit. I also love the name! -a shoutout to Stephan for buying it
2. and one of the GIEU students getting left behind at the bookstore and the vans actually driving away. -I wont mention who it was for fear of embarrassing the person but I have to admit, it was kinda a funny situation ;)
-Karen
May 19, 2009: A comparison
I didn't have to come to Indonesia to view poverty and reflect on and on about how I am going to change my habits. I can look outside my living room window and 10:00 p.m. and the chance of me being hurt goes up 35%. Poverty can bring the worst out in people in this dog eat dog world, but the worst has yet to be seen over in this luscious paradise.
I will I could post the images of the food we had today. Truly spectacular!! All three meals were exsquisite~
Signed,
Avery Chan I <3>
But, am I naive to think that there lies a happiness in the people here as they hustle to put food on the table while only averaging 800,400 rupiah a month (84 USD)? Maybe. To see my hometown of Detroit stuck in a cycle that never seems to get off the ground is disheartening. That's where the happiness fades.
Today, we visited Yayasan Gaia which is an NGO that gives scholarships to children living on the street enabling them to go to school for a year. This program acts as a guiding light giving them hope for a brighter tomorrow. After sitting down with Difla Rahmatika it was amazing hearing the things they do for them. But, it was when she asked about the programs the US has for children living in the street, did I realize how many there were and how many are reaching out to the children in the Detroit area, a city which has one of the lowest graduation rates in the US. My academics have been so focused on making a difference outside of the US that I didn't realize that chance starts at home. This experience has helped me see that.
Signed,
Avery Chan I <3>
Monday, May 18, 2009
Yogyakarta
Today we ventured across Yogyakarta/Jogjakarta to visit a non-profit organization, Yayasan Gaia, and the Ombadsman in Yogyakarta that handles private sector matters. Yayasan Gaia is an organization that provides community assistance in a variety of ways, notably through distaster relief assistance, a mobile medical clinic, and providing funds for street children to obtain an education. Two women in charge of the organization showed us around a campground where families and businesses can stay for retreats. All proceeds from the campground go to a fund for the education of street children in Yogyakarta. Honestly, I wish I could have stayed at the campground myself. It was so incredibly beautiful and tranquil, the perfect spot for a person to camp. The site was surrounded by palm and banana trees and a spout trickled water into a pond filled with large fish. I'm excited to return tomorrow to interview street children and learn more about Yayasan Gaia's work in Yogyakarta.
I found the meeting with the Ombadsman to be incredibly fascinating. The organization comprised of 5 members and 5 assistants selected by the governor of Yogyakarta to act as a mediator between consumers, private enterprise, and local government-owned enterprise. The organization encourages businesses to use ethical practices and consumers to develop a more thorough understanding of contractual agreements and how to make wise purchases. During the meeting, a member of the organization . I'm really curious as to whether the government has ever resisted efforts of the Ombadsman to mediate conflict between consumers and whether the governor can remove members from their positions if their recommendations conflict with state interests. I was also really surprised that the members of the Ombadsman were so interested in hearing our questions and asking about our own mediation processes in the United States. They seemed very eager to see how conflict resolution and government/private sector relations worked in the United States and appeared to take our opinions very seriously. Since Indonesia is a new democracy, I understand how people are eager to learn how to create an ethical market system that encourages government and consumer cooperation, but I was surprised that the Ombadsman asked us about our own system, since we're college students with little private sector experience.
I also want to ask them about government corruption, but asking such a question would be incredibly unwise since the group, although it claims to be independent and impartial, does rely on local government officials for employment. I'm curious to know how much corruption and underhanded dealings occur in business transactions in Yogyakarta, but that would be a question for a watchdog NGO.
I found the meeting with the Ombadsman to be incredibly fascinating. The organization comprised of 5 members and 5 assistants selected by the governor of Yogyakarta to act as a mediator between consumers, private enterprise, and local government-owned enterprise. The organization encourages businesses to use ethical practices and consumers to develop a more thorough understanding of contractual agreements and how to make wise purchases. During the meeting, a member of the organization . I'm really curious as to whether the government has ever resisted efforts of the Ombadsman to mediate conflict between consumers and whether the governor can remove members from their positions if their recommendations conflict with state interests. I was also really surprised that the members of the Ombadsman were so interested in hearing our questions and asking about our own mediation processes in the United States. They seemed very eager to see how conflict resolution and government/private sector relations worked in the United States and appeared to take our opinions very seriously. Since Indonesia is a new democracy, I understand how people are eager to learn how to create an ethical market system that encourages government and consumer cooperation, but I was surprised that the Ombadsman asked us about our own system, since we're college students with little private sector experience.
I also want to ask them about government corruption, but asking such a question would be incredibly unwise since the group, although it claims to be independent and impartial, does rely on local government officials for employment. I'm curious to know how much corruption and underhanded dealings occur in business transactions in Yogyakarta, but that would be a question for a watchdog NGO.
Lots of Questions, Not Enough Answers.
in bali: oh look at our cute little faces! :)
Today, we visited Yayasan Gaia and the Lembaga Ombudsman Swasta. Yayasan Gaia is an NGO that provides scholarships to selected street children to allow them to attend school. These scholarships can be renewed if the student makes the effort to go to class and makes good grades. (Pretty reasonable, right? There are so many children in Indonesia who could use the scholarship money.) We checked out their gorgeous campground which the foundation uses to raise money for their scholarships through team-building and ropes course programs.
Not going to lie, I was terribly disappointed at first. From the earlier descriptions given to us, I was expecting an almost orphanage atmosphere where we could hang out with street children. Literally, my first thought was, "this is... it?" After asking a gazillion questions, I did lose some of my initial grumpiness -- Ari, a short adorable worker, really described the processes of the institution. It was just cool talking to her in general, and communicating in our broken languages about our backgrounds and stuff. They are doing good work with limited resources. Initially, they worked with the Indonesian government with providing housing to street children, but it didn't work out. The kids hated the structure after years of freedom on the streets. As a consequence, Yayasan Gaia shifted its focuses from housing to education, free health clinics, and disaster relief.
It's interesting to note the role of NGOs like Yayasan Gaia in Indonesia. We later went to the Ombudsmen's office -- a group of five people who listen to complaints, investigate, and recommend solutions to mediate problems. There, one of the ombudsmen emphasized the critical tie with NGOs as a way to put pressure on authorities to act ethically. In Yogyakarta, it seems, the NGOs really take an activist role in putting pressure on issues - very much like America. In Bali on the other hand, after a brief conversation with a maternal health clinic's fundraising coordinator, I saw a different side: the NGO as a passive entity, working around the problems rather than attempting to fix the system. The director said flatly that non-governmental groups in the role of advocacy are not effective. I had a problem with that, since I'm all about Action! Direct Communication! Change from the bottom up! -- actions that have been effective in the US.
These two contrasts between islands are very interesting to me. Why is Yogyakarta more activist compared to Bali? Why is Bali hesitant to criticize the system? These are some questions I'll have to think about on the rest of the trip.
Until next time!
- Nina
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