Thanks for everyone's concern -- we feel very lucky for ourselves, yet are saddened by the amount of destruction that the Indonesian people have had to endure.

There have been over 540 aftershocks reported ... but we have only felt about 7... one was apparently 5.4 on the Rikter scale! Things have slowed down though, and we haven't felt anything since yesterday at noonish.

When we tried to go to some of the more affected areas yesterday to lend what assistance we could, the military stopped us (probably because we are not affiliated with any of the official aid organizations). They are not allowing any non-essential travel into the area... probably because they don't want roads jammed and blocking the flow of aide/supplies. There are many people who live in Jogja who have not yet been able to contact their families that live to the south of the city to find out if they are ok... and many others who have been in contact, and are trying to take supplies directly to their families. Since the airport has re-opened we have seen a flood of supplies come into Jogja... my fear is that it is all being stockpiled in warehouses, and the distribution to those in the greatest need has been sparse. This is why we would like to give aid directly to the people in the disaster areas. It doesn't feel right that we are continuing on with our language training when people so near by are in a state of emergency... we have many willing and able hands here... I am trying to get in touch with the local Red Cross or other organization to DO something. It seems there's enough supplies and money coming in... what they need is manpower. There are people lined up like crazy waiting for medical attention, and they are turning away people with minor injuries... Maybe my first-aid skills would come in handy!?

today we have decided to venture further afield... we feel that we're in a safe little bubble and from what we're seeing and hearing, the devastation less than two kilometers away is unimaginable...

last night we didn't sleep very soundly... with every little sound or movement we woke with a start to stare at eachother (not needing to say it, but wondering... uh oh... is this another??? do we need to make the move, grab our pre-packed emergency bag and head for what we've decided to be our safe haven (a small field/soccer park across the street devoid of any overhanging threats that could fall)? and there were tremors... but nothing too substantial. the most haunting thing was the intense electrical storm that was going on overhead... lightening, which at first wasn't accompanied by thunder or rain... when the thundering began it's growl was too similar to the sound of the earthquake to allow us very much calm. i wondered if such heightened activity might be a sign that an erruption was pending...? anyway, at our homestay, we decided that a better indicator might be the behaviour of the cats... they seem to have some ultra-sensitivity to coming phenomena, no? haha.

we hope to find some organized relief efforts underway on our sojourn into the disaster zone... and will try to lend a hand where possible. will let you know more upon our return.

We're safe... Unfortunately the same cannot be said for everyone in this area of Indonesia... The latest reports are that the death toll has passed 3000, and the number of people injured is far more.

We were awoken with quite a start at 5:54 this morning by an earthquake that is said to have measured 6.2 on the Rikter scale! The quake lasted at least a minute (some reports are saying up to a minute and a half), but felt like forever...

Martin and I had been considering going to the beach this weekend, but are feeling very lucky to have stayed in town... although there is damage in town, it's mostly in the south, and the area we're staying in (north) is very well constructed and there was little damage, or I should say no MAJOR damage. The epicenter was about 26 kms from here, and the province to the south of us was hard-hit and is where the most damage (and deaths) have occurred... in a town called Bantul.

The actual experience was pretty insane... scary! Imagine being woken from a dead sleep to the house moving all around you, a horrific, unidentifiable sound, and the bed shaking like crazy (even though you didn't put in a quarter!). With all the talk, and focus on the volcano for the last while, we thought perhaps there had been an erruption, or that it was something to do with the volcano. Although neither Martin nor I have been that close to a volcanic erruption, it just didn't seem like it could be that... we felt it for a whole minute... and was a LOT of motion... we quickly got dressed and got out of the house... people were chatting in the streets, but our "IBU" ('house mother') told us earthquakes happen, it's just that they're not usually so strong and long... so we went back to bed. At about 8 the "Ibu" came running in the house, yelling that we were all going north... the streets were JAM-packed (even our 'quiet' little street) with people heading north (coincidentally TOWARD the volcano!?) to borobodur, and higher ground... there was a rumour spreading that a tsunami had hit and that the water had already arrived in jogja!? I told the ibu that we were not going, that it didn't seem like the best course of action to me, and that even if there were a tsunami the water would not be here (at least not by then)... but i think with the tsunami so fresh in everyone's minds, they were very reactionary... we came to Realia to find out it they had some more sensical information, and then just hung out... there have been 5 aftershocks that we have felt, but nothing so substantial as the 1st!

We have decided to stay close to home, and so have not seen any of the devastation that we are hearing about... there are houses with rooves caved in completely, and a hospital where the same happened... the glass is blown out of many buildings, and there are crevasses in the streets, heaving of pavement, and, of course, many injuries as a result of it all.

Tonight, there are people in the streets, sleeping in church/mosque-yards, and in FRONT of their houses...

Sorry for not getting word out sooner, but there was no power/internet/phone in most parts of the city until recently... or if there was, the lines were jammed! Although, you probably can get more up-to-date information there (!!!)... that's the most dis-quieting thing from our end!

May 18, 2006

I mentioned on my website that this blog would contain some of the sights, sounds and smells of our experiences in Indonesia… so I thought I should attempt to bring you all into the experience….

One word that can describe what INDONESIA does to the senses is OVERLOAD!

Living life in Indonesia is a daily sensory overload… note, I did not say “assault” on the senses – I don’t want to create a negative connotation.

But, WOW… It seems to me that everything in the city is in constant motion. What can you expect, with 60% of the world’s 4^th most populous country living on this Island (Java)? There are people (mostly on motorcycle, or moped) going this way and that… and, watch out!, pedestrians to NOT have the right-of-way, as in courteous Canada! The trick is not to have a momentary brain lapse (easy in this heat and humidity!), and forget that the traffic here is on the opposite side of the street to what we’re used to!!! Yes, Indonesia falls into that half the world that drives from the right-hand side of the car on the left-hand side of the road. This, being an entirely novel concept for Martin, has almost left me in Indonesia alone, on more than one occasion!

As for smells, especially in the evening, the city is full of the mingling scents of sate (yummy marinated street meat (meat-on-a-stick) – usually beef or chicken, not dog as in Maluku), nasi goreng (chicken/veggie fried rice), sembal (INSANELY spicy food, even for Martin!), or any number of exotic dishes from the more remote islands. The street sides are packed with small warung and food stalls… even in the more remote suburbs, like where we live…you can’t walk 10 feet without having to walk into the traffic to accommodate someone’s temporary restaurant. My favourite food so far would have to be mie rebus (a veggie noodle soup)… but I must say, I’m REALLY missing fresh vegetable salads (... don't cha just LOVE salad?). It always surprises me that in tropical countries, where they have the facility to grow veggies year round, a nice fresh green garden salad is a rarity!

Of course, another smell that is unique to Jogja right now is a slightly sooty, campfire-esque scent thanks to Merapi (the volcano).

Sounds: motors, car horns, fans, and call to prayer at the mosque (five times daily)… certain to be a consideration when we select a home!

May 15

This afternoon Martin and I walked to a bridge from which the view of Merapi is supposed to be spectacular… First off, we were told that it was about a twenty minute walk…. 1.5 hours later we arrived at the bridge… and let me tell you, we weren’t going at any snail’s pace! Anyway, we have learned quickly not to necessarily believe the entirety of what Indonesians tell you… not that they misguide you intentionally… but in their culture, if you ask them a question, they feel compelled to give you SOME answer… and so they tell you SOMETHING, even if they don’t necessarily know… they are very helpful…

Anyway, when we arrived, the entire horizon was full of smoke… Today, Merapi has had two eruptions, and even though last night molten lava could be seen spewing from the volcano, we can't really see the volcano at all anymore. Apparently the Australian embassy has evacuated some people from Jogja, but that is because they are overly paranoid of having more Aussies die in indo (after 200 died in bali bombings)... we will be fine. I think, Bro, that lava may travel at 100km/h, but only in a huge eruption, and maybe only for a shot time... regardless, the current scientific report is that the main flow will go to the opposite side of the mountain than we are on... because of the lay of the land. Also, a journalist I spoke to this afternoon told me that he was within four kilometres of the volcano a few hours before, and apparently the lava had travelled almost two kilometres from the vent, but not via eruption, but more just overflowing the edge of the crater. For more Merapi information, you can visit my friend Chad's (another student at Realia) blog at: http://www.mountmerapi.blogspot.com/

Another interesting tidbit of Indonesian culture is that when someone asks you if you have done something/ been somewhere/ met someone, etc, etc… the answer is always, not yet, or gives the impression that it is a possibility, or something that will happen sometime in the indefinite future… They never just say no. For example, when Martin asked someone if they had ever been to Bali, his response was “No, I haven’t been to Bali YET”… or, in the more unlikely, but funny example… today someone asked me if I had ever been to the moon… in Indonesian, the invariable answer is, “No, I have not yet landed on the moon!”

So, I have not yet met the president, been to every corner of our planet Earth, nor grown my own garden…. but the Indonesians give me hope that this may someday come to pass!

Our homestay is a room in a house... Ibu Dihar is the ‘Mother’ (Ibu) of the house. We eat brekkie there, lunch is provided at Realia, and dinner we find on our own (usually in a street stall or “Warung”. We don't sleep with a mosquito net, and haven't see too many mosquitos. We did see a rat, though… much to my chagrin… It entered the room of the other (Australian) couple living at Ibu Dihar’s… it entered via the window, and so we have not once left our window open (and we keep the door closed always)! There are also many harmless salamanders and geckos living in the cooler cement corners of the house. Our ‘home’, as with most mid-to-upper-class Indonesian homes we have seen, has a central courtyard with a few plants and a small pond which is home to many goldfish.

Bule…

I forgot to add in my last post one of the funniest things that I have encountered everywhere in indo thus far – the people’s fascination with foreigners… as I’m no stranger to the stares, and second-glances… having been a “shiny spot” in Ecuador as well (or mancha blanca que brille mucho, as Martin says), it doesn’t bother me at all… I just find it amusing, and try to enjoy the amusement I bring to them! Their special word for ‘whitey’ is “ bulé ” (the equivalent of “gringo” in Spanish)… although I don’t think it carries negative connotations. And as for Martin… well, Indonesians just don’t know WHAT to think! He doesn’t quite look Indonesian, but he isn’t white, so people tend to assume that he is from a remote part of Indonesia (especially in Jakarta, since there is lots of immigration to the city from the outer islands, and thus a very diverse look to the people)…. They are often surprised to learn that he doesn’t speak bahasa Indonesian!

I am amazed by the amount of English as well… in signs and product names… and everyone seems to have a basic vocabulary (numbers, and basic words). Anyway, we hope to be fluently conversing within weeks, and will no longer need to rely on our fingers to ask how much something costs!

We have now been in Indonesia for almost two weeks, but are just getting 'settled' into the first phase of our stay here... Until now we have been in constant motion/turmoil/upheaval! -- Dealing with Martin's last-minute travel issues (apparently if a S.American transits more than once in Europe, they need a visa... even if they're not getting off the plane, or staying for more than 2 hours! -- but he's here safe and sound at long last -- what a joyful reunion!) We've been: -- Getting over some serious jet lag (we're on the other side of the world, with an 13 hour time difference to Madoc, Ontario and 11 to the Galapagos!) -- Acclimatizing to the intense heat and humidity (it is upward of 30 C daily, and VERY humid) -- getting paperwork in place, moving from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, doing our "in-country" training and cultural training.... and of course, trying to see as much of every place we find ourselves!

Once we arrived in Jogja (the way the locals refer to Yogyakarta), we stayed 4 days in Duta Guest House, a truly gorgeous hotel (NOT how we think of hotels... more like a spa resort) with traditional Javanese hospitality. The island of Java is known for it's warm and hospitable people, and we have been the appreciative recipients of lots of smiles from helpful (and patient!) Javanese! It housed lovely gardens, and a pool in a natural setting in the courtyard, to help keep us cool. While staying at Duta with KoemKoem (CUSO Indonesia's Program Assistant who was escourting us through the adaptation process), she took us to see many of Jogja's curiosities. My favorite thus far was an incredible (and CHEAP!) open-air market area than spans about 5 city blocks... it carries everthing from batik clothing, to silver jewelry, to food, to medicinal plants... she gave us a very thorough tour, explaining about everything along the way, including the natural malaria-fighting plants (mostly bitter roots to drink as tea... I guess the mosquitos don't like bitter blood!?) We have also visited the Sultan's palace (yes, the city still maintains it's own king!), Teman Sari (Purawisata - The Water Palace), and eaten at every variety of restaurant and street vendor in town!

On Thursday we started language training at “Realia” in Yogyakarta. It’s going to be very intensive… and more so, because usually the “fall-back” language is English… but with Martin not speaking much English, we are using a mix/I’m translating… so I have many languages swimming around in my head. It's really nice here though, and we get free internet access any time there's electricity (!). We have classes Monday to Friday, 3 sessions of 2 hours each, with rotating teachers. And at least once a week, we go on a 'field trip' to a local attraction, to test ourselves in situ. We can also use the buildings and garden on weekends to study or hang out.

Our move into a homestay situation coincided with the start of our language course. We are living only 2 blocks from the language school in a neighbourhood called Pandega Sari that is a dutch-colonial left-over… apparently this is one of the coolest areas in the city, but I still find it stinkin’ hot! We are on the northern outskirts of the city, and can see Mount Merapi from here (the volcano set to erupt any day now)… there have been warnings out for months, and until yesterday it seemed to be ok… only the odd puff of smoke could be seen escaping from the conical giant. Apparently the local people living on the slopes of the volcano are doing all they can to appease the god of the volcano… they feel that the eruptions of the volcano and the subsequent devastation are a result of something they have done to displease the god, and cause them to fall out-of-favour with him. They are offering daily sacrifices of animals and harvest foods (but no humans, as used to be practiced) to appease him. The 'warden' of Merapi (an elder from one of the communities on the slope of the volcano) is the one who makes the call to evacuate or not... even though there are many vulcanologists studying the volcano, the locals believe that the spirits speak to this man, and look to him, not science, for guidance in matters of the volcano.

It seems that Merapi is still not appeased with all the offerings of the locals... it's on the move: yesterday we saw a great deal more smoke coming from the central vent, and there have been tremors, and apparently even lava flow. Today, the Australian couple who is staying at our homestay came back for their binoculars saying that there was major action up above. Jogja is over 30 kms from the volcano, so we should be safe... but don't worry... we'll keep our eyes and ears open!

Ok, the food... man is the food cheap!!! ... we ate a lavish dinner last night with many courses, etc, although not in an upscale restaurant... it only cost us the equivalent of 2 dollars! The night before we ate a simple meal at a "sit-on-the-floor" street stall for fifty cents each. And because everything is cooked out in the open, in front of you, it seems fairly safe as well. There is plenty of spicy food, which suits me just fine, but Martin is getting a bit sick of it. We have tried almost all the different kinds of juices and fruits that we can get our hands on... so far my favorite is 'snake fruit', called salak in indonesian. Our favorite fruit shake (avocado) even exits here... but with a chocolatey twist! And Mom, there are LOTS of mangos!

The Indonesian government recognizes 5 religions officially, with 90% of the population being practicing Muslims. Yesterday, we had our first encounter with Buddhism here... and talk about the perfect day to do it!!! We went to the Temple of Borobudur, a UNESCO world heritage site, and one of the most renoun Buddhist sanctuaries in South-East Asia... and it just happened to be Waisak -- the celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death.... the biggest Buddhist holiday of the year! The site itself was incredible, and the fact that hundreds of thousands of people from all over were completing their pilgrimage that day made that much more special... We were 'special guests' (although we have no idea how we obtained that special status...), so had free passes to entrances to all the temples, guided tours, and access to all the VIP areas, and food, etc! We followed the path of Buddha's life, and climbed to the top of the temple (which was actually built wrapped around a hill) to touch the feet of the Buddha for good luck in life. I came home with a bit of a sunburn, but feeling pretty good about the world.

Ok, we're off to the apotek (drug store) to get some cream for what looks like a heat rash that's developing on my wrist... uugh.

Hope all's well in Canada... keep me updated!