Magical Misool

The Kalabia education vessel has just come back from a two week trip around the North and West areas of Misool... where I learned that actually, Misool is a relatively new name for this, one of the 'four kings' of Raja Ampat (literally 4 kings... see this other story about the name, myths and origins).

On the old charts, and locally, the island used to be known as Batanme, which in the original, local language means 'the land of the Me people', Me (pronounced May) being the original name for the tribe that first inhabited that area (now also called Makbat).

Anyway... I'm super busy right now getting everything in order, but I wanted to share a little bit about our trip (this, from the personal, non-programatic side... ie. some tidbits not included in my official report!)  A little story was also written about our program here.

OMG what a trip…  There must be something out of balance in my life, because I have never had so many issues!  I'll tell you, from bumps and bruises to scrapes and falls, to head lice (or some other thing living on my scalp)(!?), sun burns, a burst blood vessel (or something worse) in my eye... and the very last and strangest... looking like a character from startrek (swollen forehead and eyes???), or better yet, Avatar!  Oh yes, then at the end of the trip, FLU!

But there were some amazing highlights as well, not the least of which were the amazing sunsets, daily!

Our only day off (a holiday only in Papua, for Christ'sAscention), we went to church at Limalas (Dece’s village)... the Eben Haezer Church at Limalas has absolutely the coolest pulpit I have ever seen!  In keeping with the sea-faring traditions of the parish, the pulpit is the shape of a conch shell...

After the service, we kept with the sea-faring tradition as well, and went looking for "bia darah", the not-mis-named 'blood mussels'... when you pry them open raw, they are brimming with blood.   This is one of only two areas in all of Raja Ampat known for these particular mussels...  the most interesting thing about them, however, was not their biology, but the way the locals collect them.  We maneuver slowly into the large shallow bay, find 'the spot', and bury a long pole deep into the ground, tie the boat off, and jump over the sides... crouching, and thigh-deep in mud we plunge our hands up to our elbows time-after time scrunching around in the mud until our fingers clamp around one of the precious 'bia'.  One-by-one, our small group collects enough in an hour for several high-protein, high-iron meals - Certainly low-impact!

Saturated in mud (which, by the way, I am still rinsing out of my bathing suit!), we found the most amazing place to rinse ourselves off!  Spilling into the same mud-filled bay was a gorgeous aquamarine river... we were able to forge up-river through beautiful mangrove-flanked banks, and over lush underwater leafy-blue gardens... after a tight-squeeze under a low log across the river, we came upon a secret secluded opening, where we played in the chilly waterfall and dove in and around the frigid swimming hole.

The mussels that we gathered earlier were made into gou-gou (mussel ceviche; 'cooked' only in a citrus marinade) - a delicious picnic!

A few other notes from this trip in the Magical Misool:

The students in the village of Atkari invited me to go on a fun mini-field trip up the river to their refreshing swimming hole on our lunch break during a day of programming there.

The Kalabia was welcomed by dolphins when we arrived at sunrise at Waigama, and surveyed by them every morning we were anchored there.  In the evenings, a sea turtle took his turn doing the patrol, and once, a crocodile even came by to take a look!

The Kalabia team and crew went snorkeling at the world-famous Blue-water mangroves on the only other half-day of the program - it was completely surreal - like being in an acquarium, the water was SO clear!  It's a very unique ecosystem... corals cling to the roots of the mangroves like in no other area.

The last village we visited for a full program was Aduwei - the home of another of our education staff, Mery.  This was a special treat, since she hadn't been back to the village for years, and people were so happy to see her!  We enjoyed the fruits of the gardens there (my favourite:  rediscovering sugar cane on the deck of the Kalabia!), and bathing in the fresh smooth river!

Oh, and a dive... yes, just one...  I took the opportunity after the expose of the program for our CI International guests, and on the very last hour of the very last day of our trip I had an hour-long dive at the TNC field station... but at least i got in the water!  Not much to see in the poor visibility, although lots of jellyfish were washed in with the storm, but I did catch a glimpse of the classic Misool nudibranch...  

Coincidence or not, after that all my ills were no more!

Now we’re off again on the Kalabia, this time to Waigeo Barat, Gag and Fam… I’m told that an interesting trip awaits us as this area is the centre of the destructive behaviours in Raja Ampat!

Dying or Leaving

here's another pair of words to be sure to distinguish between:

meninggal (to die)    &   meninggalkan (to leave)

telling folks "i am going to die and go home now" just might not leave the right impression!?

BoizeauX in Bali

Yay!  Another visit from family!

First on the scene was my cousin Caroline (nope, not Carolyn my Canadian cousin, but Caroline, the French one!)... whom I whisked away without a thought to the nether-regions of Papua.  She agreed to volunteer on our Education Vessel so that we could actually spend some time together, since I had promised to be onboard during that trip, but the schedule had been slightly delayed and ended up coinciding with the timing of her arrival...

That wasn't such a bad thing, I don't think!  Not many foreigners actually get ALL the way out to the Ayau-Asia Archipelago, and I would argue that it is probably one of the most remote, and still beautiful and interesting, regions in the world.  Anyway, this visit gave Caro an appreciation of where I am working... and also a chance to try Insonem!  (Insonem, a type of earthworm found on the beaches of one of these islands, is a specialty of this particular area!)

After a fabulous time under the "7 suns of Papua" (as they say here - yes, it's always SOOO HOT... if there were ever thermometers that worked I would say it gets well above 40oC easily), we zipped back to Bali for the Bali Spirit Festival.  We were enrolled to volunteer for several days at the Education Station, and were kept totally busy the entire time with kids and chaos!  One day we didn't even get to actually eat lunch!  Anyway, it was fun, if tiring... and as a 'perk' for all our hard work, we were admitted free to a workshop each day.  The full festival pass is WAY out of the price range I would be willing to pay for this, but it really was nice to get a little taste!  We tried our hand (or should I say 'hips'!?) at Bollywood dancing and African dance, and then shook with laughter for an hour at the Laughter Yoga workshop.  Honestly, at one point I thought "I bet this is what it's like living in an insane asylum"!?!


After only a few more days, the rest of the "French connection" arrived on the scene... and so began the rest of the whirlwind Bali tour!

I'm leaving on a boat in only a few hours, so sorry, no time for a lot of description... hope the pictures speak for themselves!

Oops sorry... these aren't US!!!  Although, yes, we did a lot of eating, relaxing, and monkeying around!  Here we are... the classic BULEs:

We had a fabulous time, and stayed on the move the ENTIRE time, seeing as much as humanly possible in the time we had!  It was such a pleasure to have our own car and be on our own schedule with many unscheduled stops wherever the mood struck us!  Including stops to see all manner of foods, fruits, flowers and fabrics (we even made our own batiks!)... not to mention views and sights.  We also went on a Hash and a horse ride, attended a traditional ceremony, watched the sunrise with the dolphins, and had a beautiful hike with a special guide who showed us the heart and soul of the forest surrounding his waterfall.

YosPan & Other Papuan Delights

In keeping with the Indonesian tendency to create 'singkatan*', Yospan is actually short for Yosim  Pancak.  Literally translated:  Drumming Dancing.  They really get right to the point when they name things around here.

Yospan is my favourite local custom… and of course, most people get a real kick out of it when I join in!  It's a little hard to describe, and much more fun than it sounds!  Basically, you grab a partner and form two lines... the 'leaders' do a series of 'steps' while constantly moving ahead and going in a big circle, and the rest of the participants copy the step... Honestly, it's much more fun than it sounds... and a pretty good workout, too!

This is one of the most fun Yospan's I've participated in...  put on for the Kalabia by participants in Warsambin village.



















And here also, a group of children performing a Yospan in Sawinggrai village.















Below is a video of my introduction to Yospan and Papuan music and people (including the late pak Leo on guitar) back in 2006!  It was a rather tight area, but what fun!  - OOPS... sorry, looks like the video isn't working.

I have discovered a new Papuan treat (yes, Bro, I know... "enough with the food already"!):  Sinoli!  I was asked to be a judge at a traditional food competition at the Raja Ampat Jambore in February, and was delighted at so many new tastes!  Sinoli was the winner, hands-down, for me!  A mixture of sago palm flour and coconut with just a little red palm sugar, it's the perfect replacement for GORP (Good 'Ole Raisins n Peanuts).  I know, all tree-planters out there are going... "as if there could ever be a replacement for GORP!"  (sorry no pictures.. I just got my camera back finally!!!)

* Singkatan - means the 'shortening-up'/abbreviating of numerous words; slightly different from an acronym where the first letter of each word is used to form a new word (ie. SCUBA - self-contained underwater breathing apparatus).  There are numerous examples of 'singkatan' in Indonesian... my favourite has to be:  Jumpa Berlian (Jumat Pagi Bersihkan Lingkungan Bersamaan)!

Your Mother's a Virgin!?

Yes, it could only be... another one of those silly little slips that one makes while learning a new language...

Because the word for virgin and nurse are different in only one letter (perawat versus perawan), and hardly audibly distinguishable, a friend went around getting funny looks from everyone as he told them that his mother was a virgin!

Modern-day immaculate conception!?

Something's awfully fishy....

Yupper it is... at the Fish Spa!

I'd heard about this and never thought I'd try it... but there you have it, these spots are all the rage in Kuala Lumpur right now, and it was included in a package at a discounted rate at the aquarium which I was visiting, so I tacked it on... and what an experience.

It was early on sunday morning, so i had the place entirely to myself, which was the best part... all the 'fish doctors' turned their attention on me, and what started out as a very strange, tingling, tickly sensation, turned quite pleasant, and eventually therapeutic!

Visa Visits

As a multiple-entry business visa holder, I am now required to leave Indonesia every 60 days... thankfully I don't have to undergo all the rig-a-ma-roll of renewing the visa, traveling to Jakarta to have 'bio-data' taken (fingerprinting and photographing), or re-processing myself and my status in Indonesia... AND, I'm hoping to use this as an opportunity to get to some of the other fabulous places in South East Asia!

When people ask me everywhere I've traveled, I often tell them the story of my 'list' upon coming to Indonesia as a volunteer years ago... I had never been to Asia before and had no concept of how big it truly it! I had a list of places I thought that certainly I would travel to by the time my 26-month volunteership was up... it included, in broad, sweeping strokes, such puddle-jumps as "Australia", "Thailand", "Malaysia", "Timor" (and maybe even "Philippines", "Cambodia" and "Vietnam")... ...hahahahaha...

(put on a deep, hollow, dracula laugh.... and try that again...)

... hahaha....

After being in Indonesia mere months, and quickly realizing how HUGE and incredible diverse Indonesia itself was, this list localized considerably, and became a list of provinces and regions within Indonesia that I absolutely had to see. Well, I have not even done as well on that list as I would like to have thought, but I have enjoyed each and every place I have been in this awesome country, which never ceases to amaze. And now, am taking it up a notch, and looking back at my original 'list'!

My first stop: a visa run to Monkey around in Malaysia in March...

Where, in addition to the fireflies at Kampung Kuatan, I had a chance to hang out and commune with the 'silver leaf' monkeys at Kuala Selanggor!  They are much more amiable than those in Bali... no stealing of sunglasses, or being cheeky... these guys are a much more subdued, respectful clan!

What's Burnin'!?

I have my dear cousin Caroline to thank for the newest addition to my language-learning stories theme.... she has been visiting for the last ten days, and since I immediately dragged her to the far-flung reaches of the earth, to the field with me in Papua (probably one of the most remote place still in existence), where I work in local villages where no one speaks English... she put on a brave face, and started to learn some Indonesian!

The best of her little slips, which I think actually works really well, and may just become the next new, hip, catch-phrase of the decade, was consistently dyslexic.... she likes to ask people "What's burnin'?" instead of "How are you"/"What's up?"  I love it!

She also thought I was calling a perfect stranger 'my love'... which the entire crew and team got a real kick out of!  (I was actually saying "Selamat siang", which means, "Good mid-day"... she thought I'd said sayang (which is like calling someone 'dear one', 'dearest', or 'my love')!!!  I know I'm not generally shy... but really???

Twinkle twinkle little... firefly

Mystical, magical, inexplicable... all words that kept running through my head as I tried to decide how to describe the experience at Kampung Kuatan village with the flickering fireflies...

Last night I was floating along on a mesmerizing rowboat ride around the mangroves outside this little village an hour and a half from the hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur.  Why?  To see and experience the natural wonder of the Selangor Fireflies... literally THOUSANDS of twinkling, flickering fireflies light up the riverbanks of the Selangor river.  The most astounding thing about this phenomenon is that they are all blinking... in unison!

Witnessing this phenomenon triggered a vague remembrance of something from a biology course about biological synchronization...  of course, there are many examples of it, which are equally as incredible - chirping crickets, women's menstrual cycles, the pacemaker cells of the heart - but they don't evoke the same emotion for me as the natural light show in the mangroves.  And now for the life of me, I can't remember the explanation for this synchrony, or even if there is one!?!

As our local oarman bore us up the river, there was nothing but the rhythmic sound of the oars plying the water... with the occassional break in stroke as he re-adjusted his grip, got tired, or gave us a small break in complete and utter mangrove silence.  (Mangrove silence, as anyone of you has visited these interesting ecosystems teeming with life will know, is anything but 'silent'... but it's a natural and beautiful thing... until you start to wonder about the crocodiles...).

During an endless moment, as we sat in a complete and special stillness... everything became one... we were surrounded by the fireflies, perhaps one on every leaf of the mangrove tree beneath which we rested.  Their little constant lights were reflected above in the thousands of stars in the clear night sky, and below in the mirror-like smooth riverwater....  I swear my heart started beating in unison with these creatures.  It was peace.

Loss of a Leader

Bapak Leo Saleo
Friend and Conservation Warrior

The photo above was taken at the Grand Launch of the Kalabia Education Program in August 2008 - Pak Leo was performing with a musical group from his village of Yensawai that worked hard to preserve traditional music and culture.  He was a proud advocate of the Kalabia program, and education in general.

We've had some terrible and shocking news from the field on March 1, 2010... a valued member of our field staff, Pak Leo, was killed while working toward the conservation of the area which he loved.  Pak Leo, native to Raja Ampat, was the leader of the sub-area Dayan of our Dampier Strait MPA team (photo of him with part of his patrol team at the Dayan Post in June 2009 below).  Pak Leo was also the head negotiator of the village senate council and a tenure land owner in the area (as part of the first tribe to occupy the land).  There was illegal logging going on in the area, and Pak Leo was very much against foreign people and companies coming in and exploiting his tribe/family's resources and future for their own short-term gain.  He was called to a meeting under flag of truce to discuss a solution to the problem, and when he arrived with his brother, an ambush was waiting for them.  In cold-blood, the savages chopped at Pak Leo with a machete and killed him.  The illegal loggers had set him up.  And the true tragedy is that the police did nothing about it - because the people involved in the illegal logging are so powerful they have the chief of police in their pocket and were able to distort and quell the investigation.

The entire staff went to the funeral together in his village of Yensawai, where we found an entire village in shock and reeling from this great tragedy.  It was the most intense funeral I have ever attended - the mourners were many... his loss is such a tragedy in so many respects.  Pak Leo leaves behind 7 children, the youngest, a mere 2 years old, will never truly know her daddy.  But I am sure that the memory of pak Leo will live on, and the story of this conservation hero will be told for generations to come.

Myself and the Kalabia team were the last of our staff to spend time with pak Leo - we had a 3-day training based at his post on the island three days before he was murdered.  We feel privileged to have had this last time with him, learning more about the team's activities in the area, enjoying his charismatic company, as well as appreciating the impecable dicipline of the team, and how efficiently and orderly things were run at his post.  We can hope that others will be motivated by his initiatives, take up the cause, and continue to work for conservation in his name, and with the same passion and spirit shown by this great man.  Pak Leo was such an inspiration, and a true local conservation leader - he will be greatly missed.

Love Letter to Kalabia

One of the sweetest stories I have heard over the last year of Kalabia operations in Raja Ampat is the story of the "Surat Cinta Kalabia" (or "Love Letter to Kalabia").

After an intense and highly successful environmental education program in the village of Dibalal, on the island of Kofiau in the south of Raja Ampat, the Kalabia pulled away from the dock to move on to the next village in the schedule.  (To give you an idea of where on earth Dibalal is, here's a Google Earth map with placemark)

The kids from Dibalal had left a special bag of pinang on the boat as a gift for the education team... and once it was opened, something even more special was discovered in the bag...

The Kalabia (or, realistically, the Kalabia TEAM) had received a love letter from the kids of Dibalal.

(I've been wanting to post this for some time (as you can see by the date on the letter,  it was back in late 2008), however I've only just found a scanned copy of the letter now.

In the letter the students thank the Kalabia team profusely, telling them how much they have learned, how much fun they have had, and how much they miss them already, and hope the Kalabia will soon return to their jetty.  They say, "You, (naming the team members' names), our big brothers and sisters, don't forget us, as we will never forget you."  They also included the lyrics to a local song (in the local language), and translated its meaning into Indonesian for the team; it is a song of longing for loved ones.

This is not unusual -- the Kalabia often arrives at a village jetty to great excitement and activity, being welcomed with traditional song and dance; team members are led into the village in a traditional ceremony of welcoming, and adorned with the traditional local token, sometimes a small wreath made of native vines, sometimes a stroke of sand on their face.  Upon completion of the program, there is always a closing ceremony, and when it is time to weigh anchor, the entire village gathers on the jetty to say thank you and good-bye -- tears can be seen in many participants' eyes, and show the strong bond that has been formed with the education team during the program.

It is such an inspiring program -- I still get goosebumps when I think about what an incredible initiative it is and what a positive impact it must be having on marine conservation.  The new team is just beginning the training and capacity building program - we've a longggg way to go, but I hope we'll be able to get these guys up to scratch so that before too long they'll also be receiving love letters!

You can see a few previous posts about the Kalabia by following the links at the right to the themes Kalabia and Environmental Educaiton, or at the following links (Most of you will know I tend not to write about this here, but I did want to share a few things):
- The Education Vessel
- The Namesake
- The Maiden Voyage
- The Program
- The Kalabia in Friwen Village
- The Team
- The Kalabia in Yenbeser Village
- Kalabia Refreshing

Plastic Scrotums and Big Shyness

I was reminded of a few more language stories this evening... when it came out that 'butuh', which in Indonesian means 'to need', in Balinese, actually mean scrotum!  (We could have water bottles that say "The Sea is not a Plastic Scrotum" instead of "The Sea Doesn't Need Any More Plastic"!?!? - hahaha!)

So, to add to the theme I started on this a few weeks ago, I want to share the story about having big shyness, as experienced by another dear friend while learning the Indonesian language.

The Indonesian language has a very interesting grammatical construction whereby with the use of a combination of prefixes and suffixes, you can create a plethora of words from a single root word.  In fact, this is one of the things that can make this language so easy to learn... At least there aren't a thousand exceptions for every single rule, as in English... however, the few exceptions that you tend to stumble upon are the most embarrassing possible words!

So, one way in which you can make a noun or adjective in Indonesian is to take a root word, add the prefix ke-, and the suffix -an... now USUALLY, the root word used in directly related, or at least logically related to the new word produced.  But sometimes, it's not entirely intuitive.  Such is the case with shyness....

My friend thought, ok, so I take the root word shy (malu), add on the pre- and suffixes, and I can express the feeling of being shy (which in Indonesian, one would think of as 'having shyness'... another example, as in Spanish you 'have thirst'....)... so the root word 'malu' turns into 'ke-malu-an', kemaluan.  Grover would have so much fun with Indonesian!

Near the beginning of her time in Indonesia, everyone wanted to introduce her to the heads of organizations, and government ministries... but my friend wasn't yet entirely confident in her language ability... telling everyone that she had big shyness about talking with these higher-ups, and maybe the meeting could wait until her big shyness subsided a bit, and she could talk more constructively with them.

Turns out kemaluan means something entirely different - she wasn't telling people about her 'big shyness' as she thought, but instead about her big genitals!!!

Just imagine the confusion of her colleagues as to her reasoning!?!

Jurassic Birds

No, I'm not writing a post on teradactyls, although these Cassowaris would give that wild thing a run for its money!

Although native to Papua, my first and only encounter with a Cassowari was in the Bali Bird Park.  At that time I was up quite close and personal as you can see from this incredible photo I got (without using zoom)!

As it turns out, these over-grown grouse are the only one ever known to have actively attacked, and killed, humans.  In Australia, apparently it's not uncommon that they hospitalize people, and have even been known to disembowel with their razor-sharp claws!  It looks like the bird-keepers are keeping them trimmed nicely!

But in hind-site, I can't help but thing perhaps 'mom' should've been a little more careful when she asked me to take this picture of her boys with the beast at the gate to its enclosure (the rest, really is a single rail fence!)!?!

They're not carnivorous, so are not attacking for food, but they are very territorial birds -- they get extremely feisty if anyone that they perceive as a direct threat comes within their 7kmsq stomping ground.  After hearing all this, I would think Bali Bird Park would at least use a more complex enclosure than a simple rail fence... or at least put an 'aggressive bird' warning sign up!?!  I guess that would spoil the feeling of communing with these creatures from Jurassic park....

Bubur Manado (Manadonese Porridge)

This delightful dish, the regional specialty of the city of Manado, is also called Tinutuan. All Manadonese claim that the dish improves health and vitality.  It is one of the three things Manado is famous for... The Three B's:  Bubur, Bibir, Bunaken!  (Their porridge, the lips (of their women, thought to be some of the most beautiful in Indonesia), and the island paradise of Bunaken).

This is definitely NOT your typical porridge... Tinutuan is more like a hearty vegetable stew than porridge. It is made with rice, pumpkin or squash, sweet potatoes, corn, greens (like cassava leaves, spinach & kale), lemongrass, tumeric, scallions, and of course, chilies!  And, true to the coast, it is usually served with fried salted fish.

As it was described to me, the word 'tinutuan' really means 'mish-mash'... a bunch of random things all thrown together into the same pot, boiled down and mixed around, the result being a wondrous new entity that come out delicious, and HEALTHY!  The Manadonese feel the same way about their city, which is why their slogan is "Manado, kota TINUTUAN" (Manado, the Tinutuan City).

I really miss this treat - it was one of the staples of my diet in Manado.

Transit Tales

I feel like I've spent a lot of time in transit over the last few months...  in fact, I'm writing this post from a transit lounge in the Makassar airport.

Perhaps this feeling of extended transit also relates to the fact that I feel like I'm at the point in my life where I'm waiting for my flight to be called in the departure lounge as well....

Anyway, my last two trips between Indonesia and Canada, with imperfect connections, were longer than usual… and conducive to jet lag, and arriving not knowing which end was up!

Singapore Changi Airport

The massage chairs are gone!?!  Imagine my dismay, when, after walking from the far end of Terminal 3, ALL THE WAY through terminals 2 and 1 to my favourite spot in Singeapore’s Changi International Airport, the Oasis lounge, only to find out that its major draw for me (ie. the free full-body massage chairs) are no longer there!  Now, those of you who know Changi know that it’s no small feat to walk all that way… but I figured I’d get some exercise after my 6 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore, then have a delectable rest at Oasis… unfortunately it was not to be!

But I found Sanctuary, which was the next best thing… super-comfy reclined chairs, surrounded by live plants, and dimmed lighting.  I have since been given some insider information that I must look near the out-of-the-way window seating in T 2 next time…

Personal Entertainment System

The advent of the personal entertainment system on long-haul flights is something I praised until my last flight... Someone forgot to tell the dude sitting behind me that it’s TOUCH screen, not punch screen… so for 14 hours from Toronto to Tokyo, I had to put up with my head bobbing about at the whim of Mr.IronMan and his entertainment selections… not fun.  Oh, but this guy couldn’t just pick a movie and go with it… no, he was listening to music the entire time, and choosing it SONG by SONG!

The flight connections didn’t work out so smoothly on my last trip, so I actually had an overnight in Japan.  Ok, well, I got the cheapest airport hotel available and figured at least I’d arrive well rested!  Lucky me, the Hotel Nikko Narita has a free shuttle service not only from the airport to the hotel, but also into the city of Narita.  (Yes, another case where the Tokyo international airport isn’t actually IN Tokyo… the nearest city is Narita).  But anyway, the shuttle meant I actually got into town, had some fabulous Japanese food, and visited an absolutely gorgeous temple and park compound.  I had the entire place to myself.

... there happened to be a few geocaches hidden in around there, so that is what i had for a tour-guide!

On my more recent transit through Frankfurt airport, I got a LOT of exercise!  I decided to try a geocache which was IN the airport… well, it turned out that I had to walk the entire length of the airport to get to it (then RUN BACK to my departure gate so I wasn't late for the flight!) – I approximate it was at least 3 kilometers each way!