Insonem - Wriggly Wormy Delight

oh yeah, and then there were the worms... apparently a delicacy, and certainly a good source of protein?



you can't tell from the picture (oops, photographer's faux-pas), but these suckers are huge (about the length of my forearm)!

no more singing 'going to the garden to eat worms'... i really did!

*** and to answer those of you who have asked since this was originally posted: no, I wouldn't order this if I saw it offered on a menu; and to describe the experience: salty crunch.

Rujak



THIS is your fruit salad? This sweet-sour-spicey medley is, well, interesting.

It's fruit, slightly under-ripe mango, dondong, papaya, etc, coated in a sauce made from red(brown) sugar, vinager, peanuts and chilis...

you'll have to decide for yourself!

After a brief scare, I have confirmed that said previously consumed kangaroos were NOT those known to be endangered in Papua (the pygmy species), nor were they the recently discovered, cute furry tree kangaroo. Phewww....

i ate kangaroo...

i swear i didn't know it at the time! when someone said it was a pork dish at the dinner table, i simply believed them. i had a hunch... since the seas had been stormy for days (hence no fish, which is the usual fare). what's more, the entire community was tied up in the Christian Camping activities (the reason we were present on the island of Misool in the first place was to fill the environmental education sections of the schedule!)... and well, the day before i witnessed the hunting party hacking and slashing flesh after they came back from the woods with about 10 kangaroos. the final give away was the taste and texture - definitely not pork.

Had i known that there was a hunting party going out, i probably would have asked to tag along! i didn't actually get to see the kangaroos pre-butchering, but i'm told they're much smaller than the Auzzie variety (which you could see just from the bones).

Our first weekend in June was absolutely fabulous – we had a great visit with our friend Cecilia who, luxioriously for a volunteer in Indonesia, flew in to spend a long weekend with us! Cecilia lives on the same island as we do in Indonesia (Sulawesi), but that doesn’t say much, considering we are over 1000 km apart – we at the Northern tip in Manado, and she at the southern tip in the city of Makassar!… of course, we’re much more accessible to her here than we will be as of next month when we’re almost full-time in Irian Jaya (might as well be another country)!

We had a pretty busy weekend, but still lots of time for visiting and catching-up. Because it was a mere three-days, we wanted Cecilia to see as much as possible of this area… but we had to start off nice and easy because of her her delayed arrival (at 3 am – no big surprise with Indonesian airlines… if you’re not on the first flight of the day, you’re almost guaranteed to be delayed!), and of course, since it’s been 6 months since we’ve seen eachother we stayed up chatting ‘till 5am(!). So we had a liesurely breakfast and hung out at our place until mid-day on Friday, then hit the port just in time to catch public transportation to the islands (an experience in-and-of itself!). We had fortuitous timing all the way along, in fact, our stars were definitely in-line!

The purpose/pretext of our jaunt to Manado Tua Island was to go for a hike to see the monkeys (Sulawesi Black Macaque) which are said to reside at the peak of the mountain. We never did, by the way, see the monkeys, although we think we heard them, and I definitely SMELLED their presence! Manado Tua ‘mountain’ turned out to be a LOT steeper than it looks (and we’re probably not in the best shape of our lives after spending a year at sea-level), but we had a lovely, if somewhat more gruelling hike than we were expecting! We spent half of the hike on foot, and the better part of the descent on our butts!~ Our ‘guide’ was Hendra, a friend who lives on the island, and told us he knew the path to the summit - after all, he led the project to MAKE the trail! As it turns out, the project to create a path to the top of Manado Tua was completed about 10 years ago, and hasn’t been in use very much over the years… taking into account the rate of growth of lush, tropical rainforest, well, you get the picture: there was no path, at least, no continuous one. On the way up, this wasn’t a huge deal… we knew that as long as we were headed up (and it was straight up!!!), we would eventually reach the top… and we did, several hours after our ETA. (Some of the ‘several hours’ might be attributed to the frequent rest stops, including one at the family farm (how they farm on the side of that mountain, I can’t imagine!) for some refreshing coconut water…)



Of course, by the time we reached the apex, it had completely fogged over, and the promised, spectacular view that had kept driving us on all along was lost! Anyway, we had a nice rest, ate some peanuts, chatted, and prepared for what was to be the ‘much easier descent’. Well, it was the way down that was a departure from the plan… This is where the forever-stained pants come into the picture! As we hiked (bushwhacked) along, an occassional glimmer of hope would hit us as we came across a path, and followed it for a while, but it was usually short-lived, as we got a view through the trees which told us that we were headed toward the back of the island, or somehow off-course! So, we very literally, SLID our way down the mountain! What fun… but although we were exhausted, with aching feet, we were privy to some pretty fantasic views, and got a little exercise along the way! After a little break, and a late lunch, we headed back to Manado aboard Hendra’s K-ting-ting (that's Manado Tua in the background):



We slept well that night.

Sunday, before Cecilia had to catch her flight mid-day we rented a car and went for a tour into the Minahassan Highlands (and even to some areas we had yet to see in our year here!) The highlight was a beautiful lake which changed colours by the minute… due to the unique combination of its sulphurous nature, shallow depth and altitude, a slight change in the weather or the angle from which you’re looking at the lake seems to transform it completely – from deep blue, to green to aquamarine, to all shades in-bewtween!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DAD!!!

Can't believe I'm missing another one... although, given how lucky I am in the 'dad-department', I believe Father's Day should be everyday!

Thanks so much for everything! Hope you have a fabulous day!

xo,
Ange

Colourful Country

I was at the port the other day when it struck my that Indonesia is like so many other tropical countries, in that it's such a colourful place...



Sadly, it was the gas slick rainbow on the surface of the bay water that made me think of it... But really, the paint choices, the bright, lively colours are such a contrast to the shades of beige that are the "First World". Just stepping into the street is a kaleidescope of colour... the markets or ports are another dimension altogether!




Not to mention nature's palette -- like the absolutely GLORIOUS sunsets!

Langsa or Duku? Duku or Langsa?

Another tasty tropical fruit (or fruits?, I'm not quite sure) that I'd never have known existed!

As far as I can tell, Langsa is in fact the same fruit as Duku... just in a 'riper' phase, slightly more sour/fermented, slightly messier. Although I have had people tell me them come from completely different trees!?



Langsa is ugly and looks like something that might cause you more harm than good... but the only adverse reaction I had to eating it was going around with ridiculously sticky hands for a few hours (I'm told this can be averted with time and practise!)... the skin contains some kind of liquid (like the way I remember the liquid from milkweed) which is impossible to wash off; it just has to wear off with time!

But yummy... and thus worth the sticky hands! As you can see from the picture from Sorong, below, I am ecstatic at this delicious new discovery! (As Martin says, I'm such a dork, but what can ya do???)

Turtles
...they may be losing the race...



There are 8 species of sea turtle in the world. ALL of them are in endangered status! Of these, 6 are found in Indonesia, and 5 in Raja Ampat.



There is nothing NOT to love about these wonderful creatures...


... including, according to people in Raja Ampat, the taste of their meat. I wouldn't know, and have no desire to.

This is only one of the many obstacles to conservation in Raja Ampat.

Turtle roast in Ayau, Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

Apparently the people of Raja Ampat (specific areas are more problematic than others) collect sea turtle eggs for consumption as well. Sea turtles (and their eggs) have enough natural predators of their own -- but humans have once again stepped in and tipped the balance. Turtle meat is a traditional source of protein of the people in Raja Ampat, but never occuring on such an exploitive scale... with population increases and changing attitudes (from reverence and use only in special ceremonies, to whenever, wherever), this practise is no longer sustainable!

Raja Ampat Richness

RAJA AMPAT

Google it and you'll return results pertaining to 'highest diversity in the world', 'new species discovered', 'biodiversity hotspot', 'diver's paradise'...

It's true... this is an INCREDIBLE area. Of all the coral species known to exist on earth, Raja Ampat and the 'Bird's Head' area is home to 75% of them! There are over 1200 species of fish, 600 types of hard coral, 700 molluscs, etc, etc, the list goes on...

Of course, with this resource-richness also come the pressures of exploitation. Especially in an area as remote, poor, and corrupt, as Indonesia.

The need for a Marine Conservation Education Program is blatantly obvious when you have a look at the list of current and impending threats that exist in the area:

Turtle Hunting for meat
Turtle Egg Harvesting (also for human consumption)
Blast (dynamite) Fishing
Poison Fishing (using cyanide, potassium or other poisons)
Trawler Fishing
Over-harvesting of certain marine species
Shark-finning
Wild-life trade (aquarium fish and birds!)
Coral Mining (mainly to use as building material)
Sand Mining
Mining Operations (mostly nickel in this particular area)
Illegal Logging
Mangrove Clearing & Coastal 'Reclamation'
Casting anchor over coral
Garbage and Waste Management

I'm sure I've forgotten one or two in there, but you get the idea.

Our Marine Environmental Conservation Education Program is focused on knowledge and attitudes in order to change these destructive and unsustainable behaviours... and, the youth program especially, is largely based on the following quote from Baba Dioum:

In the end, We will conserve only what we love,
We will love only what we understand,
And we will understand only what we are taught.

Sorry, I know, I've been keeping this blog light for the most part, this, as I mentioned previously, is in an attempt to give me some relief from the stress/heaviness of life/work (trying to find a way to save the world... ok, not the world... but a small corner of it - one that is considered to be some of the most pristine area left on this incredible Earth).

The "KALABIA": Kapal Pendidikan Konservasi
Our New Home

You know the famous saying 'never live where you work'??? I'm afraid the two are going to be inseparable for me starting this August... I haven't written much on my blog about work in an attempt to have an outlet that is NOT work related... but I know many of you are interested (and maybe a little confused/unclear; quote "I'm your brother and I still really don't know what you're DOING there!)... and because it's also a very exciting time, I thought I'd include a little blurb here!

I am responsible for developing and implementing a Marine Environmental Conservation Education Program (a three-pronged program, with elements for youth, adults, and teachers alike) for the Education and Outreach Vessel, "KALABIA", that is the latest Conservation International Indonesia initiative in Raja Ampat, West Papua. The boat itself, although I have yet to actually lay eyes on it, is a 37 meter converted tuna fishing vessel in the process of a complete overhaul and out-fitting to make it live- and teach-able!

I just received this photo of the boat from when it was recently purchased (an attempt to take one more tuna fishing trawler off the seas)... I repeat, this is BEFORE the transformation, and is really just to give you an idea of the size (the only thing that should remain of it!) I will, of course, send a pic of our new home once it actually arrives!



What's in a name? "KALABIA" is the local Maya name for the endemic "walking shark", Hemiscyllium freycineti (a shark that doesn't swim, but uses its fins to waddle along the seafloor), which has become kind of the defacto mascot for our marine environmental education program. "Guru Laut", which literally translates to Teacher of the Sea, was the unanimous decision after much discussion... we had finally reached a decision on the name (should be simple, but this took weeks... imagine what the logistics and programming aspects are like!)... then it was changed again! Anyway, the new name, KALABIA, is simple and accurate, and holds no connotations that can be misconstrued in Indonesian or local culture or language (we hope*!?), and, it has the distinct femaleness that all ocean-going vessels seem to have!

An EXCITING project!!!! I have been working to pull ideas and activities together for some time (my creative juices are over-flowing!). We have already had a Training Event for "Communications and Education for Behaviour Change", followed by a Workshop to Design the Communications and Education Program forRaja Ampat , during which we used Problem Trees and Participatory Processes to identify key issues and objectives for the Grand Scheme. Further to this, I just facilitated a curriculum and planning workshop to pull the program together. At this point, we have a good idea as to thewhowhatwherewhenhowwhy ... and it's just a point of finalizing details, etc. In August, when all the materials are ready, I will be holding a training workshop for the environmental educators that will accompany meon board , and after all the paperwork is complete, we should actually be afloat by October. As is the way in Indonesia, the launch has been delayed (originally scheduled to arrive in Raja Ampat in April, the boat itself is now due here in August)... but I'm none-too sad, as I look at the length of my to-do list (and know how long it takes to get ANYTHING actually DONE in Indonesia!). We are going to have a unique, quality program!

And of course, any ideas are always welcome!

Are you SURE you're in INDONESIA???

It's true, the indigenous people of West Papua (also known as Irian Jaya) seem only very loosely related to Indonesians from other parts of the country. In every aspect - historically, culturally, ethnically, physically - they seem much more 'Melanesian' or 'South-Pacific' (i say that like i've been to the islands of the south-pacific... hmmm... not yet).

In fact, when we were in Ayau (the farthest point north in Raja Ampat), I discovered that the people there believe they are decendants from Palau.... (prior to the Biak portion of their history). It is only in recent years that they have begun to orient themselves more toward Indonesia (rather than the Philipines or Palau). The only true link to Indonesia seems to be the government - a frail link at that. Of course, now over 40% of Irian's population are 'ethnic Indonesians' that are living here as a result of government trans-migration programs (a scheme to dilute ethnic papua, and quell, or pacify, 'free papua' movements). The Dutch colonial government carried out a transmigration program in West Papua during the 19th century, and the Indonesian government implemented a similar policy (in practice until 2000!). There is a fear among many Papuans that their true culture is being lost.



aren't these kids adorable!?

I'm sure I've mentioned this before... but these pictures make me think about it again... the name "Papua" actually means 'land of the fuzzy-haired people' in the Malay language!


The first recorded contact from 'outside' in West Papua came in the 16th century - Portuguese explorer Jorge de Meneses. He is credited with giving the name Papua.



We enjoyed our time in Ayau immensely; we were attending meetings and a declaration of a Marine Protected Area. However, when we weren't in the meeting room, we were enjoying the simplicity of life there,




the turquoise ocean,




oh yes, and the coconuts eaten by moonlight... aaaahhhh.....




This is not to say that the archipelago of Ayau is not without issues... Although none were overtly apparent during our stay, on our last day there Martin found a green sea turtle fin on the beach (and a young one at that). Regarless of the fact that sea turtles are an internationally protected species (it is illegal to kills them or destroy their eggs), the people of Ayau continue to follow their tradition of hunting turtles and eating their meat.

My New (Preferred) Anti-Malarial Medication



I have been slightly skeptical about taking Anti-Malarials from the start of this whole venture... I mean, yes, it's probably better than getting Malaria (so people who have had it tell me), but there are no conclusive studies on the long-term effects of taking malaria medication over an extended period of time... and any med that has side affects as severe as these just doesn't seem right to me.

People have been living in this area for ages, and all the while, they have been dealing with the tropical disease found here. One way they do it is by eating bitter greens - my favourite are the papaya leaves and flowers (actually quite tasty served in a coconut milk sauce). I guess the mosquitos don't like the way you taste after eating them!?

So, because I personally haven't been living in the tropics long enough (nor has my upline for that matter) to have formed any kind of resistance to malaria, and because everyone who lives here says EVERYONE who stays here for an extended period of time gets malaria at some point (regardless of whether they're taking anti-malarial medication or not!), I am adopting a two-pronged approach. I am currently taking Larium, but just for the time being (while our visits here are shorter). I am incorporating the traditional indigenous knowledge, as well, and will eventually go completely natural. People have been living here for centuries... i'm sure they've got a few things figured out, otherwise the tropical nasties would have wiped out their populations long ago!

Communications Issues in Raja Ampat...

My poor, dear family… they have to go on faith, and the adhere to the maxim that no news is good news! It seems that since being in Raja Ampat we haven't stopped for a minute! And because it really and truly is the end of the earth (probably one of the most remote places on the planet), communications facilities are few and far between. When we’re in the field we have no way of communicating with the outside world – the only time we get email or cell service is when we come back to Sorong. I returned home this time to a message from my folks hoping that the earthquake and resultant tsunami in the Solomon Islands hadn't affected us here. -- Huh? There has been another natural disaster in our viscinity!?!

Being out-of-touch is ok, I suppose. I mean, I DID know where I was coming to begin with! And although the down-side of being in the field is communications... being busy is nice; it seems that every time we arrive back from somewhere in the field, they tell us there's another activity/event to leave for the next day! This week was no exception... I got back at noon on Monday from 5 days in Saunek (helping with a Muslim camping outing - what a way to spend Easter Weekend!) and they said they were sending us off to another event on another island on Tuesday! Anyway, it's good to get to see/know as much of the area as possible... I feel like I'll be able to put together a more comprehensive and locally relevant program, so all this moving about really is for the greater good.

I'm not sure the people in the village I was in for the past while have ever had prolonged interaction with a BULE - they see tourists on their dive boats, but usually they don't come into the villages... so Stacey and I (Stacey is an American who is travelling on a Vanderbilt U fellowship and came to Raja Ampat to volunteer for a month) were quite the attraction on the island. Especially for the kids, who I am sure have never seen a BULE up close before! They are so adorable... so curious, a little scared at first (I wish I could be inside their head and see what they're thinking! - I swear they wonder if I'm a ghost, or a person from another planet). But eventually their curiosity gets the better of them, and a smile is a smile is a smile, so they approach and are thrilled at the interaction! The first day we were in the town, we were napping away the mid-day heat when I heard giggles at the window... I looked up to see a pair of big brown eyes topped by fuzzy red-hair just disappearing below the sill... then again, peeking around the door jamb. I snuck over to the window and looked out, and there was a crowd of 6-7 kids just below the window (just waiting, I presume, to catch a glimpse of this strange creature!) I lay back down, and the fun resumed... peeking around the corners, and as soon as I would look at them they disappeared, went running around the outside of the house (laughing and screaching all the way), came in the back door, and took a peek from another angle!



Martin is actually in Jakarta right now... he had an ear infection that had recurred about 4 times within 2-3 months, so I said I thought the doctors weren't getting at the root of the problem by just giving him broad-spectrum antibiotics, and we got him to see a specialist in Jakarta (insurance is covering everything). For someone who never gets sick, it's funny that here Martin is having all kinds of problems - no doubt the stress is a contributing factor. He should be back tomorrow.

That's just a little update.

Soccer in Manado

We have an interesting, if small (ok, miniscule), circle of friends in Manado (outside our workmates, that is). They are the South American contingent of the professional soccer scene here - and celebrities to boot! I certainly wasn't anticipating becoming 'famous-by-association' (I thought my fame would be born in and of itself!?), but when my picture ended up in the society pages of the Manado Post, I had a good laugh! Now the people in the streets aren't only calling out after the "Bule", but the friend-of-the-wife-of-the-Chilean-soccer-star-Bule!

We have become pretty good friends with the Coach of the team and his daughter(Chileans), as well as the star player (also from Chile - a conspiracy if you ask me!), as well as a few of the other team members (mostly Latinos... for the obvious reason that poor Martin has only me to speak spanish with, and needs a break once in a while!) Just before heading to Raja Ampat, we had a chance to go to a big game... between two rival teams in North Sulawesi.

The game was a blast. Soccer is THE sport of choice here, and it draws quite a mixed crowd - The stadium was PACKED! So packed in fact that I couldn't help but think what chaos would ensue if the natural disasters that have been plaguing Indonesia this year chose that moment to toss an earthquake our way!

Have joined this 'facebook' network that seems to be the latest fad these days...

I thought, really, this is a joke... waste of time... but it's amazing to see how rapidly it's spreading!!!

(note: this is probably not a positive point... i only get access to the internet once in a while, and i can see myself wasting it all away playing around with this... yikes)

Roast Dog

Sorry, Bowser, I can hardly believe it myself...

WARNING: Content may be objectionable to your sensibilities (it is to mine!)

In Indonesia (well, Manado area is reknown for the practise), I find myself commonly asking the question "teman atau makanan?" (friend or food???), to avoid making friends with a doggie on death row.... You see, puppy chow up here doesn't come in a can... it's chowing down on the puppy itself.

"A party just isn't a party without a dish of roast dog", said a friend when I inquired about this 'delicacy'. It's part of the Minnahasan culture of North Sulawesi - I can't help but think that it arose from a dire need for protein at some point in history. Of course, it's possible they just picked it up as a replacement for cannibalism when it became uncouth and a dying trend.

I have yet to overcome my western sensibilities to try it... (maybe I keep thinking of Dice, whom I miss terribly). I have used as my excuse the fact that the mouth-afire, burning spices that they use to garnish the pups just doesn't seem delicious to me. This was before I could use cruelty to animals as another basis - I have just recently found out that they 'tenderize' the meat while the dog is still alive - how awful! Now, I have always subscribed to the motto "try anything once", but I'm afraid on this one, I'll have to pass. Same goes for the sausages. (The dogs are kept hungry for the last few days of their sad little lives, then, the eve before the roasting, they are fed lots of red meat, which essentially gets 'naturally processed'...)

This was a picture taken from the balcony of our home-stay the first month living in Manado... luckily we were spared bearing witness to the tenderization process.



To confuse things even further, dog isn't listed on any menu as dog (is there shame deep down for eating our loyal, furry friends?), but instead as RW. And, because it actually LOOKS like a delicious dish, Martin came too-close (for his comfort) to discovering how it tastes... I came to his rescue, having read about the alias, before he made the mistake of ordering (let alone eating)!

This was an old post that was kicking around in my 'drafts' section, and since I haven't posted in a while, I thought I would just throw it out there... sorry. Next post will be more on our current trip to Raja Ampat, and my work.

The house!
Here I am, finally getting around to posting a picture of our 'tiny' home in Manado as we're about to abandon it for several months! (That's me on the side terrace!) Now you can all have an idea of where we live... and where you can come visit! Note: This picture was taken AFTER we cut back the jungle that was our yard, but no doubt upon our return from Papua this time, it will be overgrown again!

Cap Go Meh!

This was the event that everyone was waiting for... the Chinese New Year Parade!





A few high/low-lights:

• Beautiful colours, floats and flags
• Thick crowds - more people than I knew existed in Manado! (& viewing from perches/rooftops, etc!), and of course, their resulting GARBAGE underfoot!
  
• Sad little princesses getting sick atop their lotus-flower floats from the heat... (this was obviously not a factor overlooked by parade organizers - there were pukebuckets on hand!)
• Dragons...
• Huge bamboo musical instruments! (my favourite of all)
  

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

The year of the dog in the Chinese lunar calendar has come to a close, and we're looking forward to a prosperous year of the pig. We're told that Manado is the place to be for this event, outside China of course, so we're holding our breath in eager anticipation for the big celebration this coming weekend.

A snippet from history: Traditionally, a festival is celebrated to welcome the first sun in the spring after a long cold winter in China. The cherry blossoms on the trees come to bloom in this season, giving the high hopes of an abundant harvest in the year to come for the farmers.

As Chinese people migrated to other corners of the world, they have brought this tradition with them although in some part of the world, like in Indonesia, it has been assimilated with the local tradition. Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia are mostly not farmers... they tend to be the leaders in trading business. There are no cherry blossom trees in Indonesia, however, the hope of a prosperous year is still symbolized by hand-made silk cherry blossoms which are hung on bare-branched trees.

During Soeharto’s reign in Indonesia (35 years up until May 1998), everything about China (culture, language, religion) was banned in Indonesia. Ethnic Chinese were not allowed to take civil servant positions, had special identity cards, and could not attend public universities. This made the life of ethnic Chinese very difficult, although some did well economically through this era of oppression. No Chinese New Year celebrations were allowed in Indonesia during this time.

Things changed, when in the year 2000, the Indonesian President at the time, Gus Dur, lifted the ban and declared Chinese New Year a national holiday.