Does it not look like this woman is in the process of slicing up the brains of a large animal???


On our first day in Warsambin, as we were walking over to meet with the head of the district and the village head in order to coordinate/socialize the Kalabia program to them, we passed by a woman who was doing a funny wiggling dance while slicing up something that, upon first glance, looked to me to be brains! I asked. In fact, it was a 'sarang semut' (ants' nest), and the wiggly dance was the reaction to the ants, whose bit is like fire! Apparently the local villagers cut these nests from the trees, slice them up (and remove the ants, of course) and use them for medicinal purposes. The slices can be steeped in hot water and made into a healing tea, or eaten! According to the local shaman it's good for all manner of ailment, including cancer, asthma, intestinal issues, heart problems, or just as a general whole-body detoxifying cleanse, which probably means it's has anti-oxidant properties... but of course, no formal scientific testing has been done to investigate the medicinal properties as of yet!

I'll be having ants' nest tea before bed this eve!

Kali Biru
The Blue River

On our way home from Warsambin, we were invited to take the opportunity to stop by a local 'sacred site' called Kali Biru. The convergence of two rivers of differing temperatures forms a unique and refreshing area where the people of Warsambin not only go to hold various ceremonies, but also for recreation.

The two rivers, one whose source is icy cold, the other, tepid, come together rather abruptly, causing a huge increase in the flow speed of the river. To stand in the river exactly at the point of their convergence creates a very odd sensation as one second freezing water is rushing by you causing you to feel the cold deep in your bones, the next second, you are flooded with warmth. We enjoyed bathing in the crystal clear blue river while gazing up at the beautiful scenery of luscious green rainforest with all manner of avian life flocking around us (including white cockatoos, blue and green and red parrots, and other, less-conspicuous varieties).

Lead by a friend from the local village, we also tried a local scrub treatment, "Gosok"; using river stones to exfoliate while seated along the riverbank. A treat for me, especially after tromping around in the muddy mangroves with the kids earlier that day!

Kalabia
(the program)

I have written about the namesake, and the boat (this previous post has been updated), but what about the PROGRAM itself!?




You can check out this previous post for a little background. You'll notice, everything has been moved back of course, postponed, and delayed over and over again... As you can see from my latest posts, the Kalabia has now arrived in Raja Ampat and completed ONE program in Warsambin, Mayalibit.

Basically, the Kalabia Education Boat is going to tour around to the 89 villages within Raja Ampat delivering intensive 3-day education programs. We tried to push for longer programs, to make programming more complete and lessons more effective, however once we looked at the schedule and the number of villages, as well as how spread out they are, we decided we have to optimize our time and push for a three-day full program. The Kalabia will only be able to reach each village after TWO years even so!



There are three elements to the program itself. The youth/kids program, the adult program (which will involve fishermen and women, and will mainly function to support the other conservation initiatives in Raja Ampat, such as Marine Protected areas and Livelihoods programs) and a program for teachers to ensure the sustainability of Environmental Education in Raja Ampat. With the current setup, and because the entire program is completely new, we will begin by running only the youth program, with open sessions for adults and teachers. As the youth program is perfected, and the team gets more familiar with the material and program, we will begin to implement the more specific and tailored adult activities as well as teacher-training.



The youth program is a series of highly-interactive activities focusing on conservation issues relevant to local communities. It is designed to provide unique, hands-on experiences where students investigate for themselves the natural environment around them, and are invited to think critically about threats to conservation of the same. Participants learn about the interconnected nature of the ecosystems with which they must live in harmony. Song, dance, story-telling and art are all incorporated into the program to make it accessible to all learning styles, and especially appropriate for the local culture which thrives on these methods of entertainment. Through increased understanding of the ecosystems of Raja Ampat, as well as their unique place in the world, students feel pride and a sense of ownership, which is the first step to caring about and protecting their corner of Raja Ampat.

THE FIRST TIME...
KALABIA MAIDEN PROGRAM VOYAGE
Warsambin, Teluk Mayalibit, Raja Ampat

The small village of Warsambin at the mouth of Mayalibit Bay could not have been a more appropriate location to begin the Kalabia program. Mayalibit Bay is home to the true native peoples of Raja Ampat, the first MPA declared in Raja Ampat, and also a wonderful community of warm-hearted, highly-traditional people. The language of the region, bahasa Maya, contributed the name Kalabia to our Education Vessel. Mayalibit itself is a saltwater bay jutting deep into the island of Waigeo (one of the 'four kings') accessed only by a narrow entrance, which contributes to the uniqueness of the area.




The three-day program was a resounding success with the entire community of Warsambin! Students were thrilled with this novel experience and formed cohesive groups, working as teams, while learning lessons imperative to the conservation of the stunning nature that surrounds them.



While exploring the various ecosystems close to their village, students not only had fun, but learned lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime!




The bonds formed between the participants and the members of the education team, even in a short, three-day period, were precious to experience. The team, even though this was the first time out of the starting gate (and two team members were unable to join us), succeeded in creating an energetic, positive atmosphere of learning and fun, while also supporting and sharing in local culture and tradition. One of my favourite activities was the spontaneous yosban (traditional singing/dancing) with which we closed out the activities on the final day with students.




Because the Kalabia was able to dock at the village, we were able to experience a high-degree of interaction with the local villagers; people were welcomed aboard the vessel at all times, relationships blossomed, and the boat itself became the center of activities for the village for large parts of the day... especially in the evenings, when we provided rare entertainment in the form of conservation films and slide-shows of village life.




I'd do it again... and will... next month!

Ever have one of those weeks where you have a 'to-do' list a mile long, but at the end of the week, although you've accomplished an enormous amount, you can't cross a single entry off that silly, nagging list!? Well, that's the kind of week I've had this week!

It seems like every single time I settled in to complete one of the tasks on my list, another, more urgent, yet unforeseen, task was presented to me! The daunting part is that all those things still have to get done, more or less immediately... yet we're off to the field on the maiden Program voyage of the Kalabia at 4 am tomorrow morning (hence the majority of the unexpected hiccups)!

I don't want to call this her (the Kalabia's) maiden program voyage, either, because actually (due to all the hiccups, and issues of having TWO separate organizations involved in the operations of the boat), our time for this particular trip has been drastically cut down; now we will only have time to complete one program in one village. It is imperative that we do this, however, before the inter-institutional meeting on the 18th where we will discuss the mechanism and logistics of operating the boat, and the program, between TWO organizations -- we need a shake-down run!

So, with the team also split in half (the 'boss', whose status quo is 'sick', is under-the-weather again, so can't participate, and another team member having been invited to the 'Indonesian Youth Leadership Award (YAY Valend!)), we're setting sail for Mayalibit Bay, the home to the original communities of Raja Ampat!

Wish us luck!

An Abandoned Safari Park

Along our 'off-the-beaten path' route one of our Saturdays in Bali, chapter two of our motorcycle adventures (undertaken in the search for the ultimate waves for Martin to surf): encountering an eerie and somewhat disturbing area.

Rotting crocodiles stink. I don't think anything stinks worse than a crocodile carcass in a state of decay!

Abandoned and left to their own devices when the 'Safari Park' went bankrupt, the crocodile population exploded! Check out this 'pile of dile':



But even though they are not being fed chunks of raw meat by park wardens as before, they have not adopted a canabalistic lifestyle... Apparently monkeys used to be the main attraction at this park, but we didn't see any signs of them swinging from the trees... in fact, we heard none of the usual bird song that is usually part of life in Bali either! I guess it's no wonder they are no more!



I hate to start into something that we undoubtedly become a rant, but stumbling upon this abandoned area, other than raising my sensibilities about the inhumane treatment of these poor, caged creatures, left to rot, also brought back a thought that I have seen over and over again, here in Indonesia, as well as at home; I am absolutely disgusted at this consumptive, unsustainable attitude and way of life... instead of repairing what's broken (not to mention taking care of things so they don't break in the first place, for that matter!), buy or build a new one; a bigger, better one! Throw the old away... don't think about the impact, or the fact that our poor planet can't TAKE any more of the pressure we're putting it under; can't take any more of our garbage! I can't believe the amount of garbage everywhere... even on the most remote beaches of Raja Ampat, and most recently, Bali, broken sandals, empty plastic containers of various shapes and sizes... We're claiming it all for ourselves, and our garbage... covering over natural areas with cement, introducing things that don't belong there into the mix! Sorry, I don't want this to turn into a tirade!

As we were leaving this dilapidated area, by means of another road, we see a big billboard sign for "Bali Safari Park... new, opening in October 2007"; only 5 kms from this one! Hope the stench from rotting crocodiles doesn't make them decide to move it another 5k down the road... I wonder if it, too, will look like this in another 5-10 years or so?





Funny... I am just going through posting a few old posts (this one was originally written while in Bali, Feb 18th)... some of the thoughts expressed above are more concisely discussed in "The Story of Stuff".

Wani

My latest new fruit sensation discovery is Wani, or 'White Mango' as it is translated. Delicious. Honestly, it has a very unique flavour, which carries just enough mango nuance to make it irresistible.



While we were waiting for the Kalabia to set off, we had a little time to explore Sanur, Bali, where our hotel was located (and known as the 'upper class Kuta'). There are a couple little fruit shops that will sell you whole fresh fruit, or chop it or juice it for you on the spot... this one was right next door to the hotel, so I got my fill of this magical new fruit while we were there!

The Story of Stuff



This is a great site, I'm diggin' it... right on.

Check it out!

Maiden Voyage of the Kalabia

Day One: Stormy tummy fun!
Day Two: Nothin’ but blue!
Day Three: Lost at sea!
Day Four: Can’t take any more!
Day Five: Still alive!
Day Six: More tummy tricks!
Day Seven: Feelin’ like unleaven
’d bread!
Day Eight: Home safe

I woke up on my birthday to the same unremarkable vista as the previous SIX days… open ocean. Honestly, knowing that the surface of the Earth is 70% ocean, and experiencing it are two COMPLETELY different things! On a map, Indonesia is all islands… and we were to be traveling right through the heart of it… I thought we would at least see a little scenery… nope! The progression of scenery changes were as follows: blustery grey rain-speckled water, steel-grey fog, blue calm, gray haze, gray sheets of rain, rolling ominous deep blue waves, whitecaps, the occasional glimpse of blue sky billowing white clouds and sunshine. Repeat daily. This was the view (well, of course, when it was raining and we were rocking and rolling, I didn't take my camera out, so this is the sun-shiny version of the view):



I came ready to see cetaceans… dolphins, porpoises, whales and the like… other than the unfavourable weather and scudding waves that obscured our sightings, when the weather WAS cooperating, sadly we spent more time identifying garbage than cetacean species! Well, we did see one bird:



and one half-decent sunset, on the last day:



(you can tell these photos were all taken from a boat, since i couldn't get the horizon level!)

At last we’re here! FINALLY, the boat that has been delayed over six months has finally arrived in Raja Ampat, and, with a few more repairs to hammer-out some issues discovered along the way, we should be up-and-running in no time! This will hopefully include fumigating the whole ship and eliminating the rat and cockroaches which woke me up with a start one night!



We had a small welcoming/launching ceremony in Saonek and Waisai, Raja Ampat. Just an official ‘we’re here’, and watch for us out at sea! And after a few days in Sorong, a supply trip to the new CI field station in Triton Bay, Kaimana, and a few more repairs… we should be off!





The Program's Motto: Berlayar Sambil Belajar means 'Sailing While Learning'.

Balinese Offerings



We're in Bali again, only briefly, but I don't think I've ever written about this wonderful part of Bali. The Balinese have maintained a very strong culture, even in the face of a great degree of western exposure (or maybe, especially because of such intense tourism). One of the interesting traditions that strikes me every time we come to Bali, and something that is still going strong in Balinese Hinduism is the thrice-daily offering to the gods. These colourful, aromatic offerings are found on every street corner, in front of every shop, and home, and in every temple around the entire island.

Although Balinese Hinduism is a very complicated religion, complete with several gods and demons, deified ancestors, etc, I have noticed, that, with small exceptions, the offerings are usually quite similar (or so I thought!), and everyone is involved in making them, and offering them. Usually, in small tourist shops, when the women aren't busy, they can be seen making the small offering baskets and adornments from palm leaves. Banten (offerings) are gifts to bring pleasure to, or appease, the gods (or demons), and they also provide good karma for all those involved in making them.

The offerings vary according to the nature of the ceremony, and the god for whom they are intended! When I thought I was asking a simple question for an explanation of the meaning of the components of these offerings... I realized NOTHING is simple! Right down to the colour of the components hold strong symbology. Red, green and white are the colours associated with Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa, three of the 'high' Hindu gods. Usually offerings consist of a combination of incense, flowers, lemongrass, fabric, betel nuts, arak (liquor), holy water, palm-leaf decoration, and food. Rice seems to always be present as well, appropriate I guess, since it is said to symbolize life itself. The only other part of the explanation I understood was that the water is a symbol for power and purity... and imagine... I speak pretty darn good Indonesian after a year and a half living here!

I think it's these offerings, along with the frangipani, of course, that give Bali that unique smell that always tells me I'm in Bali, and automatically makes me breathe easier.

Durian

Yes, it's an Asian thing... And NO, even after a year and a half, it still holds no appeal for me! Not even just that, but I find it utterly repulsive! The Indonesians don't think so; they line up for Durian, whether fresh, candied, juiced, dried, or any of the other flavour-mimicking products, like durian bubble gum, durian chewey candies, durian throat lozenges, durian soda, durian lolipops... the list goes on...

I did get a laugh out of the extent to which Indonesians are obsessed with Durian... when I was in the drug store, and saw these durian-flavoured condoms on the shelf! Luckily they're just imitating the flavour, and not the spikey exterior as well! Yipes!



Oh well, at least they're confections aren't stinking up the streets like the real thing when they're in season!

Banana Smoothies

A delicious treat in any tropical country is the Banana Smoothie! I don't really consider it an Indonesian discovery/specialty, because of course, we made them almost every day in Ecuador, and I love making them at home as well!

On our last visit to Max Ammer's Papua Diving resort, Sorido Bay, we had smoothies on the jetty at sunset. Everyone enjoyed them immensely, including...

Soeharto



Indonesia's former dictator of 32 years died last week. It has been said that he was one of the most corrupt and brutal rulers of the 20th century, but still the nation is respectfully marking his passing, and the official 7 days of National Mourning have now come to an end.

It's not often anyone lives to the ripe-old age of 86, especially in Indonesia... and even with a team of 40 doctors treating him at the end, with multiple organ failure and a drawn-out illness, it was simply his time.

Suharto managed a stronghold on Indonesia’s economic, political, social and cultural establishments from 1965 until he was toppled by a democratic uprising during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Soeharto legitimized his dictatorship (or "authoritative style of rule", as it is called by some) with an economic success story for Indonesia, during which he won the heart of the poor the nation over... "Suharto loved me, Suharto took care of me", they say. Protests against his corrupt and repressive government in May 1998, then led to numerous allegations of human rights violation and corruption during his rulership and amongst his cronies.

The Soeharto corruption case has been postponed as the nation mourns. The government is seeking 1.4 billion dollars in returned assets and damages from Soeharto, and the Supersemar Foundation, a charity he previously chaired. The case - part of a renewed effort by the government to bring the former dictator to justice - alleges Soeharto oversaw the misallocation of money intended for student scholarships. The hearings are set to resume on February 12.

Oh yeah... and Happy Ground Hog's Day to my Canadian friends... did Wairton see his shadow this year???

Indonesian 'Drinks'

There are a few Indonesian beverage specialties that I would consider desert; I find them unbearably sweet. But, they're a 'must try', for their unique mixture of ice (usually shaved, sometimes chipped, or, very rarely, cubed), fruit and syrups. Here are a couple of the classics:

Es Teler
(literally 'overexhausted' or 'drunken ice')



'Teler' means overexhausted, or, in Indonesian slang, 'drunk' or 'high' or 'completely wasted'. I can't really tell you why this descriptor is applied to this gorp-esque drink, except that maybe you have to be drunk to actually order it, or, perhaps it was the million-dollar epiphany (Yes, Es Teler is now a franchise!) of some Indonesian drug addicts best trip!? This sweet medley is also, more aptly, known as 'Es Campur' (mixed ice).

The barrage of ingredients in this drink is overwhelming. Bits and chunks of fruits (such as avocado, jackfruit, young coconut, pineapple, green melon), are mixed with susu (sweetened condensed milk), and sometimes nuts and chocolate or other syrups. Usually it melts pretty quickly into an unappetizing pinkish-brown soup...

If it didn't have the additional trimmings, and merely contained ice and fruit, it would be called 'es buah' (literally iced fruit). See, now that makes sense.


Es Cendol
(literally tapioca blob ice)



Icky, sticky, sweet-ness! This is layer upon layer of sweeter, stickier substances. The bottom layer you see is basically pure brown sugar, next comes the susu (sweetened condensed milk), then the drinks namesake: the tapioca blobs (green and Pink in this particular case). This is no substitute for a Chinese Pearl Milk Tea.


Es Soda Gembira
(literally 'happy soda ice')



Simply ice cubes, soda, and strawberry syrup. Who knew the recipe for happiness had only three ingredients!? I figured it would be pink.

To be honest, I've tried all of the above, so as not to reneg on my 'try anything once' policy... But when we're in the city, I usually stick with a simple es jeruk (freshly squeezed orange/lemon juice). Of course, I have to order it 'tanpa gula' (without sugar) or else it will end up like all the above drinks: too sweet!

Es Jeruk
(literally citrus ice)
(notice the inch of whitish, as-yet undissolved sugar on the bottom... this is post-stir!!!)



Es Jeruk (tanpa gula)
(literally citrus ice, without sugar)

looks the same as the above, minus the inch of sugar on the bottom!


Of course, my drink of choice on the islands is fresh young coconut (straight from the tree)!



Even better when shared with friends!

Other Waiwo Visitors

I've been staying at Waiwo, the CI Field Station in Dampier Strait, Raja Ampat, for the last ten days. I can work from here, and have email access, and it is a much more tranquil and agreeable setting than SoooWrong. I have also been helping facilitate one of CI's guests (doing research on fish biomass in the area)... and it's a good thing I've been here, because operations here are less than optimum (but THAT's another story).

Something interesting (and completely annoying) that happened last week were repeated visits from a Belgian guy (Danny) and his Indonesian wife/girlfriend/friend (depending on who you talk to). This character was so completely rude, and conducted himself with such blatant disregard for everyone else around him... I could hardly believe it!!! He showed up one morning and took two dive tanks (which we had already prepared for our guest's research trip that day) and a CI staff's dive computer, and took off diving. When he got back, he was acting as if he was the boss of the place, and talking about how our field station is a resort and he is going to become the manager!? (um... talk about mis-informed!) I quickly set him straight, but he was still under this notion that I was the one in looney-land!? I think it was a misunderstanding on his behalf from someone he had been speaking to earlier who told him to go ahead and feel free to use what he needed at Waiwo (this MUST have been in reference to one of the other organizations that has an office on-site), but even when I tried to explain that there were several organizations working here, and CI knew nothing about him, and couldn't support his diving (for many reasons, not the least of which being the fact that we already have a research expedition in progress... not to mention liability!), he continued to pester US daily, instead of coordinating his visit with the organization that was hosting him... IF anyone was hosting him!? This is another interesting possibility... maybe he's one of these holiday scammers... basically, just trying to get as much as he can for free by acting as if he's studying/helping another organization!? Supposedly his wife is doing a masters in Eco-tourism in Raja Ampat... but why has no one coordinated their visit!?!? I've heard that this is something that happens for Travel Guide Books... people travel around and pass themselves off as writers, demanding free accommodations, etc, in exchance for a good review!?

Anyway, we have had some less obnoxious visitors over the last week as well... Several nights, we've been visited by an electric green tree frog, who seems quite at home! He's really quite massive, and I can see how people might think these guys have personalities... just look at the look on his face!?!



... and check out those deditos!

Keanekaragaman Hayati

Try to wrap your tongue around THAT one! I think it's the only word in the Indonesian language that gives me real problems... even after knowing it for almost a year, and no matter how slowly I attack it, I feel like my mouth fills with marbles, and I just can't spit it out!

Funny thing is that it means Biodiversity... kind of a key word in conservation! The other day I was speaking on stage to a group of about 300 people (at a Muslim gathering in Kalobo); you would have all had a good laugh seeing me struggling to pronouce KE-ANE-KA-RAGAM-AN HAYATI!

Sometimes I just cheat and indonesian-ize the word: Biodiversitas.

Fish Soup

No, I'm not referring to a nice bisque or bouillabasse or any other new-found Indonesian gastronomic delight...



This is a photo I took on a dive yesterday at a dive site not far from the Waiwo Field Station... "Mios Kon" (in the locally language literally Mios = island, Kon = small/little; so the dive site is called "little island"). It is quickly turning into one of my favourite sites in Raja Ampat! The fish in the photo are mostly fusiliers, who were thick in the water yesterday! With every dive at Mios Kon there is something new to see, and it has the absolutely the most variety of fish of any site in the vicinity, from big to small (sharks, barracudas & jacks, and of course, fusiliers, snappers and anthias, right down to some wonderful little gobies and blennies). The site also boasts great coral coverage and lots of other interesting eye candy (Wobbeggon sharks, Giant clam, pygmy seahorse, and lots of shrimps and crabs on anemone).

KALABIA *** PHOTO UPDATED BELOW! ***
(the boat)

The Conservation Education Vessel that will soon *(again, barring further delays!) become our home and office, is called the KM Kalabia. My previous post was about the namesake for the boat... This one is about the boat itself! I think I already introduced you to her in a previous post.

Here are a few pictures of the Kalabia Education Vessel... in progress... I will definitely add a picture of the finished product!


What they had to start with...
(a tuna trawler from a fisheries buyout)



The Plan...




In progress...




Almost there...







The paint scheme...





Finishing touches...






OUR NEW HOME!

*** check back for a photo later! ***

!!! HERE SHE IS !!!




The non-technical Specs (I figure the technical ones won't mean much to many of you - I don't understand them myself!?):

- 37 meter hull, bow to stern; 6.5 meters wide
- a huge, wide-open front deck space (and projector for playing films)
- scuba equipment room (with compressor and minimal equipment)
- dining room, meeting room, library
- 14 guest beds, 8 boat crew beds, 1 captain's room
- 2 washrooms

A few more technical Specs:
- Capacity:
- Diesel: 24 tons
- Water: 24 tons
- Extra fuel: 4 tons
- Fuel Consumption: 24-hour non stop = 1.2 tons
- Cruising Speed: 9 knots **( IN ACTUALITY, we've only ever made it up to 8)

KALABIA
(the shark)

The Conservation Education Vessel that we will soon* (barring further delays!) be working on is called the KM Kalabia. Our namesake, and mascot, is a funny shark who 'walks' on his pectoral fins. Kalabia is one of the local names (from the original tribe of Raja Ampat, suku Maya) for this shark species. Funnily, the more widely-known local name is 'hiu bodoh', which literally means 'stupid shark' (I guess they figure that any shark that would choose to waddle along slowly on his fins instead of swim must be a little unbalanced)! What's more they seem somewhat lethargic if you happen to see them during the day, when they typically seek shelter under large rocks, ledges or coral formations. They are nocturnal creatures -- much more active, seeking food and moving about, at night.



In fact, they should call him the well-hung, midget walking shark, since he's actually got TWO you-know-what's (that are significantly larger than other sharks of similar species)!!!

This is the little guy who someone (* name yet to be released) pledged 500,000 USD to name at The Blue Auction!

P.S. A few months ago, for the first time, we (ie. Martin) found a Kalabia on the CI Waiwo Field Station House Reef! As you can see, they're quite small... and no danger in handling them (other than to traumatize the poor things!), since they don't have any teeth (they crush molluscs with their strong jaw for food)!

A Touching Moment

It seems incredible to me, that in a program with a duration of only three days, our team creates such a strong bond with the local children we are working with.

Yes, the program is a very intensive one; yes, we have a great group, with team members who actually enjoy interacting with the kids; and yes, the highly-interactive nature of the program and 'playing while learning' (belajar sambil bermain) is a novel experience for most of our young participants.... but even so... it's only three days; not like 'summer camp' where you're together for months with the same groups!

At the end of our last day of our most recent program in the village of Kalobo (with a mix of kids from Kalobo, Sakabu and Waijan, all on the island of Salawati, mid-Raja Ampat), several of the kids broke down in tears when it was time to say good-bye! It's usual that kids will hang around, help us clean up and load our gear, or just generally tag along until we leave the village... but this time, before all that, they asked for our autographs as well! So sweet.



I can only hope that we are able to foster as much love and understanding about the environment in this short time as well!



This was our most memorable 'character' of the group - Robo - a super-outgoing little guy from Sakabu!

Papuan Rhythms!

The Christmas celebrations in Ayau got me thinking about this post which I began ages ago... thought I should revisit it, and maybe even post this time.

Music is an integral part of the culture here in West Papua, and it takes many forms!

Tifa, Suling Tamboor, Yosban, guitar (EVERYONE can play guitar - should help me learn in the next few months as well!), and talk about harmonizing ability... these people have got it in their GENES!

Suling Tamboor (Pipes and Drums!)
Not just for Christmas, but any special event or celebration! This is a picture from the MPA declaration in Mayalibit Bay last year.




Tifa is a traditional drum; a symbol that has come to represent West Papua. It is used in more of a story-telling accompanyment, such as this village elder (chanting in a language that is no longer understood by the majority of his people).



The tifa has truly become the symbol of West Papua... it is almost the only form statues take here... at bus stops and intersections.





Yosban is actually a combination music/dance... it is stories set to music, usually improvised with fun twists to include the people at the dance. The dance itself is performed in two lines, with everyone following along doing the same steps... similar to what we call 'line dancing', actually! Except in this case, instead of combinations of steps, it's the same step over and over several times, then a new, different step, and so on. The steps usually involve lots of stomping and slapping. It's really a riot! This is our friend Rudy, who is the king of the yosban in these parts, and usually leads the dance!




In West Papua you will find music anywhere and everywhere!





... and of course, if the appropriate tools aren't close at hand, either you make them...






... or you improvise!




It's no wonder everyone here seems to be a natural musician... they start from an early age!




Well, I'm off again to another new area today... we will be doing a three-day education program in the village of Kalobo. It is a unique and completely different area than most of Raja Ampat; a village comprised completely of transmigrants from Java. The village head is known for his ability to 'call' the dugongs, so I hope that we'll also get a chance to see these gentle 'sea cows' after our programming is done!