Manokwari mind-meld

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Having just returned from a very productive, intense, week-long training session on MPA Management Planning (part of our Bird's Head Seascape Capacity-Building Training Program), I have a bit of brain drain... so I guess this post should be called Manokwari Mind MELT... 

In fact, this is just to try out embedding a Google Map into my blog.  Manokwari is "A" (I haven't figured out how to change the marker yet)... you can see Sorong also (the gateway city to Raja Ampat).  In fact, I was trying to embed a google tour, which would've flown you from Canada (Ontario) to Manokwari, so you could get an idea of how far away we are, but it's only producing errors so far!

Catching on?

Yes, everything and anything can be carried on a motorcycle... they are not just the asian family mini-van anymore, but also the moving van...

Yay, Martin - you're catching on!

Fast Food

And by fast I mean, often seen speeding along the road at 50kmph!

This is the 'fried things vendor', and there are many more like him, displaying their wares on the backs of their bikes!

SeaWeed - Micro Mysteries

I don't really understand why this word holds such negative connotations for us as kids - I guess at that stage, 'icky, slimy green stuff' is easier to understand about seaweed than all the variety of impressive uses in food (directly in soups, salads and sushi, or extracts in things like ice cream, dressings and jellies), medicines (for everything from cancer to impotence), and cosmetics (lotions, shampoos, toothpaste and lipstick).  Of course, there are over 60 species of red, brown, and green seaweeds, which actually aren't 'weeds' at all, nor plants for that matter.  Seaweed is actually ALGAE!

Anyway, I have come to appreciate another aspect of one particular species of seaweed over the course of my growing love affair with the ocean...  Floating Sargassum Seaweed mats comprise a complex mini-ecosystem of their own - an entire miniature world within a square meter!  An encounter with this stuff in the wild open ocean, on the fringes of the reefs, can be a real eye-opener.  I can spend ages searching each inch of any given floating mass for all kinds of interesting critters - juvenile fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, flatworms, hydroids, seahorses, etc!  See if you can find some in these photos:

The sargassum frogfish, of course, being the ultimate find... Although I have never encountered one myself, I am including a few pictures here so you can see how well-camouflaged they are to their homes in the Sargassum seaweed!

SeaWeed

Aaah, the wonders of this 'weed'!

Not only good for making jello, medicines and make-up anymore...

It's best use:  accessorizing any costume!

Seaweed farming is on par with tourism in the islands of Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida, the area of Bali Martin is calling home for now, while he enjoys showing guests the natural wonders of the seas.

This seaweed stuff is pretty incredible, really, and new uses are being discovered for it all the time, specifically with regards to new medicines...  and in fact, if done properly and sustainably, seaweed farming doesn't have to be destructive to the marine and coastal environment.  Unfortunately, in Nusa Penida, a great deal of mangrove forests were cleared and coral reefs were lifted in the creation of these expansive seaweed farms.

Hashing in the Balinese Hinterland

I've written a little about my Hashing experiences previously here and here...

But I've rarely showed you pictures...  Well, I got brave and took my camera on the Hash a couple weeks ago, and then the other day I was also given a few pics by friends... so now you can see for yourselves what Hashing in Bali is really about!

This last picture captures pretty well the state of relief I was in when I finally stumbled back, in the dark, from the Super-super-super long run for Sari/Inul's birthday run - it was actually set as an extra-long, but due to a slip-up by the 'hare' (the guy setting the trail for the run), I ended up doing it at least once and a half - 20+ kms in the most mountainous area of Bali - seriously... I scrambled up and down at least 6 different ridges, crossed at least 4 rivers (or maybe the same river a few times!?), and started to get paranoid that I was going to be spending the night somewhere out on the trail once it started to get dark and I was still in the middle of absolutely nowhere, having seen neither another hasher nor a local for at least an hour!!!

Yes, I still like to play in mud puddles!

Mola-mola and Manta Magic!

The five intrepid Bali Female Divers had a magical day of diving on Nusa Penida island in Bali yesterday.

It was my first time seeing the mola-mola, and we saw 6 of these funky fantastical creatures... and had them all to ourselves!  So lucky!

Sari Flying with the Mola!

Mola a la Macro!

Sunfish Silhouette

Is it a bird... is it a plane... ???

Up Close and Personal

Even though I had seen pictures, and heard stories, I wasn't prepared for the encounter, and was happily blown away!  These are the largest bony fish in the ocean, and probably also the wackiest!  From their profile, side-on, it's obvious where they got their common name, oceanic sunfish (or moon fish, as in french (poisson lune) or spanish (pez luna))!

Wacky creature

But they all-but disappear if you catch them directly head- or tail-on!?

Where'd he go?

We also held a little underwater flag-raising ceremony for Indonesian Independence Day (17 August)!  Thanks to Sari for organizing this fabulous day, and to her and the other ladies for making it so much fun!

Two weeks ago I joined Martin on another magical dive on Nusa Penida (where he is currently working as a super-awesome (constantly smiling) dive guide) - to see the always-magical Manta Rays.  Sorry, I don't have as many photos, because we made mostly video that day...

I love it inside the ocean!!!

What's in a name?

Origins of the names Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya

I thought I had written about it before, on one of our first visits to Papua, but I see I may have made a mistake...

Actually the roots of the name are multi-faceted:

In 1511, The Portuguese (Jorge de Meneses) called the island "Ilhas dos Papuas" (Island of the Fuzzy Hairs) from the Malay word 'papuwah' or "puah-puah" for a frizzled quality, like wool, because of the inhabitants' fuzzy hair.

Not many years later, the Spanish (Ynigo Ortiz de Reyes) provided the 'New Guinea', as the black skin of the inhabitants reminded them of Guinea, Africa.

The Indonesian half of the island of Papua New Guinea was given the name Irian Jaya when it became part of Indonesia in 1963 (although the name had been proposed since 1945).  'Irian' is actually from the Biak language (one of the local languages in the region), and means "hot land rising from the sea".  'Jaya' means "victorious" in Indonesian.

The province's name was changed back to West Papua on February 7 2007.

The Asian Mini-Van

I have a few of my own pictures of the amazing amount of produce, wares, and people that Indonesians squash onto a motorcycle... and have previously blogged a little bit about it in a few previous posts, including a little bit here, but this spoof pic really cracked me up!

It's actually not so far off - I routinely see mini scooters with all 5 members of the family on-board (Mom, Dad, babe-in-arms, and two young kids) driving around Bali!

Thai Trip - Boomin' Bangkok 2 - Movies n' Malls and MODERN!

As I was saying... Bangkok felt shiny and modern in a lot of areas (a lot of areas still held some traditional charm, and were not too far away from what I used to imagine 'Siam' was like).  The most stark modernity was to be had downtown at the Siam Paragon mall.

Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

The Siam Paragon also houses the first truly luxury movie theatre I have ever seen... Completely private deluxe seats which adjust all the way into lying position, Thai silk blankets and pillows... complete with service right to your seat - in case you forgot to get popcorn or a drink, or have a sudden craving after the movie begins!  You pay for this luxury, of course... about the same as the price of a normal movie ticket at home!?  600-700THB compared to 180 for the regular theatre (which is still pretty comfy)!

When we were there, the Siam Paragon was also hosting a fabulous food event - specialty foods from all the regions around Thailand were on expo... so we got to taste a few more without even leaving Bangkok!  Yumm...

Thai Trip - Many forms of Buddha

After traveling around a few areas in Thailand, I became more aware that the Buddha is represented in many forms, and I was sure that his position in the statues must be representative.  I guess I used to have a vague notion of these different forms, and assumed it had to do with different religions, and different forms were no doubt manifestations of various cultures' influence on a religion... as it turns out, it is not nearly so simple (as anything to do with culture or religion goes, I guess)!

Here are some of my pictures of these various positions with their meanings (as I have understood them from the Thai, and subsequent readings... since I couldn't always understand everything everyone was trying to communicate to me - one of the greatest frustrations/adjustments to Thailand, actually... I have been taking for granted how easily I can communicate with people in Indonesia now!):

Touching the earth: aka. "calling the earth to witness".  This form is supposed to represent the Buddha renouncing 'worldly desire'.  It is the one I saw MOST around Thailand... I guess that's appropriate since life is full of temptations, and their renunciation is the central moral precept of Buddhism.

 

Absence of fear: either one or both arms are shown bent at the elbow and the wrist, with the palm facing outwards and the fingers pointing upwards. It shows the Buddha either displaying fearlessness in the face of adversity, or enjoining others to do so.

Teaching:  The gesture represents intellectual debate or discussion and teaching; it indicates communication and explanation of the Dharma (or Buddha's teachings).  This is when the tips of the thumb and index finger touch, forming a circle... Sometimes the middle finger and thumb touch - a gesture of great compassion; and sometimes the thumb and ring finger touch, expressing good fortune.

Charity: the right palm open, signifying that the Buddha is granting or receiving charitable offerings.

Setting the wheel in motion: both hands held in front of the chest.  I thought it would have something to do with love, or feeling 'touched' (and maybe in a sense that's true)... This pose refers very specifically to the Buddha's first sermon, when he "set the wheel (of his life's work) in motion."

Meditation: the hands are shown lying flat in the seated Buddha's lap, palms upward.  It shows that the Buddha is disciplining his mind through mental concentration, a necessary step to achieving enlightenment.

Reclining: The reclining posture may represent the Buddha resting or sleeping, but more usually represents the Buddha's final state of enlightenment before his death.

Then there's the fat laughing buddha, whom I only saw ONCE in Thailand... unfortunately I was on my own, so didn't have a chance to ask anyone why.