February 2009

Feeling creative today. I found these leaves in the parking area below our apartment, and thought the contrast with a green banana leaf would make them pop.

The other day we were watching the show Iron Chef (http://www.fineliving.com/fine/iron_chef_japan/). Two chefs face off in the Kitchen Stadium and must make five or six dishes, and each dish must include the secret ingredient (meat or vegetable that is not revealed to the chefs until the "battle" starts). When the secret ingredient is revealed the chefs have an hour to plan and make all of the courses. Then a small panel of celebrity judges taste all of the dishes and decide a winner, who is then declared "Iron Chef".

So this particular day, it just happened to remind me of what it's like to go to the grocery store here. You can not plan to make anything. You just show up at the store and the "secret ingredients" (aka: whatever happens to be available and has caloric value) are revealed, and you have about an hour to come up with your menu, buy it, cook it, and eat it before you go to bed. Not that we ever cook six different dishes in a night, but sometimes even coming up with one is a challenge.

If you don't want to eat plain rice noodles for every meal here, you must be an Iron Chef. Anyone have recipe ideas for Iron Chef: Battle Chicken Feet? Maybe Beef Lung?

These are the cookies I made for the party, and it took about 30 seconds for them to be completely annihilated after one of the girls said, "These taste like ice cream!" Indeed! Many thanks to Williams-Sonoma and their Tahitian vanilla extract. I'm telling you, go get some now. GO!

February 15, 2009
A Few Thoughts After Talking to Several People in Lombok and Bali

I still have to write a post about the discussion of American politics with Indonesians from the Lombok trip, but this article showed up today on our company's intranet, so I thought I should share. It is quite long, covers a lot of topics, and there are a lot of details that might not seem relavent, but they do give you an idea of what it's like to be here. It may also bring to light some things that you might take for granted and would probably not think about describing if you were writing a newspaper article (like cleanliness of bathrooms). It also points out the value of human life (remind me not to get hit by a car). I've highlighted my favorite parts in red. The term "illegal panner" is what is used here for people who are panning for gold on the mine's Contract Of Work area (essentially we are leasing the land and no one else is supposed to be permitted on it). Also to note is that the exchange rate for Rupiah to US$ is 10,000 RP to $1.

A trip to Papua without stopping in Wamena would be missing something. But so would a trip to Wamena without stopping in Timika. The two towns are in direct contrast to each other. Meanwhile, in the latter, there are more indigenous tribes, one of which is the Dani. The similarities and contrasts between the two towns is recounted by INDOPOS journalist NANY WIJAYA.

To reach Wamena, one must first go to Jayapura. This is the only gateway to the “seat” of Baliem Valley. Meanwhile there is no direct flight from outside Papua to Jayapura. All flights must transit in Biak, Sorong, or Timika.

I opted to stop in Timika because this was the shortest route from Surabaya to Jayapura. Aside from a desire to see up close Kuala Kencana, the Freeport town known as

America

in Papua, I also wanted to call at the daily Radar Timika, a subsidiary of Cenderawasih Pos (INDOPOS Group).

True, Timika is not a big city. Although the terminal building is not large, Mozes Kilangin is an international-class airport.

Frankly, I was caught unawares when I entered the terminal building. It is not large (to suit the town) but it is clean, streamlined and orderly, and is well-matched with any big city airport.

Unlike in Jayapura, let alone Wamena, the porters in Mozes Kilangan are well-organized. Their numbers are not many, and they tend to defer to passengers. Passengers not requiring the services of a porter can attend to their own luggage as large trolleys are provided.

What was astonishing was the spotlessness. It compares well with other big city airports like well-known Cengkareng and the new and lavish airport in Makassar. And it was not just the lounge and the arrival hall that were clean, but more tellingly the washrooms. The floor was dry, there was no odor, the toilets were clean and there was toilet paper.

Up to the moment I departed Timika, I saw no similarity between that town and Wamena. On the contrary, in my opinion the contrast between the two towns is highly extreme. As different as sky is to earth, although in Timika there is also the Dani tribe. And the Dani are not the only indigenous people living in Timika. The town is home to seven native tribes, the Dani, Nduga, Me or Ekari, Moni, Kamoro, Amungme, and Damai. These tribes receive special attention from Freeport. And the special privileges accorded these tribes are known as hak ulayat.

Unlike in Wamena, the Dani in Timika do not wear kotekas. Much less do they wander around unclothed. Even when waging tribal war, only a few don the traditional costume.

Here, this tribe’s livelihoods also differ from their fellow tribesmen in Wamena. Here they are employed in the manner of non Papuan residents. Some farm, some deal in commerce, some work in offices or in shops. But not a few are also illegal panners in the Freeport mining area.

The Dani, like other tribes such as the Me, Nduga, Moni, and Amungme, carry on a great deal of illegal panning in the villages of Arwano, Banti, and Wah. These villages are located in the vicinity of Tembagapura. Their total population is considerable, perhaps reaching 100,000.

Compared with other, non-indigenous illegal panners, they could be considered more fortunate because they have access to sites much closer to the mine. And as geographically they are higher up, they can glean more gold than migrant panners, who are generally located in Timika, to be precise at miles 32-34, in the lowlands.

On a good day, those panning in the highlands can gather up to 4-5 grams of gold per day per head. Meanwhile, lower down, “At best we can get two grams. And that is rarely. More often the yield is 1 gram," said one panner we met at mile 34.

Although located in different sites, the illegal panners have one thing in common: they work in groups. Each group is made up of two to five people. And their equipment is also identical: a wok, a small rug, and detergent.

Also, purportedly in order to become established as an illegal panner, the individual must bear proof of paying a gratuity per month of Rp.100,000 to the village chief.

This is why they object to being termed illegal panners. “We are not illegal. In order to work here we pay Rp.100,000 per head per month,” they explained separately. If along the Ajkwa River there are 5,000 illegal panners and each panner deposits Rp.100,000, the village chief’s payoff could reach Rp 500 million per month. Wow! If this money were, say, to be divvied up among 20 individuals, each could have an income (among others) of Rp 25 million per month. This mouth-watering payoff could well be one reason why illegal panning there is so hard to eradicate.

With such proof at hand, panners are at liberty to enter the illegal panning areas. Then with their rugs they sift the fine dirt panned from the Ajkwa River. Metal-carrying grains are trapped in the fibers of the rug. The rug is then washed in the wok with a detergent. The detergent serves to bind the fine grains of gold. The curved middle allows panners to collect the yellowish particles. Little by little, they gather the gold. As the day comes to a close, on the way home the gold is deposited with dealers. The panners get Rp 240,000 for each gram of gold. If they work in a group of four, they can be sure of bringing home four times Rp 240,000. Generally they work 25 days in a month. Only a few work a full 30 days. "On Sundays we take the day off. Some rest, and others go to church,” says Bobby, a panner from Buton, Sulawesi, who teams up with three friends. Another panner whose name I did not catch said in a month he and his group could earn Rp 25-35 million. This is divided into five parts, one for each group member. "This work is highly dependent on luck and diligence. With diligence, and luck on our side, we can earn a lot. Up to Rp.10 million per head. But if we are down on our luck, we get just Rp. 2-3 million,” he said.

In Timika migrants outnumber the natives. They come from Java, Toraja, Bone, and Makassar. But only a few work as illegal panners. As with other migrants in the rest of the province, they are farmers, traders, civil servants, police, and soldiers. Some are teachers, or keep shops. Reportedly, migrants in Toraja, many of whom live in Wamena, chose to move to Papua because of the similarities in culture and customs.

Take, for instance, the matter of slaughtering hogs. Although the swine may be different, hogs are the main fares during customary feasts by natives in both regions even the manner of slaughtering the hogs is identical, which is stabbing the hog to death. In Papua they use arrows, and in Toraja, knives. On the subject of hogs, a friend who is very well-informed on wildlife said hogs in Wamena are unlike those found in Java. In Wamena hogs are a cross-breed between the domestic pig (pink and hairless), and forest boar. This cross-breeding was possible because forest boar have an affinity with humans. Thus many are easily domesticated. "Their flesh is tastier, unlike that of ordinary domestic pigs or forest boar. They have two layers of fat. So people there eat the cross-breed along with the hide,” said my friend, Singky Soewadji.

In Timika, there are two cross-breed hogs. The smaller is the product of natural, local crossbreeding. The larger one, “can reach a weight of up to 60 kilograms, and originated in Bali. The local administration imports them routinely under a breeding project. Here we call the larger ones English hogs. Indeed they are tastier, unlike ordinary pigs,” said Oktovianus, the Radar Timika director who accompanied Suyoto and me throughout my two days in Timika.

As in Wamena, the same rules apply for drivers hitting hogs. Compensation is calculated based on teats and fetuses. In both regions, too, the same rules apply when running over dogs. Except the latter are less costly.

If hogs and dogs are valued so highly, what about humans? In Wamena, running over a person also calls for compensation. But the amount is negotiable. This is not the case in Timika, especially if the driver is from Freeport. The prospect is grim.

If a driver employed by Freeport runs over a university student and the student dies, the penalty payment is Rp 1 billion (USD $100,000). If the victim was an upper middle school student, the offender must pay Rp 500 million. A lower middle school student is priced Rp 250 million. A grade school pupil gets just Rp 100 million. If the driver is not a Freeport employee, the forfeiture is slightly lower. In addition to these customary fines, the offender must deal with police and the court.

Meanwhile, Freeport has set up a special educational facility to provide skills for the seven native tribes in Mimika Regency, without taking into account their educational level. Even illiterate persons may study at this facility and are given wages. They are waged every month as long as they matriculate. What if they take long to graduate? “Well, they will be paid until they graduate,” said Agus, the school principal.

To boot, Freeport has hospitals with highly modern facilities to provide free healthcare to members of the seven tribes in the mine area. Reportedly, Freeport even pays for medical treatment overseas for members of the seven tribes. Wow! (tomorrow: getting to know Freeport and Grasberg, the world’s biggest gold mine).

We went to a village to see the tradition of weaving fabrics, and I even had a try at it with the help of one of the ladies. Pieces like the one “we” made can take anywhere from one to three months to complete. Girls start learning how to do it by age seven. And none of the designs are drawn out…they are passed down from generation to generation by memorization. The girls/women make songkets, while the men make ikuts. They are long pieces of fabric, that are wrapped around the waist for clothing. Fibers can range from cotton to synthetic to silk to wood fibers, and are either chemically dyed or natural colors, depending on what the purchaser wants. I spent almost an hour browsing the store, having people tie my songket on correctly because it kept falling off (thank goodess I was wearing pants), and by the time I was done shopping, I probably bought enough to support the entire village for at least a month. But really, I’m hoping that I didn’t make any mistakes on my two whole rows of weaving! That particular store has a website so you can view different items, but I'm not sure if you can purchase anything directly from the site: http://www.dharmasetya.com.

The ladies who were weaving were very gracious and let Eric take lots of photos. Notice in this one how the loom is around her. This is how they keep everything nice and taut. They had to loosen those ropes about a foot in order for me to fit into it.

We stopped in a village that specializes in bamboo furniture, and my guide explained that the local people use this in their gardens. Then we went to a carving and inlay village. The inlay is mother-of-pearl, and each inlay design is made of triangle or diamond shaped pieces. Each piece of furniture is hand made, hand carved, hand sanded, etc. While the designs don’t vary much with different shops, Lombok is the only place in Indonesia that does this type of craft. While the four-piece livingroom set would have been nice, it would not fit in my suitcase, so we settled for a couple of serving trays and then proceeded to discuss politics of both the US and Indonesia with our guide and the owner of the carving shop. One thing we discovered in Lombok is that when people found out we were from the US, they LOVED to talk to us about politics. More on that in a later post.

This is one of the serving trays that did fit in the suitcase, along with a wall-hanging that I bought at the weaving village.

And then there was this guy...carving souvenir lizards. Hmm. Sharp, pointy object AND fast-moving tool to hit sharp, pointy object are both aimed at the bare foot. Yikes!

We also stopped at a relatively new Hindu temple. The island is 85% Muslim and the remaining people are mostly Hindu. Anyway, the temple we stopped at was called Batu Bolong Temple, which literally means "holey rock", as in: there is a hole in the rock. We had to give a lady at the gate the equivalent of a dollar to borrow a tie that went around our waists - I'm sure you noticed in one of the pictures on the Photos 3 page that I was wearing a bright yellow sash, and no, I was not trying to make a fashion statement. As our guide explained, this is a Hindu belief, to keep the bad and good parts of the body separated so that the bad (anything below the waist) does not contaminate the good (anything above the waist). At this point, the sun decided to come out for the rest of the day, and I was without sunblock. A very bad situation for me. So we only stayed there about 20 minutes, but enjoyed watching people fish in the crystal clear water nearby and Eric experimented with taking photos of the idols of the Hindu gods.

And somehow Eric got sunburned even though it was cloudy, AND we were sitting under a sunshade umbrella. However, I won't make too much fun of him because I am STILL pink after a week and a half from sitting in the Bali sun for about 30 minutes. Yeah. I couldn't even wear pants for three days. I'll spare you a picture of that.

I wrote this while we were still in Lombok. I'll post a couple more later this week that have more detail.

I’m sitting in the outdoor café, overlooking the ocean. It’s high tide and the surf is crashing, making listening to it even more relaxing. The breeze is hot and salty and humid, blowing through the coconut trees that add a light swooshing to the crashing waves. This is paradise.

We toured around part of Lombok today, hitting highlights of local culture, and learning a lot along the way. This island is absolutely beautiful, with its mountains, rain forest, rice paddies and bright aqua ocean. It’s an interesting blend of old and modern. Motorbikes, pedal bikes, trucks and horse-drawn buggies travel the roads. Buildings are a combination of Dutch, local Lombok and Balinese architecture. We passed through villages with bright blue, green, yellow and orange concrete buildings, tile roofs, rusted tin roofs and thatched roofs. We saw fishing villages entirely built of bamboo and wicker. Brightly dressed ladies in their songkets sold fruit in roadside stands, while others carried baskets of goods on their heads as they walked along the road. Agriculture is the biggest industry here. Coconut, rice, green beans, corn and bananas are common. Almost all of the fields are cultivated either by hand or with horse-drawn plow. Cows and goats feed below the coconut trees, and free-range chickens have rule over the roads. And the roads are barely big enough for one of the trucks that hauls the harvested rice, let alone any on coming traffic in a car, all slowed to a stop for the horse-drawn buggies and brightly colored pedestrians in between. In the end, everyone courteously gets out of the way or waits their turn. The pace of life is slow, quiet and determined, and it reminds me of Any Small Town, USA… except maybe the people are dressed just a little differently.

I went through all of the vacation photos and put most of them on the new Photos 3 page. I don't have the narrative of the trip all together yet, so I tried to put descriptions on most of them so you'd get an idea of what it was. All of them are from the island of Lombok. We didn't get many photos outside of the main city of Mataram, just of everyday people doing their thing, because our tour guide was very intent on getting us to the destinations instead of letting us stop along the way for photo opportunities...probably because the roads outside of the city are barely wide enough for two vehicles so he couldn't exactly pull over anywhere. But we had many interesting conversations with local people during our time there, and learned a lot about them and their culture, so in that way it was much more personal than I had been expecting, and still very memorable even without all of the pictures.

Also, I decided to change the format of the page to be like a typical blog page with the newest information on top because I was getting tired of scrolling down so much. Hopefully that is okay with my editor, but we won't know until tomorrow because he's already in bed.

We have officially made it back from vacation despite my kicking, screaming and otherwise embarrassing behavior at the Bali airport that required Eric to stuff me into the giant duffel bag and wheel me all the way through security. Perhaps I exaggerate a tad. But you get the idea. We had a wonderful time and have lots of photos to share, but I'm running out of time to post them today. I'll post some later this week, but until then I will leave you with this photo to ponder:

ps - My reaction was something like, "Whaaaaaaaaaaaa?" And then I realized I had just said that out loud in front of the shop owner. I am a pillar of politcal correctness and cultural sensitivity, aren't I?

pps - Do you think 4 out of 5 deer prefer Polygrip over any other brand of denture paste?