Satu Minggu - One Week

A variety of happenings since my last post, so will try to re-cap without too many long stories. It’s a bit of a stew of events. Went to the engagement party of a colleague's brother, where family talks of the plans for the marriage ceremony; friends and family gather in the home of a family member who has the most space, in this case my colleague's aunt and uncle’s home. Everyone sits around the perimeter of a mostly empty, very large room - many homes are built with cement as this one is and it is very new and large - two floors. Plastic chairs are brought in - you see pickup trucks and even motorcyclists carrying a stack of plastic chairs on a regular basis as there are many gatherings needing seating in people's homes or yards. Then a meal was served buffet style and thanks goodness for my friend Berti who asked me at one point if I knew what I had just put on my plate. I said "beef" but the look on her face told me it was maybe important for me to know, so I asked the question. She leaned in close and quietly, so others wouldn’t hear, said “it’s kinda like Kiko Mrs Pam”. Kiko is her dog!!!!!! I had forgotten in orientation we were told that this delicacy could be on the menu in some areas. OMG! Well, politeness prevails when you are out to dinner, so finished putting food on the plate, asking beforehand for Berti’s confirmation of edible for me. Tried to keep my eyes averted while I ate everything else on my plate, covered the rest with my paper napkin and set it aside for pickup and I think no one was the wiser. Man, that was that a close one! I suppose if I weren’t the wiser maybe I would have been ok but so glad NOT!

Berti dressing Kiko for the outing

hangin' around!

So our next adventure was Berti telling me she was ready to have Kiko spayed after many chats about having too many puppies - Kiko is 2 and has had 3 litters already. Indonesia is dog capital of the world I think and she does love this dog so wants to keep it healthy. She thought maybe we could take Kiko both ways on the back of her bike on my lap but I nixed that idea and we booked a driver with car and off we went with Berti laughing all the way about a dog riding in a car and how Kiko took right to it! The vet clinic was just like at home so my guess is it is mostly foreigners who use it. No appointment needed and no clients/patients around so they took us at 3 in the afternoon when they normally close at 4 and did the deed. I was terrified that if anything happened to the dog I’d really be in trouble and started to doubt the wisdom of my education on animal control and care! But all went well and after 3 hours we were on our way home. Kiko has recovered well, with Berti keeping her inside for 2 days which is a feat in itself as doors are always open and dogs run free. Berti’s comment on the whole thing was that this animal hospital treated her better than she’s ever been treated when visiting a "people hospital". She said how friendly and kind these people were including the doctor. Causes me to imagine how health care happens here for local people. I am so very fortunate to know I don’t have to experience that if I need care. But then of course feel so bad that local people have no choice and have "white priviledge"

some of the health clinic Moms and kids

Next adventure was to the monthly health clinic in one of the villages - Oelomin - with Berti where she has trained a volunteer facilitator to run the local health clinics and women’s education on health. So much fun seeing these lovely women, sitting on the ever constant plastic chairs around the perimeter of the room, chatting and I'm sure comparing child stories, a tarp on the floor was a squirming mass of children from toddlers to 5 year olds playing with the few toys provided. Flip flops were kicked off and they squeezed themselves onto the play surface.

baby in a bag

Following a presentation by a guest speaker on HIV/AIDs - complete with condom demo with a penis model which the speaker pulled out of her kit, setting everyone howling with laughter! Then the weigh in of all the kids. A bar with counter weight hung from the ceiling and bags to hold the babies and step in cotton harnesses for the older ones. You could tell the kids were used to holding still and just hanging there while the weight was moved carefully along the balance beam. All records are written by hand in a ledger book- no laptops in sight!  A volunteer keeps the record, calling out the kids by alphabetical order. A few litle boys did NOT want to be weighed and kicked up a storm - but all had to be processed! The two weighin moms, also volunteers, tried to soothe the naysayers, even pointing at me to try to take their attention away, all to no avail.

nurse preparing slides to go to the lab

 Our director wants me to start teaching interview skills to the staff so that will be a task as I try to simplify and translate AND present with eough exercises (activites) to keep interest! Off to the village 3 times this coming week, just to get my face known and to hopefully build some relationship - so hard to do when mostly I can smile and make very small talk!! But, with Berti at my side giving me the cultural tips on when and how to address the Kapala Desa - village head - and many other tips to keep me reasonably polite, I should not stumble too badly!

village woman selling cucumbers at our door

So, that’s my week - lots of variety, still trying to get the language to a workable level but not there yet.
Time to go and cook up supper of some kind of potatoe - (I hope)  bought at the market today, carrots, eggplant that I’m going to stirfry with chilies, turmeric (fresh) ginger, shrimp paste and tomatoes. Gotta love all the fresh spices and herbs - lots of fresh lemon grass too, and mny things I don’t recognize!


Bye for now and “Sampai Jumpa” “til we meet again”