Januari sudah selasai - January is finished!

PERSANI meeting

Where did January go? Well, I have a few ideas, one being that I was sick again with Dengue Fever for almost two weeks of it, had a going away party and guests - one a Couchsurfer from the US who is working in Yogjakarta for a year and the others my volunteer buddies going home. So that sums up January except for some work this week in the village, the beginning of a plan to do some on site training for ongoing folllow up with people with disability after I'm gone back to Canada.

So, I will back up a little bit to when Don was visiting Kupang before Christmas and came to the village with me while I met some people in their homes. One such home was of the Kapala Desa (village head) and while we were there, some neighbours had butchered a cow and brought it into the yard to begin the final butchering before they took it to market to sell. For those of you who are vegetarians on humaitarian grounds, don't look at the photo! for othere who are curious about the cultural aspects of my work here, have a look at one of the sights that I hope not to see up close again!!!


Berty and I had a meeting at the home/office of the Disbled Persons Organization  (DPO) PERSANI and here is a shot of the 4 hour hour meeting. WE all sit on the floor, which is common practice, but also suites them well due to some of the

home made Christmas tree

disabilites. Their monthly meetings are attended by about 15 members and consist of discussing what everyone has been up to and any funding anyone has heard about. In this meeting 3 women had just returned from Solo, on another island, where they had been sponsored for government training, two as tailors and maker of craft items, and the other on computer, word and excel. They told of their experience and how they soon expect to see the computer and sewing machines promised to them at the end of their 6 month course. They were so excited about the prospects of earning a living from their studies and I hope for them this comes to fruition. We all talked about how they could start their small businessess, with some offering useful advice. In the corner they still had the home's Christmas tree, made from string and lights. Very effective.
This last week of January, Berty was able to encourage a father of a 3 year old boy who is completely dependant, drinking from a bottle and not able to sit on his own, to come to Kupang to see a physiotherapist who works at a free clinic supported by a local order of Sisters. This therapist also offers advice on health and nutrition, and the visit was very successful, with Berty meeting the dad on the road into Kupang to show him the way and to introduce him to the clinic. There, the dad received advice on starting the child on mushy food and encouraging better nutrition and some stretching and limbering exercises. The father has agreed to return 3 times a week to try to help his child become stronger.

census takers ready for the road

It is heartbreaking to see the hope in the dad's eyes, but on the other hand, this is the first time he has been willing to seek help and has not allowed anyone from his local health clinic to intervene or give advice. For some reason, he was open this week to some ordinary people dropping by. I was not part of this as Berty and I had split up to make teams to do the village house to house census. This was a home she happened on with her team. The reason we were helping with the census was to build relationships with more people in the community and, as this case proved, find some people with disability and their families who were not included in village life for any of several reasons. Hopefully, this door opening to this man's home is just the beginning for him to accept some help.

"Oma" cleaning the yard of leaves

Today we also visited a mom who's daughter is 5 and also completely physically and mentally dependent, and on arrival was lying on the floor of the living room listening to music on a mobile phone. She was happy until our mob arrived as with our arrival at the house, the neighbours decided to join us in the small living room out of curiousity, causing quite a stir for the girl, all these people congregating around! I relaized this was really upsetting for her and cleared them all out to leave Berty to talk to the mom abut the possibility of getting some therapy in Kupang for her daughter, who, it appears may have a serious form of cerebral palsy. It is the first time Berty has seen me quite forceful and directive and I think it surprised her and afterward we talked about how we will appproach someone who may have very limited intellectual capacity in the future and how we will control the situation. Always a teachable moment!
For a little bit of levity, since the rainy season has grown the grass high in the field across from us, the neighbours have begun using it as a garbage dump, which is not uncommon here along the sides of the road. But the big problem for us in our house is that the neighbourhood dogs love our front doorstep for its smooth cool tile and spacious dining area. They bring their "take out" from the dumped garbage over here to eat, and don't clean up after themselves!

children have responsibilites - laundry time

This morning we had a split open bag with a bit of rice and who knows what else on our doorstep to greet me. Sometimes it what's left of disposalbe diapers, and not new ones either!

Jufen doing his laundry

So my friends and family, I think of you in your winter season as I continue to sweat it out anywhere from 25-29C and high humidity.
I must say, when it rains, the temperature drops all the way to 25 in my bedroom which is almost cool. Can you imagine? And then you add a breeze and it is downright cool and feels like a Canadian evening. I make sure to appreciate those breaks but still a fan on in my bedroom at night.
Bye for now - Sampai jumpa lagi.

Sampai Jumpa Lagi - See You Again

Once again - a literal translation for the title. I had a tough time this go round thinking of the title I wanted as I ran a few around in my head for the last few days but today this one seems right as I said another "so long" to volunteers I have known since I arrived over a year ago. (always a few tears) Perter from Uganda and James my Kenyan budddy who has kept me company, cooked for me and generally been a friend and like a son. He spent his last 4 days on Timor Island at my place waiting for Peter to join him from Flores Island on the way to their last exit meeting on Bali. I had a going away party for them on their last evening, inviting friends who have come to know James through me and have appreciated his lively disposition and his genuine caring attitude. I can see why he makes a good physiotherapist with children with disability. (James in red and Peter in white shirt)

going away party

I realized as friends began to arrive for the dinner party - cooked by James with me and Berty as his right hand women, Berty perfecting the making of chapati and me cutting veggies, him making chicken stew African style, that we had 6 VSO volunteers in our midst. Two of my friends (Crystal and Angela) were volunteers several years ago, one in Papua New Guinea and the other on Flores in Larantuka, then James and Peter who are leaving and Nelly and me who are into our placement time. Cool!

former, leaving and current volunteers

Back to the dinner. As we were planning this week, Berty let me know she and her boyfriend Chris would bring the chicken for the stew as Chris had a chicken for his birthday but they were too busy to use it and now would be a great occasion to do so. I'm picturing chicken parts in the freezer but before I could finish that vision, she went on to say that yes, her two foster boys had taken responsibility for caring for the chicken in a pen in the yard and it was in good health and Chris would kill it in the morning with the boys plucking it before bringing it over! Of course - it's Indonesia and not everyone has a fridge! Well, Berty knows of the time I bought a dead chicken at the meat store and got it home with feet and head attached so she had a good laugh when I told her to hang onto the feet and head for her own use and just bring the rest! Never had chicken quite that fresh in my kitchen and it was a beautiful stew enjoyed by all 11 of us. Now, chickens in Indonesia are like the people, tiny, so we did supplement with beef stew as well, with all of it serving us more than adequately. Good time had by all, and of course no party is a success without broken glass, so James tipped his glass of spirits over on the balcony, thus obliging us.

As mentioned in my last post it is workplan time and a small hitch arose when I learned my work visa renewal only took me to end of April not end of October which seems to be a new thing for VSO to deal with. In discussion with VSO I let it be know that I intend to complete my placement end of July this year rather than end of October and believe I will have fulfilled planned goals and objectives by that point. I have just learned that my work plan has been approved and I will be extended from end of April to end of July by VSO. Was certainly hoping for that as end of April seems just not enough time! I will keep you up to date on progress on the work I've set out in my next Blog.

I am trying to keep track of the everyday things I see and hear as I ride about, things that strike me as unusual, funny or just plain curious. Here is one for this time around. Our owner is having ceramic tiles put on the front facia of the house and a workman has been here most days working on it. I am posting a photo of his scaffolding, bamboo originals. It looks like it's falling down, but this is how he has it placed, wedged against whatever he can find to stablize it. When the wind and rain starts I go for the first aid kit as I'm sure I'll be picking him up off of the ground, but so far, no need. He is up there in bare feet and must have great gripping toes!!!

safety cables?

 Well, call to prayers is sounding out fron the mosque below, reminding me to stop and give thanks for all of the opportunities I have in this world and to be grateful for the ones around me every day. Hope you can do the same. Sampai Jumpa Nanti - til later.

Selamat Tahun Baru 2013 - Happy New Year 2013

our room on Lombok

A second New Year and again on Bali. This time my Christmas was spent with Don here and although the time went very quickly, it was quality time. The volunteer experience goes well beyond the actual time spent in placement and in a country far from home. It lasts a lifetime – memories of people, places and activities. Many volunteers tell me that going back home is often tough because there is no one there who can share your experiences or understand the context. I am very fortunate in that I have had my friend Laurie come here and now Don over the Christmas vacation time. Both will listen to my reminiscing as loved ones do, but they will also be able to understand, which helps lots on the return home and in the years to come, as it’s the people one meets that will stay in the memories most of all.

obviously Pam on the rented bike

 The great part was having Don at home with me in Kupang, meeting my workmates and friends who support me in my volunteer role and in managing my time far from home. They are now real to him and they welcomed him as they have me.

As I continue my second year here, of course there are reports to write, documenting activities and work-planning for the months to come. Not much different from colleagues at home!

sunset at Sengigi, Lombok Island

I hope this short Blog and of photos from the Christmas break finds all of you well and ready for whatever 2013 brings – both of us rented motor bikes in Bali and on Lombok Island and had a great time touring. I just realized most photos are on Don’s camera as it wings its way home to Canada!

All the best in the New Year to all of you, friends and family and friends of friends!

Kursi Roda Mengantarkan - Wheelchair Delivery

suggestion through the window!

Some days are just worth getting up for! Oh I know, all days are worth getting up for as the alternative is not great but this one was definitely worth it. Berty and I met a 20 year old woman a few weeks ago who had a motorcycle accident at age 17 and lost both of her legs. She is a high amputee and although there was insurance money involved and she was able to go to Bali for prosthetics she found them very heavy as she is just a slight bit of a thing as many are in Indonesia, one finally broke when the knee lock gave way and finally, when her stumps shrunk after the first year, they didn't fit. So, with nowhere for repair and re-fitting and the heavy weight she has done without. Her mother lifts her when she needs to get on the back of a motor bike and she doesn't go out much even to her church as it is just too difficult to get around once there.
So, we began asking questions about re-fits, lighter prosthetics, even knowing how diffiult high level leg prosthetics are to use, especially without good instruction and rehab. We learned the province does supply wheelchairs but the budget for this year is gone and she would have to wait until April.

But, good ol' Berty has made a good relationship with the disabled persons organization (DPO) by the name of PERSANI, which I located in my chats with Handicap International last February.  With a call to PERSANI Berty asked if they happened to have a spare chair that could be borrowed and out of the blue they had one that someone did not need any longer and were willing to send it out to our new friend Elmi in the village of Oesena! Hers to keep.

We rented a driver and car today and loaded up the chair, stopped by the village office to take some officials with us in order to educate them on the spot what is available for disabled people and to enlist any other help for accessability to the home, the church in the village. Great teachable moment!

Been a long time since the Glenrose days

Turned out even better as they had ideas on how to make the chair fit her better, cut the arms down and re-weld to the right height, take the foot rests off as she doesn't need them. I demonstrated the use of the brakes and the importance of them and how to turn. It's been a long time since I worked at Glenrose Rehab Hospital and learned about whelchair use. They all had a great laugh, then she showed how she could transfer from chair to chair. She was so happy and brave to use it right off. A neighbour man came by and hung through the window to put in his two cents worth on how to cut the arms down. (see photo above).


A Merry Christmas to all of you at home, and although we have chosen not to buy decorations for our house, we do have them in our yard - a full white pointsetia tree and beside it some sort of evergreen!!!! no snow in sight though!
If anyone is trying to buy a last minute gift for someone who has everything, don't forget about my fundraising page at CUSO that helps to send volunteers oversees - not money in the form of charity but volunteers to learn and share in another culture. (Absolutlely no pressure!!) Love to all, Pam in Indonesia.

Our Christmas Trees

Tidur Luar - Sleep Out

So what does one, or two, in this case do when living in 30C climate when the power goes out! Get creative.

First a little background info. Our house has windows that open, a screen door to the balcony and very high ceilings. But, when we asked the owner to put screens on the openings that are traditionally put at the top of the walls just under the ceilings in Indonesian homes, she decided on her own that would not be attractive so put in glass and had it cemented in! So, when the day is 30C plus, it cools a little at night to about 27C but not our house. It holds the heat which has nowhere to go even if we can get an errant breeze to pass through. This isn’t often as the evening goes on as the breezes go down in the night.

 

So, back to our story. My new housemate and VSO/CUSO volunteer and I started the adventure when our power went off at 11pm one night. That means our fans go off in our bedrooms too. So by 1 am I was sitting out on the balcony where it was only slightly cooler, but the mosquitoes finally drove me in. They don’t swarm as they do at home but there’s enough to make it uncomfortable and since I seem to have developed allergic reactions to some of the bites, I chose not to look like the alien from the red planet the next day as the bites swelled to red blotches on me, and went in side to splay on my bed and breathe deeply and slowly and hope not to perish before morn. I heard Nelly wander out at 3 am in search the same as I had but soon to return to her room.

Next day, still no power, the whole city went out for the night but most back on in the morning except our neighbourhood. A power station had a fire and not back in form yet. So, now our fridge is defrosting! And my one package of stewing beef being saved for a special occasion. It got cooked up on our gas that night! So as the second night approached these two women first had short panic about living through another night, searched out our candles and my headlamp and got creative.

Headlamp helps

We have 3 wooden benches on our balcony, put two together for my long body and one with a chair at the end for Nelly’s petite one. I put my yoga mate on mine for a mattress but that didn’t last long as my bones needed the cushions off of our couch as did Nelly. We got a mosquito coil going between the benches and the grande finale was her mosquito net, yet unused, would at the last minute be pulled over us from the back of the benches making a tent just as we did as children making tents on the living room furniture!

Worked like a darn and I had a great sleep! Exhaustion from the last night probably helped but it was pretty comfy. Nelly woke me from a deep sleep at 1:30 am to say lights were on so of course the power was back. I became Linus, dragged my pillow and sheet – not required as far too hot – and dragged them back to my bedroom and fell into bed.

Now we are back to the usual short outages just because, but they are bearable.

Never underestimate the value of a campout!!!!!

Hari ini laporan: Report of today

gambling on the graves

Just a little bit but had to capture this before it is out of memory and thought you readers might enjoy. I have been needing to go and register with our neighbourhood "head man" so he knows who is living in his area of responsibility.

One goes to him if there are ever neighbourhood issues to be sorted and if there is an emergency, then he knows who should be accounted for - a good way of mini census.


I asked one of the young moms who live next to me to take me to introduce me to him as having someone introduce a person to another is more polite here than me just arriving to introduce myself. When I went to find my neighbour Yenti she was outside with her women friends as all the young ones were having afternoon naps. It is customary here to bury your loved ones in the yard if you have the money and because the ground is so hard and rocky, they are above the ground tombs. SO, the women of the neighbourhood, about 6 of them, were sitting on one of the tombs as is common (you keep your relatives company and it is a nice flat surface to sit on too) and they were in the middle of a game, with a mitt full of money - yes they were gambling!  What a sight! Reallly caught me by surprise. I went today to see if I can watch and join them just to learn what they are doing but not to play! Would probably lose my VSO allowance in a minute of play. And get the pic if the let me. (turns out it's illegal so they hid the money for the photo op.)A
Then this evening walking back from dropping off my garbage a girls choir was practising on the steps of the school and I stopped to listen. Their voices were so sweet and clear and their choir director was sure putting them through their paces. She saw me listening from the street and after their piece, she turned and I clapped and all the girls clapped too!!!

A lovely exchange and hardly a word said. Put a lift in my step the rest of the way home. Again, wish I had my camera with me. Will start carring it everywhere again but these are just daily activites I'm doing when I come across these little snippets, so not prepared as a tourist!

Campur - Mixture

Here's a little bit of everything over the last few weeks - seems ike longer but checking the calendar it is a short time since my last post!
Starting with today and going back, just finishing the first real rain since last April. It was the rain of the rainy season as I remember it from it's height. It has rained hard for the last two hours and luckily I just beat it home on my motor bike as riding in the rain is something I am bent on trying to avoid as much as possible. First and foremost for safety sake. The potholes and rocks on the road cover quickly in this kind of rain, leading to head over heels transport or skidding off the road. In this rain, just when you think it can't rain any harder it does. It's amazing how fast a lot of water can fall. This afternoon at the office it was so hot the 5 of us there were perishing. Our director came out of his office complaining and I sat in the small room the size of a bedroom with 3 other staff and the one and only fan going full blast. I could hardly keep my eyes open and felt totally drained fromt he stifiling air. We should have known "hujung datang" (rain is coming).

When I got on my bike to head home I could feel the change in the air and got a few drops as I pulled into home. Otherwise I would have been trapped for another two hours and coming home in the dark as by 6:15 it is dark. The kids of the neighbourhood have been playing in the rain since it began, some getting out the soccer ball and others running around with plastic pop bottles collecting the rain and throwing it at each other. By the end of an hour the smallest were shivering as there's nothing like a good rain to cool one off. Problem is our house doesn't cool down even with front and back doors wide open. Seems the heat just rises to the ceiling and hangs there! I have my fan on me as I type, but can join the mosquitoes on the balcony and cool off.

James and my coordinator Rusty

Last week was our volunteer and partner organization workshop to look back over our previous year and map progress of volunteer activity with our partners and plan for this next year of VSO/CUSO in Indonesia.

my coordinator and I presenting our year in review

It was a successful event of two days, hosted by VSO in Bali. This was followed by our Volunteer Conference which is planned by the volunteers here for the volunteers. Staff of VSO are welcome to join us, which they do, but it is our event. We had two days of Lifelong Learning as our theme this year. I was on the committee for the planning of the conference and as some may recall, as part of this I was on the welcome and orientation committee voted in at last year's conference. I handed over my position this year at the new elections and a full new committee of 3 will now take us through 2013.

The conference went very well by all evaluations and in most part due to the number of volunteers who came forward to provide presentations. We had a sampling of Waste Management at our Organizaiton and Home, ( very crucial here!!!), Forestry Management here and in Canada, Sharing Knowledge and Changing Mindsets, and Yoga to stay healthy in placement and after motor biking on rough roads, (very good for me since I went down on my bike yesterday coming from my office down a very broken steep hill) no bones broken, just knocked the wind out of me and bruises.

facilitating but looks like I'm going to be sick!

This is only a sampling of topics and with such a mixture and sharing our skills between us, we realized what an awesome community of volunteers we have here in Indonesia spread over 3 islands, often not seeing each other for months and only once in a year all together. Some of the conference was a bit nostalgic as we said goodbye to Richard who has shared his Kenyan expertise in Indonesia for 3 years! Also Meghan heading home to Canada, soon James and Peter finishing their 2 years and going back home to Kenya and Uganda mid January.

volunteer workshop

Oh and forgot about the kittens! When Laurie and arrived back from our vacation momma cat had decided it was nice and quiet on our outdoor dishwashing area to have her babies. See photo! Unfortunately, we had to get water into our cistern and the big hose and men from the water truck were just a bit disturbing! She moved them her first chance.

My last "so long" is to my housemate Anna who is re-locating partiallly to Jakarta and will not be in Kupang very often. It is hard to see her go as we have shared some good laughs and helped each other around the house. She retains her share of the house though as she promises to drop in. But, a new VSO volunteer has arrived in Kupang by the name of Nelly and she will be with me here in the house, so we are just finding our way around each other and looking forward to getting to know each other better.

So I say good night to all of you, or I guess good morning for those of you who have subscribed and will see the post when you wake. We'll connect again soon.