Last Sunday in Bandung

I really intended to post photos I took on our last Sunday in Bandung before we left but unfortunately things got a little crazy those last couple of days. Some months back I had offered Ferry (driver) and Ibu Aisah (cleaning lady) to photograph their children/grandchildren. There's nothing like waiting till the last possible minute, so on Sunday after church, we met our friends Helen and Dan for lunch and goodbyes and then rushed to pick up Ibu Aisah and her cucus (grandchildren) and meet Ferry's wife and son at the zoo.

Of course it rained hard after lunch causing me to doubt whether or not our photo shoot would actually take place. But by the time we finally arrived the rain had stopped, leaving an overcast sky which produced exactly the light I needed. I was able to follow the kids around at a distance (thanks to my telephoto lens) and after purchasing some bubble pistols, they kind of forgot about the bule trailing them and started to loosen up a bit and enjoy the zoo.

As you can see, the children are beautiful. Sekar (Ibu Aisah's oldest granddaughter) was shy and kept looking back at me over her shoulder. Baby Sis Plika didn't seem to be bothered by my presence one way or the other. Ferry's little boy (22 months old) was leery at first but forgot about me as soon as he learned how to shoot bubbles. All in all, I was very pleased with the way the photos turned out and since my time was short, Ferry was kind enough to transfer all of them to DVD for both families to do with as they wished. Hope you enjoy them!

Sekar (Ibu Aisah's oldest cucu)

Lil' Sis

Plika (Ibu Aisah's youngest cucu)

Ibu Aisah, Plika, Sekar and paternal grandmother

Sekar

 

 

 

 

loved the bubbles!

"Caca Tua"

nickname Caca Tua  (as in cockatoo)

Ferry and family

A Visit to Sasak Village

First the wonderful news - we made it home safely last night! A long and tiring trip, but no problems and it feels soooo good to be home! I still have photos from the last couple of days in Lombok, so I will share them over the next few days as I finish out the blog.

welcome to Sasak Village

While Ronnie was climbing Mt Rinjani, I was holding down the fort at Kebun Villas but unfortunately it rained most of our stay in Lombok. However, the day before we left the sun came out and I was able to take off with 2 employees of the villa. Since I was the only tourist, they were happy to customize the time for me. The tour was supposed to last 8 hours and include 2 different beaches and a visit to a traditional Sasak village. With rain threatening, I opted to blow off the beaches and head straight to the village. However, the driver did allow me to stop at some local markets and let me snap a few shots there as well (I'll post separately).

lumbung stores rice and other food

child exits bath house

A few kilometers north of Kuta is Sasak Village. A guide met me and gave me the typical run through. Though tourists are clearly a source of additional income, the people still live pretty much the same way as their ancestors have in this same village for the past 250 years. The Sade people pretty much just marry their cousins, as it costs too much to take a wife outside the village. Inside you can get a wife for a few goats whereas to marry outside the village would "cost" a few water buffalo. Way too expensive for most villagers, so most everyone tends to marry inside the village.

rice farmer breaks for lunch and corn husk smoke

The men in the village are rice farmers and work the surrounding fields for 12 hours a day, stopping at noon to eat, rest and smoke cigarettes which they make out of tobacco they grow which is rolled in corn husks. The old ladies in the village sleep and help with the babies when they're not chewing betle nut. The younger women were doing chores, taking care of children and weaving or making jewelry. These crafts supplement their income and help them survive.

sales are slow on this day

There is only enough room for 115 families to live inside the village. The rest must live outside (but near) the village. There are 3 types of structures within the village. The lumbung (top) stores rice and other food items. It is off the groud and designed in such a way to keep varmints out. Weddings and funerals and other ceremonies are held inside a larger structure called a beruga. It is built on 6 pillars (Muslim). Lastly, the bale tani are the living quarters which are passed from generation to generation. Even though it was dark inside, the flash on my camera shows one side of the 2nd level kitchen.

regular family meals are cooked here

hand fertilizing in the rice field

sun drying rice

Like most Asians, religion is a big part of their lives and the Sades practice Wektu Telu, a mix of Islam and Hinduism with some Buddhism and local belief thrown in. There is a mosque within the village. Amazingly, there are 1,000 mosques on the island of Lombok!

makings for a betle nut high

I noticed the woman on right sitting inside a dark doorway and then realized she was not alone. The guide explained to me the women were chewing betle nut. I have since read that betel nut is a psychoactive drug used regularly by 10% of the world's population (Southeast Asia, South Pacific Islands, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc). It's used for stress reduction, feelings of well being and heightened awareness. As you might imagine, there are all kinds of well documented health risks associated with it, but my guide said they use it because it is "good for the teeth" and the young woman who went with me also added that it prevents body odor. Hmm.

betle buddy

red juice stains the teeth

The people do not have any refrigeration and their diet consists mainly of rice and fruits and vegetables that they grow. They go to the market once a week using public transportation (angkots).

mother works, child sleeps, grandmother makes string from cotton nut (hand below)

These houses are 250 years old. They "clean" the floor by rubbing them with fresh cow dung. My guide used the term "cow s---", not realizing it was a slang term. It was hard to keep a straight face as I listened to him discuss this benefits of this special "cleaning product." Yes, he did mention it smells bad "for about the first 15 or 30 minutes." I'm still not sure out how cow "s---" could clean anything. :)

wrapping betle leaves

shy but she loves her jewelry

Even if my walk through Sasak Village was the product of a money making endeavor, I still felt I got to see a glimpse of how the people actually live (minus the commercial aspect of it). I was also a little more comfortable knowing that the villagers are used to having strangers walk through their village with a camera. If it bothered them, it didn't seem like it.

middle age woman chews as she weaves

older woman spinning cotton on a small wooden wheel

grandmother rocking "cradle" with rope

A view from the top...

Here we are in Lombok, Indonesia - only days from our own home and our own bed! After completing his assignment at ITB, Ronnie and I flew to Lombok for the Fulbright Pre-Departure Conference. We arrived a few days early in order for Ronnie to be able to hike Mt. Rinjani. I asked him to write about his experience.

view from the top of Mt Rinjani

En (porter) prepares for 2-day hike

Ronnie with Arial (guide)

on the "up and up" climb

Rinjani is the second tallest peak in Indonesia, rising above the ocean over 12,000 on the small island of Lombok in the Bali Sea.  Since we were coming for our departure conference, climbing Rinjani was on my list of things to do.

The trail up Rinjani is only 4.7 miles, but the vertical ascent is 6600 feet (1.25 miles). By comparison, Mt. Red Cloud in CO has a 4 mile trail but only 2000 foot ascent from the trail head.

After a 3-hour drive from the hotel, I (along with a guide and porter) started up the hill at 8am. The trail was okay for the first mile, but I was going on fresh legs. The trail changed at that point and became steep. Each step was an exercise in lifting my whole body, made heavier by the pack I was carrying.

At the half-way point, a European man resting on the trail told me that he was turning back. I asked my guide if I should turn back but he said I could do it, and I continued on. The trail became devilish about 3/4th the way up. It was not only steep, but rocky, or covered with tree roots that looked like snakes. The trail became muddy when it started to rain. It was just awful. We passed 4 young hikers from Singapore and they commented about how strong I was. That encouraged me to keep moving. We passed 2 persons from the UK and they only nodded, too tired to say anything. Every ounce of energy went into taking the next step.

setting up camp for the night

When we finally reached the top, the view was spectacular! I took a few photos and the porter fixed a meal of fried chicken, fried rice and a fried egg. I ate most of it, and crawled into the tent at 6pm, sleeping off and on most of the night. It was raining and very chilly at the top.

Early the next morning, I could barely eat my breakfast. I just wasn’t hungry. The mountain was covered in fog (a cloud). We began our descent at 7am. The trek down was more difficult than hiking up. My legs were sore and tired, yet each step had to be planned and controlled to avoid a fall and ruining my knees.

We stopped for lunch 3/4th the way down and even “my tired” was tired at that point! I already didn’t know how I could keep going, but then it started to rain - as hard as any rain I’ve ever seen! The water rushed down the steep trail and covered my boots on most steps. I was water logged and even more tired from carrying the extra weight of soaked clothing, boots and backpack.

awesome view from top of the crater

Yay Ronnie! Yay Texas! Yay A&M!!

guide Arial

starting decline

Almost down, my legs began to cramp and I thought I was done for, but I stretched for a few minutes and was able to keep going. When we finished, I was so glad!! I tipped the guide and the porter and headed back to the hotel, sore but happy.

Note: Ronnie told me that the porter was carrying an uncooked chicken when they left. Four hours later it was cooked (boiled). The same chicken was used for meals that day and the next (no refrigeration of course). They boiled spring water for tea and coffee and carried bottled water to drink. Amazingly his stomach survived!

Winding it up!

Our last day in Bandung couldn't have possibly gone better. It started out hectic, as we did last minute packing and waited on our landlady to count knives, forks, spoons and everything else in the apartment before we could “settle up.” The day before I had packed pretty much everything (bedding, kitchen stuff, etc) for Aisah (she cried of course) and we said our last goodbyes. After leaving our apartment for the last time, Ferry dropped us off at ITB where Ronnie had planned a special ceremony for his students.

almost 100 year old ITB - "MIT of Indonesia"

notice Dutch colonial style architecture

students make presentations

presenting booklets to Tom Healy and Mike McCoy

 

Tom Healy, head of the Fulbright Program (DC) who happened to be in Indonesia, AMINEF personnel (who administer Fulbright in Jakarta) and the other 3 Fulbright recipients stationed in Bandung, along with students from both semesters attended. Ronnie was excited that “those in charge” took the opportunity to meet with and hear from the students first hand so that they could understand the work they had been doing.

After a short welcome from Dr. Dwi Widyantoro (Dean of Informatics at ITB) and Ronnie, several students explained how they had teamed with students at Texas A&M University to develop software programs and how they have benefitted from the partnership. Ronnie also put together a booklet with the students photos along with excerpts from the course questionnaires. Some of the most exciting responses had to do with the relationships the students developed as they teamed with partners halfway around the globe as they learned about each others work habits, interests, cultures, etc.

 

 

One student voiced that he had a certain idea of Americans (cocky, arrogant, etc) but that his stereotype had dissolved as he realized that Americans were “people, just like us.” It’s interesting that Westerners on the whole know little-to-nothing about Indonesians (why would we?) while Indonesians have definite perceptions of Americans, solely based on all the TV they watch. One student even commented “I think I have been tricked by Hollywood.”

Semester 1 Class

Semester 2 Class

Each student received a Certificate of Professional Development and had their photograph taken with Mr. Healy (FULBRIGHT) and Mike McCoy (AMINEF). Afterwards ITB hosted a lunch that allowed for more one-on-one visiting between guests and students. It was a very informative time for Fulbright and AMINEF officials and a great close to Ronnie's Fulbright experience.

Mike McCoy (AMINEF) and Tom Healy (DC) with 4 Fulbright Recipients

Based on discussions that have already taken place, it seems probable that Fulbright will want to consider this teaming/collaborative model for the future.  It certainly gives the American taxpayers "more bang for their buck" as it involves so many more people in the process and results. No doubt Ronnie could have shared much better on this subject but he’s in conference today and I’m trying to hurry and close out the blog before we leave for the airport in a few hours!

Ronnie with 3 excellent ITB Informatics students

Tom Healy chats with students over lunch

Ronnie returns his office key to Dwi as we are driving away

I think one of us was heard to say "happiness is Bandung in the rear view mirror" as we drove away (ok, I confess it was me) but all in all I must say that serving as a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia has been a rewarding experience for Ronnie. Rarely has he felt that his teaching has had as much impact on the lives of young men and women as it has here.

Adu Domba (Ram Fighting)

loaded and ready

Adu Domba (literally “pitting sheep”) is hugely popular here in West Java. I learned this shortly after coming here and have been mildly interested in going to one, not because I care about seeing rams butt horns but just because ram fighting is a “very Indonesian” thing to do.

I had mentioned to Ferry about going to a ram fight awhile back. Neither of us realized that ram fighting is a weekly occurrence on land owned by ITB every Sunday. So after taking Ibu Aisah and her cucus (grandchildren) to the zoo Sunday afternoon, Ferry and I decided to go back so I could see this "once-in-a-lifetime event" (his words). And of course he was right, as I will never again attend another ram fighting event in Indonesia.

prizes - trophy and cow

mushy muddy

Fortunately (or not, depending on how you look at it), it was just winding down as we arrived. Tall gold colored trophies and other prizes were already being awarded and rams were being loaded onto trucks as we slipped and slid our way down the hill toward the arena (it had rained earlier and everything was extremely muddy). Btw, the show does not stop for a little rain, or even a lot.

male bonding during Abu Domba

rams come in all colors

Thankfully, ram fighting is not like cock fighting where one animal ends up killing another. It is my understanding that butting their horns is what a ram intuitively does – whether it's against a tree, a building or another ram. Also, these rams are prized (and hopefully money making) possessions so their owners are not interested in allowing them to get seriously injured. Owning and fighting rams is all about creating a champion specimen that can win its owner big prizes.


  

look! a bule!

attempting to cross a busy street with a ram

are you checkin' out these horns?

young boy loading truck after a long day

musicians load gamelan

During the contest, traditional Sundanese gamelan music is played and helps work the rams and spectators into a state of excitement. Gamelan includes bronze or iron instruments supported by carved wooden racks and other instruments (also used in traditional puppet shows). You'll get the idea with the short youtube clip above which was actually made at the same place the rest of these photos were taken.

Supposedly, each ram is allowed a maximum of 20 “head butts” (my term). Each opponent scores points on such things as color, horns, wool type, ability to attack or dodge, etc.  If one of the rams runs from its opponent or falls down he instantly loses. After scores are tallied, a winner is named.

headed home after a hard day's work

The big pay off? The owner of the winning ram goes home with all kinds of prizes – including a huge trophy, a large monetary sum and other large items like a cow, big screen TV, refrigerator and motorcycle. It's safe to say that ram fighting is big sport, big money and big entertainment here in Indonesia.

ready to roll