Monday, June 18, 2007

First week after 'vacation'
Back to the real world and work of CUSO cooperant in the placement, I started with meeting with the Naru women’s group of alternative health center organization. It was on Sunday afternoon. It was great meeting we had. It continued the next day with the Health authority and Village leader. We talked about the proposals and other stuff that need to be improving in the clinic. A few days in the office preparing some field work with some staffs and some ‘report’ writing related to some of the work that I did when I was on my vacation. Tuesday, June 12, we had a ‘traditional ceremony’ for new regency, Nagekeo Regency that split from Ngada Regency. It was great ceremony with a lot of attraction and not to forget killing buffalo, pigs and chickens are part of the ‘ritual’. I won’t put the pictures of killing in this part, if you interested just ask….
Saturday morning I went to Mbay, in the north Coast of Flores Island. It takes around 2,5-3 hours by motorbike. The reason I went to this place was a ‘documenting’ a New Regency traditional ceremony and celebration. It was also kind of ‘stress relief’ from vacation and get back to the reality in Ngada, Flores. I realized how ‘nice’ rode a motorbike with the early morning fog and drizzle of rain around Boawae, on the way to Mbay.
The ceremony and celebration was gone well and a lot of people came. So many traditional attractions were taken place in this event.
The next day, Sunday I went home took a different route, along north coast. Stop over for break at Riung, and then rode home in the afternoon…finds that lately, Bajawa is cold. I need to wear shocks during the night.
“In the night sky and stars smiling and laughing at me-I don’t know if the real smile and laugh, or just being sarcastic. I found that curiosity and silent not always come together. Honesty and destiny not always side by side. Then the morning always wiped out the night without any coup of power”
I realize that I need to start and fulfilling the day, the week, the month, the year till the time is up.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Bali-Jogja, Central Borneo (Sebangau National Park)
I had to transit in Bali on night, because my ‘afternoon’ flight in the same day was canceled as well. So, my friend bought me the next day ticket to Jogja. Some one say where ever you steps are on you’re always have something to enjoyed and learn about and hope for. That kind of saying is applicable to me in this trip to Bali and Jogja – on the way to Borneo. Some part of my time in Jogja was ‘working’ as well, since I need to printed tourism map and posters for Ngada Tourism Office. I was surprised that the price in Flores is almost triple than Jogja. Visiting friends and family were the other part of my visits. Some happy and memorable times were there, but some other was not…..
The 20th of May, I’d meet Robin – my Indonesian/Canadian friend. We flew to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan (Borneo if you are more familiar with this term) for my ‘vacation work’ with WWF Kalteng. In that day, I had almost 15 hours in trips by plane, car then a speedboat by the end of the day. At 7.30 pm we arrived at Baun Bango village, a village a cross from Sebangau National Park where we had Community Based Ecoturism training. The participants of this training were some member of the community in 4 sub Districts along Katingan River. The topics of the training mainly were related with the Community organization Network and its management as one of the stakeholder in the area a long the National Park. Just want to let you know that the National Park was formed only 2 years ago, so a lot of things need to be done. Including how to give an alternative income generating for local people around the National Park, because they were mostly got some income from an ‘illegal logging’. So, this training on Ecotourism was the second one after the first one was held a while ago. The training went well and we had chance went to one of the sites that community want to be ‘develop’ as one of tourism attractions.
“It was kind of stress relief when you swim in a pure, and clean ‘coca cola water’, surrounding by the ‘forest’ and peacefully feeling kind of kicking out of our ‘problems’ from our mind (for a while). I do not need to go to relaxing massage and aroma therapy things”
Sorry dear friends-the city dwellers-I will take you there if you want to, since I might go back there in the future if everything goes well between CUSO, my placement and WWF Central Kalimantan.
Even though the Katingan River was flooded when we were there, we had a good time, with worried a bit if we’ve got water in our mat because we were slept on the ‘first floor’ of the lodge. We survived though! We went back to Palangkaraya and spend discussion in training evaluation, and future plan with WWF and we did visit a Central Borneo fair, it was a 50 years birthday for the province.

Back to Jogja
With some struggle with the flight, we went back to Jogja and spent couple of days in Jogja. Again, to visit friends, family and sight seeing were the main menu for us to ‘kill the time’ in Jogja. Not to forget, some of the issues need to be discussed and solved in all area above. This is kind of part of my life with the big family that I have. Family gathering and visits some old friends and FM Café night with CUSO and some other organization volunteers on Tuesday night. Borobudur, South Slope of Merapi brought me back old memories in personal matter and work related history, as well Malioboro street and walking to cross a space between to ‘sacred’ Banyan trees in Kraton area.
“Every day there is must be a grain of rice for you.” That is my grandfather saying that we must believe that the Creator/God/ Who ever you believe will always look after you. And all the things that we have, we won’t take it to our graveyard."
O ya, Thanks Court to let me know about the earthquake in Sumba. We were fine in Jogja.

Start the ‘real vacation’
We head off to Makasar on May 30th, spent almost a week in South Sulawesi area. Thanks a lot for CUSO friends whose placements are in South Sulawesi. Makasar, Bantaeng, and Bira are three main places that we did visit. Makasar, a big port city, it is too big for me after a while living in a small town, such as Bajawa.


We tried a ‘city night life’ in Makasar with 5% (the way I call a beer for), and friends, after we walked along Losari beach for sunset. Thanks Cecilia and Jeane.It was beautiful time we had. The next day we went to Bantaeng, spend one night at Jaya and Elaine family, visited a waterfall there, then the night Marieane joint us from Bone. Not that early morning we took a ‘pete-pete’, a local mini bus to Bira beach, around 3,5 hours on the road. We did stop over saw a local peope making a traditional boat, ‘pinisi’. How we amazed with their ‘local empiric knowledge’ for making these boats.
Bira, a white sand beach, 6 of us plus Gabriel (the little cutie of Jaya and Elaine) arrived there around afternoon then found a place to stay. It was crowded, because a long weekend, a lot of people from Makasar and ‘big cities’ in South Sulawesi went to Bira. Our main activities were: Rock climbing, snorkeling walked on the beach while enjoyed the heavy rain. Accompanied by books, fish, and off course the 5% we stayed in Bira for two nights. Speaking about snorkeling, we went whole second day out of to the sea. Three spots we went and most of them are destroyed by bomb, one of fishermen’s methods to get the fishes. A big tuna fish that we bought for lunch was ended our journey in Bira. Back to Bantaeng, stayed one night then head off to Makasar with some challenge of transport and tickets arrangement to Flores. Robin decided not to visit Flores in this trip, because of flight and time schedule that he had. Second time in Makasar we had visit with some local activist, friend of Cecillia, and then we had house party with some great discussion and 5% around. The next day we flew to Bali.

Bali-Flores here I come ‘home’
Since Robin canceled his planed to go to Flores, we stayed couple of days in Bali instead. We stayed one night at Kuta area then to Ubud. We did explore some area of Bali around Ubud area then I head off back to Kuta, because my flight was early morning the next day. This trip mostly relaxing and we had a project of buying ‘oleh-oleh’. When we were at Kuta area, we went to travel biro own by one of my work network friend. We had great discussion while waited for our ticket to be issued.
“I wish I have more time and more people to be visited in this transit time. It was too bad that some of friends were away. Next time I believe so I will see them.”
I flew back to Flores through Labuan Bajo route. Landed in LB then straight to Ruteng, stayed one night there. The next day took a bus to Bajawa. One of the good thing in this trip back, I did not have any significant problem with my travel.

Is the trip meaningful?
I can say that my ‘vacation trip’ this time was SO COLORFULL in term of personal and professional matters. The up and down feelings were around and reconnect and maintained the network of family and friends is more important for me in this trip.
I would like to acknowledge some of people that giving me colorful experiences in my vacation in this time: My mother and family, Robin, CCI Indonesia (used to be) friends: Endang, Prapti, Rina, All Canadian friends who send me something trough Robin, especially books, Christine, John Raja, Thomas Ulrich, Agus, Didiek and Intan, Sendy, Metarius, Rayansi, Anung, Court, Russ, Hesther, Anita, Brian (CUSO and FM Café Tuesday night community), Cecilia, Jane, Jaya, Elaine, Gabriel, Marriane, Murwan, Catur, Zoe, Tjeerd and Sanne. Not to forget CUSO and VSO family that are always help me in my placement journey.
Let our footsteps left the print with nice and simple ways of thinking. I still learn to do this….to find and appreciate a ‘magic moment’ that we passing though our life.



PS: more photos at:http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/murdawa/album?.dir=af30scd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

and

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/murdawa/album?.dir=e97bscd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/murdawa/my_photos

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Monday, June 11, 2007

It is kind of Holiday
First, I’ve got an invitation from friend of mine who is working with WWF Central Kalimantan; they want to have me in their training. It was in the end of April. In the same time, I’ve got inviation from CUSO and VSO to attend a VSO Conference in Maumere (East part of Flores); While I already had a plan to have a vacation to visit my mother and family in Jogja. These three things were combining with some work that it need to be done outside of Flores and met Robin, my Canadian (Indonesian) friend who was on vacation in Indonesia.

Significant Change?
A long journey out of Bajawa was started when I went to Maumere for VSO conference. The main topic was a significant change in international development issues, especially in Volunte
ering sending organization, such as VSO. A lot of new experience and knowledge that I’ve got in this event was worth it enough to attend, even though I must ride my motorbike, which was I choose it because it was great experience rode a long distance almost half of Flores Island. On the way to Maumere I visited Three Color Caldera “Kelimutu”, east of Ende, around 5 hours from Bajawa. It is a beautifull National Park. Moni, is a small town ‘below’ the volcanic caldera, I stayed one night there and early morning climbed Kelimutu on Sunday morning, just like a first ‘mass’ for church.
By the afternoon, I hit Maumere and met Bernard a CUSO cooperant in Maumere. We attended the VSO Conference as an ‘observer’. Beside the interesting topics of the conference; it was such a unique and I can say it as a ‘small world’ environment of people, since we shared some common experiences and history of ‘human relation’s link’. Not to forget, some part of the VSO conference, the organizer held a cultural night event. Since there were 4 people has a ‘canadian’ background, so we showed and the participants joined our ‘square dance’, a modified and collaborative effort. It was fun!
In term of the issues that had been brought up, all was come down to some questions about how effective our development work that we are doing, especially in Indonesia. Are we making a significant change?
I will put some of my thought in http://www.lava-merapi.blogspot.com/
I would like to thanks a lot for VSO who invited us in this event, as well to CUSO who arranged for us to come down to this fun and learning experiences.
Left Maumere on Friday morning rode my motorbike to Bajawa. This time I rode straight to Bajawa. I took me around 8 hours, include stop over for a flat tire ‘break’. It is fun and great ‘exploring’ Flores Island by motorbike. Saturday morning back to work and had a meeting with database development team in Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Ngada, before I went to the ‘vacation’

The first part of “vacation”
A long bus ride from Bajawa to Labuan Bajo (west tip of Flores Island) was my Sunday activity. Whole day! Almost 13 hours on the bus and arrived in Labuan Bajo was night already. Labuan Bajo is a small fishing town. I mean fishing here there are two meanings: fishing for the real fish, just because a lot of Bajonesse as a fishermen. The second meaning is ‘fishing’ for tourists. This small little town has known as a ‘stopping point’ (if you just want to explore Komodo dragon, snorkeling, diving) from Bali tourists. Gateway weekend as supposed to say. It is a ‘transit point’ for some Flores Island visitors who want to explore Flores, because Labuan Bajo as an entry point to Flores from the west side (Maumere in the east side and Ende in the middle side, but Ende has uncertain schedule now). Two days when I was there I had meeting with an international “NGO” that working on developing tourism in West Manggarai District, especially Labuan Bajo. As well I had great discussion with some local entrepreneur in tourism industries who is ‘upset’ with the systems that are not ‘involving’ more local people. A lot of big investors (include the private sector who managing Komodo National Park), are not really ‘sharing’ the tourism activities or profit with the locals. Is this sound familiar to you?
After I’ve got some ‘unhappy stories’ I left for the airport hoped that I would have a better stories to write. But I was wrong! One and half hour before my flight to Bali was scheduled; the travel agent told me that my flight had been canceled. I must ‘fight’ with the staff of the airline, especially they were kind of discriminated me (probably just because I am not really or look like real ‘tourist’) when we tried to get transferred to different airline that was flown in the same day. I did not blamed the staff having that kind of perception and assumption that ‘real tourist should get better service’, just because the ‘system’ told them that. Is this also sound familiar to you?

The first half of my vacation is not finished yet… I will write more later…Coming up a Bali-Jogja-Central Kalimantan-back to Jogja-South Sulawesi (the ‘real vacation’)-Bali……..Flores…Hope you enjoy this writing even though some were not a happy one. Just life should be, there are not always happy and enjoyable….