Indonesia travel log, part 9
It's getting close to dinnertime, and it's been another long, yet rewarding day. This morning we returned to the HIVOS office for a multi-organizational roundtable on the problems facing women in post-disaster areas. Once again, I most sat back, listened, and took notes and photos while Bedari, Bungoeng Jeumpa, IDLO, Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity), Oxfam, and LBH-APIK discussed the differences and similarities between obstacles to women in Pakistan and in Aceh. It seems that one very big difference is that, when approached the right way, people in Acehnese communities mainly support land and inheritance rights for women, and they don't stigmatize women for attempting to exercise them. But in Pakistan, the social pressure to give up their rights to property in favor of male relatives is enormous. Women may legally have rights, but when they ask for them, they are subject to disapproval, shunning, even violence.
After our group discussion ended, I had a very good interview with one of the women of LBH-APIK. She gave me some background on it, told of some of their hardships and successes and hopes, and mentioned that trafficking in women and children has been a growing problem since the tsunami. She was also curious about polygamy in the US, so I explained about the LDS and the fundamentalist Mormon sects. I also mentioned that some people freely choose multiple relationships that may not include marriages -- and not just men, but women, too! They were quite surprised to hear this, naturally ("Polyandry?!" they gasped)! Heh. Poly visibility!
Oops, dinner time.
OMG, I swear I did not choose to go to Pizza Hut again! I think the staff are almost on a first-name basis with me now. Also, the same music has played every. single. time. in the background. If I'm sick of it, imagine how sick of it the staff must be!
Anyway, it started raining torrentially during dinner. It subsided for long enough to walk back to the hotel, but resumed shortly afterward. Impressive thunder and lightning, too. Then we continued our meeting and ended around midnight. I had wanted to go to the internet cafe for a bit, but it really was just a bit too late, and it's been a long day. I hope Trowa and my parents aren't worrying about me. I know M. (G.'s supervisor) had been a little worried that she hadn't heard from us in several days.
So, back to this afternoon. The drivers took us to the worst-hit area in Banda Aceh. Where there were once many, many houses, all were demolished and only a fraction have been rebuilt. So many people were killed there -- the water swept right over the flat land. Most of the dead were women and children, in part because the women could not climb trees or run, and had the children with them. Now schools have been rebuilt, but there's no one to teach, no one to learn. It's heartbreaking.
At the same time, those who survived have moved on as best they could, even though some are still living in temporary housing. We drove through a village rebuilt with Turkish funds, and as we stood in front of the mosque, three scootersful of women drove up and started chatting and taking photos with us. Sumera even got on the back of a scooter and rode a few feet. It was good fun.
We then were taken to the beach nearby. Most of the Bedari group had never seen a beach before, and it was such a treat to see how excited they were to walk barefoot in the sand and wade in the warm sea. So cute! I also had some good photo opportunities with the moored, wrecked ship nearby, a remnant of the tsunami destruction. I waded into the water, too. I hate when my feet are sandy, but it was worth it to feel the ocean's warmth. We bought roasted corn on the cob from a woman at the side of the road before returning to the car.
Next we drove past the electrical generator ship, and after that we stopped for a snack at KFC. Really, it's kind of embarrassing how few real Indonesian meals I've had here! I mean, yeah, we did have Indonesian lunches with some of the groups we visited, but much of that was food I couldn't eat. Anyway, we then went back to the hotel so they could rest, and I took the opportunity to do a little souvenir shopping around the corner. I bought enough that a happy store owner threw in a little gift for free.
So, that was my day. A good one, at that. Less fun was having to marinate in sweat and smoke and bugspray and sunscreen all day. Showering first, then bed. At least we get to sleep in a little!
After our group discussion ended, I had a very good interview with one of the women of LBH-APIK. She gave me some background on it, told of some of their hardships and successes and hopes, and mentioned that trafficking in women and children has been a growing problem since the tsunami. She was also curious about polygamy in the US, so I explained about the LDS and the fundamentalist Mormon sects. I also mentioned that some people freely choose multiple relationships that may not include marriages -- and not just men, but women, too! They were quite surprised to hear this, naturally ("Polyandry?!" they gasped)! Heh. Poly visibility!
Oops, dinner time.
OMG, I swear I did not choose to go to Pizza Hut again! I think the staff are almost on a first-name basis with me now. Also, the same music has played every. single. time. in the background. If I'm sick of it, imagine how sick of it the staff must be!
Anyway, it started raining torrentially during dinner. It subsided for long enough to walk back to the hotel, but resumed shortly afterward. Impressive thunder and lightning, too. Then we continued our meeting and ended around midnight. I had wanted to go to the internet cafe for a bit, but it really was just a bit too late, and it's been a long day. I hope Trowa and my parents aren't worrying about me. I know M. (G.'s supervisor) had been a little worried that she hadn't heard from us in several days.
So, back to this afternoon. The drivers took us to the worst-hit area in Banda Aceh. Where there were once many, many houses, all were demolished and only a fraction have been rebuilt. So many people were killed there -- the water swept right over the flat land. Most of the dead were women and children, in part because the women could not climb trees or run, and had the children with them. Now schools have been rebuilt, but there's no one to teach, no one to learn. It's heartbreaking.
At the same time, those who survived have moved on as best they could, even though some are still living in temporary housing. We drove through a village rebuilt with Turkish funds, and as we stood in front of the mosque, three scootersful of women drove up and started chatting and taking photos with us. Sumera even got on the back of a scooter and rode a few feet. It was good fun.
We then were taken to the beach nearby. Most of the Bedari group had never seen a beach before, and it was such a treat to see how excited they were to walk barefoot in the sand and wade in the warm sea. So cute! I also had some good photo opportunities with the moored, wrecked ship nearby, a remnant of the tsunami destruction. I waded into the water, too. I hate when my feet are sandy, but it was worth it to feel the ocean's warmth. We bought roasted corn on the cob from a woman at the side of the road before returning to the car.
Next we drove past the electrical generator ship, and after that we stopped for a snack at KFC. Really, it's kind of embarrassing how few real Indonesian meals I've had here! I mean, yeah, we did have Indonesian lunches with some of the groups we visited, but much of that was food I couldn't eat. Anyway, we then went back to the hotel so they could rest, and I took the opportunity to do a little souvenir shopping around the corner. I bought enough that a happy store owner threw in a little gift for free.
So, that was my day. A good one, at that. Less fun was having to marinate in sweat and smoke and bugspray and sunscreen all day. Showering first, then bed. At least we get to sleep in a little!