Paradise found - Senang Hati

Bali interlude

Thurs 23 Nov
Sleep well again and this time with no mosquitoes thanks to Ayu finding a coil to burn. One cockroach in the night but none of those annoying mosque noises! Continuing diarrhoea, but staying in Senang Hati all day so not a problem. Senang Hati is the training centre run by and for disabled people from all over Bali, is based in a former school high up in the wooded uplands of the island where I am spending 4 or 5 days as their guest. I have been invited at the suggestion it seems of Jantine, a Dutch vso physiotherapist who has been working here for two years. Back in Jogyakarta I had imagined that they were seeking advice on a small extension to some shabby building in the sweltering hot bustling city of Denpasser down on the coast but no, I am in this idyllic spot discussing a completely new building because they have to leave the present buildings in a couple of years. They already own the new site thanks to a local benefactor, have a local architect (English speaking Gde) who I met on site yesterday. I discuss with the trustee members of the community the need to be specific about the quantity of accommodation that is needed so the architect, who is apparently freely giving his services can draw up realistic proposals. We go through the existing accommodation and catalogue requirements to present to the architect. They also seem little concerned at the two year time scale which has to allow for fund raising as well as the necessary contract arrangements but hopefully are now more aware of the work to be done by all parties to achieve that goal. In the afternoon the architect arrives for a meeting, two hours late but at least he has texted his apologies in advance. For his part he is unaware that Senang Hati have to leave the present site in two years and welcomes the schedule of accommodation and some sketch advice on the space standards required for the disabled dormitories and toilets. I advise him of the trustees concern with the suggestion in some of his drafts for two storied sleeping accommodation in the event of emergency evacuation being needed. He agreed in principal but noting the changes of level on the site felt that it might well still be reasonable with no increase in danger. I said the trustees accepted his broad approach of a series of areas (linked courtyards) progressing from the public area, craft shop and temple to the community zone with the meeting hall and offices, to the working area of classrooms and work studios, up to the sleeping and eating area with the swimming pool and finally the guest accommodation for sponsors, visiting dignitaries etc in the quietest far corner but still enjoying views out across the countryside. The detailed site measurements and levels taken yesterday were now being translated to drawings and with the accommodation list felt able to press ahead with further proposals. There is to be some grand exhibition in nearby Ubud at the end of December and the trustees would like to have proposals with costs of different bits for sponsorship to display. Mind you, next week is out for one of the more major Hindu festivals so I feel dubious but we will see… The thirty two present residents produce large volumes of pottery, carvings, shoes and clothing and paintings ( a large variety but surprisingly virtually none of the beautiful surroundings with the hills, the forest with its giant leaved trees, colourful shrubs and orchids, glimpses of temple roofs and the winding country roads but there you are – living in paradise perhaps you just get used to it!). The new site, though less attractive will have less steep slopes, at present several of the wheelchair users have problems with the worst 1 in 4 incline and, with my present bowel condition I can see that two indoor toilets are less than desirable particularly at peak times! A power cut causes me to lose a stack of work on the computer which has to be repeated but with plenty of help thanks to their training courses and of course the Indonesian language. They do have internet access but a slow and expensive dial-up service. The government last year for the first time came up with some assistance, limited to a supply of rice for the kitchen for the year which they hope to repeat next year and maybe even improve upon. An offered walkabout with one of the boys has to be cancelled due to a meeting but hopefully will take place in the cool of the morning sunshine tomorrow before I catch my plane back to Jogya. On a slightly worrying note a text from Pak T.O. in Mandungan does not confirm that my new accommodation is ready, just forecasting that it will be by Saturday. Also Biwa texts to say that Thomas’s phone is not accessible (has the lad gone walkabouts again?) but that I will be met at the airport on my return. Tomorrow is a big day, for always excitable Jantine is to have a ‘surprise’ leaving ceremony and party before she moves on to another project on Lombok island.
Picture loading problem again, pictures of paradise later

Elfin Halls

Sat 11 Nov

Cornflakes and Java coffee, sitting out on the balcony in the shade and the cool of the morning life doesn’t seem so bad and a txt from son Mike adds to the pleasure. Pak Biwa now has the receipt for the million rupiah needed by local boss-man (dukuh) for my residency certificate so I can pay Biwa from my reserve monies and inform Priyo of vso so that I can be reimbursed next time I am in Bali. For some reason though no connection to hotmail today – or is it the cheapo internet caff by the railway crossing? After cashing the million from the tech college ATM I notice that the balance doesn’t match the income and expenditure (or does it? Must keep a watch on the receipts!)

In the afternoon Thomas takes me to visit Tembi, which I missed on Wednesday (he wouldn’t let me try the busses “you could be mugged as a rich westerner”). Boss man Australian Warwick Purser was not at home for the weekend but one of his aides, Pak Kano, and later on aided by an American team member was happy to show us round. Warick’s own house, he has been here for many years helping to build up the village furniture making business, is a palatial timber structure. An exterior colonnade, shading the bikes leads into a maze (some would say a warren) of elfin halls like, spacious, dark halls in timber with high-pitched ceilings lined with bamboo matting. The furniture is heavy and dark (or is it the lighting?) and the floors are dark tiled. Painted wooden sculptures (of hopefully mythical creatures) and traditional paintings add to the theatrical atmosphere and through openings are glimpsed other rooms, kitchens, landscaped courtyards and aviaries. Towards the rear of the complex, surrounded by a high bamboo grove is a swimming pool and guest house (?) – this is surely where visiting American importers must be entertained? Then the village itself, much of it very badly damaged by the earthquake now being rebuilt at a rate of knots using a variety of designs and employing 200 people (mostly from outside the village) – all paid for by the HSBC and a myriad of American charities with no Indonesian government money (or building controls) being involved – partly explaining the head start that they have achieved. Everything puts my operation in Mandungan village well into the shade before I even start but an inspiration at the same time!

Back at the hostel I try to recall a fraction of what we’ve been told and download all the photos Thomas has helpfully taken so that the camera is ready for the arrival of their daughter and his in-laws late in the night...

problem uploading pics today - watch this space....

Magic water

Mon 6 Nov

picture - Thomas and Alice

First thing, well after breakfast of porridge and coffee is batches of bike riding, must remember to use clutch when changing gear and to cancel indicator lights after making a turn. At 10.00 drive to ATM cash machine which sits outside the technical college. Poster there advertising a one day event and demonstration next week “hacking with linux”. No new money in my account though so drive off frustrated to little old lady down the road who makes a fresh lemon and ice drink for 2,000 Rupiah (10p), leaving me with 700. send a text to finance officer at vso Bali asking him to ring me if any problem. Then more motorcycling around the nearby suburbs, manage to stall in middle of a crossroads but, like China there must be some law about not running people over so I get to the side and a passerby helps me to re-plug the sparkplug lead and restart the engine. By the way, would you believe it? In Java with nearly three times the population density of the uk and where there are so many m’bikes there are 3.8 road deaths each year for every 100,000 people compared to over 5 in the uk (how do they do it?)
Alice cooks chips, well French fries anyway for lunch to cheer me up and I take my siesta with the fan cooling me down. 2pm walk round to the ATM but zilch still and no phone call from Bali – my phone credit balance not enough to call vsoso wait for Pak Biwa and Thomas to return for help with money and phoning from a ‘wartel’ shop which is cheaper than a mobile. Eventually, with a loan from Alice we manage to ring just before the Bali office closes (there is a one hour time difference) to be told that ‘no’ the money has not yet been transferred. I point out that I emailed the details of my account a week ago and was now reduced to borrowing money from friends. He is sorry but has been busy, will sort it out in the morning.
T and I then drive out to the farm in daylight through the busy traffic. Pak TO is not at home but his wife and henchmen are so we get to do some printing on the office computer of my initial house plan proposals and my ‘who’s who’ photo gallery though the colour cartridge needs replacing (make a note of its No.). We are given glass each of some wonder water being prepared and marketed by the village. It has been heated allegedly to 200C and gone through a process of molecule modification to produce a water capable of amazing restorative healing and strength giving. It will make people strong, alleviate heart problems and probably erectile dysfunction as well. It is bottled and labelled and sells for 20,000 Rph for a litre bottle although they could not say how many bottles are produced or sold each month. At any event Thomas and I are pressed to accept a bottle each to take home. While Thomas is doing some of his own printing I wander out into the village to see if Antok the English speaking student is at home, everybody waves and greets me like a long lost friend but Antok is elsewhere so back to the office. (Antok later texts to apologise for not being there and to say that he is free on Wednesday to come with us to Tembi - so much for Pak TO saying he wouldn’t be available!)
Back to Jogya in the dark, we have rear light but virtually no headlight which seems more serious on the unlit country lanes but we make it and with a diversion to see Pak Ajikusumo’s new multi-million (billion?) house, still unfinished and in a guarded executive compound, possibly the largest house there and with 2-3 storey high windows to the palatial foyer, no view but clearly for outsiders to look in and marvel at the luxurious fitting out. It seems strange that Thomas should be so concerned that I only have a photocopy of my bike’s registration document when the police seem oblivious to so many road users not having lights at night.

end of honeymoon (or going pear-shaped?)

I guess this is the stage in any vso placement where the volunteer begins to wonder if they will ever achieve anything – is it worth while? Are they personally up to it? Or is it better to admit defeat early and return home? I have to keep telling myself that life is only a game and we must not take it too seriously!

My temporary accommodation in the attractive student hostel has now been temporary for over two weeks now. On the first day I accepted a small house in the village subject only to furniture but no action was taken while Pak TO was away on business for a week and then it transpired that the building owner would not accept the sum offered (or was dubious about receiving payment?) so a new search was instigated. This succeeded eventually, within a family house and again subject to furnishings – all would be ready in two days “no problem” but a week later still no sign of completion.

I got me a cheap phone for texting which is the only way people here communicate or arranges things which is ok in English but in Indonesian the texting abbreviations add seriously to any comprehension problems!

With my money that I arrived with running out and the need for a bank account so that vso can start paying my allowance and expenses in my temporary host Pak Biwa goes to some lengths to arrange a ‘residence certificate’ from the local Dukuh so that I can open an account. The certificate is provided on the understanding that I will give the dukuh a free-will gift of 2million Rph although I understand that one million may be found acceptable. I ascertain that a receipt would be available and contact vso for advice (will probably say it is an employer’s responsibility and pass it on to Pak TO ?). Reminds me of the way foreign students in the uk are treated when paying their university fees – but neither practice is surely ethical? As for the speech that the dukuh was wanting me to give to his populace he will have to wait till I decide what payment is appropriate!

My employer Pak TO has made it clear that he sought my appointment as a means of attracting (from vso/spark) funds to pay for 4 or 5 new replacement houses in the village that the government refuses to finance. My physical presence and any skills that I may have are merely a nuisance that he will have to accept to have any chance of getting the money.

Anyway, gripe over for now – the sun is shining as always (will it never stop?), it’s a reasonable temperature sitting outside on the balcony having my morning coffee at 7am. Later I will go with Thomas to the air-conditioned internet wi-fi café to blog and email before getting my haircut and possibly getting my sandals mended, and Pak Biwa has promised to make some potato chips for lunch.....

ps photos not loading today for some reason.... next time maybe?

Beside the sea

Sat 28 Oct

8 o’clock and the trip has been finalised. Thomas takes me, along with brolly, executive hat and tropical suit to Pak Ajikusumo’s house in the south west suburbs of the city ( this is Pak Biwa’s favoured candidate for the Presidency). T returns to collect Biwa while I talk to Ibu (Mrs) and others in the house. The house is a fair size and is in this largely single storied, high density neighbourhood. The streets are a single car width and, except for m’bikes the right angled corners require a three point turn to navigate so no need for the speed humps That I am now familiar with elsewhere, and providing a reasonably quiet and pedestrian friendly area. The many fruit trees in front courtyards add to the quality (sorry no photos). ‘A’ himself seems friendly and personable and he thinks before speaking without appearing aloof. Thomas assures me that he is a multi millionaire and has a luxury villa out in the countryside but presumably the town house affords him a closer touch with his prospective electorate.

Of to the south coast in a large air-conditioned car passing a big UN food relief base and many of the Rotary Club’s small family tents in this the hardest hit area of the earthquake. 20km at the coast we reach the experimental farm which for several years has been developing farming techniques to grow things in this unpromising looking ‘soil’ which is just plain grey sand clearly originating from the pumice of the past volcanoes. It is burning hot sand, even with my sandals on but apparently so rich in nutrients that plants can grow with no fertilizers or sprays (insects are killed with hurricane lamps alongside each little plot). The only essential is the fresh water pumped up from the many small wells, and a plastic screen to protect plants from the sea fret. Some crops and further screening shrubs planted in the dunes had suffered badly in the tsunami two or three months ago but things were apparently now back to normal. Back to Ajikusumo’s place for a drink and attractive lunch served by his staff (one of whom looked uncanningly like Clement Freud), and to meet his three young daughters before returning to the hostel where Thomas and one of the candidate’s team sort through and download all the pictures taken by T today – wait for my supporting role behind Ajikusumo in his next publicity film?