How to cut your toenails with a machete. In case you ever need to know.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Wild bus rides
While in the second of my worlds last month, I travelled on a chartered bus 3 hours each way, up and over the mountains and down the coast a bit to a culture contest. It was one of those little busses designed in some industrialized Asian country that never made it in the home country and so was dumped on the market in a less fortunate country. It's the kind of vehicle that looks kind of cool on the outside, streamlined glass the whole length, but totally ignores passenger comfort on the inside. There were about six rows of seats, some so close together that even the tiny natives of this area were hard pressed to get their knees behind the seat in front of them. The little section of the window that actually could be opened was at about waist height - not very useful for anybody who was car sick or even just wanting a little air. As mentioned in my July post on Putting on a good face, the incidence of motion sickness in this area is VERY high.
To save my knees, I sat in the back seat by the door. There was 6 centimeters of space for my feet before the meter deep drop off into the stair well. An inexperienced rider would have been thrown off the seat into the stair well every time the driver braked, which on the narrow, twisting road was quite often.
Soon after beginning the climb up into the mountains the bus got very quiet. The only thing you could hear was the "kkkkkkkkkhhh!" of people clearing the backs of their throats trying frantically not to vomit. People were soon vying for plastic bags and taking turns standing in the stairwell so they could get air or at least barf out the door. The driver's assistant had left the door open but had helpfully put a grab bar across the opening which later on was very helpful to those so overcome by nausea they barely had the strength to stand. One guy would hang his head out the door hugging the door because he was so sick. I was afraid he would get whacked by a tree branch or even lose his grip and fall out. I decided then and there to NEVER pass a bus on the shoulder.
When we arrived back in the village people quietly got off the bus, some immediately squatted down at the side of the road, others lay flat on the floor of the nearest structure. Those who could still walk gathered their things and went quietly home. Those who had remained by the side of the road were all recovered by the next afternoon.
I am very grateful that I do not get car sick. They joke about it but it can truly be a terrible thing.
To save my knees, I sat in the back seat by the door. There was 6 centimeters of space for my feet before the meter deep drop off into the stair well. An inexperienced rider would have been thrown off the seat into the stair well every time the driver braked, which on the narrow, twisting road was quite often.
Soon after beginning the climb up into the mountains the bus got very quiet. The only thing you could hear was the "kkkkkkkkkhhh!" of people clearing the backs of their throats trying frantically not to vomit. People were soon vying for plastic bags and taking turns standing in the stairwell so they could get air or at least barf out the door. The driver's assistant had left the door open but had helpfully put a grab bar across the opening which later on was very helpful to those so overcome by nausea they barely had the strength to stand. One guy would hang his head out the door hugging the door because he was so sick. I was afraid he would get whacked by a tree branch or even lose his grip and fall out. I decided then and there to NEVER pass a bus on the shoulder.
When we arrived back in the village people quietly got off the bus, some immediately squatted down at the side of the road, others lay flat on the floor of the nearest structure. Those who could still walk gathered their things and went quietly home. Those who had remained by the side of the road were all recovered by the next afternoon.
I am very grateful that I do not get car sick. They joke about it but it can truly be a terrible thing.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Egg salad pizza anyone?
Back in the third of my worlds. After all the smoke and gloom in the second of my worlds, it was great to see the blue sky and fluffy clouds and green, green vegetation of this place. My cough cleared up quickly.
My head and heart have had a chance to calm down too.
A trip to the local mall was a bit disorienting as Christmas stuff is out already with a few nominal chains of paper pumpkins thrown in for Halloween. The problem with the Christmas season starting so soon is that by the time Christmas really arrives you are heartily tired of it.
The reason for the trip to the mall was that a friend was visiting from the second of my worlds so I took her out for pizza. I wanted to show her what real pizza is like - I don't think what they call pizza in her world really qualifies. I mean, should pizza taste like egg salad sandwiches? Or tuna and mayo sandwiches? Now I like egg salad sandwiches okay and I don't mind tuna sandwiches, but I see no reason to call it pizza! I am talking about a well-known pizza chain. No wonder all those poor folk down there pour hot sauce all over it! They would probably love real pepperoni if they could get it but instead the best they can get is pizza with canned hotdog slices. Yeeech!
My head and heart have had a chance to calm down too.
A trip to the local mall was a bit disorienting as Christmas stuff is out already with a few nominal chains of paper pumpkins thrown in for Halloween. The problem with the Christmas season starting so soon is that by the time Christmas really arrives you are heartily tired of it.
The reason for the trip to the mall was that a friend was visiting from the second of my worlds so I took her out for pizza. I wanted to show her what real pizza is like - I don't think what they call pizza in her world really qualifies. I mean, should pizza taste like egg salad sandwiches? Or tuna and mayo sandwiches? Now I like egg salad sandwiches okay and I don't mind tuna sandwiches, but I see no reason to call it pizza! I am talking about a well-known pizza chain. No wonder all those poor folk down there pour hot sauce all over it! They would probably love real pepperoni if they could get it but instead the best they can get is pizza with canned hotdog slices. Yeeech!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
When is enough enough?
October 16, 2006
Today another preacher was shot to death in broad daylight on the main road of the city. He was shot in the head between 8-9am while out shopping with his wife. Though some may see it as part of religious conflict, I am not so sure that it is. Who has guns? The people do not, not of any religion. Only the authorities have guns. Only someone with official protection could shoot somebody in broad daylight on the main road and not get caught. This was an assassination. That preacher was dangerous to somebody big, somebody with a lot of status and a lot of money. Perhaps because of his knowledge of that person's corruption in general or collusion in the inter-ethnic conflict a couple of years ago? Perhaps because of his willingness to appeal to the UN for what many perceived to be the unjust trial and rushed execution of three men last month? Or simply because somebody benefits from keeping the conflict going?
What was the first response of the local govt? Did they do something useful like search the local police and army barracks for fired weapons? No, they set up roadblocks to check cars and motorbikes coming INTO town for sharp weapons. Hmmm. Are they really that incompetent or is it on purpose?
Today was another hot, dark, and gloomy day as smoke covers the face of the earth, as if even God Himself can’t stand looking at the rottenness in this place…
Justice
October 14
Justice. People complain that things aren’t fair. The government isn’t fair. The courts aren’t fair. The village head isn’t fair. The teacher isn’t fair. Life isn't fair. But do people really want justice?
A number of years ago some friends were indirectly involved in a community issue and were accused of various offenses. Upon investigation it was found that the accusations were not true. Nevertheless the highest government official involved said in no uncertain terms that he was not concerned with what was true or false, but with public order and so wanted my friends to leave the area. Some see the government in this region as placating certain groups rather than being concerned with justice per se. A recent example was the execution of three men sentenced to death for their involvement in 3 years of inter-ethnic violence in this area. Many people felt the whole trial was unjust as the judges and witnesses were constantly threatened and intimidated. It was also seen as unjust because the parties instigating the conflict have never been tried, and very few from the other side of the conflict (non-natives) were ever even arrested, let alone tried or convicted. And no one has been tried for any of a long series of bombings, shootings, and beheadings that have followed in recent years aimed at the native community It seemed to many that these three men were being made the scapegoat for the entire conflict, though it was apparent to any reasonably impartial observer that the three could hardly be the masterminds, being uneducated farmers who weren’t even native to the area, tied only by religion to the native group.
One can almost see government officials dithering over this case – if they didn’t carry out the execution the non-native ethnic group was threatening to burn the provincial capital down. That ethnic group is known for having volatile tempers, for taking “vengeance” not against the offender but indiscriminantly against anybody at all related by blood, religion, or geography to the offender. On the other hand, if they did carry out the executions the native ethnic group would certainly be angry. But the risk of the native group burning down the city was almost nil because that group was of a different religion and their religious leaders would preach against taking vengeance. So it seems possible that the decision to carry out the executions may have been driven more by the concern with “public order” rather than justice.
Even at the local level, justice is often not done because of a concern for public perception. I was at a contest a couple of weeks ago for reading, poetry, singing, etc. The participants were from 10 different villages. When the prizes were awarded many people were surprised that some very good performers had not gotten any prize and others who weren’t as good got trophies. I later heard people comforting each other by saying, “Well, maybe it’s good to distribute the prizes to as many different villages as possible so that people will still want to come next year. If they didn’t get any prizes, maybe they would lose heart and not participate.”
So do people really want justice? Or do they really want vindication of themselves? As the first of my worlds slides further and further from a justice system based on absolutes, will they see more and more decisions made catering to the perceptions of the majority or at least of those most likely to cause public disorder?
What is justice? Around here the answer seems to be that only God knows.
Justice. People complain that things aren’t fair. The government isn’t fair. The courts aren’t fair. The village head isn’t fair. The teacher isn’t fair. Life isn't fair. But do people really want justice?
A number of years ago some friends were indirectly involved in a community issue and were accused of various offenses. Upon investigation it was found that the accusations were not true. Nevertheless the highest government official involved said in no uncertain terms that he was not concerned with what was true or false, but with public order and so wanted my friends to leave the area. Some see the government in this region as placating certain groups rather than being concerned with justice per se. A recent example was the execution of three men sentenced to death for their involvement in 3 years of inter-ethnic violence in this area. Many people felt the whole trial was unjust as the judges and witnesses were constantly threatened and intimidated. It was also seen as unjust because the parties instigating the conflict have never been tried, and very few from the other side of the conflict (non-natives) were ever even arrested, let alone tried or convicted. And no one has been tried for any of a long series of bombings, shootings, and beheadings that have followed in recent years aimed at the native community It seemed to many that these three men were being made the scapegoat for the entire conflict, though it was apparent to any reasonably impartial observer that the three could hardly be the masterminds, being uneducated farmers who weren’t even native to the area, tied only by religion to the native group.
One can almost see government officials dithering over this case – if they didn’t carry out the execution the non-native ethnic group was threatening to burn the provincial capital down. That ethnic group is known for having volatile tempers, for taking “vengeance” not against the offender but indiscriminantly against anybody at all related by blood, religion, or geography to the offender. On the other hand, if they did carry out the executions the native ethnic group would certainly be angry. But the risk of the native group burning down the city was almost nil because that group was of a different religion and their religious leaders would preach against taking vengeance. So it seems possible that the decision to carry out the executions may have been driven more by the concern with “public order” rather than justice.
Even at the local level, justice is often not done because of a concern for public perception. I was at a contest a couple of weeks ago for reading, poetry, singing, etc. The participants were from 10 different villages. When the prizes were awarded many people were surprised that some very good performers had not gotten any prize and others who weren’t as good got trophies. I later heard people comforting each other by saying, “Well, maybe it’s good to distribute the prizes to as many different villages as possible so that people will still want to come next year. If they didn’t get any prizes, maybe they would lose heart and not participate.”
So do people really want justice? Or do they really want vindication of themselves? As the first of my worlds slides further and further from a justice system based on absolutes, will they see more and more decisions made catering to the perceptions of the majority or at least of those most likely to cause public disorder?
What is justice? Around here the answer seems to be that only God knows.
Hazy Fasting
October 13
So here I am in the second of my worlds again. As expected, this world has been wholly consuming with almost no news of the outside world(s). The usually crystal clear sky has been at best very hazy, at worst downright opague. The next island over has apparently been enveloped in forest fires for the last month. When the winds blow a certain way, we get it here too. Last week we had a couple of very overcast days – overcast with smoke. Some flights were cancelled. Today the mountains are again not visible – even though they are only 5 km away. I was in the process of recovering from bronchitis but it seems to be coming back. Sigh! (Ooops, shouldn’t have sighed - cough, cough!)
It is the month of fasting here and things have been rather quiet. Although it may not be exactly orthodox teaching, most people in this area see the month of fasting as a time of atoning for sin. Traditionally their culture demanded sacrifices to atone for wrong doing and as this religion spread, people still felt the need for atonement. So for many, fasting has become the way to atone. It is a time to reflect back on one’s life and to renew religious commitment. The end of the fast is the time to restore broken relationships, a time to kind of start fresh and try again to be good. It is a community thing, people are urged to be especially good and pious this month and there are religious services every night. School kids are on vacation. Politicians also try to gain kudos by publicly exhorting people to avoid violence, corruption, and bad deeds this month. (Though sometimes one wonders if they realize the unspoken implication – that it is okay during the rest of the year just don’t do it this month????)
So here I am in the second of my worlds again. As expected, this world has been wholly consuming with almost no news of the outside world(s). The usually crystal clear sky has been at best very hazy, at worst downright opague. The next island over has apparently been enveloped in forest fires for the last month. When the winds blow a certain way, we get it here too. Last week we had a couple of very overcast days – overcast with smoke. Some flights were cancelled. Today the mountains are again not visible – even though they are only 5 km away. I was in the process of recovering from bronchitis but it seems to be coming back. Sigh! (Ooops, shouldn’t have sighed - cough, cough!)
It is the month of fasting here and things have been rather quiet. Although it may not be exactly orthodox teaching, most people in this area see the month of fasting as a time of atoning for sin. Traditionally their culture demanded sacrifices to atone for wrong doing and as this religion spread, people still felt the need for atonement. So for many, fasting has become the way to atone. It is a time to reflect back on one’s life and to renew religious commitment. The end of the fast is the time to restore broken relationships, a time to kind of start fresh and try again to be good. It is a community thing, people are urged to be especially good and pious this month and there are religious services every night. School kids are on vacation. Politicians also try to gain kudos by publicly exhorting people to avoid violence, corruption, and bad deeds this month. (Though sometimes one wonders if they realize the unspoken implication – that it is okay during the rest of the year just don’t do it this month????)
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