The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in Telang Rejo, Sumatra

I love my job.  Most people think I am crazy.  I love the challenge of the hot weather, the long days, the language barriers and everything else that comes with being an ecologist in the mucky paddy. I was in Indonesia recently for ten days and reminded once again that being away from home isn’t that bad.

The journey to Telang Rejo in South Sumatra is quite a trip; cars, trains, planes, more cars, boats and motorbikes. I am usually wrecked by the time I get there and since I don’t sleep while I am there, my time there is rough enough.  However, there are so many good things in Telang too.

Adventures in telangvimeo from Niamh Quinn on Vimeo.



 A short video of some of trips to Telang

The Good.....

Rachma and Team Tikus (rat in Bahasa, Indonesia)

Rachma

Rachma is my colleague from ICRR (Indonesian Centre for Rice Research).  Even though we have only met four times, we have spent quite a considerable amount of time in each other’s company. On top of that we communicate regularly about work through email and Facebook.  The problem this time was that Team Tikus was minus Rachma for the first few days.  No one else spoke any English, apart from Arie, the intern, who spoke a few words.  My arms were tired after the first two days from waving furiously to try and get my point across in the field.  I felt so sorry for poor Arie.  I was roaring at him all the time.  In my head, the louder I said it, the easier it would be to understand.  Turns out Arie hadn’t a clue of 95% of the stuff that was coming out of my mouth.  Everything I said was returned with a “Yes, ma’am”.

Me: Arie! Your mother’s a pineapple.

Arie: Yes ma’am

Arie and Pa Enjanhg

Field work with Team Tikus involves just as much laughing as with Team Daga (rat in Tagalog).  When Rachma finally got her stuff sorted in Java, she joined the field crew in Sumatra.  We got ourselves in some situations!  I decided a short cut would be a good idea and took the lead.  I was half ways there when I started sinking but it was too late to turn back.  Rachma was following me and I had tried to warn her but she continued anyways.  I sunk just to my knees. Rachma suck to half ways up her thighs!  Her wellys were completely filled with water by the time she got to me on the bank. Then we faced our next challenge…..trying to cross the channel between the short cut and the next field site!  I found a really heavy and long piece of wood that I managed to pick up and make a bridge out of. It was very narrow though and when I tried to cross it I chickened out every time I got further from the safety of the bank. Rachma was the first brave one to chance it.  She sat on the plank and tried to scoot over it.  She got stuck half way and we had to get a passing farmer to save her and then help assist me across.

A similar thing happen later and I decided to put the plank between my legs and scoot across.  Funny thing was I got stranded in the middle.  Pa Enjang had to pull me across with a long piece of bamboo.

 

Pa Wasikin and his family

 

Pa Wasikin and his family are so welcoming and happy to see us all come and take over their house.  This was my fourth visit to Telang, but Team Tikus had been there another two times at least. I always want to give Ebu Wasikin a big hug when I see her but I don’t see much hugging in the Muslim culture there so I refrain. Rachma gets a big hug when I see her (she doesn’t get a chance).  Even without Rachma and her translator skills, we still manage to communicate and they make me feel so welcome.  I brought some Lyons tea for Ebu Wasikin this time and they all loved it.  Towards the end of the week I was so tired and I was lying on the rug on the floor of the living room and we were all chatting in Bahasa and English.  Ebu Wasikin came and sat next to me and started to give me an Indonesian foot massage.  I don’t usually like people touching my feet cause they are very ticklish but this was amazing!

Pa Wasikin’s grandson lives next door .  This visit, Feddy really warmed to me and I had great craic playing with him in the evenings.  Neither of us understood what was going on but the kids in Telang have few toys and we had fun with paper planes and silly games that I made up for him.

 

 

Ebu Wasikin’s cooking

 

A delicious meal prepared by Ebu Wasikin

 

Most of you that know me well enough will know that to say my insides are struggling with the Philippines is a bit of an understatement. Well, I have no such problems in Telang, despite Ebu Wasiking gutting the chickens on the same step I wash my boots/teeth on! The food is amazing and so varied.  We are in Asia though so we do eat rice three times a day. Everything is so fresh though.  Ebu Wasikin even makes special not-so-spicy white lady food for me.  The only thing I am not mad about is the sautéed chicken hearts for breakfast.  That is one dish I refuse to partake in!

The bad….

Trains, planes and automobiles

 

The journey is horrendous.  It starts when I wake up at 3.30am in IRRI and then ends in a hotel in Palembang approximately 18 hours later.  The next phase is the trip to the boat. Then the boat journey itself and then depending on where we arrive there are motorbikes and  terrible roads involved. I use the term”roads” here very loosely.  The boat journey back this time was amazing though. We saw so many monkeys, a sea eagle and the usual other wildlife that we normally see.

The Bathroom

The bathroom situation in Pa Wasikin’s house is far from what I am used to. We wash ourselves with the same pot that we flush the toilet with.  I don’t think I will ever get used to the cold showers. Again the term “shower” is used loosely here too.  Last time I was there, I noticed a fish on the bathroom floor when I was using the toilet and used the pale to flush it out the drain/hole in the side of the house.  When I came back later there was a dead fish on the floor.  I wasn’t sure what had happened but flushed it out again as I did not want to share my washing space with a dead fish.  This time I found out where the fish were coming from.  I saw one in the tank where we get our water to shower.  My life!  It really is so bizarre sometimes!

Sleeping, or lack there of!

I can’t sleep in Telang Rejo.  Most of you that live, or have travelled in Asia, will know that it can be exteremely loud.  Well even in ballybackarseofnowhere Sumatra it is also loud.  Firstly there is the call to prayer. It wakes me up every morning at 4.30. I think it is a bit like trains.  You eventually get used to it but I haven’t gotten the chance.

The frogs sound like crosses between demented Chihuahuas and screaming children.  They only stop when it rains very heavily!

There is always a light on somewhere, a loud TV, or a neighbour playing random Arabian music from a loudspeaker attached to their house.

The ugly….

Ebu Wasikin prepares the chicken at the same place I wash my boots/teeth

I caught my first bug in Telang.  Traveling home with a bug through four airports and the journey from Manila to IRRI was beyond awful.  I pretty much slept last weekend away. Thankfully I am recovered now.

I am not sure if this is my last trip to Indonesia.  My contract is supposed to be ending at the end of May and things are very hectic in the Philippines with our current season. I am trying to analyse and write and manage the next season in Telang also.  I would love to go back and see the team and Pa Wasikin’s family but I don’t know if it will be possible.  It has been one hell of an experience. My eyes have been opened to rural living in Asia and to the people, cultures and religious beliefs of the people of Indonesia. I am too much of a princess to live there, but despite the lack of sleeping, I really do enjoy the good and even the bad.  I can leave the ugly!