Friday the University of Benguklu’s (university where I am working) College of Education had a fair and singing competition. I visited all of the booths. The students designed and worked the booths. Each department had a booth–English, Physical Education, Biology, Chemistry, etc. The Art Education booth was really interesting. The students were so excited one…

Sunday I went to my colleagues house for a working fish fry. Behind his house, he built a student/parent community center. Sunday his students and I put up a white board and covered the floor. OK, so his students worked and I mostly watched. They would not let me do anything. I think it was…

Quickie today. Just home from walking to the store. The bill was 61,700 rupiah. I gave the girl (who was very young) 101,700 rupiah. She gave me back 38,000 rupiah. I told her that was not correct. The young boy next to me in line spoke a little English. He asked if he could help.…

This week I went to collect data from indigenous healers of the Lembak Tribe. I was meant to stay there 2 weeks. This week and next week. Sooooo did not work out as planned! This is how ethnographic studies go–you NEVER know what will happen. The story of most interest is further down the page,…

Working in my bedroom. Silence…..Bang! Bang! Bang! in my kitchen. I ran to see what was the matter and had made such a clatter. A monkey was in my kitchen! He did not have a bra around his neck, but he stole my cantaloupe. I leave the doors open in hopes to catch a breeze…

This week I spent time with the Kaur tribe in Kabupaten. To protect my participants, I cannot say which village. My original research had 3 foci–1. Defining the plants/animals indigenous healers use for healing. 2. Determining indigenous healers’ knowledge of conservation issues related to the plants/animals they collect. 3. Explaining how the healers influence conservation…

Note: If you want the video version, skip to the next section. This is probably the longest post I will have. Explaining life here is not easy in a few words. So read a bit then take a break and come back to finish another day! Sip a glass of wine or drink a beer…

If you are more inclined to watch Youtube Videos you can skip reading and go straight to those in the middle. Saturday, I had a chauffeur to campus. Deni and his children picked me up. I rode on the back (3+1=4 of us on the bike). I love the little seat she sits in. I…

Dinner tonight was more fun than anticipated. I had dinner and a show! I cooked a chicken marinara sauce with fusilli pasta. DINNER: All was going well until I opened the pasta bag and poured some in the boiling water. I notice bugs on top of the water so I poured it out and started…

I am happy to say I made it to Bengkulu. I will post more about where I am staying and living conditions later this weekend if you are interested. This is my first day with WIFI access–still no WIFI at the house. Abdul Rahman is my colleague at the University of Bengkulu. He is a…