Trish Patrick Blogs

After a very short night in Jakarta, Indonesia and my last hot shower, I arrived in Bengkulu. I am pretty easy to spot because I am usually the tallest person and the only White person. Deboarding the plane is always an adventure. I told Abdul Rahman (middle in top picture), my research colleague, I wore…

Thank you to the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS) and Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) for my Department of State Educational and Cultural Affairs Research Grant. I am on my way back to Indonesia to collect data in two spaces. More on that later. Last time I posted was in 2023. I…

Goodbyes are part of life. As I planned for this blog, I thought about the poem Reason, Season, or Lifetime. I hear or read references to this poem often. I think of goodbyes in a similar way. (Note: No study participants are pictured). Reason Goodbyes: These are goodbyes you say to people you see often…

I leave my Fulbright experience Sunday April 30. Thank you to those of you who followed the blog and contacted me on the blog and other ways. Feels good to know you all are out there and care enough to spend your time reading about my work. My last day in Bengkulu was April 27.…

I asked Yoga (colleague from Bangka), if he had all the money in the world, where would he go in Indonesia. He did not hesitate to say Padar Island. Quickly pulled out his phone and showed me why I should go. His passion for the place and the pictures convinced me this was my next…

I am near the end of the 7 month Fulbright assignment. So close, I am saying goodbye to Bengkulu City with a few fascinating moments. Today was most likely my last full day in Bengkulu City. I spent the morning with Ela. She is lovely. She took me to the lake. All this time in…

Leeches sucked my blood. Mosquitoes are my skinny, little friends. Several people I interviewed over the last 7 months said, “Don’t kill even mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have a reason for being here. Even the mosquito is important. ONLY kill the mosquito if he bites you.” I try to kill the cute little things ONLY when I…

Last night I had a beautiful view of the Pink Moon coming up over the rainforest. The picture does not do it justice. Who could ask for better? The moon over the rainforest. Good night moon!! Probably better is the sun going down over the rainforest. My backyard faces the ocean. I can see a…

Yesterday, I was asked if I wanted to pull the school corn. Of course, I did!!! I love my garden at home and could not wait to pull corn. I even showed up early I was so excited. The corn is not planted in rows or at least I could not see any. So I…

I was so busy this past week I did not have time to write a post. So I am catching up this week. Last week I was on Bangka Island completing the U.S. Embassy grant work. We had a great time. My colleagues/friends Deb from Australia, Riska from Bengkulu (I lived with her family while…