This week has been the first down week I've had since I've gotten here. I didn't really do that much at all, so it was pretty restful.
I was able to meet with Pak Marzi Afriko this week at the World Bank, and he gave me a lot of interesting information about my research topic as well as people to get in contact with.
One really cool thing - my friend Muhajjir knows a guy who collects old Islamic manuscripts, and he invited me over to his house to take a look at them. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera, but it was interesting looking at all of them! The collector, Pak Tarmizi, has been collecting these manuscripts since 1994. They're all Acehnese, Qur'ans, books, all types of things. The best thing about visiting Tarmizi was that unlike other collectors, who don't let people touch the documents etc., he actually let me hold them and flip through the pages! It was a very special experience.
Next week, I should be going to Lhokseumawe to visit with Pak Al Chaidar, another guy I met at the ARTI book launching last weekend. He specializes in terrorism studies, so he should be especially interesting to speak with. Afterwords, I have plans to visit a pesantren in that area - Pesantren Darul Mujahidin. It's headed by a man named Pak Muslim Atthahiri, and it has been associated with the terrorist group FPI (Islamic Defenders Front, Front Pembela Islam). Apparently, Jemmah Islamiyah also tried to associate with them, but they were rejected by the pesantren. It will be interesting to find out why they didn't want to associate with JI, and what their current relationship with FPI is.
I really hope this goes through - I'm very excited to go, and it would be so disappointing if I didn't get to visit them. I guess it's a good thing that this has been slow, especially considering that next week should be full of activities!
I've also gotten closer to the girls at the asrama. I know I've said this before, but they really are freaking hilarious. And because they've gotten to know me better, I think they feel more comfortable and open with me than they did initially. I was hanging out with a couple of them after maghrib prayers one night, and the discussion turned to boys, and boyfriends. I had asked them a couple weeks before if they had boyfriends (jokingly), and of course they giggled and said "of course not!". This time though, they were telling me that yes, they have had boyfriends. One of them was so funny - she said that she's had five before, and is currently in a relationship with two. She said, "It is cheating, but it's only pacaran* and not marriage, so it's okay!" I thought that was too funny. They really cracked me up.
Last night, the power went off, so a group of us sat together in one of the girls' rooms around a candle. We were able to talk history and politics. Yesterday, the founder of the separatist rebel movement GAM (Free Aceh Movement) passed away, and there was a huge ceremony at Mesjid Raya. We had a really interesting talk about that, because a couple of the girls went to the ceremony. One girl, Lisa, said that Aceh was crying for him because of the sun shower that took place after he was buried. There was also a minor earthquake.
This is the link on BBC about his passing - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10225928.stm
Maybe I can ask some of the girls questions about my research topic, as it does focus on Acehnese society. I'm sure that they'd have a lot of interesting things to say about it.
*pacaran - The term used for dating, or having a boyfriend/girlfriend.
Showing posts with label World Bank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Bank. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Secret Beaches
The past few days have gone really well. I love my English conversation groups at IAIN and Al-Kafi - they're all such great people, and so enthusiastic about practicing their English! I'm enjoying getting to know them all better, as they're all very interesting and have a lot to say.
Ibu Eka asked me to give a little presentation about Islam in the United States for her Sociology of Religion class, which I was more than happy to do. It wasn't anything big, I just talked about how Islam is practiced in the United States, cultural differences, etc. (in Indonesian, of course). I'm happy to report that it went very well, and that there was a lot of discussion afterward. Her class had a lot of interesting questions, and the discussions that we had were really good. The best part about this was at the end, when one of the students raised his hand to speak. He thanked me for doing the presentation and said that he was glad that I came, because before he didn't feel very positively towards Americans. However, after our discussions and having had interacted with me, he said that he had changed his mind and didn't feel that way anymore. I felt excited to hear that, because however kind and hospitable residents of another country may be towards Americans, they still may have a lot of negative stereotypes about us. It's times like these when I thank God that I speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia, because without this skill I don't think that I'd be able to communicate and interact with people on a deeper level.
On Saturday, the girls at the asrama all woke up early to do what they called "guteroy", which is basically yard work. Once a month, they all get up early on the weekend and weed the garden, sweep, etc. I joined in and helped out where I could, and I felt that the girls were all kind of surprised to see me up and out doing chores with them. One told me that she was very happy to see me, another didn't even bother to mask her surprise and said "Oh, you're doing guteroy too?!", and the head of the asrama even said that I could go back inside if I wanted. We were only outside for an hour and a half, if that, and it wasn't even back breaking labor that required muscles and loud machines. It was an easy task, and even someone who had never gardened or done chores in their entire life would have been able to do it well. But I think instances like that are good to have, just to send the message that I'm not just a foreigner staying in their dorm, but that I'm also their peer and friend.
I'm trying hard every day to be positive, friendly, and culturally sensitive. Sometimes it's a little trying, because after a long, hot, exhausting day, the last thing I want to do is make small talk, smile, and be pleasant and engaging. But if I just hang in there for a little while longer, my patience always pays off and people won't see me in a negative light. It's also so much different being in Aceh than it is being in Jakarta; they're like two completely different countries, united only by language. It's even crazier to think about how different the U.S. is compared to Aceh. Despite this, I feel like I've adjusted extremely well and fit in with most of the people here. I'm having fun, making friends, and being as productive as I can. Well, maybe I could be a little more productive, but I'm trying my best! :)
On Sunday, I went to the beach with my friend Sarah, who teaches English at Syiah Kuala University. It was maybe about 30 minutes from Darussalam, and was absolutely breathtaking. The beaches here are pristine and simply gorgeous. We didn't go to the main beach in that area, but instead hiked for about ten minutes through the jungle and finally came to a beautiful, secluded beach. And by secluded, I mean that nobody else was there. That was a lot of fun, and I didn't feel self conscious swimming and being goofy because it was just the two of us.
Overlooking the beach!
Gorgeous!!
The water was PERFECT.
The jungle!
This week should be good, too. Tomorrow I'm going to do an interview with Pak Marzi Afriko, who works at the World Bank and has published papers about Sharia in Aceh, why pesantrens don't accept terrorism, etc. Next week I will be going to Lhoksmawe to meet with another contact, Pak Al Chaidar and do an interview with him.
I'm really excited about doing these interviews. The most experience I've had doing research has been greatly facilitated by Wikipedia, and I'm ecstatic about having the opportunity to do some actual qualitative research. Hope it goes well and that I'll be getting some good information!
Ibu Eka asked me to give a little presentation about Islam in the United States for her Sociology of Religion class, which I was more than happy to do. It wasn't anything big, I just talked about how Islam is practiced in the United States, cultural differences, etc. (in Indonesian, of course). I'm happy to report that it went very well, and that there was a lot of discussion afterward. Her class had a lot of interesting questions, and the discussions that we had were really good. The best part about this was at the end, when one of the students raised his hand to speak. He thanked me for doing the presentation and said that he was glad that I came, because before he didn't feel very positively towards Americans. However, after our discussions and having had interacted with me, he said that he had changed his mind and didn't feel that way anymore. I felt excited to hear that, because however kind and hospitable residents of another country may be towards Americans, they still may have a lot of negative stereotypes about us. It's times like these when I thank God that I speak fluent Bahasa Indonesia, because without this skill I don't think that I'd be able to communicate and interact with people on a deeper level.
On Saturday, the girls at the asrama all woke up early to do what they called "guteroy", which is basically yard work. Once a month, they all get up early on the weekend and weed the garden, sweep, etc. I joined in and helped out where I could, and I felt that the girls were all kind of surprised to see me up and out doing chores with them. One told me that she was very happy to see me, another didn't even bother to mask her surprise and said "Oh, you're doing guteroy too?!", and the head of the asrama even said that I could go back inside if I wanted. We were only outside for an hour and a half, if that, and it wasn't even back breaking labor that required muscles and loud machines. It was an easy task, and even someone who had never gardened or done chores in their entire life would have been able to do it well. But I think instances like that are good to have, just to send the message that I'm not just a foreigner staying in their dorm, but that I'm also their peer and friend.
I'm trying hard every day to be positive, friendly, and culturally sensitive. Sometimes it's a little trying, because after a long, hot, exhausting day, the last thing I want to do is make small talk, smile, and be pleasant and engaging. But if I just hang in there for a little while longer, my patience always pays off and people won't see me in a negative light. It's also so much different being in Aceh than it is being in Jakarta; they're like two completely different countries, united only by language. It's even crazier to think about how different the U.S. is compared to Aceh. Despite this, I feel like I've adjusted extremely well and fit in with most of the people here. I'm having fun, making friends, and being as productive as I can. Well, maybe I could be a little more productive, but I'm trying my best! :)
On Sunday, I went to the beach with my friend Sarah, who teaches English at Syiah Kuala University. It was maybe about 30 minutes from Darussalam, and was absolutely breathtaking. The beaches here are pristine and simply gorgeous. We didn't go to the main beach in that area, but instead hiked for about ten minutes through the jungle and finally came to a beautiful, secluded beach. And by secluded, I mean that nobody else was there. That was a lot of fun, and I didn't feel self conscious swimming and being goofy because it was just the two of us.
The trail we hiked through
Overlooking the beach!
The jungle!
This week should be good, too. Tomorrow I'm going to do an interview with Pak Marzi Afriko, who works at the World Bank and has published papers about Sharia in Aceh, why pesantrens don't accept terrorism, etc. Next week I will be going to Lhoksmawe to meet with another contact, Pak Al Chaidar and do an interview with him.
I'm really excited about doing these interviews. The most experience I've had doing research has been greatly facilitated by Wikipedia, and I'm ecstatic about having the opportunity to do some actual qualitative research. Hope it goes well and that I'll be getting some good information!
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