I Love Long Layovers

Last week, I was lucky enough to go to Bucharest, Romania with my university.  This past year, I was able to use the interviews that I conducted last summer and write an academic paper from my findings.  The amazing professor who took me on as a DIS helped me focus my research and helped get it published for the TIEMS (The International Emergency Management Society) 2011 conference, and let me come with her and some faculty from my university to present my research.  More on that later.
The flight I was on happened to have an 8 hour layover in Warsaw, Poland.  So naturally, I thought it would be a good idea to go out and explore Warsaw.  It just so happened that I was seated next to a friendly middle aged couple from Missouri on my flight, whose son was getting married.  They were so sweet and actually gave me a ride into the city, which was awesome because I didn't have to pay a cab fare.  They left me with a map and some directions, and I just kind of wandered around.

Warsaw's Old Town

More of Old Town.  I love this picture!

A castle/fort.  Wasn't really sure what it was and couldn't ask anybody, because nobody spoke English.

The streets of Old Town.

More of the fort/castle.  Fastle.

The fastle.

Me and a traditional Polish man with very bad breath.

I want to say this is the People's Palace, but I'm not entirely sure.  But I do know that it is a museum.

Streetside bakery.  This isn't the best example, but a lot of other writings I found had an unusually large absence of vowels...

Polish food

My Polish lunch - sparkling water and perogies filled with sauerkraut.  It was alright, but could've used some hot sauce!

I loved these guys.  "Yo, check out my abs!  I am sooo ripped!"

Pope John Paul II!!  He was everywhere.

Ubud is for Lovers

Bali is an interesting place for many reasons.  The island has a vibrant culture, delicious food, great music, and the list simply goes on and on.  I arrived in Bali on Monday morning, with my destination being Ubud; a town which lies about an hour away from Denpasar (where the airport is).  Last year, I went to Kuta, another area, for four days with my cousin.  However, Kuta and Ubud are nothing alike.  Kuta is Bali's party and tourist central; it has a beautiful, busy beach, and the nightlife is absolutely exceptional.  In going to Kuta, one will experience all of the typical touristy things that are expected of island/resort destinations. 
This is my first time in Ubud, and I mean really in Ubud.  Last year, we did visit GWK (a park dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna) and when I was little I experienced the joys and terror of the Holy Monkey Forest, but I never thought I would feel about it the way I do now.
Ubud is actually much cooler (both literally and figuratively) than Kuta, as it lies at a higher elevation above sea level.  It is also the heart of music and art in Bali; truly a cultural center for the island.  Tons of artsy and creative things go on here, like art expos and Balinese music and dance shows.  It gives off a completely different vibe than happy-go-lucky Kuta, and actually feels cooler and hipper.  This is where all of the visual artists and musicians are; the people who have a true sense of what their art is (and they take it very seriously). 
My main purpose for being here is to do some volunteering with a local NGO called the IDEP Foundation, a grassroots sustainable development organization that focuses on permaculture, creating a healthy and sustainable environment, and disaster management.  Since I have no earthly clue about anything to do with the environment, let alone permaculture, I'm helping out where I am the most useful - in translating documents from Bahasa Indonesia to English.  The best thing about this is that I can do it pretty much anywhere from my laptop.  It's nice, because whereas it is office work (which I normally despise), I'm doing it in a much more relaxed setting and I'm not stuck behind a desk in a stuffy building for hours.   
I'm looking forward to spending more time here and getting to know the people who work at IDEP.  They all seem really nice, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to do some work with an NGO like this.
Initially, I was staying with Petra, who started the organization.  She has a beautiful home; when I arrived there, I thought that I was walking into a Hindu garden of the gods.  However, her home is a bit full at the moment and she doesn't have an extra bedroom available, so IDEP hooked me up with a hotel room in town and a motorbike for transportation.  I feel like I hit the jackpot here - I'm so lucky!  Alhamdulillah :)

For more information about the IDEP Foundation, visit http://www.idepfoundation.org

Strategy, Ideology, and Suicide Bombs

This past Saturday, I left Aceh and am now at a relative's home in Jakarta for the time being.  After the interview that I had with Al Chaidar, he told me that he had some contacts in Jemmah Islamiyah who would possibly let me interview them.  When I arrived in Jakarta, I got a hold of Al Chaidar again to try and make this go through, and he gave me the number of this one man named Mr. Asep.  So, I called him up to see if we could arrange to do an interview, and we ended up meeting today at a traditional style restaurant/cafe in the central Jakarta district. I arrived a little bit early and got a table, and as I waited for him to come, I couldn't help but wonder more about him.  Who is he?  How did he get involved with JI?  The concern that he would be as unhelpful as Mr. Attahiri also crossed my mind as I began thinking of ways I could elicit more information from him in the event that he didn't give me what I wanted.  I was really unsure of what to expect beforehand - what did he look like?  Did he have a beard?  Wear traditional Muslim attire?  Or was he just a run-of-the-mill, average looking fellow?  As reality would have it, when he arrived, he resembled the latter in his jeans and sandals.

After ordering our drinks and starting off with the standard, polite conversation about family, school, etc., we eased into a far more interesting conversation.  Asep began by telling me how he got involved with this organization.  His family are actually Darul Islam members, and he himself is a Darul Islam activist.  He started becoming more heavily involved in high school, but his family were the main influences for him to join in the first place.  When he got older, he did military and combat training in Moro, where many participants ended up fighting in Afghanistan.  Asep did not go to Afghanistan, but instead went to college to study how to become an electrician.  He also emphasized that he wasn't a Jemmah Islamiyah member, but Darul Islam.  However, he did say that he helped JI out whenever he could, in terms of logistics, surveying, and getting information for them. 

I asked him about the ideologies of Jemmah Islamiyah - the fatwa they follow, and in general why they do what they do.  Asep used the Bali blasts as an example in his response.  He said that it's no secret that Indonesia is a Muslim country, and that in Bali, a lot of westerners come and think that they can act however they do in their own countries, and even the Balinese start to take on their habits and customs.

"This behavior is inappropriate...even when you go to the American embassy, if you're wearing jeans and flip flops they will ask you to leave...foreigners need to respect that we are a Muslim country and conduct themselves with proper etiquette when they are here...the Bali blasts were to serve as a reminder to the world what we are and to not act inappropriately in Indonesia."

Their enemies, he told me, are not  just western nations.  Jemmah Islamiyah is also at war with the Indonesian government because they see it as a tool of the west - he used the term "hand and foot".  Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), although he is a Muslim, is JI's enemy because he is aiding the west in their "war against Islam".

"When the Dutch occupied Indonesia, everyone hated them.  But Indonesians didn't just hate the Dutch, they also hated those who helped the Dutch.  This is like that."

I asked him about the bombings - Bali, the Marriott, and then the Ritz-Carlton/Marriott twin bombings.  Were those final alternatives?  What were the motivations behind them?  Well, apparently there are a lot of motivations to set off bombs - it's the only way the enemy will listen.

So how do they decide who to bomb, and when?  They do their research beforehand.  They have to survey before acting, and in the meantime, they gain access to whatever building(s) they target.  Posing as cleaning service, security, etc., they find out more about their location:  who goes there, what they do, and whether or not they pose a threat.  They know all the clubs, hotels, and apartments and survey their targets for at least 3 months, their longest surveying period being 7 months. If they feel that the place is a breeding ground for enemies of Islam, they may deem it appropriate to bomb.  They look at the places that a lot of foreigners frequent, but this isn't to say that they'll bomb any old hotel that a lot of white tourists happen to be at.  But for instance they find out that someone from the CIA or other government intelligence is staying there or using that spot, it could be a likely candidate for destruction.  According to Asep, they get to know the foreigners and conduct in-depth interviews on them without them even knowing it. 

And then, of course, who does it?  Who are the people that actually carry out the missions?  Well, they have a team of people who do this work for them.  Surveyors, logistics, and of course, the bombers; a group of seemingly limitless volunteers who answer the request JI sends out for people to carry the deed out.  However, they don't use the term suicide bomb; suicide is forbidden in Islam.  The volunteers go through a rigorous screening process in order for planners and officials to know who wants to do it for the right reasons.  They are interviewed and watched, and if it seems that they've lost hope in their lives and want to end it by detonating a bomb on themselves, JI officials won't allow them to carry through.  They actually don't use the term "suicide bomb"; instead, they say "bom sahid", which translates to "martyrdom bomb".  Because this is done for the "right" reasons (fighting the "enemies" of Islam), they will be rewarded in the afterlife.  Asep never mentioned the infamous 40 virgins story, but instead told me that martyrs will possibly be able to spare 70 loved ones from hell; their family, friends, and whoever else they feel should escape the wrath of Hades (er, Satan).  Asep mentioned that there was some type of law in the Qur'an that justifies this, but he didn't specify where.  He did say though, that bom sahid were a way to give people motivation to strengthen Islam so that they can destroy Islam's enemies.

What about now?  It may have been a little forward and pretentious of me to have vocalized this, but I asked him who JI plans to target now.  He chuckled and said that he had no clue, but knows that they are in the stages of surveying; apparently they've already rejected 10 potential locations.  It may be months before they strike again, but who knows?  Asep said that since he's not an actual member of Jemmah Islamiyah that they don't entrust him with all their information.  However, they trust him enough to let him in on some stuff, and since Darul Islam gives JI a lot of protection, they are on pretty good terms to say the least. They have very similar ideologies although they may disagree on things such as tactics and strategy.

"They're a bit too ambitious; their target is too big...What Jemmah Islamiyah needs to do is focus on fighting the enemy one at a time, on a smaller level.  If they're going the rate that they are with these big goals, they could fail.  But if they joined with us [Darul Islam], we could succeed.  The trick is to start small and then expand...Islam has a lot of enemies, we can't take them all at once."

As of now, there are more or less 10,000 Jemmah Islamiyah members in Indonesia, and as they are actively recruiting, that number is growing.  JI has had some influence on a number of pesantren in Indonesia, although that number is quite small compared to the vast majority of pesantren which produce decent, law abiding citizens.  They tend to have more of an impact among young, college-aged individuals and from doing dawa and giving speeches in local mosques. 

Things are far from over for Jemmah Islamiyah.  Although at times they may keep quiet, they are most certainly active and conducting their activities.  From what I gathered from Asep, JI is a force to be reckoned with, and they have the potential to be even stronger if they joined forces completely with Darul Islam.

Sabang - Aceh's Slice of Paradise

Yesterday morning I took a ferry over to the island of Sabang, which is also referred to as Pulau Weh.  I was recommended this hotel/resort destination called Freddie's Santai Sumur by a friend of mine at IAIN. 
There are two ferries that go to and from Sabang - the express (which I took, and was only 45 minutes), and the big slow boat (takes an hour and a half).

The resort was AMAZING, and very affordable at only $25 per night.  And since I was only staying for one night, even better!  The rooms are actually individual bungalows, complete with a mini fridge and complimentary drinks, western toilet, and hot shower.  This was my first hot shower in 7 weeks, and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

The first thing I did when I got there (after basking in the luxurious delight of my bungalow) was go snorkeling.  As a matter of fact, that was pretty much all I did - snorkeling, swimming, and basking in the sun.  This was only my second time snorkeling, and it was great.  There were so many fish and some beautiful coral.  I recognized a lot of the fish I saw from the movie Finding Nemo, and I also saw Rainbow Fish :)

I had such a relaxing day - I just wish that I could have stayed longer.  But as it turns out, I need to pick up my passport from the Immigration Office here in Banda by 3.00pm this afternoon, and the only two ferries that leave Sabang are at 8.00 am and 4.30 pm.  But I'm glad I got to spend at least one day relaxing and simply enjoying myself with no worries. 

The view from my bungalow

Sunset on the beach

Sunrise

 

Beach Trip

On Sunday, Sarah invited me to go along with her and a group of people on another jungle hike and then the beach.  There were six of us total: me, Sarah, Self (an Australian guy who works at ARTI), Ken, Jesse (male), and Jesse (female).  All of us (excluding Self) are American, and they're all doing their own cool things here in Aceh.  They were all very nice, and we had a really good time.
The trail we took in the forest was about an hour long, and it was tough!  Not as tough as the 8 hour GAM hike, but still...pretty challenging.  My legs are still sore from that trip!  At the end of the trail we finally stopped at another secret beach; a different one than where Sarah had taken me the first time.  It was beautiful secluded; it was like we were at our own private resort.
We played in the ocean, and the boys made a small hut out of pieces of wood lying around and tied sarongs to it so that there would be shade.  It was super cool, like they were practicing to be on Survivor or another type of wilderness challenge reality show.  Self had brought along a fish, watermelon, and pineapple...all of which he had stored conveniently in his backpack.  He started a campfire and cooked the fish as well as noodles so we could all have lunch.  It was very impressive.  How he managed to fit all that stuff in his backpack is beyond me.  At least I'll know who to contact if I'm ever stranded on a desert island.
We stayed there all day and didn't get back until the evening.  It was such a fun day, I'm glad to have had this experience with them.
I'm also glad that I was able to meet some other westerners close to my age around here.  I was the baby of the group - they're all in their mid 20s, but we were still all close enough that we could have fun with each other and not be awkward.  Of course, I've also made tons of wonderful Indonesian friends, but nevertheless, it's nice to have a few people around who understand the culture you're coming from and with whom you're able to connect with on that level.  It's like having a little piece of home right there with you, and makes being far away not that big of a deal.

A view of the beach

One last hill before paradise!

 Eating lunch

The fish they cooked - complete with portable grill

Yummy

Our hut.  Charming, isn't it?

A Rebellious Jungle Hike

Yesterday, I went on a jungle hike with three ex-GAM (Free Aceh Movement) rebels.  These guys spent two years in the jungle fighting against the Indonesian army, it's really incredible.  The company that I took this tour on is called Aceh Explorer, and it's run by a Dutch guy named Mendel who wanted to employ former GAM combatants.  Apparently, it's difficult for them to find work now, so he wanted to give them an opportunity to earn some money.
I left the asrama at 9 am, and we finally began the hike at around 10.  The mountain was absolutely beautiful - I was completely captivated by the scenery.  We walked down a bridge, at which the end turned into a narrow trail leading into the jungle.  The first thing I saw was an old ulammah's grave, where the GAM combatants used to pray.  As we went further up, the trail began to get harder and more treacherous.  My guides had to help me from falling multiple times, holding my hand, and placing my feet correctly on the rocks so that I wouldn't slip.  The first hour flew by, and before I knew it, we were stopping for lunch.  During our break, the guides and I talked a lot - about everything.  They asked me about how it was living in America, if I liked Aceh, etc.  And I also asked them a lot of questions about GAM, carefully wording my questions.
They told me that the reason they joined in the first place was because they felt that the Indonesian government was unfair to Aceh.

"Aceh is very rich in natural resources, but we weren't seeing any of the profit.  It was all being taken by the Indonesian government, and that wasn't fair.  If Aceh was independent, we all would be rich."

 They also told me that if their old GAM commanders asked them to pick up arms again, that they would.

After lunch, we went further up the mountain to the very top.  I definitely underestimated the mountain - I have never been on such a difficult hike before!  There were parts where I couldn't walk, but had to climb on rocks to get to the next spot.  Thorny plants clung to my clothes and cut my legs, and when it started to rain, I began to slip in the mud.

Before we reached the top of the mountain, my guides showed me their old GAM base.  I expected a fort of some kind, but all I saw were boulders!  We also saw an old cooking site they had - the only things remaining were a rusty pot, lantern, and cup.  It's so unbelievable to me that these guys spent 2-3 years living in the jungle like this, completely secluded from the outside world.  They went up and down that mountain in the dark, with no sources of light whatsoever - absolutely amazing.  Since the tsunami didn't reach all the way up the mountain, the GAM combatants never knew that it happened.  They said that afterward, when they looked down on the villages below, that they thought those villages had been bombed by TNI (Indonesian army); the only reason they knew it was a natural disaster was because they saw a lot of foreign helicopters coming in.

When we finally reached the puncak, or top of the mountain, I felt so ecstatic.  The rocks up there were extremely sharp and jagged, and it was very difficult to get up, but I'm glad that I finally made it.  The trip back down, however, was equally as difficult.  Since it started to rain some, the path was pretty dangerous and I needed all the help I could get from my guides, who were absolutely wonderful.  "Just keep smiling," they said.  "Your smile gives us the motivation to go on!"  I slipped and fell so many times, but they kept on catching me.  The last slope we took to go down was ridiculous.  It didn't slant, but went straight down.  I was pretty terrified.  I grabbed hold of one guide's backpack and followed his lead, while the guides behind me held on to my backpack to catch me just in case I fell.

By the time the hike ended, it was already almost 6.30.  When I finished, I was filthy, soaking wet, and half dead.  I don't think I've ever been happier to see a road in my entire life.  I can't believe I spent over 8 hours hiking in the jungle!  The scrapes and pain were all worth it though, and I had an incredible experience.  My guides were absolutely amazing - I couldn't imagine doing what they did during the conflict.  If I hiked that mountain by myself, I doubt that I would have come back down in one piece.

Before the hike

Fresh water source, GAM used to collect their water from here

You can tell I wasn't tired yet because my camera radar was still functioning

The view from the top!Grave of an ulammah who was killed by the Dutch.  GAM used to pray at this site.

Old GAM living/eating quarters, complete with rusty pot and lantern.  There was a cup off to the side that I didn't catch in this picture.

At the top of the mountain!!!  Balancing precariously on a tree limb with sharp, jagged rocks beneath me.

AFTER the hike.  You can't really tell, but my backpack is filthy.  Level of exhaustion:  100%

A view of the mountain I conquered!