Seven things I learned in Indonesia

Thank you, Ia, for tagging me, thus providing the impetus for me to write things that would otherwise have never seen the light of day.

But rather than reveal secrets that I may have still kept from you all the 15-odd years we’ve been friends, allow me to detail the top seven things I learned from my recent trip to Indonesia. In no particular order:


1. If its adherents whom I have met are the sole measure, Islam is a wonderful, wonderful religion.

They have numerous masjids- mosques or main prayer centers- in every town or city we pass through. More interesting still is that they have mushollahs- smaller places of worship roughly equivalent to Catholic chapels- in every place imaginable: malls, airports, even in gasoline stations and tourist spots. And the faithful actually pray in these areas, replete with the rites and rituals that accompany the act of praying.

I have to admit that initially I am wary about coming to a predominantly Islamic country, being of the Christian faith. However, I was blessed to have encountered international Islamic colleagues who are assertive but conscientious not only in the professional sense but also in how they talk about their religion. They gamely discussed and enlightened me with knowledge about their faith, ranging from jihad to polygamy to the wearing of veils. This was, for me, the real learning experience, traveling to another country, exploring their faith and way of life, understanding their worldview vis-à-vis how they are portrayed in media, and taking home with me a more profound respect for their humanity and more fervor to be a better Christian.

(Below: With Dr. Joey Abary of the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection and Dr. Bastaman Basuki of the Department of Community Medicine of FKUI at a mosque in Kota Gede, Yogyakarta; With Dr. Agus of Petronas, Malaysia; with other seminar participants from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines at the Mt. Merapi Observation Post.)

2. There is a lot of money available for community development work.

This is the happy problem of Spain: that they have money for community development work but there is a dearth of project proposals for funding. And so, for people in the same field as I am, or if you know of anyone who may have health-related initiatives that need financial support, you may approach the following Spanish entities:

Agencia Espanola Cooperacion Internacional or the Spanish International Aid Agency
http://www.aeci.ph and http://www.aeci.es

Fundacion para la Cooperacion y Salud Internacional Carlos III or the Foundation for Cooperation and International Health Carlos III - http://fcsai.isciii.es/

University of Oviedo – Emergency and Disaster Research Unit – for those whose interests are in disaster preparedness and emergency response - http://www.uniovi.es/uied

(Above: With the facilitators from Spain, at the main staircase of the Faculty of Medicine Building.)

3. I will not be a successful Pinoy Big Brother housemate.

Given eight Pinoys, plucked from various corners of the country, made to live together practically for 24 hours a day for 10 days- surely something’s got to give. I mean team Philippines got along so well that participants from Malaysia were incredulous when we told them that we Filipinos just met for the first time in Indonesia. But our individual idiosyncracies would skim the surface time and again and some of the others’ peculiarities are a bit grating to the soul. So I am REALLY thankful that our Indonesian . sojourn ended when it did, before I actually reached my threshold where Mr. Hyde takes over from Dr. Jekyll.

4. I learned how to haggle and bargain.

For whatever reason- pride or pity or procrastination- I never learned or found the use for haggling or bargaining in marketplaces. Sure, I would haggle and bargain in the university’s academic committee just when they are about to mete out punishments for erring classmate- but with regard to consumer goods, I am a greenhorn. I always pay what’s on the price tag: there’s this tug in my heart whenever I bargain, as if I’m robbing the saleslady of their livelihood. But in Indonesia, I learned to be a wiser buyer, else I would have spent too much money on souvenirs and become the laughing stock of our team. (Below, Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta, bargain hunters’ shopping haven.)


I learned to take a look at items and appear to be cool and mildly interested. I’d ask what the price of this shirt or figurine and if the salesperson quotes an exorbitant price, I put the item back- MAHAL!- and begin to walk away. Often they would call me back-

Hallo! Sir! Escuse me! Sir! Hallo! What price you want, sir? Give your price sir!

I then quote a REALLY low price- 15,000 rupiah for an item that initially quoted to cost 40,000 rupiah ($1 = 8,700 rupiah, 1 rupiah = P0.005)- Which would piss them off somewhat. A sort of bidding war would ensue: 16,000… 17,000… 20,000 rupiahs. Sold!

5. People are really, really, really kind and generous, if only we give them the opportunity to do so.

From four-star generals and hospital directors acting as our photographers (where they have to take our group photos using the camera of every person included in the photo op whose number may range from 2-25) to honest money changers to owners of earthquake-devastated homes allowing to poke through their living spaces- generosity of the spirit abounds. (Below: at the home of Col. Udug and his family, Philippine Military Attache to Indonesia.)

6. Pericardium-6 really works.

We arguably had the worst flight of our lives the night we traveled from Jakarta to Yogyakarta last Friday, June 1st. The plane wildly swung from side to side, up and down for a good fraction of the time we were in mid-air. As is wont to happen, the contents of my stomach were churned like crazy and they rose to a most uncomfortable level, so much so that if I spoke I’d puke a la Mt. Merapi. And it didn’t help that I was seated beside the very outspoken main facilitator of the seminar, the preeminent Dr. Bastaman Basuki. I tried to sleep but I was just too darn nauseous. And so I employed what I learned from Dr. Jimmy Tan’s alternative medicine class- applying pressure on the area of the body labeled as Pericardium-6 to combat dizziness. After pressing on the site for about 5-10 minutes, I really felt better. I even managed to smile and pose after the harrowing 50-minute flight.

Here’s an online resource on how it works.

7. I’ve seen the rustic and the metropolitan versions of Indonesia and I must say it is a very beautiful country, rich in culture and history. (From top to bottom: the Nasional Monumen; fountain along embassy row; the Yogyakarta Palace; scene from the Ramayana ballet staged at the Pambranan Temple; at Borobudur.)

But there’s still no place like the Philippines. From our country being peppered by lesser disasters (look closely at the side-by-side volcano tops peeking from among the clouds in the aerial photo below) to our immensely better command of the English language to our (I am not kidding!) bluer skies and despite our political rollercoaster and the economic malady- I have a million reasons to yearn to be home!

Terima Kasih*, Indonesia! (Jakarta 2)

In my mind of minds, a visit to Borobudur would not have been complete if I didn't pose the way I did above. Then again, Borobudur, located about 41 kms north of Yogyakarta in Central Java (which is about 50mins by plane from Jakarta), is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in the world- and the contortion above evokes a more Hindu-related imagery, doesn't it? I ought to have just sat down, lotus position, THEN my pose would have been more appropriate- bulges and yellow shirt and all...

--==+==--

That I guess summarizes my 10-day stay in Indonesia. It was a learning experience for me in so many levels, especially with regard to my profession, my faith, my sense of nationalism, and about humanity in general, as i sort through then debunk pre-conceived notions, biases, misconceptions, and misinformation. I acquired life-changing information, among which are: that 1 out of every 25 human beings on this planet is devastated each year by a disaster and that the lingua franca is neither English nor Chinese, but haggling (especially in the shops along Malioboro Street in Yogyakarta). My parents would be proud.

--==+==--

Indonesia exudes charm unimaginable that no culturati can resist. It has a mix of the old and the new, the modern and the mystical. In so many aspects it is so much like the Philippines, in some aspects it does appear to fare better. Nevertheless, I am glad- SO GLAD- to be home.

This is my own independence day. From chili.

--==+==--

*Thank you, Indonesia! More thoughts and pics to be posted next time.

Kontonjensi: Jakarta (1)

We just ended Day 2 of our 7-day course on disaster management held at the Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Indonesia (FKUI); I know I need not translate. Main proponents of the course aside from FKUI are the Spanish International Aid Agency, the University of Oviedo – Unit for Research on Emergencies and Disasters, the Office of the Surgeon General – Indonesia and various other Indonesian and Spanish government and non-government agencies. Twenty-five participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam involved in the different aspects of disaster management and emergency preparedness in our respective countries. The main facilitator is Dr. Bastaman Basuki of the Department of Community Medicine, FKUI

The Philippine contingent is composed of myself representing the UP and a non-government organization Gawad Kalusugan; Dr. Rex Prudente and Dr Rolly Rivera from the V. Luna Medical Center and Office of the Surgeon General, respectively; Dr. Chito Mendoza, Provincial Health Officer of Albay and one of his staff in the PHO, Ms. Elvie Alejo, RN; Dr. Joey Abary from the Bureau of Fire Protection; Dr. Sally Espeleta from the Department of Health – National Capital Region; and Dr. Des Jimenez, Chief Resident of the Department of Emergency Medicine, UP-PGH.

In the photo above at the lobby of the Sari Pan Pacific Jakarta Hotel where we’re staying:
Dr. Rex, Dr. Sally, Dr. Rolly, Dr. Chito, Dr. Des, Maam Elvie, and Dr. Joey.

There are four Spanish resource persons and about a dozen Indonesian experts whose depth and breadth of experience come from stints in Sarajevo to Sumatra to Southern Leyte, dealing with earthquakes, wars, and yes, tsunamis. What we’ve covered so far are general trends and patterns in disaster management statistics (deaths and injuries according to disaster types), the learnings of Spain from its current emergency medical system, and the learnings of Indonesia from the 2 Bali bombings, the last Yogyakarta earthquake, the 2007 Jakarta floods, and the 2004 tsunami which hit Aceh. There were special segments detailing the role of the Indonesian military in the delivery of much needed assistance during the critical period following the disasters, including its presence in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte.

In the photos below: Dr Arcos delivering his lecture; with participants from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

I asked Dr. Pedro Arcos of the University of Oviedo – Unit for Research on Emergencies and Disasters, one of the resource persons from Spain, how extensive their disaster management course was in their medical school. He said that disaster management occupied one week in their six-year curriculum for poly-health professionals. I told him that disaster management as a separate lecture was an innovation in the UP College of Medicine and I was lamenting the fact that we only had 2 hours for the topic, versus his one week. To which he responded that it took twenty years for them to include disaster management in their curriculum. I am both grateful and optimistic: In my capacity as a teacher, it is heartening to note that what we’re imparting in the university to third year medical students in the form of a two-hour lecture over the last academic year is a rather nice distillation of what we’ve taken up since Monday.

My interactions with my fellow Filipino delegates are a source of immense joy as well. From where they are coming from, I am learning much about the disaster management situation in our country, outside of the official National Disaster Coordinating Council annual reports online. One cannot help but feel something warm and fuzzy as they detail their extended hours doing orthopedic surgeries for war vicitims, wading in waist-high waters in Legazpi City, tours of duty with firefighters sans decent pay, the continuous efforts to update tertiary hospital care in the Philippines in anticipation of imminent disasters in our country since we are embroiled in unending socio-political strife; we are blessed with 22 active volcanoes; we are residing over restless tectonic plates; and we are the doormat of typhoons entering Asia from the Pacific and leaving Asia from the South China Sea.

Hopefully, I’ll get more ideas on how to establish a community-based disaster management program for urban and rural poor communities, the most vulnerable and at risk when calamities strike. As of late, the facilitators have focused on the macro level of governance and action with rather little time allotted for community empowerment strategies. Hopefully, as well, Cooperacion Espanola will choose the Philippines as a pilot site for a multi-center disaster management program they are setting up in Asia. Fingers, legs, and eyes crossed!

--==+==--

If ever I would experience The Twilight Zone, it would be now, in Jakarta.

It’s Manila’s twin city, replete with hordes of motorcycles, Starbucks branches, shanties propped against the walls of gated communities, enterprising sidewalk vendors, San Miguel and Chippy in the supermarket and very Filipino-looking fellow human beings. As an exclamation point to this observation, the bus which was transporting us from the seminar venue to our hotel suddenly stopped because a public utility vehicle made a sudden U-turn and narrowly missed hitting us (or being hit by us!). I thought to myself- Wow, Indonesians do know how to make one feel welcome, even simulating the prayer-inducing driving techniques of Pinoys…

Of prayers and passports

There are days...

When you have a major presentation for work which you toil the whole week for…

And your alarm clock fails to wake you up at the appointed time on the day of the presentation…

For which you rush to the taxi stand to get a cab to take you to the office…

Where you wait for at least half an hour…

Until you finally land in one whose driver is even outpaced by a snail…

Whom you have to endure for an extended period of time because all traffic lights at all intersections turn red five meters before you are supposed to go through them…

Eventually arriving at least an hour late in the office disheveled, pale, and drenched in liters of sweat…

To be informed by your boss’s secretary in her usual nonchalant demeanor- that he took the day off because of his sick kid and that the presentation is postponed until further notice.

O joy.

It was during one of the rare times I surfed the UP Manila website that I saw the invitation for the Advanced Seminar On Applied Techniques On Public Medicine And On Emergency Situations For Asian Experts: The Indonesian Experience sponsored by Cooperacion Espanola (AECI)- the Spanish Aid agency. Immediately, I thought this would enrich the module I teach for third year medical students and it will also benefit our Gawad Kalusugan work since we are slowly taking on disaster management and emergency preparedness as an advocacy. What a blessing for me to stumble upon this invitation!

It was a Thursday night and the deadline for submission of application + other requirements was the following Monday. Great! I still had Friday and that Monday to accomplish all paperwork. I knew I can make it. My planner revealed a relatively light sched for those two days.

But no. Activities in GKal came one after the other- including hours-long meetings and shooting for our documentary. Before I knew it, 5pm of Monday has come and gone. The next day, I rushed to accomplish all requirements after calling the Cooperacion Espanola office in Manila and getting their nod for a late submission of my application. Simply put, I was able to send them the materials at around 3pm of Tuesday, the day after the application was due.

A week passed- no phone call, no email from AECI Manila. I even activated my voicemail service so I wouldn’t miss their call should I be in class or my battery be drained. Another week passes. Feeling antsy two Thursday after I submitted my requirements, I called the
AECI here in Manila to inquire about the status of my application.

- Sir, you didn’t get our email yesterday?
- No, I didn’t.
- I’m sorry you weren’t included in the list because we prioritized doctors from disaster-prone areas like Bicol…
- Oh ok. Thanks very much.

The end. Or so I thought.

The following day, Friday, I went through the usual activities for the day. I went to our Lingkod prayer meeting and got home at around 11pm. I checked my email. And to my delight, sitting in my inbox was an email from Spain, containing my acceptance letter to the June 3-12 course, an all-expenses-covered course, including airfare, hotel accommodations, hotel transfers, meals, and travel insurance. Surreal but definitely nice.

Sampai Jumpa! (See you later in Bahasa)

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Indeed the Lord works within the desires of our hearts. I am a firm believer that what we ask for in earnest, earnest prayer, He will grant. This Jakarta trip is proof of His faithfulness- should there be days that I ever be in doubt of it.

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Off to Jakarta

Rushing, rushing to finish everything in my proverbial work inbox before I leave for a seminar-training in Jakarta and Yogyakarta June 3-12.

More details next time!

I *excite* =]