Ted Meinhover Tedericco

Indonesian Damage Report: Spice, Currency, Condoms

I hate to say it, but I am kind of glad that I am leaving Jakarta before the worst of the rainy season. Precipitation is predicted to peak sometime next month, so I hear. Reading the paper today, there were no less than seven or eight stories that had something to do with the impending disasters that inevitably accompony the rainy season. The city simply does not have the infrastructure to deal with the water, and I am told that finding yourself waist deep somewhere in the middle of the city is not a stretch of the imagination.

In 2002, for example, 31 people died because of the flooding, and over 300,000 people were displaced from their homes.

The members of this family, for example, have already become refugees. Usually they reside downstairs, wandering in the grass. The cold air and wet earth drove them up the stairs, however, and I woke this morning to find them curled up in front of my door, absorbing the warm air as it leaked from underneath my door during the night.

My desire for greater global equality and social justice creates a moral conflict for me, as the US dollar hits a 14 year low against the pound and currencies around the world. Perhaps the economic playing field is leveling out a bit - which is great, but raises some hairs on the back of my neck when I consider the possible effects on my estimated budget for my year abroad. Maybe I should have transfered my money to Chinese RMB after all...

I'm not sure exactly what they put in the stuff, but there is something about the mie Aceh at the warung Mie Aceh Pidie 2000 that seems to be addictive. It is famous because it is so very spicy hot, saturating your entire being with a heat that spreads from the top of your stomach - it is claimed, however, that it is made in a magical way that does not result in a stomach ache, despite your indulgence. The fresh avacado-grape juice doesnt' hurt either.

Vice President of Indonesia, Josef Kalla, promoted the use of condoms and clean needles for drug users as an important way to prevent the spread of AIDS. He made sure to say that he did not promote either casual sex or drug use, of course. This is of note because Kalla is not only a leader of the largest Muslim country in the world, Indonesia, he is also one of the leader of NU, the largest Islamic organization in the country, and is seen as someone who is usually conservative. President George Bush, on the other hand, is strongly preaching a messasge of abstinence as a way to prevent AIDS. Tony Blair mad a statement that the Vatican needs to "wake up" and recognize the importance of contraception.