| 26 March 2005 – Eric Banda Aceh, Krueng Raya, Indonesia A full and heavy truckload of wood has arrived on site in Krueng Raya today. While waiting for it, the crew was able to use the facility to repair and bandage a few other boats that weren’t too badly smashed up. The fresh shipment of beautiful dense reddish-brown hardwood, with bark still attached, has been unloaded and stacked near the work area. The crew will begin cutting out the three-part papans which will set like the ribs of a whale turned belly up. They will be cut to shape and fastened to the luna, the large strong beam at the bottom, then doubly wrapped with planks of a more flexible type of wood. The offset seams of the planks will be filled with some kind of goo. When I finished my activities at Krueng Raya today, I stopped at the beach on the way back to pick up some coral and play with a few old crabs I know. When Azhari and I hopped on our hogs to ride out of there my rear tire was flat, the second time in a week. This time I was a bit worried since I was in the middle of nowhere with an hour of daylight left. And, I’d just seen one of those dragons scurry into the swamp, good sized one too. I pushed the bike down the beach and out to the highway where Azhari helped me wave down a car. The first to come around the bend pulled over to help but before it even came to stop I could see it was way too small and full of women. The driver sat with his car in the road while big trucks flew by and told me all about how his car was too small and how it was full of women and how sorry he was he couldn’t take me down the road. The second car to stop was a little bus but also full of women. But the third car was a bus only half full of men and women so we threw my bike in the back and Azhari followed on his. Like a sardine, fifteen kilometers back to town I rode answering all the people’s questions while a hot motorbike rubbed their shins. They mostly asked things like where I was going and where I had been and if I thought Aceh was a nice place. After I got it fixed I went to a volunteer appreciation party put on by the artists of Aceh. The party was pretty fun and really made me feel good about being here. The folks from across the street at Turkish command were recognized for their extraordinary contributing efforts. It was good to see my neighbors on stage. Now that efforts have shifted from relief to reconstruction some organizations will be gone soon and won't be coming back. Because foreigners have not been present for many years, the Indonesian government wonders about the presence of foreign aid workers in the highly Muslim province which was already bucking for independence before the tsunami. I do not yet know exactly what our status will be as each organization is evaluated case by case but it looks pretty good. I do know that the UNHCR, UN High Commission on Refugees, recently announced it is leaving after the Indonesian government did not respond to its proposals to manage the refugee support effort. I think Americans should know that the average citizen of Aceh greatly appreciates America's role in this global effort. Indonesian national and local leaders and the all the people I’ve met say thanks for the initial rescue response with logistical help by the U.S. military, our sending the USS Mercy Hospital ship, the generous outpouring of the American people in general and now our continued support in rebuilding. This has made me very proud of my country. |
Journal Entries
Journal Entries
Project Meeting
For Mom
Bananas
One boat repaired
Fisherman needs boat...
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