Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2004 September
2004 July
2004 June
2004 May
2004 April
2004 March
2004 February
2004 January
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
|
| What's normal |
| 04.30.04 (4:33 am) [edit] |
It seems the life of my family is far from normal. I spoke to my wife today on the phone and she has decided she wants to move back to Japan. After listening to her explanation I had no real objections except this feeling that the past year has seen us living in scattered parts of the world. One year almost to the day I went to live in Afghanistan for 3 months. The rest of the family stayed in Japan. Then I came back in late July and we had 4 months of living together in Japan. Then I stayed in Japan while they went to Australia in January. I then came to Jakarta in March, then went to Australia for a holiday. Now my wife is wanting to return to Japan for a while. They will probably drop by on route to Japan. It may only be for 3-4 months before they all come here. This is not a settled family life. I don't mind it I think, except there is a feeling that life shouldn't be that way. But who's to say what life is supposed to be about. :roll:
This weekend is a long weekend with Monday off. I am determined to get out and about. I've got a Lonely Planet, albeit a few years old, so I should be set to explore Jakarta. I will go to the national monument, maybe the national museum, the bay area, maybe see a traditional theatre show, and even do some shopping (you really need more than one pair of pyjamas when you sweat like a pig every night!!).:shock:
Even though Queensland University wants me to go there next year, I really want to put it off. I think and I feel instinctively that staying here another year will be good for my career, be a great educational and fun experience and that I would be in a better position to tackle the PhD for the experience. They can wait. Of course HQ has a big say in all this and all I can do is put forward my best case bor, even better, make myself indispensible!:D
|
|
|
| |
| Busy |
| 04.28.04 (5:00 am) [edit] |
Back to blogging. Well I’ve been busy. I’ve been working on accounting issues the last 2 days as figures don’t add up in different reports. Also gathering info on the latest Ambon flare up by meeting with local NGOs. Gathering info and contacts on other areas on current or past conflict in Indonesia like Central Sulewesi etc. Made a nice Bahasa, English and Japanese version of the organization Vision and Mission, framed then and stuck them on the office wall to give us some guidance in our work. We updated the introductory info sheet in Bahasa about this office to give to people and I plan to make a nice 3 fold pamphlet using Publisher with photos and graphics rather than just the photocopied text sheet we are using now. I’ve been gathering info on international and English medium schools here. Been corresponding with University of Queensland people. I did a one full day training for the staff on Do No Harm and peacebuilding principles. I’ve been having my Bahasa lessons every weekday morning from 6:30 for one hour and that is going fine.
To be head of a small office of a humanitarian aid agency you have to know a little bit about everything or at least you have to learn about things quickly. It makes it interesting. Even accounting becomes interesting when you have an imbalance and you have to find out why! Kurihara san do you agree? Anyway, I am enjoying my time here. :lol:
|
|
|
| |
| Indonesia Starts Again |
| 04.26.04 (3:45 am) [edit] |
Well, yes you can call me a slack arse mother fucker for not blogging for almost centuries. Things have settled down after being back about a week and so I have finally gotten around to doing this.
So what to write. :?
Did you know that in Scotland there are towns called Camster? There is Lower Camster and [url=http://www.ukvillages.com/ukv...+Camster-Highland]Upper Camster[/url] . Of course I'm with the Upper one given my surname (which only a privelged few know). Its near the famous Loch of Yarrows where the Loch Yarrows Yonster lives (maybe.....not). It is also near Camster Burns. Man I'm hot stuff. It seems Burns means creek or river. And down the road from Badlipster. I guess that's a hipster gone bad.:wink:
This has nothing to do with my current country of residence, Indonesia, but not to worry.
What is to worry is Ambon. I am supposed to be going there in a few weeks and violence has re-erupted big time. There was an emergency meeting at the UN today but nobody really knew exactly what was going to happen with any certainty. It would be a tragedy for things to get out of hand after so much progress, (or least lack of retrogression) over the past 2 years. :(
I hope that my family can come out ASAP. I don’t think we will be living in Ambon going diving everyday but I do miss them and it would be great to be all in Jakarta instead of thousands of kilometers apart. I spoke to my wife today from the office and she is fine but having a hard time sometimes. She doesn’t like the uncertainty of not knowing where we will be living in 3 months. Either do I much.
I want to get the photo function happening here. I tried ages ago but it fucked up for some strange technological reason, which I swear had nothing to do with my computer ignorance. The machines are out to get me that’s all I’m sure.
Anyway, may this be the first blog in a revived regular blog on life in Indonesia by Camster.
Next place of residence Upper Camster on the Camster Burns in Scotland :P
|
|
|
| |
|
|
