Hello All,
I’m back! I want to thank everyone for his or her reply to my first email. It was really good to hear from many people and get little updates from home and around the world. I have also linked this blog with my university’s blog – meaning that everything I write in these emails will be copied on to my school’s global blog webpage.
So if you would like, continue reading here: http://sphglobalhealth.blogspot.com/
However, I’m old school – I like these emails! As cool and user-friendly as blogs are, there is very little place for response and feedback. So, I’m sticking with the emails too, especially since my Bubbe just got email…and isn’t yet blogging!
Let’s see…here is what people said about my first email:
Question: Why can’t you tell us everything you see? We wont ever meet these girls anyways.
Answer: Well, good question. Popular question! Although you will never meet the girls that I am working with on a daily basis, just sharing personal information via blogging and/or mass emails seems exploitative to me. Therefore it becomes a just a matter of respect. In certain cases, like that of Rosa’s, I was given specific permission to share her story with my friends and family. I’m sure I am not alone in this case, as many of you probably work in environments where confidential information is exchanged on a daily basis. I see an individual’s life story as confidential information unless otherwise specified. My organization is soon publishing a book of stories direct from the mouths of HIV+ sex workers that come to the clinic. I’ll send out that information when it is available.
Comment: Wow! What a crazy world we live in. Here we are going about our lives…and would never know these horrible things are going on in a distant location.
Comment: I thought you said you were going to keep it short.
Question: WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER!?
Answer: Oh silly me. How could I forget to write about the weather…I mean I’m living in Bali for gosh sakes! I have a few excuses. First, the PERFECT (mostly sunny, NO rain, low humidity) weather is really secondary to why I’m here, so I’m really not surprised I forgot to include it in my email. Second, I didn’t want to rub it in. I know it only took a few months for the weather to actually become nice in Chicago. Lastly, I do what I can to avoid the sun. So for everyone that is commenting on my pictures how I’m still so white (Bruce and Ted), it’s because I’m a local and locals avoid the sun at all costs. On top of everything, sunscreen is by far the most expensive thing at the convenience store; all sunscreen is imported and there is no demand for it…so its literally $20-40 for a small bottle.
A little about work…
I still love what I am doing, and wake up excited to go to work every day. I only hope I have this feeling when I actually start my career. I continue to be exposed to new issues, ideas and faces every day. I honestly thought that I knew everything there was to know about HIV and AIDS before coming here. How naïve I was. Whether it’s talking to current sex workers or making home visits to people living with HIV/AIDS, there is always a good chance I’ll learn something new.
The support group (reminder: the group of about 20-30 HIV+ sex workers that meet every Saturday at the office) is still going strong. Since my last blog, the group has partaken in a group discussion on opportunistic infections (serious) and aerobics (fun). Usually there are two “fun” activities for every one “serious” activity or discussion. The group has also agreed to start their own “insurance” policy, as they are not legally employed and are too poor to afford any type of insurance. This was started for several reasons: 1) there have been girls in the clinic that have needed medical care and have not received it because there was no money to cover the costs and 2) to pay for a proper funeral costs, in most cases cremation. Although not much, the girls have been asked to give about a $5 deposit, and then about $1 each meeting thereafter. While some of this money will be used to cover their medical expenses, the activity is meant to empower the girls by giving them a sense of responsibility over their own lives. It gives them power, which is a rare feeling for someone who is essentially owned by a pimp and gives their body to men for a living.
And on to non-work activities…
I got my first haircut in Bali, which is always an interesting experience for me in Asia. Most of my haircuts in Thailand began with me being handed a magazine by the barber (sometimes Us Weekly and other times some random Japanese fashion magazine) and was asked to point to what I want my hair to look like. When I was able to find him, I would try to find Brad Pitt. However, this time I walked into this little barber shop Wayan (the boy who brings me breakfast) told me to go to. I walk in and….the barber (Gochi) speaks English! What a relief! It was a good haircut, less than $2 and took about 5 minutes to complete. But wait a minute; this haircut experience was not magazine-free. About two-thirds of the way through my haircut, Gochi proceed to tell me that Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were back together. He told me they had been seen out in public. I was shocked. I mean, I haven’t been keeping up with my Perez as closely as I do at home – but something this big…impossible! He had proof. His proof was some European celebrity gossip magazine from 1997 (I’m estimating) that some other foreigner customer gave him a few weeks ago. Instead of bursting his bubble, I told him that was interesting and how surprised I was to have missed such big news. Good times at the barber.
On a more serious note, I had no idea what “getting sick” in Indonesia actually was until recently. Up until a few weeks ago, I had experienced the occasional stomachache, but I had no idea what I had coming my way. I self-diagnosed myself as having some form of food poisoning and dehydration. I’ve been really sick before in my life, but I can’t really compare anything to this feeling I had. Pounding headache + “uneasy” stomach + fatigue = not a lot of fun in Bali. This feeling lasted about 3 days and I eventually recovered. I explained how I felt to Emily, a colleague of mine at the foundation, and she said, “Yeah, that happens here every few weeks. You’ll get used to it”. So that’s something to look forward to. I also think I overdid the street food a little too much. The night market is just so delicious and cheap that it’s really hard to pass up, but the MSG, excessive coconut oil and often-uncleanly cooking practices tend to take a toll on the Western stomach. I guess these kinds of things come with the territory.
I have also stopped asking Wayan, the boy who brings me breakfast, to teach me new words. Yes, it’s the end of an era. I started picking up on signals that he wasn’t too interested in our little word game anymore. He used to hang around and chat for a minute or so after setting down breakfast on my table, but recently his behavior started to change. A few weeks ago he started to scatter away after setting down the tray, as if he was busy! I’m okay though, because even without Guru (teacher) Wayan, I’m picking up the language on a daily basis. I think learning new languages is my new hobby.
Two weekends ago I took a ‘holiday’ to Lombok and the Gili Islands. Lombok is an island just to the east of Bali (and is about the same size) and the Gili Islands are 3 very small little islands that are known for snorkeling and diving, and is the ideal beach destination. Lombok and the Gili’s are accessible by fast boat (very expensive), ferry (cheap, but slow) or airplane (moderate) from Bali. While I am a budget traveler and almost never pass up countryside bus ride and ferry combo, my 2-day/1-night short holiday validated my splurge on a flight to Lombok. Instead of an 8-hour trip via bus+ferry, the flight takes all of 30-minutes and costs about $30. Let’s talk about this flight before we go any further.
I booked my flight to Lombok on Trigana Airlines. I just assume that the EU doesn’t approve of the airline, as is the case with most low-budget Asian airlines. Therefore I wasn’t surprised with what proceeded to happen upon checking in at the Bali airport. The man at the check-in counter informed me that although my ticket was valid, I would not be flying to Lombok on Tirgana Airlines as I had booked. I would be flying on Riau Airlines, the “Spirit of Riau”. Has anyone ever heard of Riau…if so, please let me know where this place is? It was extra comforting when he WROTE my boarding pass in pen, by hand. After only a 45-minute delay (which is actually considered ON TIME by low-budget standards), I hopped on a bus from the terminal, only to be dropped at the foot of a small propeller plane! Anyways, the loud and bumpy 30-minute flight landed safely in Lombok, to my relief.
Lombok is extremely undeveloped, and for now is still the poor man’s version of Bali. This is all about the change in the next few years, as the island is currently building up its infrastructure, including an international airport. I stayed in Senggigi, which is by far the most developed region of the island of Lombok. Side Note: I don’t use travel guides or books. I read blogs, talk to fellow travelers or just explore on my own; I find this method of traveling both exciting and educational (in terms of learning about life through experience). I’ll tell you, you learn a lot stepping off of a boat and into a new place without a guide, map or any form of English direction. But I thrive on these experiences. Anyways, Senggigi was quiet and without a tourist in sight when I arrived. I found a cheap guesthouse, checked in and just explored. I walked along the beach and just talked with the local people, most of who were begging to practice their English with me, as well as snap away with their camera phones, for pictures OF me…not with me. I’m used to this by now. I ended up hiring a private boat (long tail, wooden) with a driver to take me on a half-day trip along the western coast of Lombok, as well as to the Gili Islands. You can see pictures on my facebook album, which I will post below. We stopped along the way to take pictures, snorkel or just go for a swim. I learned one lesson about snorkeling (I’ll discuss the second lesson later): don’t forget to put sunscreen on your back when snorkeling. Yeah, I won’t make that mistake again. Senggigi, being on the Western coast of the island, also has a beautiful sunset on the beach. I met a few local students on the beach, one of which claimed to look like Barack Obama. You can see those pictures on my facebook album as well.
Another side note: I know Barrack Obama is loved all over the world, but he is ESPECIALLY loved in Indonesia. Everyone I meet in Indonesia tells me about how Barack Obama lived and studied here when he was a little boy (age 6-10), and that he speaks Indonesian (although I don’t know if he is still fluent). While I don’t talk much politics with local people, I often ask people what they think of George Bush – and I’m surprised to find that many people actually liked him, but for his “power” and “strength” as opposed to his political or social views.
I spent my second day in Lombok exploring the Southern coast, Kuta Beach. As opposed to hiring a car and driver, I thought it would be more fun to hire a motorcycle driver to take me through the countryside and down to Kuta beach. After 2 or 3 hours on a motorcycle through traditional villages, we arrived in the VERY undeveloped Kuta Beach. There are a few home stays, very few tourists and one large hotel on one end of the beach. Other than that…there are just a few local people swimming and relaxing on the seemingly never-ending strip of beach. For better or for worse, this is all about the change in the next few years. In addition to the international airport being built (only 30-minutes from Kuta beach), all this bare and lush beach property has been purchased by foreign hotel investors from Saudi Arabia, Australia, and America, etc. I am thankful I had the opportunity to meet the local people on the beach (mostly screaming girls, applying baby powder to their faces, and wanting to take pictures with me) and see the land while it remains untouched. I got their perspective on the development of the beach, and they are not happy – security guards already have their eye on local families and children making sure they do not lay a foot on hotel beach property. After the 2.5 hour motorcycle ride back to Senggigi, I watched one final sunset, got to the airport 30 minutes before my flight, and jetted back to Bali. It may sound funny but it was nice to get away from Bali, especially to an island that is clean, quiet and feels tourist-free.
Making the most of my free time, I decided to get away this past weekend as well. I traveled the Padang Bai, a small fishing town located about 2 hours north (up the Eastern coast) of where I live permanently in Sanur. Padang Bai is a port town, with ferries coming and going all day. Most tourists that come through Padang Bai do not stay for more than a few hours, but those that stay are greatly rewarded. The town itself quiet, but also is lined with small warungs (small restaurants), bars (small reggae-style), small local-run convenience shops, and a handful or hotel and home stays. The central port is lined with traditional boats (see facebook album) and fishermen are in the water fishing all day and night. However, what makes Padang Bai unique are its two coves: “White Sand Beach” to the south and “Blue Lagoon” to the north. Both of these coves are accessible only by foot (hiking up and down mountains), but definitely worth the hike (see pictures). I will summarize my 2 days in Padang Bai below:
White Sand Beach: Took 30-mintues to get to by foot from town. Maybe my favorite beach I’ve ever been to. Quiet, as in maybe 3 other people on the beach while I was there. Foot massages galore. Relaxing. Probably the whitest sand I have ever seen or set foot on. I like beaches that feel like they are your own while you are there. A true jewel.
Blue Lagoon: Famous for its coral reef. Should be called, “Black and Blue Lagoon”. I told you before how I don’t read guidebooks…well, maybe I should of in this case. I had no idea I went snorkeling at a dangerous time (full moon, low tide, afternoon). I made it from the beach out to the corals safely, but got caught up in the coral on the way back in. I was bleeding from the fingers, hands, feet, legs, knees, elbows, forearm…and even tuchas. When I returned my snorkel gear, the guy told me how to treat my coral wounds and then told me I went snorkeling at a dangerous time. It would have been nice if he had told me this an hour earlier! So, this is where I learned my second lesson about snorkeling. Live and learn. Overall the cove is stunning and breathtaking with crystal clear water, amazing rock formations and exotic coral and sea creatures. I saw turtles (who knew turtles could swim fast?), small sharks and fish that I have only seen on the Discovery channel.
I stopped over in Ubud on my way back to Sanur. Again, my getaway only lasted 2-days/1-night, as I had to get back for work on Monday. I spent a few hours walking around Ubud…exploring the market, trying new fruits, shopping and trying to practice my Indonesian with local people.
I have a small new group of friends that I met in the night market this past week. Their names are Budi and Oka. Budi works at the Mie Ayam (noodle soup) stand and Oka is a regular at Budi’s stand. Oka works in a hotel, so her English is perfect…and Budi likes to practice and learn new words. I’m happy to be mixing in with the local crowd!
I have also spent the last few weeks as a travel agent, booking and planning my parent’s trip to SE Asia coming up at the end of July. I will be meeting them in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, flying to the beaches of Thailand, and then coming back to Bali for about a week. I’m really looking forward to traveling with them and seeing new places. My visa for Indonesia expires in 2 weeks, so I will be leaving Bali and traveling the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Bangkok, Thailand (visiting my friends who live there) before meeting my parents in Vietnam. I’ll be back in Chicago on August 18th…mark your calendars!
I hope all is well wherever you are, and hope I did not bore you with my traveling blabbering! You can click on the link below to view my facebook album (I have been adding pictures to the same album, so new pictures will be at the end of the album). I look forward to your replies!
Facebook Album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2568504&id=8600417&l=e450ef783b
Salam, (I don’t know what that means literally, but it’s a proper way to end a letter or email in Indonesia)
Dan
Monday, July 6, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Welcome to Bali...
Hello All!
If you are receiving this email, it must mean that I care about you or you care about me (or both). You have either requested to be on my ‘blog’ list, you were on my previous ‘Thailand blog’ or I have deemed you worthy to receive updates from me during my current travels. There will be no ‘unsubscribe’ button, so I guess you’re stuck with me.
To those who were on my Thailand blog – I’m sorry the emails were so long. I’m trying really hard to make these shorter, as I expect them to be for several reasons. 1) I don’t intend for this to be nighttime reading material, 2) I think I’ve become lazier and 3) The nature of my work deserves a certain amount of respect, as I will explain.
For those of you that don’t know, I am currently living and working in Bali, Indonesia. Oh, don’t feel too bad for me now! While I wish I were on vacation like most Westerners in Bali, I’m actually here acting on my passion for public health and to intervene in the global AIDS pandemic, specifically in South East Asia. Through several connections with my graduate school, The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, I was set up with an amazing organization in Bali, the Kerti Praja Foundation (KPF). I’ll be working with KPF for two months, traveling around South East Asia for another month, and then returning to Chicago mid-August. You following?
KPF is a non-profit, non-government organization that works with the community in health promotion, early disease detection and prompt treatment, clinical services, other community development and research. The foundation offers comprehensive care for female sex workers (FSW) and care support treatment (CST) for FSW and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). For over 15 years KPF has been working with FSW, carrying out HIV/AIDS prevention activities/information dissemination, concerning STI screening, condom use/negotiation.
FSW are girls similar to what we would call ‘prostitutes’ in the United States, but to call FSW prostitutes is not only incorrect, but also disempowering. The concept of a FSW is difficult to grasp for those that have never spent a significant time in a developing country, especially Asia. Commercial sex work is built into the culture here, and the more laws that are passed to abolish the practice; the more it goes underground and becomes less safe. A FSW can work in tourist clubs (generally more attractive, younger and expensive) with western customers, or they can work in cafés, karaoke bars or ‘shacks’ (usually less attractive, older and cheaper) with local customers. FSW often had no intention on becoming a sex worker, but are victims of trafficking and were tricked into the profession.
If you have time, check out this link. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=84678 . It explains commercial sex worker trafficking in Indonesia and may aid in understanding the problem dynamic. Also, I’ve attached a document to this email entitled “Rosa’s Story.” These are the words of Rosa (I have changed her name for privacy reasons), and she explains how she became a sex worker in Indonesia. Rosa just recently told her story to my co-worker at KPF. Rosa is very representative of people that I interact with every day and she deserves her story to be heard. Please read her story if you have time.
KPF has about 10 field workers that go out into the field where these sex workers work (clubs, bars, cafes, ‘shacks’) and talk to them about condoms, STIs, HIV testing, etc. The field workers try to get the girls to come into the office and get tested for HIV. If their test result is positive, KPF provides free counseling, support groups and antiretroviral drug treatment.
So what do I do on a daily basis? Well, I’ve been all over the place. As much as the possible, I go out into the field with the field workers and meet with the sex workers. The value of this field experience is immeasurable. Despite my lack of Indonesian language, I am able to gain so much knowledge from simple observation. (I’ve conducted and observed enough sex education/condom demonstrations that language proficiency is really unnecessary). After these meetings, I usually am able to have conversations with the sex workers through a translator. I only hope that I continue to get these experiences over the next few months.
Through KPF, I am also working to plan the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), the world’s 2nd largest AIDS conference. This is an event that I am very excited to be part of. You can check out the website at www.icaap9.org. The conference is being held at the Westin Hotel in Nusa Dua (the upscale part of Bali) at the beginning of August, so I’ll be here to see the event all the way through.
Please email me if you have any questions about the work that I’m doing. 1) I love to talk about it and 2) I know it can be very confusing. I barely understood the situation before I came here! The only problem is that for individual privacy, I must be very careful when talking about certain subjects. For example, I can’t blabber on about someone’s HIV status, as that could potentially break apart a person’s life (career, relationship to family and friends, religious groups, etc). So, I’ll do the best I can!
OK – Now on to non-work related things…
I am living on the eastern coast of Bali, in a town called Sanur. I’m living in a home stay (or guest house) that is owned by a local Balinese family. (I’m sitting on my porch right now drinking a nice, dark Balinese kopi (coffee) – in case you were wondering). For a fraction of my rent in Chicago, my room has air conditioning, a cold shower (hot water would really be unnecessary in Bali), a big bed and free breakfast. Breakfast is the same every day: 1.5 pieces of toast (butter and honey), 2 pieces of pineapple, 2 pieces of watermelon and 1 slice of papaya. Of course, that’s all topped off with a nice pot of Balinese kopi. The home stay is beautifully kept, with a full on tropical garden that I wake up to every morning. At 8:15am, a young kid brings breakfast to my front porch. Oh, and by “family” I literally mean the ENTIRE family. There are two parents and a few children…and I’m guessing a grandma, and a few aunts and cousins. There are also a few full-time staff people that live on the home stay property. It’s comforting to know that if there was ever an emergency, someone is always around to call on. Plus people here are obsessed with texting, so I can just text Made (the owner). They are also teaching me the Indonesian language.
Which is another story (here I go again, you are probably falling asleep by now). I mentioned there is one kid that brings me breakfast every day before I go to work. His name is Wayan. Well, last week I started making Wayan teach me a new Indonesian word every morning. To date, I can’t tell if he likes this little game or if he is getting annoyed with me. The first few mornings he would teach me “morning” words like, ‘good morning’ and ‘you want breakfast?’ and ‘did you shower yet’? After a few days, he told me that he ran out of words to teach me. I told him that’s impossible…he must know more words than the five he had taught me. I realized that he thought I only wanted to know “morning” words. Once he understood that I just wanted to learn ANY new Indonesian word every day, he has loads of words to teach me. The first “non-morning” word he taught me was, “celana panjang bagus” or “nice pants”. I’ll probably never forget that one.
I’m living in Sanur for a few reasons. It’s close to my office, which is located about 10 minutes away in Denpasar. Sanur is also quiet, as opposed to backpacker heaven in Kuta on the Western coast of Bali. Sanur a little touristy, but this necessary for me to could get around, eat and have things to do! It also helps that the beach is about a 2-minute stroll from my front steps. Sanur is known as a popular expatriate town, some of whom I’ve had some interesting conversations with over the last few weeks. Most expatriates I’ve met either became fed up with their Western lives and made a permanent move to Bali or have come here to make a profit (usually shipping art or furniture back home).
Side Note: I have not met another American since my arrival! Just about all the white people here are Australians. Perth is only a 3.5-hour plane ride from Bali. Soon I’m going to be spelling “organization” like “organisation”. I called out an Australian guy today for misspelling that word in a meeting today…he didn’t get my joke at first.
I probably work more days that most of you people do, so there. I work Monday-Saturday! However, my hours are from 9am-230pm. I get driven every day to and from work by motorcycle. It’s really terrifying but I’m getting used to it. My driver is a field worker at my organization and I pay her about $2/day for the ride. It’s a good deal for me and a GREAT deal for her! Don’t worry; I’ve got my own helmet. The helmet also guarantees a bad hair day, every day.
Saturday is probably my favorite day at work. Every Saturday a support group meets at 11am for one hour. The support group consists of sex workers that have been diagnosed HIV+. The group is “secret”, in that the girls who attend are not to speak about whom else attends the group. The group itself is not a secret. About 20-30 girls attend the meeting every week, and so far they have done a variety of activities ranging from learning how to properly put on make up to fortune telling. The group also has its own theatre group, in which the members put on performances for the entire group every few weeks, and the performances all have a central theme of HIV.
The entire purpose of the support group is to give the HIV+ girls a feeling of self-confidence, peer support and a feeling of empowerment and control over their own lives. For the organization, it also is a means to keep in contact with the girls and make sure they are adhering to their antiretroviral drug treatment. At the conclusion of every meeting, all attendees are given a free meal and free condoms. Most of these girls are still working, despite their HIV status. While you may think its crazy to support these girls in their continued sex work, it’s really the best thing you can do. Telling a sex worker to stop working has been universally proven to be ineffective, despite what the Pope may say…and in my opinion this support group is exciting and innovative. Again, I’m excited and honored to be part of it.
So, Monday-Friday I am home by 3pm, and Saturday home by 1230pm. You may wonder what I do with all my free time…well I can answer that for you. I relax! I read, write and sit on the beach, isn’t that what you would do with free time in Bali? Oh, and I eat.
Needless to say, it didn’t take long for me to learn why Indonesian food isn’t that popular in America, its nothing special. The touristy restaurants around me are [relatively] expensive, so I have been venturing out to smaller ‘warungs’ or small family-owned shacks or mobile stands. The food in warungs is more authentic and much cheaper. However, there is about a 50/50 chance I end up with a stomachache. I’ve found the foods I like: fried noodles, noodle soup, fried rice and various other dishes…and the foods I don’t like: real Balinese food. When I feel like spoiling myself/spending $5 on dinner, which I tend to do once in a while, I eat lunch or dinner on the beach. The unique thing about Sanur is that there are nice restaurants that line the beach. For about $7 you can get fresh grilled fish, prawn or squid, which was most likely caught just hours before. Tonight I picked up dinner at the Sanur night market (my fried rice cost about 70cents). I accidentally ate a small potent chili and couldn’t feel the area around my mouth for like an hour. I’ll spare you the details of some other foods I’ve tried…and the painful outcome.
Working six days a week has made traveling difficult, but I’ve done what I can. The first new place I explored was Singapore, in route to Bali (I had a one-day layover). Because US citizens are not required a visa to enter Singapore, I was able to leave the airport and walk around the city for almost a full day. I really enjoyed the Singapore Botanic Gardens and enjoyed walking around and trying the food. In Bali, I’ve ventured over to Kuta (the Western coast of Bali) a few times to sit on the beach and watch the sunset. Kuta is famous for its sunset and surfing – I haven’t gotten around to learning how to surf yet, but I’ll get there. Kuta is about a 20-minute taxi from where I live, which at $8/way can get rather expensive (again, its all relative). Last Sunday I visited Ubud, which you may be familiar with from the book “Eat, Pray, Love.” It’s an artsy town built into the mountains right in the middle of Bali. Ubud is well known for its organic shops, art galleries, restaurants and yoga retreats. Moms would love it! It’s also known for its Monkey Forest, a little jungle completely ruled by monkeys. However, I don’t like monkeys since my stint in Thailand.
You can check out my facebook album here. I have posted pictures and commentary on most of what I have just described above.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2568504&id=8600417&l=e450ef783b
Well, I think that’s enough for now. You may be partially sleeping at this point. The tone of this blog is clearly different than that of my Thailand blogs, but I feel that this is only appropriate given the nature of my work and seriousness of the HIV/AIDS problem that Bali faces today. In just two short weeks, the people of Bali have already provided me with a life’s worth of experiences. I have met several individuals that have told me their stories and have left an impact on my life in a way they will never know or understand; I wish I could tell you everything I have heard, but much of what I have been told I will honorably take to the grave. I wish to thank everyone that I have met in Bali thus far, and would also like to thank Dr. Judith Levy, my global health advisor at UIC. Her support and guidance has made this entire experience possible. What a gift she has given me.
I miss everyone from home and hope that all are well. I hope everyone has had a nice start to his or her summer, and I look forward to everyone’s reply. I’ll write again soon.
Like always, I’ll leave you with my favorite Indonesian phrase thus far: celana paujang bagus…nice pants.
Selamat malam (goodnight),
Dan
If you are receiving this email, it must mean that I care about you or you care about me (or both). You have either requested to be on my ‘blog’ list, you were on my previous ‘Thailand blog’ or I have deemed you worthy to receive updates from me during my current travels. There will be no ‘unsubscribe’ button, so I guess you’re stuck with me.
To those who were on my Thailand blog – I’m sorry the emails were so long. I’m trying really hard to make these shorter, as I expect them to be for several reasons. 1) I don’t intend for this to be nighttime reading material, 2) I think I’ve become lazier and 3) The nature of my work deserves a certain amount of respect, as I will explain.
For those of you that don’t know, I am currently living and working in Bali, Indonesia. Oh, don’t feel too bad for me now! While I wish I were on vacation like most Westerners in Bali, I’m actually here acting on my passion for public health and to intervene in the global AIDS pandemic, specifically in South East Asia. Through several connections with my graduate school, The University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, I was set up with an amazing organization in Bali, the Kerti Praja Foundation (KPF). I’ll be working with KPF for two months, traveling around South East Asia for another month, and then returning to Chicago mid-August. You following?
KPF is a non-profit, non-government organization that works with the community in health promotion, early disease detection and prompt treatment, clinical services, other community development and research. The foundation offers comprehensive care for female sex workers (FSW) and care support treatment (CST) for FSW and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). For over 15 years KPF has been working with FSW, carrying out HIV/AIDS prevention activities/information dissemination, concerning STI screening, condom use/negotiation.
FSW are girls similar to what we would call ‘prostitutes’ in the United States, but to call FSW prostitutes is not only incorrect, but also disempowering. The concept of a FSW is difficult to grasp for those that have never spent a significant time in a developing country, especially Asia. Commercial sex work is built into the culture here, and the more laws that are passed to abolish the practice; the more it goes underground and becomes less safe. A FSW can work in tourist clubs (generally more attractive, younger and expensive) with western customers, or they can work in cafés, karaoke bars or ‘shacks’ (usually less attractive, older and cheaper) with local customers. FSW often had no intention on becoming a sex worker, but are victims of trafficking and were tricked into the profession.
If you have time, check out this link. http://www.irinnews.org/
KPF has about 10 field workers that go out into the field where these sex workers work (clubs, bars, cafes, ‘shacks’) and talk to them about condoms, STIs, HIV testing, etc. The field workers try to get the girls to come into the office and get tested for HIV. If their test result is positive, KPF provides free counseling, support groups and antiretroviral drug treatment.
So what do I do on a daily basis? Well, I’ve been all over the place. As much as the possible, I go out into the field with the field workers and meet with the sex workers. The value of this field experience is immeasurable. Despite my lack of Indonesian language, I am able to gain so much knowledge from simple observation. (I’ve conducted and observed enough sex education/condom demonstrations that language proficiency is really unnecessary). After these meetings, I usually am able to have conversations with the sex workers through a translator. I only hope that I continue to get these experiences over the next few months.
Through KPF, I am also working to plan the International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), the world’s 2nd largest AIDS conference. This is an event that I am very excited to be part of. You can check out the website at www.icaap9.org. The conference is being held at the Westin Hotel in Nusa Dua (the upscale part of Bali) at the beginning of August, so I’ll be here to see the event all the way through.
Please email me if you have any questions about the work that I’m doing. 1) I love to talk about it and 2) I know it can be very confusing. I barely understood the situation before I came here! The only problem is that for individual privacy, I must be very careful when talking about certain subjects. For example, I can’t blabber on about someone’s HIV status, as that could potentially break apart a person’s life (career, relationship to family and friends, religious groups, etc). So, I’ll do the best I can!
OK – Now on to non-work related things…
I am living on the eastern coast of Bali, in a town called Sanur. I’m living in a home stay (or guest house) that is owned by a local Balinese family. (I’m sitting on my porch right now drinking a nice, dark Balinese kopi (coffee) – in case you were wondering). For a fraction of my rent in Chicago, my room has air conditioning, a cold shower (hot water would really be unnecessary in Bali), a big bed and free breakfast. Breakfast is the same every day: 1.5 pieces of toast (butter and honey), 2 pieces of pineapple, 2 pieces of watermelon and 1 slice of papaya. Of course, that’s all topped off with a nice pot of Balinese kopi. The home stay is beautifully kept, with a full on tropical garden that I wake up to every morning. At 8:15am, a young kid brings breakfast to my front porch. Oh, and by “family” I literally mean the ENTIRE family. There are two parents and a few children…and I’m guessing a grandma, and a few aunts and cousins. There are also a few full-time staff people that live on the home stay property. It’s comforting to know that if there was ever an emergency, someone is always around to call on. Plus people here are obsessed with texting, so I can just text Made (the owner). They are also teaching me the Indonesian language.
Which is another story (here I go again, you are probably falling asleep by now). I mentioned there is one kid that brings me breakfast every day before I go to work. His name is Wayan. Well, last week I started making Wayan teach me a new Indonesian word every morning. To date, I can’t tell if he likes this little game or if he is getting annoyed with me. The first few mornings he would teach me “morning” words like, ‘good morning’ and ‘you want breakfast?’ and ‘did you shower yet’? After a few days, he told me that he ran out of words to teach me. I told him that’s impossible…he must know more words than the five he had taught me. I realized that he thought I only wanted to know “morning” words. Once he understood that I just wanted to learn ANY new Indonesian word every day, he has loads of words to teach me. The first “non-morning” word he taught me was, “celana panjang bagus” or “nice pants”. I’ll probably never forget that one.
I’m living in Sanur for a few reasons. It’s close to my office, which is located about 10 minutes away in Denpasar. Sanur is also quiet, as opposed to backpacker heaven in Kuta on the Western coast of Bali. Sanur a little touristy, but this necessary for me to could get around, eat and have things to do! It also helps that the beach is about a 2-minute stroll from my front steps. Sanur is known as a popular expatriate town, some of whom I’ve had some interesting conversations with over the last few weeks. Most expatriates I’ve met either became fed up with their Western lives and made a permanent move to Bali or have come here to make a profit (usually shipping art or furniture back home).
Side Note: I have not met another American since my arrival! Just about all the white people here are Australians. Perth is only a 3.5-hour plane ride from Bali. Soon I’m going to be spelling “organization” like “organisation”. I called out an Australian guy today for misspelling that word in a meeting today…he didn’t get my joke at first.
I probably work more days that most of you people do, so there. I work Monday-Saturday! However, my hours are from 9am-230pm. I get driven every day to and from work by motorcycle. It’s really terrifying but I’m getting used to it. My driver is a field worker at my organization and I pay her about $2/day for the ride. It’s a good deal for me and a GREAT deal for her! Don’t worry; I’ve got my own helmet. The helmet also guarantees a bad hair day, every day.
Saturday is probably my favorite day at work. Every Saturday a support group meets at 11am for one hour. The support group consists of sex workers that have been diagnosed HIV+. The group is “secret”, in that the girls who attend are not to speak about whom else attends the group. The group itself is not a secret. About 20-30 girls attend the meeting every week, and so far they have done a variety of activities ranging from learning how to properly put on make up to fortune telling. The group also has its own theatre group, in which the members put on performances for the entire group every few weeks, and the performances all have a central theme of HIV.
The entire purpose of the support group is to give the HIV+ girls a feeling of self-confidence, peer support and a feeling of empowerment and control over their own lives. For the organization, it also is a means to keep in contact with the girls and make sure they are adhering to their antiretroviral drug treatment. At the conclusion of every meeting, all attendees are given a free meal and free condoms. Most of these girls are still working, despite their HIV status. While you may think its crazy to support these girls in their continued sex work, it’s really the best thing you can do. Telling a sex worker to stop working has been universally proven to be ineffective, despite what the Pope may say…and in my opinion this support group is exciting and innovative. Again, I’m excited and honored to be part of it.
So, Monday-Friday I am home by 3pm, and Saturday home by 1230pm. You may wonder what I do with all my free time…well I can answer that for you. I relax! I read, write and sit on the beach, isn’t that what you would do with free time in Bali? Oh, and I eat.
Needless to say, it didn’t take long for me to learn why Indonesian food isn’t that popular in America, its nothing special. The touristy restaurants around me are [relatively] expensive, so I have been venturing out to smaller ‘warungs’ or small family-owned shacks or mobile stands. The food in warungs is more authentic and much cheaper. However, there is about a 50/50 chance I end up with a stomachache. I’ve found the foods I like: fried noodles, noodle soup, fried rice and various other dishes…and the foods I don’t like: real Balinese food. When I feel like spoiling myself/spending $5 on dinner, which I tend to do once in a while, I eat lunch or dinner on the beach. The unique thing about Sanur is that there are nice restaurants that line the beach. For about $7 you can get fresh grilled fish, prawn or squid, which was most likely caught just hours before. Tonight I picked up dinner at the Sanur night market (my fried rice cost about 70cents). I accidentally ate a small potent chili and couldn’t feel the area around my mouth for like an hour. I’ll spare you the details of some other foods I’ve tried…and the painful outcome.
Working six days a week has made traveling difficult, but I’ve done what I can. The first new place I explored was Singapore, in route to Bali (I had a one-day layover). Because US citizens are not required a visa to enter Singapore, I was able to leave the airport and walk around the city for almost a full day. I really enjoyed the Singapore Botanic Gardens and enjoyed walking around and trying the food. In Bali, I’ve ventured over to Kuta (the Western coast of Bali) a few times to sit on the beach and watch the sunset. Kuta is famous for its sunset and surfing – I haven’t gotten around to learning how to surf yet, but I’ll get there. Kuta is about a 20-minute taxi from where I live, which at $8/way can get rather expensive (again, its all relative). Last Sunday I visited Ubud, which you may be familiar with from the book “Eat, Pray, Love.” It’s an artsy town built into the mountains right in the middle of Bali. Ubud is well known for its organic shops, art galleries, restaurants and yoga retreats. Moms would love it! It’s also known for its Monkey Forest, a little jungle completely ruled by monkeys. However, I don’t like monkeys since my stint in Thailand.
You can check out my facebook album here. I have posted pictures and commentary on most of what I have just described above.
http://www.facebook.com/album.
Well, I think that’s enough for now. You may be partially sleeping at this point. The tone of this blog is clearly different than that of my Thailand blogs, but I feel that this is only appropriate given the nature of my work and seriousness of the HIV/AIDS problem that Bali faces today. In just two short weeks, the people of Bali have already provided me with a life’s worth of experiences. I have met several individuals that have told me their stories and have left an impact on my life in a way they will never know or understand; I wish I could tell you everything I have heard, but much of what I have been told I will honorably take to the grave. I wish to thank everyone that I have met in Bali thus far, and would also like to thank Dr. Judith Levy, my global health advisor at UIC. Her support and guidance has made this entire experience possible. What a gift she has given me.
I miss everyone from home and hope that all are well. I hope everyone has had a nice start to his or her summer, and I look forward to everyone’s reply. I’ll write again soon.
Like always, I’ll leave you with my favorite Indonesian phrase thus far: celana paujang bagus…nice pants.
Selamat malam (goodnight),
Dan
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