Well, I have been very delinquent at posting on my blog. With moving, two weeks of visitors, then vacation with Dad I did’t have much time. First I am going to post to entries I had already written but didn’t post. Then, I am hoping the next two days to write some final entries on events of the last two weeks and some reflections on the end of my time. I have two full day layovers in my travels – so I’m sure they will be written, just not sure when I will have internet to post them next. So stay tuned:) And I will be back in the US on the 9th!
June 18th
So a lot has happened in the last two weeks and I have been very busy and not updated, maaf (sorry)! I will just give a couple highlights.
Italian-American Cooking in Papua
When we were in Karubaga for the focus groups, I told Rahel that I wanted to cook an American meal. Sunday (12th) was the only day all the staff would be in Wamena, so we planned to have lunch that day. I wanted to cook one of my favorite meals – eggplant parmesan. I knew it would be possible, but I would have to track down or substitute all the ingredients!
Saturday I went to the smaller market nearby, hoping that they would happen to have eggplants. They aren’t super common, but I have seen them around from time to time and heard someone saw them there earlier this week. Unfortunately not, so I had to go to the bigger market that was further away. However, since it was a Saturday and my Saturday morning tradition is a nice long walk, I decided to walk there.
It was a nice walk and a successful visit to the pasar – they had eggplants and tomatoes for the sauce. However the way back I ran into a crazy, drunk, betel nut chewing guy who decided to try to talk to me. Playing the “I don’t speak bahasa Indonesia” didn’t work, and it was getting awkward, so I finally crossed the street and pretty sure I got sworn at. So nice walk there, not so nice walk back, but I made it.
That afternoon I decided to make the tomato sauce. I have never made tomato sauce with real tomatoes, but found a few recipes and made up my own based on those. And it didn’t turn out too bad! I was afraid it was not enough, but one of the girls at the house was nice enough to give me more tomatoes so I didn’t have to go out again. I was too tired for another trip to the pasar. Once those were added, it was perfect. Into the fridge and time to rest!
Sunday morning was when the cooking really began. I made a concoction of oatmeal, cracker crumbs, and flour for the coating on the eggplant, fried them up, layered them, added the tomato sauce; an hour and a half later I sprinkled the cheese on top for the final touch and put it in the oven. Then it was on to finishing the sides – pasta, salad, garlic bread. Luckily I had help at the end, and we finished just after noon. John picked us up, and tradisi, we waited a while for everyone to get there, but eventually everyone made it and we started eating.
I was nervous about it tasting ok, but not bad. Different from what the Indonesians are used to, but everyone ate it at least; except Heidy’s son Alesandro who is 2 and a half. He made some funny faces and stuck to the foods he knew! I like to cook at home, and I was glad I could share one of my favorite meals as a small thank you for everything they have done while I’ve been here.
It was sad thinking about leaving though and it really hit me at that lunch. As much as I am looking forward to seeing everyone at home, I am really going to miss life here and all the wonderful people I have met. Monday we met with the Youth Forum and I was again struck with this sense of sadness at leaving. Even though sometimes I was so frustrated with the slow process of building relationships here due to culture and language, I am still leaps and bounds deeper than when I first arrived. I am sad that after so much hard work at getting this far, I won’t be able to continue building those relationships on a day to day basis.
Another trip to Tolikara
We had a very short trip to Karubaga from Tuesday to Wednesday (14th-15th). I have said this before, but I am telling you, the trip gets worse every time. We had a harrowing adventure getting through some deep mud pits, so crazy. But we made it! On the way home we also had a little pit stop as the driver changed a squeaky break pad. It made us all feel a little better when we didn’t hear a grinding squeal every time we were going down the steep hills, wondering if the brakes would hold!
I didn’t have too much of an agenda this trip, mostly just accompanying everyone else (Daniel and Liz, the other interns, were doing some photography and story gathering). But the small agenda I did have basically failed. There were two people I have been trying to meet and have been unable to. And Heidy also wanted to stop in the local AIDS commission as well. But we ended up not meeting any of them! It was not totally without fruit though, I was able to discuss more with Heidy the VCT/ ART situation in Tolikara and how we can approach that, which was one of the things I wanted to discuss with the people there.
It was nice having Daniel and Liz there for the week. I was able to process my experience as an intern with other interns. Despite our different projects, there were some similarities and I felt less alone in my experience after talking with them. They did some training on media stuff here Thursday and it was great to learn how to use my camera again! I have forgotton so many of those functions. So now I have to get some good pictures my last week here!
Well Dad arrives in a few short hours!!! So exciting but so unreal! One week left, craziness!
No comments:
Post a Comment