So here i am in Central Kalimantan wondering what on Earth am doing here. I was whisked away so fast from Kuching that my head is still spinning.

It all started when my sister sent me a message asking if I’d be interested in coming down to Kalimantan to work as a volunteer coordinator and I said ok. A few days later she tells me I have to come in a weeks time. I had barely settled down from my trip to the states and already I had to pack my bags for a job that will see me in Kalimantan till first week of October. So she arrived in Kuching on Saturday and we left on Batavia Air from Kuching to Pontianak. Arrived around 1.30pm. Stayed a day then took a local flight from Pontianak to Pangkalan Bun (pronounced boon).

It won’t be that long as I’ll need to travel back home once every month for a few reasons. But still, the thought of spending my birthday in a strange place doesn’t sound too apealing. Or the fact that I have no clue on what needs to be done. It doesn’t help that I’m ALREADY here and I have to get to work straight away but maybe that’s what I simply need to do; get to work as soon as I can to make straight of what is going on.

So here I am, sitting in my sister’s office in Pangkalan Bun. Tired from the flight from Pontianak. Resigned to the fact that alcohol is outlawed here (how fucked up is that? It definitely violates my rights to be intoxicated). Knowing that I’ll be missing out on months of futsal. Feeling depressed that I’ll be away from my newly bought XBox 360.

I’m allowing myself to sulk for a day then be done with it. I need to buck up and enjoy the next big adventure because that is how I live my life. I’m not going to whine and be a bitch about this for too long. I’m going to savour every moment because I know when I’m done with this, I’ll probably miss it.

I had 3 things I wanted to accomplish during my trip to the US. I wanted (in no particular order) to see the sights of NY, to buy something I would normally never buy & to avoid getting the A(H1N1). I am please to say that I’ve achieved all this and so much more.

There are more photos on my Facebook account. If you can’t see my Facebook account then there is a reason for this.

The sights and sounds of NY

Walking along Broadway

I got to see, in no particular order, Chrysler Building, Grand Central, Statue of Liberty, UN Building, Times Square, Yankee Stadium, Rockefeller Plaza, Madison Square Garden and Broadway.

I did get a glimpse of the Empire State Building but as it was always out of my way, I didn’t bother to check it out. I didn’t bother going to Central Park but I regret it now after my friend told me that there are football pitches there and I could have tried to join in. A few people told me to go to Chinatown and I always remind them that I come from a city which is like a Chinatown. A friend told me about a good Malaysian restaurant near the place I was staying and I replied that I can go to a Malaysian restaurant anytime.

I did see the studio set of Rachael Ray. She annoys me.

Shopping

I fought all urge to buy anything not on my high-priority list. This is actually misleading because I didn’t have a list to begin with but I roughly knew what I wanted to get. I knew I just had to get a New York Yankees jersey (I got  no.13, Alex Rodriguez) which coincidentally became my first purchase item at $80. Buying the jersey burned a hole in my wallet which helped me fight all urges to buy an iPhone 3G for 2 weeks. I thought of getting myself a Playstation 3 and sometimes an Wii but I told myself to wait till the last few days before I spend on something unessential.

My new watch

The next thing I bought was a new watch. I’ve always liked Fossil. Fine, it’s not a Tag but it’s something in my budget means. I was torn between getting a Fossil or a Kenneth Cole. I wanted to get a watch with a face bigger than my old Adidas one and something that had the dials showing. I saw a nice Kenneth Cole but decided not to get it because it was the exact size as my old one so for $100, I bought myself a Fossil watch.

NY Red Bulls

I was in Atlantic City for a weekend and was fighting back all temptations to spend my money at the many outlet shops there. I managed to come out from that afternoon of walking around with 2 pairs of jeans for $40 and a bottle of CK one summer worth $50. I also bought a New York Red Bulls football (soccer) jersey.

From this point on, there weren’t any other major spending besides a new pair of Nikes which I bought for $40, a New York Yankees polo shirt for $20 and a few souveniors for friends. I had a tough time trying to figure out what to get so I just went with shot glasses with the UN logo which I bought from the gift shop in the UN. For another friend, I got him a small bat with the Yankees written on it albeit it was from 7-11 and cost a small sum of $5.

Towards the end of my trip, I had managed to save $300 left to splurge on anything my heart desired. I was thinking of getting a new guitar to expand my collection. I thought of getting new headphones but in the end, I bought something totally unexpected. I got myself an Xbox 360. It was way cheaper than PS3 and I was blown away with it’s graphics and games. I got it for $150.

Being outside of Manhattan

The Atlantic Ocean crashing on the shores of Atlantic City

After spending a week in Manhattan, I moved to my aunt’s place in New Jersey. She and her family were so nice to me. How nice? I followed them to Cherrystone, Virginia. Couple days later, I found myself in Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City. I can say that I have seen both the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Couple days later, I was on a ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Couple days after that, I was walking around in Washington DC and stopping over in Baltimore.

I must say, if it was for them, I would have wound up staying 3 weeks and not seeing anything. For this, they have my gratitude.

A(H1N1)

Let’s be honest. H1N1 isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. Yes, a few have died because of it but this is incomparable to the mortality rates of SARS or the small pox. It’s totally treatable but people initially passed it off as a common seasonal flu which led to late treatment and eventually death. I wasn’t afraid of contracting H1N1. I was more afraid when I heard about the Air France disaster.

The thing about non-blood relations

Just a few words on this subject. I was staying with my aunt for 2 weeks. She’s actually the wife of my mom’s brother. So, her side of the family isn’t technically my family and this makes it fair game. Following me so far? In short, HER nieces were all lookers which made me glad that we’re NOT blood related. BUT it’s not like I have the guts (or time) to do anything about it. I’m just saying I’m glad. Clear enough?

The people that made my trip fun

There were a few things that came to mind when I thought about what I’d like to see in New York. Firstly, the statue of liberty. Secondly, the Empire State Building. Thirdly, Ground Zero. And last but not least, I’d like to go see a Yankees game. Ironically, that was the first thing I’ve done.

I left the UN early because I was bored with all these speeches. I went back to my hotel and decided to go to the Yankees Stadium to watch the Yankees play the Orioles. I took the subway and stopped at the Yankees Stadium and was awed by the sight of it. As I stood in front of Gate 6, I knew I wasn’t wrong to give this a go.

I walk to the ticket counters and when I get there I tell him, “I need a ticket.” As I watch his eyes roll, I figured that was a dumb statement to tell him. I correct myself and say, “It’s my first time here, can you recommend me a section to sit?” He tells me a section number and says, “Great view, great fans, good seats.” He tells me, “$26.” And I go, sure!

I wished I sat here

I got here instead

When I bought the ticket, I didn’t know I’d have to climb 5 flights of stairs to the top level. I didn’t really mind. I’m quite used to sitting at top-tiers eventhough that’s always been at football games where the ball doesn’t look like the size of a peanut. Yankee fans are different from what I’m accustomed to. I don’t know if it’s just Yankee fans or baseball fans or even if it’s just Americans in general. I found them to be fanatical, short-tempered and so well versed about the game.

When it comes to statistics, I think Americans take the cake. I can tell you winning scorelines from various World Cup games or winners for different competitions for different regions but I wouldn’t be able to tell you the shots on targets or how many misses did one particular player had in a game. These baseball fans can tell you those kind of stats with ease. It’s scary.

Coming back to the game, every seat is numbered and you are expected to sit at your respective seat or face a barrage of abuse not only from the person that would eventually come along to find you sitting in that person’s seat but also those sitting around you. I had wandered into the wrong section and rather than sit and find out if someone else is seated there, I decided to find my designated seat. I sit down. Moments later, someone spots a few people coming into the stands wearing the away team jerseys. I got pratically booed into their seats with profanity as dressings.

I wouldn’t say it was an exciting game. Yankees did have a fantastic 7th inning where they scored 7 runs. This prompted people to start leaving once the inning ended. With the winds blowing and the temperature below 10 degrees, I refused the temptation to take the logical choice of leaving early. I wanted to sit the full 9 innings. I didn’t take a toilet break eventhough I needed it. I didn’t run when the temparature dropped 20 degrees below my comfort levels. No. I was determined to see this through. Not because I love the Yankees. Not because I was so engrossed into the game. No. It was because I didn’t want to piss off the 10 people that I’d have to ask to get up to let me through. I’m a pacifist. But if I did piss them off and we got into a brawl, somebody would definitely be going home in a wheelchair. 10 times out of 10, it would most probably be me. So I decided to sit and wait.

I did sit. But I didn’t have to wait. I was half asleep already by the time the Yankees struck them out in the top of the 9th. I went home a happy man. So happy and impressed with the Yankees, I decided to get myself a Yankees jersey. I wanted to get a Jeter shirt but I thought that that would be too easy so I got instead a Rodriguez and now regret for not getting a Jeter one.

Oh my gawd… Oh my gawd….. As I am typing this, I am reading my email for the 3rd time.. Surely this is a dream.

Who would have thought that 2 days after submitting my resignation (which has been ignored), I have received an email saying that I AM GOING TO NEW YORK TO ATTEND THE UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS!!! I have dreamed of attending this meeting since I started work in 2006.

I thank the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact for giving me the grant.

Speechless. Absolutely speechless. Just hope I’ll be able to get my visa. New York, here I come!!!!

I remember when I was a kid, I used to refer to Kathmandu as a far far away land where it was a place unlike any in this world.

Typical shophouse

20 years on, I have found out for myself that it is indeed an indifferent world to that of my own. It was dusty, polluted, bustling and dense but yet, looked so behind in terms of infrastructure. The main roads are narrow, buildings sporadic but my foremost annoyance is definitely the airport but I’ll get to that later on.

The view from my room

I stayed at Godavari Village Resort in Lalitpur. It was really nice. The staff was really nice but I was really impressed when I came back to my room to find that the person, who cleaned up my room, took the time to organize my toiletries. The area of the resort was big. I didn’t have the time or energy to walk around but it has roughly 5 different buildings for the rooms; a reception area, a business center, a clubhouse and a function hall. The building walls have unplastered bricks which is characteristic of Nepal. The resort has a great view of a valley where 2 brick factories can be seen. The scenery was dust-filled and hazy throughout the day. A reminder that Nepal is in the dry season.

The tea maker

I didn’t get to see much of Nepal. I spent most of time in my hotel. Which was why I looked forward with great anticipation for the community visit. I forget the name or what were discussed during our interaction. I only had sightseeing in mind. It was a good opportunity to snap photos of the locals. The children were mostly happy to oblige in putting on their best poses except for one child. He just had this really sad face like his expression was filled with the problems his community faces. Either that or he was just in a bad mood. The best part was drinking tea in the local coffee shop. There were no tables besides a long piece of wood that acts as a bar to put your tea. The man used no teabags and his stove was fueled by pieces of cardboard with which he boiled the water and heated the milk.

Thamel

On the last day of the seminar, we were supposed to visit a local temple known as the Monkey Temple. I’d rather die than look at another temple. With a few others, I called us the separatist group. We got our own ride and made it to Kathmandu city. The destination: Thamel Street. It looked like any other tourist kind of road. But the difference between Thameel and Petaling Street, KL or the night market in Chiang Mai or Surabaya Road, Jakarta or Quiapo, Manila is that in Thamel, you can really sense the authenticity of the whole place. There is nothing second-hand or bootleg about Thamel. There is no modern structure to make the place look trendy. In fact, the whole country has an energy crisis. Blackouts and shortage of gasoline just adds to the surreal effect that is Nepal.

If you do find yourself in Nepal, brace yourself for 2 things: Street vendors and the airport. 2 local girls who were selling these small bags, fought with each other on who got there first. 1 claimed my friend asked her first while the other girl just shook her head, South Asian style.

The airport. Some airports are fine to arrive 2 hours before your flight. Some airports are ok to arrive 30 minutes before your flight like I did in Chiang Mai. The Kathmandu airport, on the other hand, is the kind you would have to arrive the day before. For its size, it’s a wonder how it’s able to cope with so many flights coming in and out of Nepal. To enter the airport building, there are only 2 entrances. These 2 entrances are checkpoints where everyone that passes will have to show their boarding passes and subsequently go through x-ray. These 2 entrances couple with the security process accommodates passengers from all flights. It took me 30 minutes to get into the airport.

Check-in counters are standard; 2 booths per airline not including business class but immigration clearance is where the annoyance really blows up. This one officer had time to open a few sunflower seeds and chew on tobacco. Others will let passengers who haven’t completed their forms to fill it out in front of them at the counter while they idle away. Another guy turned around and went to another counter to crack a joke. All this goes on while the lines are long and airlines are screaming for passengers to quickly get on the flight.

If that isn’t bad; then comes the security check. There are only 2 lines, one for men, one from women. Even while the line for women was empty, men still had to queue at theirs. After screening the bags through the x-ray machine and going through the metal detector; everyone is still patted down and forced to open bags for inspection. Note to smokers; lighters get confiscated at this point. It’ll be good to hide it. I almost slapped one guy who told me to hurry and board the plane. The enjoyable time I had in Nepal was sullied by the filth and frustration of the Kathmandu airport.

Just to add to the topic on security at the airport; I spotted only 1 security camera in the immigration hall.

Bogor Train Station

It was a fun-filled training in Bogor, a town roughly an hour half from Jakarta and is between Jakarta and Bandung. But it had to end and I found myself with 4 days extra to spend in Jakarta, Indonesia. I stayed at a nice hotel in Bogor and the bus terminal was right next to it. I was told there was a train to Jakarta and I just had to give it a try. Now I can say in full confidence that if you ever find yourself in Bogor and want to get back to Jakarta, take the bus.

The train station is not that far from the hotel but it was short walk from the main bustling road. It’s ok if you’re traveling light but forget it if you have a few bags on you. I was told by friends that the express train has air conditioning and quite expensive compared to the economy train. My ticket cost me 11,000 Rupiah or an equivalent of $1 for an hour ride. The economy costs 2,000 Rupiah or 20 cents. The station was dirty, hot and surprisingly quite empty. It was a Saturday afternoon. Apparently, only the morning/evening trains are full with the express train the last resort as the locals find it costly. I think average poverty lines take a big dip in Indonesia.

Bogor Train Station

I arrived at the Jakartakota train terminal. I have a tip for those who’ll be visiting Jakarta; if you’re going to use a cab, always use BlueBird cabs! They’re the only ones that use the meter. With other cabs, you’ll need to negotiate a price first. The rates are resonable. I never had to pay more than $3 with BlueBird cabs. But always be nice and leave a tip. $1 is more than enough.

I stayed at Hotel Kchrysant. It’s close to Ciputra Mall and at 250,000 rupiah roughly $28, is quite resonable. It doesn’t have cable TV which made me having to resort to watching Mr.Bean and old re-runs on their local channels. Their restaurant isn’t that great but they do serve beer. Something which the hotel in Bogor doesn’t.

Goat Stuff

I didn’t have to do much running around. I had Leo, a college friend, take me around. I wanted to go to a few museums but we ended up just going around malls. Comparatively, Jakarta has more malls than KL but unlike KL, Jakarta malls are quite far from each other. Jakarta rivals Manila in the number of malls.

He did take me the National Monument. It’s situated right in the middle of Jakarta and I do recommend first time tourists to have a look. Entrance including the elevator to the top floor came up to about $3. We didn’t bother going up as the line was really long. Nearby the National Monument is a fantastic looking Cathedral. It was still going through renovation works but I was just amazed by its beauty. I’d like to come back and see it completed.

Biawak Satay

Snake Soup

During my stay, I told Leo that I wanted to eat local delicacies. He obliged by taking me to a road side stall that served goat stuff in a creamy soup. I had the brain, tongue and hoof. I wanted to try goat testicles but they were sold out when we were there.

The next day, we went to another shop that serves snakes, monkeys, crocodiles and monitor lizards (biawak). We had the monitor lizard satay and the snake soup. The monitor lizard doesn’t have a strong taste of its own which is why it is served in a heavy thick sweet sauce. For those who haven’t eaten snake before, I couldn’t tell you the species of snake I ate but it has a texture similiar to beef. The soup dish reminded me of pinoy dish, sinigang.

Jakarta was good but by the third day, I wished I had gone back the day before. I actually had 3 other options; fly to Bali, take a bus to Bandung or fly to Jogjakarta. Something tells me I should have opted for any of the other options.

Bogor didn’t change much from the last time I was here. The only significant change I saw was the hotel. I don’t remember it being there last year.

Group Photo With Me

I was in Bogor for Phase 3 of the Natural Resource Management Conflict Mitigation, Management and Transformation Strategies and Processes organized by RECOFT and The Nature Conservancy. The title is a mouthful but basically it’s a training programme on conflict issues; what are conflicts and how do we deal with them in respect to natural resources. Phase 1 was in Chiang Mai earlier this year. Phase 2 requires participants to develop a conflict case study in our own countries. Phase 4 is aimed at participants refining and applying new tools learnt in Phase 3 on the same case study. Phase 5 will be in Cambodia in July where all case studies will be presented.

One thing that I like from the course is that all countries have 3 people from each country; one from government, one from company and one from civil society. From Malaysia, we have one from Sabah Forestry, one from Ta’an Group and myself. The only downside is that I am the only one from an indigenous organisation.

It was good to see familiar faces from Chiang Mai. Some good friends, some plain annoying (especially those from government) and some new faces. It’ll be good to see them again in Cambodia. It’s said that it’ll be held in Siem Reap which would imply that I’ll be staying back a few more days again. I missed out on Angkor Watt the last time I was in Cambodia so I’m not letting this opportunity slip by again.

A little bit on Bogor. There wasn’t much to do but shop. They have many stores that they call ‘Factory Outlets’. These stores carry either bootleg apparels or sometimes rejected goods. We went out only once and I managed to get a jacket, a polo shirt and a shirt for RM100. I had my eyes set on a pair of white Adidas shoes with pink stripes. I was talked out (jeered would be a better word) of it by the few ladies that were in our group.

There are original local brands around but with limited time, we couldn’t really go around. I was told Bandung has more stores. I was also told Bandung girls are pretty. I’ll have to go judge for myself one of these days.

I was pretty excited about my travel plans to Philippines next month but my worst fears have now become reality. It should be said that I haven’t told anyone at work about my retreat and I planned to keep it that way and to merely continue to work via the internet as I have been doing for the past 7 months.

The nightmare began 2 nights ago while I shared a hotel room with my organisation president. He was going through the work plan for the first 6 months of this year and he tells me he plans to have a committee meeting on the second week of Feb (which coincides with my trip). My mind was filled of excuses to give but found none. I then suggested the first week and he says it’s too soon to prepare then I say the third week and he says he’s busy with stuff. I resigned to the fact that yet again my plans for a holiday will be spoiled by work.

As I slump lower into my pillow, he then says second week is no good as someone has to go to Geneva for a meeting and won’t be able to make it. I break into a victory smile and breathe a heavy sigh of relief. I have won the battle but I think to myself if this is merely a prelude to what is to come in the next 3 weeks.

The nightmare continues today. I get an email telling me to apply for financial support to attend the meeting in Geneva (which coincides with my trip). I am caught between a stone and a really hard place. On one hand, I have an impromptu holiday with 2 good friends and will have the chance to meet my best buddy as well. No doubt, my tickets are paid for already and I’d probably waste a whole month salary on this trip. On the other, I have the allure of traveling half the globe to Geneva, Switzerland. It’ll be fully funded and I’d probably be given allowances too thus bringing my expected expenses to the bare minimum. I’ve never been to Europe and this is a good opportunity to finally break the duck.

I am shattered. But another point is that either travel would impact my own work with funder deadlines coming in at the end of Feb. So another option is to not go at all but I think that option will never resurface after this sentence.

So what will it be? A trip to Philippines with friends or a working trip to Geneva. It’s like choosing between Megan Fox and Jessica Alba or who’s shorter; Gary Coleman or Danny DeVito. Oooooooooo. That’s a toughie.

UPDATE: The conflict is resolved. I don’t have to go Geneva. Damn but at least the decision is made for me.

Quirky things that happened during my recent travels.

KL-Chiang Mai

Just as we finished boarding, the cabin crew started doing the head count. Normally it’s 2 people that does it; one starting from the back and working to the front and another vice-versa. It suddenly came to a point where all the cabin crew started doing the count and even the pilot joined in on the action. Not satisfied with the numbers, ground crew started boarding the plane and did the counting as well. We had 5 cabin crew walking up an down the isle, the pilot and 2 ground crew talking to 2 guys in those highlight green jackets and ear muffs. If anyone was carrying weed, damn them for not sharing. It turned out that we had an extra person on board. Repeated announcements regarding the flight number and destination were repeated in 2 languages. With no passenger in panic or rushing out, another announcement was done in Mandarin. With still no sign of activity from passengers, they decided to do a manual count of boarding passes. Everyone had to show their boarding pass and after mine was counted, I dozzed off.

I wake up to find that we’re in the air and I ask the guy next to me, “What happened?” And he replies, “After awhile, they gave up and we took off.” Riiiight..

Chiang Mai-KL

My flight back was at 11am. I woke up at 9.50am. I curse the other Sarawakian who was on the same flight for not making an effort off trying to wake me up. By the time I finish packing and showering, it is 10.05am. I pick up the pace but I start consoling myself for missing my flight. I reach the counter and check-out. I wait for the hotel shuttle. It is 10.10am. I tell myself, it’s ok. Check-in for international flights close 45 minutes before departure. It’s fine. I didn’t expect traffic to be bad. As the clock ticks away, I tell the driver to just turn around back to the hotel. I tell him my departure time and he confidently says, “No problem!” It is now 10.30am as I reach the airport. I slowly walk in with my head down.

Only to find that bloody Sarawakian lining up to check-in. I’m relieved on 2 counts; I have yet to miss a flight (unlike my 2 sisters) & I get to brutally scold that asshole. Imagine that, people were still checking in 30 minutes before departure time.

KL-Miri, Miri-Kuching

When I travel, I prefer to use my passport for immigration checks rather than my IC. When I arrived at Miri airport and passed through immigration, to my surprise, I get chopped. This is an unpresedented event for never in my life have I been chopped for entering Sarawak mainly because I am from Sarawak and Sarawakians aren’t supposed to get chopped. I walk away literally scratching my head. Bizarre.

I figure I’ll just ask when I leave for Kuching. So I do. I approach an immigration lady and tell her what happened. She looks at my passport and says, “Yes this is correct.” And I say, “How can this be correct? I’m allowed only 90 days in Sarawak?” She doesn’t answer my question and started to look annoyed. As I grab my passport back and start to walk away, I say, “I’m Sarawakian.” She mildly screams, takes my passport and asks, “Why is your passport chopped?” I give her the that’s-what-i-was-talking-about look.

After a few minutes of a heated exchange between her and her colleugue on who could have been so stupid for giving me a visit pass in my own state, she finally voids the chop. Bizarre.

I just got a call today. It seems I’ll be going Chiang Mai on Sunday!

I’m absolutely psyched. Since my 2 day trip to Bangkok for the Human Rights Day in Dec 07, I’ve been racking my brain at another shot at returning to Thailand. A little over a year, I finally get my wish. No doubt this isn’t for a holiday but for a 5 day course on conflict management but it doesn’t mean I’ll be leaving my party side at home. I probably won’t have much time for sight-seeing as I still haven’t seen the course programme yet but I’ll try to see as much as I can.

It doesn’t help that I’ll be going with a limited budget after paying for my flight to the Philippines in February. That trip will also be on my mind so I think I’ll keep spending in Chiang Mai to the utmost minimum. Also, my December pay hasn’t been banked-in yet but I’m hoping it’ll clear tomorrow.

This was such a last minute trip. I got a call at lunch time from Hellan telling me to go. The lure of going to Chiang Mai was too big for me to say no. But instantly I realized how congested my January will be. So much so, that I’ll need to fly to Miri once I get back to KL from Chiang Mai to attend a consultation on the 17th. There’ll probably be a lot to report from the consultation. Then I need to bear in mind that I need time to practice for Clem’s wedding on the 31st. All this, while remembering about my escape to Philippines on 7th Feb.

Like I’ve said millions of times; my pay is shit but at least I get to travel. It’s going to be hard to save up for a car and a plasma TV but by hook or by crook; come Dec 09, I shall have both in my possession.