Sunday, 26 February 2006 @ 11:46am. Let’s see… I wake up yesterday morning at a ridiculous hour to have my little ration of toast. I take a quick shower with low water pressure and need I mention that the water is freezing? I somehow manage to get dressed and try to get ready to start work. But before any work can get done, I almost electrocute myself! I plugged in an adapter into a STAVOL, which is a red box that is supposed to stabilize electricity. Let me just say it was a unique kind of pain that shot up my left arm and I cried. I was eventually able to laugh at the ordeal, but it took some time. I did end up doing some work on my laptop, but was interrupted at least five times because of power outages. I later had to soothe my soul by getting a creambath (hair conditioning treatment) and refleksi (foot and calf massage) at a local mall.
I think I need to compile a list at some point of the various obstacles to getting this fieldwork and dissertation done. 
Some of the hardships include:
(1) Not getting enough nutrients or exercise for energy and staying coherent.
(2) Battling mosquitos (at least three people I know have already come down with dengue fever within the past month or two).
(3) Not sleeping enough (e.g., the stranded kitten stuck in the roof tiles above my room cries every minute of every hour of every day since I arrived in Makassar).
(4) Exposure to toxins: If it isn’t the pollution from buses, cars, motorbikes, burning garbage, or factories that gets you, it’s the constant cloud of cigarette smoke created by the young and old alike or the insect repellent that you have to spray, burn, or apply to your skin. I won’t even start on the potential toxins in the foods because of environmental degradation or chemical processing.
(5) Limited access to certain technology: Stable electricity, decent light bulbs, and high-speed internet are the three that come the most quickly to mind.
(6) Getting from Point A to Point B: The traffic is beyond anything that one could imagine in terms of time and safety. I have yet to be early for anything, even when I do my best to plan ahead and leave earlier than I think is necessary. The taxis are sucking my finances. I’ve tried taking buses, but the comments, pickpockets, and touching are just too much. Walking can be a nice alternative occasionally, but only if the destination isn’t too far, there are actually sidewalks to use, it’s not too dark, and the weather isn’t too hot or raining.
I could go on further, but let me be optimistic… Why am I here, especially if things can be and usually are so difficult???
I can’t imagine being anywhere else because…
(1) Indonesia is such a lovely, crazy, special, interesting place that one could easily get lost in and addicted to any research topic. Really.
(2) While there are some people that grate on your nerves, many Indonesians are so nice, helpful, and genuine. In this past week alone, the number of people that have been willing to discuss openly and honestly about their personal experiences with me - a relative stranger and a foreigner no less - has been amazing.
(3) The food can be really good (though more money always helps).
(4) I am learning a lot about who I am and more about others each day. I like to think that this personal growth is a good thing.
(5) I laugh a ton. You have to have a good sense of humor to get beyond the stress, no?
There are highs, there are lows, and sometimes I think I’m just along for the ride whether it’s voluntary or not!
