Sunday, 21 May 2006 @ 8:23pm. I had a lovely time yesterday evening. A friend is returning to the U.S. later this week, so there is the usual round of going-away parties. Last night was a somewhat strange, but good mix of food, company, and activities. The host’s house was wonderful with its tiled floors, open-air feel (mostly large windows as opposed to stuffy walls), beautiful batik and modern art hanging on the walls, and an amazing book collection in the office. The host designed his one-floor house by gathering designs from the internet (!) and then submitting the ideas to an architect friend. I liked the feel of the place because of its international influence (e.g., Indonesian, Thai, and European art), but yet the place was “simple” (e.g., uncluttered and minimal furniture). Most of the evening was devoted to chatting with office colleagues and meeting new people from affiliate organizations. Near the close of the evening, there was “American Idol” on the television screen, but it was muted so we (Indonesians, Americans, and an Australian) could dance to reggae music. I snacked the whole time on singkong (cassava) chips, cute little pastries, shrimp satay, grapes, and asinan (salty-sour-sweet fruit salad). I had the pleasure of tasting a kurma (date fruit) with an almond in the middle from Mesir (Egypt), too. I did NOT try the shisha (also known as narguileh, hubble bubble, or hookah).
There was a second going-away party for my friend this afternoon. More good food and good company (more foreigners this time). I brought a papaya to the get-together and was pretty proud of myself for picking a good, ripe one. 
I had interesting discussions with folks at this party, in particular about the challenges of being a foreigner (and a woman) here, as well as hardships related to research. It’s nice to know that I am not alone, but it’s too bad that most of us have such difficulties, especially regarding fieldwork. Perhaps I am lucky in some respects, though, since having family from Southeast Asia has helped me to adapt relatively quickly and more easily compared to some other students. There are a lot of similarities, for instance, between Filipino and Indonesian customs so there isn’t as much or maybe the same kinds of culture shock or cultural adjustment.
Quote of the Day: “Your research is very timely and important, which is why no one should know about it.” (someone making a joke about my research and numerous fieldwork challenges)
I won’t be online for the next couple of days since I will be helping with a Fulbright-AMINEF orientation/pre-departure program. I will assist in discussions with Indonesian students who will be going to the U.S. this fall. I’m very much looking forward to interacting with the students and engaging in a bit of “cross-cultural understanding.”
