Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Getting set to go again in January 2008
Here we go again beginning travels on January 4. First stop is Jogyakarta, then a couple of days in Singapore and back to the library in Sigli. So more to come after Christmas.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
More pics
Thought it might be nice to finish off with a hodgepodge of snaps from the end of the trip so here goes:
On the way to Sigli from Banda Aceh
The girl in pink on the way to Independence day celebrations.
These pictures show us just after we found out we missed our flight out to Singapore and we were going to have to stay overnight in Medan. It was a pretty dismal moment but Dawna and I found a spot of humour when we spied this sign. It suggested that we could complete an internet based checkin and get an electronic boarding pass. This seemed a bit optimistic on the part of the airline and completely ludicrious given recent experiences we had but heck they were giving it a shot so kudos to them. 
Katherine and Sosi at the market. We bought this fried food (potatoes, bananas and other greasy goodies). Simon told us when we got home that he wouldn't have let us buy it because the oil was used over and over again. Yuck. He also would have told us about the wee bananas we purchased...apparently we bought the type what was only fed to birds, not people. Who knew?!On the last afternoon we went to a cultural/dance celebration, in honour of the 2 year anniversary of the signing of the peace agreement in Helsinki. There were some wonderful traditional costumes and dance. People wanted to have us in the pics too when we really just wanted to take photos of them.
That was a major festival even with a rock band.
More pics later on not as regular life takes over. Now to write all the reports!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
leaving Singapore
Leaving Medan proved a little hard to do - we flew from Banda Aceh to Medan and then missed the flight to Singapore thereby sealing our fate to endure pretty much the worst hotel we've ever encountered. Even a hotel in northern Ontario where the bikers drink sounded good after that night.
We should have known something was up with the hotel (called Inna Dharma Deli...the name was actually the best part!) when the key ring had a Barbie sized key on it. It even made the porter laugh. No one could tell us what that key was for. 
However we prevailed and had a terrific couple of days in Singapore. Last night we visited the night zoo which was pretty darn cool Dawna had to duck and shield herself behind young Grael when the flying bat flew low overhead.
So we are off to Hong Kong and the endurance flight to TO. See everyone at home.
Dawna here: Katherine is being very restrained about the Medan hotel experience. More later, we have no time for details as they are calling our flight. We'll catch up when we hit Hong Kong.
See you soon!!!
However we prevailed and had a terrific couple of days in Singapore. Last night we visited the night zoo which was pretty darn cool Dawna had to duck and shield herself behind young Grael when the flying bat flew low overhead.
So we are off to Hong Kong and the endurance flight to TO. See everyone at home.
Dawna here: Katherine is being very restrained about the Medan hotel experience. More later, we have no time for details as they are calling our flight. We'll catch up when we hit Hong Kong.
See you soon!!!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Last day in Banda Aceh
We had quite a productive meeting this morning in the CALGAP office going over presentations about local government and public libraries – the similarities and differences between Canada and Indonesia. Yes it was quite engaging and we learned a fair amount from the local CALGAP staff.
The afternoon was essentially spent debrieifing with the manager for the projects. Yikes we still have work to do and here we were thinking we were in pretty good shape for the end of the mission.
Note to self – folks here like the souvenirs from Canada and even pictures of Canadian scenes are appreciated. We brought several bottles of Maple Syrup this trip but can’t keep that happening as it adds too much weight to the luggage especially once a few books are thrown in with it all. As it was it felt like we were carrying stones in the luggage.
The afternoon was essentially spent debrieifing with the manager for the projects. Yikes we still have work to do and here we were thinking we were in pretty good shape for the end of the mission.
Note to self – folks here like the souvenirs from Canada and even pictures of Canadian scenes are appreciated. We brought several bottles of Maple Syrup this trip but can’t keep that happening as it adds too much weight to the luggage especially once a few books are thrown in with it all. As it was it felt like we were carrying stones in the luggage.
Last night we went to a community event in the local fairgrounds. We also crashed an official TV station party by mistake really but it was also kind of fun to hear the local rock band perform. On the way home we saw a couple of 9 year olds whipping around on a motorbike – weaving through traffic. Even the Indonesians were surprised by that.
So we are off to Singapore for a couple of days and then Sunday back to Canada.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
@the library
You may think that all we do is eat but really we are working hard every day!
For the second week, we changed gears from doing all sorts of presentations for the staff, to actually doing some hands on work. This is the really fun part. The presentations gave overviews to library basics and the hands on work is for the staff to apply the basics to their environment. So for example, we gave a presentation on various aspects of collection management (thanks Susan for the books - we have left them as a resource in Sigli), collection policies, intellectual freedom, weeding etc. Then along with the staff we are drafting collection policy and procedure for the library. Everything we do is in both languages and is in draft.
Once the business case presentation was done, the staff developed business cases for the large items that are part of the equipment request for the project. Bookmobile service is key to reaching the 21 districts that they are responsible for. A business case for an additional bookmobile has been written. We found out over the weekend that the staff need to write a business case to accompany the equipment request. They didn't bat an eye when we told them this on Monday, the business case for that has been written too. I am most impressed with the rapid response we get for any task that is requested.
Katherine spent time teaching some staff some basic computer skills so they can make internal signage. It is really important that all of the staff become comfortable with the computers. The plan for the library involves having 3 public internet terminals. Everyone will need to be somewhat computer saavy to support this service. Think back to public libraries in Ontario, not all that long ago when computers were introduced. A lot of staff upgrading was required then too.
If we want to break into small groups, we need two translators. We don't always have that luxury, so sometimes we try to do stuff without a translator. Yesterday, one of the staff asked if she could practice reading English with me. We had brought over some Grass Roots Press literacy books (books with easy to read English targeted at the adult reader) and Gusmeli was able to read two complete books to me. We took our time and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. She was so pleased to think she could read an entire book and they now want to include books like this in their collection. It makes me want to be a volunteer tutor when I get back home.
Last week we had done some brainstorming with all of the staff about ideas for improving the bookmobile service and the collections. Every staff member contributed an idea for each topic. Today we went over the lists....they were able to find ways to accomplish almost all of the suggestions. From adding DVDs and CDs to the collection, to providing special programming at a bookmobile stop, to circulating some magazines. The best part is that the ideas came from the staff and so did the solutions.
Lunch today was going to be Kraft dinner. Yep - from the exotic to the not-so. However, this was not to be the case because we received a phone call telling us that the Bupadi (akin to the mayor) was ready to see us immediately. So we had to leave the house without our lunch. The meeting ended up being with the Vice-Bupadi. The Vice Bupadi (like a deputy mayor) was a former freedom fighter, as are most of the people in power now. He has a tremendous vision for the role of the library and supports the expansion of the bookmobile service. It's quite good because he had some of his own ideas for library service. He suggested that the bookmobile have internet access and that there be chairs and events at the bookmobile to draw people to it. It was great to hear it coming from someone in a position to approve things. We have basically said that we will push for the improvements to the facility, infrastructure (public computers etc) but we need his assurance that they will budget for the operating costs attached to all of the improvements. We are building training into all of the plans because sustainability is the big thing. It has to be maintained once we are out of the picture. It was a good meeting. Muhktar took us out for lunch afterwards. We were all pleased with the progress that has been made. It was worth missing the Kraft dinner.
Tonight we had a dinner for all of the project staff. While we were preparing the meal we sang camp songs. We cooked mashed potatoes, meatballs, peas and gravy. (Tip - don't ever pack Bisto without putting it in a zip-lock bag. I learned this the hard way and my entire suitcase and contents were covered with Bisto powder. I am still finding it everywhere.) Simon's (local resource person) wife Daisy cooked chicken with vegetables and the same delicious soup she made last week. We bought nasi goreng. The drivers and guards are quite shy of us and would giggle whenever they were offered food. It was fun. There wasn't enough seats for everyone so we took turns at the table. The Canadians kept saying it felt like Thanksgiving. (And for Lisa - I have recipes which I will send you.....I knew you'd be asking.)
Hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day in Sigli. The time goes fast and slow. Things that happened yesterday seem like they were last week. It is a great time but we're tired out at the end of the day. I will sleep again once I get home...fingers crossed!
D.
For the second week, we changed gears from doing all sorts of presentations for the staff, to actually doing some hands on work. This is the really fun part. The presentations gave overviews to library basics and the hands on work is for the staff to apply the basics to their environment. So for example, we gave a presentation on various aspects of collection management (thanks Susan for the books - we have left them as a resource in Sigli), collection policies, intellectual freedom, weeding etc. Then along with the staff we are drafting collection policy and procedure for the library. Everything we do is in both languages and is in draft.
Once the business case presentation was done, the staff developed business cases for the large items that are part of the equipment request for the project. Bookmobile service is key to reaching the 21 districts that they are responsible for. A business case for an additional bookmobile has been written. We found out over the weekend that the staff need to write a business case to accompany the equipment request. They didn't bat an eye when we told them this on Monday, the business case for that has been written too. I am most impressed with the rapid response we get for any task that is requested.
Katherine spent time teaching some staff some basic computer skills so they can make internal signage. It is really important that all of the staff become comfortable with the computers. The plan for the library involves having 3 public internet terminals. Everyone will need to be somewhat computer saavy to support this service. Think back to public libraries in Ontario, not all that long ago when computers were introduced. A lot of staff upgrading was required then too.
If we want to break into small groups, we need two translators. We don't always have that luxury, so sometimes we try to do stuff without a translator. Yesterday, one of the staff asked if she could practice reading English with me. We had brought over some Grass Roots Press literacy books (books with easy to read English targeted at the adult reader) and Gusmeli was able to read two complete books to me. We took our time and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. She was so pleased to think she could read an entire book and they now want to include books like this in their collection. It makes me want to be a volunteer tutor when I get back home.
Last week we had done some brainstorming with all of the staff about ideas for improving the bookmobile service and the collections. Every staff member contributed an idea for each topic. Today we went over the lists....they were able to find ways to accomplish almost all of the suggestions. From adding DVDs and CDs to the collection, to providing special programming at a bookmobile stop, to circulating some magazines. The best part is that the ideas came from the staff and so did the solutions.
Lunch today was going to be Kraft dinner. Yep - from the exotic to the not-so. However, this was not to be the case because we received a phone call telling us that the Bupadi (akin to the mayor) was ready to see us immediately. So we had to leave the house without our lunch. The meeting ended up being with the Vice-Bupadi. The Vice Bupadi (like a deputy mayor) was a former freedom fighter, as are most of the people in power now. He has a tremendous vision for the role of the library and supports the expansion of the bookmobile service. It's quite good because he had some of his own ideas for library service. He suggested that the bookmobile have internet access and that there be chairs and events at the bookmobile to draw people to it. It was great to hear it coming from someone in a position to approve things. We have basically said that we will push for the improvements to the facility, infrastructure (public computers etc) but we need his assurance that they will budget for the operating costs attached to all of the improvements. We are building training into all of the plans because sustainability is the big thing. It has to be maintained once we are out of the picture. It was a good meeting. Muhktar took us out for lunch afterwards. We were all pleased with the progress that has been made. It was worth missing the Kraft dinner.
Tonight we had a dinner for all of the project staff. While we were preparing the meal we sang camp songs. We cooked mashed potatoes, meatballs, peas and gravy. (Tip - don't ever pack Bisto without putting it in a zip-lock bag. I learned this the hard way and my entire suitcase and contents were covered with Bisto powder. I am still finding it everywhere.) Simon's (local resource person) wife Daisy cooked chicken with vegetables and the same delicious soup she made last week. We bought nasi goreng. The drivers and guards are quite shy of us and would giggle whenever they were offered food. It was fun. There wasn't enough seats for everyone so we took turns at the table. The Canadians kept saying it felt like Thanksgiving. (And for Lisa - I have recipes which I will send you.....I knew you'd be asking.)
Hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day in Sigli. The time goes fast and slow. Things that happened yesterday seem like they were last week. It is a great time but we're tired out at the end of the day. I will sleep again once I get home...fingers crossed!
D.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
10 things I want to remember
Every day has moments that are memorable. We meet so many interesting people, find out different things we hadn't heard of before and just plain old have funny things happen. I have been keeping track of things and will throw a 'Top Ten' list together for this post.
Here they are in no particular order:
1. The motorcycles are everywhere, sliding in and around, going the wrong way on roads. Almost gnat-like in their buzzing around. Now add this to the picture....there may be several people on a motorcycle...several children even. The most we have seen is 5...typically without a helmet. Motorcycles are also used to transport items....big items too. We saw on motorcycle rider, on the windy road to Sigli carrying 3 long tables! Holding one with each arm and balancing one on his head. Sorry we weren't fast enough to get a picture of that one. The amazing thing is that on the first mission we were aghast at the children on the bikes and the no helmets....now we just count them to see if we will see more than 5 on a bike.
2. We hear so many good phrases and word spins. One of my favourites was 'You know what the flow.' This was said to us when someone was sharing a challenging story from his work place...along the lines of "You know how it goes".
3. The air conditioners in the Sigli house have remote controls. Each room has a wall mounted holder for the AC remote next to the light switch.
4. The animals we see while we travel...monkeys, water buffalo, many many cattle, the occasional elephant, large lizards and small geckoes. Then we are also surprised by the animals we don't see....there are very few birds and no horses.
5. I have been keeping a list of words that are the same in English and Bahasa Indonesian....so far I have: element, proposal, effective, brochure, concept, conflict and success.
6. Fuzzy furry purple flip flops.....I want them so BAD!
7. Katherine reads the newspapers here any chance she gets. Yesterday she saw an article about a woman's mud soccer tournament. The winning team won 5 ducks. We are not making this stuff up. If we chose to we could watch all the Al-Gezeera network we want...if that wasn't of interest we could watch TV from Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Oman, Saudi, Quatar and Libya. And in a pinch every day there is channel G with a daily dose of fashion yacht TV (a reality game show with skinny models cavorting around a yacht). And this is with cable!
8. The road to Sigli. We thought it was rough during the first mission....this time a large portion of it is under construction. Part of it is at the stage where all of the black top is being removed. This makes for more curves and bumps and jostles. We have somewhat acclimatized to the drive and have been listening to music from home through the I-Pod (thanks Alex!) which makes it fun. Katherine and I sing away to old Bowie songs and the drive passes quite nicely. The part I may not have emphasized is how truly beautiful the ride is...the mountains curve around the background, the sky is usually a brilliant blue and rice fields give balance.
9. Padang food - which requires higher math skills. Many many little bowls of food are brought to your table, most containing 4 items. You get a plate with a mound of rice and help yourself to what you want. You can take a little or a lot. When you are done the server assesses how much you ate from each bowl and charges you accordingly. We are in awe of this process because sometimes we will take just a spoonful from the bowl and there are upward of 20 bowls. We have been told that the local curry goat stew is spiced with ganja. (Yep - ganja is ganja here too.) So the joke was that if I ate the stew they would have to wake me up at work because I would be too sleepy. Today's padang lunch included lung. I found this too much to look at....it looked similar to what you can see on cigarette packages at home. Katherine and Sosi humoured me and moved the bowl of lung to the far end of the table.
10. How lucky we are. Everyday we are seeing new things, learning and finding out more. It is an adventure that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Here they are in no particular order:
1. The motorcycles are everywhere, sliding in and around, going the wrong way on roads. Almost gnat-like in their buzzing around. Now add this to the picture....there may be several people on a motorcycle...several children even. The most we have seen is 5...typically without a helmet. Motorcycles are also used to transport items....big items too. We saw on motorcycle rider, on the windy road to Sigli carrying 3 long tables! Holding one with each arm and balancing one on his head. Sorry we weren't fast enough to get a picture of that one. The amazing thing is that on the first mission we were aghast at the children on the bikes and the no helmets....now we just count them to see if we will see more than 5 on a bike.
2. We hear so many good phrases and word spins. One of my favourites was 'You know what the flow.' This was said to us when someone was sharing a challenging story from his work place...along the lines of "You know how it goes".
3. The air conditioners in the Sigli house have remote controls. Each room has a wall mounted holder for the AC remote next to the light switch.
4. The animals we see while we travel...monkeys, water buffalo, many many cattle, the occasional elephant, large lizards and small geckoes. Then we are also surprised by the animals we don't see....there are very few birds and no horses.
5. I have been keeping a list of words that are the same in English and Bahasa Indonesian....so far I have: element, proposal, effective, brochure, concept, conflict and success.
6. Fuzzy furry purple flip flops.....I want them so BAD!
7. Katherine reads the newspapers here any chance she gets. Yesterday she saw an article about a woman's mud soccer tournament. The winning team won 5 ducks. We are not making this stuff up. If we chose to we could watch all the Al-Gezeera network we want...if that wasn't of interest we could watch TV from Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Oman, Saudi, Quatar and Libya. And in a pinch every day there is channel G with a daily dose of fashion yacht TV (a reality game show with skinny models cavorting around a yacht). And this is with cable!
8. The road to Sigli. We thought it was rough during the first mission....this time a large portion of it is under construction. Part of it is at the stage where all of the black top is being removed. This makes for more curves and bumps and jostles. We have somewhat acclimatized to the drive and have been listening to music from home through the I-Pod (thanks Alex!) which makes it fun. Katherine and I sing away to old Bowie songs and the drive passes quite nicely. The part I may not have emphasized is how truly beautiful the ride is...the mountains curve around the background, the sky is usually a brilliant blue and rice fields give balance.
9. Padang food - which requires higher math skills. Many many little bowls of food are brought to your table, most containing 4 items. You get a plate with a mound of rice and help yourself to what you want. You can take a little or a lot. When you are done the server assesses how much you ate from each bowl and charges you accordingly. We are in awe of this process because sometimes we will take just a spoonful from the bowl and there are upward of 20 bowls. We have been told that the local curry goat stew is spiced with ganja. (Yep - ganja is ganja here too.) So the joke was that if I ate the stew they would have to wake me up at work because I would be too sleepy. Today's padang lunch included lung. I found this too much to look at....it looked similar to what you can see on cigarette packages at home. Katherine and Sosi humoured me and moved the bowl of lung to the far end of the table.
10. How lucky we are. Everyday we are seeing new things, learning and finding out more. It is an adventure that we will remember for the rest of our lives.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Chad the Becak driver
More adventures. Today we wanted to make an overseas call so took the Becak, small motorcycle and side car to the phoning place. As there were three of us I took the back of the motorcycle- riding with Chad, the cool driver except when he was checking his cell while driving. the good news is that we were going about 5 kilometers an hour.
When we got to the phone place we realized we were calling home at midnight- anyway it worked out and Dave my partner was still up. Dawna's parents were probably sleeping as they didn't pick up. That was the morning- of course we had a business meeting prior at about 9 am on Saturday morning to go over the requests for equipment.
A little later we made our way to do some shopping- the best thing we saw was Billabong high heel sandals - knockoffs naturally! Also a sort of fur lined flip flop and Wrigler jeans. We checked out the beach and kind of wallowed in the shallows as the waves were substantial and I'm sure dangerous.
Then off to the ever so cool expat hang out Joel's where it took pretty much 2 hours to get a pizza. It was still quite relaxing with a great beach breeze. The huts shown are not the restaurant but rather a concession stand on the beach.
When we got to the phone place we realized we were calling home at midnight- anyway it worked out and Dave my partner was still up. Dawna's parents were probably sleeping as they didn't pick up. That was the morning- of course we had a business meeting prior at about 9 am on Saturday morning to go over the requests for equipment.
A little later we made our way to do some shopping- the best thing we saw was Billabong high heel sandals - knockoffs naturally! Also a sort of fur lined flip flop and Wrigler jeans. We checked out the beach and kind of wallowed in the shallows as the waves were substantial and I'm sure dangerous.
Then off to the ever so cool expat hang out Joel's where it took pretty much 2 hours to get a pizza. It was still quite relaxing with a great beach breeze. The huts shown are not the restaurant but rather a concession stand on the beach.
So tomorrow Sunday a little work in the morning hopefully a little downtime in the pool or gym, shopping at the supermarket - we're having a dinner party in Sigli on Tuesday night and inviting folks we know including drivers and translators - so far the menu is mashed potatoes and meatballs.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Up and at it again
o.k. it is 8 am and we are getting organized for today. We just have the morning and then we are off to the big smoke - Banda Aceh where we plan to go to the speakeasy tonight. Ring the bell and wait a few minutes - if approved you get to go in and up to the rooftop garden restaurant and eat Italian.
We had a most delicious dinner yesterday with a Thai soup made with lemon grass, lemon leaves and fish sauce making up the base. Simon our interpreter and Daisy his wife made it. And we had shrimp again which of course is fresh each day.
So this morning we'll stop boring the libary staff with presentations on writing a business case and the like and get to the shelves - where we will help to bring some order and get the kids items separated so they can have their own spot. Right now it is something of a clerical supervisors nightmare- 400 in 600 and fiction here and there. Talking about specific books and sections should also help the group with the collection statement (we hope!). So since it is Friday it is a short day - for there are longer prayers on Friday.
We had a most delicious dinner yesterday with a Thai soup made with lemon grass, lemon leaves and fish sauce making up the base. Simon our interpreter and Daisy his wife made it. And we had shrimp again which of course is fresh each day.
So this morning we'll stop boring the libary staff with presentations on writing a business case and the like and get to the shelves - where we will help to bring some order and get the kids items separated so they can have their own spot. Right now it is something of a clerical supervisors nightmare- 400 in 600 and fiction here and there. Talking about specific books and sections should also help the group with the collection statement (we hope!). So since it is Friday it is a short day - for there are longer prayers on Friday.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Don't unplug it, it might blow up
We're pushing through, so far we've covered bookmobile service, collection development policy, open hours, performance measures and community assessments, space planning and we have just been here since Monday afternoon! We know how to have a good time. Today they told us that they only wanted to work 2 hours in the afternoon...we almost had them work an 8 hour day yesterday!
But the boss is getting wise, he's feeding us now so they get a break. There is a special steamed bun that Dawna likes that he ordered in. Katherine had the flourescent green pastry, which was surprisingly good. A lot of it is based on rice/gluten. This morning there was a dessert which was a banana wrapped in lime green gluten. It was sticky and very filling. It's just been great, we talked about a couple of things yesterday, such as putting the current edition of the newspaper in the newspaper rack and to place the rack near the newspapers...today it was done. Yesterday, I had a meltdown about how the 600s were in no particular order and this morning we saw someone shelfreading. They are really keen to do good stuff.
And for Sylph, yes, they did everything that we asked them to do in between missions. Everthing....a space plan, the performance measures, community demographics, photos of the storytelling competiton.......all done. It was amazing.
Adventures in the bathroom....or WC as they call it here. The bathroom that is in Muktar's office has a cistern and squatter and an alarming combination of dangling electrical wires. There is a sign near the wires and we asked Sosi, our interpretter what it said. We thought we were re-vamping of the electrical so they could have computers, who knew it was to prevent the library from blowing up.
Another really fun thing that has been happening in Sigli is that the local school children have been preparing for a special marching contest for Independence day. Groups of about twenty
children have been marching and chanting in the streets. We have been enjoying seeing them over the past few days. Today was the final competition and we happened upon the closing ceremonies when we went to the beach for lunch. It was so much fun to see the children so excited. It felt like play day when we were kids. And then we got happily swarmed by them as they wanted to say hi, have their photos taken and practice their English.
We ended the afternoon with the business plan workshop. This was the session that Dawna worked on the most and with Katherine's help, it paid off. Sosi delivered the presentation in Bahasa Indonesian and then the staff split into 3 working groups to prepare business cases for additional electrical infrastructure, a bookmobile and a new library.
Mukhtar knows the power of food to motivate and bring people together. This afternoon was no exception. He provided bags of sweet coffee, savoury food, fruit and sweets. He manages to create a very happy atmosphere and the staff (and the two of us) respond very positively. The afternoon went very well and the 3 business cases are well on their way.
Boy, do we have this Indonesian thing wrong. When we came back to the house, the very kind woman, Yulia, who looks after the house was watching Fashion TV and there were some very scantily clad ladies on the show. And then we heard that they show porn in a coffee house in Banda. Here we thought we were living in strict Muslim territory.
Tonight at the house it is just Katherine, Sosi and I as the other team has left for Banda. We are planning to have dinner with Simon and his family.
Another good day in Sigli.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Sigli Library - First day
We were both wondering what we would encounter when we returned to the library. We had no contact with anyone from Sigli in between missions.....would the staff have done the tasks we had left for them, would they be keen to see us? what could we expect? When we arrived, we had heard that the head of the library had been replaced and that the new person started the week before. This made us wonder even more. 
The first thing we noticed when we entered the library was that it was super clean and tidy. Some of the furniture had been rearranged to make good use of the space and it felt welcoming. It was a tangible difference. When we met the new head, Mukhtar, he was welcoming and very encouraging and apologetic because he had a speech to deliver elsewhere in the morning, but he promised to return in the afternoon to meet with us.
Katherine and I spent the morning with the staff. Katherine gave a presentation on how you tailor library service around community demographics. There were a lot of pictures from Mission 1 in the presentation and this really tickled the staff and made it resonate. I have to find some pictures that will work with my presentation on creating a business plan....a bit of a challenge!
In the afternoon we met with Mukhtar. We wanted to review what we had covered during Mission 1 and also get a chance to know one another. It didn't take long to realize that we all shared the common belief that libraries build communities. He understood the work that needs to be done and was glad of the CALGAP assistance. As a matter of protocol, we exchanged business cards....he told us that we were 'relatives now'....this made us feel very welcome. We ended the afternoon with a review of Canadian library service with all of the staff.
Now for those that find the library posts dry...I have some food to tell you about.
The first thing we noticed when we entered the library was that it was super clean and tidy. Some of the furniture had been rearranged to make good use of the space and it felt welcoming. It was a tangible difference. When we met the new head, Mukhtar, he was welcoming and very encouraging and apologetic because he had a speech to deliver elsewhere in the morning, but he promised to return in the afternoon to meet with us.
Katherine and I spent the morning with the staff. Katherine gave a presentation on how you tailor library service around community demographics. There were a lot of pictures from Mission 1 in the presentation and this really tickled the staff and made it resonate. I have to find some pictures that will work with my presentation on creating a business plan....a bit of a challenge!
In the afternoon we met with Mukhtar. We wanted to review what we had covered during Mission 1 and also get a chance to know one another. It didn't take long to realize that we all shared the common belief that libraries build communities. He understood the work that needs to be done and was glad of the CALGAP assistance. As a matter of protocol, we exchanged business cards....he told us that we were 'relatives now'....this made us feel very welcome. We ended the afternoon with a review of Canadian library service with all of the staff.
Now for those that find the library posts dry...I have some food to tell you about.
We were treated to some fruit. Oranges we know, but snakefruit was something different. It has a stiff leathery skin, much like a snake which was quite sharp under your fingernails when you 
peel it. They are a mahogany colour. Inside was a white coloured fruit that was a bit bitter. It comes in three parts. Apparently the same fruit is much sweeter in Java. I think I will have to go to Java to really get the true flavour. I found it a bit bitter but ate it anyway.
The other fruit was rambutan, it means hairy fruit. It is a red colour with spiky hair. The spikes look sharp but they are actually quite soft. It tasted like a lichee. You can buy a bundle of about 12 for 5 cents. I would eat these at home if I could find them. I am sure they could be found. 
When we got home we did some Pilates. We set up the mats in the living area and Manon, Katherine and I stretched away. We are trying to find some sort of exercise that works here in the heat. I think we have found it.
It was a very good day...and now if I could only get over the jet lag all would be perfect!
Until next post,
Dawna.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Getting started
in Banda Aceh today -
Last night we met with the new Field Manager, Basile in Banda Aceh. He is responsible for all the projects in Indonesia and just started a few weeks ago. He's come with tons of experience in the Phillipines and we have already had good conversations about the missions and the overall plans for the work here in Aceh.
Also we have a new local resource officer, Simon, for the project and he is located in Sigli where the library is. He also has done a fair amount of NGO work. He has lots of energy and we got a good vibe from him so can't wait to get started and see the people at the library again.
Simon tells us that the head of the libray has changed and the new person seems to be a 'doer' who is interested in change - another positive sign.
The hotel was filled with children yesterday. There was a weekend deal and made the place quite lively. In the evening there was a private barbeque - we think it was a UN thing. So from our hotel window you could see there was lots of Karaoke going on - they really belted it out and we could hear it throught the windows on the 5th floor.
I think Dawna and I are doing pretty good regarding jet lag and had a pretty reasonable sleep although woke up around 5:30. We drive this afternoon to Sigli after a visit to the supermarket here. All of us from the two teams including the Local Government folks Manon and Eric brought lots of items for the kitchen including foodstuffs. Hoping this time around to do most of our cooking we will do the market thing and that way we can include veggies in the daily diet. We found going out to restaurants resulted in lots of rice, noodles and meat - nary a vegetable to be had.
So the urban camping continues - we brought our yoga mats this time so hoping to get a bit of a stretch in here and there as it is difficult to walk with limited sidewalks and motorcycles at your back and darn hot!
Last night we met with the new Field Manager, Basile in Banda Aceh. He is responsible for all the projects in Indonesia and just started a few weeks ago. He's come with tons of experience in the Phillipines and we have already had good conversations about the missions and the overall plans for the work here in Aceh.
Also we have a new local resource officer, Simon, for the project and he is located in Sigli where the library is. He also has done a fair amount of NGO work. He has lots of energy and we got a good vibe from him so can't wait to get started and see the people at the library again.
Simon tells us that the head of the libray has changed and the new person seems to be a 'doer' who is interested in change - another positive sign.
The hotel was filled with children yesterday. There was a weekend deal and made the place quite lively. In the evening there was a private barbeque - we think it was a UN thing. So from our hotel window you could see there was lots of Karaoke going on - they really belted it out and we could hear it throught the windows on the 5th floor.
I think Dawna and I are doing pretty good regarding jet lag and had a pretty reasonable sleep although woke up around 5:30. We drive this afternoon to Sigli after a visit to the supermarket here. All of us from the two teams including the Local Government folks Manon and Eric brought lots of items for the kitchen including foodstuffs. Hoping this time around to do most of our cooking we will do the market thing and that way we can include veggies in the daily diet. We found going out to restaurants resulted in lots of rice, noodles and meat - nary a vegetable to be had.
So the urban camping continues - we brought our yoga mats this time so hoping to get a bit of a stretch in here and there as it is difficult to walk with limited sidewalks and motorcycles at your back and darn hot!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Enroute
We are still enroute. It is much better this time as we are more familiar with the different airports and have our favourite spots. The highlight of the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong is knowing that there is a wonderful business centre where we can shower, have a massage, get online AND have a great buffet. It really makes a big difference being able to refresh like that.
In Medan we apparently engaged a broker to move us from one terminal to the next; before we knew it we were indebted to several airport employees. However, the upshot is that we will be able to enjoy the rather expensive Duty Free bottle of wine that Katherine bought in Singapore, now with its own version of 'duty' Medanese style. The curiuos thing about these broker dudes is that they have no nametag or shirts or anything that would identify them as official yet they take your tickets from you and go off and you follow....pretty much running after them trying to remember what shirt they were wearing. Was he the guy in the green or was he the orange shirt guy?
Currently we are at the Medan business centre (at the airport) We decided that we had enough excitement the last time we were in Medan and that we would be best just to stay put. I do have my wallet....and my passport and tickets are tucked safe and sound in my special holder. No worries!
More later,
D.
In Medan we apparently engaged a broker to move us from one terminal to the next; before we knew it we were indebted to several airport employees. However, the upshot is that we will be able to enjoy the rather expensive Duty Free bottle of wine that Katherine bought in Singapore, now with its own version of 'duty' Medanese style. The curiuos thing about these broker dudes is that they have no nametag or shirts or anything that would identify them as official yet they take your tickets from you and go off and you follow....pretty much running after them trying to remember what shirt they were wearing. Was he the guy in the green or was he the orange shirt guy?
Currently we are at the Medan business centre (at the airport) We decided that we had enough excitement the last time we were in Medan and that we would be best just to stay put. I do have my wallet....and my passport and tickets are tucked safe and sound in my special holder. No worries!
More later,
D.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Heading out again
Mission two is approaching faster than it seems possible. We will be in Sigli again on Monday afternoon to begin the next stage of the project.
I wanted to share some experiences from the first trip before they become ancient memories. Once we came home there were a few things it was clear people were interested in hearing about. One is the food! I will write more about that in future posts because I know we are going to have some great meals and market trips this time. We will be sharing the house again with another team and we are all bringing along things to make preparing food a bit more feasible. I also to tell about the tsunami sights that we visited.
There are two main places that really demonstrate the power of the tsunami that hit Banda Aceh. It was at the epicenter of the tsunami on December 26, 2004. We saw a huge oil tanker that was carried 5 kms inland. It rests right in the middle of this small community and people are now living around it. They get power from its generator. It is so big that it will likely not get moved and we heard that it might be made into a museum for the tsunami. It was a chilling marker of the disaster.
The second place we were taken to was a house that had a boat resting on its roof. She no long er lives there, but the homeowner will not have the boat removed and still comes to pray at her home everyday. There were many waves to the tsunami and the people who talk of it will tell you what they remember from each wave. The woman that lived in the house with the boat was on the first floor of her home for the first wave and the water came up to the ceiling. She managed to get to the second floor and then the second wave came. She went to the window and saw a boat, the people on it threw out a rope and she grabbed on. The boat became lodged on her rooftop. They managed to save 57 people on the boat. They stayed there and watched the subsequent waves take everything else away.
We were all humbled by these sights. It really is impossible to imagine the scale of loss. Words pale.
I look forward to blogging again.
More later,
Dawna,
I wanted to share some experiences from the first trip before they become ancient memories. Once we came home there were a few things it was clear people were interested in hearing about. One is the food! I will write more about that in future posts because I know we are going to have some great meals and market trips this time. We will be sharing the house again with another team and we are all bringing along things to make preparing food a bit more feasible. I also to tell about the tsunami sights that we visited.
There are two main places that really demonstrate the power of the tsunami that hit Banda Aceh. It was at the epicenter of the tsunami on December 26, 2004. We saw a huge oil tanker that was carried 5 kms inland. It rests right in the middle of this small community and people are now living around it. They get power from its generator. It is so big that it will likely not get moved and we heard that it might be made into a museum for the tsunami. It was a chilling marker of the disaster.
The second place we were taken to was a house that had a boat resting on its roof. She no long er lives there, but the homeowner will not have the boat removed and still comes to pray at her home everyday. There were many waves to the tsunami and the people who talk of it will tell you what they remember from each wave. The woman that lived in the house with the boat was on the first floor of her home for the first wave and the water came up to the ceiling. She managed to get to the second floor and then the second wave came. She went to the window and saw a boat, the people on it threw out a rope and she grabbed on. The boat became lodged on her rooftop. They managed to save 57 people on the boat. They stayed there and watched the subsequent waves take everything else away.
We were all humbled by these sights. It really is impossible to imagine the scale of loss. Words pale.
I look forward to blogging again.
More later,
Dawna,
Monday, June 11, 2007
Home
We arrived home last night. It was great to see Dave and Wylie at the gate.
I have put some photos up 0n the previous posts.
Here are some more photos.......
Here are some more photos.......
The blog will go on hiatus for awhile until the next mission begins.
Dawna.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
The flight home continues
We are in Hong Kong now, the final 15 hour flight looms in front of us. We flew from Banda Aceh to Medan last night, and then on to Singapore. We met up with Katherine's friend Steve in Singapore. He took us to a local outdoor market where we had a great late night chatting, enjoying dim sum and beer. It meant that we only got an hour sleep before heading out this morning, but it was worth it.
We have been strolling around the Hong Kong airport, buying gifts and things that caught our fancy. I bought myself a travel purse that will serve me well on future trips. Soon we will check in for the flight...sleep and watch some movies and get home.
We are both looking forward to coming home.
Dawna.
We have been strolling around the Hong Kong airport, buying gifts and things that caught our fancy. I bought myself a travel purse that will serve me well on future trips. Soon we will check in for the flight...sleep and watch some movies and get home.
We are both looking forward to coming home.
Dawna.
Day at the Beach
Today we start the flight home but we started off with a morning of sightseeing. We met up with our friend Mary Ann's cousin Cordero (Cord) and he took us out for a great morning of sightseeing. We went to a fishing village and also had a good walk on the beach. Cord works for the Asian Development Bank and has been living in Banda Aceh for the past 8 months or so. He had some great stories to tell us and showed us some places that we wouldn't have known about.
It was a fun way to spend our last day here. He even took us to a surfer pizza place that was just perfect.
We are now waiting in the lobby of the hotel. A big Indonesia rock band has just checked in so there is a lot of excitement happening. It is sponsored by a local cigarette company so the air is thick with smoke.
Our ride comes in 90 minutes and then the L-O-N-G ride home will begin.
All for now,
Dawna.
It was a fun way to spend our last day here. He even took us to a surfer pizza place that was just perfect.
We are now waiting in the lobby of the hotel. A big Indonesia rock band has just checked in so there is a lot of excitement happening. It is sponsored by a local cigarette company so the air is thick with smoke.
Our ride comes in 90 minutes and then the L-O-N-G ride home will begin.
All for now,
Dawna.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Last day in Sigli
Today was our last day with the Sigli staff. It really was hard to say goodbye.
We had a hands on morning. Katherine reviewed our work plan with key staff. While she was doing that Rob gave the collection a thorough review and I worked with a group of staff at the computers.
My task was to support them in setting up some basic templates in Excel, to help with some performance measures. The thinking is to have a baseline to measure now so we can track the changes that will occur once some of the changes that we are planning to achieve happen. Each time that we work one-on-one with the staff we find more strengths. I worked with Yurni for about an hour and we had a good time together at the computer. We don't have a language in common but were able to understand each other for the most part. We were both showing each other tips in Excel. I give the staff credit for working in Excel (and Word) because they work with the English version and they have to learn all of the English commands. Just think of having to work in Excel and all of your commands were in Bahasa Indonesian. It actually helped me with my language learning this morning. I am getting most of the library terms down...not that it will help me in the market when I am trying to buy food!
Later in the afternoon we met with the Bapeda (the lead politician for the area) to thank him for letting us work with the staff and to show our appreciation for the opportunity we have been given in Sigli. He was equally gracious and permitted us to have a photograph. The other team was with us for this meeting. They had a good morning with their team too, so we were all on a bit of a high.
The afternoon was spent working on the various reports that are due and wrapping up details. For dinner, we went out to our favourite outdoors restaurant. Manon had a hamburger (which was really more like a roast beef sandwich)...this was the first time we had ventured past the regular satay and noodles. We had so much fun with her ordering the hamburger that we documented it with copious photographs...I even took a video! (I think this shows you how little it takes to amuse us these days!)
We head back to Banda tomorrow and slowly begin the journey home.
Dawna.
We had a hands on morning. Katherine reviewed our work plan with key staff. While she was doing that Rob gave the collection a thorough review and I worked with a group of staff at the computers.
My task was to support them in setting up some basic templates in Excel, to help with some performance measures. The thinking is to have a baseline to measure now so we can track the changes that will occur once some of the changes that we are planning to achieve happen. Each time that we work one-on-one with the staff we find more strengths. I worked with Yurni for about an hour and we had a good time together at the computer. We don't have a language in common but were able to understand each other for the most part. We were both showing each other tips in Excel. I give the staff credit for working in Excel (and Word) because they work with the English version and they have to learn all of the English commands. Just think of having to work in Excel and all of your commands were in Bahasa Indonesian. It actually helped me with my language learning this morning. I am getting most of the library terms down...not that it will help me in the market when I am trying to buy food!
Later in the afternoon we met with the Bapeda (the lead politician for the area) to thank him for letting us work with the staff and to show our appreciation for the opportunity we have been given in Sigli. He was equally gracious and permitted us to have a photograph. The other team was with us for this meeting. They had a good morning with their team too, so we were all on a bit of a high.
The afternoon was spent working on the various reports that are due and wrapping up details. For dinner, we went out to our favourite outdoors restaurant. Manon had a hamburger (which was really more like a roast beef sandwich)...this was the first time we had ventured past the regular satay and noodles. We had so much fun with her ordering the hamburger that we documented it with copious photographs...I even took a video! (I think this shows you how little it takes to amuse us these days!)
We head back to Banda tomorrow and slowly begin the journey home.
Dawna.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Eensy Weensy Spider
We began the morning with a review of the equipment list. This list itemizes all of the items, services and equipment that will be necessary for the project. Yesterday we had asked the Sigli staff to start thinking about this list. We were very impressed when they presented us with a full list today. Their list was fairly complete and a lot of thought had been put into it. It really felt like we were working together.
Later in the morning we focused on 'Children's Services in the Public Library'. Katherine and I had prepared some presentations before we left and this was one of them. It was fun to talk about ways to interact with children...this was all new to them but I could tell they liked what we had to share with them. At one point we spontaneously started showing them 'Eensy Weensy Spider' and it made everyone laugh. It will be interesting to see the programs that they develop based on local customs and traditions.
On the home front we have been exploring more food preparations. Manon (on another FCM project and staying in the house) and I had gone into the market yesterday afternoon and purchased a lot of different vegetables. I was a bit too squeamish to go into the fish market (you had to go in barefoot with rolled up trousers) but Manon braved it and got some super-sized prawns for our supper. We also bought some beans and noodles that were wrapped in banana leaves. It was take-out Sigli style.
The food has been interesting here. Some days we go to local restaurants and eat whatever is being served. I had a crab dinner that was one of the best meals I have had all year. Today at lunch we went to the local beach and had noodles and chicken. We tried a local drink of chocolate and avocado. It was a different combo and the texture and colour was unlike any beverage we have at home. (For anyone wondering about my stomach....I have been quite fine in that department.)
On the home front we have been exploring more food preparations. Manon (on another FCM project and staying in the house) and I had gone into the market yesterday afternoon and purchased a lot of different vegetables. I was a bit too squeamish to go into the fish market (you had to go in barefoot with rolled up trousers) but Manon braved it and got some super-sized prawns for our supper. We also bought some beans and noodles that were wrapped in banana leaves. It was take-out Sigli style.
The food has been interesting here. Some days we go to local restaurants and eat whatever is being served. I had a crab dinner that was one of the best meals I have had all year. Today at lunch we went to the local beach and had noodles and chicken. We tried a local drink of chocolate and avocado. It was a different combo and the texture and colour was unlike any beverage we have at home. (For anyone wondering about my stomach....I have been quite fine in that department.)
Tomorrow is our last day with the Sigli team. We are having a photo taken outside the library to place on the cover of our project plan. We have made some connections with the staff. They have tasks to do while we are back home and we have things to move forward too. We are anticipating our next mission will be at the end of the summer and before Ramadan.
I will get to the next level of blogging and add some pics when I get home. Web 2.0 here I come.
Home soon,
Dawna.
Home soon,
Dawna.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Sigli
The journey back to Sigli was good. I think we are getting more accustomed to the curves, cows and chaos of the trip. There is a wonderful chip stand that we stop at that has eggplant chips and potato chips. There is also an amazing local chip that is made...they are so delicious I will bring some home. We stopped to see some elephants. I was this close to getting on one but realized it would have slowed the convoy down. Drats. Maybe next time. We were travelling up with another van of FCM volunteers. That group is working on supporting the municipal government here. We share the house with them too.
The library staff were all set for us yesterday morning. We went through some basics of strategic planning and visioning with them. We had found out over the weekend that two of the staff had gone through this process with another FCM workshop so they were well primed for our discussions. (Sorry Ruth - this may be another five minutes you don't get back!).
Yesterday afternoon we talked with the staff some more. We were amazed to find out that they had wifi in the library. It is one of those situations where unless you ask the right questions you don't know what you will find out. They had mentioned that they get visitors to the library and when we asked what the visitors do...we were told about the wifi. We checked the connection out today but it was pretty slow and we were unable to show the TPL website as we had hoped.
It is such a different work flow here, The staff typically work just a few hours a day, from 9-11:30...even though the posted library hours are from 9-2:00. When we asked about that we didn't really get an answer. Prayers are at set time throughout the day and most activities stop for prayers. We also awake to prayers every morning at 5:30 a.m. It makes me think a lot about Khartoum and the time I spent there.
We took it as a very positive step when the staff agreed to meet with us in the afternoons, after prayer.
Today we gave a presentation on Canadian libraries. We were a little bit nervous about how it might go, knowing that libraries at home have quite a different look and feel from the Sigli library. We had a powerpoint presentation and set it all up in one of the offices. It went really well. The staff focused on all of the positive differences....lots of light, welcoming surroundings and the set spaces for children, youth and adults.
They had some questions about how things are set up in Toronto and were pleased and surprised to hear that TPL had a woman at the head of it.
This afternoon we return and will talk about getting some benchmarks in place and deciding on what tasks need to get accomplished between this trip and the next one. We only have a few more meetings with them and then we learn how it works to be moving the objectives forward from afar.
I cooked lunch for us today....made from a hodge podge of ingredients that were around the house. This afternoon (after our work session) I am going to the market to get food for our dinner. We have a cook who looks after us very well. She keeps our rooms spotless and also does our laundry. I will miss it all when I get back home.
I am trying to learn a little Bahasa Indonesia (the local language) each day. I am finding that the people we meet speak a little English and when I try to speak their language I get more English from them. There is also a little bit of Arabic that sneaks through so that is good too.
All for now,
Dawna.
The library staff were all set for us yesterday morning. We went through some basics of strategic planning and visioning with them. We had found out over the weekend that two of the staff had gone through this process with another FCM workshop so they were well primed for our discussions. (Sorry Ruth - this may be another five minutes you don't get back!).
Yesterday afternoon we talked with the staff some more. We were amazed to find out that they had wifi in the library. It is one of those situations where unless you ask the right questions you don't know what you will find out. They had mentioned that they get visitors to the library and when we asked what the visitors do...we were told about the wifi. We checked the connection out today but it was pretty slow and we were unable to show the TPL website as we had hoped.
It is such a different work flow here, The staff typically work just a few hours a day, from 9-11:30...even though the posted library hours are from 9-2:00. When we asked about that we didn't really get an answer. Prayers are at set time throughout the day and most activities stop for prayers. We also awake to prayers every morning at 5:30 a.m. It makes me think a lot about Khartoum and the time I spent there.
We took it as a very positive step when the staff agreed to meet with us in the afternoons, after prayer.
Today we gave a presentation on Canadian libraries. We were a little bit nervous about how it might go, knowing that libraries at home have quite a different look and feel from the Sigli library. We had a powerpoint presentation and set it all up in one of the offices. It went really well. The staff focused on all of the positive differences....lots of light, welcoming surroundings and the set spaces for children, youth and adults.
They had some questions about how things are set up in Toronto and were pleased and surprised to hear that TPL had a woman at the head of it.
This afternoon we return and will talk about getting some benchmarks in place and deciding on what tasks need to get accomplished between this trip and the next one. We only have a few more meetings with them and then we learn how it works to be moving the objectives forward from afar.
I cooked lunch for us today....made from a hodge podge of ingredients that were around the house. This afternoon (after our work session) I am going to the market to get food for our dinner. We have a cook who looks after us very well. She keeps our rooms spotless and also does our laundry. I will miss it all when I get back home.
I am trying to learn a little Bahasa Indonesia (the local language) each day. I am finding that the people we meet speak a little English and when I try to speak their language I get more English from them. There is also a little bit of Arabic that sneaks through so that is good too.
All for now,
Dawna.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Heading Back to Pidie
We have been in Banda Aceh for the weekend. I'll re-cap the first few working days in Pidie.
When we got to the public library in Sigli we met with the staff and the head of the District. Louise (FCM leader) reviewed the reasons we were there and began a discussion with the staff about their library service, what they were happy with and what they felt needed attention.
All throughout this discussion there were motorcycles racing around the library and I could hear Celine Dion music in the background. It was somewhat surreal.
There is a staff of 23 at the library and generally about 75% report for work each day. The staff get paid whether they attend work or not. They want to have an automated library system yet only about 4 of the staff are comfortable with computers. They have a bookmobile that serves 30 districts over a 120 km territory. They are proud of their service to the public but acknowledge that their collections are not strong.
We met with the head of the library and the head of the district on Thursday night. We talked through the objectives that we felt had been identified during our conversations with them and the staff. The key part was that the head of the library (Gusmeli) had not been able to be present for the discussions that we had been having and we wanted to make sure that the ideas made sense to her.
The evening meeting could have been a commercial for Deep Woods 'off' bug spray. The mosquitos were everywhere and we were trying to be discreet with our slapping and arm waving to get rid of the pesky bugs. We agreed to return in the morning to review it all again with them and the staff. Friday was a civic holiday so we were not sure how many staff would choose to come to this meeting.
On Friday, we were very pleased to see six staff, including the director and the head of the library was in attendance. I was pleased to see that they were not in their library (almost military style) uniforms....they had come in on their day off and were dressed in their regular clothes.
Once again we went through a process of reviewing and confirming the main goal of the project which is to improve the library service that is available for the people of Pidie. They were very responsive and made some good suggestions as to how they wanted to see this happen. It was an altogether different feel than the evening before when there was little comment given about the project.
They agreed to meet with us all the next week.
We headed back to Banda Aceh for the weekend. We had our work cut out for us. We still have to finalize the project plan, with the objectives and a plan lined out for future missions. Over the weekend in Banda we visited with our local resource partner, Sanusi, the head of the university library. He showed us around his facility. We now have an idea of how his operation works and if there is potential for staff training or job shadowing at the university library.
We went to a local book store to see what sort of materials are available. We also discovered a public library in Banda. Finding out more about the book industry in Indonesia and investigating the public library in Banda are some future steps for us.
Today we head back to Pidie to begin the next stage of our work.
We are having a lot of fun and enjoying the people we meet. I am trying to learn a bit of the Indonesian language each day. Katherine thinks this post is rather dry, but I wanted to make sure that I covered all of the details.
D.
When we got to the public library in Sigli we met with the staff and the head of the District. Louise (FCM leader) reviewed the reasons we were there and began a discussion with the staff about their library service, what they were happy with and what they felt needed attention.
All throughout this discussion there were motorcycles racing around the library and I could hear Celine Dion music in the background. It was somewhat surreal.
There is a staff of 23 at the library and generally about 75% report for work each day. The staff get paid whether they attend work or not. They want to have an automated library system yet only about 4 of the staff are comfortable with computers. They have a bookmobile that serves 30 districts over a 120 km territory. They are proud of their service to the public but acknowledge that their collections are not strong.
We met with the head of the library and the head of the district on Thursday night. We talked through the objectives that we felt had been identified during our conversations with them and the staff. The key part was that the head of the library (Gusmeli) had not been able to be present for the discussions that we had been having and we wanted to make sure that the ideas made sense to her.
The evening meeting could have been a commercial for Deep Woods 'off' bug spray. The mosquitos were everywhere and we were trying to be discreet with our slapping and arm waving to get rid of the pesky bugs. We agreed to return in the morning to review it all again with them and the staff. Friday was a civic holiday so we were not sure how many staff would choose to come to this meeting.
On Friday, we were very pleased to see six staff, including the director and the head of the library was in attendance. I was pleased to see that they were not in their library (almost military style) uniforms....they had come in on their day off and were dressed in their regular clothes.
Once again we went through a process of reviewing and confirming the main goal of the project which is to improve the library service that is available for the people of Pidie. They were very responsive and made some good suggestions as to how they wanted to see this happen. It was an altogether different feel than the evening before when there was little comment given about the project.
They agreed to meet with us all the next week.
We headed back to Banda Aceh for the weekend. We had our work cut out for us. We still have to finalize the project plan, with the objectives and a plan lined out for future missions. Over the weekend in Banda we visited with our local resource partner, Sanusi, the head of the university library. He showed us around his facility. We now have an idea of how his operation works and if there is potential for staff training or job shadowing at the university library.
We went to a local book store to see what sort of materials are available. We also discovered a public library in Banda. Finding out more about the book industry in Indonesia and investigating the public library in Banda are some future steps for us.
Today we head back to Pidie to begin the next stage of our work.
We are having a lot of fun and enjoying the people we meet. I am trying to learn a bit of the Indonesian language each day. Katherine thinks this post is rather dry, but I wanted to make sure that I covered all of the details.
D.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
First 24 hours in Pidie
The drive to Pidie was incredible. It was like a Formula One race track without the safety bumpers. Our driver was most skillful careening around other vehicles and going around curves while going uphill. The back seat passengers got a bit queasy and we have negotiated the shotgun seat to be rotated on subsequent trips to Pidie.
We are being driven around in fancy vehicles. There is much evidence of the NGO element in the area.
We're in some kind of villa. It is quite a lovely setting. There is a soccer field beside us. There is another team here working on local government. They arrived first and have the best rooms....we'll get one of those rooms next week when we come back. The house itself is quite huge and grand. We are delighted to have air conditioning in our room. We bug spray it at night. In the morning we awake to prayers at 5:00 a.m. It really wasn't that disturbing but then they are on Rob's side of the house. He particularly appreciates the raspy voice of the chanters.
We had an 8:00 a.m. meeting with the Bapada (local administrator/town manager). He fully endorses the project and sees the role that library can play in community development. He wanted us to 'improve human resources'. This is very forward thinking as we have found that most people do not think of the library as a place that is important.
We are being driven around in fancy vehicles. There is much evidence of the NGO element in the area.
We're in some kind of villa. It is quite a lovely setting. There is a soccer field beside us. There is another team here working on local government. They arrived first and have the best rooms....we'll get one of those rooms next week when we come back. The house itself is quite huge and grand. We are delighted to have air conditioning in our room. We bug spray it at night. In the morning we awake to prayers at 5:00 a.m. It really wasn't that disturbing but then they are on Rob's side of the house. He particularly appreciates the raspy voice of the chanters.
We had an 8:00 a.m. meeting with the Bapada (local administrator/town manager). He fully endorses the project and sees the role that library can play in community development. He wanted us to 'improve human resources'. This is very forward thinking as we have found that most people do not think of the library as a place that is important.
We were then taken on a tour of two school libraries; (one trade school, one high school) and the public library.
The library needs everything, as we had guessed. They need shelves, The only thing they don't need is the ton-o-books that are on their shelves.
More later gotta go for dinner now.
D & K.
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