The Reminders

Lampageu, Aceh - Indonesia, December 2006

The location of these pictures is one of the hardest hit spots around the city of Banda Aceh.  Tiny rises of city buildings lie behind the distant palm trees and my imagination conjures up scenes of the 100 foot wave crashing down onto the coast, flooding the city and carrying the villages that would have once been in these photos out to sea.  I see this scene every time I visit this village where we train women to weave rattan as an income generation activity.

Along my drive out to other project sites, I often marvel at the beautiful scenery around me and think, "And this is work?"  The pristine beaches, aqua blue ocean, swelling waves and sparkling sand against a backdrop of tropical forest where the locals claim to spot tigers.  The Western or sometimes referred to as Southern (confusion due to its South/West orientation) coastline is rugged.  Surf is always up and the beaches ladened with shells - a surfer's and beach comber's paradise.  I'm grateful to experience the purity but selfishly hope it never succumbs to the ravages of tourism.  This euphoria over working in paradise lasts a pleasurable two minutes as my daydream fades into reality...

The stony footprints of crushed houses peaking through the underbrush of beach bushes, the dead trunks of coconut trees snapped in half, the rows of temporary shelter barracks, and the scattered boxy, cement houses built by NGO's  all remind me that this place is not exactly paradise lost, but rather devastation found.

Comments

[butuki]

It's been a long while since I dropped by here, but as always your exploits get me very inspired. Off to Asia this time, it seems. Did you get work overseas again, then?

I've always wanted to ask how you find those jobs. I think I've finally found the end of the ladder for my 25 years+ here in Japan and want to move on again. Time to start searching for possibilities again.

Hope you are both doing well and enjoying your new adventure!

cheers,
miguel

[butuki]

It's been a long while since I dropped by here, but as always your exploits get me very inspired. Off to Asia this time, it seems. Did you get work overseas again, then?

I've always wanted to ask how you find those jobs. I think I've finally found the end of the ladder for my 25 years+ here in Japan and want to move on again. Time to start searching for possibilities again.

Hope you are both doing well and enjoying your new adventure!

cheers,
miguel

[Tom Anzalone]

Where are you these days? I keep checking here for inspiration.

[Hello from Denver]

I don't know if you are still in Aceh or back in Denver? It's seems to have been quite some time since you last posted.
I just wanted to say that I found your blog while searching for packing lists for the Peace Corps. What a real treat it turned out to be. That is a first-class understatement.
What an inspiration you are!
I'm leaving for staging, and then The Gambia, in five days.
My blog site for my experience is http://pcgambia.com.
I hope to hear from you!
Regards,

Brendan Keeley

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