The Sphere Effect

I can’t believe I only have one day left in Banda Aceh. I am not ready to leave at all, but find that I have to as my visa is shortly going to expire.

They say it takes quite a few weeks before you really start to enjoy somewhere, and I can relate to that - it’s only in the last few days that I have really started to get a feel for this city and it’s capabilities. Now I am starting to get to know the people and I am really sad to be going. I could come back again in about a week’s time, but I feel that for now, my time here is up. There is still a possibility that I could return in January/February but that is a decision I have yet to make.

So I’m off on Wednesday. I will spend a night in Medan in Indonesia, and on Thursday I’ll make my way to Bangkok, Thailand. I don’t really have too many plans for Thailand except to take it as it comes. I have decided that I will head straight up to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand to meet up with Kath and to help out in an Orphanage where she will be working. From then on, it really is just a case of seeing what I can do. I’d rather be helping somewhere rather than just travelling around, although I’d love to do a bit of that as well.

I have been reflecting on what I have done over the last few weeks, and I don’t really feel like I have achieved very much. I have mostly been learning from an incredible group of people, and I think I have gained much more than I have given. I have been able to do some IT work for them, which I hope will be useful for them into the future, and I have been providing some training over the last couple of days which I hope will be useful.

I have also managed to corrupt some of the children by teaching them to speak with an Australian (strine) accent. I now have a four year old and a nine year old walking around saying things like, “Oi!” and “Noiiiiiice”. They are doing quite well with the “G’day Mate” and the “Ow ya garn” is also progressing quite nicely. I think their parents will want to kill me before I leave.

I emailed around a few days ago to try and raise some money to buy a moped for a young Acehness woman and her family. She has suffered greatly from the Tsunami and afterwards, and they are living well below the poverty line, as her husband is only paid around $5 a week. We have some work lined up for the husband, but unfortunately they have no way for him to get to work - there is no public transport and he has no money currently for private transport.

So I am raising money for a moped, so that he can start working for a reasonable wage. I have done pretty well so far, but I am still short by a couple of hundred dollars. If anyone else would like to contribute to this very worthy project, please let me know.

I’ll be home in just under six weeks! Starting to feel little waves of excitement vibrating through my tummy now …. it’s been a long time!