Arrived in Calang

I was all set to go to calang... a small island 45 min helli [wfp helicopter] flight away.. .. i was travelling with oxfam colleague Eka.. we were on airport about to board the helli .... eka asked me to take her pict with helli ... i clicked the pict and on the background i saw a familiar face.. i tried to remember that gentle man.. .. could not stretch memory longer...

[from left--> Berry and Eka]

boarded the helli .. that gentle man was sitting across me .. i greeted him.. he too.. it seems he was also trying to remember where has he seen me????

the helli was too noisy ... we could not hear anything other then the noise of big 4-bled rotating over head....

the gentle man wrote on a piece of paper... "are you from RedR?"... the moment I got the paper... my memory set alive .. i remember his name.. he is berry darling.. close friend of pradeep and prasad.. worked with them in afghanistan ... ..

berry and myself were participants in RedR "environmental health in emergency" course during oct 2003....

we greeted each other..

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helli was flying low... it was really exciting to see the landscape and sea-scape around... beautiful aceh from top.. it was never-the less then heavenly experience to feel and fill the voids in me...

after monocolor afganistan and huge monocolor bare mountains... it was too cool to see nice greenery and sea shore... i felt too lucky to experience this beauty..

however we could see the Tsunami devastation on the shore.... the land was grabbed by sea... the houses were collapsed... trees were up rooted.. ..

sea was looking calm but one can imagine what it has done to shore on 26th dec 2004.....

it must have been a giant monster waves which took hundreds thousand lives...

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the time came for landing... i hardly could see airport or helli pad to land.... bit surprised... ... finally i could see that we will be lending on football ground.. a lush green ground... ...

we landed.. i could see all NGOs car lined up to pick us up... i could see oxfam car there....

i set in car... arraived to oxfam office [500 meter away from helli pad] .... i could see cluster of nice wooden huts arranged in blocks painted oxfam green plus white... and a fenced compound with gate....

i brought my luggage in main hall... a big wooden hall with 6 tables arranges in two rows..

i was invited by PM Mr. peter strujif to meet him.. he warmly welcomed me .. he talked thru about some arrangements and handed me over the induction schedule....

i was touched by his approach.. he is a nice gentle man.

i came back.. met Mr. Gaurave prateek [indian] livelihood advisor..... very interesting person to talk with.. very sensitive , sincere and philosophical.

[Standing from left: Gaurav, Peter, Liz, Jim, Andy, Prasad sitting: Me, Myron]

i met my shelter team... Mr. aarif PO who will be my guy for rest of time ...

i was setting slowly.... ...

i met another team member Ms. putri [PA].... so construction team was comprises of 3 people Aarif, putri and architect who was on leave at the moment.

log and putri took me to the place where i will be staying for the rest of my assignment.... i can put my luggage ....... it was a wooden bunglow on beach... i was put in bunglow no 10.

there were 10 bungalows in two rows of 5 each.. i was on the back row.. the last one...

behind Mr. peter's bunglow..

.....

[We called this bunglow!!]

funny article to narrate condition of "timber"

Hi friends,

A creative article from my desk.

Please dont take personally, this is just to make fun out of situation and release stress.

So sit back and Enjoy!!!!!

Back Ground:

The bottle neck in reconstruction is logistic problems and materials availability.

Most of the means of travel is ineffective as today even; no harbours functions, air lifting is very costly and impossible to follow.... road network is almost in-exists.

Timber policy of country , police and forest have stronger hold on timber supply and all NGOs are facing severe problems with timber, Timber legality and sustainable source issues are making whole secene more worse then Tsunami; i wd say it is a man-made disaster.....

Implications:

Our logisticians are so much in to timber that they have forgotten names of their wives and children; they started calling them "Timber-1", "timber-2", "Australian-timber", "New Zealand-timbers", "Imported timber", "local legal timber", "SkShaa", "Sustainable source"...... (Dedication to work, accountability to donor)

Logistician have become so sceptical about timber that they check sizes, shapes, moisture contents, source of supply, numbers of knot, chemical treatments, number of wood pieces in their bed first then they confirm with me about the structural stability of that wood and bed; then they go to sleep.....

when they go in "dining room" they start asking cook about when was this food ordered? when the requisition signed by mangers? when did you deliver? do you have good's received form for this?? they ask them is it as per the delivery schedule submitted by you?

they ask every body to sign "goods received form" for each meal......

logistician are exploring local alternative material to be used to speed-up the reconstruction.. and par of that "approach" they have stared to use coconut branches and banana leaves as clothing for them and it is a dress code for logistician now......

(Indigenous technology, integrated rural development)

instead of using "Radio" they are now shouting loudly to let other end get the signals/messages.... ("sustainable Energy sources")

drivers have changed their name to "Charli Mobile-1", "Charli Mobile-2" and this is been convey to their family too.

Guards are now calling them "Golf-1" and "golf-2" etc..... no other name exists for them,,,, As no legal system/documents exists for pre Tsunami records it is easier for them to change their names...

Lack of opportunities in job have motivated people to apply for logistic job and some of the "PhysioTherapist" have been assigned for radio operator's post; resulting that we have now no antenna in radios; it is assumed that "radios" were forced to have some exercise in morning and evening.....

Finally those people have been upgraded to become Public health promotor's to deliver better output as per their skills... (Classic example of "Capacity Building")

By chance if any truck pass by , All logisticians run after truck to ask for material delivery!!!

people even thinking of sending material by what ever means ; like if somebody is going to visit village.. Logisticians are requesting them to carry one bag of cement on their head and deliver at warehouse in village..... putting 1-2 kg. of nails in the pocket of people, tying paint-brushes on the waist -belt...... (Classic example of "Accountability")

all logisticians are now expert in shelter construction and they have bright future for job in reconstruction as "shelter engineer", on the other side many of "shelter construction engineers" are so trained in logistic that they are capable to apply for international logistician post. (Classic example of "Integrated Approach"; integration bet "logistic' and "shelter")

Drivers are so skilled in recognizing the type of wood that they can work as "international timber quality experts" if opportunity given.

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First few days in indonesia

I was selected as shelter manager to work with Oxfam-GB for Tsunami response in 2005 Nov.

It was the first time for me to go to SE country.. i was reaching Medan [Main airport in Sumatra island] in morning at 11:00am and my flight to Banda [main city of Aceh province] which was worse hit by Tsunami was at 5:30.

I had flight from delhi to KL to Medan,,, Malasian Airlines.

it was smooth journey... KL airport was really impressive.. big and well organised..

i enjoyed inter-airport tram....

i reached to Medan.. i was suppose to collect the tickets for my domestic travel Medan to Banda... it was well organised by nana [the adm. lady of Oxfam indonesia].. the international airport was small and congested .... next to it is domestic airport.. again small and congested... too many people..

the most obvious thing on airport is smoke... you feel like you are in smoky coal engine.. it is difficult to breath..

i had to wait long hours on medan domestic airport.. the check in was not started.. ...

i stretched on one of the wooden benches and fell a sleep for an hour...

i took a walk around waiting lounge.. .i could buy biscuit and coke... to feed my hungry stomach.

the time came when gates open for the check in.. i walked up to the "Garuda Indonesia" airlines.. I was asked by a lady to show me the ticket.. i did.. she said.. no.. you cant be this.... and i said what????? yes i am this !!!!!

she said you cant be manish.. i said i am... :) then she explained that my ticket was booked as Mrs. Manis ..... i was laughing.. i explained the lady that i am Mr. manish not MRS. "manis" ...

she too was laughing,, and explained the reason of confusion.. in bahasa indonesia "manis" means sweet.. so the adm. lady thought manish cannot be name of male guy!!! and she booked me as Mrs. Manis..

good introduction to the local language!!!

finally all set... i had to pay extra charges for my luggage..... i completed formalities.. got the boarding card... waited in lounge .....

finally i boarded for Banda... the nice aircraft.. it was 1.10 hrs flight.. i was reaching by 6:30...

i was excited and curious to see the damage caused by Tsunami..

during the landing time when altitude was lowered i could see vast area under Tsunami devastation.. the land was shanked.. it was very obvious sea ingration..

i came out... i saw a man holding oxfam pla card... he greeted me.. i set in car.. we had to pick up few other regional oxfam staff.. ms. Allison and Lillian.

I reached office.. met zubair [HR manager] an Afghani.... he explained me about my stay and all..

i moved to oxfam house no-10 .. far away from office....

i was too tired... i fall a sleep immediately without having dinner..

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next day i rached office early.. i had to meet staff and all... i had to go thru induction ...

it was very nice half day induction on various dept. i met lots of people.. .. including some of my old colleagues from darfur ,Shemeles.. i met lots of Indians. joseph, anand, jaimon.... i came to know that Gaurav is in calang too... so i knew there are atleast 6-7 indians in staff...

joseph took me to the house no-1.. where shemeles, joseph, thomas [bangladesh] and anand were living.. they cook for lunch too.. it was fun.. joseph is a very nice guy and he love cooking ... thomas is good in chapati.. anad cook egg curry extremely well.. ... so it was fun to join them.. and have nice lunch.

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