Di Antara

That’s the lemur.  He lives in a much too small cage in the parking area of my office.  I don’t know where the lemur originated, but I would speculate after taking a visit to Indonesia’s Pasar Burung (bird market) that the lemur was bought there.  You can buy just about anything at Pasar Burung - little monkeys, jungle cats, dogs that look tormented, and, of course, many birds of all colors, making all kinds of crazy noises. 

We even have some birds here, too.  Here is my favorite, a spirited little fellow.  When you get close to his cage, he gets all excited, and even starts doing backflips sometimes.  Oh, to be a caged bird.

Or a lemur.  Why are there birds and lemurs in cages at the World Bank’s office in the world fourth largest country?  Well, it’s because there are three WB offices in Jakarta, and this one is the most Colonial Administration-style.  The joke told by my Indonesian teacher’s sister is that in Indonesia, the World Bank has its economists, and its socialists.  The economists are all up high in the sky of Tower 2 of the Bursa Efek Jakarta (Jakarta Stock Exchange).  There’s a definite, professional buzz that goes on there, of course. 

Then there are the socialists (that is, "social development").  Some are in the newly remodeled Diponogoro office, the sign in the reception area reads "Multi Donor Center" and "Decentralization Support Facility" and includes representatives from the Bank, the Asian Development Bank, British and Dutch donors, and other folks.  There is sleek glass tables and fancy new doors, and all kinds of dandied-up fixtures. Here’s a group photo of Tim Conflict (Conflict Team) after one of our staff meetings which we hold at Diponegoro just to, you know, remind people we exist.  Nobody told me I was blocking Luthfi’s face.

But over at Cik Ditiro, it is an older place, the original home of the WB Social Development Unit in Jakarta.  No other donor organizations; just us, and our birds, and our lemur.  And Pak Suanda, who owns the birds and lemur.  Pak Suanda’s family is here, too.  We work in a house.  There’s an effort to get a decent piece of it in one photo.  And there’s the high ceilings of the main reception/conference area, taken from the second floor. 

Pak Suanda makes us lunch every day - just Rp. 10,000 and it’s a tasty little spread, better cooked and of nicer quality than anything you buy on the street usually.  I declared I thought the food was great in June, and my boss remarked "Yeah, I felt that way for the first two months, as well."  And I have to admit that there are days where you can tell Pak Suanda had some other things going on, and lunch came in second or third or who knows where in the order of priorities.  This is the semi-outdoor area where we eat.  You can see the big, lonely fish who gets a bit excited and starts swimming around more whenever anybody enters the room - it’s a Pav-pav-pavlovian world.

And, I have to admit that there are days where piled into this little office, I feel a little bit like the lemur in the cage.  He sleeps most of the day - being noctural, and night time rolls around, and he just walks around and around in circles in that cage.  Some days, I feel like that in the office, wanting to stop "analyzing" and getting out and doing something in the world, talking to people, not even helping, since what is "help" anyway?  I want to get the swivel chair out from under my butt, in which I am circling sometimes, just like the lemur.

(actually, I should admit, that office is new.  we just were moved into it today.  the old office, now empty and bare, didn’t have a window, but it was more spacious and had its own bathroom.  which should I prefer - sunlight, Jakarta-style, or elbow room?)

Well, I am getting my wish.  Not going to be much out of me for the first two weeks.  There’s my name up on the big travel board.

I am off to Flores tomorrow morning at 5:30, an island in Eastern Indonesia, where I will meet up with one of the WB’s researchers, and begin wandering about villages talking to leadership and citizenry about the ongoing decentralization process in Indonesia. 

But before I do that, I’m going to Kelimutu.  Start getting jealous….now.

After Flores, a night in Surabaya, and off to Madura, to the north of Java, where I will basically do the same thing in a different place.

So, maybe the lemur gets out of his cage, and after year after year of his life living in one cosmopolitan city after another (Chicago-Iowa City[OK, not so cosmo]-Singapore-DC-NYC-Jakarta), wonders why he ever left it?  That’s what this summer is all about.

You’ll find out later.  I get back on July 30.  I expect this all to be a little bit silent until then, but I’m still thinking of all ya’ll, and hope yr summers are cool.

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