Guess who's back... Back Again
I'm back in one piece.. luckily... anyway during the stay at Aceh ... i kept a mini journal...this is what it reads...
Day ONE-pretty much nothing to do accept a little counting of stores...experienced my first earthquake... ok ... its just an aftershock... a minor one for bout a second or so... was told that there's an average of two tremors a day here... on the brighter side... the team here is a friendly and very high spirited bunch considering the living conditions...but i was really lucky that i didn't have to spend the night in a tent at base camp at the air base... instead i'm based with the medical team in a military training facility... I landed in Indonesia at noon i MEDAN then it was another hour flight to BANDA ACEH.. Greeted by loads of choppers and air crafts from different countries... was pretty lucky cos today they had fresh rations and at night they had a mini thank you celebration between the Singapore medical team and the TNI soldiers.... it's not confirmed yet but most probably i'll be here for ten days... gotta get use to the stretcher that i made my bed and the orchestra of snores...
Day TWO-Nothing much again today... some communication breakdown landed me back at base camp for the whole afternoon doing nothing... had a gift from the RUSSIAN army today... VODKA O' PRECIOUS VODKA...and today .. encik Maran is rumoured to be delayed at MEDAN... think he should be here tomorrow... Everyone here's so fascinated with my tattoos..It's a muslim community here.. and i think i'm probably the devil to them... Cigarettes are gone... resorting to Rollies and it's only the second day..
Day THREE-Expecting a really hectic day ahead... well ... it was quite tiring but not as bad as i expected... just shifting of stores cuz' team 1 is leaving tomorrow and the new team is in... and Encik Maran is here... but he's leaving tomorrow with team 1 ... and i'm staying... i don't know whether to be happy or sad but anyway... its not that bad around here... here's the thing... i dunno whether this new team is jinxed or what but sinced they arrived...two vehicles got stuck in the mud... and what's more... their vehicle broke down on the way to the Paya lebar airport and further more they were stuck in MEDAY for 4 hours... i got all dirty trying to assist the vehicla out of the mud and i have to change... soaking my clothes now... the flying antshere are terrible.. damn irritating... but i don't really care... i'm too fucking tired
Day FOUR- *was too damn tired to type anything*
Day FIVE-Firstly let's thank Encik maran for sms-ing me to tell me which beer he's at now... damn it... OK... today the new team of doctors shifted in... so a little hectic and the running of the clinic was a little shakey... but i'm sure everything will get better... as usual... i was left with pretty much nothing to do as FAUZAN did the translatingfor the patients... i'm like the coolie...i really miss everyone back home...Everything is wonderful so far.. the new team are also a bunch of really nice people... and the RSM is also damn nice... It's been a long time since i've had a can of beer in my hand...sigh*** and oh yeah.. the skies here are damn fucking nice... and the highlands too... amazing... loving everymoment here but missing home more...
Day SIX- Today's also a very hectic day... very stressed up... but anyhow... got compliments so a little boost of morale...ok today i ate an extra share of dinnerand so did FAUZAN... and shit.. we had visitors and not enough food... i felt so bad... saw two really nice rainbows in the evening... damn beautiful
Day SEVEN-it started out the same today... pretty much becoming routine already... but i helped a little with registration today...
Day EIGHT-Got some news that we're probably heading back to singapore in three days time...today's a very memorable day cuz' of this... I was chilling out with the local kids... really cute little boys..the language barrier didn't seem much of an issue... was showing them soe magic tricks ... we conversedwith help from FAUZAN... then the little kid asked for an orange in a really shy way... so wegave each of them one... there's two of them by the way...and later after finishing his orange ... he asked whether he could take a few more... but it was not out of greed... it was for his brother... so cute.. and he's like 8 or 9 only...and there's this otherkid with a birth defect called a split lip...and it made me think... imagine if the boy was in singapore... imagine the countless stares he'd be getting... and he'd probably be the kid no one one's to play with... but not in ACEH... its not how you look or how you dressed... its who you are... ORANG ACEH... and i think they've accepted the singapore team as part of them.. the waves and smiles on their faces tells it all... this place is so slow moving... no hectic feel at all... i'm beginning to love this place
Day NINE-Send most of the stores to the air base today... Today we took a little trip to the coastal area that was badly hit by the tsunami..The photos i took was a sad reminder of how strong nature can get... the stronger buildings were wrecked and the weaker ones left in rubble... and the strong aroma of death lingers as the countless houseflies irritates everyone... i'll never forget the sight... or the stench for that matter... and to think what horror this people must have gone through...and those who live to tell the tale are left with scars mentally and physically... i have to hand it to the refugees... i dunno how they can seem so cheerful still... its really sad to see so much suffering...
Day TEN- you don't know a soldier till you meet a TNI soldier... the stuff we've seen and been through can't even come close to them... the training is one thing but the actual warfare they go through with the GAM... and the stuff they tell us bout their experiences... its hard to believe these guys are in their mid twenties.. and the contracts they sign with the army is for life... and some of them stay away from their family for up to a year... and LOW wages... RESPECT... on a lighter note... the echoes of " GOODBYE MISTER!" from the kids in aceh really brings a smile to my face... went out for coffe just now at some local coffee shop... i was nice... and its our second last day here... One of the TNI guys gave me his jacket in exchange for my uniform and a jackknife... this jacket is special cuz not only does it have all his badges of achievement.. but he lost this same jacket in the tsunami and later found it back... at least i get a bring back a piece of ACEH not just images in my mind...
FINAL DAY... Came down the bus to a warm welcome by everyone.. Chief of defence force and all the big shots... Dad and michelle were there too... finally... HOME SWEET HOME.. but somehow part of me wishes i never left ACEH... haiz...
posted by EMN Tattoos @ 1:52 PM
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