NIAS – the only constant is change

Back again after an absence of nearly a year. Back to monitor the progress and performance of the final post tsunami and earthquake project, that is, the Multi Donor Finance / World Bank project to improve the livelihoods of the island's poorer communities through strengthening their organisational base by creating Farmers Groups, and helping them to increase the income generating potential of their rubber, cocoa and rice crops. Wow, what length (of the sentence). It could have been divided into more comprehensible sections. But I'll leave it as is.

Coming in from the airport—first Jakarta to Medan on Garuda, and then Medan to Gunungsitoli on a narrow-bodied prop plane operated by Wings—nothing seemed to have changed. Even the bad patches of road were still there, as were the churches every kilometre or so, the doorsmeer/doorsmer places to have your car washed (the meaning of the original Dutch word is 'oil change'), the sea on the right and the many mopeds overtaking cars on an outside bend. The office, however, had grown. There was a proper nameplate on the outside and many new faces inside.

And the next day life took up its normal routine of the short term project worker.

For lunch I went to my usual place, the BPK eatery, a mere three-minute walk from the office. The owner smiled broadly when we shook hands, and enquired whether I had come back. Yes, obviously, but that is of course not the proper way to respond to a friendly but meaningless remark. I placed my order and the staff even remembered that I took my terong belanda juice without sugar… The place was crowded, even at this fairly late lunch hour. The baby that a year ago was learning to walk on the cemented floor was now running, and a smaller version was carried around. The owner, a Karo Batak, was sitting in his customary place counting the customers' payments and dropping it into the drawer of his little des. Day in day out… supervising his staff, counting the money, greeting a customer, counting the money, supervising his staff… the only change from last year was a third item on the menu: instead of only roast pork and pork soup, there now was gold carp. No idea how it is prepared, grilled or in a curry or pan fried as I don't like the muddy taste of gold carp.

I wonder whether he is a first generation immigrant from the Karo lands on Sumatra just across the sea. That would have been the most important change in his life because till his now toddler son takes over he will be sitting behind his little desk supervising his staff, counting the money, greeting a customer, counting the money, supervising his staff. The restaurant has ten or so long tables with some 50 to 60 chairs. My guess is that each chair is occupied between four and six times a day. At an average of say 20,000 Rupiah per serving, the daily take would provide him with a pretty middle-class income.

But how does one spend that, how does one enjoy the fruits of one's work when for the next 20 or 30 years one is tethered to a daily routine and a desk. He is such a cheerful fellow so I suspect that he has found the answer.

Maybe I should ask him to start a blog to share his secret with all those unhappy rutinistas out there.

QUANTA – the vibrating energy we turn into particles, or, quantum physics translated for the common folk

Ever wondered where we come from, or what we are supposed to do here on this planet of ours?

Look no further…!

Remember what you learned in school: all things physical are composed of molecules, and these are in turn broken down into atoms—a water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom: H2O. And it does not stop at atoms, as the atoms are built up of protons, neutrons and electrons, while protons and neutrons themselves are built up of quarks. It is a bit more complicated than that, but as it is not my intention to dive into particle physics, let's stop here.

I'll go off on slightly different tangent as the subatomic pieces have some very intriguing properties: these subatomic particles do not behave like objects or pieces. For example, an object cannot be in two places at the same time. The laptop I'm using to write this post cannot at the same time be in my carry bag. Subatomic particles, however, can. Take for example an electron. We think of it as a small sphere circling around the core of an atom. And when an electron is shot at a television screen, a tiny point of light appears at the place of impact. Here the electron thus appears to be an object. However, when an electron is fired at a barrier with two slits in it, it can go through the two slits simultaneously. That means the 'object' is in two places at the same time.

No object can do that. But a wave can. Unlike an object, a wave has no exact location. It is spread around over space. It is a frequency, a vibration.

Subatomic particles can thus behave like an object and like a wave/frequency/vibration. They are not either a particle or a wave, they are both. Basically they are entities of energy, which scientists have called quanta. And quantum physicists believe that the universe is entirely made up of these energy units, these quanta.

Think about it. What we hear is frequencies picked up by our ears and decoded by our brain into sounds. Our eyes pick up optical frequencies that are decoded by our brain into images. The Hungarian biophysicist Georg von Békésy demonstrated that the skin, too, responds to the frequencies of touch. The brain thus appears to be a frequency decoder and we hear, see and feel the frequencies that quantum physicists maintain are the building blocks of the whole universe.

Fine, let's assume that that is true. But the question then pops up: when do these quanta behave like objects and when do they act like a wave? Or put differently, when do waves become solid? And this is the answer:

the only time that a quantum manifests as a particle, and thus becomes solid,
is when one consciously tries to observe it!

So only when we look at the quanta do they becomes an object, for all the rest of the time they behave like a wave. We thus see the quanta into solid existence! The action of looking at them makes them solid. That is quite something.

What you see is what you get. Does that also mean: what you don't see is what you don't get? Not really. When, for instance, seating yourself on a chair with your eyes closed, you do not end up on the floor. Seeing would thus need to be interpreted as seeing the object with your mind's eye, or knowing the object is there.

In respect of the questions posed in the first sentence, the where do we come from is the least interesting as we are nothing but a set of quanta arranged in a certain pattern. And whether this is due to the Big Bang or a Creative Force is not of major importance. The second question, however, is. What are we supposed to do here, what is our role in the universe. I expand the scope of the geographic are to 'universe', not only 'planet', as quantum scientists and a whole lot of thinkers before them have stated that As Above So Below[1]. So the quest becomes: what is our role in the universe?

As we are a set of quanta that give form to other sets o quanta around us, it can be argued that we are Sparks of the Big Bang, or Children of the Creative Force, and thus can influence, have a say in, our evolutionary processes—and that, of course, in the widest context, ie, including our planet and the universe.

OK, let's for the moment assume that this is correct, remains the question how can this influence be executed. Well, by seeing with the mind's eye, or course, in other words, by manifesting your desires. Admittedly not as easy as it sounds, but it can be learned. There are many gurus out there willing to teach you how to get what you wish for, some at a price and others for free. The basics are:

1-strong desire, 2-request, 3-believe that your request has already been fulfilled, 4-relax.

And of course this is not restricted to the pot of gold left at your doorstep by a kind-hearted pixy. Personal happiness and health, love and harmony, can all be included in the wish list. But so can peace and international harmony, environmental sustainability and welfare for all…

Try! And remember, if you don't see it (with your mind's eye) it will remain a frequency!

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[1] The concept was first laid out in The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, in the words "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracles of the One Thing".

BREAD – awesome variety

Nowadays one takes everything in Jakarta for granted. The enormous variety of food and restaurants, the products and services available, the white goods and kitchen utensils, cutlery, glasses, plates, chef's knives, bed linen, fitness centres and exercise equipment, LED and LCD TV sets, cars—yes, Lamborghini and Ferrari have their dealerships in Jakarta—and of course traffic and gridlock. It's all there, it's all part of normal life, and very much in demand.

It is of course nice that Bentley has a showroom in one of the upscale malls, and seeing a Ferrari on the road is worth a second look, and a smile when caught in the same gridlock in the middle of Kijangs.

But very quietly, almost unnoticed, has been the transformation of the bakeries, the providers of that so very common food item: bread. Where some three decades ago breads and pastries were available in a limited range only, the present choice includes the full range from French baguettes and batard, to kraftkorn, nine-grain, German rye and sourdough bread. Then one had to visit Hotel Indonesia hoping that the Deli still had a rye bread, or try one's luck at Sari Pan Pacific. Now the outlets selling this great variety of daily fresh breads are almost within walking distance… I mean one can't miss them even if one doesn't look for them.

Forget the five star hotels for the moment though their number also increased dramatically, it all started with Vineth. Mid-80s! The Jakarta Post published an article on one William Wongso who had travelled around the world collecting recipes for bread. If I'm not mistaken Tahiti was, for onstance, on his itinerary, too, and there he learned to make a real baguettes—those thoughtful French made sure they were never without their favourite bread! On his return Mr Wongso had to convince his family that investing in his dream of a new-era bakery would bring great fortune. That sounds like the I Ching, and maybe the uncles and aunties did consult the Book of Change, but the money was made available and bread-lovers like myself were immensely grateful. Vineth is available in quite a large number of outlets, eg, Hero, Kem Chicks, Ranch, and of course their own shop on Panglima Polim Raya No. 63-65.

And then there appeared a fair number of others. Lees and Chef's Kitchen and Daily Bread, and the in-house bakeries at Kem Chicks (Kemang) and Ranch (Pondok Indah). All baking beautiful tasty bread. But for me the best tasting bread is baked by MeTro Sky Garden, a bakery and restaurant/bar at the German Centre BSD, some 30 minutes west of Jakarta. I buy their bread and pastries in Hero Kemang—I have not found other outlets in my shopping area (Jakarta Selatan). Their sourdough bread is incredible and for a cookie try the Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.

PULSE READING – some more

A first reader to follow my advice. Medical advice, that is. Good on ye, girl. When mainstream medical-men cannot do more than prescribe an aspirin, but you yourself know and feel that there is more to it, and moreover anxiously suspect that it might even be serious, it is time to look for an alternative second opinion. And you did. Good on ye.

So this is what happened.

After creating a lot of question marks in the mind of the registration nurse—you are taking birth control pills but you haven't had your period for over two months. ???. Yes, I'm on a three-month cycle—you can tell the doctor (what acronyms does he carry behind his name, as he is a GP, an acupuncturist, a herbalist, and bases his diagnosis on pulse reading) what's bothering you.

He comments that not being able to play tennis without wanting to throw up if you have eaten less than four hours before playing, is rather strange. Normally one hour should be sufficient to prevent that. And from his pulse readings he concludes that both your breathing problem and the nausea are stomach related.

Note the fact he does not use a stethoscope, there is none around his neck either.

Two needles are inserted, one just below the breastbone and the other one in the lower leg… Lower leg… for stomach related problems? Grand! Alternative, outside of the box methods, is what keeps the world turning. And to complement the process, herbs are added. Seven packs. One a day. And come back next week to check on progress.

All other readers in Jakarta and surroundings. Remember the clinic: O CliniC, Jl. Prapanca Raya PIII No. 20, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta. 

TODAY – it's Friday and the date is 02/10

The morning has been bright and warm. I played my usual hour of tennis—twice I crawled back from 0-40 down to win the game—and am now confronted with an unwilling internet. It must be the provider as none of the four, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox, are able to get me on. The weather has turned, a spectacular thunderstorm and driving rain are cleaning the street of motorcycles and filling the gutters, too. Police sirens in the distance… not unusual in a city of this size.

The Friday routine of the area is quite likeable. Early morning at seven the school across the street is dragging the kids through their weekly morning exercise—satu-dua-tiga-empat…to eight, and then again and again. The sound system is turned up when the music accompanying the fitness exercises starts. The music is from various regions in Indonesia. This morning I heard for the first time a song from Papua, but I suspect that it has been composed fairly recently in a melodious effort of nation building.

Then at midday it was time for Friday prayers. About an hour before, Koran verses are read. In this part of town, Kebayoran Baru, the amplifiers are not turned up full and the reading is pleasant to listen to. One of these days I will make a recording for playback when no longer here. Could it be that in this very upper-middle class area inhabitants are conscious of potential sound pollution. Smaller mosques in less prosperous areas are turning the watts up till the speakers screech.

And then after the prayers the school holds a percussion class. From the sound of it I think they use traditional drums and tambourines. One of my boyhood wishes… to become a drummer. Never got past my father's objection, or maybe I didn't want it strongly enough.

It is now late afternoon and the light is fading, even without the thunderstorm which has drifted over.

And today of course is Lonne's birthday. Happy Birthday, son.

 

DREAMS – wee little critters

Last night it happened again. I was woken up by an itch in my left nostril. Each time I exhaled something  tickled that external part of my nasal cavity. I felt around for a hair that might vibrate on the airwave, or a sliver of dried mucoid matter. Nothing. And after rubbing my nose vigorously I tried to get back to sleep… only to feel the same tickle on the third or fourth breath. 
And then of course I start telling myself that it can't be anything but a hair or a sliver of dry snot… or can it! 
If smelly armpits are caused by the excrements of minute organisms living in its pores, why could then another type of little beasts not live in the nose? One or two would take midnight stroll to watch the world beyond the nostrils… and tickle me awake.

And so I once again tried every nose-picking trick I could think of. I had just cut my nails and thus faced a bit of a problem in dislodging dry slivers. Index finger… no result! little finger, no results either… whatever and however much I tried.

Trying to sleep again. On the third exhalation the little critters continued their midnight stroll… Very fed up I snorted explosively and pressed my thumb and index on the forced-out breath…

And that is when I felt something, right there between my fingers. 

I released the pressure a bit and yes, definitely something there, something small and hard and sharp, sporting an exoskeleton most likely. And when I carefully very, carefully indeed, opened my fingers, there it was …

Lacking a macro lens on my BlackBerry recording my catch was a bit difficult, but the rendition below comes pretty close.

BOOKS – game of thrones

I have no time, absolutely no time, so engrossed am I in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

Most of you will have seen the TV series on HBO and maybe, as I did, you liked it so much that, on the nights it was broadcasted, you stayed home. A new episode is on its way, wow, can't wait.

But when I recently came across the book I immediately bought it… what's more, I also bought the other books in the saga A Song of Ice and Fire, that is: Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords 1 and 2, and A Feast for Crows. Already available, but I haven't found it yet in the local bookshops is book number five, A Dance with Dragons. And I believe a sixth book is in the making.

So you can see that I have absolutely no time for anything but reading. And as each book contains around 800 pages this condition is likely to continue for quite a while.

So I tear myself away from the Games… to strongly recommend the books. Historical fiction at its best, a feast of fantasy and highly realistic. And very well written. Go and buy them,  the titles above are linked to get you straight to Amazon. 

HEALTH – pulse reading in Chinese medicine

I came across the Chinese way of diagnosis with pulse reading through several sessions with an acupuncturist. After telling him what I came for he read my pulse and explained that he had detected an imbalance and recommended that the balance be restored. I got two needles in my lower back left and right of my spine and one a few inches lower roughly in the middle. The area of the needles was then heated for some 20 minutes by an assistant. Before and after removing the needles my pose was again read. For several weeks the sessions were repeated twice a week.

Asked about pulse reading I was told that there are 28 positions to read. What is being read is the patient’s whole bio-field and amounts to a listening very deeply.

When I opined that western medicine would better apply such method too, he agreed, but stated that practitioners on the western side of medicine as well as those on the Chinese side were far too arrogant to enter into a dialogue about exchanging and sharing experience.

Not only arrogance stands in the way, I would think, but also the western obsession with ever further specialisation. Can you imagine, there are eye specialists whose sole field is the lens and completely ignore the retina.

I'll go for the Chinese medical cure—and herbal treatments—any day. And for readers in Jakarta in need of acupuncture I strongly recommend Dr. Alvin Indradjaja at the O Clinic in Jl. Prapanca Raya PIII No. 20. By the way, Dr. Alvin does not need USG to tell the sex of an unborn baby. He was confused and did not know only once when the first pulse reading indicated a girl, while the later one said boy! Turned out they were twins: girl and boy.

The chart is for embellishment only. It is from Shi si jing fa hui (Expression of the Fourteen Meridians). (Tokyo: Suharaya Heisuke kanko, Kyoho gan 1716). Wikipedia.