My Java Script

I am going to be traveling for the next two weeks starting tomorrow (Wednesday). If I have time, I will try to update the blog while I am on the road but I am not sure what my availability will be. I am going to Central Java tomorrow (I have to fly to Jakarta and then take a three hour car ride) once I get to Java I am speaking at a press briefing for two days and then leave to fly back to Jakarta Friday afternoon. I'll spend the weekend working in Jakarta with our partners and NHQ and then have a press roundtable on Monday, Tuesday morning I fly out to Central Java for the start of the campaign. My organization and its partners are vaccinating 13 million children for Measles and Polio (also providing vitamin A shots), in one week. It’s the largest single vaccination campaign in the history of Indonesia and I get to be a part of it. I love my job.

All the details, logistics and meeting that I have to do from now until then will be worth it just for the chance to take part in process of saving lives. During 2000-2005 more than 360 million children were vaccinated globally and from 1999-2005 measles deaths in Africa dropped by 75%. It is truly exciting and humbling to be a part of something this meaningful. It also reflects the amazing reach of the organization that I work for and the Movement it is a part of; 97 million volunteers worldwide, the worlds largest humanitarian Movement, that is a staggering number and a powerful statement about humanity.

I can get so preachy-goody-goody sometimes...Anyways I look forward to it. I expect to be back in Aceh on the 27th or 28th of February.

Other updates...

On Sunday I ran 15 miles, it was hot and my body despised me for it, my legs still feel like they’re filled with rocks, but it was the last chance I had for a long run for a while so I had to go for it. I am not sure when, where or if I will be traveling much in March everything is too up in the air now. I am working on an array of things and just can't seem to ever clear my plate enough to justify extensive work travel. We will see... I want to write more but if I don’t stop now this will get too long to be readable.

Happy Valentines Day, what a stupid wasteful holiday. The best gift I ever recieved made me mad, funny to think about now, it did result in getting me my favorite pair of shoes. It is a day made to increase stress and induce depression…oh, and spend money. Damn the mindless masses for playing the fool in this silly game of economics and facilitated romance (or better, impeding true romance). Okay, I am off to the florist; sadly, that is not a joke…Long live Saint Valentines.

Super Monday

13.1 miles in 95-degree heat. I have run much further, and run in hotter, but Sunday has to be one of the better overall runs I have ever had. It hurt so much, it was so hot, the traffic was constant and unnerving; every uncomfortable running condition was there (right down to the sunburned lips I now smack with pride). It is funny to run here, Aceh is a beautiful but congested city with lots of traffic and little in terms of traffic laws. To survive a long run I go to the main highway (which is about three lanes wide with traffic moving in different directions and no traffic lines to distinguish lanes) and run straight, the road goes on for several miles before you get to the next town.

Now for the embarrassing addition, my driver follows behind me in the car. He drives slowly to protect me from oncoming traffic. It is funny; here is this crazy sweaty American running through town with a new beautiful Landcruiser following behind, very inconspicuous. At first I was embarrassed by this but have now become entirely addicted. I stock the car with water, Gatorade and whatever other running aids I need and every few miles I make him pull over and give me something to drink. The driver will say something encouraging about the heat or how strong my legs are and we will both laugh as I roll my eyes and start running again.

I really struggled on Sunday but I was fortunate, my friend Ilisa came and ran with me for the first eight miles. Ilisa is visiting from NHQ and loves to run so I was thrilled to have her poke and prod me along. After eight miles, she got in the car and was my cheerleader for three more. Seeing that I was dying, she got out and paced me for the last two (a pace person is the one that runs ahead and tries to keep the speed constant), it worked as the last two miles were done at a good fast clip. This is not an exiting post but it makes me happy.

The best part of my runs are the people. They are always so shocked to see me running and the dynamic is always the same. First, they start out by making fun of me, then, after a while, they start to say hello and try to engage me in conversation and in the end they always end up cheering. I have had runs where Indonesians will slowdown in their cars just to give me a high-five, the other day a group of kids bought, and brought, me a small bottle of water. It’s so amazing to me how insignificant differences are the moment people put their guard down. Initially they see an American and are understandably standoffish. Yet, the moment they see me struggling and bumbling, they forget that and start seeing a person trying his hardest and they begin trying to build me up. This wouldn’t be so amazing if it didn’t happen every single time, but it does. I wish I could be more eloquent but I just don’t have the words to say how comforting these simple revelations are.

Lastly, the Super Bowl. I watched in on a 5ft by 5ft projection screen. I had the equipment at my house because I had a big presentation on Saturday. I have never seen a super bowl on such a big screen, right in my living room. I will now have to buy an HD or LCD Projector because I can never watch football on a small screen again. The only thing missing were the commercials—we supplemented the long European commercial breaks by putting the satellite on Fashion TV and watching lager than life runway models walk down my big screen. If you have to watch the game at 6am this is the way to do it—the beers weren’t bad either, though breakfast beer is a decidedly infrequent delicacy.