Friday, March 19, 2004
March 19, 2004
Meeting
You may be bored by this post...
This morning I had a meeting for my research (with the general manager of the office that distributes the funds collected from the Islamic wealth tax, zakat). This is the crux of what I'm supposed to be studying here: the effect of charity/alms on actually helping the poor. So this government office is key. It's under the Religious Council of the government, so when I entered the building, I had to put on a headscarf. Too bad I hadn't known that or I would have brought my own! I turned down the chartreuse green (wait, that's redundant) one and opted for the white, though it was not looking very clean! I happened to have a safety-pin in my bag, so I could properly wear it, though it kept slipping back at first, until I fixed it in the bathroom.
I met with the GM and three of his underlings, all lined up on the couch. I explained who I was and what I was interested in learning from them. They were very interested to know who I was doing research for and asked me for an official letter, which I hadn't brought. All I could do was show them my student ID (which showed me in the headscarf, prompting them to ask if I was Muslim). I don't know why they were so interested: could they have thought I had suspicious, alterior motives?
The GM didn't say much and the other three fumbled. I asked some questions, then they got me a power point presentation printout, but didn't go over it. While I was looking through it, they sort of seemed to be trying to defer to each other. Finally, one of them started to answer the questions. Throughout the course of the hour, they all got up periodically, often to answer their handphone. The GM himself left, without excusing himself, and didn't come back before we were finished. It seemed like he didn't really know the answers to my questions and, in fact, some of them remained unanswered...I almost felt bad for asking them (things about how effect the programs are, what percentage of people are being reached, etc.)! At one point, the man in the middle of the couch burped. I don't know if I've mentioned that yet or not, but it's not a culturally inappropriate thing here. You hear it all the time. I'm not talking beer-drinking-football-watching-watch-out kind of belch, but a burp. Women too. Everytime it sort of takes me by surprise.
My meeting last week went very well--it was with the company that is collecting the funds that this one is distributing. That one has been privatized...perhaps that is the difference. It was much more professional...versus this governmental office that was far from it.
Sutra Dance Performance
Tonight I went to a dance performance at the studio of Ramli Ibrahim (former Fulbrighter to the US). The grounds are fabulous: wooden amphitheater with exotic (to me) foliage surrounding it; a house with lots of doors and windows thrown open; an open room with bright artwork on the walls; incense and music combining to make a peaceful atmosphere.
Two Indian Malaysian women performed duets of ancient Odissi dances--slight movements, bells on their ankles, head bobbles, finger positionings. One dance enacted the 9 times that Krishna has incarnated himself to restore order and righteousness--as the fish, cosmic turtle, boar, man-lion, dwarf, warrior priest, Rama--hero of the Ramayana, the wielder of the plough, and as Buddha. The last one, Kalki, will dissolve the universe when he finally comes. It took me a few minutes after hearing this description for it to sink in...and confuse me. BUDDHA?!? But Krishna is Hindu!?!? I intend to get to the bottom of this mystery and will fill you in when I do. I have no idea what the connection is or how they figure into each other, but Chris (other Fulbrighter here) tells me that in Cambodia, the Buddhism there isn't pure--it has a lot of influence from Hinduism, with some of its gods even being worshipped. So, we shall see...
Random and probably not note-worthy...
At the grocery store tonight I bought some Dutch dark chocolate called Droste (kind of costly but sooo good--Dominique introduced me to them in Cairo) and a bottle of water (the cheapest kind cuz water is water, right?). The guy right behind me in line was buying the EXACT same things, only two bottles of water. Weird.
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Please email me your address if you'd like me to send you a postcard!
Meeting
You may be bored by this post...
This morning I had a meeting for my research (with the general manager of the office that distributes the funds collected from the Islamic wealth tax, zakat). This is the crux of what I'm supposed to be studying here: the effect of charity/alms on actually helping the poor. So this government office is key. It's under the Religious Council of the government, so when I entered the building, I had to put on a headscarf. Too bad I hadn't known that or I would have brought my own! I turned down the chartreuse green (wait, that's redundant) one and opted for the white, though it was not looking very clean! I happened to have a safety-pin in my bag, so I could properly wear it, though it kept slipping back at first, until I fixed it in the bathroom.
I met with the GM and three of his underlings, all lined up on the couch. I explained who I was and what I was interested in learning from them. They were very interested to know who I was doing research for and asked me for an official letter, which I hadn't brought. All I could do was show them my student ID (which showed me in the headscarf, prompting them to ask if I was Muslim). I don't know why they were so interested: could they have thought I had suspicious, alterior motives?
The GM didn't say much and the other three fumbled. I asked some questions, then they got me a power point presentation printout, but didn't go over it. While I was looking through it, they sort of seemed to be trying to defer to each other. Finally, one of them started to answer the questions. Throughout the course of the hour, they all got up periodically, often to answer their handphone. The GM himself left, without excusing himself, and didn't come back before we were finished. It seemed like he didn't really know the answers to my questions and, in fact, some of them remained unanswered...I almost felt bad for asking them (things about how effect the programs are, what percentage of people are being reached, etc.)! At one point, the man in the middle of the couch burped. I don't know if I've mentioned that yet or not, but it's not a culturally inappropriate thing here. You hear it all the time. I'm not talking beer-drinking-football-watching-watch-out kind of belch, but a burp. Women too. Everytime it sort of takes me by surprise.
My meeting last week went very well--it was with the company that is collecting the funds that this one is distributing. That one has been privatized...perhaps that is the difference. It was much more professional...versus this governmental office that was far from it.
Sutra Dance Performance
Tonight I went to a dance performance at the studio of Ramli Ibrahim (former Fulbrighter to the US). The grounds are fabulous: wooden amphitheater with exotic (to me) foliage surrounding it; a house with lots of doors and windows thrown open; an open room with bright artwork on the walls; incense and music combining to make a peaceful atmosphere.
Two Indian Malaysian women performed duets of ancient Odissi dances--slight movements, bells on their ankles, head bobbles, finger positionings. One dance enacted the 9 times that Krishna has incarnated himself to restore order and righteousness--as the fish, cosmic turtle, boar, man-lion, dwarf, warrior priest, Rama--hero of the Ramayana, the wielder of the plough, and as Buddha. The last one, Kalki, will dissolve the universe when he finally comes. It took me a few minutes after hearing this description for it to sink in...and confuse me. BUDDHA?!? But Krishna is Hindu!?!? I intend to get to the bottom of this mystery and will fill you in when I do. I have no idea what the connection is or how they figure into each other, but Chris (other Fulbrighter here) tells me that in Cambodia, the Buddhism there isn't pure--it has a lot of influence from Hinduism, with some of its gods even being worshipped. So, we shall see...
Random and probably not note-worthy...
At the grocery store tonight I bought some Dutch dark chocolate called Droste (kind of costly but sooo good--Dominique introduced me to them in Cairo) and a bottle of water (the cheapest kind cuz water is water, right?). The guy right behind me in line was buying the EXACT same things, only two bottles of water. Weird.
Sign-up
Please email me your address if you'd like me to send you a postcard!
