5 Insights from Indonesia

I recently returned from my first international reporting assignment through the International Reporting Program at UBC.

Our story took us to Indonesia. We traveled to three islands (Java, Sumatra, Indonesian Borneo) and saw a slice of both urban and rural Indonesian life. I wish I had been able to slow down and observe more, but there was work to be done and a finite amount of time to do it in. 

I've been finding it difficult to provide a flavour of my trip for interested friends and colleagues, so I put together a few personal highlights and lessons. 

I was fortunate enough to have shot these photos with a pretty awesome camera (Canon 5D) but unfortunately, lost my point and shoot which I was tracking a bit more quirky observations on. Overriding lesson: shit happens. 

1. People love getting their photo taken.

As a green journalist I'm a bit hesitant to take photos of people, assuming I'm an 
unwanted pest. And of course to some, I am. 

But most people loved that I was taking photos of them, even asking for photos to be taken that they may never see themselves. It made me realize that taking photos doesn't have to feel like a voyeuristic task, it can simply communicate human interest and make people feel valued. 


2. Even a swamp can be beautiful.

It was hot, muggy and buggy pretty well everywhere we traveled but this particular evening had an air of calm envelope it. 

The image mirrors the feeling and I'm grateful to have been shooting stills with such a gorgeous camera. 


3. Take the road less traveled - just make sure you do it in a 4 X 4.

This was a dirt road we traveled on for a bit longer than I would have liked. The moment I changed my mind about it was the moment I bashed my head into the truck window as a result of not holding on tight enough. Lesson learned.


4. Don't fight a rooster. Or a chicken. 

My fear of contracting rabies from an aggressive dog  (I'm a bit of a hypochondriac) was a tad overblown. I should have been worried about the lean but ferocious roosters and chickens. They pecked viciously at dogs and cats alike to get at leftover scraps of our warung meals. I was quite concerned about chicken eating chicken, so turned away from the feeding frenzy. 


5. There is a reason people take photos of flowers. 

This gem popped up in the middle of endless palm trees (think plantation, not vacation) and other uninspiring greenery. I couldn't resist my pedestrian urge to take a snap of a pretty flower. I'm glad I did.