Sunday, 10Dec06
Highlights: Banda Aceh & Tanwir’s family, home to Jakarta
I jumped on a morning flight to Banda Aceh, somewhat happy to put Medan behind me. I enjoy keeping in touch with friends I have met along my journeys, and want them to know I haven’t forgotten them after I left.
My main purpose for visiting Banda Aceh, aside from wanting to observe the city the day before their historic elections tomorrow, was to visit Tanwir and his family.
Tanwir was my driver when my USINDO friends (Dan, Marty) and I made our trip to Banda Aceh in early August.
24 years old, he got a job as a driver with Sampoerna Foundation, a spin-off from one of the largest tobacco companies in Indonesia. It’s a great deal, because jobs are hard enough to come by here. He just started college in October (he can afford it now), and his family and neighbors are slowly but surely recovering from the tsunami from 2 years ago.
I remember going to his wood barracks, semi-permanent tent city home on my last visit and meeting those neighbors and family, and I wanted to go back and see how they were doing. I brought a few gifts (snacks, t-shirts) from Bukit Tinggi and Medan.
Tanwir and his family were excited to see me again, and our first stop was his older sister’s house, where his mom & dad are living now. This house is a few kilometers away from Lhoknga, and was lucky to be relatively undamaged from the tsunami.
Highlights: Banda Aceh & Tanwir’s family, home to Jakarta
I jumped on a morning flight to Banda Aceh, somewhat happy to put Medan behind me. I enjoy keeping in touch with friends I have met along my journeys, and want them to know I haven’t forgotten them after I left.
My main purpose for visiting Banda Aceh, aside from wanting to observe the city the day before their historic elections tomorrow, was to visit Tanwir and his family.
Tanwir was my driver when my USINDO friends (Dan, Marty) and I made our trip to Banda Aceh in early August.
24 years old, he got a job as a driver with Sampoerna Foundation, a spin-off from one of the largest tobacco companies in Indonesia. It’s a great deal, because jobs are hard enough to come by here. He just started college in October (he can afford it now), and his family and neighbors are slowly but surely recovering from the tsunami from 2 years ago.
I remember going to his wood barracks, semi-permanent tent city home on my last visit and meeting those neighbors and family, and I wanted to go back and see how they were doing. I brought a few gifts (snacks, t-shirts) from Bukit Tinggi and Medan.
Tanwir and his family were excited to see me again, and our first stop was his older sister’s house, where his mom & dad are living now. This house is a few kilometers away from Lhoknga, and was lucky to be relatively undamaged from the tsunami.
posted by jonathan adventures at 7:36 AM
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