Aceh Rice

I am currently in Indonesia having just finished a job for a a US based NGO. Our path took us through the tsunami devastated coast of the Aceh province in northern Sumatra. The photo shows rice ready to be harvested in a field that was destroyed by the tsunami.



A boy carries a kite in a pasture near the coast. The wave came crashing over the tops of the trees behind him. People in Aceh are moving on, getting married, working, going to school. But the trauma is here to stay. The tragedy is past, locals say, we can forget the tsunami now. But outsiders point to a second tsunami, one of mental and emotional trauma. This wave shows no sign of receding anytime soon.



The tea in Aceh is sweet. So is the juice, and the coffee, and the food. When visiting a person’s home, hospitality dictates you give your guest a drink. Even if it is only water. The most common drink I was served over the last week was a pink sugar water. As the trip progressed my teeth started to hurt. The problem here is that sugar is a gift a host gives to her guest. The sweetness of the drink is literally a measure of how kind a host is to the guest. Even demands for a sugar free drink were seldom met. That would be an insult, so just sneak a spoonful in.