Hardship Post

***"well you see it's not that easy ... can't you see it's not that easy and i know it's not that easy anyway"

 

Just thought I'd write a note about the working life here - I started it before Christmas, and I'm editing it now!  It's still crazy hours, but we've manage to keep it to only 6 days a week mostly, and we kinda had Christmas Day, and the 26th (1 year anniversary of the tsunami) off as well.  Ceremony on the 26th was interesting as the president was in town, but at the same time, it felt like I was intruding a little we should let the Acehenese have their city back for a day.  In the evening, the Red Cross Indonesia (PMI or Palang Merah Indonesia) held a thank you dinner for the aid workers.  That was pretty good to be at - lots of different faces in the crowd.

Hours are crazy... long long days, and Kelly has been doing that for 6 months.  In a lot of ways, I have it much easier.  While things are still chaotic in the work place, they are a lot calmer than what Kelly had to deal with - which isn't to say that they are in any way calm.  There's more staff, and hopefully, a new commitment to cleaning up the processes that were lacking.  We'll see how that goes...

I guess because of the remoteness of being in Banda Aceh, and the hours people work, there is a "hardship post" policy of 1 week off after 8 weeks of work.  I know Kelly always looks forward to it, and I already am, eventhough I'm not due for a while.  It seems ironic though, as I saw when I was messaging with Tammy a while ago.

Here's what our hardship consists of,

• A nice share-house with other staff.  We have an ensuite, which has been fitted with a western toilet, a shower and a small hot water heater
• A maid/cook comes in 6 days a week, and washes our clothes.  She cooks a meal for us, and leaves in covered on the table (usually fish and stuff...check out Kel's earlier posts of dinner).
• If we ask, she will also get fresh fruit (mangoes and such) and will cut them up, and put them in the freezer ready for smoothies when we get home
• Satellite TV

So basically, we get the extra time off for the stress of:

• The panic that sets in when you realize that it's Sunday, and you need to cook, but didn't actually go out shopping, and actually don't really know how anything works in the kitchen anymore except the beer fridge
• The annoyance when the maid who just washed your clothes and irons them all has put a crease in your jeans.
• That the maid washes clothes every day, so theoretically, you only need 3 changes of clothes, but really could get away with two if you don't mind wearing the same stuff on Sunday as you did on Saturday
• Seriously, do you know how hard it is to put on new clothes when the ones from yesterday are sitting there nice and fresh and on the bed/couch?!?!  It's like you start jonesin' for some dirty clothes
• Having to eat fresh food everyday that is not always cooked the best.  I mean, I like my fish tender, and it's just not as tender as I like it every day! Like, c'mon, how am i supposed to live like that :)

...and all that while people are still living in tents a year later... they don't get to go away for a week...

 

*** All you fans of east coast rawk will recognize that line from Colourblind by the seminal newfoundland grunge band, Hardship Post,