A different Aceh experience...

This Saturday I was the "guest of honour"at a party hosted by Cliff's housemate Peter. In the delightful company of the Aceh gay community, I was the only female and only heterosexual person present (and in the end, the only one with a shirt on...). Let's just say the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guys completely paled in comparison with these party particpants. It was very clear that these guys hadn't been able to live out their sexuality for quite a while. Since Aceh is under Shariah law we are all pretty much living a covered up life so to speak - no skin showing, no alcohol, no public display of affection etc. Well, these guys made up for it big time on Saturday and the shirts were off within the first hour. I enjoyed the dancing, gossiping, and laughing for a while but decided to call it a night when it was clear that the guys were ready to engage in activities I wasn't really there for... So while I was safe and sound asleep behind a locked bedroom door, the garage apparently became the venue for all of them to live out whatever it was they had been supressing for a while (quite a lot, judging from what I was told the next day...). Definitely a very different Aceh experience! Sorry, I've been trying to put in some pictures, but my internet connection is too slow.

Today I am off to the field. We are going to the district of Aceh Utara, about 5 hours drive from Banda Aceh. We'll be field testing the village assessment we are hoping to implement in all Aceh villages (6,000 of them!) in the coming months. A logistical challenge - my patience as well as my organizational skills are being tested big time!