Salamat Pagi! That is Indonesian for Good morning. I have made it a point to at least learn how to greet in the languages of the countries we visit. They love the effort to speak their language! The past 2 days has been two of my best days in life! I have witnessed the warmth, hospitality and the gratitude of the people of Indonesia. I have also been convinced of one fact; we are all the same people with the same needs, whoever were are and wherever we are on the face of this planet! We all have a need for acceptance, a need for respect and are capable of bringing pure joy and happiness in the lives and faces of anyone regardless of language or geographical barriers.

My awesome adventure began on the morning of 4^th June 2012 when I got a ride on a rib boat to one of the Islands in Talaud as part of a delegation from the ship to embark on some community relations on the Island. It was really a thrill of a ride! My sunglasses literally flew off my face into the sea. That was how fast the boat was! We were greeted ashore by the locals with pump and pageantry. We felt very welcomed! We began interacting with the people as best as we can, after the exchange of pleasantries and that was when my hitherto unrecognized celebrity status was discovered. Every one of the locals wanted a photo-op with me! I had mothers handing me their babies in order to have a picture of their babies and me! Apparently they have this fascination with my height! They thought I was Shaq or something. My incessant salutation of Salamat Pagi to everyone I met in no small measure also contributed to the reception I got from them.

We proceeded to a high school soccer field and got ourselves into a soccer match with the high school soccer team. The sweltering heat coupled with the awesome stamina of these kids contributed to me being out of breath and worn out after only five minutes in the game. Though my stamina was suspect, my skills were never in doubt! Suffice it to say that we lost the game to these youthful, exuberant kids after about an hour of a fun-filled game of soccer. Other members of the team also played volleyball with some of the school kids. After the soccer game we indulged the children with a game of duck, duck, goose. They took to the game so much that they were still playing it when we got on our bus. I also took the opportunity to engage in some interesting conversations about a host of issues with the few locals who could speaks a little bit of English. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the people on the Island and can still envisage the beautiful faces beaming with smiles and affections as we said goodbye.

I again had the opportunity yesterday to be part of a 30-member delegation that graced the opening ceremony of our humanitarian mission on another Island. We were transported on the rib boat again and this time around I made sure everything on my person was bolted down. I however couldn’t prevent myself from being splattered with seawater, as was the case in my previous ride. As usual, it was an exciting ride! We were again met ashore with a very colorful cultural display. While waiting for the dignitaries who had gone to the hospital ship for a tour, the locals again used the opportunity to have pictures taken with us. I was again treated like a celebrity on this Island with most of the locals looking for the opportunity to have their pictures taken with me. I did enjoy the attention but most importantly I did enjoy the pure and palpable joy that our presence here has brought these awesome and resourceful people. After about a forty-five minute wait, the dignitaries came back from the ship and the ceremony began. It was a short ceremony that commenced with a word of prayer and ended with some brief remarks from Captain Morgan (yeah I know, that name sounds familiar), the command of our ship, a Politician from the Island and another Captain from our ship. We were then treated to some sumptuous Indonesian cuisine and some local music. 

My interactions with the locals this week was a very rewarding and enlightening one. I look forward to being with them on my MEDCAP next week. The rest of the week is predicted to be relatively uneventful since we are pretty much caught up with the processing of medications for the various MEDCAPS. I also do not have any more events planned for the rest of the week. I promise to keep you all updated on this awesome adventure I am currently part of. Terima Kasih! (Thank you)