New findings indicate that cocoa flavanols may be an important part of a healthy diet for people with cardiovascular disease, which affects more than 80 million Americans, according to research by a team of internationally-renowned researchers, including scientists from Mars, Incorporated.  

The breakthrough study conducted at the University of California San Francisco and published in the prestigious Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) found that daily cocoa flavanol consumption more than doubled the number of circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) in the blood. These cells have been shown to have vessel repair and maintenance functions, which can contribute to healthy blood vessels. Poor blood vessel function is recognized as an early stage in the development process of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary artery disease. Increasing levels of CACs have also been associated with a decreased risk of death from cardiovascular causes, according to a 2005 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  

Other cutting-edge research has demonstrated that physical activity and experimental drug therapy can increase CAC levels, however the study published in JACC is the first to demonstrate such benefits from a dietary intervention. In this randomized, double-masked, controlled dietary intervention trial, study participants drank either a high-flavanol cocoa drink, containing cocoa made with the Mars Cocoapro® process (which guarantees a consistent flavanol level), or a low-flavanol nutrient-matched control cocoa drink, twice a day for 30 days.  

The study also showed that drinking high-flavanol cocoa significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and improved blood vessel function by 47% compared to low-flavanol consumption in optimally-medicated adults with severe cardiovascular disease.  This research supports findings previously published by Mars scientists and their academic collaborators, who have found a positive correlation between cocoa flavanols consumed and subsequent improvements in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of vessel health, i.e. the ability of a vessel to relax.

“It’s the best of both worlds.  It’s not often that we’re able to identify a natural food compound that can demonstrate a benefit on top of traditional medical treatment,” said Carl Keen, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at University of California Davis and one of the study authors. “And perhaps most importantly, for the first time, we found that cocoa flavanols might even directly mobilize important cells that could repair damaged blood vessels. The benefits are substantial, without any observed adverse effects,” added study author Christian Heiss, MD, Heinrich-Heine University.  

“Together with academic partners, Mars Incorporated has been studying cocoa flavanols for nearly two decades,” said Hagen Schroeter, PhD, Mars, Incorporated scientist and study co-author. “This is one of the most fascinating and potentially far-reaching findings we’ve uncovered in recent years, opening a completely new avenue of research to understand how cocoa flavanols might benefit human health. Of course, more research is needed to confirm and build upon these observations, but we’re intrigued by the potential for flavanols in the context of dietary and pharmaceutical strategies for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.” 

Cocoa Flavanols: The Body of Evidence

A number of previously published studies already suggest that the consumption of cocoa flavanols can have important beneficial effects on the function of the body’s network of blood vessels. Yet, contrary to statements often made in the popular media, the collective research demonstrates that the cardiovascular effects of cocoa flavanols are independent of general "antioxidant" effects that cocoa flavanols exhibit in a test tube, outside of the body.

The body of research not only suggests that these cocoa flavanols may provide a dietary approach to maintaining cardiovascular function and health, but also points to new possibilities for cocoa flavanol-based interventions associated with age-related blood vessel dysfunction and vascular complications of type 2 diabetes.

Mars Commitment to Cocoa Research 

The research on cocoa and cocoa flavanols is substantial, and Mars, Incorporated has led in this effort, holding more than 80 patents and publishing or supporting more than 100 scientific publications resulting from work with institutions around the world including the University of Düsseldorf in Germany and the University of California, Davis. While the research is clear on the link between cocoa flavanols and human health, these plant compounds are easily destroyed during normal processing. Building off of years of scientific research and manufacturing experience, Mars, Incorporated scientists have perfected a process to reduce the cocoa bean’s exposure to high temperatures, helping protect the cocoa flavanols inside. The proprietary, patented Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro® process ensures delivery of a cocoa ingredient guaranteed to have consistently high levels of cocoa flavanols. To read more about the science on cocoa flavanols, visit HealthyCocoa.com. 

Source: Heiss C, Jahn S, Taylor M, Real WM, Angeli FS, Wong ML, Amabil N, Prasad M, Rassaf T, Ottaviani JI, Mihardja S, Keen CL, Springer ML, Boyle A, Grossman W, Glantz SA, Schroeter H, Yeghiazarians Y. Improvement of endothelial function with dietary flavanols is associated with mobilization of circulating angiogenic cells in patients with coronary artery disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2010;56:218-224.

Werner N, Kosiol S, Schiegl T, Ahlers P, Walenta K, Link A, Bohm M, Nickenig G Circulating endothelial progenitor cells and cardiovascular. New England Journal of Medicine .2005:353;10.

Originally published at: MSNBC/MSN.com
Author: LiveScience
Date: August 11, 2010

Oftentimes in developing countries, and especially in rural areas where the need for extra hands on the farm is greatest, parents forgo education for their children and instead enlist them to lighten the burden of laborious farm work.  As a result, children never fully realize their true potential or develop the means to help themselves, creating a continuous cycle of dependence.  I strongly believe that education unlocks opportunities for those less fortunate and paves the road to empowerment and self-sufficiency.  Indonesians seem to share the same sentiment and approach towards education, which many feel supports the government’s fifth principle of Pancasila (guiding principles that comprise a philosophical framework intended to govern everyday life), or social justice for all the people of Indonesia.  The result is a strong focus on education as a tool for achieving a higher quality of life.  My inclination is that this emphasis on education may be causally linked to higher than average incomes for these farmers compared to the rest of the developing world.  For example, of the farmers I interviewed, the average daily income was the Rupiah equivalent of approximately US$ 10/day.

On my way to meetings with cocoa farmers upcountry, I would pass large groups of children at 6:30 in the morning on their way to school; it is not uncommon for young children to walk long distances to the nearest school.  This dedication was echoed by their parents, who take pride in financing their children’s education through any means possible, even at exorbitant interest rates from local moneylenders.

It gives me great pleasure to help facilitate farmers’ access to capital through more appropriate channels where financing terms are fair, allowing a larger percentage of the loan to be used for revenue-enhancing farm activities and reducing the stress of repayment that is evident under such harsh loan terms.  With a higher revenue stream from more sustainable farming practices, farmers could then finance their children’s education without reliance on loans. The ultimate goal of my project is therefore to break farmers’ dependence on exploitive sources of funding and provide them with a fighting chance of becoming self-sufficient. 

Pancasila plaque hanging in a classroom

Vocational school in Bone-Bone

Working with vocational students

When Heather Huson was growing up in Pennsylvania, her stepfather went to see a sled dog race and fell in love with the sport. "I started racing when I was 7," she says. Her family moved to upstate New York when she was a teenager because it had better snow. Now she's a graduate student in genetics at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks—but she's still interested in sled dogs.

Huson was interested in studying the genetics behind performance in her beloved animals. For this study, Huson visited eight kennels—four that specialize in distance races like the Iditarod, and four that specialize in sprints, races of 5 to 50 kilometers that last only a few hours. All of them use Alaskan sled dogs. Huson, who trained as a veterinary technician before graduate school, drew blood from a total of 199 dogs—"easier than trimming toenails," she says—and she or someone at the kennel ran each dog and scored its speed, endurance, and work ethic (i.e., how much of the run it was actively pulling as opposed to letting its teammates do the work).

Alaskan sled dogs seem like they shouldn't have much in common genetically. They look different—they can be long-haired or short-haired, floppy-eared or perky-eared, 13 or 30 kilograms. And though breeders of distance dogs tend to stick to other Alaskan sled dogs, sprint-dog breeders mix in other breeds, like English pointers, shorthaired pointers, and even greyhounds. But Huson found much more commonality than she anticipated.

To figure out which breeds the dogs were most closely related to, Huson analyzed microsatellites, small, repeating sequences of DNA. In earlier work, one of her co-authors had figured out patterns of microsatellites that identify each of 141 purebreds. Huson expected that sled dogs' microsatellites would group them with Siberian huskies or Alaskan malamutes, the breeds that were their most likely ancestors. But instead, they formed "their own little genetic group," she says—essentially a breed of their own, as unique as poodles or corgis. Although the microsatellite patterns of one sled-pulling mutt might include his pointer grandpa and Siberian forebears, most of the microsatellites represented the unique Alaskan sled dog pattern. "This is saying, 'Here's another genetic breed of dog, but they were selected for and bred based on performance,' " not on looks, Huson says. The study will appear online tomorrow in BMC Genetics.

Huson also determined which breeds brought different attributes to the dogs. Dogs with a lot of malamute and husky blood had more endurance; those with ancestors that were pointers and salukis were speedier.

Don't look for the Alaskan sled dog at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show anytime soon, though. The people who breed these dogs use them for work and have no particular interest in lobbying the American Kennel Club to recognize them as purebreds, Huson says.

The conclusion that sled dogs represent their own breed is unexpected, says evolutionary biologist Robert Wayne of the University of California, Los Angeles. "It was a bit of a surprise to find that they're distinct from everything else." The work, he notes, should lead the way to finding genes behind a variety of behaviors in these dogs, like the willingness to pull a sled.

Originally published at: ScienceMag
Author: Helen Fields
Date: July 21, 2010

After a few quick days in Denpassar I’m again flying halfway around the world, but this time I head East instead of West.  Once again I’m adjusting my clock by 12 hours, but backwards, meaning I’m facing 30 hours of travel that begin and end on the same day.  Remarkably, I’ve been upgraded to business class again for my return trip.  Before this trip I had never before flown anything but coach.  Life is good.

All in all, Indonesia was a great learning experience and a much-enjoyed introduction to Asian culture.  From my previous experiences abroad, I was correct on several of my expectations, but there were also many unexpected surprises along the way.  In my first blog I touched on my expectations for Indonesia.   As I return stateside with ample time to reflect, here are my thoughts two months later:    

1. Expectation: Indonesia is a collective, relationship-based culture.  

This one really surprised me.  The Indonesians I met, although very friendly, are actually quite self-motivated and entrepreneurial.  This is one of the few countries where microfinance is primarily focused on individual rather than peer-based loans, and with a low default rate at that.  This reflects a culture where people are self-reliant and often trust their own capabilities over those of others.  The capitalistic mentality of a “self-made man” is prevalent here, and more accurately reflects an American ethos instead to my experience in rural Africa.

2. Expectation: The food will be exciting and new, but nothing will be better than hot wings and Mexican food once I return.

Ok, the food was exciting, but the majority of meals were served goreng, or fried in oil.  After eating fried noodles and rice breakfast, noon, and night I’m ready to give it a break.  Now that I’ve returned, Mexican food and hot wings are not on the top of my list either.  I crave eating something healthy for a change, like cereal for breakfast instead of greasy fried chicken pieces.

3. Expectation: I will make a few cultural blunders, but learn as I go.  It will be apparent I’m not a local and folks will generally understand it’s not intentional.

This one certainly held true.  For instance, both pointing at people and pointing the sole of you shoe in the direction of others is considered offensive, and I caught myself several times.  However, the people I met were remarkably friendly and understood that I was not accustomed to the local culture.   

4. Expectation: Things will get lost in translation.  I will learn at least one new word or phrase daily, but I will certainly wish I could better communicate in the local language.

While my vocabulary improved every day I was abroad, again this expectation held true.  Many of my meetings were twice as long as a result of language barriers, and while Ririn and Melly did an excellent job translating I feel I missed quite a bit due to the lack of common language.  This experience made me appreciate my Peace Corps experience even more, where my two years in Kenya provided ample time to learn the native language.

5) Expectation: Indonesians will be welcoming and friendly.  I will make lifelong friends and walk away with a better understanding of the world around me.  

 Even with this expectation I was not prepared for how genuinely kind and hospitable the people were.  I leave Indonesia with respect and appreciation for the way I was treated, and I hope that someday I will have an opportunity to see how other Asian counties compare.  While the distance may hinder lifelong friendships, the world is much smaller with Facebook, Skype, and e-mail, and I certainly intend to stay in touch with several of the great people I met and worked with during my time in Indonesia.

6) Expectation: I will see and experience things that surprise me daily.

I’ll say this was half true.  I did encounter surprises in my travels, many of which I have written about in this blog.  Regardless, another surprise was how routine and normal things became after my first month on the ground.  I didn’t realize this until now, but my previous travels abroad went a long way towards preparing me for other developing countries. 

7) Expectation: I will contribute towards a project that will make a profound and lasting positive impact.

I am confident this will be the case. Mars has affirmed my belief in the value of private sector sustainability initiatives, and I believe the work Mars is involved with to improve the water quality of Indonesians will be hugely successful.  Although my project was primarily focused on gathering information and laying a framework, I am excited to see where things go moving forward.

8) Expectation: My summer will fly by, and I’ll be on my return flight before I know it.  Indonesia will be missed.

As my previous blog attests, I will miss this experience.  As for time flying by, it’s amazing how long individual days could feel at times, yet how it feels like just yesterday I left for Indonesia.

9) Expectation: It will be great to be home again with family and friends, and I’ll have lived an experience that will better prepare me for whatever life has in store next.

With a stopover in Washington, DC I’m still a few days away from returning home, but I’m certain this will be the case.  

It’s hard to believe I’m on my first leg home.  I’m currently flying to Denpassar, and in a few short days I’ll return to the U.S.  I’m on the same plane that brought me to Sulawesi, and its surreal that time has gone by so quickly.  While my six weeks in Sulawesi went by quickly, I’ve learned much.  I’m more convinced than ever of a need for sustainable, low cost solutions to household drinking water, and my understanding of emerging market distribution models has increased substantially.

I initially found Makassar overcrowded and chaotic, but the city grew on me.  With help from Ririn, Rizky, and Melly, I learned my way around and found several hidden gems.  Mie Titi and Konro Karebosi – two enormously popular local favorites – became my top choices for lunch, and for a quick snack Mama Gintu was always available to serve Pisang Epe, or grilled bananas in palm sugar.  Although served from a rickety streetside cart, I never got sick from this or any other Sulawesi meals.  This was a pleasant surprise; perhaps my years in Africa sufficiently equipped me to handle street food in exotic countries. 

Among other things that surprised me was routine things can feel in just six week’s time.  On my final trip to the airport, I took the same crowded road that provided my first impression of Sulawesi, but it now seems familiar instead of overwhelming.  Even the strangely flavored pastries in my on-flight snackbox have a familiar flavor. 

Overall I’m really excited to head home, as I miss my wife, family and friends greatly. Regardless, I find my departure bittersweet. I’ve never enjoyed goodbyes and Sulawesi is no exception. It is unlikely I will return to Makassar, at least not in the foreseeable future, yet I’ve become friends with many of my colleagues here.  Also, in my time on the ground I developed a comfortable routine, from where to eat to my favorite hotel to a regular sunset run on the beach.  From the mountains of exotic Toraja to the beauty of rural Palopo to the urban madness of downtown Makassar, Sulawesi has been an incredible experience, and it will be missed.

My Final Sulawesi Sunset

With a population of 238 million, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country (after China, India and the US), of which 86% identifies with Islam, making it the world’s most populous Muslim country.  This stands in stark contrast to the 76% of Americans who practice Christianity versus just 0.6% for Islam, making it easy to see how an American could feel like an outsider in Indonesia despite the superb friendliness and acceptance from locals.  It doesn’t help the fact that Islam is generally misunderstood by Westerners.  We tend to think of our “War on Terror” as a war on Islam, forgetting that only a small minority poses a threat and that the general Muslim population vehemently opposes the use of violence.  

In an attempt to better understand the religion, its tenets and the context in which I was working, I engaged in an interesting philosophical conversation with Rizky, a devout Muslim who strictly adheres to its teachings.  It began when I enquired about the green-and-white mosques that are ubiquitous throughout the region.  Much like Starbucks in the US, the first thing you notice here is that there is a Masjid (or mosque) on virtually every street corner, each equipped with a tower that is fully wired with megaphones to pipe prayers across town.  Rizky informed me that green and white are the colors of Islam, green standing for peace and white for holiness, and that most followers strongly advocate the call for peace that is imparted in the Qur’an. 

Even business takes a back seat to scheduled prayer times, which occur five times daily and can last for an hour or more.  Business meetings are adjourned, everyone scrambles to the nearest mosque, and only after prayer obligations have been satisfied can a business meeting be reconvened as if it were never interrupted, almost as if time stands still momentarily.  I was perplexed the first time this occurred (before it was explained to me) because I thought I was being asked to leave in the middle of the meeting due to something I said that was lost in translation. 

I found this recurring situation frustrating at first, but soon came to accept and work around it.  After spending enough time in Indonesia I, too, began planning my day around prayer times, which begin at 4:15am with the first call to prayer over the mosque loudspeakers, a startlingly effective wake-up call.  However, I have cherished this opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and live amongst the locals because it has given me a better understanding of their values and the everyday challenges they face.  You learn to adapt, as I did, but to truly understand the extent to which religion permeates every aspect of life you must experience it firsthand.

Masjid Agung in Palopo (note the green and white pattern)

Prayer dissemination tower

Mosque tower in Makassar (with megaphones visible)

Mosque tower in Jakarta

Along this week, there were many meetings we had. The first meeting was with BAKTI, a big NGO in Makassar that acts as an umbrella organization for other NGO’s.  Although we only met in short time, we can get many contacts there. This NGO was like a Yellow Pages for us :-). The second meeting was with a civil servant from one of the external institutions of government to serve society. For me, this was the best meeting that we had, because what we want to know is how to find the right “partner” and the right way to educate the woman in rural area.  I think this was a good place to come to because they have a perfect way on how to educate the villager, though it must take a long time.   Also, we had a meeting with one of women cooperatives in Makassar. All their staff are women, and mostly it is older women.  I like to see them working, even though they are older they are still productive. I hope I could be like them. The last meeting that we had is with a big distribution company. We held in a nice café, where we could see a swimming pool.  I love this week, because not only Joe and I did everything, but Melly also worked with us. She is a hard worker. Everything seems easy to do with her :-) We always laughing and teasing each other - both Joe and Melly are funny!

And this my bonus “trip” in this week... on Saturday, Joe invited us, Me, Melly and Rizky to have lunch. We went to “Konro Karebosi”.. this is a famous place in Makassar. Konro is one of traditional food in South Sulawesi. We ordered “Konro bakar” (Grill Beef)  and “Sop konro” (Beef Soup) ... all of this food was made by beef. Very delicious and a little bit expensive. :-)  Then we made a plan to go to Malino.. Malino is one of famous mountainous in South Sulawesi, there are many people choose this place for holiday. But i was sorry because i couldn’t go there with Joe, Melly and Rizky, because my parents came to visit.  I hope I get a chance to go to Malino again.

A little background on Buffalo Fighting:  Tana Turaja is the only place in Sulawesi that does this, and it's not a person fighting a buffalo as you might expect.  Instead, it’s buffalo vs. buffalo in a head-butting contest of superiority.  Although pampered, lethargic, and docile, male water buffalo apparently have a mean streak when it comes to the company of other males; when two of these buffalo meet a territorial contest begins, and one buffalo emerges a winner while the other runs far way.  

There is also a symbolic significance to the event.  Buffalo fighting is held during funeral ceremonies because Torajans traditionally believe these buffalo are needed to assist the deceased to reach the afterlife.  The strongest, most clever buffalo will win the fight, and when slaughtered, this is one that will assist the carry the deceased and fight for them.

This is the premise of a Torajan buffalo fight, and the entertainment factor of such an event is enough to draw in the entire town.  The fights take place in the wet rice paddies and people line up by the thousands to watch.  Most spectators stay on the boundaries, but a few wade through the paddies themselves, placing bets and collecting money from spectators.  The paddies are only an acre or two in size and divided by raised paths where the crowd congregates to watch.  Nobody knows in exactly which paddies the fight will take place, but once the fight begins hundreds rush over.  Against the surge of the crowd, it was all I could do to keep my balance on the narrow raised path and not fall into the wet and muddy paddy once the fighting began.

It all happens fairly quickly:  At first the two buffalo feign disinterest in each other, but eventually one buffalo makes his move and the other braces for impact.  The two animals dig into the ground and butt heads, pushing each other back and forth until one of the animals gives up.  This is where a problem emerges, as the buffalo are hemmed in by people.  The retreating animal has nowhere to run but through the crowd, and these buffalo, easily weighting a ton, are not going to slow down for mere people.  The buffalo charges straight for the crowd, and people scurry to avoid being trampled.  Luckily, I avoided any buffalo collisions nobody was hurt.  However, I am told it is commonplace for buffalo-related injuries to occur.

I could go on, but here is where  a few photos are better:

A small part of the thousands lined up to watch the fights.

Two Water Buffalo Face Off

A few things to note about this event: the funeral would last a full 10 days, a time span fit for royalty.  The event had been planned for months in advance, as bodies are preserved and stored until sufficient time and money is raised for a proper send-off.  The ceremony would cost five billion Indonesian rupiah, or over half a million dollars, and tens of thousands of people would be in attendance.  Much of the cost would go into elaborate feasts, including the slaughter of 30 water buffalo and hundreds of pigs to honor the dead and feed the crowds.  The event would be accompanied by processions through the town, music and dancing, and buffalo fighting (more on this later).

We visited the event on day one, which turned out to be an excellent time to enjoy the festivities.  I say festivities because the event was completely different from the formal, solemn character of a typical American service.  To the Torajans, death is a celebration and a transition that is complete only after the funeral ceremony.  Torajans are deeply spiritual and confident that the ceremony marks the beginning of a new journey for the deceased.  

We arrived in time for lunch – pork, water buffalo, and Torajan goldenfish (which sounds exotic but is actually...goldfish.)  Following the meal the procession began, a grandiose parade unlike anything I have seen.  Easily a half mile in length, the parade began with prize buffalo leading the way, children carrying decorative flags, and a truck playing music and carrying the immediate family of the deceased.  The surviving king was the only direct family not in the truck, and was instead carried overhead in a specially designed carriage.  Behind this was a group of men carrying a large decorative emblem, and another group carrying the tau tau, or a wood carved effigy of the queen.  Behind the tau tau was a procession of hundreds of women, all dressed in black, with a long red tarp overhead.  The tarp connected to the casket itself, a beautifully carved piece of art carried by dozens of men.  Anyone is welcome to lend a hand, and I even spent a few minutes acting as pallbearer to the queen.  The procession concluded with another truck carrying a smaller replica of a Torajan style home.  When the funeral ends, this monument will be placed with the casket as a memorial.    

Throughout the procession there was singing, dancing, and festivities.  The casket was recklessly bounced back and forth to shouts and hollers, and water was thrown from the sidelines on procession members.  Hundreds walked alongside, and thousands lined the streets taking photographs and videos of the event.  As the procession wandered for miles down the main road, buses, cars, and motorbikes trailed behind, delayed for hours.   

The procession ended at a large and elaborately decorated ceremonial site, where buffalo and pigs were slaughtered in memory of the dead and speeches were broadcast over loudspeakers for hours.  Musicians were in attendance as well, drumming or playing gospel music on an array of instruments all made from bamboo.  The centerpoint of the ceremonial site was a Torajan-designed platform set high above the surrounding area, and the casket was hoisted up the stairs and kept on the platform for the following day.  

Following the procession and speeches, the buffalo fighting began.  However, I've written enough for one day and will save that for another post.  Let me conclude by saying the funeral procession was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget, and I was truly fortunate to be part of it.

A Tau Tau, or wooden effigy of the deceased, to be carried in the procession

The procession is lead by prized buffalo from the village and their handlers

The procession continues

The queen's Casket is carried by many...

...and eventually hoisted up to this decorative platform

Standing room only at the ceremonial site

A full ensemble of all bamboo instruments

The Poodle breed is available in three sizes. To the lay person, these sizes could be called “small, medium and large”, but in the poodle fraternity, they are classified as “Toy” (less than ten inches at the shoulder), “Miniature” (less than fifteen inches) and “Standard” (over fifteen inches).  Each size of poodles is available in a range of colours, including blue, grey, silver, brown, cafe-au-lait, apricot and cream. They almost sound like scrumptious varieties of chocolate.

Apart from the height and colour differences, the different types of poodles have an identical “breed description”. They are all said to be “active, intelligent and elegant-appearing dogs, squarely built, well proportioned, moving soundly and carrying themselves proudly”.

They’re also claimed to be a “low-shed” breed, which is partly why the cross-bred versions are so popular. It’s important to realise that no dog is non-shed: moulting is part of the hair growth cycle of all dogs. But some breeds – including Poodles – do shed less, and this can make them far more home-friendly.

I’d never seen myself as a “poodle person”, but I’ve recently discovered a skeleton in my closet. Spot, our twelve year old family dog (pictured above),  is a cross-bred pooch that we rescued as a pup, abandoned in a local builder’s yard. We’d always classified him as a “terrier cross”, but with the new DNA test that’s become available, we were able to pinpoint his precise origin. We weren’t surprised when the cheek swab told us that he was 50% Fox Terrier, but it was the other 50% that shocked us. We now know for sure that either his father or his mother was a Poodle, and our random rescue dog is a highly prized hybrid known as a “Foodle”.

Knowing the dog as I do, I don’t think he’d be impressed to learn about his pedigree ancestry. Whatever the DNA test has told us, he’s still a terrier-cross to us.

Originally published at: Telegraph.co.uk
Author: Pete Wedderburn
Date: July 7, 2010

On Tuesday I felt sick and rested the most of the day to get my health back.  The next day, I felt better. I went to the office for meeting and went to my school. In my school, I met with the director of my English course. I was lucky to meet him. I told him that I needed some information about PKK, and he gave me village chief’s phone number. Then I called the village chief, and he allowed me to meet him. I was so happy. :-)

On Thursday, I went to office again, and was able to get in touch with one of distribution companies in Makassar. On this day, I met with Jesse and Risky too.  We translated a cocoa farmers video into English, not really difficult job, because Jesse helped us to correct it. Thanks Jesse!

The next day, I went to village chief’s office with Rizky. This was a long trip because this was the first time for me to go to that street. I was almost lost with Rizky, but finally we found the office and met with the village chief. I liked him, he was very friendly. I don’t certainly know how old he is, but I was surprised because I thought he was too young to be a village chief.   I got much information about PKK there. They are open to us. 

At the end of this week, I was searching for the contact from the health department and another NGO.   I was lucky again.. I got the contact person in health department from my lecturer at school, and arranged meetings with them. Because of this work, my connections are increasing rapidly.  I love this job.

After finding the information he requested, I sent him data via email. Hopefully this data can be useful to make it easier to interact with these organizations.

Well, it was such an honour working with Jesse. There’s a lot of experiences I got from him. He taught me that if you really-really try hard, all things definitely can be achieved. Nothing is impossible to reach if you work hard to achieve it.

It’s not every day you get to witness a Torajan funeral.  Unlike the somber, mournful occasions I have experienced in the US, here they are joyous celebrations that mark the beginning of the afterlife, involving parades, buffalo fights, ritual pig and buffalo slaughtering, and grand feasts.  They are spectacles that last up to 10 days (for nobility) and are meant to be enjoyed by the entire city.

It’s even less likely that you will be involved in the funeral party itself as a guest of the deceased’s family, but it gets even better.  This was no ordinary funeral, but one for a Torajan queen.  We were welcomed by the king, prince and princesses, and before long found ourselves featured prominently in the funeral procession: as pallbearers carrying the coffin through the city during parts of the 3-hour funeral march!  The rest of the time I spent weaving through a not-so-choreographed convoy of ornately decorated (and ornery) buffaloes.

At the city center we witnessed the slaughter of three massive water buffaloes, standing close enough to get nearly sprayed by the carnage; the sight was a complete sensory overload.  It conjured up images of ancient Roman gladiator battles and ancient Mayan ritual sacrifices, but, more importantly, made me think about and respect the fact that an animal has to give its life every time we eat meat, something that is easy to forget in this modern era where global distribution networks have distanced the consumer from the farm. 

After a raucous buffalo sparring match we slipped into the sunset and the surreal experience ended just as quickly as it began.  It was only fitting that that evening we enjoyed a traditional Torajan dinner consisting of stewed water buffalo and local vegetables: the same meal we sampled the previous night, but this time with a newfound appreciation. 

Traditional Torajan-style architecture

Effigy of the Queen (called a Tau Tau)

Queen's casket

Decorated water buffalo

The casket makes its final journey up the ceremonial platform

 Winner!

Famous for their elaborate funerals and ornate decorative houses, the Torajans are a Christian people that still maintain strong traditional beliefs.  For my first few days I will strictly be working, finalizing data collection on water use and rural distribution.  However, I can’t help but feel like a tourist.  The walk through the marketplace reveals an array of handicrafts, local foods, and fabrics unique to the region.  The people, as I have come to expect, are open and friendly, and the architecture is incredible.  

While the photos may not do justice, the traditional houses are the most exquisitely detailed homes I have ever seen.  Although they look like something from a fairy tale, or perhaps a long-lost traditional dwelling preserved for tourists, these homes are common throughout the region and lived in to this day.  Each symbol and carving on the home has significance to the Torajan people.  Fortunately, I was accompanied to Toraja by Melly, a Torajan herself, and I was able to gain insight on the meaning behind the decorative façade.  As mere writing won’t suffice, the photos are below:

Traditional Toraja homes feature four main colors: Red represents courage; Yellow represents Wealth; Black represents sadness; White represents Holiness

A carved buffalo head can be found on the front of most houses.  To the Torajans, the water buffalo is a much loved, noble animal.  It is also a valuable asset and source of food.

In memory of loved ones, a column of buffalo horns adorns the front of many homes.  These are from buffalo slaughtered at elaborate Toraja Funerals

A spectacular view into a Toraja Valley

Before we arrived in Toraja, we stopped for a day in the town of Enrekang to gather insight on how the people of this area obtain and prepare drinking water.  The area is beautiful.  Set in the mountains, the landscape is rugged and green, and a sharp contrast to level rice paddies and seaside views I’ve grown accustomed too.  Again, I am so pleased with how helpful and welcome everyone has been.  I have learned much along the way, not only about water, but also about local customs and the people of the region.

Enrekang was a particularly exciting place to visit because of my love for coffee. Besides the cocoa also grown here, coffee is big business.  While randomly interviewing people near their homes, we spoke with a trader who processes coffee and ships it to Makassar.  As it turns out, I arrived at the peak of the harvest season, and his modest house was filled with bags of coffee ready for shipment.  The trader’s wife sorted beans on the porch and chatted with friends, while shy but curious children peered at me around doorways.

Once through the obligatory introductions and our survey questions, I shifted the conversation to coffee.  I worked with coffee farmers in East Africa, and was fascinated by the similarities and differences of coffee grown here.  With a common interest we quickly connected, and the trader invited me into his home for coffee with his family.  I was tempted to say no as there was plenty to do, but a cup of coffee sounded particularly nice and I accepted his offer.

First, I have to say the coffee was some of the best I’ve tasted.  It is not every day I am able to drink freshly harvested, home-roasted coffee, and the Arabica-grade beans procured by the trader were particularly nice.  Also, I was overwhelmed by the trader’s friendliness and generosity.  While enjoying my drink and talking with the trader, I was given a container of fresh roasted coffee and a grocery bag full of fried banana chips. I tried to insist it was too much but of course that got me nowhere. 

The visit ended with the previously shy children coming out into the room to take photographs with me on a mobile phone.  I was welcomed into a stranger’s house with open arms and left feeling like a king.  Also, I’ve forgotten to mention: the trader and his family did not speak English.  I was able to converse with help from a translator, but the fact that I had such a welcoming experience and great conversation without even speaking the language struck me as an outstanding example of the hospitality here. 

 Scenic Views on the Enrekang - Toraja Road

A coffee trader and his family offer world-class hospitality

Today I started by doing some pending work. One of the most important thing is to re-translate the questionnaire we asked the farmers because there are a few of the questionnaire were written in the Indonesian language, so we had to write back in English. Not an easy task, considering the time getting started in the afternoon and there are many questionnaires to be translated.

From some of the answers in the questionnaire, I got some interesting things about the reality of the cocoa farmers. There are some things that are sometimes in conflict with their answers. For example when a farmer says he prefers family loans in developing his business, but on the one hand he also said that the bank was the best organization in providing loan services. This is understandable if we see any reason he said he would prefer families to obtain credit in developing his business because when he borrowed from his family, he does not pay interest in making the loan repayment. However, families can not provide loans to farmers in large numbers so that when he wants to borrow large amounts, it puts the bank in his first choice in making the loan. This is because, he will get a loan in the amount he wishes (certainly appropriate to the abilities and conditions of the bank are met), although he must pay a rate as determined by the bank, because he understands that the bank is a business enterprise moving to make a profit for the company. Moreover, he argued, among all the organizations that provide loans with interest, the bank is an organization that provides the lowest interest rate compared to other options (local lenders, cooperatives, neighbors, buyers, and others). It makes sense. In economic terms, this is what we called the concept of opportunity costs or fees that we receive if we choose a particular activity. It relates to the next-best choice available to someone who has picked between several mutually exclusive choices.

The next day we planned to visit a truck company, but our first stop was the Economics Faculty of Hasanuddin University.  There we met with my dean and Joe explained to her about our project. She was very excited. The best thing from the meeting was a contact who works in a large NGO and is also a graduate from Economics Faculty of UNHAS.  That was very helpful. We also went to a café to make some notes and have lunch, and ate “Mie Kering” (Dry Noodle), my favorite food.  In the afternoon we went to the truck company that Mars uses for carrying their cocoa from upcountry to Makassar. We had a long trip using public transport and then continued by using taxi, because I didn’t know the exactly the location of this company.  We had a good conversation and got much information.  I was happy to do this project today because I know more about the route of public transport in Makassar. :-)

Later in the week I went to my university again to meet with my dean, and asked her about some more questions that we hadn’t asked before.  We also spent time meeting with another distributor and meeting with the NGO contact from my school.   The NGO contact was very funny, and actually he is my senior in Economics faculty.   We had many interesting meetings.  People are open to us and give us many suggestions.  

This is my bonus trip.. on Sunday evening, we went the port, me, Joe, Melly, Jesse and Rizky.   Then, we walked to Rotterdam Fort, it’s about 1 km from the port.  Near the fort, we stop by to drink coconut juice and I got back my strength :-). We met with Mellys friend who is working in the port. We asked her about everything needed to import a product.  We then all went to dinner, and on our way, we saw a welcoming ceremony with a traditional dance from South Sulawesi, that was very beautiful dancers and traditional clothes. 

That’s my activities on this week. I love this job, because I get more friends and am networking with people I’ve never before worked with, and never before did I think I would meet people like them.   I’m so thankful.   

Joe meets my Dean (to the left)

After a week in Makassar, I have conducted meetings with potential collaborators, visited UNHAS - Ririn’s sprawling and beautifully landscaped university - and further developed and refined my project notes.  I enjoy the work immensely and find it hard to believe almost a month has passed since it all began.  Like my Peace Corps experience, memories from a few weeks back seem like a lifetime ago, yet time is flying by.  

Like putting together an elaborate jigsaw puzzle, slowly the pieces are coming together.  I have learned much about how Indonesians obtain their water, and have also researched distribution networks to see how items make it to the rural areas.  Having studied this from Makassar to upcountry towns, from upcountry towns to rural villages, and from villages to individual households, I turned my attention to how items arrive in Makassar.  To assist, I was connected to a port employee through Melly, a wonderful resource and local guide.

We agreed to meet Melly’s friend at Fort Rotterdam on Sunday evening.  A 17th century remnant of the colonial Dutch, the fort now stands as a tourist attraction complete with a cultural museum and souvenir kiosks.  The fort is well-preserved and features a grassy courtyard where we met Melly’s friend.  As we sat in the grass and began chatting, several other Indonesians walked over to join us.  All of them were proficient in English, and I learned that Melly had scheduled our meeting just in time for her weekly English speaking club.  As a native speaker, and American no less, I was perceived as a valuable addition to the club, and it was a lot of fun speaking with people excited to refine their language skills.

After our courtyard meeting the group requested I join them for dinner.  I agreed, and we embarked on an epic journey through downtown Makassar.  The group decided to take me to Mie Titi, a restaurant, they informed me, that was creator of Mie Kering, a fried noodle dish unique to Sulawesi and famous throughout Indonesia.  Unknown to me was that we were going to walk and the restaurant was miles away.  For hours we wound through city streets, stopping along the way at a resort hotel just in time to see Suzuki’s professional motorcycle race team arrive on their nationwide tour.  The drivers were greeted to a phenomenal show of local dancing and music, and as a bystander the timing couldn’t have been better.

Following our long trek though narrow streets and precarious, traffic filled intersections, we arrived at Mie Titi.  The restaurant was absolutely packed with local people and the food was remarkably good.  I offered to treat the six people who joined me, and the bill – drinks and all – was under seven dollars.  I could get used to this.     

All the things that we originally thought we'd be difficult to get a good finish here. Everything is not difficult if we had tried and tried hard to make it happen. Of course the most serious challenge comes from our own self that demands ourselves to make adjustments to the conditions and terrain different from the place of origin both of us. Not to mention the language barrier that separates us with them. But all of that does not bother us to work with enthusiasm in this project. Sometimes we just have to ask simple questions to get answers to a wide range of them.

One of the interesting things from our return trip back to Makassar is when we on the way, someone called Jesse thru his mobile phone. Apparently Mr. Ian Pople called him. Before we went back to Makassar, he wanted to meet with us to discuss a bit about the problems we're working on the project because he was on his way to the Palopo. We then met with him at a gas station somewhere between Palopo - Makassar. When we met him, I was very taken aback. Not only because Mr. Ian with other people who have high positions and important person in the PT Mars (with him there's Mr. Andy and Mr. Barry), but also because the three guys are very-very tall. When first time I saw Jesse back at office when he just arrived from America, I remember said about his height. Before, I can’t imagine I could see someone whose height exceeds Jesse’s. And I remember he said with laugh that there are many people whose height exceeds his.  Now, there at the gas station, I got the proof. In front of me stood three Americans who have heights in excess of Jesse's. Kinda intimidating. I kept pointing my face upward so I could see them. Now I know what Jesse means when he says sometimes he feels short in his country.

Later after we were in the car again and continue the journey back to Makassar, Jesse said that that was an important meeting and that it was the first time he has held an important meeting at the gas station. I also experienced the same thing to him. Jesse did not know that it was the first time this happened to me too.

We arrived in Pare-Pare for a brief recess and lunch before continuing home. Here Jesse got his first Bintang beer in ten days to celebrate our success! Makassar, We Are Coming Home!

The first set of interviews was more of a training exercise to teach me what works and what doesn’t, and before long I had hit my stride.  There’s a bit of an art to the process.  Understanding that each farmer is a unique individual who responds differently, I found that a dynamic approach worked best.  It was extremely helpful to begin each interview by sharing personal information about myself so that the farmers felt it was a two way street that was more interactive than strictly Q&A, as well as interacting with any curious children who were loitering around.  Continuous reassurance of anonymity was also crucial, as the interview contained many questions that pertained to the farmers’ opinions about the government and cocoa bean buyers (many of whom are relatives).  Slowly, they opened up to share the good and the bad. 

It definitely took finesse and (some) skill to tease out the information I needed and keep the farmers engaged over the lengthy interview process.  I had originally budgeted 30 minutes per farmer, but quickly determined that this timeframe was way too ambitious and revised it to a much more conservative 1.5 hours.  In some cases it took up to 2 hours per farmer to obtain accurate and complete information.  Ultimately, I made the tough (and correct, I believe) decision to sacrifice quantity for quality, and I felt that my reduced sample size was still large enough to make some generalizations.  I never imagined that I would draw on what I had learned as an undergraduate student during the course of my project, but my training in proper research methods finally paid off. 

On a side note, my 27th birthday also happened to fall while I was out in the field conducting interviews, but I was too engrossed in my work to think about any celebrations.  In keeping with tradition, I laid low and treated it like any other day.

Farmers' houses in Kamanre 

At first, we thought we would only be met with the head of the office there. It turns out that after we introduce ourselves, we just know if we will speak with many people (there are four or five other employees) from different divisions. A little surprised, but not a problem. We are very pleased to meet with them, because we know that they are people who are expert in their respective fields and from them we will also get our answers.

From Bank Mandiri, we got something very impressive. They did not give credit to the cocoa farmers regularly, but they are committed collaboration to help improve the living standard of these farmers. After ± 2 hours talking with the Bank Mandiri, took some photos, and traveling together, so we decided to say goodbye and leave. Going to another bank.

The second bank we came that day is Bank BRI that located not so far from Bank Mandiri, so that we can arrive just in time. Need I emphasize, a meeting with the Bank BRI is one of the most important meeting for us to hear the opinions and perspectives from them, considering our previous meetings with farmers where they all chose to take the credit or establish cooperation with the BRI (the farmers does not mention other banks besides BRI). Why BRI is inherent among the peasants? Perhaps this is because only the Bank BRI reached out to residents in remote outposts. Compared with other banks, you can find BRI anywhere in the entire place in Indonesia because BRI is committed to providing services to all levels of society in Indonesia (BRI = Bank Rakyat Indonesia = People Bank of Indonesia).

Only, there was a slight problem when we arrived at the office of the bank. The guy who should we encounter apparently feel he have no appointment to meet with us. It's bad. It turns out upon investigation, a meeting arranged by Ms. Marlyn was made under the approval of the secretary of the bank's manager because when Mrs. Marlyn make an appointment, the manager who will we interviewed were not in place so that Ms. Marlyn make an appointment through his secretary only. Apparently, this secretary forgot to include our appointment with the boss and forget to tell him that we will come to see him. No wonder when we had met the leaders, he felt did not have an appointment with us and a little reluctant to meet us. Apparently he was busy at that time so we are get advised to meet with his friend who also holds responsibility in the case of microfinance. Thankfully, the answer that we got from him was very satisfactory, considering that previously we did not plan to meet and speak with him. He also provides accurate data about the loan at the bank. He is only pointed, in accordance with Bank BRI's commitment to helping financial access for the citizens of Indonesia, Bank BRI did their best to improve their services to the people of Indonesia. When I mentioned about the perceived level of interest rates are too high for farmers, he said, he personally wanted to give the interest rate as lower as possible to the farmers, but of course all of that there are rules. There are terms and conditions apply and are determined only by the person who has a higher position on it. If he violates these rules, he might be fired from his post today, he laughed. But I know he’s not joking.

The next we will meet that day is Bank BNI. This is the last bank we would visit that day. Of course, all the meetings that we attended that day had been arranged in such a way before our visit to upcountry by Ms. Marlyn (we thanked for her helps). We do not want to spend our time is wasted on upcountry simply to just arrange an appointment. All we have prepared before we left for the Palopo. Here we stayed with our plan and meet with people who wanted us to meet.

Because the time span between the meeting at Bank BNI and Bank BRI long enough, so we decided to wait in the car alone while waiting for the arrival time of the meeting. But, anyway, there are problems again with this meeting. In fact, this time worse than before. People who should we meet at Bank BNI was not in place. After investigation, it turns out he was given the task to check the BNI bank branches in other places outside the city. We were unhappy with this, as the meeting was scheduled in advance. People who should we meet go somewhere and we did not know until when he left and he left an appointment with us and he knows that we would come but did not tell anything about the meeting appointment with his secretary (or people at the office). It is disrespectful, according to Jesse, when you've made plans to meet with someone (whether it's for business meetings, meeting agenda, or just chat) and you do not show up, and you should keep these appointments or give notice of cancellation. I told Jesse that we're Indonesian who have higher position inclined to ignore the Indonesian people who have lower position below them because they assume that people lower this position who have an interest to them, so they should be patient if you can not meet with that person. According to Jesse, no matter who you will meet with, the president, governor, regent, mayor, clerk, janitors, or even the office boy once, you HAVE to keep that promise. If indeed if you can not attend the meeting, then you should inform the person who will you meet that you can not be met, apologize, and reset the meeting if possible. Rather than just go without any notice at all. It unacceptable.

Actually I felt completely wrong about this situation. On the one hand, I was Indonesian, I could not help feeling shamed with the manager behavior. But on the other hand I also realize that we come here not the purpose of playing games. We come with all the preparations that we prepared to meet with him, get the data, and trying to help farmers to improve their living standard.

This contrast is one of the things I find so interesting about Indonesia.  Of course, rural/urban contrasts, albeit with different landscapes, can be observed in the U.S., but Indonesia is quite different in so many aspects.  Beyond the contrasts between village farms and inner cities, the myriad of ethnic groups and local customs is hugely diverse.  Indonesia consists of hundreds of ethnic groups, all with different traditions, art, and culture, and while Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, it is a second language for most.  One can easily drive 20 miles and arrive in a location where people speak a completely different language than the town up the road. Depending on location, Muslim, Christian, or Hindu prevails, and everywhere western influence intermingles with centuries-old tradition.   

Another contrast is between the rich and the poor.  Indonesia is not one the world’s poorer countries.  In fact, as the fourth most populated country in the world and a G20 member, it is a serious player in the global economy.  Regardless, one characteristic of the developing world – whether the world’s least developed country or a rapidly emerging nation such as Indonesia, is that a strong middle class remains a work in progress.

My evening run provides an example.  As I head to the shoreline, street vendors with makeshift stalls lean against the walls of luxury hotels; bicycle taxis drivers in tattered clothes greet me as luxurious sport-utes weave around them; high rise office complexes shadow over cramped, tin roofed dwellings.  As I continue I cross a footbridge to a peninsula that’s simply beautiful.  I am treated to an ocean sunset view like no other, passing couples on motorbikes and women selling fried bananas on the shorelines.  Along the way I see quickly assembled shelters made from sticks and plastic bags before encountering Trans Studio, nothing less than the world’s largest indoor theme park.  From speaking to locals, Makassar has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years, but it is apparent this economic boom is not reaching everyone.  My hope is that as wealth and prosperity continues to grow, the gap between the haves and have-nots will narrow.

Before leaving for this trip, I had dinner with a few classmates from Indonesia.  They are from Java and have not been to Sulawesi.  They told me each Island is like a different country, and I would know more about Sulawesi than they do after just a few weeks.  I find this fascinating.  Because of this diversity – rural vs. urban, modern vs. traditional, rich vs. poor – and one’s level of exposure to the hundreds of different ethnic groups and backgrounds – it is apparent anyone who visits this country will leave with a different story and perspective.  

A  vendor sells grilled bananas in the shadow of a luxury hotel

This simple shelter is a stone's throw from a modern indoor theme park