…he walked along the muddy trail, the leaden sky muffling the sound of his steps, the low yellow sunlight contouring the cocoa trees, and in the distance, the green continuous forest canopy. Two hornbills passed slowly above him, like him directed to the forest. As the path started heading down toward the river, he saw the tree-house of the elephant watch. Since the last herd raided the plantations, injuring a man and killing two goats (and destroying a whole harvest), they had set up a continuous warning system. Every now and then, thundering detonations shook the suspended air. As he walked by, the sentinel slowly raised one hand in a solemn and silent farewell. He wondered whether the explosions were meant to scare potential elephants, or actual ones. Of course, asking would be out of the question, ruining the stillness of the moment, and the depth of the man to man interaction.. As a light and quiet rain started to fall, he reached the flooded river…
Monday, December 22, 2008
…he walked along the muddy trail, the leaden sky muffling the sound of his steps, the low yellow sunlight contouring the cocoa trees, and in the distance, the green continuous forest canopy. Two hornbills passed slowly above him, like him directed to the forest. As the path started heading down toward the river, he saw the tree-house of the elephant watch. Since the last herd raided the plantations, injuring a man and killing two goats (and destroying a whole harvest), they had set up a continuous warning system. Every now and then, thundering detonations shook the suspended air. As he walked by, the sentinel slowly raised one hand in a solemn and silent farewell. He wondered whether the explosions were meant to scare potential elephants, or actual ones. Of course, asking would be out of the question, ruining the stillness of the moment, and the depth of the man to man interaction.. As a light and quiet rain started to fall, he reached the flooded river…
Road to the Forest
The goal of this popular game is for the Player to reach the entrance of the forest, in Way Heni, from the nearest sizeable town, Kota Agung (where WCS and National Park offices are). The Player drives a Yellow Motorbike (for example), eight years old, with slick tires, dead shocks, poor brakes and poorer lights. The Track can be divided into three stages, called ‘the Urban’, ‘the Mountain’ and ‘the Jungle’. Each level has its characteristic set of challenges, increasing in difficulty, and can be accessed only after surviving the preceding ones. Here follows a description of the most common obstacles you are likely to encounter.
Stage 1 - The Urban
- The Crouching People: they squat on the side of the Road, wearing dark clothes and slowly edging deeper into the road as the night falls.
- The Chicken: the Chicken waits on the side of the Road for a fast moving wheel to charge at. It is unclear what are the cues that stimulate the daredevil attacks. Among young Chicken, it might represent an Act of Reckless Youth, or perhaps a Rite of Passage.
- The Dog: the Dog behaves like common dogs, mostly trying to avoid being run over, but at times yielding to its sudden suicidal urges. It can often be found resting in the middle of the Road.
- The Goat: similar to the Dog, with much more pronounced suicidal drive, and erratic and unpredictable motion pattern. Moves in small groups.
- The Intersection: beware of them, as any sort of vehicle or animal might come out of it, at varying speed, but invariably and persuasively claiming right of way. Remember that in this Game, the Player has no precedence.
- The Police: the Police are an unpredictable force, sometimes behaving exceedingly politely and only causing a loss of Time, while other times it could automatically escalate into Corrupted-Pain-in-the-Ass. This costs the Player both Time and Money, and might in some cases also suck it into the Bureaucrazy Vortex.
Stage 2 - The Mountain
- The Mudslide: the Mudslide blocks the whole Road, for an undetermined amount of Time. If the Player happens to be there when it happens, it will be swept off the mountain, automatically losing a life.
- The Flood: it can turn the Road into a single raging river, or it can dig multiple, intersecting, deeply cut rivulets.
- The Ocean of Gravel: a half-meter deep layer of sharp, medium-sized, dark grey gravel, which makes the going treacherous and wearisome. Its effects can be compounded by those of the Flood, Mudslide and Precipitous Freefall.
- The Precipitous Freefall: when driving along endlessly snaking roads up a mountain, most people might at some time have wondered why don’t they just make a straight, very steep path direct to the top. The reason is the Precipitous Fall. Going up, a powerful engine and well tuned-up bike is required. Going down, fine balance and a good relationship with Gravity are necessary. Especially when simultaneously facing one of the previous three items.
- The Bite-Off-the-Road: closely related to the Mudslide. The difference is that instead of adding material to the road, it removes it. The problem it creates is a chasm where you expected solid substrate. Particularly intriguing when occurring behind a Blind Curve. Piles of dead vehicles can be seen at the bottom of the abyss. It also makes you reconsider the name of the previous item (if that is a Freefall, what the hell would THIS be?).
- The Ballerina-Truck: the combination of Precipitous Freefall with Ocean of Gravel, Flood or Mudslide can produce the dreaded Ballerina-Truck. Normal road-leviathans lose grip on the road surface, hesitate for a nerve-racking moment, and slowly gain momentum usually heading in the worst possible direction for all parties involved.
- the Happy Motorcycle Breakdown
Stage 3 - The Jungle
- The Fallen Tree: Tree trunks of varying diameter may be delicately laid or chaotically splayed over the Road.
- The Overextended Python: similar to the Fallen Tree, but being made of animal instead of vegetable matter. As a consequence, the Overextended Python can move, albeit slowly. It can also be moved, being lighter than most Fallen Trees, but it can react unsociably to removal attempts.
- The Hanging Rattan: Rattan produce extremely strong, thin leaf blades adorned with hundreds little hard hooks. Originally meant to aid the plant in its rise to the light and warmth of the sun-blessed canopy heights, this device is also very efficient in ripping off clothes, bags or skin. Its thinness makes it hard to detect in time to avoid it. High speed enhances its damaging effects.
- The Invisible Pothole: its size and depth can vary from a mere shallow Jagged Depression to a Bottomless Pit. The mottled pattern created by the tree shades effectively conceals them, until it is too late. One would think that it is possible to memorize their location and avoid them in future runs, but of course new ones are added at each new run. More rarely, old ones are repaired.
- The Predictable Out-of-Gas: like in any old fashioned games, the Player must keep an eye on the fuel gauge. Running out of gas in the forest can be tricky and result in considerable loss of Time. It is probably helpful to have a motorbike provided with a Functioning Fuel Indicator.
End of the game: if you have successfully completed the three stages, congratulations. You made it to the entrance to the forest. Of course, before entering, you must defeat the Level Guardian, which in this case is the Flash Flooding Pemerihan River. If you safely cross it, you will be given a password. You will be able to use this password in the highly praised sequel to “Road to the Forest”, “Into the Forest”.
Stage 1 - The Urban
- The Crouching People: they squat on the side of the Road, wearing dark clothes and slowly edging deeper into the road as the night falls.
- The Chicken: the Chicken waits on the side of the Road for a fast moving wheel to charge at. It is unclear what are the cues that stimulate the daredevil attacks. Among young Chicken, it might represent an Act of Reckless Youth, or perhaps a Rite of Passage.
- The Dog: the Dog behaves like common dogs, mostly trying to avoid being run over, but at times yielding to its sudden suicidal urges. It can often be found resting in the middle of the Road.
- The Goat: similar to the Dog, with much more pronounced suicidal drive, and erratic and unpredictable motion pattern. Moves in small groups.
- The Intersection: beware of them, as any sort of vehicle or animal might come out of it, at varying speed, but invariably and persuasively claiming right of way. Remember that in this Game, the Player has no precedence.
- The Police: the Police are an unpredictable force, sometimes behaving exceedingly politely and only causing a loss of Time, while other times it could automatically escalate into Corrupted-Pain-in-the-Ass. This costs the Player both Time and Money, and might in some cases also suck it into the Bureaucrazy Vortex.
Stage 2 - The Mountain
- The Mudslide: the Mudslide blocks the whole Road, for an undetermined amount of Time. If the Player happens to be there when it happens, it will be swept off the mountain, automatically losing a life.
- The Flood: it can turn the Road into a single raging river, or it can dig multiple, intersecting, deeply cut rivulets.
- The Ocean of Gravel: a half-meter deep layer of sharp, medium-sized, dark grey gravel, which makes the going treacherous and wearisome. Its effects can be compounded by those of the Flood, Mudslide and Precipitous Freefall.
- The Precipitous Freefall: when driving along endlessly snaking roads up a mountain, most people might at some time have wondered why don’t they just make a straight, very steep path direct to the top. The reason is the Precipitous Fall. Going up, a powerful engine and well tuned-up bike is required. Going down, fine balance and a good relationship with Gravity are necessary. Especially when simultaneously facing one of the previous three items.
- The Bite-Off-the-Road: closely related to the Mudslide. The difference is that instead of adding material to the road, it removes it. The problem it creates is a chasm where you expected solid substrate. Particularly intriguing when occurring behind a Blind Curve. Piles of dead vehicles can be seen at the bottom of the abyss. It also makes you reconsider the name of the previous item (if that is a Freefall, what the hell would THIS be?).
- The Ballerina-Truck: the combination of Precipitous Freefall with Ocean of Gravel, Flood or Mudslide can produce the dreaded Ballerina-Truck. Normal road-leviathans lose grip on the road surface, hesitate for a nerve-racking moment, and slowly gain momentum usually heading in the worst possible direction for all parties involved.
- the Happy Motorcycle Breakdown
Stage 3 - The Jungle
- The Fallen Tree: Tree trunks of varying diameter may be delicately laid or chaotically splayed over the Road.
- The Overextended Python: similar to the Fallen Tree, but being made of animal instead of vegetable matter. As a consequence, the Overextended Python can move, albeit slowly. It can also be moved, being lighter than most Fallen Trees, but it can react unsociably to removal attempts.
- The Hanging Rattan: Rattan produce extremely strong, thin leaf blades adorned with hundreds little hard hooks. Originally meant to aid the plant in its rise to the light and warmth of the sun-blessed canopy heights, this device is also very efficient in ripping off clothes, bags or skin. Its thinness makes it hard to detect in time to avoid it. High speed enhances its damaging effects.
- The Invisible Pothole: its size and depth can vary from a mere shallow Jagged Depression to a Bottomless Pit. The mottled pattern created by the tree shades effectively conceals them, until it is too late. One would think that it is possible to memorize their location and avoid them in future runs, but of course new ones are added at each new run. More rarely, old ones are repaired.
- The Predictable Out-of-Gas: like in any old fashioned games, the Player must keep an eye on the fuel gauge. Running out of gas in the forest can be tricky and result in considerable loss of Time. It is probably helpful to have a motorbike provided with a Functioning Fuel Indicator.
End of the game: if you have successfully completed the three stages, congratulations. You made it to the entrance to the forest. Of course, before entering, you must defeat the Level Guardian, which in this case is the Flash Flooding Pemerihan River. If you safely cross it, you will be given a password. You will be able to use this password in the highly praised sequel to “Road to the Forest”, “Into the Forest”.
Monday, December 8, 2008
On mental sanity
My friend Yashar came visiting, and told me that I look dangerously close to a nervous break down. I do feel a bit under pressure and frustrated, so I stopped and took a look at myself. Here are some behaviors/feelings I experienced lately, that might be interpreted as “warning signs”:
- Rage: never before have I had to consciously calm myself down (well, once..) to avoid snapping, and for silly things (but they add up..).
- Lack of sleep and proper food: they surely exact a toll..
- I don’t take pictures anymore.
- Soap doesn’t wash away from my skin. Particularly the hands, so I thought it could be the chemicals I use, but no. I won’t mention the crazy hypotheses I have about it.
- I think rats hate me.
- I spend more and more time trying to ‘escape’: I want to watch movies (even pretty bad ones), and I keep daydreaming. Worryingly, some of these dreams involve my just and liberal (but firm) ruling of the world.
- A related point, I suspect I can control rain.
- But I am absolutely sure I am not able to fly.
- (I tried)
- (Kidding..)
Anyway, it is comforting to feel that I can go insane without losing lucidity..
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sad news 2: Ahmad and the river
Ahmad was the vet that followed the research on small cats. A well-educated, quiet and serious guy with a nice smile. He disappointed me with his examination of the ratufa squirrel. After working for several weeks he finally took some days off, and decided to go out. It has now been heavy raining for several weeks and all rivers are flooded. I had to “rescue” people that were stranded on the other side of the river from camp (we have a truck inner tube we use as a boat). When Ahmad got to the last (large) river to cross, something happened, probably his feet got trapped in the mud at the bottom, he couldn’t overcome the current, went down and was swept away. Opo, the station manager, had crossed before him, found it hard to swim across, but had made it, and asked him if he felt he could do it. He was ready to hand him a long branch to help. He jumped back when he saw him struggling, but by the time he reached the backpack to which Ahmad was clinging, he was gone. He searched around, people came from the station, bringing the inner tube to explore downriver. Next day we all went to help, painful dynamics with search & rescue teams, incredulity, profound shock, sadness. They found the body 400m downriver, trapped under a log.
Cats
I have seen another clouded leopard. It was regal, lying on a low branch waiting for a prey to walk under it along the trail. As it often happened to me before, I “somehow” perceived its presence (not sure if it is some instinctive warning system). Very large. I pretended not to have seen it, turned around and quickly got my camera out, but when I turned again (5 seconds later) it had vanished, like a ghost, not a sound, not a trace (apart from claw marks on a trunk). Frustrated, I kept searching for my siamangs, then decided to wait under a feeding tree they often went to. As I sat there carving my new project (a hornbill), I looked around and saw another cat, peacefully resting 12m from me! We spent about a whole hour sitting like that, respecting and appreciating each other, then he stood up, looked around and left walking beside me. I now know that it was a marbled cat, an extremely rare cat of which virtually nothing is known. Apparently only another researcher has ever had a comparable experience (after spending days on a hideout, and then scare the cat away with the shutter noise of the first shot). It was a memorable experience, something that can in an instant erase tons of frustrations and bad moments of this period.
Few weeks later, two students from Massachusetts came to study small cats (all felids except from tigers), and there it was the dilemma: they are nice people (and fellow researchers) and I wanted to help them, but at the same time I really didn’t like the idea of them trapping and sedating the animals that honored me with such great sightings..
Sad news 1: Polly the ratufa
Ratufa is the scientific name of the giant squirrel, a rather beautiful, colorful, cat-sized squirrel with a bushy tail longer than the body. During a thunderstorm Alice (the other researcher in here) found a baby ratufa on the ground, probably fallen from her nest. She had still closed eyes and was screaming for help, and she took her home. In the next 2 days we took her where she was found, hoping her mother could take her back. After unsuccessfully trying to find her mother, we decided to adopt her. Finding some food that could suit her was harder than I expected: milk was categorically rejected, egg yolk was even worse. Water with cane sugar was accepted but not a viable long-term solution. Grated apple mixed with ground peanuts was found to be the optimal meal (thanks to the “expert” friends who provided advice through instant messages). She loved it though at first was not particularly skilled in eating it. And here I could go on with a hundred stories on peculiar behaviors that she did, so lovely, so special, just as a stereotypical proud and boring parent. I will restrain myself to just a few: she stood on my shoulder when traveling, on the head if walking fast, and inside my hair bun if raining; she responded to my “calls”, climbing frantically all the way to my mouth and stood there, concentrated, “duetting”; she would curl into a ball to sleep (my hand the favorite spot by far), and be completely trusting (I could then walk around without disturbing her sleep). But this is a very sad story: we left for 3 days, and when we came back she had lost weight, didn’t want to eat, spent most of the time sleeping and being inactive, and in two days rapidly faded. A vet that was following a study on small cats was no help, disappointingly. It particularly hit me because when I try to do something I really want it to succeed, and I really tried hard to raise her, and had become very, very attached to her.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
New baby (siamang)
Aming, very successful female, gave birth to a healthy baby. To know if it is a male or female we'll have to wait about another year. It is difficult to take good shots because when they are so young (here it is about a week old), mothers keep their legs bent for fear of them letting go and falling.
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