Chany Chea's blog

It's hard to put into my recent experiences into words, I have relaxed in Karimunjawa, enjoyed cool weather in Dieng and witnessed 1000 lanterns float into the sky on Waisak day to celebrate the birth, life and death of Buddha. Here are some photo's which I hope will show the beauty and diversity of Indonesia.

Karimunjawa

It's mid-semester and I've just finished midterm exams! Time has flown by, and I am still learning, and experiencing new things every day and enjoying every minute of it. There are days when the heat and the occasional bumps in the road get to me but all of it is just a part of living in a foreign country. I'd have to say that I feel either confused or embarrassed by some sort of miscommunication just about every day and I think at this point it's best to do as the Indonesian's do, laugh and smile!

A few weeks ago after dinner one night a few friends and I ventured to Alun Alun Kidul also called the "South Square" which lies in behind the Sultan's palace. Food and drink sellers line the exterior of the square. Parked on the sides of the street are dozens of carts and tandem bikes adorned with glowing lights for visitors to peddle along the road that encircles the main attraction.

Last weekend's adventure began with a warning: don't wear green to the beach. This piece of advice stems from the myth surrounding Nyai Loro Kidul. Now it may sound silly to the western ear but folklore and mythology in Indonesia and especially Yogyakarta is for the most part considered truth. And there is evidence to prove it!

First of all, I apologize for my long overdue post! I have had both a lack of internet and lack of time. Internet was just installed in my kos so blogging should be a lot easier from now on.

Hello again!

It's hard to believe that it has been a year since I've returned from my internship in the Philippines. Since then I have been working hard, taking classes full time and working off-campus and at CAPI part-time. Things have come full circle and after a year of preparation and what seemed like "passing" time, I am off again on new adventures, this time to Indonesia.

It has been awhile since I have posted! I've been back in Canada for about three months now and I have found myself constantly looking back fondly on the time I spent in the Philippines. I think I had mentioned in an earlier post that I would put up the final copy of the research project that past interns and I have contributed to: Bilateral Labor Agreements and Social Security Agreements. I had decided to check out CMA's website today and discovered a PDF version was posted online so here it is!

During the first half of my internship I did an introductory study on free trade agreements (FTAs) in the Philippines, particularly concerning GATS mode 4 which commodifies labor for trade under the name of "the movement of natural persons," for CMA. Last month I had the opportunity to sit with the Philippine Network on EU-ASEAN FTAs and attend a meeting at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines to discuss the impact of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) on different sectors, such as environment, migration, and indigenous peoples, as well as a potential FTA with the EU.

Hey everyone,

Here's the book cover that I created for a booklet that a couple of other CAPI interns and I have contributed to. We are having a book launch at the end of November. I'll make sure to bring a copy back to Canada and maybe post a link to a downloadable pdf when it comes available!

Here is a document that I wrote for co-op. It's just a tidbit of what I have been working on during my time here in the Philippines, it outlines the importance of a gender sensitive approach and the issues of empowerment and disempowerment.