Smokin' Sumatra!

Patriotic Smokers

Most of the conversations in Sumatra followed a set pattern. With usual greetings accompanying a beaming smile, an eager looking Indonesian queries, "What's your name, Mr.?". Without waiting for an answer his hands move around his pockets and picking the most valued possession - a packet of Cigarettes. He offers, "Cigarette, Mr.?" Upon receiving a negative response, either his eyes bewilder with an excitement spotting an alien (and probably thinking),"How can a man be a man without smoking". Else, you gain a rarely respectable nod, "Wow!!! how the hell you resist such a divine pleasure." Most of the advertisement billboards on the roads also address tobacco lovers, either enticing the new pack or pleasing the veterans. Given this penetration of tobacco in an around, it is not surprising and indeed heart breaking and absolutely shocking to spot about 10 years old kids smoking their adolescence with every inhaled puff on a scenic beach or equally scenic lush green landscapes.

I could not stop but to rake the topic during the chat with Joe - a paragliding enthusiast, with whom I could strike long conversations on my way to Bukittingi from Padang. He offered a rather cynical argument,"Guru, one has to understand smoking in Indonesia is a mandatory national cause for every Indonesian man. This is how men demonstrate patriotism in Indonesia." I did not get his point immediately and naively asked,"Smoking demonstrating patriotism. How?" And  the logic he presented can be extended to all the smokers and alcoholics the world over. He argued,"Cigarettes attract most tax and contribute the most to the national exchequer* and more the Indonesian men smoke, more they contribute to the national exchequer and towards the economic growth of the country." So to all the smokers in the world: Keep smoking your lungs out, keep contributing to the patriotic national cause but please, please do something to keep those adolescent kids out of the dirt. Any ideas? Meanwhile, a few screenshots...

Lush Green Sumatra Landscape

Lush Green Sumatra Landscape

Canyon in Bukittingi-Indonesia

Islands close to Armanis beach - Padang-Indonesia  

Paragliding: A classy adventure

Thanks for the surfing goof-up on the 2nd day morning, I had a chance to spend the entire day with the gliding enthusiasts in Indonesia. I have already been sold on being a gliding pilot after a single gliding session with Peter, thanks to Tomas and NBH. This one was the more adventurous of the two. In glider plane, you are inside a gliding plane feeling at home while in paragliding you are out in the open sitting on your harness. The take off and landing are very crucial and in between it looks like driving a car where the fuel (Thermal heat from the atmosphere) is not in your control making it more tricky. Nevertheless, with a proper precaution, it is certainly an enjoyable sport providing many more entertaining views. Waiting for my turn, I had an enjoyable time playing out with my lens taking a few gliding shots... 

Joe- paragliding enthusiast; Unfortunately, his  glider could not take off on the day

A long zoom shot -  Paraglider enjoying his ride

Landing on the Armanis beach

I climbed the hill twice desperately waiting for my turn and the weather spoiled the party every time forcing me to live on one thing, Hope. Unfortunately, the nature was unkind yet again when I traveled to Bukittingi for climbing Mt. Merapi. The active mountain was erupting and it was forbidden to hike. But then, there is always next time, a new day and a new opportunity. Hope is a good thing, good things do not die!!!    

Finally, Minangkabau architecture - a unique view in Smoking Sumatra!!!

Minangkabau architecture - the big house roof structure

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* For those interested in Economics of smoking: Although the detrimental effects of smoking are well-known, the world over it has never been banned by governments. For One, smoking does contribute a great deal to the exchequer and secondly, with larger life expectancy today, it saves governments a lot of investments in old age homes as most smokers get smoked out sooner than later.