Nias and a New Camera

With the start of our new water infrastructure project, I was able to travel to Nias Island, which has one of the best surfing breaks worldwide. In the evenings, while the chicken was being plucked, cooked, and served, we sat by the beach and watched the surfers sail through 8 ft. waves with our Bintang’s in hand. With the island’s Indian Ocean location, which is an hour’s flight from the mainland, the Indonesian government has historically neglected Nias. No doubt their Christian religion, fierce independence, and suspicion of outsiders has also contributed to their underdevelopment.

In Nias, a must see tourist attraction is stone jumping. For the jumping, adolescent boys propel themselves over two meter high stones. This feat is a coming of age test to prove manhood before marriage.

Unfortunately, at the Nias Airport, I misplaced my camera or was pick pocketed. Either way, I was forced to purchase a new camera from one of Medan’s glitzy malls. Shopping is sport, entertainment and leisure for Medan residents. At the Medan Fair Plaza, I encountered Bonus Bonus (plural of bonus), when I bought my new Kodak. To reward my purchase, I was given a free memory card, camera case, travel bag, Tupper ware set, coffee mug, and a twenty-dollar voucher for future purchases. This craziness may even make a miser like me enjoy the shopping experience.