After months of denial, my friend Nicole finally agreed to let me take some photos of her. Well actually, it was black mail. She needed a couple quick head shots, so I agreed. After taking a few I said, “you won’t be getting these until I can do an actual photo shoot with you.” My line was followed by a smile induced by realization. She had been tricked and she knew it. Too make it easy I set up in her living room. I moved the furniture around including the glass coffee table so I could get that nice little reflection. Sorry fellas but she is taken, so don’t ask.
Jaime Vedres:
I love how a studio isn't required. Make a living room your studio.
Love the lighting, nice warm tones, and reflection on the second shot. (09.29.2009 12:22pm)
Aaron:
Great job Cale.
I need to come to LA for a photo shoot to feed your bug. (09.29.2009 12:25pm)
Michelle:
why havent we done anything jerk? I dont even have a picture of you and i. (09.29.2009 12:25pm)
cale:MICHELLE - I have no idea. We talk about it all the time, but never do it. It is funny once I think about it. (09.29.2009 12:27pm)
cale:Jaime - Yeah that's what I enjoy doing man. Utilizing everyday places is something people don't take advantage of enough. This was my first attempt at some cross processing. Adding more greens and reds to warm it up, but was careful about overdoing it. (09.29.2009 12:30pm)
Michelle:
Well lets get it done before you up and leave me. We've talked about it before we had even met. (09.29.2009 01:23pm)
Misty:
She is freaking beautiful, I bet you were stoked to take some photos of her! These are really good... and that reflection reminds me of those old TSS photos you took! (I remember really really random things.)
Great job as always! (09.29.2009 04:03pm)
stikman:
She looks like Megan Fox in the first pic, most people will say that is a good thing.
NICE WORK
craig
www.craigglaspell.com (09.29.2009 04:27pm)
LAUREN:
THAT'S MY SEESTEERRRR!! :) she's retarted. Cale, she text me freaking out. OMG he put pics on his website! it's crazy she can't recognize how beautiful she is...(P.S. your photography skills are beautiful too ;p ha ha) (09.30.2009 11:58pm)
Nick D.:
I'm loving that second pic. (10.01.2009 01:06pm)
cale:Craig - Hahaha yeah I think that she might take that as a compliment. Maybe!
Glad you like em man. (10.05.2009 10:05pm)
cale:Lauren - Thank you very much. Yeah your sister is a bit nuts. (10.05.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Nick - Thanks a lot man. I cheated the table so you could see more reflection. (10.05.2009 10:06pm)
We finally left Atabai in route to Madobag before heading to Rorogot. Knowing we had that dreadful hike back over the mountain, we made sure we got to bed early. We were all sad to leave Atabai. Ta Jia Jia had the most beautiful and happy children. You couldn’t look at his kids without your lips stretching from ear to ear. The children’s eyes would light up and they would give a big shy smile back. Silio, Sea Mong and Pet Pet will be greatly missed. Especially little Silio. Most adorable little girl ever. During the trek back, we had two extra porters to carry our bags. Joey and I were given the luxury of not lugging packs, while Will wasn’t so fortunate. I was surprised how quickly we made it back over the mountain. We actually made it to the top in 30 minutes, instead of 2 hours before. At the top, Will was pretty much dead from carrying his pack. I offered my assistance several times before Will finally released his grip. I ended up carrying it the rest of the hike, which we made in 2 hours, instead of 4 hour previously. When we got to the village we stopped at a stream along the way and cooled down. I got the chills and immediately felt sick after I submerged in the cold water. I knew I had heat exhaustion. Lack of sleep, food, and the heat were just the elements to force my body into submission. Carrying that bag the rest of the trek was my bodies final straw. The goosebumps began to rise as quickly as my body temperature. When we got back to Gejeng’s uma, Ricky sent kids to get fresh water. Drinking unboiled water, even though it wasn’t cold, for the first time in over a week was so refreshing. At dinner time I forced myself to eat although it was the last thing my stomach was telling me to do. I was up all night with cold sweats, the chills, severe stomach cramps, and making several trips into the jungle. My body was so tired and weak, I could barely walk out into the forest to use the bathroom. The next day we were all very worn out and instead of making a 3 hour trek to Rorogot we decided to take pong pong boats down river 2 hours and then make a 30 minute trek. The boat ride was much easier on my stomach, however the pain was still there. It didn’t help being baked the entire time by the suns relentless power. When compared to the other options of getting to Rorogot, the obvious choice was clear, and I definitely wasn’t complaining.
Sea Mong works harder than a lot of people I know.
We arrived in Rorogot to stay with an old Sikere Shaman named Saromut. From looking at him, you would estimate his age somewhere in the 90’s. Brings up another interesting fact of the Mentawai. Their cluelessness of time. Not a single person we met knew their age. One of many things I couldn’t wrap my head around until I started living like they do. I had my phone with a calendar and all my days still got completely mixed together. Coming from California, I go from a completely busy schedule where there seems to be 10 hours in the day. In Siberut we were always busy, but the days never seemed to end. If I didn’t have my phone with me, I would’ve had no idea how long we were there, let alone when we were supposed to leave. Anyways, we were told Saromut’s uma is the biggest in all of Siberut. After seeing his place, it was definitely believable. I guess it would have to be massive, when you are housing around 30 of your family members. I laid down immediately immediately after arriving. The Shaman became worried and asked our guide Ricky what was wrong. He told them I was having stomach problems so Lala went out to the forest and came back with medicine. He mixed all these herbal plants with some liquid and crushed it up. Since Lala and Toikoik are Shaman, they wanted to perform a healing ritual to rid the evil spirit making me sick. By this time my stomach pain was just excruciating . I was feeling all kinds of aches and pains I have never felt before. There was a vigilante parasite driving through my insides on an organ bashing rampage. Not a single place in my stomach was safe from this baseball bat wielding rebel. The Shaman shook bells and leaves all over my body, and then made me take a small drink of the medicine. Toikoik dipped his hand in the medicine bowl and rubbed my face, stomach, legs, and back. It was a very interesting experience for me, but I just wanted to feel better, regardless how it was done. The rest of the day I just laid down while the Shaman continuously checked on me. It was very warming to see them show that compassion.
He rubbed down my arms, legs, back, chest, and stomach. (Joey L Photo)
The next morning I woke up to a strong earthquake. I was feeling much better than the day before. I could still feel the bug, but it was running out of gas. After breakfast, I went back to bed for a little while before we headed to their durian trees. While filming an interview with Joey, we experienced an earthquake. A durian tree is the last thing you want to be under when everything is shaking. The tree bears a football sized spiked fruit which when ripe, plummets to the ground. Durian trees are also extremely tall so the fruit can be fatal if it hits you in the head. There have actually been cases, believe it or not, where people have been killed by the falling fruit. We looked up immediately to look for the falling death fruit. We headed to another Durian tree so Joey could photograph Saromut. The Durian tree had the hand print of his dead son. The mentawai carve the hand prints or footprints of deceased loved ones on Durian trees. Whenever they go to get fruit, they pay their respects. They also plant small trees and plants around the base hiding the carvings. They believe if an enemy comes to the tree and takes something from it and then comes to the owner’s uma, then his enemy will die. Pretty interesting taboo I would say. While Joey took photographs, Saromut became very disturbed, claiming he saw a spirit. We were forced to leave immediately.
Screen capture from video. Carved handprint of Saromut’s deceased son.
The next couple of days I filmed a lot of interviews with the tribesmen. Tarason is the smallest and the best story teller. He also knows several “magic tricks.” There was a very suspenseful moment interviewing him when we experienced a big earthquake. In the video you can see the land ripple as a kid grasps on to a post in fear. You can also see tribe members exit the front of the uma. Toikoik seems to be the most serious of the Shaman. After interviewing him, he came over and put his arm around me. He said in broken English, “You leave, I cry.” It was shocking as well as saddening to hear him say that. Lala is definitely the character of the group. He definitely shows the most passion when he speaks. During his interview, when asked, “If you could say something to the world, what would it be?” His answer in Mentawai was very passionate and strong. You’d think he was saying something deep and meaningful. Then we got the English translation. He said, “The people of the world need to come to Siberut now and see me, Lala, because I won’t be alive forever.” We all bursted into laughter, including Lala. The interviews have really enlightened me on several things. All of the tribes people we interviewed had pretty much similar answers to our questions. Something I found interesting when asked, “Are you going to raise your kids the traditional Mentawai way?” They all would say in similar fashion, “It is up to my children to decide. If they want to wear clothes, thats ok. If they don’t want to sharpen their teeth and get tattoos, that is ok.” etc…. I found this astonishing considering the very disciplined parenting and radical way of living. I thought for sure they would raise the children in their footsteps, to keep their traditional way of life going, but they believe in giving them the choice. I feel this is one of the greatest forms of love. It was eye opening to say the least. Some of the children want to live the traditional lifestyle, but some of the kids have been to the government villages and want the lifestyle they offer, thinking the government is really helping them. Several of the tribesmen said in interviews that they believe this will be the last generation of the Sikere. They said they only knew of a couple kids wanting to be Sikere Shaman. That being said, made me feel more lucky to witness the Ulia Sibau. I didn’t want to believe their tribe was dissolving so fast but one event I witnessed reinforced their predictions. We were in Matobag, the government village Gejeng lives in, and Ta Jia Jia had come with us to get some water. I couldn’t help but notice how much even he stood out there. He looked like he was from a different country, yet the hundreds of people in that village were all MENTAWAI. It was crazy to see how much they differed due to the government stepping in. Ta Jia Jia in his traditional wear in a Mentawai village that dressed like Joey, Will, and I. They play soccer & volleyball, have paved walkways, have some scooters, have access to assorted mainland foods, and soda. It was hard to believe they were the same tribe as Ta Jia Jia and the other Shaman.
It is interesting that, while there were so many women in the villages, we rarely hung out it with them. The women would mostly hang in the back of the uma, while the men would stay in the front. We asked why, assuming the women were less respected like in some cultures. Their answer was much simpler than that. “Women talk about women things, and us men talk about men things.” So basically it’s just like we do here in the states. Girls hang with their girlfriends, and guys with their buddies! We all had a good laugh. The women are very strong as well and start working at a very young age. I saw little girls with big machetes chopping wood and cooking food. The women fish, make sago, keep the uma’s very clean, help feed livestock, and upkeep whatever crops they have growing. The women and men share most of the same responsibilities. The only main difference is the men would hunt, and the women would fish. The Shaman men would perform all the rituals, while the women never took part in a single ritual. Will, who has become just a Rambo killing SOB, killed a dog for us to eat. I’ve lost count of the animals killed at his unmerciful hand to feed us. (Quick side not, Will tricked me into playing a game he knew I would lose. Now I owe him a completely separate blog post, just for him. Sneaky guy that Will.) My stomach was still thrown for a loop so I didn’t want to eat anything else foreign to my stomach. I couldn’t resist at least trying dog for the first time! It’s freaking DOG! Come on! I can honestly say it was the best food I had on the island. It tasted most similar to a seasoned steak. It was incredibly and surprisingly more delicious than chicken and pork. Since I have been home, every dog I see is a potential meal ; ) Sorry PETA. I was trying to become friends with my stomach again, so I refused eating more dog. The food here has just gotten to on last nerve. I am very grateful to be fed daily, but rapidly changing my diet and eating the same breakfast (some form of pancake with condensed milk for syrup), lunch (rice and noodles), and dinner (rice, noodles, and occasionally chicken, pig, and a dog.) Once I went with Pet Pet into the jungle and she cut down some sugarcane for us to eat. It was so delicious. We snacked on Sago all day, which is their main source of food. They cut down these big Sago trees, ground them into a flowery substance, sprinkle them into banana leaves, wrap them up, and roast them over a fire. The result is a “shelled breadstick.” You peel the cover, and eat the middle. It is exactly like a breadstick but harder to chew and less tasteful. Sometimes they mix them with coconut, or dip them in sugar. We brought sugar from Padang, and the Sikere LOVE sugar. I couldn’t even imagine eating Sago 3 times a day, which makes up about 90% of their meals. The only reason we had any food other than sago is because we brought it from Padang. We had basically no vegetables and no fruit. Hard to get feeling better when you aren’t getting the right protein and substance to sustain a healthy body and strong immune system. By the time we left, I could barely eat a small bowl of rice or finish half of a pancake. I was so tired of the same foods, but its not like I had another choice. I either put up with the food or don’t eat and make myself worse. I should take time to thank Joey for forcing me to eat a couple times. My stomach begged me not to eat, but I know it was much better to get something in me. By the way did I mention that EVERYONE there smokes non stop? All the men, women, and even the little kids were smoking. I carefully tried telling them that cigarettes are bad for their health. They laughed and said, “If we don’t smoke, we get sick. We have to smoke.” We laughed so hard. They wrap tobacco in banana leaves and smoke from the second they awake, til they fall asleep. I even found myself smoking for the first time in ages. When in Rome? I tried smoking their tobacco and I got so lightheaded I couldn’t stand. It was very very strong.
Our earthquake alarm clock has woken us to another sunrise. This happened at least 4 or 5 times. I started getting chest pains that night, which really scared me. Having a breathing problem on top of severe stomach problems put me on edge. Due to all the earthquakes, the one doctor on Siberut was forced to stay grounded in Padang. To get any help we would have to take the hell sent ferry back to Padang. We decided we would leave a day early if the problem persisted. Later we filmed the 3 Shaman in a nearby river. Will taught them the stanky leg, and at one time Lala got on my back. I don’t know why, but it was hilarious. The next day I was feeling a little better, but the stomach and chest pains were still there. That day Will popped a couple of ribs out of place while Joey was shooting 3 of the Shaman. He was in a lot pain. He had actually popped them out a couple times in his life before, so he knew immediately he just needed to go to a chiropractor so they could pop them back in place. Being in Siberut, there was nothing we could do until we got to Padang.
Two days before we were to head back to Padang, Shaman Bajak Jerajak(tattoo artist) showed up. I sat their debating what I should do. I knew it would be amazing to get a tattoo there, but at the same time I knew it was going to worsen my health. The process is so painful it makes you sick! Since I was already sick, I had to accept potentially intensifying my condition. Honestly I backed out last minute. The last thing you want when you are ill is to feel more pain? Then I thought…..With the tribe numbers dwindling, how many chances would I have to get a tradition Mentawai tattoo? I’m in Siberut, Indonesia, in an uma in the rain forest, with the chance to get a tattoo by an actual Sikere Shaman. Sorry body, but you’re just going to have to toughen up and take the pain, because I am definitely getting one. I knew I wanted to get something that represented the Mentawai culture and I loved the series of lines the Sikere had on their legs. The lines represent the roots of the Sago tree. I decided I would get 6 lines on my left thigh, a line for 6 people who mean the world to me. As I sat down, and the Sikere wrapped a fresh safety pin around a piece of fish bone. A few things made me nervous before we started. For one, the tattoo artist is deaf. Two, I was sitting on rickety boards at the front of the uma so I would shake every time someone walked by. Three, he started making the outline of the tattoo on the bottom of my leg instead of the top, like I had asked. I couldn’t help but think, what am I getting myself into? Once we got him on the right path, he took no time in starting. The first couple of lines were ok, but then it quickly turned into the most painful tattoo I have ever received. The pounding of the needle into my leg over and over proved too much for my body. Several times the needle got stuck in my leg from hitting it so hard. My head started throbbing simultaneously to each individual thrust into my leg. I felt my body slowly go into shock, as I started getting goosebumps and mean case of the chills. Sickness was definitely a factor in making him stop, but I won’t try and make that an excuse for the pain. The pain was definitely the main reason I stopped. I let him go over the tattoo twice before I had enough. They usually go over the tattoo as many times as it takes for the ink to set, and from looking at my leg I needed a good 6 or 7 more layers. Physically I just couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to steady my shaking body as I washed off my swollen leg, and took meds. My fever had come back and the pain had made my stomach hurt even more. I ask myself now, would I do it again? Of course I would. It was an honor getting tattooed by the Mentawai. Soon there will be no more Sikere tattoo artists inking the traditional way. I knew before hand that the Mentawai were one of the oldest to tattoo, but when I got back to Padang, I found out that Mentawai tattooing IS the oldest tattooing in the world. This made the whole tattoo process and experience mean even more.
The next day I woke up and washed off my swollen leg. I buried the pain like I had been doing daily and tried to grasp our final hours on the island. I had very mixed emotions. One side I was so excited to get back to civilization, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to leave our new friends. That morning seemed to progress so slowly. We packed our things, did some trading and buying with the Shaman, then we started our 30 minute trek to the pong pong boats. When we got back to the boats we said our goodbyes to everyone. We hugged and shook hands for a long time before we made ourselves leave. Then we waved until we were out of site. We started our 2 hour pong pong ride to the boat we would be taking back to Padang. Joey decided to rent a speedboat with two motors, which we were all extremely pleased about. The boat would make the passage 4 hours, instead of the 10 hour puke rally ferry we took to get to Siberut. When we got to the seaport, we went to some little shops to get food and I had my first cold drink in weeks. I can still remember how stimulating it was having that cold drink. On the boat ride we all passed out at some point. I am glad I didn’t sleep through the whole boat ride because I woke up to the most breathtaking ocean I’ve ever seen. We were in between Siberut and Padang, far enough out where there was no land in site. The water was smoother than glass. This was shocking to me, as I have never witnessed the ocean even remotely smooth. The water moved up and down so gracefully that the only thing creating ripples was the boat. The sky and ocean fused together encircling us with an endless seam of blue. I felt like we were in a giant bathtub, and we were the little toy boat. Ricky, Joey, and I sat at the front of the boat and simply stared. When we made it back to the dock, we noticed one of the ferry boats that take people to Siberut had been wrecked and washed onto the shore. That freaked us out just a little bit. We went straight to a doctor when we got to Padang. The doctor’s office was a single dim lit room that looked as if it was in a house. The doctor checked me quickly and gave me meds for my liver. She persisted that is where the parasite had made camp. Two “chiropractor’s” attempts to help Will had failed. One just rubbed oil on him and asked if he was better! That night Joey had been craving KFC more than anything, so Ricky took us to one. We happened to be in there during Ramadan and and got to KFC just as the fasting for the day ceased so KFC was packed to the brim. Will got an entire bucket of chicken, and Joey ate a couple of chicken sandwiches. I was still feeling like crap so I only ate one sandwich. That night we went to one of the nicest hotels in Padang, which only cost $50. It would be a decent hotel in the states, but after living in the conditions we were in, it was like a 5 star hotel to us. The first thing I did was take a warm shower. The shower floor was stained with mud from Will, Joey, and I. After the shower, I laid down on my mattress and all I remember was waking up to Joey puking. I can’t remember ever falling asleep so fast. Joey was throwing up, Will and I had diarrhea. Apparently the KFC had not settled with any of us. Luckily we all felt better the next day. I decided to stay in the hotel and sleep while they went and ran some errands around town. I wanted to make sure I got my rest and gained power over my illness. Time came for Ricky to drop us off at the Padang Airport. Ricky is an amazing guide and a great friend. I will never forget him. When we flew into Jakarta I had gained my appetite back for the first time. I ate 2 chicken sandwiches, 3 chicken strips, 2 sides of curly fries, a chocolate sunday, and a root beer for a single meal. I felt I was eating off a kids meal, and I was still hungry. Will and Joey had a flight to Australia and I had a different flight the next day. I rented a room at the Jakarta Airport Hotel and then said said goodbye to Joey and Will. It really bummed me out seeing them go. We had spent every second together for the entire trip and now I was by myself. The next morning I left Jakarta, flew to Singapore, flew to Manilla, then to LAX. Making it all the way with 3 bows, 3 sets of poison tipped arrows, a machete sized knife, and Toikoik’s knife he made from a deer. I didn’t get checked once in 4 countries and 5 airports. I was finally home.
The journey was simply a trip of exceeding enlightenment. I learned immensely of their culture as well as my own limits and abilities. It is incredible to see people so visibly different from you and I, living completely opposite from you and I, have personalities that shadow ours almost wholly. They value their families and friends most, they hang with their friends constantly, they wrestle around, they help when others are in need, they are kind and open to strangers, they weren’t shy or embarrassed to try things (like dancing to rap and country), they are optimistic, and they joke constantly. Lala even pulled out his junk in front of us and immediately started laughing. They are guys being immature guys. At times it was so hard getting photos because they would joke and laugh and do ridiculous things! Acting the same and doing things most of my guy friends have or would do back home. That aspect made me feel so much more comfortable while there. I still have to remind myself we were with a tribe! People who don’t know their age, how they look, what a cell phone or the internet is, and that cigarettes are bad for you. I sincerely hope their tribe lives on for generations and the government ceases the consumption of their land and resources. The tribe is believed to have started between 2000-500 BC! It’s ludicrous to think their traditional way of living could evaporate this generation. They live the most simplistic lifestyle you or I can imagine, yet they are more happy than a lot of people I know. They have their family, uma’s, food, their buddies, and of course their tobacco. They say that makes them happy and content. They don’t even have money. Their only currency is durian trees, pigs, land, and chicken for trade. That’s it. I spent the snap of a finger without my everyday “necessities” and it made me very uncomfortable. I will never forget leaving the island and experiencing that first cold drink, hot shower, mattress, and air conditioning. Every drink and meal I’ve had since I’ve been back has tasted better than ever before. It could be because I missed it so much, or maybe because I appreciate it more. It’s funny that everything I would’ve complained about before the trip I was now so very thankful for. All I can say after the trip is how self absorbed I am. Even having limitless options and countless luxuries it still isn’t good enough. While talking with Joey on the way back, we both talked about how America has the best EVERYTHING. We laughed in confirmation that there’s no arguing that statement at all. Still everyone has something to complain about. We need something or want something. The next time I complain or think about complaining I’ll just remember the trip, the people, and how they live. That’s all it’ll take to retract my thoughts and shut my mouth. We are seriously blessed beyond comprehension and I thank God for showing me this. We have everything we need(+a million) to live a happy and fulfilled lifestyle every single day. I am thankful for being shown this first hand.
Bajak Tarason was making fun of how I lean over to get smooth shots. 1st day and he’s already making fun of me.
This is pretty much my final and most important thought I wrote down after this experience. It means the most to me.
The gift of vision instantly suggests we as people couldn’t be more different from one another. It’s not until we infiltrate the hearts of our terrestrial neighbors, that we humbly sense our core’s unification as brothers and sisters. This I feel emphatically comes from divine power.
Thank you all for taking the time to read my personal experiences living with the Mentawai.
Cale Glendening
PS – Keep checking in with Joey’s site. He will be posting a blog with some photos from his set ups! You will want to see them, I promise! There will be more post with content from Indonesia so please keep checking back. I will be posting a hundred or so pics from the entire trip, in a folder on my facebook and my flickr. There just wasn’t enough room on my blog for everything. I will also be posting some I feel suitable for my portfolio(some in my blog post, some not) up soon. I will let you all know through my facebook and twitter accounts.
Mandy:
Simply amazing.
It's crazy how a trip like this can change your whole perspective on life and the world. I am thrilled you got to experience this. It's only going to make everything you do that much better.
Can't wait to see what is next for you, Cale! (09.14.2009 06:04pm)
cj:
That was awesome dude. So nice to read.
How's the tat doing now? (09.14.2009 06:21pm)
Michelle:
Love your portraits of the kids. And Peno looks SO much older then Pet Pet. Love all of the pictures and your writing as always. Glad you made it back alive.
And Will is pretty cute bahahaha :] (09.14.2009 06:44pm)
Paris:
Wow Cale. I'm still amazed about all of this.
You are very blessed to have experienced such a far away and beautiful place and culture! (09.14.2009 07:00pm)
Misty:
I can't even imagine what this trip must have meant to you, gosh, I bet everything about here is even more incredible now (like A/C!) haha. MAN THESE PHOTOS THOUGH. I saw the ocean for the first time in my life this summer and officially feel jipped after seeing that photo from the boat. Such beautiful stuff, though, Cale. So stoked for you. (09.14.2009 07:11pm)
Hughey:
All the words in this blog will still never express this amazing experience in it's fullest. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to partake in this epic journey vicariously through you. (09.14.2009 10:47pm)
Kyle:
That looks amazing! Looks like you had a great trip! (09.14.2009 11:21pm)
Petra:
Unbelievable!! These photos are even better than that from the first part. I love to see the children. I can imagine what a feeling it was to leave them. Drives tears into my eyes.
You'll never have that experience again, these people won't be the same anymore after a few years. Great to know that there are still some mysteries in this world! (09.15.2009 01:30am)
Petra:
Cale, I cannot agree with one phrase you said:
"the women share most of the same responsabilities..."
What I see is this: the men chat, smoke, sleep, rest, hunt.
The women fish, clean, cook, wash, chopp wood, catch chicken in the forest....
Is that what you call: "same responsabilities"????? (09.15.2009 01:50am)
cale:Petra - You are misunderstanding the circumstances. We had Will, Joey, myself, 3 Shaman, Ricky, Charles, Peno, and Gejeng together the entire trip. So when we went to Atabai or Rorogot, we already had 10 guys. So the guys would hang out and go do stuff together. We were always busy going to shoot or the Shaman showing us places. The reason this took place is because we were all there. So of course the pictures show what we did with out guides and stuff. However when we are gone, and it is just the tribes people, they share most of the same responsibilities. The saw the men cook, (Peno cooked EVERY meal for us), I saw the men clean, wash, the men chop down the sago trees. The women smoke as much as the men do. Are you also suggestion the women don't chat, sleep, rest? Taking it a bit far don't you think? Come on! Pictures don't tell the whole story. (09.15.2009 11:03am)
cale:Kyle - Yeah man, pure insanity. (09.15.2009 11:03am)
cale:Cody - Hey man no problem! Thank you for taking the time to read it, for real. It's super long. I'll hit you up next time I get to the gee! We'll go shoot and hang. (09.15.2009 11:09am)
Barron:
loved it dude. miss ya. hopefully ill see ya soon. (09.15.2009 11:09am)
cale:Misty - I am so glad you got to experience that. Seriously, whether you have that experience with a tribe or seeing the ocean for the first time, it registers the EXACT same in our hearts and minds so soak it in my friend. Moments like those define life! (09.15.2009 11:10am)
cale:Paris - Thanks Paris. Definitely an enlightening trip for me, as well as Joey and Will. Thanks for checking it out. (09.15.2009 11:11am)
cale:Michelle - Yeah but we have no way of figuring out age at all so who knows. I'd say maybe 5-8 year age difference by looks. Let me know if you want Will's info. You can click his name at the bottom for his twitter. ; )
You're welcome Will. (09.15.2009 11:12am)
cale:CJ - Thanks a lot man! Glad you took the time to read everything. Tat is feeling good and I am just stoked I went through with it. Very cool experience. (09.15.2009 11:13am)
cale:Mandy - Again, thanks for the encouraging words, I really do take all of this seriously and it really motivates me to work even harder. Thanks for helping fuel the flame. (09.15.2009 11:14am)
cj:
It was hard not too, you write everything so nice.
I wish I could say that I would go through with the tat too, but then I saw the needle and the mess. I only have one tattoo on my collar bone, and I'm worried that the pain of that put me off to other tattoos in the future. I doubt it will, but still.. Worried. (09.15.2009 11:45am)
cale:CJ - Tattoos are too addictive for me to stop. Yes pain sucks, but at the same time, that what makes a tattoo mean more. The process of getting one. You feel so accomplished when the tattoo is finished. Collar bone is a very painful spot itself sir. Their are plenty spots on the body that are less painful than the rest, so don't worry bout it. Just man up! ; )
Thanks man, I only proofread it once. Some friends have been texting me pointing out mistakes, but I am too lazy to go re-read again. It is so long! hahaha. (09.15.2009 01:05pm)
Breezy Scott:
Loved this, every bit of it. Thanks for sharing.=) (09.15.2009 01:11pm)
Mandy:
I'm glad you take it all seriously because I mean every word of it. You're amazing, no doubt about that.
AND! I want to see pictures of your tattoo, pretty please! (09.15.2009 01:33pm)
Kendrea:
what an incredible experiance, it was awesome to hear you talk about it but actually reading your words and seeing only a portion of what you saw, was beautiful! what a great journey!! (09.15.2009 02:03pm)
cj:
Ah, yeah I was pretty stoked when it was finished. I was jumpy as shit and it's blurry in some parts now, but I mean I was with the best people, the most interesting old man did it, and it was for someone that I love above all else so it was so worth it. But jeeze, what was I thinking... Collar bone.. I'm sure I'll become addicted myself once I find some cheese to put down for some time. (09.15.2009 02:33pm)
joshua:
i read both parts one and two in one sitting. very cool man. (09.15.2009 03:36pm)
Duby:
very humbly Cale, I can’t even imagine (09.16.2009 05:28am)
Petra:
Cale, here I am again, the stories don't get out of my mind.
Have some more questions:
the Atabai and the Rorogot: are these tribes something like family unions or what?
What about marriage? From where come new members to these groups? You said that Peno likes Pet Pet. Means they are not from the same family?
In case the children decide to live a life out of the uma: they don't know how to write and read (???), what kind of life they'll have if they leave their families and go to the villages of the "civilized people"?
How could you make it all (trekking, tattoos, hunting) being so very sick? For sure you lost a lot of liquid and became weaker every day. Were you not afraid of being seriously sick?
Are you completely cured already?
Sorry for being so curious. (09.17.2009 10:45am)
cale:Petra - Atabai and Rorogot are different villages. They are still all Sikere. They don't do same family marriage, that would be taboo. The government villages have a school and other amenities that they bribe the Mentawai people with. There they can learn to read, write, etc...
I lost a ton of liquid but I also drank a ton of liquid. I have played competitive sports my entire life and I work out every single day. Although I was sick, I still had a lot of heart left. I made myself do it. The only time I ever got worried is when my chest started hurting. When I realized I was so incredibly far from the nearest doctor. However panicking is the worst thing you could do. I stayed calmed and tried to not outdo myself.
I am cured completely now, I had bloodwork and tests ran back in the states. They all came back negative, so I am a healthy camper now.
No worries, I can understand your questions. I sure wish I had someone to ask these questions before I went. We just went not knowing anything. (09.18.2009 03:40pm)
cale:Duby - Thanks so much man. So stoked to see you again. (09.18.2009 03:40pm)
cale:Joshua - Very cool man, thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. (09.18.2009 03:42pm)
cale:CJ - You have a mentawai tattoo?!?!? Yeah tattoos are expensive, but paying for good work is a no brainer. It's on you for LIFE. (09.18.2009 03:43pm)
Twitted by hinerjl:
[...] This post was Twitted by hinerjl [...] (09.22.2009 03:22am)
cj:
No dude, I was talking about the collar bone. Yeah, I got it done in Quebec City and this crazy old fart who did it kept asking my friends if they wanted free nipple piercing.. As long as he could use his teeth. He was hilarious. (09.22.2009 08:55am)
Melanie:
Very interesting blog. The older I get, the less I seem to like or tolerate pain and discomfort. I would think that the more you were used to pain, the easier it would be, but it seems the opposite sometimes. I don't think I would have had near the stamina. LOL Sometimes it would be nice if you could get rid of all the negatives in each culture and keep the rest. I'm sure the newer ways have pluses, and minuses as does tribal life, from your description, and we always seem to throw the baby out with the bath water. Living simpler is good. I wish I could do that sometimes. I did see a program not so very long ago about happiness and it's correlation with wealth. It pretty much drew the same conclusions as you did about people with more being less satisfied. Have you ever seen George Carlin's routine on "stuff". I think we can easily become slaves to things.
Sorry for the book. I loved you and Joey's photos. They were amazing. I hope I can only be 1/10th as good sometime. I've a long ways to go. LOL (09.24.2009 03:07am)
Ben:
Stuff man! What a crazy experience....I just spent an hour reading all about your trip. Fully inspired, motivated, touched......thanks so much for sharing!! (10.07.2009 02:50pm)
cale:BEN - Thank you so much man, I am glad you could read it and take something from it. I want to inspire people. (10.09.2009 10:17pm)
Charissa:
WOW! Reading about your trip feels like I'm experiencing it with you - although I know it could not compare. Thanks so much for sharing what you saw with us.
I came on to your page and seeing the stuff you get to do I wanna tell you, you're living my dream!! Still being in school with an interest in photography, different cultures, music (Relient K!) it makes me wonder where life will take me.
May God continue to take you places! (10.11.2009 02:00am)
cale:Charissa - Life will take you as far as you will let it. It is all up to you. Work hard and stay determined, you will achieve what you want. (10.12.2009 09:34pm)
Станислав Конев:
Я никогда не сомневался в Вашем интеллектуальном уровне, но поймите, не все такие как Вы. :) (10.22.2009 06:26pm)
Эммануил:
Не совсем уловил некоторые моменты, но вообще просто отлично :) (11.10.2009 03:13pm)
Mark Gladstone:
Hey man. I was in Madobag about the same time as you, and even met some of the same Mentawai. I stayed in Toikoik's Uma about 40 minutes from the waterfall near Madobag. It was a real laugh when I busted one of the grandkids stealing the old guy's tobacco.
Geijung had a great book of photos taken by a dutch woman. He was meant to go to Padong with me, where i was going to help him make a brochure (since he is illiterate) but at the last minute his wife wouldnt let him. She thought he would get a city girlfriend and leave her.
Anyway, I came across your vid while reading online about the Mentawai.. Great stuff! I took some (low quality) images with my phone of a book of mentawai stories and legends. Flick me an email if you want me to post them on Picassa for you to download.
PS - I dont think I will ever miss fire roasted sago, and yeh, dog is surprisingly tasty !:)
PPS - You still in touch with them and know if the Padong earthquake damaged the villages? (12.10.2009 10:29am)
cale:Mark - Wow that amazing. Yes sending you over an email right now! (12.15.2009 07:57pm)
The journey to the Mentawai was the most strenuous trip I have ever attempted in my life. Frankly, if I ever top it, I will be deeply surprised. Not only was it mentally shattering but physically arduous. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when Joey mentioned the trip months ago, but nothing I could’ve done would’ve adequately prepared me for the trip. Plans had actually been on and off for 4 months while Joey and I both waited on potential clients to come through. However, 2 days before I was to head home for my 23rd b-day, I found out Indonesia was happening 100%. This put me in complete crunch mode as I had to finish the Relient K documentary and a Tiger Army Webisode. I ended up taking 3 hard-drives to Oklahoma just to finish the work load before I left for Indonesia.
The day came(August 7th) and I took my pack, camera, and computer. Only taking the bare essentials. Meds, a couple pairs of clothes, socks, and underwear. My trip started as I left two of the most important women in my life crying. I was going to an island halfway around the world to stay with tribes, having absolutely no communication, and basically no information about exactly what we’d be doing. After a 1 hour trip to Tulsa, I boarded my 3 hour flight to LAX. I changed from the domestic airport to the international airport. During the 5 hour layover I spent most of the time talking to an ER Nurse named Justice, who was moving back to the Philippines to go to medical school. She wants to be a surgeon. Right before I boarded my 15 hour flight to Manilla, the airline informed us we would not be stopping in Guam, but flying straight to our destination. It would put us in Manilla at 3am, instead of 6am. This presented a big problem because my friend Apy was picking me up from the airport at 6am. I had no way of calling her so I sent a quick Facebook message hoping she would get it. I landed at 3am, went outside the airport, and sat on a railing just hoping she got my message. Well 6:30 rolled around and I finally see Apy. She told me she didn’t get my message. My flight to Jakarta didn’t leave til 10pm that night so I spent the whole day in Manilla hanging with Apy, Derrel, & Benjo(2 of her awesome friends). We went straight to get breakfast where they made me try local food. I had chicken and steak at 7am. Although it was good, it was way too early for steak and chicken. After breakfast we visited some historical spots, market places, and the slums. The slums were just visually depressing. Sheds stacked on sheds, stacked on sheds. We walked around there for a bit and they warned me not to take my phone nor my wallet. Supposedly people will just straight up snatch em. We had lunch, relaxed for a while, and then we all went and got Thai massages. It was exactly what I needed. It was $3 for a hour! Derrel told me at the parlor the girls were fighting over who would massage the American. It is insane how much I stood out there. Not only because I am a foreigner but my piercings and tattoos were so interesting to them. They kept grabbing my arm and touching my tattoos. After the massage we went to the mall of Asia to eat some seafood. I started to feel sick after dinner. Pretty sure it was due to exhaustion. I hadn’t slept but 3 or 4 hours since I left Oklahoma. They took me to the airport for my 8pm flight and we said our goodbyes. I had such an awesome day there. I miss Apy, Derrel, & Benjo. As I waited for my flight, I bounced in and out of sleep.
I took a 3 hour flight from Manilla to Jakarta where I was met by Willem and his friend Wilma. Quick backstory. Will lived in Indonesia for 6 months with a group of other students. He speaks Baja Indonesian fluently. Very cool. So at 12pm, we drove an hour to her house where Joey was already asleep. I was afraid for my life on the drive to Wilma’s house. Her friend drove so fast, and of course there are no traffic laws. We sped past everyone, weaving in and out of lanes. I already had anxiety from all the flights, and the insane driving multiplied it. After a couple hours of sleep we had to be up and make the hour drive back to the airport by taxi. From Jakarta we took a one hour flight to Padang where we met our guides Ricky and Charles. We drove an hour before we had breakfast, where we discussed our plans for Siberut. We thought we were staying the night in Padang before we went to Siberut but last minute we found out we were taking a ferry that night. We went to Ricky’s uncle’s to consolidate our gear. Take the bare minimum. Joey and Will came from a workshop in Australia so they had extra gear that wasn’t necessary to bring. We all went to the island with a couple pairs of clothes, but the main bulk was obviously our gear. We left his house to hit up a bank. The economy is so bad here, the banks maximum accounts were between $1000-$1500 American. While waiting at one bank, Will and I fell asleep in the lobby. We still hadn’t had a break in traveling. After the bank we went to the local market for food and supplies for Siberut. We bought rice, noodles, cheese, some condensed milk, sugar, and a lot of tea. We also got beads and tobacco to give as gifts to the tribe’s people. The entire time we were there someone stared at us. It was worse than Manilla. I have never felt so uneasy. Will would talk with everyone and they would get this surprised look on their faces. Everyone stared at his gauged ears and touched our tattoos.
We made it to the docks that night to catch the ferry. I got very nauseous just by looking at the boat. It’s a big wooden clunker that was packed with at least 200 people. Mainly locals with a few surfers, and tourists. The crowd of 200 people completely packed this ship shoulder to shoulder. There was absolutely no space left. To even walk down the main corridor you’d have to be like Indiana Jones and plan each step so you wouldn’t set off a booby trap. One wrong step and you are stepping on a strangers face, hand, leg, or stomach. If that wasn’t bad enough, it got even worse. Extreme heat and the smell of rich diesel gasoline burning through-out the entire boat. I told Joey I felt sick and I rush to the bow of the boat so I could hopefully find a spot and breathe fresh air. The back of the boat had comfortable room for 15, but there was probably 50 or more people back there. Most of the tourists and surfers attained space in the back, along with 8 muslims straight from Pakistan. They were having discussion with a minister who I later found out lives about 10 minutes from me in California. We were both very shocked. I stood in the middle of the crowd waiting for someone to relinquish their seat or make space on the bench. A muslim ,named Nasiem, saw me fanning myself so he moved over creating a spot for me. All of them smiled when you looked at them, and they gave everyone food and offered them places on their prayer mats to sit down. I found myself in between two of the muslims while one of them fanned me. Much relief, air! The boat ride was a 10 hour over night cruise. About 30 minutes into the slow churning of the boat, a woman pushed me aside to start throwing up over the side. Now anyone that knows me well knows I hate throw up more than ANYTHING. At that moment, I knew I was in for one hell of a night. After an hour the “throw-up fest” opened up in full force. At one point I counted 15 people throwing up over the sides, 6 of them being the Pakistanis including Nasiem. They were way too close to me. I felt sicker and sicker each time someone threw up. I started talking with Nasiem, between times he was throwing up, and I explained my fear of throw up and he started giving me advice to conquer this. The muslim on the other side grabbed my hands and started rubbing heavily on the space between my thumb and index finger. He said it would help, then right after, he started puking. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. About 3 hours into the boat ride he told me to sleep and he put my head on his leg. At first I was very hesitant, but I remembered learning that friends are very “touchy” where they come from. Friends hold hands, lean their heads on each other, and wrap their arms around each other. It represents friendship and closeness to their brothers, not anything homosexual. So I laid my head on his lap and I fell asleep for 2 hours. I was woken by loud cracks of thunder and bright flashes of lightening. The ocean acted as a mirror reflecting mother natures fury. Lighting up the entire ocean, highlighting each raindrop. It was beautiful. I put on my rain jacket and got pelted by rain for about an hour while I tried to sleep. Joey woke me to film some stuff while everyone was sleeping, so after filming for only about 20 minutes, I returned to the back where some girl had stolen my seat. I was so pissed! She had been sleeping next to her boyfriend(they were cuddling so I assumed) and now she had her own spot. She didn’t have the decency to move when she saw me sit back down so I weaseled my way back next to Nasiem and fell asleep for about 30 more minutes before I was woken up at 5am to the Muslims praying and singing very very loudly. I decided I wouldn’t be sleeping anymore. After Nasiem got finished praying, I talked with him the til we docked at 7am. We talked about religion, work, family, and love. He was so interesting. I will never forget meeting 8 of the nicest strangers in the world, all muslims from Pakistan, who any other day I would’ve felt uncomfortable just by being around them. Big kick in the teeth and I felt awful for it. As we approached Siberut it was the most beautiful sunrise I have seen to this day. The ocean, dolphins, and a rainbow. The color scheme was just mind blowing. It sounds like a stereotypical of a dream, but I am actually humbled that God could create something so surreal, for those few minutes, perfection had taken completion in my eyes. We had arrived, and Siberut had welcomed us to the island!
We took a short 15 minute drive to get to our pong pong boats. They are long wooden canoes with small engines. We packed up all of our gear and started our 4 hour ride up the river. Several times along the way it started raining on us. How absolutely refreshing and beautiful it was. We finally made it to Madobag where we met with our other guide Gejeng and cook Peno. He lives there in the government village with his wife. When we arrived we were greeted with hugs and a lot of odd stairs. We took off our wet shoes and socks and all just laid down for a while. We ate some rice and noodles as more and more people started showing up to the uma(Mentawai name for house) we were at. There were probably 20 people on the little porch just watching us. After sleeping a couple hours I was woken from counting sheep around 3am. My stomach had enough. I am sure it was the travel and change of food. I rushed out into the jungle with a bucket of water in the pitch black of night and had pretty terrible bowel movements. Not only was it pitch black and I was in the forest alone/scared, but it was raining. I think that was one of the worst experiences on the whole trip. It was an awful night! I got around 6 hours of sleep which was the most I’d had in 5 days. We met with our Sikere Shaman porters Aman Lala Ogo, Bajak Tarason, and Bajak Toikoik. Intimidation is the first thing that comes to mind when you are staring one of these guys down. Their choreographed full body tattoos, bold jewelry, cut muscles, knives hanging from their pen(loincloth), and if that isn’t enough for you then maybe their sharpened teeth will put the cherry on top. If I was in the woods and came across a Sikere, I’d be sprinting in the other direction before you could blink. We were giants compared in stature but I wouldn’t let that influence your judgement. That morning Joey took photos as I worked on my Letus Extreme. It was the first day and my 35mm converter malfunctioned. Letus + moisture + rainforest = Failure. After Joey took photos we packed our things and headed for our first location. The Atabai! The clan was a grueling 4 hour hike away. Three quarters of the trek involved climbing a mountain. Many variables made this the most difficult hike I’ve ever done. Narrow paths with big drop offs, tree snakes, the heat, heavy packs, and did I mention it was very steep? Bare in mind the rain forest is devilishly slick, making trekking that much more punishing. What amazed me was the architecture of the path. All the paths were either carved rock, carved roots, and strewn out wooden logs. As we engaged in the difficult hike, I couldn’t help but respect how long it must’ve taken to engineer such paths. Most of the wet rocks had bowl like cuts to create steps. Paths running next to trees had been dug deep revealing the roots, to which acted as individual stairs. Then hundreds and thousands of small logs laid across paths, to make it easier to trek through the ankle deep mud. Most logs had machete cut outs every few inches to make walking on them more manageable. The Shaman made us walking sticks after observing our failing attempts to walk naturally. We seriously looked like we were walking across a decrepit wooden bridge crossing a lake of lava. Trudging along, arms out to our sides for balance, looking down at one shoe going in front of the other, tongue sticking out concentrating on every shifting ounce of weight. A walking stick was an absolute necessity. I can’t tell you how many times I would’ve fallen without it.) The Sikere walk around barefoot and can make it over the mountain and back in 3 hours. It took us 4 hours just to make it one way. We had so much gear it took 15 locals from Madobag to get it all there. A quarter way through the trek, it looked like Will, Joey, and I had just gotten out of the shower. Water ran off of us like a rain cloud was cruising over our heads. Not a single Mentawai or Sikere had a drop of sweat on them. We had barely made it up the mountain before we could barely catch our breath. Some of the Mentawai women made fun of us and asked if we needed to be carried over the mountain! We all laughed pretty hard. Its funny, I thought I was in good shape but that mountain made a fool of my confidence. After 4 hours of near falls, many rain showers, losing liters of sweat, thick narrow paths, and staring at the ground, we finally made it to Atabai.
In the Atabai , we stayed with Ta Jia Jia. He was the most intimidating of the Sikere in my opinion. His uma was in an stunning location, and it housed his wife and 5 beautiful kids. As tradition goes, the first night guests arrive, they slaughter a pig and we feast! Joey and I were so tired, we actually slept through the squealing pig for about 15 minutes. Will later told us the Shaman made fun of us for sleeping through it. Later I was woken up by Will saying “Hey Joey, they are about to kill the pig, do you want to watch it?” Joey replied, “No, but Cale should film it.” Pretty sure Joey doesn’t remember saying that, but it’s definitely funny now. I got up and watched the fascinating ritual. Ta Jia Jia and the other Shaman sat in a circle and sang as Ta Jia Jia rubbed a chicken on all the Shaman and the planks of the house. They do this to ward of evil spirit. Then they cut the pigs throat and catch all the blood in a bucket they will later boil the pig in. Yes, they boil the pig in its own blood! FTW! It is Taboo for blood to touch the ground, so they make sure it completely bleeds out in a bowl. After the pig is killed, Shaman sing non stop until the pig is cleaned, cooked, and served. This takes around an hour. That night I woke up several times to hear the Shaman singing and talking. I don’t know how they have so much energy. They next morning we left early to go monkey hunting. The Shaman loaded up with their bows, poison tipped arrows, and machetes. I came to later find out, Shaman always stay up the entire night before a hunt, singing and praying, asking for help on the hunt. Half way to our destination Toikoik sung to the spirits to bless the hunt. Soon after we came to a clearing where a big hill was cut out and completely encased by the mountain. In the middle the hill was a hut that most Shaman stay in the night of a hunt. The location is important because it is in the clearing, surrounded completely by a tree line. They stay there overnight and listen for animal sounds, so they know which way they need to trek. It started pouring, just as we arrived. I couldn’t help but stand out in the rain and close my eyes. A perfect unearthly feeling that will never leave my thoughts. We sat in the hut for a couple hours just listening, talking, resting. For once it finally looked like the Shaman were getting tired. Lala fell asleep and drooled all over himself. Joey snapped some good shots of it! Along the way back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma we actually heard some monkey’s calling loudly. Lala said they were too far to track so we just continued on to the uma. At this point we had been constantly doing something since we got there and still lacked any basic hours of sleep. Will and I were quite delirious. That night we named one of Ta Jia Jia’s pigs Mohawk. Then we started debating who was tougher out of Babe or Wilber (Charlottes Web). We debated for about 15 minutes before Will said, “Man Babe would take a s*** in Charlotte’s Web!” I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. We both realized our minds had completely strayed off somewhere away from our bodies. That night we went to bed early and got some essential rest.
The next morning I woke up at around 4:30am. It had rained the majority of the night. The most refreshing thing of each day was walking down to the stream at sunrise and cleaning up. Washing my clothes, taking a river bath, and washing my face supplied me with more joy than I would’ve imagined before the trip. After breakfast we went to another uma where the women were going fishing. We followed them for a while as they caught little minos. I filmed and Joey took photos. He would get neck deep in the water with his Phase One. Crazy guy that Joey. After filming I walked back to the river bed where Ta Jia Jia and Aman Mita Punin were smoking and talking. I pulled out my Iphone and watched their eyes light up. They were so confused by this magical gadgetry I had unveiled. Mita Punin’s face was just priceless. One thing I found particularly interesting is, besides the reflection in the water, these people have never seen themselves. I mean we were only the 3rd white people he’s seen in his life! They are always wanting you to film them and take their photo. Then they want to see them immediately. Last night I turned on my laptop to transfer footage and the black screensaver with swirling lights came on. The entire uma surrounded it and just stared for about 15 minutes. I then thought I would introduced them to PhotoBooth, which they stared at diligently, transfixed on themselves like I had put a spell on them. At first, no-one waved, no-one smiled, and no-one spoke. They just stared at themselves. I tried to grasp this concept, but I couldn’t. I didn’t look in a mirror the entire time on the island, and that itself was weird. Imagine living your entire life and only knowing what you look like from a water reflection. There is no concept of looks and stereotypes. There is no ugly, hot, cute, skanky, preppy, gothic, nerd etc…..no hollywood, no NYC, no celebrities, and no illusion of what America has ordained the standard for the world. There’s absolutely nothing for them to compare themselves to. I find that absolutely beautiful.
The next night was my worst sleep yet. There are two small mats, less than an inch thick, that Joey, Will, and I take turns sleeping on. Typically one wouldn’t even consider this mat as something to even make a difference, but on the island it was a luxury! That day we decided to kill two chickens for lunch. Ta Jia Jia’s daughter Pet Pet would leave at sunrise(4:30-5am) and not come back til she caught the chicken. We ate chicken three times on the island, and each time it took her about 6 hours to find and catch them in the jungle! One chicken was for us, and one for the Sikere. When the Sikere killed theirs, they involved us in their ritual. They sat Will, Joey, and I down and rubbed the chicken on us. As Ta Jia Jia was rubbing the chicken on us he had a sinister grin as he spoke to the spirits. All the Shaman started laughing loudly. He thought it would be funny to say something like, “Please keep the spirits from this uma and the people here, but if you must, please take your wrath out on the white people.” He said he was kidding and continued to wish well on us. After lunch we found out we would be witnessing a ceremony called “Ulia Sibau” which is when a young Mentawai Sikere becomes a Shaman! The number of Sikere’s becoming Shaman is diminishing rapidly, so we felt extremely fortunate to witness this event in person. That night, while waiting for the ceremony to start, I passed out twice. After they ate, they pulled out some drums and started the “Turug Dance.” The father Bilijo (pronounced exactly like Billy Joe) and son would dance around each other and stomp their feet as the drummers played them on. Joey took photos as I filmed. They would dance for about 10-15 minutes, then break for a little while. They repeat this over and over. After 4 dances, we went back to Ta Jia Jia’s uma. As we slept, the stomping of the floorboards and beat of the drum echoed throughout the jungle the entire night.
The next day we trekked to a fallen Sago tree so Joey could photography 6 of the Shaman. I tried my best to film, but these conditions are the absolute worst. My hvx has somehow began to malfunction. I would have to put my battery in and out anywhere between 50-80 times. It would automatically record on start-up and none of the camera buttons would function. After popping the battery in and out several times, I could finally film. After that monotonous process, imagine trying to get smooth shots while walking in thick mud, stepping over brush, logs, and plants. An absolute nightmare trying to achieve my shooting style. After we left the Sago tree, we had just made it back to the uma before the heavens opened up and it rained harder than any day before. Thankfully we made it back because we forgot to take our rain covers to the tree. It could’ve been a disaster. The rain and cool breeze had put us into complete relaxation, and then the Uma started shaking violently. As the uma shook for a solid 10 seconds, we all ran outside to look at the trees. We didn’t have to worry about buildings falling on us, but the massive trees in the rainforest. We later found out that earthquake was registered as a 6.7. That first earthquake acted as a portal to what was coming. We had multiple earthquakes every hour, that continued for the remainder of the trip. I went to the national earthquake registry and counted over 60 earthquakes we had while staying in Indonesia. Several were registered over 6.0. I imagined since the Mentawai lived in the Ring Of Fire, they wouldn’t worry too much about earthquakes. It wasn’t until the Shaman said they were scared that made me nervous. They hadn’t had this many frequent earthquakes in years. Something beautiful in my eyes happened every time an earthquake struck. Ta Jia Jia would run through the uma to check on his family. That is the first thing he did every single time. The tribes are very family oriented. It was very evident to see the love they have for each other. Being around them really made me miss my friends and family even more. A couple times I wanted nothing more than to tell them how much I love them. When the earthquakes came they would grab their family and everyone would go outside, most going to the banana grove. This event goes back to an old Mentawai story.
“A long time ago there was a young boy, who was the most skilled builder the tribes had ever seen. He built the most spectacular uma’s in a mind-blowing 24 hours. Other tribe members became jealous and plotted the murder of this young talent. A family bribed him to build an uma in trade for several livestock and durian trees. Upon building the uma, they had him dig the stilt holes extra deep. While digging one they dropped a beam on his head killing him. They then covered him up and planted the beam over him making it “the perfect crime.” They had all but gotten away with it, until the feast held at the uma’s completion. They feast hosted several tribal people including the victim’s sister. While in the uma, she was visited by her brothers spirit who warned her to leave the uma immediately and go to the banana groves. They all mocked her for acting weird as she gathered her food and went to the grove. As soon as she made it to the grove, the earth began to shake knocking the uma to the ground and killing everyone inside. So now, every time there’s an earthquake, they go to the banana grove in respect and remembrance of the atrocity and justice served centuries ago.”
For the 2nd half of the story, read “Mentawai Part 2″
It will be up in a day or two along with other various content from the trip.
Also be sure and check Joey’s page. He will be posting stuff from the trip soon and I promise you will want to see the photos.
Michelle:
<3 Love everything. Glad to see some more from your trip :] (09.13.2009 06:33pm)
Bekah:
So very cool, Cale! I look forward to part 2 :) (09.13.2009 06:46pm)
Joey L:
Epic dude. It's so interesting to hear everything through your head instead of my own journals. I hope you know how fortunate I feel about you coming on this trip, let's do it again soon. Joey (09.13.2009 06:50pm)
Anna Grace:
Cale, this so amazing. I am so, so, so envious that you had the chance to experience and see all of this. You are so lucky. (09.13.2009 06:51pm)
Jeremy:
watching your amazing rocket ride in the last year has been great. Congrats man. Great stories here, can't wait to hear more. (09.13.2009 07:03pm)
Duby:
this absolutely awesome brother , looking forward for part 2 (09.13.2009 07:33pm)
casey:
dude these are sick!!
hope your doing well my brother! (09.13.2009 08:09pm)
Mandy:
This is all so awesome. Definitely worth the wait.
It's crazy to think that when we first started talking you had never been out of the country and now look at you! God has done some amazing things in your life, Cale. Your drive, determination, and passion are inspiring. I am so glad you had such a beautiful experience, even with the crazy treks, earthquakes, lack of sleep, and everything else. Looking forward to part 2! (09.13.2009 08:36pm)
cale:CraigThanks a lot bro. Soon! (09.13.2009 10:02pm)
cale:Bekah - Thanks. In a day or so it will be up. (09.13.2009 10:03pm)
cale:The Real JoeyL - Yeah each moment and experience is absorbed differently. Very very stoked on it man. (09.13.2009 10:04pm)
cale:Anna -It is something you could do yourself! Just gotta work hard. Thank you very much. (09.13.2009 10:05pm)
cale:Jeremy - Hey man thank you very much. The past 12 months have definitely been interesting ones. I hope things continue to get more and more intense. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Duby - Heck yea man, so glad you liked it. Hope to see you soon man. (09.13.2009 10:06pm)
cale:Casey - Been way too long man. Hopefully we will have a run in soon. (09.13.2009 10:07pm)
cale:Mandy - Yes God still completely blows me away. All the traveling I have done in the past couple years has just been insane. I am so thankful. Thanks for the kind words, as always. It is very uplifting. (09.13.2009 10:08pm)
Misty:
Man, I'm so excited to finally see these photos. This is, hands down, the best work I've seen you do. I can see the heart you put into this, and that makes it even better. I can't wait to hear more about this trip, and to see the other pictures.
P.S., sorry for going the wrong way down the lane in the Best Buy parking lot. :) (09.13.2009 10:23pm)
cale:Misty - Wow thank you very much. Obviously all the photos that have (JoeyL Photo) are ones that he took. I have a handful of photos I will be posting to my portfolio, and not my blog. A few I really like. I am stoked for you to see the actual video montage. (09.13.2009 10:31pm)
Misty:
I'm stoked to see the video too! I'm turning into a nerd about video now that I've discovered the video my Canon gives me :). (09.13.2009 10:42pm)
Pirtle:
dude, you really are all that is man. The photos and story were so sick, I can't wait to see the rest. (09.14.2009 12:38am)
Petra:
Cale, who made all the translations? Was it Ricky? What about the women? What are their responsibilities?
What an adventure. I am a bit afraid of doing that trip with my son now, after reading all what happened to you ......but has to be!!!
What an exciting story!
Well done!
Good luck for your future. (09.14.2009 03:07am)
April K:
What an incredible journey Cale. Your stories remind me of friends' Peace Corps tales. Thanks for sharing the experience and beautiful photographs! (09.14.2009 03:12am)
Ryan Eller:
Freaking awesome...I cant wait until you post part 2! (09.14.2009 07:28am)
cale:Misty - Yeah canon is doing some ridiculous things! (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Pirtle - I get part of my man from you! The man whose website is "asstard.com!" Oh my word i am laughing out loud in the office right now. (09.14.2009 09:55am)
cale:Petra - Ricky made 80% of them while Gejeng translated the Mentawai word Ricky wasn't too sure on into Indonesian for Ricky. I am telling you, it was very very difficult on us 3 boys and we are all in very good shape.
There are tons of women. When we trekked to and from Madobag, they would trek ahead of the men. Then when we all hang out, the women hang together in the back, and the men hang together in the front. We asked why they did this and they simply replied. "Because women talk about women things, and guys talk about guy things." It isn't because of a disrespect or like some cultures the women are less equal. It's simply because of guys wanna hang with guys. We have pictures with the females, but they were taken with Joey's camera, and I haven't gotten them yet. The women responsibilities I touch on in the 2nd post! (09.14.2009 10:03am)
cale:April - Yeah, I hope I can somehow top it! No problem, hopefully I will have a lot more to share soon. (09.14.2009 10:05am)
Nina Isabell:
now i know what you were talking about cale, absolutely amazing.
im in love with the pictures, so real you can almost feel them!
thank you so much for sharing this experience xo (09.14.2009 10:19am)
Tyler Clarensau:
Dude, this is ridiculous. Thanks for posting all of this. (09.14.2009 10:56am)
cj:
Whoa dude, this is unreal. What a trip!
Stoked for part two.
cj (09.14.2009 11:40am)
Alex Gandy:
No words can describe my envy. Im happy for you man! (09.14.2009 12:18pm)
Amy:
I think I can speak for many people when I say the love and passion you put into your work is a true example of a gift from God. You are a walking example that any dream, desire or passion can be achieved. Thank you for sharing. I did laugh about the boat and the throw up because I do know you well and I can only imagine you at those moments but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
- Amy Swearingen (Cooper) (09.14.2009 01:39pm)
cale:Nina - Hey thank you so much Nina. It really means a lot. More coming soon. (09.14.2009 04:04pm)
cale:
Tyler - No thank you for checking it out man. Hope we cross paths soon. (09.14.2009 04:05pm)
cale:
CJ - I am still trying to grasp the trip too. It's much appreciated sir. (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Alex - Hey man it's been a while. Thanks for checking it out! (09.14.2009 04:06pm)
cale:
Amy hahahaha yeah it was so tough being on that boat. Ughhh i still have bad thoughts about it. Thank you for the inspiring words. I take them whole heartily. Thank you. (09.14.2009 04:07pm)
Mandy:
of course! but if you keep pulling this whole tease thing, I might have to take those nice words back :) (09.14.2009 04:50pm)
Ricky Vhoetra:
Fantastic Bud!!!
You know your story made me bloody missing you all guys, please do it again soon bud. Joey, I had a details how to get Koroway Tribe Bud and let's do it ASAP!! (09.15.2009 01:35am)
cale:Ricky - Lets get on it then bro!!!! (09.15.2009 11:03am)
Breezy Scott:
Hi Cale! It was so good to read about your trip! I miss you old friend. I am SO happy that you're getting to experience all of these things! <3 Breezy (09.15.2009 12:34pm)
cale:Breezy - Girl I know it is you! Glad you read it and everything. I will let you know next time I make it home. (09.15.2009 01:05pm)
Aunt Shanna:
Hey Cale
Totally blows me away! Enjoy every minute. What can I say? I'm so proud of you.
Be safe! When I saw you, I was looking at Robert. You two favor each other greatly.
Love (09.15.2009 05:32pm)
Brent Okuley:
Dude! These are incredible!! What an excellent experience this must have been! (09.17.2009 03:22am)
cale:Brent - When are we going to go on an extravaganza and live off the land? (09.18.2009 03:40pm)
cale:Shanna - It totally blew me away too. I still can't believe it happened. Yeah who would knew we'd turn out this way?? (09.18.2009 03:42pm)
quillan:
dude that is freakin awesome. wow. (09.29.2009 09:35pm)
Cuz Ryan:
Stunning... I'm at a loss for words. And a bit jealous too! Need any help? Mom forwarded me this link. Could you add my address when you send family stuff? I'd love to see more. (10.05.2009 09:48am)
Ainslie:
Just so jealous for the passion and experience Cale . Everything we learn from in life is always with some sort of barrier or struggle. The trip will stay with you forever, and completely change the way you view to world.
I have a daughter who is 19 and my main wish for her in life, is to travel - there is no other way in life that will show you "life" There are quite a few people I know that I would love to stick on that cramped wooden boat with the muslim men, that sh*t changes you! (10.07.2009 03:46pm)
Julz:
I've always wanted to check out your blog/video about the Mentawai, but I didn't have the time nor the luxury of a fast internet connection when I was in Manila. Thank God it's summer break from school, and I'm home in Cebu-- I finally got to check this out. And it just blew me away.
The film was just just completely awesome... Nice work, Cale! Your work just inspires me to study harder in school (since I'm studying digital film making), and I cannot wait to shoot beautiful things like you do. Thanks!
P.S. I have Relient K to thank for coming across your work. Loved the webisodes :)
-Julie (05.13.2010 09:47am)
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