As an anthropologist, I’m accustomed to answering people’s questions about what it is that I do:
Do you study spiders? No, I leave the arthropods (spiders) to the entomologists.
Have you dug up any interesting fossils lately? Well…. umm, no. That’s palaeontology, and whilst some of the people I work with might be unkindly described as ‘fossils’, they’re most certainly alive.
Anthropology is, of course, the study of human cultures. In my case, it’s working with Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory to help protect their sacred sites.
Of course, most people probably assume that anthropologists know what archaeologists do in the field, and vice versa, as the disciplines share a lot of similarities.
In reality, this isn’t quite the truth – which is exactly what I discovered at a recent Flinders University field school on archaeological field methods at Redbanks (near Mallala).
1. It’s Not About the Digging
I thought I’d be carefully excavating artefacts in neatly squared trenches with all manner of natty little trowels and brushes.
I was sadly mistaken.
Most archaeology in Australia involves field surveys, which means you’re looking for artefacts on the ground: lots of walking, surveying, measuring, flagging and recording artefacts in the database at night.
2.You Will Be Mistaken for a Surveyor
Theodolites. Dumpy levels. Red and white sticks.
Archaeologists use all of these – and more.
People driving past your field site WILL mistake you for a surveyor.
After several days of holding up a red and white stick and making sure it’s level, you will mistake yourself for a surveyor, too.
3. Archaeologists Love Gadgets
Studying archaeology gives me a whole new excuse to buy more gadgets!
There’s callipers, portable desks, prismatic compasses, weather-proof notebooks, brushes, scales…
…and at last a real excuse to buy an iPad for work!
4. No Snakes, But…
Indiana Jones always seems to find snakes. During 11 years of outback fieldwork, I’ve rarely encountered snakes.
Beetles, ants, flies and spiders, however, are everywhere:
Do NOT forget the Aeroguard!
5. Flagging, Tagging and Bagging
Despite the Hollywood stereotypes, archaeology has plenty of repetitive-but-necessary tasks.
Like flagging, collecting and recording more than a thousand glass fragments, broken pieces of ceramic and and clay bricks.
Whilst we didn’t uncover any buried treasures, I did walk away learning something that’s true for both archaeology and anthropology: always expect the unexpected.
What to do with THIS blog
Given that I am so busy elsewhere….
It seems rather silly to maintain this blog at all.
As a medium for communicating my thoughts and feelings, Twitter and Facebook have replaced blogging for me.
I was going to write a parting post and delete the blog, but then I realised that the blog is a PR3 and in many ways, an asset to my business.
So I think I’ll leave it up for the time being, purely for my own evil purposes. (Insert evil laugh).
Updating Life
2011 was a pretty crap year for me. In late 2010, I was promoted to a director’s position in the agency I work for. This means I’m in senior management, doing strategic management rather than operational management. I do very, very little anthropological fieldwork anymore.
I do get on planes a lot, though.
I suffered months of depression, struggled to act simultaneously in 3 positions at work, and did not enjoy managing certain individuals at all. Afterall, I am an anthropologist. I have no quals in management, and have no FREAKIN’ desire to obtain an MBA.
Steep learning curve, indeed!
However, on a positive note, I completed a course in forensic anthropology and became involved in the identification of human remains found near Alice Springs in late November. This side of anthropology has always been a passion, and I’ve decided to pursue this by undertaking a Masters in Archaeology this year.
(not insane, I’m just no ordinary girl)
On the business side, my partner and I started an online business (Travel Outback Australia is part of that). I’m pleased to say that in the last 6 months of 2011, we made $4000 online.
This is where I’m heading in 2012. Thus, this blog still has a purpose.
The River House
In late 2010, Gary and I bought a second home.
This is a complete retreat, on 24 beautiful bush acres, right on the Murray River in South Australia. The river is 50 metres from our front steps.
There’s no streetlights, you can’t see any neighbours and there are NO FREAKIN hoons in cars roaring past.
At night, it’s quiet and dark.
This might sound scary to city folks, but for those of us who are healed by nature and time away from people, it’s a blessing.
We’ve spent quite a lot of time going back and forth this year, spending most of our holidays here. There’s gardens, sheds, chicken yards, horse stables, and lots and lots of natural bush.
Our plan is to move here in a couple of years.
Yoga
…Next question.
I’m quite disgusted at one section of the yoga community.
Not here in Australia, but those Stateside.
I mean, most people know that before you open your mouth, it’s a good idea to check your facts.
Unfortunately, some folks don’t share this philosophy.
Even stranger, they unfriend you when you point out their mistake.
The uncritical acceptance of things that simply aren’t real/true is something I can no longer abide.
I haven’t been practicing yoga regularly. At least, not the yoga that most in the yoga community would recognise.
Perhaps being a real yoga rebel is part of the shift I’m ready for this year.
My inspiration: no one you’d ever imagine or associate with yoga.
Let’s just say, from now on most of my yoga will be very, very private.
Focus
Over the past 2 years, I’ve learned more than I ever would have imagined about things like HTML, SEO, writing copy and more.
All things which have re-ignited by creative fires and given me passion where I had none.
This was a journey that began with Desert Book Chick (my book blog which I’ve killed off) and continued with Travel Outback Australia.
I’m sure you’re not wondering what I’ll be focussing on right now, but in the off chance that you are:
- freedom
- simplicity
- owning/doing less
Sampai jumpa lagi
This blog…
Hi all,
It’s a long, long time since I’ve updated this blog.
I can tell you that I won’t be updating this blog often, as I’ve moved on. However, as it continues to get a lot of hits and people seem to enjoy the content, I’ll leave it up here.
If you’re looking for what I’m up to, or want to get in touch, please try the following:
Desert Mandala
Facebook
Twitter
And the site that’s making us serious internet money: Travel Outback Australia
Love to hear from you soon 
Into the Desert
You might have gathered that I have been extremely busy for the past three weeks. At work, at home, even in my sleep.
My work has been crazy-busy, so busy I am not even going to attempt to explain it, and now I have run right up against my holiday (vacation).
In fact, I started my annual leave yesterday, but today (Saturday) I spent 3 hours in the office without interruptions and was able to finish something which should have been finished 3 weeks ago. Tomorrow, I’ll be going back to finish off more work which I simply haven’t been able to get near for nearly two months.
On Monday then, we head off into the desert for three weeks. Whilst I was intending to schedule some posts when I was away (both here and on my other blog) I’ve been so busy this hasn’t eventuated.
The desert? The Simpson Desert, the Oodnadatta Track and various other places. Place so remote, there’s no electricity. No internet and definitely NO mobile (cell) phone reception. We are meeting up with my brother and his family at Maree. (Please check out the links). Then we will be driving north and camping out under the stars along the Oodnadatta Track, up to Dalhousie Springs, up through the Simpson Desert and eventually back into Alice Springs.
This trip has been over a year in the planning, and we are all so excited to start our fabulous journey… and to have a rest and recharge out bush away from everything. Thus, if you’re waiting to hear from me, see a reply to a comment or email or wonder when and IF I’ll be writing again…
…I’ll be back in three weeks.
Namaste
Tales From the Field
In the last few weeks we’ve had more than our entire year’s rainfall. The country is striking – almost like a slap in the face as you travel through green, green grass, violet blue sky…
…and burnt red earth.
I drove down into the top of South Australia and saw the Hugh River flowing like I’ve rarely seen it flow before. The birds were incredible, budgies and cockatiels, and Songlarks and Crested Bellbirds and of course, Honeyeaters:
…And the road and sacred sites
… the reasons I was let loose on the world.
It’s All About the Core Or: The Freedom to Fly
I was doing yoga for nearly 5 years before I had the courage to even attempt a headstand. I still remember my first wobbly headstand against the library wall at home clearly. I purposely did it at home, because I didn’t want people in the yoga class to see me fail. I recall my fear at doing it, my surprise when I was able to do it and the confidence it gave me afterwards.
For me, it’s a bit of a cliche that Sirsasana is called ‘the King’ of yoga poses … the pose that you absolutely must do if you’re anywhere near serious about yoga. Go into a yoga class and people look at you with something less than respect if you can’t pop a headstand in the middle of the room. Personally, I think Ardho Mukha Svanasna is the ‘king’ of poses, and -I’ll be honest here- it irks me that those same people can’t hold adho mukha svanasana and just be with it for 2 minutes to save their lives. But then, why do we need ‘king’ or ‘queen’ poses anyway? Which is a whole other post… so I’ll leave it there.
What I am interested in sharing is realisation that I had whilst figuring out my journey through Sirsasana, and whether I could apply the same principles to Adho Mukha Vrksasana (AMV/handstand). (I’m currently playing with AMV in my home practice).
Time to Back Track….
As a child I was told not to do headstands, handstands or anything that involved putting pressure on my neck because I might end up in a wheelchair. Or worse.
Now, I’m sure my mother told me this because she was worried that I might hurt myself. As both my brother and I are adopted, from an early age, I detected a level of protection on behalf of my parents which other children did not experience, and -unfortunately- was at odds with my independent personality. In the end, I just ‘did stuff’ and Mum never knew.
However, that early ‘tape’ about headstands, neck injuries, paraplegia and death was recorded by my brain. It’s still playing, although I’ve taught my brain that, as I have a healthy neck and no other medical contraindications, I am allowed to do headstands.
Fast Forward: 2010, My Bathroom
After I did my first wobbly Sirsasana against the wall at home, and then got up enough courage to go public with it, I spent a lot of time watching, talking and learning. There was something that I learned about Sirsasana which came back to me the other day as I lifted up into AMV -against the wall in my bathroom (was subsequently busted by my son, who asked what on Earth I was doing!). The secret to headstand wasn’t just the pressing down of the forearms into against the floor, it was THE CORE!
In AMV, it’s all about the core. A strong switched on set of belly muscles meant that I was able to find an amazing sense of ease and balance very quickly, rather than just kicking up and hoping for the best.
Washing in the Rain
Later, as I was running from house to laundry in the middle of the biggest wet (translation: most rain) we’ve had in 8 years, something else occurred to me. Having a strong core is the key to everything. Not just on the yoga mat, but off the yoga mat as well. I’m talking about the metaphoric core here, the metaphoric central foundations, fundamentals, heart, basics of almost anything I do. I can run, because I can walk, I can walk, because I could crawl, I can crawl because I could sit … and so on, right back down to breathing.
So the lesson for me is: don’t be in a hurry to progress (not that I often am these days, when you pass 30, you learn patience), and spend a lot of time strengthening the core, no matter what it is that I’m trying to achieve. Go back to the core and love it very much. Admire it from time to time and just be with it, rather than lifting up into yet another headstand.
In loving the core, the basics, you find the strength and freedom to fly.
Cat Wheeler: Author, Environmental and Social Activist
Cat Wheeler is the author of Dragons in the Bath, a book I reviewed on my other blog Desert Book Chick earlier this week.
Cat lives in Bali, Indonesia, and is intensely involved in environmental education and social development:
Environmentalist, writer, Reiki master and remorseless optimist, Ibu Kat helps to raise funds, write proposals and design programs for a variety of environmental and community needs.
She lives in Ubud with three dogs, a bald parrot, and a succession of unsolicited wildlife.
Cat, who’s lived and worked in Bali for nearly a decade, has written a book that presents a rich tapestry -both humorous and informative- of life in Bali. Dragons in the Bath is rich with ritual, authenticity and understanding. As I have a strong connection with Indonesia (I went to university in Java for a while) and visit nearly every year, I enjoyed Cat’s insights into life in Bali. Being an anthropologist who specialises in environmental anthropology, I found Cat’s book and experiences both entertaining and sobering.
Although Bali (and most of Indonesia) is not stricken with poverty like other places, it suffers from underemployment, overpopulation, lack of infrastructure and is reeling from the effects of the Green Revolution and an obsession with plastic wrapping. Add to this the millions of tourists who visit Bali every year, and the pressure upon the island’s environment shouldn’t be hard to imagine. Indeed, it’s almost unthinkable that a tropical island like Bali would suffer from water shortages, but it does.
Keen to learn more, I decided to ask Cat (known in Bali as Ibu Kat) a few questions about her book and the issues it raises.
DBC: What has been the reaction to the book in Bali, especially from those people or the communities you write about?
Cat: So many expatriates living here have contacted me to say how much the book resonates with them, and how accurately it reflects their lives here. They buy it for friends and relatives to help them understand the realities of living here.
When I write about issues and NGOs, I always tried to include contact details in the book so readers can follow up if they are so moved. In several cases this has resulted in donations, visits and broader networks. 
DBC: I enjoyed the manner in which you conveyed the complexity of environmental and social issues in contemporary Bali. For example, the collection of tropical fish by Balinese fishermen is not a simple matter of stopping or prohibiting people from collecting fish; rather you showed that there are communities and families which rely on the income from these industries, and the answer to ensuring the survival of endangered species and entire ecosystems might be education and the adoption of sustainable collection methods. In hindsight, how effective are education, community control and management in relation to sustainable harvests such as live tropical fish? What have been the longer term outcomes for the communities involved?
Cat: It is a slow process, of course, but community involvement is probably the most effective and sustainable method of environmental management. (If you want specific details about the tropical fish issue, please contact Gayatri Lilley whose project this is at gayatri@lini.or.id). These situations need win-win solutions. Outsiders, whether they be government agencies or well-meaning foreigners, can’t just walk into a community and impose a solution. The communities know what their problems are and what will work.
DBC: In the book, you mention underground rainwater reservoirs in Australia. Rainwater collection from roofs into rainwater tanks is a primary water source for many rural and semi-rural Australians: rainwater tanks, gutters and downpipes are everywhere. Yet it is astounding to me that hardly any rainwater is collected in Bali (and other parts of monsoonal Asia), given the both the reliability of the monsoon and the well known problems about scarce water resources in these areas. Are rainwater tanks not culturally appropriate, too expensive or simply not widely known in Bali? Do you think they could offer part of the solution to securing household water supplies?
Cat: I believe part of it is cultural/social… strategic planning is not part of the culture here! This is probably due to the tropical abundance which ensures people will never go hungry, so the skills of planning ahead for survival through a cold winter never had to be developed (they are hard-wired into Scandanavians and Canadians!) (DBC notes: this is exactly what I’ve noticed after 10 years of living and working with Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. Strategic planning is a cultural meme descended from thousands of years of life in cold climates). Around most of Bali until a generation ago, people went to the river to bathe and socialise and do the laundry, and collected drinking water from wells or springs. The capital costs of large rainwater tanks, guttering, taps and perhaps pumps are still too high for most families. I believe rainwater is the best solution here — during a heavy rain it all runs off into the sea and a week later people are complaining that there is no water! My Rotary club and other organizations are investing in simple rainwater catchment tanks in dry areas. I understand the government has started to build dams, but I am having trouble getting information about these.
DBC: Having read anthropologist Stephen Lansing’s ethnography of the subak system, Perfect Order, I’m interested in hearing more about it from a resident’s perspective. To what extent is the subak system still functioning in Bali, and what is people’s current awareness of the role of this system in Bali’s economic and social structures?
Cat: The subak system is still operating well in more remote areas such as Jatih Luih (one of Lansing’s study areas) but it is breaking down in places around Ubud. The water supply on the island generally is decreasing dramatically as water tables drop. Half of Bali’s rivers have dried up in the past decade. Some subaks no longer grow rice at all because there isn’t enough water; the fields are fallow or now grow corn or peanuts. In other areas, rice farmers are quarreling about water and witholding it from other farmers (this has never happened before as far as I am aware). And of course subaks in the south and around Ubud have become housing developments. Bali loses about 800 – 1000 hectares of agricultural land a year to development.
I talk to farmers about this and they are bewildered. These are unsophisticated people, and rice farming is all they know.
DBC: Can you suggest some local community development/ environmental projects in Bali that would benefit from readers’ support?
These are a few of my favourites:
http://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org/(poverty alleviation, sustinable agriculture, basic health care, water)
www.humanitarianprojectsindonesia.org Cataracts/TB/cleft lip
www.fnpf.org (Friends of the National Park Fund – reforestation on Nusa Penida)
www.senyumbali.org (Smile Fund – facial deformities)
www.sjakitarius.nl (children with mental disabilities)
DBC: Lastly, have you plans for another book about Bali?
Cat: Well, the book came out of many years of writing the column, and I am still writing it… so there may be another one eventually.
If you’d like to learn more about Cat’s book and work, her website is here. If you’d like to learn more about social and environmental projects in Bali, and get involved, please visit the links above. Finally, get hold of Cat’s book and give it a read. You’ll find find life through the eyes of an expat Canadian a hilarious and sobering read.
