Life in Irian Jaya
Life in Irian Jaya
On Nov. 14, 1994, I underwent a cataract operation. It seems that cataracts are an unescapable illness for most old men, so there was nothing special about such an operation. I spent one night in the recovery room and, on this occasion, I made the acquaintance of a husband and wife who occupied the same room. This again is nothing special, but what the husband and wife told me about life in Irian Jaya as the well-known Freeport (American) company's employee is worth writing about.
The husband was admitted to the Eye-Center (name of hospital), because during the performance of his duty, a grinding stone suddenly got loose from its position and hit him in the eyes. One eye was totally blinded and even the best ophthalmologists in Australia and Indonesia could not save it. The other eye could still be saved although when I came to know him, everything he saw was blurred. Freeport Company was magnanimous enough to give him the best possible treatment, even though he has to spend a couple of weeks in an Australian Hospital. Needless to say that a substantial amount has been spent for the patient.
When Freeport was first established a few decades ago, only men were employed. I happen to know someone who worked as a truck driver at that time. They lived a Spartan life and they were indeed pioneers of the establishment. The hardships they endured and the dangers the workers were exposed to, at a region a few thousand meters above sea-level, were remarkable.
At present, Freeport has its own amusement facilities, schools for even the children of foreign employees, because the employees of this company consist of a melting pot of all races; most of them engineers. Copper is what the company is looking for, and it seems that the world needs a great deal of this mineral, otherwise this company would not establish a modern city in such a remote place at three to four thousand meters above sea level.
Food, including vegetables are in abundance although it must have cost a lot of money to import from faraway places by plane. The lodgings of the male workers are comfortable. In short, the company takes great pains to see to it that their foreign, as well as the local, employees are living comfortably. With the establishment of Freeport company, new villages sprouted up which were mostly created by people from Java, who are willing to endure hardships where it is easier to earn extra money than in Java.
As most of the workers are men, naturally the oldest profession on earth came into existence to cater the libido of the menfolk and the off-color tales that go with profession are many and hilarious, but I do not think suitable for print.
A. DJUANA
Jakarta