Not In My BackYard

One of the oddest things about doing this work is our dependence on the hospitality of the people we are studying. This morning we (7 people) showed up in a village where we knew no one, and asked to spend the night. Of course they said yes – because everyone recognizes that no hotels or guesthouses exist in this part of the world. We are staying with a VERY rich man. The house is complete with a living room full of furniture, adjacent shop, running water, indoor toilets, beds, and a kitchen table. Which is definitely the most surprising aspect of the house – even in the cities people don’t often use tables.

Our host made his money from logging, rubber, mining, and oil palm – all the usual suspects in Kalimantan. He is the most powerful man in the village. However, he is adamantly anti-oil palm. I think he has NIMBY syndrome – he recognizes the negative effects of oil palm development, but also wants to make money. So he has bought oil palm in nearby regions, but refuses to allow oil palm where he lives.