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My time in Aceh has been bittersweet. The first time I came to Aceh was about this time last year...I photographed the 5th anniversary of the 2004 tsunami and life post conflict. I had a number of stories I wanted to work on, and for the most part, had a very productive 2 weeks, many thanks to my fixer/translator. I guess I had the same expectation this time around. Only I found myself on a plane two days after arriving in Aceh, to Thailand, to cover a colleague who fell ill in the hospital and could not photograph a job for several days. Thankful for this unexpected job and extra cash, I did however loose 4 days that I would have spent otherwise working on my project on Sharia law....returning to Aceh and realizing it just wouldn't be enough time to gain access and time to photograph, i stayed in Banda Aceh trying to scratch at the surface of other ideas for my project.
The most challenging part is that i came across many obstacles for stories. I don't know if it was me expecting too much to accomplish, or it was the mystery of the universe telling me to slow down. Some times, some things just don't click right away. Its all about timing. So until next spring, I'll be planning better, and saving, for yet another return. And maybe with a little bahasa Indonesian.