Aceh Tsunami Museum

Across Lapangan Blang Padang is Museum Tsunami Aceh or Aceh Tsunami Museum.

But I had to arrest my self and be objectively pragmatic about what I was seeing - meaning stay away from the pain that my country was/is not acknowledged anywhere, for any negligible help it has done.

Well, I must say, this museum was very well designed, at least form the point of view of a normal non-technical tourist hehe. Basta malaki at maganda sya sa biglang tingin, ganun! Na nagbabadya maging white elephant. What do I mean? It's a hi-tech museum that now no one wants to own, kasi magastos!

You probably won't be interested to know the details of that issue, but it is a very good lesson to learn: just because there are donors, does not mean you can keep accepting built structures, because, in the long run, you'll need money for O&M (Operations and Maintenance) to make it sustainable. Meron ba?

That is what happened (sa tingin ko). But let us go around anyway, because as I said, ang ganda nya!

Observation 1: there were no tickets needed. Just enter as you please, this is a public edifice anyway!

That, was during the 'lucky' time of my visit. Staff told me, collection of entrance fee could be put back in place soon, there is just some matters of principle being discussed by their 'political leaders that be'!

You walk down a narrowing and darkening path as if on your way to some movie theater below earth.

It was wet and uneven and dark. Water was dripping everywhere. Then the sound of someone calling, then too many of them. Then a sound of someone praying Quranic verses, then too many of them too.

I wish I had a tour guide, but I guess theres a reason for that kind of entry to the museum. Everything's meant to make the visitor feel, how it was when the tsunami 'attacked' them. Maka-panindig-balahibo!

In that "abyss", you see flickering lights in the darkness. If you go near each of them, they were photos and/or videos taken during and after the devastation - the confusion, the suffering, the hopelessness.

Then you see you are in some kind of inverted cone, all around it are engraved each of the thousands of names of people who perished in this calamity. At the top is a bright light (the sky), there is a word across it that says "Allah". The pathway goes spiraling up, then you emerge at a higher museum level.

That area features the countries that helped Banda Aceh in their recovery. Huwag mo nang hanapin... wala talaga ang watawat natin - pramis! Yes masakit. Masakit sa puso na hindi ganun kalaki ang mga naitulong natin sa kanilang pag-bangon, kung kaya hindi iwinagayway ang pangalan at watawat natin.

Aba.., 'wag lang sana nakaligtaan nila, dahil mas masakit yun...

Anyway, from that level (2nd level) all the way up to the roof, are various displays and function rooms.

If you look at the exhibits closely, they are not simple so-so photos ha? They are big and of very good quality photographs, framed or mounted well, in not so simple racks. sosyalin ang dating ng museum.

The dioramas and other displays are also glass-encased, top-notch museum quality. Very impressive!

They could really tell a very good story with the desired impact - to say the least. Excellent dioramas.

This is one big building. Huge enough to probably even contain a national museum of one country!

Just the elevator lobby on each floor, can serve as temporary museum display or performance areas.

Some of the items are even duplications (though via other media) of things already on show, like this:

One is a perspective drawing, while the other is a big scale model of the museum building itself. Wow!

Here's a large, heavy wood frame (as wide as a dining table) acknowledging red cross organizations:

And do I have to say it? Kelangan ko ba talaga banggitin? Okay, wala dyan ang Pilipinas! We know that our Philippine Red Cross helped out. But maybe it was not help enough, to merit being acknowledged.

Malay natin, baka naman binigyan si Gordon ng "plaque of appreciation" na nasa 1/4 sheet of paper!

Anyway, in the upper floors, the displays are a bit more on the high-tech. Many of them are interactive.

Science! Look, the displays start with the creation of our planet in the universe - The Big Bang Theory. I do assure you these aren't just for kids. Also for us who didn't listen well in class when we were kids!

Example: the big lighted boards plus that video screen in the middle explain how earthquakes happen.

And if you look around, there are many of those big lighted boards and wide flat screen TVs. Oh ha?!

Some of the videos keep playing 'forever', some when you touch them, some when you push a button.

And some... do not anymore function kahit maglupasay maghuramentado ka pa. Sira na, shyogok na!

Mind you, not everything is just 'digital'. Some are mechanical. Gumagalaw na mala-sci-fi movies.

Ang kaso mo... katulad ng pag-ibig... walang forever. Lahat meron hangganan. Tumitirik din kalaunan!

Those things at the back, aba, those are (were?) various demonstrations of how things shake during a tremor. As in nagkukurugkurug, nagsasarayaw mana inano ka! Depending on your 'magnitude setting'!

The only problem is... tulad sa atin, magaling lang nung simula, ngayon puro tigbak na!

As said above, the consoles were modernistic and greatly interactive - they are very educational.

And no 'di hinuhulugan ng piso yan para gumana! Kaso nga karamihan sira na. Baka kelangan ng piso!

Ah, on this one, my ignorance got me laughing - akala ko lagayan ng "santo entiero" sa cuaresma...

At first glance it looks like just an empty glass box na naghihintay ng mga palamuti para sa prosisyon.
But if you go near it, the "ceiling" of the box has some kind of a map diorama with pin lights dropping.

Woa! Sorry, I must say I'm not anymore updated with how things are creatively displayed at museums these days and/or what are the best most recent high-technology solutions of 'presenting knowledge'.

That one really got me perplexed, I waited for a staff to pass-by so I could ask. I said "hey, please help me understand what this is". His reply was "oh sorry sir, that one is no more. no computer. no power"!

Okay, I had to set my curiosity aside. But I kept thinking... ano kaya yun? Hindi naman karosa hehehe"!

This one also got my attention (although pang nerd na ito, hindi sa pangkaraniwang turista)...

The section explains in detail about the soil or earth deposits that are left by/after a tsunami. Thus, a scientist can tell if a tsunami may have occurred years ago, by looking at the soil content. Nose bleed!

Nose bleed na kung nose bleed, I was already there, nagkunwari nalang alam ko ang 'that means' nila!

I can translate that. I mean naiintindihan ko - "ang usual daw na hulma ng baybayin na tsinutsunami o natsutsunami". Basta, parang ganun. Kaso, me mga pindutan sa baba representing various scenarios.

Kunwari, the 1st buton says "hutan di garis depan" [meron gubat sa harap/baybayin]. What would then happen kung pinindot ko yun? Ano, magkakatubig yung box na yun na parang nagdedelubyo? Sosyal!

Eh kung sira na pala yun at umapaw ang tubig sa sahig nilang parang di pa naba-vacuum ever? Takot ako! Lalo na yung 2nd to last button says "ALL". Juskopo gino-o ko, what will happen? Parang blender?

Somewhere in me said "sige nga, dutdutin mo"! But another part of me was saying "OMG magsitigil ka PT baka kung ano mangyar't sumabog yan"! Tawa nalang ako magisa saying "Lord bakit ako nandito"?

Magaling! Kaso taga-bundok lang ako nag-iisa sa makabagong museum na'to. So, hinay-hinay si ako! Aba mahirap na, baka kung ano mapindot ko hahaha! If I had a tour guide, this would have been better especially that some items got no English translations. Info overload parang dudugo na pati tenga ko!

By the way, still on the photo above, you see that ATM-looking gadget at the right end? Hindi yan tubig machine. It is in fact a learning kiosk (computer sya) labeled "ensiklopedi bumi" [Earth Encyclopedia]. That one I liked, as I knew how to use it. Touch-screen sya, parang sa mga airport check-in kiosk lang.

There are other items with supposed moving, lighting and/or flickering parts (mechanical and digital), especially on the top 2 floors. However, one can readily observe that, many of these are not anymore serviceable as in total dilapidation/disrepair, while others need power (electricity) to properly function.

Well, I noticed there are permanently-closed areas with junk and permanently-closed rooms like this:

I very well know the reason why a "donor room" has to be permanently closed - because it will only be opened if high officials of said donor country will ever visit this place again, so they will see everything still looks good - which would mean they (museum personnel) are taking great care of the donations!

Alam nyo ba I really thought that is/was a twisted/stupid mentality of Filipinos? I will have to say sorry "to all whom it may concern", because apparently, it is a twisted mentality of human beings in general!

What do I mean? Well, eto si recipient, in its desire to 'make it appear' that they value the donations of the donor, ikinandado lahat ng information about the donor inside a dedicated Donor's Room. So that, pag balik ni donor (kung sakali man babalik sila), they'll show it off, as if to say "eto inalagaan namin"!

Eh kung ikaw si donor, gugustuhin mo bang itago nila sa locked room ang information mo as donor? Di ba you shared it for the world to know? Ayun, ang info about the Japan 3/11/11 tsunami, nakatago!

Teka, ituloy nain ito, naglalabas na ako ng inis hehehe! Nyeta, hirap na hirap ako idikit yung camera sa glass door na naka-lock, izo-zoom pa, makuhanan lang ang mga yan (the 3 photos above). Sa asar ko, tinawagan ko si donor. Sabi ko "hoy Japan, did you ask for a Donor Room at Aceh Tsunami Museum"?

Ang sagot "no we did not, why would we need one"? I also asked "why do you want to keep the Sendai Tsunami information and photos inside a locked room? Ang sagot "no, that's for sharing to the world"!

Ganun! So, ang suma tutal, eto si 'recipient' in the effort to show that they value the donor's donations, nawalan tuloy ng value ang information that the donor wanted to share to the world! Eh ikinandado e! Hindi info about Japan ang dapat pinaka-ingatan nila, kundi yun mga "lindol simulator" na sira-sira na!

Lesson learned: and mga dispalinghadong pag-iisip, hindi pala solo ng Pinoy hehehe hahaha!

Wag ka masyadong tumawa dahil ganyan ka kabayan! Nasaan na yung Rolex na iniregalo ng tatay mo nung graduation mo? Di ba ayaw mo gamitin baka masira? Itinago lang sa baul, ayun tuloy nasira nga!

Haaay hehehe, if I was not traveling, I would probably not be learning about these many things!

And then there is a library. Yes, inside the Aceh Tsunami Museum, there is a nice-looking library!

Sarado rin, mukhang matagal na ring hindi binubuksan. But I didn't anymore wait for people in-charge. Based on the previous room (Donor's room), I was already sure, that this Library was never to be open at the time of my visit, the books looked like they were never touched by human hands for a long time.

Oh, there was this other section, where like above, I also just pressed my camera to the glass wall!

Well, those paintings look valuable and for sale. So okay, they're better vaulting those in or else...

Their storage rooms are probably already so full with useless junk that were previously on display!

That's the 'sayang' part that I feel for this building. It's one of the best I have seen so far, as a museum concept and architectural rendition. But it's very obvious that they're having a hard time maintaining it.

Going down & out, no need for anyone to tell me things. I could appreciate the edifice by looking at it!

That 'wet dark and chaotic abyss' of an entrance to the museum, I realized, is actually under that pool. So water cascading on the walls, probably also comes from this pool or the same water source. Wow!

Under that far end of the pool is what they call the memorial hall, where all those pictures and videos of and during the tsunami are displayed with the sounds of chaos, trouble and suffering can be heard.

You see that big round shape also over at that end? That is the conical thing with all the names of the dead rising up to the highest point of the building, where there is a sunroof with the Arabic inscription that says "God". That's also the spiral rampway going up to this level called the "bridge of friendship"!

It goes up to the upper level (via that bridge) where one finds the various rooms with all the recovery images, facts, figures, videos, etc. Levels up are gadgets & tools related to earthquakes and tsunamis.

Very cleverly designed. Ang galing!

From up here, it feels like you are under the building, but in fact you are already on the second level!

I think this design element goes back to the shapes/forms of houses in Southeast Asia, where ground level ("under the house") is for animals and farm implements. Here you have an amphitheater instead!

A scattering of vehicles and other things destroyed by the tsunami are now design accents all over!

And yes, some of the empty spaces are promenades but can act as performance spaces, if need be...

This isn't entrance lobby. It's an open space above the shops, restaurant and entrance ticket counters.

See this guy? He was standing on that space above - it's like a promenade or performance venue.

As I kept saying, this is one beautifully conceptualized museum with very apt architecture. Superb!

But it looks like they realized "ay, ang laki pala nito"! So, the issues that're little-by-little appearing in the visitors' eyes are: 1) they are not able to sustain their displays and 2) not able to maintain the building!

Fiscal management lang yan!

But overall, this should be a wonderfully complete showcase to all countries (and peoples) on what to do, after all the "excess" help from donors overwhelmingly arrive as response to a disaster. Not easy!

And my fickle mind is still asking...
"Ganoon ba talaga ka-konti ang tulong namin para hindi nyo iwagayway ang aming watawat? Ha?

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