Chapter 1: Bona Fides

All I wanted to do was complete my dissertation: My doctoral thesis on micro-economic factor influence on cultural/religious beliefs and the establishment of immediate normative behavior. I did not have a dog in any fight. Yes, sure I am a third generation product of the Woman's Liberation movement in the USA, but while my grandmother might speak of Gloria Steinem and Betty Freidan in terms of reverence and my mother was a card carrying member of NOW ... me? Well, I'm part of a completely Title IX generation. Ever since I was born, I haven't known anything else. I played soccer from the time I was five and continued on through the varsity high school team. That was the only reason I didn't go out for track ... I couldn't do both at the same time.

No one in my world told me that a woman goes to college for an 'Mrs.' I went to college because it was assumed that I would. I pursued my Master's Degree and then my Doctorate because I saw myself as traveling that path. Nowhere did I ever think, what exactly am I doing? It was the trajectory of my life. I had a serious boyfriend. We had lived together for five years. He was pursuing his studies in high-energy experimental particle physics. Life was comfortable.

I had been using Skype to interview some women on Cambodia but I was getting nowhere with my thesis. I was frustrated when I went to meet with my thesis advisor, Dr. Corneal Glade. Cornie was easy to talk with and he listened to my rambling grouchiness for a good ten minutes before he picked up a book and started to read it! I got the point and came to a full stop.

Cornie put the book down and asked: Are you asking for a little direction as to where you might focus your attention?

Like, Duh! Yes ... that would be great! Where should I look?

Amber, I ran across something recently that will require care and discretion but might be a treasure trove for your work. Check out this website.

He then handed me a scrap of paper with a URL on it and nothing more. That was it. We chatted a bit and then I took off.

I was at my desk as I typed the URL into my Dell notebook. The page that appeared allowed for login and for registration. There was nothing else on the page. I chose registration. The screen that came up next was a little surprising. It asked for the following. There were three radio buttons for: mother, daughter, husband. There was a graduating class date field. There were address fields, and cell phone fields. Attached to each cell phone field was a drop down box for carriers. These included: Globe, Smart, Sun, Talk 'n Text, US based provider.

Next there was a question in front of two fields that said: Whom do we know who will vouch for you? The first field was a check box with the names: Jun and Jake. The other field was a long memo field.

That was all. Below was a submit button.

I figured that before I submitted a registration page I needed to get something else ready. I put a PDF of my thesis proposal, an NDA I would sign for them and a cover letter, all on my personal website under a hidden link. The cover letter explained that I would protect their identities and the nature of my research. I went back to the registration page and listed myself as daughter, put my contact info in and then in the memo field I put in the URL for my documents. I clicked submit. A screen displayed a confirmation of my submission and that I would hear back in seven days if my submission was accepted.

I waited. Seven days came and went. Nothing. Another week passed and nothing happened. I was going to meet with Cornie again and discuss my failure to contact this group, when there was a knock at the apartment door. Looking through the peephole I saw an Asian woman standing there. I opened the door to find three Asian women. All attractive and nicely dressed.

One of the women handed me the document. It was not the one I had prepared. It said that this was the first of three documents and that I could never disclose the names of the individuals or any identifying information related to this meeting to anyone, ever, regardless of the outcome. My failure in this regard would cost me five hundred thousand dollars. I had no intention of divulging anything and so I signed. I did so with one of the women video recording the session and the other two countersigning. The three women put all of that away and relaxed.

They introduced themselves as Flory, Ivy and Jonna. They were Filipina. They told me that my 'registration' attempt on the website had caused a great deal of discussion within their group. Then the women dropped a bomb on me. I had to sign a document saying that I understood that I was to learn about acts that were illegal in some locales and to gain access to such information I voluntarily would engage in such an act so that I put myself in as much jeopardy as were the people I wished to study. I had to sign the document (again on video) and then engage in the act on video. Only then would any more be explained to me. I was even unable to verify that the content of the information I was to glean was worth this effort. They would disclose nothing else until I was in jeopardy.