Transit Tales

I feel like I've spent a lot of time in transit over the last few months...  in fact, I'm writing this post from a transit lounge in the Makassar airport.

Perhaps this feeling of extended transit also relates to the fact that I feel like I'm at the point in my life where I'm waiting for my flight to be called in the departure lounge as well....

Anyway, my last two trips between Indonesia and Canada, with imperfect connections, were longer than usual… and conducive to jet lag, and arriving not knowing which end was up!

Singapore Changi Airport

The massage chairs are gone!?!  Imagine my dismay, when, after walking from the far end of Terminal 3, ALL THE WAY through terminals 2 and 1 to my favourite spot in Singeapore’s Changi International Airport, the Oasis lounge, only to find out that its major draw for me (ie. the free full-body massage chairs) are no longer there!  Now, those of you who know Changi know that it’s no small feat to walk all that way… but I figured I’d get some exercise after my 6 hour flight from Tokyo to Singapore, then have a delectable rest at Oasis… unfortunately it was not to be!

But I found Sanctuary, which was the next best thing… super-comfy reclined chairs, surrounded by live plants, and dimmed lighting.  I have since been given some insider information that I must look near the out-of-the-way window seating in T 2 next time…

Personal Entertainment System

The advent of the personal entertainment system on long-haul flights is something I praised until my last flight... Someone forgot to tell the dude sitting behind me that it’s TOUCH screen, not punch screen… so for 14 hours from Toronto to Tokyo, I had to put up with my head bobbing about at the whim of Mr.IronMan and his entertainment selections… not fun.  Oh, but this guy couldn’t just pick a movie and go with it… no, he was listening to music the entire time, and choosing it SONG by SONG!

The flight connections didn’t work out so smoothly on my last trip, so I actually had an overnight in Japan.  Ok, well, I got the cheapest airport hotel available and figured at least I’d arrive well rested!  Lucky me, the Hotel Nikko Narita has a free shuttle service not only from the airport to the hotel, but also into the city of Narita.  (Yes, another case where the Tokyo international airport isn’t actually IN Tokyo… the nearest city is Narita).  But anyway, the shuttle meant I actually got into town, had some fabulous Japanese food, and visited an absolutely gorgeous temple and park compound.  I had the entire place to myself.

... there happened to be a few geocaches hidden in around there, so that is what i had for a tour-guide!

On my more recent transit through Frankfurt airport, I got a LOT of exercise!  I decided to try a geocache which was IN the airport… well, it turned out that I had to walk the entire length of the airport to get to it (then RUN BACK to my departure gate so I wasn't late for the flight!) – I approximate it was at least 3 kilometers each way!

Japanese musical chairs...

I guess the Japanese heard of this popular American game that all youngsters know from youth... and, in true Japanese form, put their own spin on it!?!

These ultra-swank toilets are truly cutting-edge!

I had my first encounter with these musical chairs on a stopover in Narita airport on my way home for Christmas, and of course, I played with all the buttons - and of course, I couldn't figure out how to shut it off!  So everyone in the washroom was probably laughing their heads off when I came out of the stall sopping wet, having had a full-fledged shower with the bidet, and the flushing sound stuck on with the volume set to high...

I'm sure that in the deluxe model there are a variety of noise buttons... For your personal 'sonic privacy', you can choose from a number of different tunes, as well as the classic flushing sound; the length and volume is completely at your discretion.  As is that of the bidet - if I'd read the instructions before just fiddling, I'm sure it would have been a very pleasurable experience... you can probably even choose the temperature of the water as well as the water pressure!?  Anyway, lesson is, RTFM.

They even provide an entire, somewhat cryptic instruction manual on their use, right in the stall, for your reading pleasure.

They hadn't yet programmed them to sing Jingle Bells for the holiday season!?

notice anything different???

nope, not a new sound... a new LOOK!

i figured out how to add titles to my posts - YES, another technical challenge complete.

Nice to meet you Mr. Village Coconut!

People often tell me how they enjoy my anecdotes and funny language-learning stories of my time here in Indonesia... I realize I should have been writing a series on this all along!

The best one to date, and thus the one I will start this series with is how I went around for an entire year, being introduced to the most important people in the villages in the Raja Ampat archipelago, and greeting them as the "Village Coconut"!

You see, kelapa (coconut) and kepala (head) were easily interchanged in my brain, got mixed up early on, and took a long time to sort out!  So the head of the village became...

"I'm so honoured to be here, Mr. Head Coconut"

"Pleased to meet you, Sir Village Coconut"...

What baffles me is, A) that no one ever let on that anything was amiss... no one cracked so much as a smile!? and B) that they let me go on saying that for AN ENTIRE YEAR without tactfully letting me know!?!

"Oh isn't that nice, little Johnny, so when you grow up you want to follow in your dad's footsteps and be the Village Coconut, too!?!"

Paint me a Song

On Tuesday evening, Helen and I ventured over to 'the other side' for an event - reknown Dutch artist Theos Sijrier (I'll be honest as well, the name didn't ring any bells for me, either, but I'll admit I'm not an abstract art buff) was doing a live painting to the music of Moko Blues Band. They call it an 'action painting performance'!?

The whole thing was set up to raise funds for disabled kids in Bali, and was hosted by Mannekepis in Seminyak.

We arrived, had a very nice, leisurely, dinner (I definitely recommend this Belgian restaurant) and drinks, and at 9 the show started. It turned out there were two artists there doing their thing... painting 6 meter x 2 meter canvases to musical accompaniment. Theos is an abstract artist, and quite a showman... he was fun to watch. It was really interesting watching the paintings evolve, and appreciate the motions that go into the creation of these works of art. I don't have the extra dough (or a wall to hang anything on for that matter), but I think it would be kinda cool to own a painting that you WATCHED being created.

The idea was that at the end of the evening, the painting would be cut up, and each piece would be auctioned off (proceeds to go to the disabled children's unit planned at the Sunrise School in Kerobokan, near Kuta)... BUT what I heard actually happened (we were too zonked to actually stay through until the end) was that one woman was so enamored with the piece as a whole she bought it on the spot!

A unique evening...

Candy Change

A phenomenon I keep forgetting to write into my blog, Candy Change, has become so common-place to me now that I sometimes don't think anything of it when a cashier hands me my receipt and a few bills with a couple candies on top!



The first time it happened to me, I actually thought the supermarket had just decided to provide complimentary mints to their customers... then I realized that my change was incomplete. Instead of providing your change in coins (anything under 1000 rupiah), candies are substituted!

At the heart of it, this just goes to show you the diminished value of the Indonesian Rupiah... The smallest denomination bill is the 1000-Rupiah note; 50-, 100- and 500-rupiah coins still exist... they just don't have any practical value. This is even more pronounced in Papua, where market-basket surveys show costs to be an average of 45% higher than other regions within Indonesia! 1000 Rupiah is the equivalent of approximately 10 cents; even that doesn't go far... it can buy a small, non-branded bar of soap, but not much else. The only thing I can think of, other than single candies, that costs less than 1000 Rupiah would be an egg (500 Rupiah). So coins are going by the wayside... stores just don't have adequate supply of small change.

So much for not taking candy from strangers!

The 'Candy Change' actually doesn't really bother me so much, although I find it annoying that when you try to pay with candies, they look at you like you're mad and outright deny you the option!

Others are not so tolerant of this phenomenon: I just read recently that there is a push to actually outlaw the use of candy as change in Bali. The outcome remains to be seen, but it seems to me a more appropriate solution is required on a national level, which addresses to root of the problem... reevaluation of the rupiah. I know it's not so simple, but what about just cutting out the zeros!?!

Hmmm... I have mixed emotions about this... it means I wouldn't be able to think of myself as a millionaire anymore! At least I can say I have been... (no need to mention that it was in a place where 100 dollars puts into the millions (of rupiah))!

Beauty Factory

Continuing on the spa theme... I have a story I wanted to share from the days BEFORE I discovered my favourite treatments. It was during the time when our language teachers were telling us all about spas and their virtues, and I was trying any treatment offered to me...

This was probably only the second time I had been to a spa in Indonesia... this popular one, also in Jogjakarta, had a very inviting lobby that was soothing and comfortable, and served tea as you waited your appointment. The price was right (as prices always are in Jogja), so I signed up...

Once led into the back room, however, I was surprised at the sight: row upon row of treatment beds lined a big open room, and were filled with women in different stages of therapy... I couldn't get the image out of my head that this was a beauty factory!

It was too late now, however, because once I had pulled the blue spa smock over my head in the dressing room, I had committed.

So I got lined up amongst the rest, and started my first (and last) 'facial'. I think the treatment consisted of about 11 different steps, although I did get so relaxed at one point that I lost count... there were various creams and scrubs and exfoliators all lovingly massaged into my skin, cool cucumbers placed over the eyes, masks and gels that felt splendid...

... then the therapist applied another gel... which was followed closely by electrocution! I'm not kidding... they took some tool out which was throwing electric shocks through my skin... hence the fun and lovingness ended. I was so stunned, and had such low language ability at the time, that I didn't know what to say... so I just sat there and let them shock me! I realize now this was probably part of their standard 'whitening' treatment, which, with my nods and smiles of non-comprehension, I probably signed up for!?

Luckily that phase, although seriously disturbing, didn't last that long... then we were onto the creambath phase... and I felt cared for again... natural fruit creams being massaged into my scalp, strong steady massage strokes intermixed with light flicks, and smooth sweeps... aaaahhh... then the masseuse started pounding me on the head... OUCH! It felt like she was cracking eggs on my crown... only this hurt more than I imagine the eggs would. Again, lack of language to blame, I didn't know how to say 'softer' or 'that hurts', so I suffered through it!

Needless to say, I went home and immediately learned those words, and have never since had electro-shock therapy!

Secret Spa Addict

Not much of a well-kept secret if I'm blogging about it, I suppose! And I know, many of my friends from my pre-Indonesia time will be hard-pressed to believe that this is actually me writing this... but it is... just hear me out.

Living in Indonesia has exposed me to the spa, or salon, experience. Before coming to Indonesia the only reason I went to a 'salon' was to get my hair trimmed... and in fact, my whole life, we called this place 'the hairdresser's'.

I still remember my first 'cream bath', on the recommendation of one of our teachers at language school in Jogjakarta. I subsequently, timidly at first, and then in what became a borderline addiction, embraced, the spa experience. What made me decide to share with you all the pleasure of 'the spa'??? Well, I just got home from one today after not having been for months... which made me remember just how luxurious it is! So you see, I'm not an addict... but it certainly is something I enjoy... However, I do know some people that, if they don't get their weekly creambath and foot reflexology, they're 'slightly off' (like, compared to this, PMS is nothing!).

Even though I decided I should try all the available spa treatments in order to make a complete and thorough assessment of the choices (ha - great excuse!), after finding heaven, I rarely bother with anything else now, so I can't tell you about a lot of the fancy stuff... but a few of my favourite treatments and locales, I am dying to share with you:

The Creambath -- I've blogged about it before, here, so I won't go into more detail here except to say I believe it to be an experience akin to heaven... aaahhh....



I even convinced Martin to try a creambath, and although wary at first, he's never looked back!



Reflexology -- A natural healing therapy which constitutes the practice of massaging or applying pressure to parts of the feet (and sometimes the hands and ears) with the goal of encouraging a beneficial effect on other parts of the body, and to improve general health. Whether or not the 'maps' of the feet that they give you which show the part of the foot and the corresponding part of the body are accurate or not, it certainly does feel good.



My two absolute favourite places:

Bale-Bale Spa in Jakarta
I have to thank my friend for introducing me to this place... I've only been there twice, since I am so rarely in Jakarta (thankfully, for other reasons!), but I was really impressed with the ambiance, the therapists, and the prices!!! Bale-bale is not your typical sleek spa setting... it's a traditional javanese house with a cozy, homey feeling.



I had a full body scrub, milk bath, and then massage... and it was amazing. They use mostly natural products as well. Their website. The other thing I love about this joint is the cheap waxing (3 dollars for the legs), which is followed up by threading (another first for me).


COZY Renon



At Cozy, you are welcomed into the tranquil environment, asked which blend of natural essential oils you would like for your aromatherapy, as well as those which you'd like for your hair treatment, then given a choice of music to listen to (with some very soothing tunes on their 'relaxin' track)... then you're lead into your semi-private treatment space with a soothing fish tank to lull you to sleep (if the combination of the music and massage don't!?)... I can't imagine a more conducive setting... My favourite treatment is the 'cozy cozy', which combines the two above treatments (cream bath and foot reflexology), and leaves you feeling vibrant and refreshed. And if you feel like you still need another boost of healthfulness, you can order a yummy fruit or veg drink from their juice bar, before, during, or after your treatment.



** I can't believe it but Cozy Renon has closed!?!? Cozy Kuta is still open (with another 'Super Cozy' going up on 'the other side' as well... but Sunset Road is far from the path that I frequent!)

Driving is a Dance

This is a comment Uncle Bruce made when they were visiting Indonesia and I took them around for a day last year... and it has stuck with me since, because that's exactly the perfect way to put it!



It's again part of the organized chaos... superficially, it seems totally out-of-control and chaotic, with motorcycles darting in and out amongst cars spaced very closely, paying no attention to lines, and treating traffic signals as mere suggestions... but once you get into the rhythm of it, in fact, it all flows perfectly because everyone is following the same unwritten rules: it's all about give and take.

Until you actually drive here, you don't really get a good understanding of it, but it doesn't take long to pick up on the subtle rules and nuances to make you a successful Bali driver!



I have never been able to successfully capture what is 'Indonesian traffic', so these two photos are Indonesian traffic jams in Jakarta (called macet (ma-chet) here) from dreamindonesia.wordpress.com and kaskus.us.



Oh yes, I forgot to mention the wild-card aspect of driving here... the animal-factor. Dogs, chickens, cats... mostly they are left to roam free, which also means they often roam (or dart, in many cases) into traffic... they don't follow any rules (written or not), and you really DON'T want to hit one of them, since if you do you have to pay the owner for the (inflated) value of its life, PLUS the five generations of offspring that it didn't get to contribute since you cut its life short!

Organized Chaos

That's the answer to life, the universe and everything in Indonesia.

What amazes me is my acceptance of it! I mean, I think I'm a pretty easy-going person in general... but the level of disorder here is seriously over-the-top! But in no time, I seemed to accept and even embrace many aspects of this society which thrives on its organized chaos - it's not logical, but there is some sense to it...

escalators

i remember when we were living in Manado and used to go to the mall for its safe haven of coolness....

i used to always smile inwardly as i watched the people who had obviously never been on an escalator before...

it actually was most hazardous around christmas time when hoards of 'country folk' would flock to the city for their once-a-year shopping trip... these folks, timid to get onto the escalators, and not very efficient at getting off, used to literally cause pile-ups!



there are still no escalators in sorong...

BAKAR BATU

Roasted rocks... sounds delicious, no!?!

Luckily, the name of this traditional Papuan food actually refers to the cooking-method... not the food itself!

In the mountainous areas of Papua, a meal of Bakar Batu is usually prepared for monumental meetings or ceremonies, or, more specifically, as a way to 'bury the hatchet' between two parties (or even warring factions/tribes)!

The stones are heated in fires, while a hole is dug in the ground (usually, although at the one we were invited to last week, they did it without a hole). Banana leaves are laid down, and a layer of sago flour is added, on top of which a layer of bamboo strips are arranged. Red-hot stones are then placed on top. The stones are then covered with meat (often freshly-slain wild boar), more stones and banana leaves are added, on top of which are placed the vegetables; all of this in alternating layers (leaves, rocks, meat, rocks, leaves, veggies). Usually, sweet potatoes, cassava, various leaves (such as from sweet-potato, cassava and papaya), and apparently sometimes even cucumber and corn, are layered into this mass. Once everything is included, several layers of banana leaves are wrapped up around the entire mass, and strapped together using vines; this huge, steaming package is left to cook for at least an hour.






Concurrent to the package being compiled, we were also treated to a very special making of 'papeda batu' (rock papeda). I have written about this traditional glue-like staple of Papua previously, but this was certainly a new and interesting way to make it! This method uses those same red-hot rocks to cook the papeda from the simple ingredients of sago flour and water. The process is really fun to watch, because as the sago turns gelatinous, and then 'gooey' (the indicator of the transformation into 'papeda'), it seems to 'know' its cooked, and spit the hot rocks out itself!





After an hour of other activity - lots of song and dance - the steaming package is sliced open and spills out it's delicacies.



The whole feast is eaten communally, sitting around on grass mats, using banana leaves as plates, with no need for utensils. I must say, the meal is all the more delicious because of this 'primitive' ambiance! It was actually very enjoyable food as well - and the addition of wild boar meat achieved a lovely mingling of aroma with the veggies and the sago.

Papua.

Salak
Snake Fruit

I can't believe I haven't written about this lovely little fruit in my entire time here... it's one of my favourites!

The peel of a snake fruit very literally looks just like snake skin... but it peels away to reveal a three-part, lovely little sweet/sour treat!





So after starting this blog, I realized I had written about this previously! Am I losing my mind??? Oh well, here it is again...

voyeur frog
(indoor/outdoor living)

you saw by example of our bathtub komodo
we often have wild things come and go from our joglo

no one bothers the other - it's all good
and it certainly makes interesting our little hood

there's a resident frog in our bathroom as well
he has his own hiding place under a shell

the warm water and soap can't do much for his skin
but what do you know, he just keeps hanging in!

aside from the geckos and tokes and toads and moles
we've got spiders and critters of all kinds in our walls

it must be said also, this open living is great
no limits for the sun and wind to pass through the gate

the only downfall, i'd say, are the evening mosquitoes
but the bats swooping in keep them on their toes!

and so goes the ode to our little abode
i hope you'll all make a visit...
...it's not toooo far, now izit?

I can't stop singing the Anne Murray song "Hippo in the Bathtub", because of a funny thing that happened a few weeks ago (before I left Bali for 3 weeks in the field in Papua).

I was working at home, quietly clicking away at my computer... when the cleaning lady, ibu, came running out from our bedroom/bathroom, screeching... "Angelina, Angelina," (she like to call me Angelina - I'm not quite sure why, but I tell myself it's because of an uncanny resemblance to another, perhaps better-known Angelina), "Ada Komodo di kamar mandi!" (There's a komodo dragon in the bathroom!) This of course, was accompanied by a string of other exclamations, most of which I didn't actually understand... except the "aduh, aduh, aduh", which translated, basically means "oh dear, oh my, my gosh".



So we rushed back in together (ibu cowering behind me, in fear), and sure enough, there's a HUGE monitor lizard scrambling back out over the partial bamboo wall! (Relative of, but not the same as, a Komodo Dragon) He was too quick for me to grab my camera, but the above is a picture of a similar species that I took last year, so you get an idea of what kind of creature we're talking about here. Anyway, he escaped on his own, no problem - but he left me laughing, and singing this song!


Here are the lyrics to the song for those of you who didn't have the pleasure of growing up with it!

Hey, Daddy, there's a dragon in the driveway.
Momma, there's a grizzly on the lawn.
You better come quick-there's a hippo in the bathtub,
And it's going down the drain. Oh, no! it's gone.

Well, the minds of little children,
They go round and round and round,
Hearing giant's footsteps,
When I never hear a sound.

I just hear:
Hey, Daddy, there's a dragon in the driveway.
Momma, there's a grizzly on the lawn.
You better come quick-there's a hippo in the bathtub,
And it's going down the drain. Oh, no! it's gone.

Well, you never know if they really saw
All the things they have you believe.
But if there's dragons in this neighborhood
Then we're going to leave.

Hey, Daddy, there's a dragon in the driveway.
Momma, there's a grizzly on the lawn.
You better come quick-there's a hippo in the bathtub,
And it's going down the drain. Oh, no! it's gone.

And it's going down the drain. Oh, no! it's gone.

Pandan

Pandan leaves come from the Screwpine tree, which can be found throughout the tropics.


(This is actually not my picture. Even though, as it turns out, I have seen this tree all over Indonesia, it took me a long time to put together the fact that this tree was the source of the bright green foods!)

Pandan leaves are often used as flavouring and colouring in cooking in Indonesia (and apparently the rest of Asia and the Pacific as well), much as we use Vanilla. The most popular pandan specialty is the grass-green Pandan cake, which the first time I saw, I honestly thought must contain heaps of artificial colouring... but no! Pandan really produces that colour naturally! The sweet unique flavour is also used in rice and flavouring curries.

You can even get it now in packaged cake mixes!




The Screwpine tree is also said to have medicinal properties, and its uses include the tree bark as a diuretic, the roots used for their anti-diabetic properties, and the leaves are used for treating dermatological diseases.

And of course, true to the tropics, the whole tree has a use... in ancient times the leaves were also used for making grass skirts and thatching for roofs as well as woven baskets. The flower was used to make perfume as well as desserts and sweets.

Cock Fighting

The other day on the HASH, as I climbed a pretty narrow and treacherous slope, in the middle of what seemed like nowhere, I heard voices growing louder and louder... and lots of them! I emerged from the jungle path pretty much into the center of a huge gathering... it was a Cock Fight!



(This picture is c-Gert Holmertz 1976, but almost exactly represents the scene I came upon... more than thirty years later)


We were up in the hills, and our HASH run took us through this small, remote village... where all the men from villages miles away were gathered for this traditional, and some would say, inhumane, form of entertainment. Although Cock Fighting is part of the traditional Balinese culture, it is now also illegal.

I stuck around to see what all the commotion was about... In fact, the majority of the time, it was just a bunch of men sitting around in a circle petting their cocks... the actual cock fight itself was over in less than a minute... pretty anti-climactic if you ask me! The real hubub takes place just before the roosters are released - that's the final call for bets (yes, gambling is at the heart of this tradition)! I was peering into the circle to see what was really at the center of attention, when at one point everyone started waving their fist-fulls of money around out in front of them, calling, "hum hum hum hum hum", and I got ushered back to the outside of the circle, with warnings that the knives were sharp and it was dangerous for me to be so close. This was the betting process, signaling that the fight was about to begin...







The cock fight is a fight to the death. The roosters have sharp blades attached to their feet in order to inflict the mortal wound to the opponent. The owners get their roosters riled up for the match, then they are released, neck feathers fluffed up, and ready to strike. The winning rooster goes home again, and his master is famed and his machismo secured, while the looser has chicken soup for supper.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the event; I haven't gotten brave enough to take my camera on a hash run yet, although we run through the most amazing scenery, it's also very treacherous, wet and muddy, and I would hate to damage it! These are a few that I was able to find on the internet, and pretty much represent the scene I was privy to.

I myself praise Kali…

Since living in Bali, a new dimension has been added to the way I understand a lot of things… I guess living in a new place will do that - open your eyes and mind to new perspectives and colour the way we look at the world.

I remember this great song, "PRAISE", about a goddess named Kali by an artist called Kinnie Star. One of my planting friends introduced her to our crew one year, and in fact this particular song became what I would consider the ‘camp song’ that year.

Anyway, other than the music itself (a unique style, funky beats and mix of instruments with involved lyrics and feminist overtones), there was something more powerful about this song.

I didn’t really know what until now! Kali is actually a Hindu goddess… The "Goddess of Time and Change" is a pretty powerful and important position, I would think! (As an Ange-aside: In the Indonesian language, kali, means river or stream.... kind of in-line with the flow of time, and change, no?)

Depictions and understandings of Kali differ between different sects of Hinduism, and different geographical areas, and actually, in Balinese Hindu, Kali is not one of the 'main' gods. But my favourite interpretation is Kali as a 'mother goddess', having great compassion for her children, providing them enlightenment (this is the ultimate form she took, after a series of changes of her being). By extension, many consider her the goddess of enlightenment or liberation.



I guess the song I refer to is typical of a western-influenced view of Kali. In the west she became somewhat of a symbol for feminism, associated especially with repressed female power and sexuality.



The most common representation of her is as a four-armed blue being. The four hands are usually holding different objects; I found this explanation of what they represent: "Two of these hands are holding a sword and a severed head. The Sword signifies Divine Knowledge and the Human Head signifies human Ego which must be slain by Divine Knowledge in order to attain Moksha (enlightenment). The other two hands are in the abhaya and varada mudras or blessings, which means her initiated devotees (or anyone worshiping her with a true heart) will be saved as she will guide them here and in the hereafter."



In reading up on this goddess, it seems she is extremely mis-understood... because representations show her holding a head, blood dripping from her tongue, and a necklace of skulls, she is seen in a negative light as the goddess of death and destruction... but in reading a little further on, it seems that that 'death and destruction' are of evil, and lead to enlightenment. This small complexity is just a hint of the involved nature of the Hindu religion and their gods... you can peel away layer after layer, and never truly understand the religion completely! But if Bali is any example... you don't have to anyway - understanding every intricate detail doesn't seem to be the point; here, it's more about the overall wholistic view and virtuous way of life.

Merry-go-Round!

Well, not exactly... but just as good if you're a six year-old Indonesian kid in a small town. The carnival rarely comes to town, but in several places I've lived in Indonesia, I've seen what comes in as a close second...



This 4-seater ride was near the popular Sukawati market in Bali, but the first time I saw one was on Bunaken island... This is the best kid's ride ever - and it even comes to your doorstep!!! They're also a MUCH more ecological choice than any amusement park or carnival - the ride is people-powered!!!

Coloured Air

This is a post from WAAAAY back in September 2007...



The content is probably just as nutritious as the cartoon character which it parades as its mascot is good for stimulating the mind... Hello Kitty Wafers of nothingness but food colouring!

The latest curiosity from the shelves of my neighbourhood supermarket!

I was reading this column the other day, and had a good chuckle... then I realized, I was chuckling because I understood the references... and then I realized, I might just fall into some of these categories!!!

I picked a few of my favourites from the list "You know you've lived in Indonesia too long when..." (which actually had about 100 items on it - several I believe to be specific to living in Jakarta, which, very very thankfully, I don't!). I've included my favourites below, and added a few of my own. But just a warning, those of you who have never visited or lived in Indonesia, and who don't like to be perplexed, you might be really bored, and should just skip this blog post!


You know you've lived in Indonesia too long when...

* You too believe traffic lanes, stop signs and one way streets are mere suggestions and that sidewalks were meant to drive on or they wouldn't have paved them. You also tend to use your rear-view mirror as a distance gauge, not to check traffic... because 'if it's behind you, it doesn't exist'!

* You can drive 60 kmh two inches from cars on either side of you, but cannot back into a parking space in an empty lot without two guys yelling “Kiri…Kiri Terus, Terus, Terus…”

* You differentiate between the rats that are ok to find in your house, and the ones that are not

* The footprints on the toilet seat are your own (*I finally understand the reason for the sign I saw ages ago in the bathroom in the Manado Mall...)

* You no longer wait in line, but immediately go to the head of the queue (I'm still WAY too Canadian to do this!)

* You're willing to pay to use a toilet you wouldn't go to within a kilometer of at home

* It is no longer surprising that the only decision made at a meeting is the time and venue for the next meeting

* You find it saves time to stand and retrieve your cabin baggage while the plane is on final approach

* You are quite content to re-choose your order six times in a restaurant that only has four items on the menu, because everything is 'habis' (out of stock), and you know that you can assume that if you visit again next week, or next month, it will still be 'habis'!

* A meal of rice, ramen noodles and fish sound like a well-balanced meal (the noodles accepted as vegetables here)

* Taxi drivers understand you... and you them!

* You own a rice cooker

* When crossing a busy street you believe that a limp wrist motion with your right arm creates a force field that repels oncoming traffic

* Even you start to believe that Brian Adams, Celine Dion and Avril Levine are the only three Canadian musicians that exist

* You look left, right, backwards, forwards, up and down before crossing a one way street.

* You've seen every Hollywood blockbuster three weeks before its premier

* You know at least fifty Indonesian acronyms, including BuGil (Bule Gila/ Crazy Foreigner), Curhat (curiga hati/ heart-purging dump session), Jumpa Berlian (Jumat Pagi Bersihkan Lingkungan Bersamaan/ Friday mornings, clean our neighbourhoods together), etc, etc

* You often eat at kaki limas or street vendors (the thought of mystery meat, or street meat, a distant concern)

* You carry tissues in your pocket for 'emergency stops'; OR, even more over the line... you don't have toilet paper in your bathroom anymore

* You answer the phone in Bahasa Indonesia

* You're stoked because your new flashlight came with a built-in cell phone!

* The blowpipe salesmen stop trying to sell you a blowpipe

* You don't find it odd that when you order a cold beer, the waiter serves you beer with ice in it; OR, even more Indonesian... you prefer your beer warm!?



Ok, so on the whole, I'm still safe... haven't crossed the line of living here too long... I UNDERSTAND all the references, but I certainly haven't incorporated the practices into my being... so I'm ok... right? ... right?

Edamame

No, it's not a comestible maternal figure (although it wouldn't surprise me, the Indonesians certainly do love their 'singkatan', or short-forms, and this could easily become the short form for edible mammy!) It is, in fact, something edible: edamame is another yummy Asian delicacy. It is a preparation of baby soybeans in the pod. I think it is more common in Japan, China and Korea, but I first tried it here in Indonesia.

The best part: Preparation is simple! The pods are boiled (or steamed) in lightly-salted water and served whole. They are consumed by using one's fingers and teeth to squeeze them out of the pod, which is then discarded.



The name itself is Japanese. Edamame literally means "twig bean" (eda = "twig" + mame = "bean"), supposedly a reference to the short stem attached to the pod.

In Chinese, young soybeans in the pod are known as maodoujia, literally "hairy bean pod". I find this more descriptive, and appropriate!

It seems edamame is usually served almost as an appetizer, but I'm also loving it as a healthy, nutritional snack!

Guess the name of this sacred site!?!



There are several of these geological formations all around Mayalibit Bay in Raja Ampat.

Kid in a boat...





I love these dugout canoes in Raja Ampat!

Back to Sorong

Well, I shouldn't be surprised anymore, but the meeting I was requested to come to Sorong for was cancelled, and nobody let me know until I arrived! Oh well, at least this means we can focus on the Kalabia, right? Wrong. The two 'bosses' aren't anywhere to be found. Ok, so at least I can join the Kalabia in the field and provide a little motivation and training for the Kalabia team, right?... Wrong again. The seas were rough, and no boat was willing to take me as far as the villages the Kalabia was working in at the time.

So... stuck in Sorong... waiting... waiting... waiting...

At least one day I joined a team going out to the island where the newest post is being constructed - Dayan Island. It's breath-taking, which isn't much of a surprise, because ALL of Raja Ampat is... here are a few photos:

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

The Team in Sorong is on quite a low these days... and what with several people taking off for Holidays, others for an 'End-of-Contract Break Period', and still others off to do Professional Development activities, those left behind are extremely deflated.

So Canada Day was a good excuse for me to gather them all together and do something fun before heading home at the end of the work day! I had stored away a bunch of Canada souvenirs from when I was home, and this was the perfect opportunity to get them out! We had snacks and did a quick but riotous 15-question quiz about Canada, and then divvied up the spoils! It was lots of fun, and the black-forest cake was actually one of the better ones I've had in Indonesia!








Hope celebrations at home were fun, and the weather was beautiful for you all!

White Water Rafting in Bali!

If you can imagine, on the LAST day my parents were here we WENT RAFTING!!! (which, as it turns out, is now over a month ago!)

Literally, less than five hours before they took flight for home, we were pulling up to the finish point in our rubber raft on the Ayung River in the central mountains of Bali!

It was a riot, and the thought was that if they got totally tired out, they might actually get to sleep on the plane home... unfortunately I don't think that went quite as planned... although exhaustion and muscle-soreness were definite effects (and not just for those travelling)! Luckily it wasn't the rainy season, and the river was quite calm... although that's not to say there weren't a few hair-raising sections!



But we enjoyed meandering through some of the most beautiful gorges in Bali, and even more-so with the lack of the noise from motor traffic which is hard to escape anywhere else!




And we were treated to kilometers of unique artwork - carvers, with a lack of wood to carve in Bali, took to the rock walls of the river gorges! We even saw one group of stone carvers in action, and praised their work.





We even got in for a *cool, yet refreshing dip, and massage under the waterfall!




I'm pretty sure my parents aren't sixty - at least they don't act like it!

Kalabia Conservation Education Vessel
Raja Ampat, Papua

This is a little pet project I have been working on for the program... and I even figured out how to embed it into my blog! You may be asked to install the Google Earth Plugin in order to see the content. After it loads, you will be transported to Raja Ampat, and guided on a tour with the Kalabia... it takes about five minutes. Let me know what you think! Oops... a few technical errors in SIZE!!! Oh well, I will have to find a different format with which to expose this I guess...


you can see it a little better here... http://kalabiaeducation.blogspot.com
but there still seems to be a problem with the pictures... hmmm... can you tell, I'm no computer programmer???