5/31
So today is Thursday, May 31st, and it's World No Smoking Day, so I'm gonna try not to smoke today. Indonesia is 5th in the world for smoking. They've been running ads and articles in the newspaper about it, but it's not really gonna make a difference. Cigarettes are so cheap here, about a buck a pack. And cigarette ads are all over tv, billboards, magazines. The trouble is, it is illegal to show anyone smoking in the ads, so they've been very creative. For example, about 1/4 of the ads on prime-time tv will show some extreme sport like mountain climbing or skydiving, and there will be no product shown throughout the entire commercial, but right at the end they will put "Djarum Black" in big letters, followed by the mandatory surgeon general's warning, that smoking causes cancer and impotency.
Billboards are really out there. Djarum just came out with "Djarum Cappucino", and they showed 10 white cups stacked up, with steam coming off the last one, so it resembled a cigarette.
I hate the traffic here, so I'm gonna rant on that for a few. Last night I got an angkot home from work, like normal. It was still rush hour, at 8:30 pm. I made the mistake of getting onto a completely empty angkot. See, when an angkot is full, it doesn't need to drive SO SLOWLY and STOP EVERY 100 FEET to try and pick up more passengers! So we pulled into the waiting area in front of Margo City and waited there for what must have been 10 minutes, and I was sweating my arse off, and the angkot driver is honking his horn, yelling at people to get in. I guess I can't blame him, but I had somewhere I had to be, and did not appreciate the wait. So, more people on the angkot, the faster it goes. Also, I don't know if i mentioned it before, but when you want him to stop and let you off, either knock a few times on the roof, or yell "kiri, mas!" which means, "left, sir" literally, but colloquially means pull over to the left side of the road, since they drive on the left over here.
Also in the news, May 29 marked 1 year since the mud volcano started erupting after a botched exploratory drilling program by PT Lapindo Brantas. 15,000 people have been displaced, and the toxic mud has already covered 1,500 acres. The latest plan is to build a 157-foot tall wall around it to try and contain it. It's a sad situation.
Well, I better be going, I have 2 classes today, and then the long weekend! It's some Hindu or Buddhist holiday tomorrow. So trims for reading, I appreciate the feedback, and I'll be back...
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
5/21
5/21
FDA and FTC be damned, you wouldn't believe some of the crazy stuff for sale on the home shopping networks here. Remember the one for the belt that zaps your abs, supposedly giving you a workout? Well apparently it hasn't caused burning and scarring here, because they're still selling them. There's also a sauna belt. Somehow, I don't think that wrapping a hot metal band around your waist is gonna do much. The only before and after shots were computer generated, and totally unrealistic. There's also another machine, this one you stand on like a skateboard, and each side pumps up and down really fast. All it does is make the muscles and fat in your legs jiggle really fast. The host was shouting and pointing at the jiggling legs. This contraption is currently selling for around $400 US, and I can't imagine it doing much more than giving you muscle cramps. But it was fun to watch.
FDA and FTC be damned, you wouldn't believe some of the crazy stuff for sale on the home shopping networks here. Remember the one for the belt that zaps your abs, supposedly giving you a workout? Well apparently it hasn't caused burning and scarring here, because they're still selling them. There's also a sauna belt. Somehow, I don't think that wrapping a hot metal band around your waist is gonna do much. The only before and after shots were computer generated, and totally unrealistic. There's also another machine, this one you stand on like a skateboard, and each side pumps up and down really fast. All it does is make the muscles and fat in your legs jiggle really fast. The host was shouting and pointing at the jiggling legs. This contraption is currently selling for around $400 US, and I can't imagine it doing much more than giving you muscle cramps. But it was fun to watch.
Friday, May 18, 2007
5/18
5/18
It's Friday now, I've been busy for the last few days. Yesterday was a holiday, Ascension Day. Tuesday I was in Singapore. I took Garuda, and It was fairly quick. the cab picked me up at 3 a.m., so that was not cool, but everything went pretty smooth. Mr. Almad met me at the Hilton Hotel on Orchard Road in Singapore. I handed him the passport and a few hundred bucks, and he told me to meet him back here at 4. So I ended up wandering up and down Orchard Road all day. I would have liked to have gone to the Botanical Gardens, but it was raining all day. So I spent the day in Kinokuniya and Borders, 2 book stores. I got the new Foo Fighters live CD, the new book by Chuck Palahniuk, and Battle Royale. I ended up finding a wireless internet connection, which is how I posted the last update, and was able to call home with Skype. Not much else happened that day, I went to McDonald's and had the McSpicy, and chicken sandwich that gives Wendy's a run for their money. I also got a few magazines and candy bars.
So, at 4 I get my passport back, with my work visa in it and head to the airport. I went to the wrong terminal, so I took the monorail over. Oh, when I went to the duty free store, I saw an $11,000 bottle of scotch or rum or something, I took a picture, and I'll try and upload it sometime. Oh, and $1 US = $1.50 SGD.
Well, I think that's about it. I have a party class tonight, we're all going to Zoe's for dinner.
It's Friday now, I've been busy for the last few days. Yesterday was a holiday, Ascension Day. Tuesday I was in Singapore. I took Garuda, and It was fairly quick. the cab picked me up at 3 a.m., so that was not cool, but everything went pretty smooth. Mr. Almad met me at the Hilton Hotel on Orchard Road in Singapore. I handed him the passport and a few hundred bucks, and he told me to meet him back here at 4. So I ended up wandering up and down Orchard Road all day. I would have liked to have gone to the Botanical Gardens, but it was raining all day. So I spent the day in Kinokuniya and Borders, 2 book stores. I got the new Foo Fighters live CD, the new book by Chuck Palahniuk, and Battle Royale. I ended up finding a wireless internet connection, which is how I posted the last update, and was able to call home with Skype. Not much else happened that day, I went to McDonald's and had the McSpicy, and chicken sandwich that gives Wendy's a run for their money. I also got a few magazines and candy bars.
So, at 4 I get my passport back, with my work visa in it and head to the airport. I went to the wrong terminal, so I took the monorail over. Oh, when I went to the duty free store, I saw an $11,000 bottle of scotch or rum or something, I took a picture, and I'll try and upload it sometime. Oh, and $1 US = $1.50 SGD.
Well, I think that's about it. I have a party class tonight, we're all going to Zoe's for dinner.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
5/15
5/15
Ok, so I've got some down time, it's 5:30 a.m. and I'm in CGK airport waiting for my flight to Singapore. Yesterday was fairly uneventful, but I did get a cellphone.
Back to Sunday. We were driving through Bandung, on the way to Sukabumi, where the rapids are. It was really mountainous, but all the trees had been cut down and replanted with palms for cooking oil. A real shame, hundreds of acres of ugly, shorts palms replaced the rain forest that had been there. But Indonesia's facing severe cooking oil shortages. An even greater tragedy is that in a few years, when the trees are past their prime, they'll do a slash and burn, and probably send the dirt and sand overseas. Indonesia's been sending so much sand to Singapore that the government has had to hold special meetings on conservation and such.
Ok, so we drove through the mountains, past Gede Salak, the Snake-fruit mountain, past the former forests turned to palm plantations, past tea leaf farms and through several villages. The beggars in these parts don't tap on your window, they hold out butterfly nets, so you don't even have to slow down, just toss a few Rps and they'll catch em!
The peanut and cookie vendors tho, are ruthless. There were at least 6 guys selling the exact same thing, and every one of them asked us if we would buy something.
Ok, fast-forward to Sukabumi. We checked in, my tummy wasn't doing too well, but good enough. We were given a life jacket, a helmet, and a paddle, and led to the raft. The guide taught us a few basic commands, like forwards, backwards, duck, lean left or right. It was raining lightly, but the water level was normal.
The rapids were fairly tame, tho we did have a few close calls. After about 1/2 an hour we stopped for some kelapa muda, or young coconut. They hack the top off and give you a straw and a spoon. Felix got a "red one" that had a slight red tinge inside, and Meta said that those are the best. It was a lot sweeter than mine, I must say. But it didn't help my cramps any. So we floated onwards, down the river, saw a lot of dragonflies, and a bunch of 2-3 foot monitor lizards swimming and basking on rocks.
About 3/4 of the way through, we passed through a village where a bunch of naked boys were swimming. That didn't bother me too much, until they chased after us and 2 of them climbed into the boat. So they hung around for a few hundred meters and then we kicked them out.
Further down the river, more naked kids, this time they were yelling "Aqua Botol!" Aqua Botol is a brand of bottled water by Danone, and they use or recycle the plastic bottles for money or something. I've seen kids fill them with sand and shake them like a tambourine while begging for money.
Ok, so when we finished, they had a couple of action photos for sale, only Rp. 12,500. We were all soaked, and we crammed into an anggkot. Driving to the Augusta Hotel in Palabuhan Ratu, we passed by what looked like prisons. They were huge concrete structures 3 stories high, without windows, only tiny little holes, surrounded by fence and barbed wire. Apparently, they are used for swallows.
Swallows go in, make their nests by coughing up a gooey substance, and then the nests are sold for soup. Yum.
Ok, battery low, so I'll finish with posting some pictures of inside Senayan City, the 6 story mall I talked about last week.
You can't see it in the pics, but there's at least 1 basement level as well, with a Burger King.
Ok, so I've got some down time, it's 5:30 a.m. and I'm in CGK airport waiting for my flight to Singapore. Yesterday was fairly uneventful, but I did get a cellphone.
Back to Sunday. We were driving through Bandung, on the way to Sukabumi, where the rapids are. It was really mountainous, but all the trees had been cut down and replanted with palms for cooking oil. A real shame, hundreds of acres of ugly, shorts palms replaced the rain forest that had been there. But Indonesia's facing severe cooking oil shortages. An even greater tragedy is that in a few years, when the trees are past their prime, they'll do a slash and burn, and probably send the dirt and sand overseas. Indonesia's been sending so much sand to Singapore that the government has had to hold special meetings on conservation and such.
Ok, so we drove through the mountains, past Gede Salak, the Snake-fruit mountain, past the former forests turned to palm plantations, past tea leaf farms and through several villages. The beggars in these parts don't tap on your window, they hold out butterfly nets, so you don't even have to slow down, just toss a few Rps and they'll catch em!
The peanut and cookie vendors tho, are ruthless. There were at least 6 guys selling the exact same thing, and every one of them asked us if we would buy something.
Ok, fast-forward to Sukabumi. We checked in, my tummy wasn't doing too well, but good enough. We were given a life jacket, a helmet, and a paddle, and led to the raft. The guide taught us a few basic commands, like forwards, backwards, duck, lean left or right. It was raining lightly, but the water level was normal.
The rapids were fairly tame, tho we did have a few close calls. After about 1/2 an hour we stopped for some kelapa muda, or young coconut. They hack the top off and give you a straw and a spoon. Felix got a "red one" that had a slight red tinge inside, and Meta said that those are the best. It was a lot sweeter than mine, I must say. But it didn't help my cramps any. So we floated onwards, down the river, saw a lot of dragonflies, and a bunch of 2-3 foot monitor lizards swimming and basking on rocks.
About 3/4 of the way through, we passed through a village where a bunch of naked boys were swimming. That didn't bother me too much, until they chased after us and 2 of them climbed into the boat. So they hung around for a few hundred meters and then we kicked them out.
Further down the river, more naked kids, this time they were yelling "Aqua Botol!" Aqua Botol is a brand of bottled water by Danone, and they use or recycle the plastic bottles for money or something. I've seen kids fill them with sand and shake them like a tambourine while begging for money.
Ok, so when we finished, they had a couple of action photos for sale, only Rp. 12,500. We were all soaked, and we crammed into an anggkot. Driving to the Augusta Hotel in Palabuhan Ratu, we passed by what looked like prisons. They were huge concrete structures 3 stories high, without windows, only tiny little holes, surrounded by fence and barbed wire. Apparently, they are used for swallows.
Swallows go in, make their nests by coughing up a gooey substance, and then the nests are sold for soup. Yum.
Ok, battery low, so I'll finish with posting some pictures of inside Senayan City, the 6 story mall I talked about last week.
You can't see it in the pics, but there's at least 1 basement level as well, with a Burger King.
5/13
5/13
Urg, my head hurts so bad... We went rafting today, left @ 8:30, it's about 10 p.m. now. I've got a low-grade fever, I can't stop urinating, and every time I drink, my stomach clenches up. I've had loads of pepto tablets, they did nothing. We stopped and got some anti-diarrheal tabs, they didn't help much. When we got to the Sundanese place @ around 11:30, I had to go, bad.
I don't recall ever using an Indonesian toilet before, so I'll tell you how to do it. You should probably first remove your pants @ etc. Squat over the porcelain hole in the floor with the water in it. Make sure the bucket @ scoop are on your right side. Squat. When you're finished, use the scoop and flush the hole. If you've gone #2, pour the water down your backside and use your left hand to rinse yourself. When you're done, rinse off the hand using the water from the scoop (don't swish your hand in the bucket, that's gross) and put your pants back on. Go outside around the corner, and hopefully there will be a sink with soap. This is why Indo's don't eat with their left hands.
I'm to worn out to continue, but we took about 3 hrs to get there, 3 hrs doing the rapids, and then had lunch @ Hotel Augusta in Palabuhan Ratu. I did not feel well at the hotel...
Here's a picture of money. The highest note in Rupiah is the 100,000 bill. $1=9,000 but don't try and break at hundred at a local vendor, they usually can't.
Urg, my head hurts so bad... We went rafting today, left @ 8:30, it's about 10 p.m. now. I've got a low-grade fever, I can't stop urinating, and every time I drink, my stomach clenches up. I've had loads of pepto tablets, they did nothing. We stopped and got some anti-diarrheal tabs, they didn't help much. When we got to the Sundanese place @ around 11:30, I had to go, bad.
I don't recall ever using an Indonesian toilet before, so I'll tell you how to do it. You should probably first remove your pants @ etc. Squat over the porcelain hole in the floor with the water in it. Make sure the bucket @ scoop are on your right side. Squat. When you're finished, use the scoop and flush the hole. If you've gone #2, pour the water down your backside and use your left hand to rinse yourself. When you're done, rinse off the hand using the water from the scoop (don't swish your hand in the bucket, that's gross) and put your pants back on. Go outside around the corner, and hopefully there will be a sink with soap. This is why Indo's don't eat with their left hands.
I'm to worn out to continue, but we took about 3 hrs to get there, 3 hrs doing the rapids, and then had lunch @ Hotel Augusta in Palabuhan Ratu. I did not feel well at the hotel...
Here's a picture of money. The highest note in Rupiah is the 100,000 bill. $1=9,000 but don't try and break at hundred at a local vendor, they usually can't.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
5/12
5/12
Not much news today, I had to sit in on Chrystina's conversation class and observe. Not my ideal way to spend a Saturday. We did karaoke at the end, and I was in tears laughing.
I think I've got some stomach bug or something, I'm all achy and I have a serious case of the runs.
Went to Pondok Indah today. There's actually 2 malls, Pondok Indah I and II. I can't tell them apart, but one is on each side of a highway, and there's a skywalk connecting them. They both are about 3-4 floors and absolutely huge. Cab fare coming back was about 60,000. Took about 45 minutes I think, I kinda fell asleep. I got a card reader, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures. Well, gotta run, tomorrow I'm doing the rafting thing and I want to make sure I'm rested.
--jared
Not much news today, I had to sit in on Chrystina's conversation class and observe. Not my ideal way to spend a Saturday. We did karaoke at the end, and I was in tears laughing.
I think I've got some stomach bug or something, I'm all achy and I have a serious case of the runs.
Went to Pondok Indah today. There's actually 2 malls, Pondok Indah I and II. I can't tell them apart, but one is on each side of a highway, and there's a skywalk connecting them. They both are about 3-4 floors and absolutely huge. Cab fare coming back was about 60,000. Took about 45 minutes I think, I kinda fell asleep. I got a card reader, so hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures. Well, gotta run, tomorrow I'm doing the rafting thing and I want to make sure I'm rested.
--jared
Friday, May 11, 2007
5/11
5/11
Hooray for casual Fridays! So I took an ojek in today, and the driver tried to squeeze in between 2 trucks, and we nearly crashed. We ended up missing our turn, had to go on the highway, turn around, big mess. I'm very disappointed.
Last night we went to a steak restaurant, Kabonk!, I think is the name. I had the imported T-bone, which was about 2.5x the price of a local steak. Still a good deal at around $4.50 including veggies and fries. Steaks here are really thin tho, and mine came slathered in BBQ sauce, ick.
I went to Carrefour today to try and find a cable to download my pics off my CF card, and came up empty. I'm gonna try and find one at one of the bigger malls.
Ooh, so Sunday I'm going white water rafting in Sukabumi (sp?) with a couple of the teachers, should be fun. And I'm trying to look up the Betawi H3, they run on Saturdays, which is good because the Jakarta Hash only runs on Mondays, and I have classes. So I'll keep ya posted.
Catch ya later,
--jared
Hooray for casual Fridays! So I took an ojek in today, and the driver tried to squeeze in between 2 trucks, and we nearly crashed. We ended up missing our turn, had to go on the highway, turn around, big mess. I'm very disappointed.
Last night we went to a steak restaurant, Kabonk!, I think is the name. I had the imported T-bone, which was about 2.5x the price of a local steak. Still a good deal at around $4.50 including veggies and fries. Steaks here are really thin tho, and mine came slathered in BBQ sauce, ick.
I went to Carrefour today to try and find a cable to download my pics off my CF card, and came up empty. I'm gonna try and find one at one of the bigger malls.
Ooh, so Sunday I'm going white water rafting in Sukabumi (sp?) with a couple of the teachers, should be fun. And I'm trying to look up the Betawi H3, they run on Saturdays, which is good because the Jakarta Hash only runs on Mondays, and I have classes. So I'll keep ya posted.
Catch ya later,
--jared
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
5/9
5/9
It is Wednesday night right now, and I'm chillin' at the warnet next to work. Everyone's playing Warcraft, and there's loud rock n roll music playing.
Last night after classes ended, we piled into a car and rode to one of the malls down the street, because David had to exchange a shirt for the right size. After that was done, David and I had dinner at a little Italian Cafe next to the mall. David was well-known there, and they already knew what he wanted. The owner of the place asked me if I was a student here, and I told him that I was a new English teacher. He asked me, "Where are you from?" and I told him the US. Then he gave me the iciest stare o-O... David later said, "I felt that too! what was that about??"
That's the first time I've had any anti-American sentiment since I've been here. Anyways, the food came, and I couldn't find any loogies on the pizza, so I guess it was just a knee-jerk reaction...
So we took an angkot home, and Felix had just started the movie "Wild Wild West". I hadn't seen it before, and it was pretty funny. Felix says that all he does is watch movies. They're cheap, like 3 or 4 bucks for a DVD (pirated of course) and great quality.
Umm... lemme see, this morning I took an ojek to work to get a head start on planning for my classes. It's the High Flyer class that kills me. More than half the time is spent trying to keep the rugrats under control. Ariq and Nina are the worst little brats with A.D.D. that I've ever seen. They can't sit still, arg it drives me crazy. I also had my Trailblazers class, teenagers and preteens. They were good, but at the end of class Jonatan yelled out an expletive to another classmate, and had a look of death in his eyes. I pulled him aside after class, and asked if everything was ok. I've never seen anything like that before from such a young kid during a class (he's 11). Meta told me that he's been warned about that stuff. Jeremy kinda laughed and said he probably doesn't even know what it means. I tend to agree with Meta on this one, because he was clearly angry about something.
Well, I'm heading out, I'm meeting Meta for dinner at Zoe tonight. She said her driver can take me to convert my traveler's checks to rupiah tomorrow, which is good because I'm low on cash.
tata for now, and leave me some comments if you like!
--jared
It is Wednesday night right now, and I'm chillin' at the warnet next to work. Everyone's playing Warcraft, and there's loud rock n roll music playing.
Last night after classes ended, we piled into a car and rode to one of the malls down the street, because David had to exchange a shirt for the right size. After that was done, David and I had dinner at a little Italian Cafe next to the mall. David was well-known there, and they already knew what he wanted. The owner of the place asked me if I was a student here, and I told him that I was a new English teacher. He asked me, "Where are you from?" and I told him the US. Then he gave me the iciest stare o-O... David later said, "I felt that too! what was that about??"
That's the first time I've had any anti-American sentiment since I've been here. Anyways, the food came, and I couldn't find any loogies on the pizza, so I guess it was just a knee-jerk reaction...
So we took an angkot home, and Felix had just started the movie "Wild Wild West". I hadn't seen it before, and it was pretty funny. Felix says that all he does is watch movies. They're cheap, like 3 or 4 bucks for a DVD (pirated of course) and great quality.
Umm... lemme see, this morning I took an ojek to work to get a head start on planning for my classes. It's the High Flyer class that kills me. More than half the time is spent trying to keep the rugrats under control. Ariq and Nina are the worst little brats with A.D.D. that I've ever seen. They can't sit still, arg it drives me crazy. I also had my Trailblazers class, teenagers and preteens. They were good, but at the end of class Jonatan yelled out an expletive to another classmate, and had a look of death in his eyes. I pulled him aside after class, and asked if everything was ok. I've never seen anything like that before from such a young kid during a class (he's 11). Meta told me that he's been warned about that stuff. Jeremy kinda laughed and said he probably doesn't even know what it means. I tend to agree with Meta on this one, because he was clearly angry about something.
Well, I'm heading out, I'm meeting Meta for dinner at Zoe tonight. She said her driver can take me to convert my traveler's checks to rupiah tomorrow, which is good because I'm low on cash.
tata for now, and leave me some comments if you like!
--jared
Monday, May 7, 2007
5/6
5/6
Blah, this blog is getting to be a pain. It's Sunday night. This morning we all got up early and saw Spiderman 3 at Planet Hollywood in Jakarta. We met up @ 6:30 at the school but the durn movie didn't end up starting till 10. I loved Venom, great evil character. After the movie, we went to a hu8ge mall in Jakarta. Lots of high-end stuff there. When you walk in, Louis Vuitton is on your right, and Versace is on your left. It was 5 or 6 stories of shops, food, supermarkets, etc. They just opened up a Burger King on the basement level, and I heard that people stood in line for 2 hours to eat there! Lunch today was a lamb kebab roll-up and a Nutella and cheese crepe. We tried to go bowling, but it was league night, so we ended up playing pool instead. After all that, we were beat so we took a cab home.
Blah, this blog is getting to be a pain. It's Sunday night. This morning we all got up early and saw Spiderman 3 at Planet Hollywood in Jakarta. We met up @ 6:30 at the school but the durn movie didn't end up starting till 10. I loved Venom, great evil character. After the movie, we went to a hu8ge mall in Jakarta. Lots of high-end stuff there. When you walk in, Louis Vuitton is on your right, and Versace is on your left. It was 5 or 6 stories of shops, food, supermarkets, etc. They just opened up a Burger King on the basement level, and I heard that people stood in line for 2 hours to eat there! Lunch today was a lamb kebab roll-up and a Nutella and cheese crepe. We tried to go bowling, but it was league night, so we ended up playing pool instead. After all that, we were beat so we took a cab home.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
5/5
5/5
Last night I had my High Flyers class, mostly screwed around & played games. Did a few minutes of origami at the end, but none of us could figure out the instructions. Then I had the General English class, all young adults, mostly around my age. I like that class, too bad it ends next week. They were all really interested in me & asked a lot of questions. We talked about taboos in American & Indonesian culture. Talked about sports, food, & cost of living in America vs. Indonesia. It really is interesting to note that the U.S. is really a melting pot of cultures. I can't walk down the street without several people calling out "Hallo Meester" or "bule!", which is a slightly derisive term used to describe a foreigner. But an Indonesian wouldn't get a 2nd glance in the States.
After work, I had some nasi goreng at the Bubur Ayam warung next door, a slightly shady looking place, but really cheap & quite tasty. The one bad thing is the place attracts cats. I think I may have mentioned this before, but I want to re-state that the cats here are quite disgusting. They make awful screeching noises like a dying animal, they are always filthy, and several of them walk around with open sores. It's really hard to enjoy your bubur ayam (porridge with chicken) when a cat with oozing red sores is rubbing up against your leg.
So today, Felix, Sheley and I are going to Citos (pronounced Chee-tohs) Mall, somewhere on the way to Pondok Indah. They have wireless internet. You have to pay for it, but it is supposed to be pretty decent.
Oh, one last thing, I watched some tv this morning. I was really excited when Spongebob came on, but was fairly disappointed that it had been dubbed into Indo, and not subtitled. It was an episode that I had seen before, so it was pretty easy to follow. The voice actors did a good job sounding like the original characters. I changed the channel for a bit, and came across a chow where 2 teams were scrambling around in a kitchen. It took a second, but then I recognized the format - Iron Chef! Yes, Indonesia has its own official version of Iron Chef on channel Indosiar. It was great fun. At the judging they show all the ingredients & measurements for each dish, presumably so you can make it at home. The judges seemed unimpressed with the Iron Chef's dishes, but she still won. (By the way, the theme ingredient was tomato)
Last night I had my High Flyers class, mostly screwed around & played games. Did a few minutes of origami at the end, but none of us could figure out the instructions. Then I had the General English class, all young adults, mostly around my age. I like that class, too bad it ends next week. They were all really interested in me & asked a lot of questions. We talked about taboos in American & Indonesian culture. Talked about sports, food, & cost of living in America vs. Indonesia. It really is interesting to note that the U.S. is really a melting pot of cultures. I can't walk down the street without several people calling out "Hallo Meester" or "bule!", which is a slightly derisive term used to describe a foreigner. But an Indonesian wouldn't get a 2nd glance in the States.
After work, I had some nasi goreng at the Bubur Ayam warung next door, a slightly shady looking place, but really cheap & quite tasty. The one bad thing is the place attracts cats. I think I may have mentioned this before, but I want to re-state that the cats here are quite disgusting. They make awful screeching noises like a dying animal, they are always filthy, and several of them walk around with open sores. It's really hard to enjoy your bubur ayam (porridge with chicken) when a cat with oozing red sores is rubbing up against your leg.
So today, Felix, Sheley and I are going to Citos (pronounced Chee-tohs) Mall, somewhere on the way to Pondok Indah. They have wireless internet. You have to pay for it, but it is supposed to be pretty decent.
Oh, one last thing, I watched some tv this morning. I was really excited when Spongebob came on, but was fairly disappointed that it had been dubbed into Indo, and not subtitled. It was an episode that I had seen before, so it was pretty easy to follow. The voice actors did a good job sounding like the original characters. I changed the channel for a bit, and came across a chow where 2 teams were scrambling around in a kitchen. It took a second, but then I recognized the format - Iron Chef! Yes, Indonesia has its own official version of Iron Chef on channel Indosiar. It was great fun. At the judging they show all the ingredients & measurements for each dish, presumably so you can make it at home. The judges seemed unimpressed with the Iron Chef's dishes, but she still won. (By the way, the theme ingredient was tomato)
Friday, May 4, 2007
5/4
5/4
Last night-Pizza Hut. Had the Meat Lover's personal pizza, with the cheese-in-the-crust. They also had the "chicken sausage" in the crust, but I passed. 4 people @ the table, and the bill came to Rp. 160,000. As I have said before, the Rupiah is about 9,000 to the dollar, so do the math.
Found a wireless hotspot today. AOL Instant messenger worked, but internet didn't. Talked to Eric for a few minutes. Mom and dad weren't on Skype :( but it was about midnite, so they were probably asleep anyways. Anyways, gotta go prepare for my classes. Talk to ya later!
Last night-Pizza Hut. Had the Meat Lover's personal pizza, with the cheese-in-the-crust. They also had the "chicken sausage" in the crust, but I passed. 4 people @ the table, and the bill came to Rp. 160,000. As I have said before, the Rupiah is about 9,000 to the dollar, so do the math.
Found a wireless hotspot today. AOL Instant messenger worked, but internet didn't. Talked to Eric for a few minutes. Mom and dad weren't on Skype :( but it was about midnite, so they were probably asleep anyways. Anyways, gotta go prepare for my classes. Talk to ya later!
5/3
5/3
I had my High Flyers class again last night. Much better this time around. Sang a few somngs, did some classwork, etc. Got to remember to pace myself & not spend too much time on a single student. Also, keep the buggers under control.
Got a few tings from Carrefour, the supermarket across the way. Beer is cheap. I got some clog remover for the tub, but it isn't working. Have to remember to get some heavier-duty stuff + also a plunger. Today will be an easy day, just sitting in & observing. I'm dreading tomorrow. I teach the High Flyers AND I'm taking over Rachel's class. I think they're just finishing up tho. We'll see.
Had plans to go to the pool today, but I slept in. Meta treated us to Zoe last night, and my tummy was a bit upset this morning. So it's about 11:30 am now. I did a load of laundry (no dryer, tho, have to line-dry) and watched Oprah this morning (Also, I was told by Felix, that's not detergent, that's just fabric softener, so I'll have to do it again. he told me for the 1st 2 months he was here, he washed his clothes with just fabric softener. So they smelled nice, but weren't really clean). I'd like to go to the warnet this morning before work.
I had my High Flyers class again last night. Much better this time around. Sang a few somngs, did some classwork, etc. Got to remember to pace myself & not spend too much time on a single student. Also, keep the buggers under control.
Got a few tings from Carrefour, the supermarket across the way. Beer is cheap. I got some clog remover for the tub, but it isn't working. Have to remember to get some heavier-duty stuff + also a plunger. Today will be an easy day, just sitting in & observing. I'm dreading tomorrow. I teach the High Flyers AND I'm taking over Rachel's class. I think they're just finishing up tho. We'll see.
Had plans to go to the pool today, but I slept in. Meta treated us to Zoe last night, and my tummy was a bit upset this morning. So it's about 11:30 am now. I did a load of laundry (no dryer, tho, have to line-dry) and watched Oprah this morning (Also, I was told by Felix, that's not detergent, that's just fabric softener, so I'll have to do it again. he told me for the 1st 2 months he was here, he washed his clothes with just fabric softener. So they smelled nice, but weren't really clean). I'd like to go to the warnet this morning before work.
5/1
5/1
Yesterday was my first class with the High Fliers. Young kids, mostly brats. I didn't do too bad, but Meta came in & helped out.
Also, worth mentioning is that I walked to work. I took my GPS & it's about 1.75 miles. By Ojek, it's about Rp. 10,000 & by Angkot it's Rp. 1,500. (It's about Rp. 9,000 to the dollar) Ojeks are hired motorcycles and Angkots are little blue minivans with a bench in the back. So either way, it's really cheap & quick to get to and from work.
Today I took a walk to Mall Depok, about 15 min. away. They don't open till 9:30, so I walked the other way. I was looking for a bank to change my money and was coming up short. I had $170 and no rupiah. I did find a bank that would do it, and got a pretty good exch. rate (9,100 Rp. / dollar). They only took the 20'a tho. Also, I have a wad of traveler's checks, but I didn't ask about them.
The company van picked me up today. They had picked up Kristina from the hospital. She had her appendix removed. She also can NOT stop complaining.
--Note to self: Get some more button-down shirts. Polo's are a no-no, except on casual Friday.
Today I sat in on David's Trailblazers class. *yawn* Also Sheley's General English class. She can motivate them. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. They asked a bunch of questions about me, it was fun.
After classes, Felix, David, and I went to Cafe' Zoe. I had a really good Nasi Goreng pedas. After dinner we got a shisha, which is this 2-foot tall water bong with flavored tobacco. Rp. 30,000 split 3 ways means we hit that pipe for nearly an hour for about a buck a piece. We took an angkot home, and that's where I am now. It's about 11 p.m., so I'm gonna watch some tv and hit the hay. I'm teaching the High Flyers again tomorrow!
--nite
Yesterday was my first class with the High Fliers. Young kids, mostly brats. I didn't do too bad, but Meta came in & helped out.
Also, worth mentioning is that I walked to work. I took my GPS & it's about 1.75 miles. By Ojek, it's about Rp. 10,000 & by Angkot it's Rp. 1,500. (It's about Rp. 9,000 to the dollar) Ojeks are hired motorcycles and Angkots are little blue minivans with a bench in the back. So either way, it's really cheap & quick to get to and from work.
Today I took a walk to Mall Depok, about 15 min. away. They don't open till 9:30, so I walked the other way. I was looking for a bank to change my money and was coming up short. I had $170 and no rupiah. I did find a bank that would do it, and got a pretty good exch. rate (9,100 Rp. / dollar). They only took the 20'a tho. Also, I have a wad of traveler's checks, but I didn't ask about them.
The company van picked me up today. They had picked up Kristina from the hospital. She had her appendix removed. She also can NOT stop complaining.
--Note to self: Get some more button-down shirts. Polo's are a no-no, except on casual Friday.
Today I sat in on David's Trailblazers class. *yawn* Also Sheley's General English class. She can motivate them. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. They asked a bunch of questions about me, it was fun.
After classes, Felix, David, and I went to Cafe' Zoe. I had a really good Nasi Goreng pedas. After dinner we got a shisha, which is this 2-foot tall water bong with flavored tobacco. Rp. 30,000 split 3 ways means we hit that pipe for nearly an hour for about a buck a piece. We took an angkot home, and that's where I am now. It's about 11 p.m., so I'm gonna watch some tv and hit the hay. I'm teaching the High Flyers again tomorrow!
--nite
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