Happy New Year!

Best wishes for 2009! I hope everyone has a wonderful year! I posted some pictures from New Year's Eve, Christmas and Christmas Eve in Jakarta! I've also been dog-sitting for the past couple weeks for an adorable pug named Molly.

NYE - went to a club with Canadians Lisa and Julie
Christmas - made turkey dinner and sang karaoke
Christmas Eve - went to a club with Lisa, Julie and some of Julie's coworkers...see Santa and his ninjas...(no elves?)


Miss you all!

xoxoliz
Molly and her Christmas Toy!
Poolside activities on Christmas Eve

Dinner was a success! (Thanks to Lisa and Julie...my job was to stay out of the way)

Lisa and Julie, makin' some Christmas dinner after a swim at the pool!

Christmas Dinner! YUM.

Lisa and Liz at DragonFly on Christmas Eve

Out at DragonFly on Christmas Eve! Not sure if you can see Santa's Ninja on the right...

NYE with Lisa and Julie (early in the evening)!

NYE with Lisa and Julie (later in the evening)!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

And hopefully, he is bringing me along. I just checked prices on flights to Chi-town and they have gone down! Please keep your fingers crossed that these prices will hold steady as I work on my budget. I want to come home.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today I am thankful for many, many things, including:

• My Mom and Dad who continue to profess their love for me, even when I make retarded decisions and who inspire me with their commitment and dedication and capacity to love and who have taught me about ducks.
• My Sheep, who I miss SO SO SO much.
• My Favorite Brother, who is super smart and gives me the best advice and tells me like it is and is starting a new life in a new city and who inspires me to be more interesting.
• Favorite Little Sister, who is interviewing for jobs and knows where and what she wants to be and is convicted on her path in life in such a way that I am inspired.
• My friends! Thank you for all the emails, cards, presents, letters, Skype talks, support, advice, beers, updates from home, everything!!
• My job - even though it is hard with holiday hours and a decline in local currency, I have a job...a job that I LOVE.
• Facebook - endless hours of reconnecting with people, saving me from the depths of self-pity and homesickness.
• River and Zia - you make me laugh hysterically, no matter what mood I am in!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

A Day In The Life...

I have been asked about my days here in Jakarta and I thought I would give you a snapshot.

7 a.m. - Wake up! Hurrying to get ready!

Take a bajaj to work (only $1!)

...10 minutes and I'm there!


8 a.m. - Teach Pilates Class! I love my job....it's early though.

9 a.m. Teach Pilates Class! I love my job. It's really hot in the studio right now because the sun is so bright!

10 a.m. - Teach Pilates Class! I still love my job...I need some coffee though.

11 a.m. - Private Pilates client! I love my job the most! One-on-one sessions are so much fun! My clients are a mix of local Indonesians and expats. Everyone is so interesting to me and I enjoy hearing their stories.



12:30 p.m. - Eat lunch - sometimes by myself or sometimes with Susan. Lunch is my main meal and I am starving after four hours of being active.

2-ish p.m. - Go to the gym, work out with Susan, get some reflexology (1 hour for $7!) or a pedicure (2 hours for $12!)

4 p.m. - Pilates client or class!

5 p.m. - Pilates client! Still loving my job...

6 p.m. - Pilates client!




7 p.m. - Time to go home! Or out for a drink!


Cast of Characters
Rani - The FIRST person I met in Jakarta, she is the Pilates studio manager. Rani's boyfriend lives in Detroit and we are crossing our fingers that she can get a visa to go visit the United States for the first time early 2009.

Yunie - Assistant Pilates studio manager. Yunie studied English in college and is originally from central Java.

Susan - my boss. Susan is originally from Singapore. She is great - she looks out for me constantly!

Kika - Indonesian girl who I met through a client. She is my movie-watching friend!

Lisa - Canadian girl who works across the mall from me in a chiropractic clinic. She has three cats that are great. She has lived in Jakarta for almost five years.

Lelsey - Another Canadian girl, I met Lesley through Lisa. Lesley works for an NGO doing micro-finance work. She adopted a dog and lives in home that has a pool and a yard and a maid and security guards and lots and lots of beige furniture.

Julie - Julie is a relatively new friend (yes, another Canadian!) and I met her through Lesley. She works for a PR firm and while I don't understand her job specifically, it sounds interesting and she knows tons about the local political system.

November 12, 2008

This week I am struggling with communication. I am really enjoying my time in Jakarta! Please bear with me and I will post pictures of Jakarta and of my trip to Bangkok, Thailand later this week!

xoxo

In Response To Becky's Post:

Dear Becky and Santa,

All I want for Christmas is Chicago.

Love,
Liz

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE LITTLE SISTER!!

I LOVE MY MOM!

Mom - I just got your postcard! It took over three weeks to arrive! Thank you, thank you for the update on the seashore - I wish I had been there. I am glad you had a good time and had a chance to visit all the "regular" spots...

LOVE YOU.
xoxoliz

Check out 2 new posts and a new poll (at the bottom!)

some random notes...

• Somewhere, in some language, I am willing to bet that "Jakarta" translates to "city of slow walkers." Seriously, I didn't know people could, bio-mechanically, walk so slow. I didn't know that SO MANY people could walk so slow...

• There is also the tendency for people to stand in front of escalators and have meetings...

• Wendy's tastes the same as it does in Chicago. Take it for what it's worth.

• There are bugs everywhere. EVERYWHERE.

• If you are going to the bathroom in a public place, you have to bring your own toilet paper...or Kleenex, as people prefer to use. If you are lucky enough to find a restroom that stocks its own, the dispenser is located outside the stall.

• On the same note, a majority of people don't wash their hands when finished...although, I am only speaking for the female population, as my presence has not graced the inside of the boys' bathroom.

• There is no health inspection office that regulates health and safety code in restaurants.
  

• The sky is not blue here. You can't see the sky, actually, so more accurately, the sky is hidden by smog. It is hard to get a tan here, that's for sure. Well, unless you go to the volcanoes, where there isn't as much pollution and you forget sunscreen and stand at the highest point for two hours starting at noon...
  

• There are assigned seats in the movie theaters.

• No one here cares about the Cubs, the Sox or the Packers, except me. Terrible, terrible. Then again, this IS the country that did not broadcast the Olympics.
  

• I went to Zara today, for the first time. I believe this is a store that originated in Spain and is now probably global, or close to it. I found it odd that in Jakarta, where there are 2 seasons (rainy and dry), with both having approximately the same temperature (hot-as-f...), Zara was selling wool coats. Long, wool coats in many, many styles and colors.

• If you are leaving the country of Indonesia, you have to pay $100. Yes, I am serious. Who do you pay? I don't know...

• Indonesia ranks #143 on the Corruption Perception Index...at least it's not last, like Somalia and Myanmar, sharing the #174 spot. Phew! (United States, by the way, is #20).

I think that's all I have for you now...more to follow as I become more adventurous.

September 2008

So I LOVE LOVE LOVE the postings and emails about everyone's goals! I find it so inspiring! A quick recap of mine - yes, I have already failed! BOO! I did not sign up for the half marathon in Singapore fast enough and it is now closed. YIKES! However, luck is on my side and there is one in Cambodia the same weekend! I will register this week and continue my training! Anyone interested in spending some time in Cambodia? Provided all goes well, I will be there Dec. 5 - 8!

As for another goal, I have learned to count to 10 in Indonesian. Rock on.

I can't BELIEVE September is over already! Time is flying so fast!

This month, I went with friends to visit some volcanoes in Ciater or Lembang...(not sure exactly, but in that vicinity). We saw two volcanoes - Tangkuban Prahu and Kawah Ratu (Queen Crater). Tangkuban Prahu emits sulphuric fumes and has pools of boiling water but is not considered active. We were able to walk around this one. The pictures I posted of this volcano. Kawah Ratu is considered active and emits various poisonous gases and therefore, we could only look down in it from the edge. People are not allowed in this volcano.



I also went to my first Indonesian wedding reception! It was great - there were about 1,000 people in attendance. It was not like American wedding receptions, that's for sure! There was no alcohol...in fact, the only drink served was water. There was no dance floor or tables. All the food was served buffet style and everyone stood with their companions to eat. There was live music, but this ended around 9:30. The banquet hall itself cleared out by 10:00. The bride and groom were beautiful and glowing. The cake was HUGE. I have never seen such a big cake! I think it had to be about 10 feet tall! It was an enjoyable experience, despite the lack of traditional American hoopla.

This month was also Ramadan, which is observed in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month in which the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a month of fasting, when Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset with the purpose of teaching patience, sacrifice and humility. Because it has been fasting month, bars and restaurants close early (some even close for the entire month!) and alcohol is not openly served. It is an interesting tradition and inspires a spirit similar to that of Christmas.

So...there is no poll for September so please post stories of your recent adventures! I KNOW you have stories....

It's Good to Have Goals...

For those of you who aren't aware, I set a multitude of goals at the beginning of each year. I have several categories of goals (including financial, career, be interesting/personal development, spiritual, etc.) to keep them organized. I also assign metrics to each goal to track my progress, which is measured monthly. Every three months, I try to do a review of my list of goals to see how I am progressing and determine if my goal list needs to be updated. Yes, this goal list is created in Excel and No, so far, I have not used macros to make this process easier.

When I decided to go to Asia, only one goal was allowed on my goal list: acclimate. Maybe I have not ENTIRELY fulfilled this goal yet, but I am READY to start my new set of goals! (I am lost without my goal list...can't function...yes, it's sad, but true).

So, I thought I would share some of my goals since I feel like this is a turning point for me! The first goal I made since I realized I was ready to set goals was to run the half marathon in Singapore! It is December 7 and I am just beginning my training now! I thought, what better way to see another country than to run around in it! So I will. I will keep you updated on my training...at least Singapore is flat (as opposed to Cincinnati...ugh).

I also have the normal goals of saving money, emailing my friends on a regular basis, sending my grandmas cards, keep Sundays open for Liz day (btw, I failed this week...I made plans), be a better big sister, appreciate, do volunteer work once a month, etc, etc...

One goal I made in January 2007 was to be a better friend. I continue to keep this goal on my list with more and more detailed ideas on how to be a better friend. What I find amazing is that since I have been away from the States, some of my friendships have progressed to deeper, more meaningful levels. I have reconnected with people I haven't talked to in years, people from high school, college and even, elementary school. I have made new friends, maybe not with tremendous ease, but much more quickly than I thought and with people that I expect to remain in touch with once I (boo!) leave Asia.

I am realizing that most of my posts are related to food or friends; that's kind of funny! (Mental note: New Goal - blog about a new topic.)

Anyway, I've shared my goals. What are yours? Post for all to see!

New Food

So many of you know that I am not the biggest foodie around and I would rather drink my dinner than eat it (hmmm, do I sound like an alcoholic when I phrase it that way? I do eat lunch...) but I have been trying to be a good sport in the spirit of learning a new culture and have tried some new things.

A couple days ago, I had this wonderful, spicy, tasty soup that had a fish head in it. Yes, I ate fish. Yes, I saw its eyes. I did not realize I was eating fish-head soup (not sure of the Indonesian translation, but I will work on that for you). I had lunch with a couple people from work at an authentic Indonesian restaurant. I did not participate in the ordering, which is fine as I would not have ordered fish-head soup. It was probably actually called whole-fish soup, as all the fish meat was still on its bones. However, the soup was AMAZING and I will likely eat it again. Besides fish, the soup had vegetables (don't even ask what kind...I am sure you can find them at the Asian grocery store in Chicago though), spices and I believe, lime. Oh yes, and of course, there was plenty of oil and/or butter. If a dish is not made with a pound of butter, sugar, oil or chili peppers, I don't think it can be considered authentic Indonesian.

Today, I had some red bean/coconut pudding. For those of you who know me well, YES I ATE BEANS. In the form of pudding, no less. It actually tasted good. Except for the bean skin. (which I politely stacked in the middle of my plate).

Last weekend, I ate Pizza Hut. Oh wait, that's from the US. Surprisingly, it tastes just like home!

Happy Eating!

Thank God and the Universe for Old Friends...

Tonight, I had the chance to talk to an old high school friend....amazing what a 10 minute online chat can do for the spirit. An hour later, I had the chance to talk to Kristen on Skype video phone and "meet" her new son, Aiden. I feel so much joy right now that it is almost overwhelming! I just had to share...

August!

Firstly, thank you to everyone for supporting me through my worst night ever! Everything turned out okay and I am feeling much better! It is wonderful to feel the support of my friends and family from so far away!

August was a very event-filled month! There were weddings, birthdays, family events, the Olympics, and so much more! What was your favorite event? My favorite events include talking to my twin, the first time I directed my Taksi driver to the gym, the birth of Kristen's baby, ALSP's special news, talking to my dad and Juli's wedding! (If only Indonesia had broadcast the Olympics, I would probably include this on my list!) For me, it is hard to narrow down my favorite things...I am finally back in a place of loving my job and enjoying my life - it changes my perspective on everything! I wake up in the morning feeling happy and go to bed feeling happy.

During August, my homesickness was reduced significantly. It feels like it took such a long time, but now I am actually having fun in Jakarta! I have a To Do List of things that I want to do while I am here, including restaurants to try, vacations to go on, and malls to shop in. I joined the American Women's Association. I can't wait to go to the Zoo! I am setting up a time to do some volunteer work.

Because August was an acclimation period, I don't have much to report. I hope to have some interesting stories for you in the next few weeks!

Scroll down and vote for your favorite event of August! If you don't see it, feel free to post your story for all to share!

Happy September!

worst night ever

it's 2:30 in the morning here. i can't sleep. i have too much to think about. it's so surreal. how did everything turn upside down? i want to go home.

Is Friend-Making an Olympic Event?

If it is, I surely would not medal.

Make new friends but keep the old.
One is silver and the other's gold.

I am not the most outgoing person. Unless truly comfortable, I am a bumbling idiot in social settings and am afraid of my own shadow...imagine talking to someone I don't know! Scary. Yikes. I would probably come in second to last in a friend-making contest.

However, I have been fortunate enough that the people I have met here are willing to take me around, introduce me around, look after me and in general, alleviate the shock of being miles and kilometers away from home. In this week alone, I think I handed out my number to five potential (female, for the record) friends. Not only that, when I was sick last week, one client brought me cans of Jakarta's version of gatorade, someone made me soup, someone brought me information on various mosquito diseases and several people checked in on me in the days following. One client invited me out to her home outside of Jakarta for a recent long weekend so that I wouldn't be lonely.

When I decided to go to Indonesia, I figured I would eventually meet people. What I didn't figure was how many people would be able to empathize with my homesickness and culture shock, and take it upon themselves to help me ease through it. I am truly blessed.

In the past couple of weeks, I have learned my way around my portion of the city (today I even directed my cab driver to the mall I wanted to go to!). I have learned how to take some local transportation (bajaj, pronounced BAH-jeye, which are these funny 3-wheeled buggy things that seem to have lawnmower motors). I bought pirated DVDs for $0.65 a piece. I celebrated Indonesia's independence day. In short, I am acclimating.

I still can't talk about my mom and dad without crying but I think, maybe, I will get there soon.

Confidential to my Mom, Dad and Alec.

Have a safe trip to DC!! I hope the move goes well! Send pics of Alec's new place!

Alec, let's talk...I still want to stop by and see you on my way back to Chicago in February.

I hope you love your new home! Good luck with the new job. Keep us updated.
xoxoliz

Pictures from the Weekend!

I was a tourist attraction...

So here in Jakarta there is a term for white person, which is boolay. A boolay can be from Europe, America, wherever, as long as they are white. Apparently, there is no judgement or stigma attached to the term.

Yesterday I went to the National Monument (Monas), the Puppet Museum and another museum (can't remember the name, but still very neat). Everywhere I walked, there were whispers of "boolay, boolay..." At the Monas, a man asked me to take a picture of him and his girlfriend (so I thought) so I went to reach for the camera. Instead, the woman stood next to me and the man took a picture of us. Interesting. One man on a bus started waving to me - "Hi boolay! Hi boolay!" Uh, hi.

I did get to ride on the busway. The busway is a part of the street that only buses are supposed to drive on, though a lot of motorcyclists use it. The bus was pretty clean and not too much different than the CTA buses. There is an operator on the bus that allows only a certain number of people on at each stop. It cost 3,500 rupiahs, which is about $0.40.

So I am learning more and more about Jakarta, which is pretty cool. It's been 3 1/2 weeks since I first arrived. I am not about to call it home, but so far, its not so bad.

send liz snail mail!

In case you were wondering, this is where you can send me mail!

Liz Roche
C/o Bodyworks
Darmawangsa Square City Walk, Unit 48, 2nd Floor
Jalan Darmawangsa, Kebayoran Baru
Jakarta 12160 - Indonesia

I MISS EVERYONE.

What made YOU happy today?

I had a great day today! I had the chance to talk to both my parents, my brother and my little sister this morning. I had a GREAT set of clients. I opened an Indonesian bank account. Someone took time to help me get my bank account. I lost 6 pounds. I had a great workout. I ate some more yum fruit. Someone sent me a friend request on Facebook. I got some awes emails from my River and my Zia and my favorite twin. My dad emailed me 4 times. The sun was shining. I joked with a Taksi driver and made him laugh. Someone took time to ask how I enjoyed my weekend. I actually made dinner instead of microwaving a frozen Lean Cuisine (which, btw, are SO expensive here!) I am awaiting news of a close friend's new arrival, baby Aiden. I had a cheeseburger for lunch. I wore a pink shirt. Someone else took time to show me how to cook chicken curry at home.

What made YOU happy today? Post it for all to see!

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.
~Guilaume Apollinaire

Fruit

So a new friend took me out and about yesterday in Jakarta and introduced me to some local fruit! YUM! Today I tried two kinds: Rambutan and Jeruk Bali. Rambutan, the hairy fruit, has a reddish/purplish skin that is, well, hairy. Inside the skin is the fruit, which is similar to a lychee. For those of you who have never tried a lychee (I've had them once, in a martini!), the fruit is white, has a pit in the center and has a texture resembling a peeled grape. It is very sweet. SO YUMMY!

Jeruk Bali is a citrus fruit and is the size of a big grapefruit. The pulp inside is whitish pink in color. It tastes like a sweet, slightly spicy grapefuit. YUM! * * I just did some research. It is also referred to as a pomelo, originated in Asia and is an ancestor of the grapefruit. * *

I have more fruits to try including Jambu, Manggi, Dragonfruit and Salak! I will keep you updated!

Check out my new poll at the bottom of the page.

Jakarta smells...

I'm not being mean; it's just the truth. There is so much pollution and there are people selling food in the streets and the sewage system is really bad. So it smells here. It was actually the first thing I noticed when I arrived, but I didn't want to say anything. I can't hold it in anymore. My apartment smells.

When I wake up in the morning, my apartment smells.

The mall where I work (yes, in a mall) smells.

When I walk home from being dropped off 1/2 mile (how many km's is that??!@?!) from home because my cab driver doesn't understand the address No. Ninety-nine (Smelan booloo smelan), the air smells.

When I get home from work, my apartment smells.

The gym smells. Maybe that's normal.

I can't really describe it to you but I can try...it's a mix of sulfur, fried (as in, really really over fried and dripping oil) food, BO, bus exhaust, mold, backed up gutters and rotting fruit. Lovely. So...to all my favorite friends, if I smell like Jakarta the next time I see you in February, please don't hold it against me.

Oh yeah, I was also just asked if I was planning on staying longer than 6 months...

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

So today was a public holiday in Jakarta and therefore, we had no work to do. Because people were not travelling to and from work, the pollution level was dramatically low and the day was so pretty. The sky was a clear blue (instead of gray). I went to the pool with two of my new friends and got french-fried...jakarta-fried? Not used to this sun!!

My homesickness is becoming bone-crushing. I hope it goes away soon. I am set up on Skype with username lizroche78 so please text me or video call me FOR FREE! woo hoo!

I hope everyone is doing well....my thoughts are with you.

My Favorite Song

So I went to the Mall today and attended RPM class at my gym (which, of course, is the same thing as Spin class). I think I highly annoyed the instructor by coming into class too early...they did play one of my FAVORITE songs of all time! Does anyone know what it is? It brings me memories of A.L.S.P. for some reason!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I think I am going to the cinema tonight. No work tomorrow! WOO HOO! and I already have a day off on Wednesday - some public holiday...really, the last thing I need right now is a day off...

Friday Night...

It's technically my second Friday night here. It is almost 7:00 and I just watched a condensed version of America's Next Top Model...who even knows what season! My TV is finally working...I have been watching for the past two hours. Can you even believe it?? No.

I am trying to find the motivation to go the mall. What have I become! The mall, cable TV...ugh. However, the malls here are HUGEMONGOUS! They are 8 levels high with tons of restaurants - good ones, sit-down ones, not just fast food. There is a grocery store in my mall, as well as my gym and a Starbucks and hopefully, a good sushi restaurant. There is also the cinema - so you can tell, the mall is my one-stop entertainment joint. Woo hoo!

It's really hot here and it gets dark at 6. That is why I am hesitant to leave the comfort of my HUGEMONGOUS apartment that is cleaned everyday by someone that is not me. They even do my dishes and laundry. So far, none of my shirts have been shrunk. Another plus.

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to take my $1 cab ride to the mall to buy $10 coffee.

Almost a Week!

So I've been here almost a week now. It is very strange here - the people I have met are very nice and are from all over the world. The money is strange - I spent 650,000 Rupiahs on groceries. A cab to work cost me 10,000 Ruphiahs, approximately $1...

seriously, how many times can you cry in one day?

I suppose when you save it up till the last minute, a whole bunch of times!

Today's finally the day! I can't believe it. I am sad and a bit scared and mostly really really excited! I leave in about 2 hours and I still have so much to do! Poor MH, who has been such a dear, will likely be picking up after me until I get back...What was I thinking?

July has been my favorite month so far - perfect weather, no working, great Cubs baseball and so much time spent with my family and friends. Please keep in touch and I will do my best.

xoxo

YIPEEEE!

I just got my passport back - time to leave!

Now if I can just fit everything into one suitcase....

Estimated Date of Departure...

...still fuzzy. Hopefully next Thursday...

Vaccinations...

Am I a wimp or what!? My arm still hurts from my tetanus booster! (no thanks to CJ for whacking me at the point of entry 2 times in 3 minutes!)

Typoid shot is next...should I be nervous for that too?

Maybe this being nervous about getting a shot is just an outlet for all the anxiety I have over selling my furniture. Or maybe the anxiety resulting from the thought of taking a drug-free 48 hour journey to a country completely unknown to me.

At least I am not bored.

June 13

Check out my new blog!