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.
5 comments:
And I would come in last! I miss you.
liz,
it's not about how many friends you make but the quality of the ones you keep. i've learned that the hard way over the last few years. unlike you, i am the social butterfly, but i trust everyone, and that has burned me in the long run.
i know i haven't seen you in years, but i understand your homesickness. it's funny, though, when you come back to the US, you will probably experience some form of reverse culture shock - i did! i'm not sure if you remember i studied abroad to japan our senior year of college.
keep in touch!
this guy would come in last in the pilates olympics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8Y1n_b9lxQ
Hi Aunt Zilver,
My mom said that you like to work out! Guess what? I like to work out too, I even go on the treadmill. My mom was running this morning, and it looked like so much fun. I jumped on too! You should have seen me, Aunt Zilver! I was really speedy, and then my mom even let me go on it by myself. I sort of forgot to run that time, but I know that soon I will be RIVER the RUNNER. That will be my workout name, Aunt Zilver. Do you have a workout name?
I love you,
Love,
RIVER the RUNNER
Hi River the Runner,
Did you fall off treadmill? Did you like to run? I don't like to run, but I do it anyway. I like to go biking - ask your mom to take you sometime! It is AWES! I don't have a workout name - maybe you can think of one for me!
Love you tons!
Aunt Zilver.
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