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....