Insanity
So I finally have a bit of time to write down all our happenings. It's been, in one simple word, insane. Not chaotic insane, but insane in the sense that things are too surreal to be understood.
We got into Jakarta on a hot Monday afternoon. Dot's father was waiting for us with two cars - one for our luggage and the other for passengers. He took us immediately to a restaurant and he and his brother treated us to a seafood lunch consisting of yellow-tail fish, gigantic prawns, shrimp, and soft-shell crab. Yes, it was tasty! Then it was the three-hour drive to Bandung.
The country side is lush and rich green. There were farms along the well-developed highways, as well as tropical forests. As we enter the mountain region, the roads began to weave up the mountain side beside tea-groves and small shops. I faded in and out of sleep as jet-lag was creeping up on me.
We finally arrived at Dot's family house and I was struck by its beauty and spaciousness. We each get our own bed and bathroom (Jules and I are sharing one bathroom), and the servants clean our rooms AND do our laundry... every day. If that's not enough, the family is constantly feeding us with local foods and fresh fruits.
If this house didn't impress us, Extravagant Grandma's house surely did. Extravagant Grandma and one of her sons live in a house, nay, a complex with 6 bedrooms, two kitchens, a Japanese-style cabin, orchid garden, waterfall garden.... and countless aquariums. It has to be seen to be believed.
Our first full day in Bandung consist of being driven around to tailors and fabric shops. We also stopped off at a stationary store to pick up goodies for the children we will be visiting. We were shocked to see how far the Canadian dollar does go around here. For example, $2 can buy 36 rulers or a full size meal. $40 will buy you a tailored evening gown or suit. It was a startling reminder of how much the mark up is in North America.
It's late now, and tomorrow we're rising early to make the 7hr drive to Pekalongan and the Compassion project site. At least we're riding in a comfortable SUV with our own driver....
Insanity.
posted by D-tales @ 12:27 AM
2 Comments:
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I have been in hermit-mode for the past one and a half month, dealing with my own insanity. I told myself no blogging but I have no idea what's going on in the world and with friends, so I had to come up for air... at least for a little while... As I read your entry, I could only stare at the words with my mouth wide open =O Does Dot's family have a personal pilot who could swing by Toronto and get me?!?! Insane indeed... =P
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