2 weeks in June

I took a bit of a rest from blogging over the last 2 weeks as I have been tired and also work has been full on and getting home in the evening I have not really been in the mood to write lots and lots. 

The tempo at work has changed with a new manager and the helm and some other new faces. Also the start of the summer morning classes has put a lot of pressure on the team and myself. The team are doing a fine job and have been remarkably patient and tolerant. Something that I am proud of and happy with. Even more so with the late news of schedules and others changes to the center and things.

With another 2 weeks to go, it is not getting any easier and I think we are all getting tired and in need of some rest. This is the worst part of the school year as the teaching is all day with little respite. 

Away from work and the school I have been letting the bites heal (after 2 weeks now they are a just an ugly memory) and hopefully they will go completely in the next 2. The air does nothing for the healing process over here, and with the muck and dirt in it I can see why.

The hand gel is coming handy at the moment as it keeps the muck off my hands.

I got knocked off the bike on the way to work, not completely over, but I bounced between a truck and van and had the truck run over my foot, it hurt at the time but there was no visible damage so that was good. As it was a Monday morning not the best way to start the day. 

The traffic gets worse then bad then worse again and with the rain also it just makes riding around simply worse to be honest. Dusty or dirty what a choice. I cleaned the bike yesterday so lets hope it will remain clean for a week or two before I take it back to the place for another wash. 8000 which is a great price. Sunday it took about 1.5 hours as there was 4 bikes ahead of me and the place was full of kids and noise which was nice. 

Its clean now and all I need to do now is get it serviced as the next one is due. 

Been rushing around the city over the past few weeks. More beers at the marina, time in Central park. Puri Mall, Taman Anggrek, The Pavillion (PX) next to Puri, FX and a few others. Almost a blur. 

Central Park is finally shaping up to look like a mall. The factory outlets of Puma and Reebok are not helpful or nice but serve a distraction. The most exciting places are Starbucks (yes really), Domino's Pizza (30 mins guarantee) and Burger King. With the Dominos and Burger King delivering to the apartments. How fantastic is that. How fat will I get.

Almost every restaurant delivers. Starbucks won't and quite right too but with JCO doughnuts also delivering I am going to get lazier and lazier. I am already lazy as my GF calls for food. 

Central Park also looks like there will be more restaurants and maybe a couple of beer serving establishments as well. Which will be nice after work to stop by and have a couple.

However, the price of beer is going up. Bintang cans are now double what they were in 2007 (13,000 now) and bottles are over 23,000. My local Hero had Carlsberg bottles and San Miguel bottles cheaper than canned beer. Then I went and bought it all and now they have none left. It is a good job I have cut down on the beer as other wise I would be broke all the time.

There are still bars though that have specials and good deals so that helps and serves as a distraction once in a while.

The world cup has been a huge part of the last 2 weeks and all the matches have been shown. However ESPN and Star Sports did not have the broadcasting rights and neither did the cable channels so it has been antenna tv with blurry shapes and crystal English commentary blaring out. I have not really watched much of the world cup. England Algeria was shocking. Ghana USA was amazing, England Germany was disheatening. But still thats football. The most lucky thing was that the last match was on at 9pm whilst the others were on at 1.30am and they finished past 3am, so tired was an understatement.

England were dismal. There is nothing else to add in this blog. I leave it for the bars and clubs and newspapers to report and vent. 

The news stories get worse and the focus on what is important seems to be slowly slipping away. A statue in the east of the city was taken down by the local government as it deemed offensive to the local muslim population, so it has been sent to Bali.

A pop star has been making dirty movies with his girlfriends and then they got stolen and posted on the web and now everyone has been arrested under the strange pornography bill for making and distributing them. The people involved have to be subjected to dental checks and being photographed nude to ensure it was them in the films. This story has gripped the nation for the last 2 weeks.

Some Muslim clerics in the east of the city is calling for a holy war against the christians for some obsure reason and that is quite unsettling to read. 

Some local boy had to marry the cow he had sex with in Bali and then the cow was promptly drowned in the sea.

There was a 2 year old smoking 20 a day although not sure it was roll ups 

Gas bottles keep exploding as there are fake ones on sell everywhere which is scaring everyone it seems

Drug smuggling has increased 30% over the last few years 

and the usual crap about dishonest police chiefs, government bodies, lawyers etc still rumbles on

I have posted the link before but the Jakarta Post makes sense of it all and it helps to explain what happens here. Not a reporter or being paid but life in another country especially this one needs some help to explain it,

There all caught up I think. Hoping for less rain now and maybe some days not so hot as recent.