Jakarta

I don't know about you but time has seemed to slow down for some inexplicable reason. That is not meant to mean it now takes longer in 'real' time but in actual feeling time I have felt things drag on but then again I have been so busy I don't really know where time did go. 

I am currently teaching in the morning and then through the afternoon into the evening and in between teaching I am training, observing, being involved in meetings, updating twitter and if I remember eating lunch.

I am trying to cut down on sugars and rice at the moment as it is making me fat(ter) and sleepy after eating and it has been working. More tea and water also is helping. I was told today by a rather direct 8 year old that I was fat. I took it well as I am not that fat but have a good spread through happy living and lazy exercising. I don't really mind as it was said in fun and after a while the insults, the comments, the questions all become a little invisible really and you ignore it. I can hardly say yes I am fat where as you are ugly, but the difference is I can diet as a) it would wasted on anyone here. b) it was just a comment and c) it makes me chuckle knowing my students can say the worst things in correct English, yet every weekend they go to mall and the Church, play facebook and watching Tom Jerry. I have yet to stop correcting them, one I might give in but currently more fun laughing with/at them and then explain it all.

I am currently averaging 2 near misses on the bike a week at the moment, I hope the fasting month will make people slow down and take it more easy. The culprits are mainly motorcyclists and the other are the people walking across the roads without a care in the world. Apart from them the floods and heavy rains last week made riding home far more fun and the bike is still the best despite the brakes squeaking for 2 days after and all the bolts having a rusty look to them. My bike passed 3000km after 7 months. It is almost worn in now and I finally took it over 100kph ( sorry Mum but I had to try) down the stretch in front of the school. Having done that I doubt I will do that again soon. 

I am sure I have mentioned it before but rain hurts at 40kph so I have to really slow down, the water riding over the front wheel I am cope with but the actual drops do hurt. For those that dont believe me, drive you car with the window open and stick your head out when it is raining at around 50kph and see how it feels. But now the rain seems to have disappeared for now and so the dust, smog and the filth in the air is getting worse. Coughing up the loose bits is getting worse !!!

Had to go the airport on Saturday to meet the gf who had been to Bali for a few days and it was to T3 which has to be the least bit Indonesian in the entire country. It is a brand new terminal with modern western design and very clean safe and lacking in hawkers, porters, sellers and other weird people that frequent T1 and T2. It is also a little way from the other terminals and only serves Air Asia and Mandala currently.

However not getting all my hopes up with the airport, I enter as a visitor and face a load of questions from the security guards like 'what are doing here?, what do you want?, Where is your ticket?' As I entered through the visitors entrance those questions should be a concern as clearly I was a visitor but then again I should expect these things. I did tell them I was looking for some shoes, which again was wasted but it helped me conceal my anger and in I went. 

It is open but just empty

As a good airport should be nice and clean

With plastic trees, which are always welcome

From the window

Garuda Planes

It is a lovely airport but it lacks seats and signs but as it is a no smoking airport there are plenty of ashbins for cigarettes. After meeting Yovita we went to meet some friends at the marina (yes it is a weekend ritual) and have some beer and enjoy each others company as well as the flies which seem to descend as soon as we arrive. We stayed there quite late for a change and it was a good afternoon and evening. Clearing the air, chewing the cud and gossiping. As for the girls, I have no idea what they spoke about.

Sunday was spent deep cleaning the apartment and sorting things out, swimming and then doing nothing all afternoon except for a little snoozing and sleeping. 

I watched the Charity Shield on the TV as I have YES TV and they are showing ESPN again and so that means another year of free premier league footy which is nice to have. However I am currently watching Enter the Dragon on Trans TV which is superior in every way to anything else being shown.

Finally, I should mention that Indonesia and also the rest of the Muslim world has moved into the fasting month of Ramadhan and so this means that the majority of people will not be eating from sun up to sun down and have to obey certain rules and instructions for the next 4 weeks. It is a great time of year for everyone and it ends in big family parties and feasting which again is a great thing. I can't do the Mohon Maaf thing as I am not a Muslim but I wish everyone who is fasting a happy and peaceful month.