We are three weeks now into our Jakarta adventure, but thus far it's not exactly been "roughing it" as one would often associate with an adventure. Our school has done a bit of hand holding, guiding us to all the venues frequented by foreigners: the plethora of grocery stores, several ACE hardwares, a few watering holes in the area as well a few spas! Learned that great cheeses can be upwards of $100, and better check prices. Learned that even when bedsheets are 50% off, they really can still cost $500! (We ended up returning those by they way!) Learned that taxi rides home from shopping cost 70 cents and hour long massages cost $12 at the elite establishments! Soon to come however, we slowly will lose our cushy treasures sponsored by the school, like our own van and driver at our disposal. It's up to us to pick up the slack...question of the month...will we invest in a car?
Somehow here a 1997 Honda can still cost $7000, and that cars mysteriously keep great value is the reason everyone seems to buy a brand new $20,000 Toyota Rush. Apparently the cheap cost of maintenance almost ensures cars are kept in great condition, and five years from now can sell the Rush for nearly initial cost. Trouble is, it's not just $20k...additionally we have the monthly fee for a driver! Last night as we embarked on a Saturday night outing in the pouring rain, we learned that hailing a cab is useless, and THAT is when it pays to have a car and driver in the waiting. (We have yet to hit the 'rainy' season BTW!)
Speaking of the fine treatment here brings me to the highlight of our entry here -- the annual fully school sponsored Middle School teacher retreat! A way to bond the newbies with the returnees, and boost teacher morale is having an overnight retreat to Bogor, a lovely escape from the big city and smog! At 3:30 on Friday, 5 buses (one for kids of teachers, and four filled with happy middle school teachers) departed for the Novotel Hotel there. It was a pleasant surprise to find our bus loaded up with two coolers of "roadies" and 5 bottles of champagne!
It only got better from there arriving at our open air, flora-enclosed hotel expanse; lovely indonesian dinner for everyone and open bar the whole night, topping off the night with strutting 80s moves on the dance floor! And THIS was how my birthday was celebrated this year! Neal really outdid himself (haha)...don't know how next year's birthday celebration can top it. (No pics to disclose..having too much fun!)
Check out one of our souvenirs...Neal's demonstrating his birthday gift to me...a blowdart gun! Also on the trip we found our new favorite fruit...the name is still a mystery tho! Learned the hard way that the green peel makes your lips super sticky, better to just eat the white!
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