This has been weighing on my mind since Brad first announced we might come here: was it possible for me to continue viewing my precious The Ohio State Buckeyes play football during the fall season?
After much research I found a streaming site which looks like it will work. We paid for a 3-day trial to test it and it worked pretty well. A one-year subscription is only $45 USD. With this plan I can stream a lot of NCAA college sports and the NFL and I can stream CNN News (US) and lots more. Using the site isn't all that easy but once you find the correct "stream channel" then it does seem to work pretty well.
The Bucks first game, against Navy, started at noon on Saturday Aug 30 in Baltimore, MD. This meant to watch the game live from here, it started at 11pm Saturday night. I took a nap in the afternoon to be able to stay up.
Thanks to my friend Karen, we had set up to Skype during the game with her tablet propped up on a table on top of a book stack in the event I could not figure out any other option. I should point out that this only was possible because it was an away game and Karen was not at the stadium.
I had also found, I thought, a way to stream audio for free ( in case I can't live stream video for a specific game), but that didn't pan out for this game. They seemed to be having technical difficulties.
Additional technical difficulties occurred when I was trying to simultaneously stream video and Skype on 2 different devices both using Wi-Fi. I eventually just shut off the live video stream and watched with Karen via Skype.
The live streaming experiment was a success and I hope to be able to watch many of the games, though Skyping with Karen will always be more fun than watching without her company and expertise.
If you don't follow the Buckeyes....... OSU 34:Navy 17
Now if I could only figure out how to watch archived games the next day. I do have the advantage over Columbus folks when it comes to night games. There are five night games this season so far-- an unusually high number.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
The iron predicament
We have an iron in the Fraser, however it is only a dry iron. The other day while trying to press the wrinkles out of a linen shirt so I could avoid having to wash it immediately, I actually collapsed the ironing board onto my feet due to the exertion I was applying.
This iron is fine I suppose if you are ironing pretty damp items, but I really needed an iron with a steam function.
Saturday, while we were shopping, we went to a Best Denki in the Grand Indonesia Mall. I spent some time settling on the best available option. We selected a Bosch iron which happens to be purple in color. It does vertical steam but you have to pause with repeated steaming events. You can't just keep going like you could with my Rowenta. This of course was less pricey.
After we selected the iron, the store staff asked if we wanted to check it. Odd request we thought, but we said OK and they removed it from the box and plugged it into a receptacle to demonstrate that it actually heated up. In fact, it heated up rather quickly. Test complete.
They packed it back up, pulled the price/item number info off the shelf, we paid for the iron and went on our way still in the store. [Note: We found 2 styles of sewing machine possibilities and a good desk lamp Brad likes for possible future purchase.]
While we were still in the shop, a couple of staff approached us to tell us they had mis-charged us for the iron and the price tag they used was for the blue one (cheaper). The clerk had just grabbed the wrong tag by mistake. So, we needed to pay additionally for the purple one. We also had the warranty paperwork completed by the store which the first clerk had not done. Anyway, after paying the second time, we skidaddled out of the store before they could change their minds again.
This iron is fine I suppose if you are ironing pretty damp items, but I really needed an iron with a steam function.
Saturday, while we were shopping, we went to a Best Denki in the Grand Indonesia Mall. I spent some time settling on the best available option. We selected a Bosch iron which happens to be purple in color. It does vertical steam but you have to pause with repeated steaming events. You can't just keep going like you could with my Rowenta. This of course was less pricey.
After we selected the iron, the store staff asked if we wanted to check it. Odd request we thought, but we said OK and they removed it from the box and plugged it into a receptacle to demonstrate that it actually heated up. In fact, it heated up rather quickly. Test complete.
They packed it back up, pulled the price/item number info off the shelf, we paid for the iron and went on our way still in the store. [Note: We found 2 styles of sewing machine possibilities and a good desk lamp Brad likes for possible future purchase.]
While we were still in the shop, a couple of staff approached us to tell us they had mis-charged us for the iron and the price tag they used was for the blue one (cheaper). The clerk had just grabbed the wrong tag by mistake. So, we needed to pay additionally for the purple one. We also had the warranty paperwork completed by the store which the first clerk had not done. Anyway, after paying the second time, we skidaddled out of the store before they could change their minds again.
Visit to the National Museum
Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of Indonesia.
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This is a huge place with an old wing and new wing. We're not sure we saw everything. We even think we missed an entire floor, but we spent 2.5 enjoyable hours wandering the exhibits.
The museum starts with a series of maps showing all the different islands in the archipelago. There are also drawings of men and woman in "local" garb and headdress. All in all there are approximately 300 ethnicities and 500 languages spoken across the country. The photo below is just one of the maps.
The museum continued by exploring the "ethnography" of the different peoples showing scale models of the traditional homes, how some made clothes out of tree bark because they had no contact with those with textile weaving skills, and jewelry made out all sorts of materials including one necklace made out of human teeth (we'll let your minds think about that), copper, bronze, and gold. There was one ankle bracelet made of bronze that might have weighed 4 or 5 lbs or more and earrings of ample heft (yes, they enlarged earlobes with disks, heavy weights, etc.)
Of interest was this scale. Can you guess what it's for? The bottom pans of the scale are resting on display posts. The posts are not part of the scale.
Need some help? These are tax scales. The sultan sat himself down on one side and taxes were collected (in the form of food crops) which were added to the other scale pan until the weight of the food crops balanced that of the sultan.
One last thing we photographed was this model airplane. The actual plane first flew to Indonesia from the Dutch mainland from October 1 to November 24, 1924 according to the sign.
Obviously a small plane with a small tank so it must have taken many, many hops and stops to make the trip between the two locations. It had three Dutch passengers.
Next it was off to lunch and, guess what, some shopping.
The museum starts with a series of maps showing all the different islands in the archipelago. There are also drawings of men and woman in "local" garb and headdress. All in all there are approximately 300 ethnicities and 500 languages spoken across the country. The photo below is just one of the maps.
Of interest was this scale. Can you guess what it's for? The bottom pans of the scale are resting on display posts. The posts are not part of the scale.
Need some help? These are tax scales. The sultan sat himself down on one side and taxes were collected (in the form of food crops) which were added to the other scale pan until the weight of the food crops balanced that of the sultan.
One last thing we photographed was this model airplane. The actual plane first flew to Indonesia from the Dutch mainland from October 1 to November 24, 1924 according to the sign.
Next it was off to lunch and, guess what, some shopping.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
For all of you coffee lovers
You may not have heard of kopi luwak coffee but it is everywhere here on the grocery store shelves. I've heard it is very expensive and very much sought after outside this part of the world.
It also has a very interesting origin. This is an interesting article about coffee which mentions not only kopi luwak but also the latest and greatest coffee in this very interesting category of "assisted coffee production." Enjoy!
http://indonesiaexpat.biz/home-2/hold-still-dumbo/
http://indonesiaexpat.biz/home-2/hold-still-dumbo/
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
The deposit is done for the apartment!
It looks like the apartment will be ours. I have been busy the last 2 days selecting new drapes, sheers, wallpaper, paint. Together B and I have finalized decisions from our weekend extravaganza of shopping on over 20 furniture/fixture items that the owner will buy and have delivered/installed to the apartment. This includes things like sofa, loveseat, chair, desk chairs, desks, refrigerator, microwave- all sorts of things. It's been a whirlwind of decision making and running all over to look at items and samples. It reminds me of the time we had to select window treatments for an entire house in one day back in 1987 for the first house we built. I think B was out of town Monday through Friday each week and so we had the one day to accomplish the huge task. He could then drive back to wherever on Sunday. It was a very long day. By the end, I just didn't have the strength to care anymore. That is why B ended up with a puppy dog print curtain for his office windows. When he held up the fabric and said this is good, I said OK we're done. I can still picture those colorful puppy cartoon characters!
Sampai waktu berikutnya (until next time)
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
AWA & Closer to having an apartment
Start with the last thing first: We are one step closer to having a place to live. The owner has signed a letter of intent. The company then signs. Once that happens, a deposit is given and then we have a formal contract. Until money actually changes hands from us to the owner, if someone else actually hands over money first we could still lose it. So, we are closer and it's pretty certain, but we'll keep you posted.
The first item: Today I attended my first "Coffee and Chat" of the American Women's Association of Jakarta (AWA). My driver Oky delivered me to the location without even having to stop and ask someone. It is located on Jl Rimba Buntu which according to Brad means dead end. It's a tiny, tiny street but we did it.
I felt more comfortable when I saw that they have a security person who has you sign in if you're new or you show your badge if you are a member. There was another one at the street itself at the foot of the "driveway".
I met several nice ladies, 2 from Texas- one of whom has a sister who lives in, guess where- Louisville. I can't remember where they others were from. They do allow a certain number of non US ladies and even have a few US men have joined but I'm not sure if they attend anything. AWA has weekly coffees on Mondays, there is a special newcomer event in a couple of weeks I think. At the meeting next week (I think) the US Ambassador will talk to the group. Should be interesting and hope to attend. My driver drove me past the Ambassador's house today. It's an old Dutch style home behind a high fence.
The book I really wanted to buy is out of stock and at the printer now. It is a picture book of fruits and veggies. The "pictures" are just line drawings but the names are there in Bahasa and English and there is information about each one. I will just have to wait.
I almost got my hands on a 3-hole punch! [They have a thrift shop where people donate things they don't need ( especially expats returning home) and then AWA sells them. Monies raised go to several orphanages and other helpful organizations in Jakarta.] I was buying a 2nd hand book on living in Indonesia and thinking about that 3-hole punch but Brad is pretty sure I included one in the air shipment so I was really debating spending $2.00 USD on it when the president of AWA grabbed it and placed it on the counter with delight and exclaimed, "I really need this!" Alas, I did not get the 3-hole punch - memo to self... don't wait quite so long to make a decision.
By the way, the AWA just recently relocated to this building. It has a beautiful garden at the rear which can be viewed through floor to ceiling glass windows across 2 rooms. I could live there!
Whether I attend a lot of functions or not, I support what the group is doing so I joined. I got a free cookbook for joining so now I have one cookbook. It's a sort of international cookbook with contributions from past and current AWA members.
Additional note: I now have my KITAS limited stay visa. We will have to renew our KITAS visas annually but I hope that renewing them is easier than getting the original one!
The first item: Today I attended my first "Coffee and Chat" of the American Women's Association of Jakarta (AWA). My driver Oky delivered me to the location without even having to stop and ask someone. It is located on Jl Rimba Buntu which according to Brad means dead end. It's a tiny, tiny street but we did it.
I felt more comfortable when I saw that they have a security person who has you sign in if you're new or you show your badge if you are a member. There was another one at the street itself at the foot of the "driveway".
I met several nice ladies, 2 from Texas- one of whom has a sister who lives in, guess where- Louisville. I can't remember where they others were from. They do allow a certain number of non US ladies and even have a few US men have joined but I'm not sure if they attend anything. AWA has weekly coffees on Mondays, there is a special newcomer event in a couple of weeks I think. At the meeting next week (I think) the US Ambassador will talk to the group. Should be interesting and hope to attend. My driver drove me past the Ambassador's house today. It's an old Dutch style home behind a high fence.
The book I really wanted to buy is out of stock and at the printer now. It is a picture book of fruits and veggies. The "pictures" are just line drawings but the names are there in Bahasa and English and there is information about each one. I will just have to wait.
I almost got my hands on a 3-hole punch! [They have a thrift shop where people donate things they don't need ( especially expats returning home) and then AWA sells them. Monies raised go to several orphanages and other helpful organizations in Jakarta.] I was buying a 2nd hand book on living in Indonesia and thinking about that 3-hole punch but Brad is pretty sure I included one in the air shipment so I was really debating spending $2.00 USD on it when the president of AWA grabbed it and placed it on the counter with delight and exclaimed, "I really need this!" Alas, I did not get the 3-hole punch - memo to self... don't wait quite so long to make a decision.
By the way, the AWA just recently relocated to this building. It has a beautiful garden at the rear which can be viewed through floor to ceiling glass windows across 2 rooms. I could live there!
Whether I attend a lot of functions or not, I support what the group is doing so I joined. I got a free cookbook for joining so now I have one cookbook. It's a sort of international cookbook with contributions from past and current AWA members.
Additional note: I now have my KITAS limited stay visa. We will have to renew our KITAS visas annually but I hope that renewing them is easier than getting the original one!
Monday, August 25, 2014
The weekend
This weekend we added a few things to our collection of kitchen items. Salt and pepper shakers: found! Measuring cups: found! Measuring spoons: found!
We are hopeful that the owner will sign the contract on apartment #2 on Monday. He was supposed to sign on Friday but he didn't. He is giving us a fixed budget where he will replace some things, buy new things, add things ( per our selection); do general cleaning, clean the AC system... the list goes on. We now have to create the list of what we want.
We spent nearly 5 hours on Saturday in a furniture/everything else store and at a different, larger ACE home center located in Alam Sutera which is in West Jakarta.
These are a smiling people! Everywhere we went smiling clerks were eager to wait on us, help us, guide us to their product. I don't know if it's cultural or if they are really that happy all the time. And, it is expected that you smile back. My jaw hurts!
On Sunday we spent some time at an electronics store looking at other items: refrigerator,water dispenser, microwave, iron, slow cooker, vacuum... I can't even remember. We are simultaneously looking at items that we will buy ourselves.
We have discovered that in the electronic stores, there are tons of clerks ready to help you, some from the store but also they had representatives from the different brands. You have several staff ready to help you with Samsung and a different group for Hitachi and a different group for LG. And all of the stores are organized by brand not by category of item. For microwaves, you go the LG microwave section, then to the Samsung microwave section, and so on. Same with vacuums. Electrolux vacuums in one location, Panasonic in another. Modena in another. It's all very confusing.
If that weren't enough activity for the day, next we met with our realty agent at the apartment and went over prioritizing the list of things we need done and tried to draw some sort of a floor plan of the apartment and measured a couple of specific walls for furniture placement. We also had to decide where to put wallpaper and/or paint. Selecting those items will come after the contract is signed. We're still trying to figure out if we want to replace the drapes and sheers. The current ones are not very attractive and selecting paper and paint to go with them will be tough because I would pick a different color palette. However, replacing the drapes is $$$ so we will see.
After this exhausting weekend, I found the energy to make salmon for dinner with a side salad of cucumber, yellow pepper and carrot and red rice. I managed to get the salmon perfectly cooked in a skillet and used a little butter and dill (I just found dill in a grocery!) and salt and pepper to finish it off. Yummy!
After that, I tried valiantly to take packaged peanut butter cookie mix, add the ingredients and then cook them in the microwave. Well, didn't turn out as well as the salmon. I tried cooking them on a plate, on the grill plate, tried the dual mode: grill/microwave. I threw away quite a few, but managed to get a "few" cooked and not burnt. I guess I will just have to wait for a real oven to do any baking and buy baked goods. There are certainly a lot of choices and they all seem to be absolutely delicious.
If any readers have a fool proof recipe for cookies in the microwave, however, please send them our way!
Today I did re-confirm that apartment #2 has a real oven!
We are hopeful that the owner will sign the contract on apartment #2 on Monday. He was supposed to sign on Friday but he didn't. He is giving us a fixed budget where he will replace some things, buy new things, add things ( per our selection); do general cleaning, clean the AC system... the list goes on. We now have to create the list of what we want.
We spent nearly 5 hours on Saturday in a furniture/everything else store and at a different, larger ACE home center located in Alam Sutera which is in West Jakarta.
These are a smiling people! Everywhere we went smiling clerks were eager to wait on us, help us, guide us to their product. I don't know if it's cultural or if they are really that happy all the time. And, it is expected that you smile back. My jaw hurts!
On Sunday we spent some time at an electronics store looking at other items: refrigerator,water dispenser, microwave, iron, slow cooker, vacuum... I can't even remember. We are simultaneously looking at items that we will buy ourselves.
We have discovered that in the electronic stores, there are tons of clerks ready to help you, some from the store but also they had representatives from the different brands. You have several staff ready to help you with Samsung and a different group for Hitachi and a different group for LG. And all of the stores are organized by brand not by category of item. For microwaves, you go the LG microwave section, then to the Samsung microwave section, and so on. Same with vacuums. Electrolux vacuums in one location, Panasonic in another. Modena in another. It's all very confusing.
If that weren't enough activity for the day, next we met with our realty agent at the apartment and went over prioritizing the list of things we need done and tried to draw some sort of a floor plan of the apartment and measured a couple of specific walls for furniture placement. We also had to decide where to put wallpaper and/or paint. Selecting those items will come after the contract is signed. We're still trying to figure out if we want to replace the drapes and sheers. The current ones are not very attractive and selecting paper and paint to go with them will be tough because I would pick a different color palette. However, replacing the drapes is $$$ so we will see.
After this exhausting weekend, I found the energy to make salmon for dinner with a side salad of cucumber, yellow pepper and carrot and red rice. I managed to get the salmon perfectly cooked in a skillet and used a little butter and dill (I just found dill in a grocery!) and salt and pepper to finish it off. Yummy!
After that, I tried valiantly to take packaged peanut butter cookie mix, add the ingredients and then cook them in the microwave. Well, didn't turn out as well as the salmon. I tried cooking them on a plate, on the grill plate, tried the dual mode: grill/microwave. I threw away quite a few, but managed to get a "few" cooked and not burnt. I guess I will just have to wait for a real oven to do any baking and buy baked goods. There are certainly a lot of choices and they all seem to be absolutely delicious.
If any readers have a fool proof recipe for cookies in the microwave, however, please send them our way!
Today I did re-confirm that apartment #2 has a real oven!
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Great News!
GREAT NEWS... Brad came home tonight and told me he had brought some "friends" home. Our three boxes shipped from his office in the states were "released from custody" and had finally arrived at his office here in Jakarta. They had been held up because of a few last minute things we'd tossed in like band-aids and "cosmetics" (of which there really weren't any because it was facial cleanser, shampoo, etc). After writing a letter to the Ministry (must have been some letter but I never saw it) along with the required fee of course (all of this was submitted on the standard government issued forms), the items were actually, finally cleared. We were told that we would mostly likely lose everything, so WHOOPIE!!!!! It looks like there might be some loss of quality of products due to storage conditions, but at least we have it.
Not to minimize the wonder of getting all these goodies, we now also have our Post-it notes, a pair of scissors, paperclips, a stapler, pens, tape, envelopes, a couple of notebooks and other assorted items to make life so much easier. Also, we had put paperwork related to the desktop computer, house sale, the relo, etc. into the boxes and all of it arrived. Brad said the original boxes looked like the gorilla from the 1970s Samsonite commercials had been the one to handle our stuff. And there was definite dampness in the boxes.
His office now feels much more "homey" as our family pictures, desk mementos, computer mouse are all in place. Although a few items were broken, we hope we can repair them (one more item for ACE).
Ah, we have a little of our "stuff."
Not to minimize the wonder of getting all these goodies, we now also have our Post-it notes, a pair of scissors, paperclips, a stapler, pens, tape, envelopes, a couple of notebooks and other assorted items to make life so much easier. Also, we had put paperwork related to the desktop computer, house sale, the relo, etc. into the boxes and all of it arrived. Brad said the original boxes looked like the gorilla from the 1970s Samsonite commercials had been the one to handle our stuff. And there was definite dampness in the boxes.
His office now feels much more "homey" as our family pictures, desk mementos, computer mouse are all in place. Although a few items were broken, we hope we can repair them (one more item for ACE).
Ah, we have a little of our "stuff."
Househunting round two
Earlier this week we returned to house hunting. We looked at some beautiful apartments in a building near the SCBD Suites. The apartments were very nicely appointed and about the same cost as SCBD Suites, however the apartments were only 50% of the SCBD size. We both think these are just too small. Also, they did not have a balcony. Took them off the list.
Next we looked at 3 other apartments in SCBD Suites that are also available. Two of them had the exact same layout, same view, same balconies. One of them was the mirror image of the layout and on the other side of the building and had a view of another building. Neither of us liked this flow or the view. Took that off the list. One apartment was heavily damaged. It was clear multiple children lived here for an extended period of time. There were actually words and drawings on the wallpaper, carved or in magic marker. I would think the owner would do repairs before showing the place. Even the furniture and woodwork was highly damaged. Took that off the list.That left the 3rd apartment. Much less furniture in this one than the original SCBD Suites apartment. Decor is plain, minimal and not our taste but if the owner will replace some things and add a couple of things, it might work.
We also did look at what was called a townhouse which won't work for us. Very industrial in design with some major water damage issues and mildew issues. It didn't even have nice views. Oh well. In a great area but ... Took this one off the list.
Because we will need furniture and a lot of other stuff we will be going furniture shopping on Saturday to see what is available.
Next we looked at 3 other apartments in SCBD Suites that are also available. Two of them had the exact same layout, same view, same balconies. One of them was the mirror image of the layout and on the other side of the building and had a view of another building. Neither of us liked this flow or the view. Took that off the list. One apartment was heavily damaged. It was clear multiple children lived here for an extended period of time. There were actually words and drawings on the wallpaper, carved or in magic marker. I would think the owner would do repairs before showing the place. Even the furniture and woodwork was highly damaged. Took that off the list.That left the 3rd apartment. Much less furniture in this one than the original SCBD Suites apartment. Decor is plain, minimal and not our taste but if the owner will replace some things and add a couple of things, it might work.
We also did look at what was called a townhouse which won't work for us. Very industrial in design with some major water damage issues and mildew issues. It didn't even have nice views. Oh well. In a great area but ... Took this one off the list.
Because we will need furniture and a lot of other stuff we will be going furniture shopping on Saturday to see what is available.
ACE hardware
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours roaming a HUGE Ace hardware store ( Home Center)
making a list of things they have, things we need, etc. The ACE store fills most of the 5th floor of the Grand Indonesia Mall. When I say HUGE
I am not exaggerating. The mall itself is so large with so many sets of escalators anyone could easily get lost, especially if you are me. But on this visit, I did not get lost!
I did learn that they sell very large counter-top electric ovens, some close to the size of a medium oven in the states, including multiple shelves. This will come in handy if we get an apartment without an oven. I'm not sure how well it would work, but at least it's something. I was astounded by the shower glass squeegee department. An entire aisle of different types of squeegees to keep those clear glass shower stalls/doors sparkling clean. And just in case you forget to squeegee, they carry something called Bruce's GSR Heavy Duty-Brown in small tubs for the purpose of removing water spots. I wrote down all of this information because if they sell something like that and they stock a large volume of it, I am probably going to need it at some point.
Actually, the cleaning product section itself was huge. It will be fun investigating this further. There is a European brand of cleaning products called Astonish. I had heard of it and I think it can be found in some spots in the US, but I've never seen it on a shelf. Anyway, here, a huge wall unit of Astonish products included everything from glass cleaning products to laundry stain removers to stove cleaners. All sorts of things.
I may just plant some strawberries and tomatoes on a balcony. I can purchase kits to do just this at the ACE store.
In case you're wondering where will be store financial records, our passports, etc., they have a HUGE selection of safes, all different sizes and shapes. Of course, there might be one in one of the wardrobes. We did not look and some apartments did have a safe built in.
They even have those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (thought a different brand, and in Chinese but I'm sure that's what they are). I had just discovered these little gems and had learned they really do work just before we sold the house.
I even spent time in the tool department. We'll need a few things but I bought a tape measure to get us started. We'll need one to measure for furniture and all I brought with me was a 6 ft tape which I carry in my purse. Yes, I carry a small tape measure in my purse. I also kept a dirty old blue tarp in the back of my car just in case! We all have issues.
There are all sorts of storage containers, lamps, kitchen/household appliances, air purifiers, vacuums, irons, blenders, slow cookers ( we'll be getting one!), clocks, and even decorative items.There is even a pet department so your cat or dog has everything that they need. And in case you need one, blood pressure monitors.
Early on in my ACE visit, I found a very interesting set of 20 metal dragonflies. They have a bronze finish and are about 4" in diameter. You place them individually in a grouping on the wall. Perhaps there will be a spot for this wherever we live. I think I could hang them with Command Strips (which ACE carries) so I don't damage the wall.
So, it's probably clear by now that ACE carries all sorts of stuff. I'm sure I will go back many, many times. And there's supposed to an even better one in another area of town.
I did learn that they sell very large counter-top electric ovens, some close to the size of a medium oven in the states, including multiple shelves. This will come in handy if we get an apartment without an oven. I'm not sure how well it would work, but at least it's something. I was astounded by the shower glass squeegee department. An entire aisle of different types of squeegees to keep those clear glass shower stalls/doors sparkling clean. And just in case you forget to squeegee, they carry something called Bruce's GSR Heavy Duty-Brown in small tubs for the purpose of removing water spots. I wrote down all of this information because if they sell something like that and they stock a large volume of it, I am probably going to need it at some point.
Actually, the cleaning product section itself was huge. It will be fun investigating this further. There is a European brand of cleaning products called Astonish. I had heard of it and I think it can be found in some spots in the US, but I've never seen it on a shelf. Anyway, here, a huge wall unit of Astonish products included everything from glass cleaning products to laundry stain removers to stove cleaners. All sorts of things.
I may just plant some strawberries and tomatoes on a balcony. I can purchase kits to do just this at the ACE store.
In case you're wondering where will be store financial records, our passports, etc., they have a HUGE selection of safes, all different sizes and shapes. Of course, there might be one in one of the wardrobes. We did not look and some apartments did have a safe built in.
They even have those Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (thought a different brand, and in Chinese but I'm sure that's what they are). I had just discovered these little gems and had learned they really do work just before we sold the house.
I even spent time in the tool department. We'll need a few things but I bought a tape measure to get us started. We'll need one to measure for furniture and all I brought with me was a 6 ft tape which I carry in my purse. Yes, I carry a small tape measure in my purse. I also kept a dirty old blue tarp in the back of my car just in case! We all have issues.
Early on in my ACE visit, I found a very interesting set of 20 metal dragonflies. They have a bronze finish and are about 4" in diameter. You place them individually in a grouping on the wall. Perhaps there will be a spot for this wherever we live. I think I could hang them with Command Strips (which ACE carries) so I don't damage the wall.
So, it's probably clear by now that ACE carries all sorts of stuff. I'm sure I will go back many, many times. And there's supposed to an even better one in another area of town.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Visa last step complete/starting over for a place to live
It's a day of good news and bad news. First the good news. I, along with 10 other spouse/kid combos, went to Immigration this morning and met an agent who facilitated the completion of the visa step 3. We had our pictures taken, had our fingerprints taken and also had to sign our names on something that resembled a black wax tablet without being able to see the signature as we signed. I had terrible trouble not touching a button on the electronic pen and I just hope my signature is close enough to my passport signature. I have the same trouble with my own pen tablet. In just about an hour all 11 of us were done! We should all have our visas (good for 1 year) on Thursday.
As for the bad news: we are not getting the SCBD Suites apartment. The owner is backing out. We both had a feeling because things weren't finalized by now that something was wrong but we just found out today. We have no idea what the story is, but we will start over. This is definitely not good news. I was starting to look forward to having somewhere to call home. And it was a nice place. What can I say? This stinks!
As for the bad news: we are not getting the SCBD Suites apartment. The owner is backing out. We both had a feeling because things weren't finalized by now that something was wrong but we just found out today. We have no idea what the story is, but we will start over. This is definitely not good news. I was starting to look forward to having somewhere to call home. And it was a nice place. What can I say? This stinks!
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Shopping
Today we visited Plaza Senayan (mall) to look around and grocery shop. We seem to visit the grocery store much more frequently than we did in the US. This is in part due to the fact that you must carry your bags really far from the store without aid of a cart. Typically the grocery stores are located in the basement of the mall and far from the entrance. I don't recall seeing anyone with one of those 2-wheel foldable carts either. Amazingly this mall is the hotbed of ice cream shops. It has three: Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, Haagan Dazs. I had a new flavor caramel biscuit something at Haagan Dazs. A little on the expensive side at around $3.25USD for just a small single scoop in a cup but it's been weeks since I had any ice cream and I'd been craving some. Yummy! Brad has been craving pretzels and olives. We can locate olives, but at $9.00USD for a small bottle, well, you know Brad! The pretzels? Haven't found any.
PS Today is Independence Day in Indonesia. Selamet hari kemerdekaan! ( Happy Independence Day!)
Friday, August 15, 2014
A beach and an island
I had a very educational time surfing the Internet this morning. I learned that there is a Batu Karas Beach in West Java, Indonesia and there is a Karas Island in Sebakor Bay off the coast of West Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia. First recorded sighting by Europeans of Sebakor Bay and Karas Island was by the Spanish expedition of LuÃs Vaez de Torres on 30 October 1606. Sebakor Bay was charted by the Spaniards as BahÃa Bermeja (Reddish Bay in Spanish). Who knew? See the link below on Batu Karas Beach.
http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/554/-batu-karas-beach
http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/554/-batu-karas-beach
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Pam's first solo grocery trip
Work held a "setting up bank accounts day" at the office so Oky (our only driver for now) picked me up at 8:30 to take me to Brad's office building. He'd taken Brad to work at 6:45. All of the spouses were coming in today. Mursosan had arranged for two banks to have reps on site today to work with everyone in setting up accounts.
Once that process was begun ( one of them can't do anything until I get my KITAS visa which is now scheduled for next Monday), I announced that I was thinking of making my first solo trip to the grocery store. There are several large groceries that sit within large malls and it's OK (safe) to use a credit card. That way we don't always have to carry cash to buy groceries. Side note: there is a substantial issue with credit card fraud here so you do need to be watchful where and how you use your credit card. You are much safer using a debit card or simply cash in most cases,
I admit I was quite nervous, but determined to give a try. I called Oky from the main lobby of the office, he picked me up and I announced that I needed him to take me to Senayan City to do a little grocery shopping. So off we went. The adrenaline was really flowing by the time I got there. I managed to get the basics on the list plus a few extras. I really wanted to get more meat at the meat counter but it wasn't as self serve as we'd seen previously and my Bahasa Indonesian is not anywhere near good enough to discuss the ins and outs of meat.
I couldn't even remember how to ask if someone speaks English. I have now looked it up again. "Anda bisa bicara inggris?" means can you speak English and "Anda mengerti bahasa inggris?" means do you understand English. And let's not forget the important sentence "Saya tidak mengerti Bahasa Indonesian" which means I don't understand Indonesian. A lot of good it does me sitting at the computer, but I will work on my memory and learning more Bahasa and increasing the frequency of speaking it. Hopefully soon, we will be able to begin formal lessons.
The real challenge is that you enter this grocery by using an exterior escalator after passing by a security person or two. You go down a level. Next you must hunt for a cart (they don't put any near this door). After shopping and paying, you exit near a different door and come up inside the mall on a different escalator. Those who know me well are aware just how directionally challenged I am and yet I managed to make that loop and come back at the proper mall exit carrying my 4 bags. If you can take the cart upstairs, we haven't figured it out yet.
One of my purchases was an assorted "pudding" cup set. I'd seen these and wanted to try them. Pudding here isn't the same as pudding in the US. Here it seems to be a jello combination with a fruit puree (highly strained) and may or may not also contain chopped up fruit. I'd already eaten the passion fruit flavor before I took the photo.
After exiting the mall I called Oky who picked me up and safely delivered me back to the Fraser Residence. Whew! Coming back down off the adrenaline now...
Once that process was begun ( one of them can't do anything until I get my KITAS visa which is now scheduled for next Monday), I announced that I was thinking of making my first solo trip to the grocery store. There are several large groceries that sit within large malls and it's OK (safe) to use a credit card. That way we don't always have to carry cash to buy groceries. Side note: there is a substantial issue with credit card fraud here so you do need to be watchful where and how you use your credit card. You are much safer using a debit card or simply cash in most cases,
I admit I was quite nervous, but determined to give a try. I called Oky from the main lobby of the office, he picked me up and I announced that I needed him to take me to Senayan City to do a little grocery shopping. So off we went. The adrenaline was really flowing by the time I got there. I managed to get the basics on the list plus a few extras. I really wanted to get more meat at the meat counter but it wasn't as self serve as we'd seen previously and my Bahasa Indonesian is not anywhere near good enough to discuss the ins and outs of meat.
I couldn't even remember how to ask if someone speaks English. I have now looked it up again. "Anda bisa bicara inggris?" means can you speak English and "Anda mengerti bahasa inggris?" means do you understand English. And let's not forget the important sentence "Saya tidak mengerti Bahasa Indonesian" which means I don't understand Indonesian. A lot of good it does me sitting at the computer, but I will work on my memory and learning more Bahasa and increasing the frequency of speaking it. Hopefully soon, we will be able to begin formal lessons.
The real challenge is that you enter this grocery by using an exterior escalator after passing by a security person or two. You go down a level. Next you must hunt for a cart (they don't put any near this door). After shopping and paying, you exit near a different door and come up inside the mall on a different escalator. Those who know me well are aware just how directionally challenged I am and yet I managed to make that loop and come back at the proper mall exit carrying my 4 bags. If you can take the cart upstairs, we haven't figured it out yet.
After exiting the mall I called Oky who picked me up and safely delivered me back to the Fraser Residence. Whew! Coming back down off the adrenaline now...
Cultural lessons direct from Brad
OK, so an interesting
day from a cultural perspective. This morning, when I came in, Dian (one of our
Admins) said to me that at 11:30 there is a ceremony in the mezzanine. So I asked her to please remind me close
to the time. Why the ceremony? To celebrate the end of Lebaron and Idul
Fitri (end of Ramadan)
At 11:24 I went to Dian's desk and she said yes Pak? I taped my watch and she said oh yeah, let's go. We grabbed everyone else in the office and took off for the mezzanine. Got there and there was a long line of people. Dian said no Pak, go up front and join Pak Barito. So I went up front and the guard asked me something in Indonesian. I signaled to Dian for help and she came up and helped point me in the right direction.
I entered a room with the other CAP (Chandri Asri Petrochemical (our partner)) execs and said good morning to Erwin (CEO of CAP). We then lined up in a u-shape against the walls and someone said how will this work? They can't get out.
We rearranged ourselves (note: I was a sheep and followed the others' lead) and then Agus came in around 11:32. He is the son of Pak Barito (note: CAP is a JV of Barito Pacifico (seeing the connection now?) and Siam Cement (a Thai company) . Pak Barito is a multi-billionaire (yes, I stated it correctly). At 11:35 the room got quiet as a man, woman, and young woman walked in. The man was Pak Barito, OK, THE Pak Barito. He shook everyone's hand followed by his wife who was elegantly dressed and the young woman who was elegantly, expensively but simply dressed. They then took their place at the head of the line. Pak, then Bu Barito then Agus and Bu Agus.
For those of you saying to yourselves, "What's Pak and what's Bu?" here's the answer: Pak means basically Mr. and Ibu means basically Mrs. or mother, but it can get shortened to Bu if the social situation is more familiar. So I am Pak Brad (prounounced Pa Brad) and Pam is Ibu Pam or Bu Pam (pronounced iboo or boo Pam). So to many we are Pak Brad and Bu Pam. I'm not quite sure why we are not Pak Karas and Ibu Karas...
Back to the story...The doors opened and the employees came in and we started to shake hands. With each one, you bowed, said thank you, took their blessing (basically for providing a job and being asked for guidance to make good decisions) and repeated. Some were real handshakes, some two handed followed by hands to heart (typical Asian or Muslim greeting). I learned a few key things: 1) here, I am in the top 10%, OK maybe 15% of height!!! Never thought that would happen did ya? 2) one's back gets tired from all the bowing (note to self to get bowing lessons like the queen gets for waving to learn the most energy efficient way to do it); 3) Gotta learn some Indonesian.
So we were off to the races, after 5-8 minutes I started looking at the "entrance" door and they kept coming, and coming, and coming. After 10-12 I started counting how many seconds between handshakes and came up with a rough average of 4 handshakes/10 seconds. Thus, 24/minute. Yet, they kept coming, and coming and.... No matter how many times I looked, there was always more people.
FINALLY, the end of the line was visible, or so I thought. Once all the people left (~25 minutes and we'll come back to that) the execs "turned on themselves" and the end away from Pak Barito started to collapse and shakes the hands of all those "upstream" ending with Pak Barito. At an average of 24/minute for 25 minutes the total was 601 or roughly 600 amongst us friends.
I was told they do this twice per year. Once now, after Ramadan, and once at Christmas. From a cultural perspective, very interesting and nice to do for inclusiveness.
Cultural lesson 2 for the day and 1,300, 269 since arriving. After eating a boxed lunch of Indonesia celebration food, I stopped at the canteen in the office to get some tea. Normally, I drink water. Bu Intan (our other Admin) had ordered some Coke and Diet Coke. I finished the Diet and didn't want real Coke. Decided on tea. Intan popped her head in when she saw me in there and asked "May I help you Pak?" I said I was OK.
I found a mug and opened the cupboard to what I though was tea. Opened the box and there were packets of liquid. Hmm, probably not tea. Couldn't find the tea. Intan was walking by and so I said, " I lied and yes I could use some help." I asked her, what was in the packets? Traditional medicine. Probably, not what I need. I asked where is the tea? In her car. It had been finished and she bought more but she was waiting for the office boy to bring it up (another cultural discussion). I decided on coffee. Intan asked me - you drink coffee Pak? Not normally but I wanted something hot. She replied she had also bought Diet Coke for me. It too was in her car awaiting the elusive office boy. I laughed, said thank you as that is my poison (The Diet Coke and not the office boy). I then mixed my coffee as she pointed to where the sugar, creamer etc was.
I realize that I could easily have asked her for coffee or tea and it would have almost instantly and magically appeared. However, sometimes I use the "drink walk": as a means to take a short minute or two break and to clear my head and think.
At 11:24 I went to Dian's desk and she said yes Pak? I taped my watch and she said oh yeah, let's go. We grabbed everyone else in the office and took off for the mezzanine. Got there and there was a long line of people. Dian said no Pak, go up front and join Pak Barito. So I went up front and the guard asked me something in Indonesian. I signaled to Dian for help and she came up and helped point me in the right direction.
I entered a room with the other CAP (Chandri Asri Petrochemical (our partner)) execs and said good morning to Erwin (CEO of CAP). We then lined up in a u-shape against the walls and someone said how will this work? They can't get out.
We rearranged ourselves (note: I was a sheep and followed the others' lead) and then Agus came in around 11:32. He is the son of Pak Barito (note: CAP is a JV of Barito Pacifico (seeing the connection now?) and Siam Cement (a Thai company) . Pak Barito is a multi-billionaire (yes, I stated it correctly). At 11:35 the room got quiet as a man, woman, and young woman walked in. The man was Pak Barito, OK, THE Pak Barito. He shook everyone's hand followed by his wife who was elegantly dressed and the young woman who was elegantly, expensively but simply dressed. They then took their place at the head of the line. Pak, then Bu Barito then Agus and Bu Agus.
For those of you saying to yourselves, "What's Pak and what's Bu?" here's the answer: Pak means basically Mr. and Ibu means basically Mrs. or mother, but it can get shortened to Bu if the social situation is more familiar. So I am Pak Brad (prounounced Pa Brad) and Pam is Ibu Pam or Bu Pam (pronounced iboo or boo Pam). So to many we are Pak Brad and Bu Pam. I'm not quite sure why we are not Pak Karas and Ibu Karas...
Back to the story...The doors opened and the employees came in and we started to shake hands. With each one, you bowed, said thank you, took their blessing (basically for providing a job and being asked for guidance to make good decisions) and repeated. Some were real handshakes, some two handed followed by hands to heart (typical Asian or Muslim greeting). I learned a few key things: 1) here, I am in the top 10%, OK maybe 15% of height!!! Never thought that would happen did ya? 2) one's back gets tired from all the bowing (note to self to get bowing lessons like the queen gets for waving to learn the most energy efficient way to do it); 3) Gotta learn some Indonesian.
So we were off to the races, after 5-8 minutes I started looking at the "entrance" door and they kept coming, and coming, and coming. After 10-12 I started counting how many seconds between handshakes and came up with a rough average of 4 handshakes/10 seconds. Thus, 24/minute. Yet, they kept coming, and coming and.... No matter how many times I looked, there was always more people.
FINALLY, the end of the line was visible, or so I thought. Once all the people left (~25 minutes and we'll come back to that) the execs "turned on themselves" and the end away from Pak Barito started to collapse and shakes the hands of all those "upstream" ending with Pak Barito. At an average of 24/minute for 25 minutes the total was 601 or roughly 600 amongst us friends.
I was told they do this twice per year. Once now, after Ramadan, and once at Christmas. From a cultural perspective, very interesting and nice to do for inclusiveness.
Cultural lesson 2 for the day and 1,300, 269 since arriving. After eating a boxed lunch of Indonesia celebration food, I stopped at the canteen in the office to get some tea. Normally, I drink water. Bu Intan (our other Admin) had ordered some Coke and Diet Coke. I finished the Diet and didn't want real Coke. Decided on tea. Intan popped her head in when she saw me in there and asked "May I help you Pak?" I said I was OK.
I found a mug and opened the cupboard to what I though was tea. Opened the box and there were packets of liquid. Hmm, probably not tea. Couldn't find the tea. Intan was walking by and so I said, " I lied and yes I could use some help." I asked her, what was in the packets? Traditional medicine. Probably, not what I need. I asked where is the tea? In her car. It had been finished and she bought more but she was waiting for the office boy to bring it up (another cultural discussion). I decided on coffee. Intan asked me - you drink coffee Pak? Not normally but I wanted something hot. She replied she had also bought Diet Coke for me. It too was in her car awaiting the elusive office boy. I laughed, said thank you as that is my poison (The Diet Coke and not the office boy). I then mixed my coffee as she pointed to where the sugar, creamer etc was.
I realize that I could easily have asked her for coffee or tea and it would have almost instantly and magically appeared. However, sometimes I use the "drink walk": as a means to take a short minute or two break and to clear my head and think.
What I learned yesterday about the blog
Dear readers,
I learned something new about this blog so I thought I'd share with those of you who haven't already figured this out. And if you did figure this out already, why didn't you tell me? I am still learning. What did I learn?When looking at the blog, if you click on one of the photos in the post, it will open a sort of a slide show of the photos in that specific post and even enlarge some of them. This seems to be a question of how large the original image I import into the blog actually is. I am trying to keep the actual image size small because you only get so much storage space.
I learned something new about this blog so I thought I'd share with those of you who haven't already figured this out. And if you did figure this out already, why didn't you tell me? I am still learning. What did I learn?When looking at the blog, if you click on one of the photos in the post, it will open a sort of a slide show of the photos in that specific post and even enlarge some of them. This seems to be a question of how large the original image I import into the blog actually is. I am trying to keep the actual image size small because you only get so much storage space.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Flights, Visas and sharp things and more in Singapore
Flights
On Monday, the team and families headed to Singapore to begin the KITAS visa process. The flight is only 1.5 hours but for an early morning flight it meant getting up at 3am, traveling to the airport, doing the security and immigration steps to then wait for the plane. It turns out that Delta is a partner of the airline we used. It's Garuda Indonesia and is the national airline of Indonesia. This allowed Brad and myself to use the lounge which was nice. B is currently a Platinum SkyMiles Member. Most of the flight attendants wear a gorgeous shade of teal for their uniforms though I did see a few orange outfits as well. I won't say Garuda has spacious accommodations onboard. Also, having on-time departures doesn't seem to be their thing. On the return, the LED board actually said the flight was closed before they started boarding. There didn't seem to be anything distracting them from loading, it just seemed to be their method.
Visa business
I signed some papers and handed over my passport to an agent. That was it. Needed to be back at 5pm to get the passport that would then contain a multi-entry visa. Followup on Friday this week to finalize the KITAS visa.
What to do between about 10:30 and 5pm?
The group all set off to do different things. One family went to the Singapore Zoo, some went to the Botanic Gardens, some did other things. Just before we took off, Brad got a call that he needed to go to the Michelin office in Singapore mid-afternoon, so we opted for the Botanic Gardens. It was very close and meant less travel time so more time to explore.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG)says it is the most visited botanic gardens in Asia. It is HUGE! Entry is free.We didn't see all of it in the few hours we were there. They actually close a couple of the sections off one day a week. There is an enormous orchid section for which there is a fee to enter.
The first highlight for us was the Evolution Garden. So much here to see. I will only mention a few items. Between 438 and 410 million years ago, mosses and liverworts began to appear. Large area to appreciate these plants.
Later lots of ferns (first seed bearing plants), cycads (oldest and most primitive of the living seed plants) [ 410-290 million years ago]. There is a Vietnamese cycad here that's supposed to be 1000 years old.
There is also a an artificial display of extinct prehistoric lepidodendron (or scale)trees which was really cool. The bark is interesting.
Next it was on to the flowering plants. There were assorted footprints in the walkways of everything from dinosaurs to humans. All of this was just in the Evolution Garden.Very, very interesting.
Next was the Healing Garden.This area was divided into quadrants for respiratory & circulatory; head, neck, ear, nose &throat; digestive; reproductive; musculo-skeletal and then a separate section on the toxic plants. The toxic area included a gated off section with a sign that said you could enter it only as part of a guided tour. There was also information that they would not be held responsible for anything anyone did with the information presented in the Healing Garden or toxic section. Was it just a question of keeping visitors from accidentally touching or ingesting something or were they gated to prevent criminal acts using these plants?
We saw a lot of flowering plants, but this was really pretty. The flowers look like insects. I have no idea what it is because we couldn't find a sign.
There were several pretty lakes including this one:
I mentioned sharp things in the title of this post. Yes, indeed. Some US plants have small spines
as a defense again insects and
other animals. Many Asian plants have also spines or spikes but they take it to a whole other level. Here are just 3 we spotted in our brief time at SBG:
The one in the upper left is rattan- as in basketry and furniture. These spines can be 4 cm long(1.6 inches) long. I guess they remove the spines early in the process! The tree in the top right had spikes several inches long.
Perhaps even more interesting than the flora found in the SBG was the fauna. I'll mention a few here. Buzzing around many flowers were very, very, very large shiny-bodied black bees or vespids of some kind the size of my entire thumb. At first glance I thought maybe they were sphinx moths but no, these were of the bee variety but so BIG! ( no pictures, sorry)
We also saw quite a few squirrels. Yes, squirrels! I think they were plantain squirrels. They have thin cream and black stripes on their sides down near the belly. (again, no pictures) Similar size to a US red squirrel or grey squirrel.
We also saw a few birds. The only one we really got a photo of (thanks to Brad) was this common mynah with bright yellow bill, legs and feet.
We also saw pigeons and possibly a magpie robin or something called a pied fantail (again, no good pictures) so I'm not sure. This bird reminded us of a mockingbird. We definitely saw 1 greater racket-tailed drongo but didn't get a photo of it either. That's a mouthful of a name. It is a large dark blue/black bird with long rackets on the tail. This one is worth looking up (I know, more work for you). The genus and species is Dicrurus paradiseus. It's pretty!
AND NOW FOR THE BEST CRITTER OF ALL:
Another area we really enjoyed was the Rainforest Walk. It was very hot in Singapore, but this was shaded so pretty comfortable. We were just walking along when we heard the sound of a "large critter" moving through the leaves. We looked alongside the boardwalk and VOILA! We saw a 6 foot long lizard. Brad's first reaction was it was a Komodo dragon. I said, no, I think it is a water monitor. In fact, it was a water monitor (Varanus salvator to be exact). In these parts they call it a Malayan monitor lizard or Malayan water monitor. This was such a fun discovery!
One bird we did not see, but I have since learned all about, is the common goldenback or common flameback. It is a woodpecker and just looks like the coolest bird. Picture maybe something like a pileated woodpecker but it with a bright yellow back. I want to go back to the SBG to get a look at one of these some day.
In our brief visit we saw a lot but then it was time to taxi to the Michelin offices. After that we headed to the airport to retrieve my passport with it's new multi-entry visa and then fly home. Lots of delays and long lines coming back into Jakarta so we got to bed just before midnight.
We'd been up for 21 hours. Whew! That is one long day.
On Monday, the team and families headed to Singapore to begin the KITAS visa process. The flight is only 1.5 hours but for an early morning flight it meant getting up at 3am, traveling to the airport, doing the security and immigration steps to then wait for the plane. It turns out that Delta is a partner of the airline we used. It's Garuda Indonesia and is the national airline of Indonesia. This allowed Brad and myself to use the lounge which was nice. B is currently a Platinum SkyMiles Member. Most of the flight attendants wear a gorgeous shade of teal for their uniforms though I did see a few orange outfits as well. I won't say Garuda has spacious accommodations onboard. Also, having on-time departures doesn't seem to be their thing. On the return, the LED board actually said the flight was closed before they started boarding. There didn't seem to be anything distracting them from loading, it just seemed to be their method.
Visa business
I signed some papers and handed over my passport to an agent. That was it. Needed to be back at 5pm to get the passport that would then contain a multi-entry visa. Followup on Friday this week to finalize the KITAS visa.
What to do between about 10:30 and 5pm?
The group all set off to do different things. One family went to the Singapore Zoo, some went to the Botanic Gardens, some did other things. Just before we took off, Brad got a call that he needed to go to the Michelin office in Singapore mid-afternoon, so we opted for the Botanic Gardens. It was very close and meant less travel time so more time to explore.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG)says it is the most visited botanic gardens in Asia. It is HUGE! Entry is free.We didn't see all of it in the few hours we were there. They actually close a couple of the sections off one day a week. There is an enormous orchid section for which there is a fee to enter.
The first highlight for us was the Evolution Garden. So much here to see. I will only mention a few items. Between 438 and 410 million years ago, mosses and liverworts began to appear. Large area to appreciate these plants.
Next was the Healing Garden.This area was divided into quadrants for respiratory & circulatory; head, neck, ear, nose &throat; digestive; reproductive; musculo-skeletal and then a separate section on the toxic plants. The toxic area included a gated off section with a sign that said you could enter it only as part of a guided tour. There was also information that they would not be held responsible for anything anyone did with the information presented in the Healing Garden or toxic section. Was it just a question of keeping visitors from accidentally touching or ingesting something or were they gated to prevent criminal acts using these plants?
 |
| This plant was for treating syphilis, fever and earaches. |
Perhaps even more interesting than the flora found in the SBG was the fauna. I'll mention a few here. Buzzing around many flowers were very, very, very large shiny-bodied black bees or vespids of some kind the size of my entire thumb. At first glance I thought maybe they were sphinx moths but no, these were of the bee variety but so BIG! ( no pictures, sorry)
We also saw quite a few squirrels. Yes, squirrels! I think they were plantain squirrels. They have thin cream and black stripes on their sides down near the belly. (again, no pictures) Similar size to a US red squirrel or grey squirrel.
We also saw a few birds. The only one we really got a photo of (thanks to Brad) was this common mynah with bright yellow bill, legs and feet.
AND NOW FOR THE BEST CRITTER OF ALL:
One bird we did not see, but I have since learned all about, is the common goldenback or common flameback. It is a woodpecker and just looks like the coolest bird. Picture maybe something like a pileated woodpecker but it with a bright yellow back. I want to go back to the SBG to get a look at one of these some day.
In our brief visit we saw a lot but then it was time to taxi to the Michelin offices. After that we headed to the airport to retrieve my passport with it's new multi-entry visa and then fly home. Lots of delays and long lines coming back into Jakarta so we got to bed just before midnight.
We'd been up for 21 hours. Whew! That is one long day.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Too pale to post
Well, here we are on Sunday afternoon. Our driver was given the day off so we had a quiet day. No errands, no business to attend to (for the most part). Except of course, we had to get organized for the VISA trip to Singapore tomorrow.
Some recent thoughts:
They sell durian fruit ice cream at the Lotte Mart here- right up by the registers in a freezer case. So I have 2 concerns. First is the obvious issue of getting ice cream home from the store here. It can be a long trip (time -wise) even if the distance is short if the traffic is heavy and you don't know how it will go all the time. The result would be melted durian. Second concern is that durian is that fruit that has quite a strong odor. I can't make up my mind if I want to try it. People say it either tastes delicious or horrible. And even the durian lovers admit you have to get past the smell.
I have located Clinique skin care products at the mall near the future apartment. However, they do not carry (according to the clerk) the redness solutions product line in Indonesia. Guess there aren't very many folks with rosacea here. I'm going to try the mildest cleanser line and see how it goes. I really liked the redness solutions line and I have some in the air shipped goods that are warehoused here somewhere until Oct 1. What I brought with me, however, won't last that long. I am covered on the moisturizer though.
Only having 1 skillet and 1 saucepan has gotten a little irritating so went just crazy and spent the equivalent of $4 on a small aluminum saucepan to add to the set of 2 we already had. It will make it a little easier to cook-- but having a real oven would really be nice. I think I've already mentioned this before.
Lychee juice- pretty good. Will definitely have that again.
Haven't found fresh rambutan yet- but on the hunt. My West Virginia ESL student from Vietnam told me I must try this if I should ever come across it. I got a can of canned rambutan, but I'm not sure I can judge it this way. Tasted a lot like lychee to me. If you don't know what lychee or rambutan are- do a little research. Come on, it will be fun!
We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and lunch today because, well, I don't know why we just did. I had something yummy and quite filling for lunch called Kwey Teo Siram. It is a wide, long noodle soup sort of thing with chicken and vegetables.
We also went swimming today-- yep, us, swimming, in a chlorinated pool, not in the ocean. We slathered up with sunscreen and played a the pool for about 45 minutes. I am a better snorkle swimmer than a lap swimmer. I need some goggles I think. I'm not used to the water touching my eyes. Hopefully I will get better. And you can't tread water very well because the pool is only 4 feet deep across the entire thing. Here are a couple of photos from the trip to the pool.
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You may notice there are no shots of ourselves. There is an obvious answer to that. We are just too pale to post!
Some recent thoughts:
They sell durian fruit ice cream at the Lotte Mart here- right up by the registers in a freezer case. So I have 2 concerns. First is the obvious issue of getting ice cream home from the store here. It can be a long trip (time -wise) even if the distance is short if the traffic is heavy and you don't know how it will go all the time. The result would be melted durian. Second concern is that durian is that fruit that has quite a strong odor. I can't make up my mind if I want to try it. People say it either tastes delicious or horrible. And even the durian lovers admit you have to get past the smell.
I have located Clinique skin care products at the mall near the future apartment. However, they do not carry (according to the clerk) the redness solutions product line in Indonesia. Guess there aren't very many folks with rosacea here. I'm going to try the mildest cleanser line and see how it goes. I really liked the redness solutions line and I have some in the air shipped goods that are warehoused here somewhere until Oct 1. What I brought with me, however, won't last that long. I am covered on the moisturizer though.
Only having 1 skillet and 1 saucepan has gotten a little irritating so went just crazy and spent the equivalent of $4 on a small aluminum saucepan to add to the set of 2 we already had. It will make it a little easier to cook-- but having a real oven would really be nice. I think I've already mentioned this before.
Lychee juice- pretty good. Will definitely have that again.
Haven't found fresh rambutan yet- but on the hunt. My West Virginia ESL student from Vietnam told me I must try this if I should ever come across it. I got a can of canned rambutan, but I'm not sure I can judge it this way. Tasted a lot like lychee to me. If you don't know what lychee or rambutan are- do a little research. Come on, it will be fun!
We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and lunch today because, well, I don't know why we just did. I had something yummy and quite filling for lunch called Kwey Teo Siram. It is a wide, long noodle soup sort of thing with chicken and vegetables.
We also went swimming today-- yep, us, swimming, in a chlorinated pool, not in the ocean. We slathered up with sunscreen and played a the pool for about 45 minutes. I am a better snorkle swimmer than a lap swimmer. I need some goggles I think. I'm not used to the water touching my eyes. Hopefully I will get better. And you can't tread water very well because the pool is only 4 feet deep across the entire thing. Here are a couple of photos from the trip to the pool.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
About the food
It was very nice to meet the team and spend time getting to know each other. The hope is that by getting to know each other personally a little bit, everyone will feel comfortable asking for and giving assistance. We all know we're going to need it at some point.
There is a tall row of folks at the back of the group photo, but Brad is among the tallest in the rest of the group.
Confirmed: Jet lag is a thing of the past
Yes, it took a few days to fully rid myself of jet lag but as of this morning I am absolutely sure it's gone. Yippy! Brad was fine after a couple of days. I was fully functional after a few days but wasn't quite sleeping regularly. This morning I slept in until 7 am as opposed to 4 or 5am.
Ate breakfast in the Fraser restaurant. Both of us had a green salad as a first course. Fresh greens aren't available on a regular basis but are available at breakfast along with a lot of other items in the buffet traditionally eaten at lunch or dinner by folks from the US: red rice, baked beans, sushi. They also have scrambled eggs, yogurt, beef sausage, pancakes or french toast, sometimes pork sausage, sometimes pork bacon. They serve beef bacon, but for me it just isn't the same. On the other hand, beef sausage is very good. Maybe in sausage form I am less demanding. I have also found Caribou sausage ( eaten way up north) to be yummy! More breakfast items from which to choose: several cereals, juices, milk, coffee, tea. A lot of options for us.
On the previous post (photo of Brad at the table) I tried a new technological device: I discovered I can email posts/photos on the fly from my iphone directly to the blog. I figured out how to title it, but not how to add a note. We may post a picture now and then and add commentary later. Or maybe I will figure out how to add commentary on the fly as well.
This afternoon we are doing some shopping. Later, because all of the members of the first wave of the work team have arrived, we are meeting for dinner. We hear it will be a traditional Indonesian dinner.
Ate breakfast in the Fraser restaurant. Both of us had a green salad as a first course. Fresh greens aren't available on a regular basis but are available at breakfast along with a lot of other items in the buffet traditionally eaten at lunch or dinner by folks from the US: red rice, baked beans, sushi. They also have scrambled eggs, yogurt, beef sausage, pancakes or french toast, sometimes pork sausage, sometimes pork bacon. They serve beef bacon, but for me it just isn't the same. On the other hand, beef sausage is very good. Maybe in sausage form I am less demanding. I have also found Caribou sausage ( eaten way up north) to be yummy! More breakfast items from which to choose: several cereals, juices, milk, coffee, tea. A lot of options for us.
On the previous post (photo of Brad at the table) I tried a new technological device: I discovered I can email posts/photos on the fly from my iphone directly to the blog. I figured out how to title it, but not how to add a note. We may post a picture now and then and add commentary later. Or maybe I will figure out how to add commentary on the fly as well.
This afternoon we are doing some shopping. Later, because all of the members of the first wave of the work team have arrived, we are meeting for dinner. We hear it will be a traditional Indonesian dinner.
Friday, August 8, 2014
Home sweet home
Dear readers,
I have messed things up already and accidentally deleted a few comments and a couple of my replies where they appeared in the blog. I can still read them in a comments summary on the blog author's pages so I don't quite know what I did. However, I am pasting them in here. Hopefully I won't mess it up again and in future your comments will appear where they should appear. And, PS, thanks for the comments. Makes this fun!
Comment from Susan-
We had one of those combined washer/dryers in Scotland. It seemed to take forever for things to dry, but perhaps that was operator error. Looks like you're having fun!
Reply from PBINDO-
I have messed things up already and accidentally deleted a few comments and a couple of my replies where they appeared in the blog. I can still read them in a comments summary on the blog author's pages so I don't quite know what I did. However, I am pasting them in here. Hopefully I won't mess it up again and in future your comments will appear where they should appear. And, PS, thanks for the comments. Makes this fun!
Comment from Susan-
We had one of those combined washer/dryers in Scotland. It seemed to take forever for things to dry, but perhaps that was operator error. Looks like you're having fun!
Reply from PBINDO-
Things take forever to dry in this case also, except if the load is
mostly men's dress shirts and other light things. Things like jeans and
other slacks--anything heavier than lightweight, no. Also found I have
to put everything on high temp/cotton to get them to dry in a timely
fashion. On one setting I tried, the thing said it would take over 5
hours to dry the load.
( I was trying to dry some stuff on delicate or something.)
Comment from Guillaume-
Thank you for sharing your adventure on this blog. The apartment looks great!
Comment from Guillaume-
Thank you for sharing your adventure on this blog. The apartment looks great!
Comment from Sue A-
Lots
of shelves, a wonderful view and room for Brad to chase you around!
Looks like you could to a bit of Ferris Buehler's guitar rift on those
shiny floors :)
Reply from PBINDO- Yes, there is a lot of storage-- many more than show in the few pictures I posted. Funny you should say that about the floors. I was Skyping with my niece yesterday and sliding back and forth in my desk chair on the marble floors in the Fraser residence. Each slide was accompanied by squealing "Whee!" as I slid backwards away from the camera. I could easily slide 12 or 13 feet backwards in my chair. Maybe you had to be there, but my niece thought it was pretty funny.
Holy cow and Wow!
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Jockeys, house hunting and more
Most of our time between August 4
and August 6 was consumed by house hunting and apartment hunting and
grocery store shopping ( to get in the basics).
But first, why am I talking about jockeys? Are we still in Kentucky? No. Allow me to explain. Here they have a regulation that during certain periods of the day ( heaviest traffic) in certain areas of the city, you must have a minimum of 3 people in your vehicle. The idea was to probably encourage car-pooling. Indonesian inventiveness came up with something else. People earn money by jumping in your car so you can drive through these areas and create the minimum of 3 people. In our case, when we have the driver and one of us, we need 1 person extra. If it's just the driver on his way through the area, he would need 2 people. These extra people are called jockeys.This business is so lucrative, jockeys have banded together and purchased shuttle buses and a driver to drive them to the spots
Househunting? We looked at 8 houses and 2 apartments. A few of the houses weren't really "liveable" without a lot of work. Because of the limited selection available right now, and we need something fast, we think we have settled on a large apartment. And I mean large. It has more square feet than some of the houses we've owned. It would be available September 1 which would be good. It's called SCBD Suites ( SCBD=Sudirman Central Business District). The process of getting a lease contract signed takes about a week here, so we will have to wait a bit to learn if this will be our home in Jakarta.
But first, why am I talking about jockeys? Are we still in Kentucky? No. Allow me to explain. Here they have a regulation that during certain periods of the day ( heaviest traffic) in certain areas of the city, you must have a minimum of 3 people in your vehicle. The idea was to probably encourage car-pooling. Indonesian inventiveness came up with something else. People earn money by jumping in your car so you can drive through these areas and create the minimum of 3 people. In our case, when we have the driver and one of us, we need 1 person extra. If it's just the driver on his way through the area, he would need 2 people. These extra people are called jockeys.This business is so lucrative, jockeys have banded together and purchased shuttle buses and a driver to drive them to the spots
Househunting? We looked at 8 houses and 2 apartments. A few of the houses weren't really "liveable" without a lot of work. Because of the limited selection available right now, and we need something fast, we think we have settled on a large apartment. And I mean large. It has more square feet than some of the houses we've owned. It would be available September 1 which would be good. It's called SCBD Suites ( SCBD=Sudirman Central Business District). The process of getting a lease contract signed takes about a week here, so we will have to wait a bit to learn if this will be our home in Jakarta.
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| SCBD Suites on the right |
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| The pool |
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| The lobby A few interior shots of the potential apartment at SCBD Suites:       |
It's all about the food...
Isn't it?
Dragon fruit, soursop, pastries, breads etc.
I have purchased this fruit on one occasion while in the US. Here, it is everywhere and I just love it. It comes in 2 forms, white ( the traditional) and red. I think I prefer the white.
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For Daniel: Have not found Soursop yogurt yet, but have purchased a delicious passion fruit-peach yogurt.
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There
are so many breads and pastries to try. Here are just a couple. One was
an almond tart and one was a little sponge cake filled with chocolate
mousse. We also saw but did not purchase a croissant coated in chocolate
sprinkled with almonds. Total cost for the two: $2.50 US.
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The first big experiment. We bought an onion and we had this soup packet, a sort of chicken soup. Turned out it had a very mild curry flavor so I diced up an apple quickly after adding an entire sauteed onion and ended up with a tasty soup!
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Dragon fruit, soursop, pastries, breads etc.
I have purchased this fruit on one occasion while in the US. Here, it is everywhere and I just love it. It comes in 2 forms, white ( the traditional) and red. I think I prefer the white.
 |
| In case your monitor color is off, this is the red one!
I forgot to take a "before" shot. It is rounder than the white.
|
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| A blurry shot of a whole white dragon fruit. |
For Daniel: Have not found Soursop yogurt yet, but have purchased a delicious passion fruit-peach yogurt.
And a couple of noodle soup packets. Loads of sodium but worked before we'd had a chance to get some basics.
The first big experiment. We bought an onion and we had this soup packet, a sort of chicken soup. Turned out it had a very mild curry flavor so I diced up an apple quickly after adding an entire sauteed onion and ended up with a tasty soup!
The Hotel Mulia Aug 1-3, Indonesian Food Court, Fraser Residence Aug 3--?
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One of the fruit offerings was dragon fruit. Love it! Had it each morning for breakfast. More on dragon fruit later.
The day after arrival we did visit that food court at the Grand Indonesia Mall. I am so sleep deprived on the day after our arrival I can't even sit up straight but we had a nice time with Mursosan (pictured with me). Mursosan works with Brad.
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On August 3 we moved from the Hotel Mulia to the Fraser Residence. The apartment is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit with a kitchen (without a stove) but it does have fancy microwave that also grills/toasts. In 4 minutes you can toast one side of a piece of bread. Flip for another 4 minutes and you have perfect toast.
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| This is a combo washer and dryer. Very interesting... |
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