Things are a bit different here...

So, here are some of the things that are different or “new” to us here in Salatiga.
Enjoy…

Showering: Hot water intermittently works during each shower. It takes about 3-5 minutes for the hot water to kick in. Then it remains for about 5 minutes, then goes cold for another 5 minutes, then hot again. Good thing it is hot outside so it is warmer out of the shower than in it. 

Bugs: Cute little geckos are our most frequent guests. I will take those before spiders ANY day! Ants win the battle in our house – they are everywhere. But, I’ve seen the most beautiful butterflies here as well – love it!

Weather: It is hot and humid here ALL the time…even at night. It can be clear blue skies, and then within minutes it gets dark and POURS rain and the lightning is incredible!

Driving: Motorcycles are the main mode of transportation here. Cars are available, but less used. Angkota (like a small bus) is the public transportation which costs 20 cents each way. Driving is on the LEFT side of the road...very strange. Lanes are merely suggestions or perhaps just decoration.

Grocery shopping: We need to go to several different stores to get our food. Our house helper also shops for items that she can get cheaper. Also, lots of food is hand delivered. For example, we have fresh bread delivered every Tuesday – 2 loaves of bread and 10 bagels for $3.20.

Service: When we’re told something will get done on Monday, we are still waiting for them to arrive to do it on Friday. 

Water: We don’t drink the water here – Indonesians don’t even drink the water. We have water delivered when needed. We use the fresh water to drink and brush our teeth.

Phones: We have cell phones (called HP here – pronounced “ha-pay”). It is pay-as-you-go. Texting is the most common form of communication here as it is very cheap (less than 1 cent per text). We bought $5 worth of “pulsa” (minutes) and that typically lasts about 3 months!

House: We have windows in our ceilings in each room. I’m guessing it is for when the power goes out that we would still have light from the sun. That’s my guess anyway. Our washing machine is outside and our clothes are hung out to dry (and pulled inside quickly when the rain comes)!

People: Everyone wants to talk and they hang out on their porch or the side of the road. Time is not important here – relationships are. The most important person to you is the person you’re with at that moment (so you don’t hurry to get to another place) – we like this.  The Indonesians seem to want to help us learn the language, they are very friendly and are incredibly patient with us.

So, that’s a small glimpse into the changes that we’re experiencing here. It’s fun, and we’re thankful.

Mari! (Bye!)