The dollar is stronger in Indonesia

When I initially came here seven years ago the exchange rate was 10,000 Indonesian rupiah equaled about $1.00 US dollar.  Today my money is going farther.  For example, the coloring and haircut that I got over the weekend was 255,000 rupiah which translates into $19.00.  Yet another reason for Harris being my new BFF!

The total body massage (or torture) from Ba Sari was 60,000 rupiah which translates into $4.50 for the hour long session. By the way - my back feels wonderful!  Now I'm going to ask her to help me with these old knees!

Shopping for Batik in Cirebon

Harris- my new bff

Had my hair cut very short yesterday with "golden" highlights added.  I really like it but when Harris told me it made me look younger I was sold!

Construction underway across the street from Deni and Regina's house

The lovely empty lot across the street from Deni and Regina's house has been bought and construction is seven days a week. The dust and dirt comes in the house, and sitting outside is limited to very early in the morning. 

Construction underway at school

SPB is growing and needs to add more room to the building.  This is just the beginning of the demolition of the wall that once had nursery school.  Nursery school is moving across the street into another building that is being renovated. Will keep you updated on the quickness of the construction- students start back to school in early July!

Breakfast and lunch

Breakfast was chicken with noodles along with delicious wontons also filled with chicken

Lunch was rice crackers, with glass noodles and a spicy sambal. Very good and filling!

Writing piece of the student I am tutoring

Prior to school starting in July, we have a new student entering 10th grade and I am tutoring her for the next few weeks.  This is her written piece.  Other than some grammatical issues and some punctuation details this is her work.  I really like her "voice" in this writing. 

I’m Nervous, but Excited 

I was in BPK last year, and I felt so bored. So, when I was in 8th grade, I asked my mom how if I moved to SPB, because I love the English language even if I can't speak English well. My mom said ‘no’ because we don’t have enough money and my sister must go to primary school. Yea that’s ok. And when I went to 9th grade, I asked my mom again. but my mom said “How about you go to SPB when you’re in junior high school?”I said “ok”. Then my mom met Miss Regina and finally I’m in SPB!

Miss Heni told my mom I can have a tutor on 15-6-15 at SPB. But I can’t because I will go to Jakarta and go to a camp. So, I started to go to the tutor on 23-6-15. I felt nervous because it’s my first time talking to a stranger from another country and I must speak English! I was excited too because slowly but surely I will speak English very well. On the first day, I was afraid the teacher will not understand what I say, and I’m afraid I won’t understand what she’s talking about. But when I met you, my nervousness was removed a little. You are a kind woman. Thank you miss. 

Cooking and dining in Cirebon

I thought I could make pesto sauce using parsley and the mortar and pestle- Wrong!  Even with the help of Ms. Leni, Regina and Deni's maid.  

The next night we went out to a restaurant that specializes in crab and shrimp.  Here they are grilled in the banana leaves with a spicy sauce.  The shrimp were good, but we all agreed there was very little meat in the crabs.  Next week I'm going to cook crabs and shrimp for the family using Old Bay Seasoning- will keep you posted!

Information about Indonesia that Mr. Deni has for us in our expat's handbook- thanks Mr. Deni!

Indonesians refer to their homeland as Tanah Air Kita, which means “Our Land and Water.” This refers to its geographical makeup consisting of 18,108 islands with a total land mass of 1.91 million square kilometers connected by six seas covering more than 3 million square kilometers.

About 6,000 islands are inhabited with Java accounting for more than half the nation's population. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world extending some 2,000 kilometers from North to South and more than 5,000 kilometers from East to West. The archipelago stretches over more than one-tenth of the Equator between Southeast Asia and Australia. The largest islands are the Kalimantan provinces on Borneo, Sumatra, Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Sulawesi and Java (where Cirebon is located in the western part of the island).

Nearly 60 percent of Indonesia's land is forested and a significant portion is mountainous and volcanic. Mt. Merapi, near Yogyakarta, is regarded as the most volatile of Indonesia's 500 volcanoes, 129 of which are still active. Java alone has 112 volcanoes.  Indonesia is inhabited by 242 million people (2005) and is the fourth biggest population in the world. 59% of the population lives in Java.

Humming Bird Cafe and Hotel

 Hummingbird or known as “Kolibri” in Indonesian is a very American eatery.  While Deni, his sister and Regina loved the traditional breakfast, I enjoyed the strong coffee.

Relaxing and dining in Kampung Daun

Regina relaxing again!

Fried banana top (very sweet) and fried cassava 

Kampung Daun near Bandung

Kampung Daun is a village dining experience located in the hills of Cihideung, about 30 minutes outside of Bandung.  Each thatched covered dining table was nestled in the green foliage of the "jungle".  It was quiet and peaceful 

Sandalwood Boutique guest house in Lembang near Bandung

Features a garden with a pool and very English with it's nicknacks

We just stopped her to look around and enjoy a beverage.

This is the owner, not sure who the child is who is riding the horse in the parking lot

While Deni and I had coffee, Regina took a nap in this swing chair

Dim Sum in Bandung

Again, my fascination with signs- If you are driving through why do you need to park?

fried vegetable dumpling with shrimp- very good!

Dim sum is well known for the unique way it is serves bite size dishes that are fully cooked and are carted around the restaurant for customers to choose their orders while seated at their tables.

Deni's Sister's House in Banding

For the weekend to Bandung, Mr. Deni's sister graciously invited us to stay - even though she and her husband were in Jakarta.  This is the same lovely woman, who let us stay at her house in Bali, six years, or so, ago. A beautiful landscaped backyard, with an outdoor living room, and their 7 year old yellow lab.  

Two hands full cafe, coffee shop in Banding

From the outside, this place is not inviting at all. It's tucked away with a small signboard, which is not easy to see from the busy road. It doesn’t have any unique decorations, instead it looks like a warehouse that was started as a coffee shop and then left unfinished. But it does have  fantastically strong unsweetened coffee and old albums like this one from Englebert Humperdinck. And most of you who are reading this know who he is!

Restaurant Burangrang

After wandering around the compound we had dinner at this lovely restaurant. While it was refreshingly crisp outside (up high in the mountains) and a lovely display of fireworks entertained us; we ate wonderful Sudanese food.  That is chicken in a hollowed out bamboo stalk, and the rice is wrapped in  banana leaves.

hanging rooms

Also found in the Bamboo Village were capsules covered with tree roots which look as though they are dangling from trees near a walkway.  They are actually hung from huge metal posts Each room was slightly different, and if you choose to bring your own food and drink to these rooms there was a "corkage fee".

These lights were covered with intricate bamboo shades

restaurants and brooks

Throughout the compound of this resort were restaurants, a hotel, and camping areas.

Saung Purbasari- a restaurant!

These are gazebos that have a different theme all specializing in Sudanese cuisine.  Although we did not eat here, it was beautiful to look at.  

Dusun Bambu

According to their website "Bamboo Dusun Family Leisure Park is an ecotourism with 6E concepts that represent the six aspects of life: Ecology (nature), Education, Economic, Ethnology (culture), Ethics, and Aesthetics, it is eco-tourism in the form of bamboo conservation."
While it may be all those wonderful things, it was a beautiful park near the city of Banding, where Ms. Regina, Mr. Deni and I are spending the weekend.  After the scorching heat of Cirebon, this mountainous area only two and a half hours from Cirebon (with the help of a brand new toll road!) has been delightfully cool for me.

You can either take this "flower power" jitney to the area, or walk along the bamboo trail through some rice paddies.

Innocent looking -right????

She may look innocent, and slightly old, but she is my torturer!  Ms. Regina and Mr. Deni had her come work on my back the other day.  Then today she came to give all three of us full massages.  I should have known when I heard Ms. Regina crying out in pain, that I should hide and not subject myself to her extremely strong hands.  Her thumbs were able to locate muscle and bones I never knew I had.  I don't even know her name, and she only speaks Bahasa.  However, as I bit down on my finger, and cried out in pain - she laughed!

Ms. Regina says that we will feel like we are punched for two days, and then we will feel better.  She informed me of this after the massage!  The woman explained to Regina that I have a "lot of wind" inside me or as it is called here "Masuk Angin"which causes the body to be tense and sore.  I thought I was just full of hot air!