There's a weeding going to happen today, so there is a lot of activity. It's Sunday morning. The first noise started happening at about 5:30, by 6:30 there were children running and laughing, tables being moved etc. Not the biggest Sunday sleep-in ever!
But I'm jumping ahead here. Nothing much happened to me this week, and it's been another busy working week for Tari. She had lunch with the Dean on Friday and in the process of talking about this and that he invited her to do a lecture on The Structure of the Australian Health System, including state, federal, money spent etc. Not her area of expertise, but she thought it would be interesting so agreed. He said great! And that the lecture was in an hour. An hour!
Google got a workout in that hour, but it was a big success anyway. Tari says she had a great time, it's a lot of fun over here to lecture and teach. The students are so friendly and eager to learn. They're never there to try and catch you out like you often get back home. It's a very open style too, with questions being asked a lot and discussion happening. I guess it would suit some, but not others. I've always been a fan of the more informal approach (as some of you know!) but I guess others wouldn't like it so much.
There was a really big conference with dinner on Friday night (unrelated to us) so when Tari got home (about 5:30) we wandered down to have dinner only to find it an absolute hive of activity. The boss of the Resto (who is a lovely guy!) caught our eye and explained that it was a conference dinner. We said we didn't want to make life harder. He insisted we still come in and he'd make space for us anyway. We compromised and ordered room service which made everybody happy. He didn't have to make room for us, we didn't have to go further for dinner!
Most other dinners I either don't have my camera with me or I've already started eating before I remember to take a picture. Room service being, well, in the room, I had my camera.
This is Nasi Goreng Ayam. Essentially fried rice with chicken. There's a big prawn cracker, pickles (note the green chilli), lettuce, cucumber, tomato, chicken and fried rice. Sometimes I also get Nasi Goreng Telur (same thing but with a fried egg instead of chicken). I know some of you just read that twice because I don't like eggs. Well, I think I blame all of you for having never cooked it in whatever oil/grease they use over here. Health be ignored, it tastes nice here!
On Saturday we had a slow morning and then headed off to Malioboro [not the cigarette brand, although if you do want cigarettes, there are roaming guys all over the place with big tray thing at stomach height strapped to their shoulders like what pie sellers use at the footy (or did last time I was there {at the footy})]. Sorry about the nested brackets there, I waffled a bit, didn't I.
Anyway, it's a street where they have shops all down the length of it (several kilometers) selling mostly batik clothing. Had a go at one of the famous ones to get some clothes but if you do manage to find some in your size (not particularly easy over here for us!) they don't have many options. Some are soooo brightly coloured they'd fit in well in your kitchen Mum. Lots of greens, oranges, etc. No success there in the end, it was just a bit too over the top for our tastes. The sort of thing you'd wear once, but probably not again.
As you walk along you get lots of offers for lots of stuff. The people with the big bikes that have a two person seat behind them like a carriage are always wondering if you'd like a ride. I always say no, because I think that if I can barely stand the heat and walk, how can I make some other poor guy do all of the work to move himself, a bike, a cart AND me! Most of the stalls along the road are manned (and womaned) by relatively poor (in a financial sense) people. Lots of just sitting on the side of the road etc. The odd thing from my perspective is how many of them are SMSing or talking on mobiles. Super ultra mega cheap here! There's no way they could keep any infrastructure (wires etc.) so they just made mobile technology easy (and cheap) for everybody.
We then walked to the big mall there (much smaller than the other one I've talked about). Although pretty much recovered, the combination of long walk and hot sun had put me on the "you look like you're about to pass out" list. I must admit, I sort of enjoy playing with the feeling of vertigo I've been getting when about to faint. It's not something I've really experienced before, so I sort of do little experiments to see what it feels like. Now I know more about what it must be like to be afraid of heights. Hey, at least I don't stick needles in my eye like *some* scientists!
Although there was a Maccas, we didn't cop out and lower ourselves to that sort of "getting away from the local delicacy by cheap US food" so we went to Pizza Hut instead. Tari amused herself by playing with a little girl and her dog balloon animal. We had to use the dictionary to find out what noise dogs make over here instead of woof.
There was a book store downstairs that had english books, which was good 'cos we were out and are going to be spending a LOT of time in airports and planes next weekend. I think we leave here at 4:30 AM and get home at 1:30 PM a day and a half later (well, 29 hours) for an actual 8-10 hours of "real" flying. Stupid layovers. Anyway, if we don't read the books before then we'll be better ready for the trip.
As we were reading our first books Saturday afternoon we heard the band strike up again at about 5:30, except there was something different about it. They sounded GOOD! What was up with that?? Well, after weeks of individual musicians practicing, they were all marching down the road playing the same song at the same time! I hesitate to use the word simultaneously for reasons that those of you who know relativity will be aware of.
We were picked up at 7pm by Shinta and Wulan, as polite and lovely as ever, and they took us to dinner at the house of Yarti. Wonderful woman, with an unassumingly polite husband. They're in their late 60s and very grandparenty with pictures of recent grandchildren all around. Very welcoming and friendly etc. Also both incredibly intelligent and accomplished. He was until this year the Dean of the medical faculty here and she just won the Asia-Pacific paediatrician of the year award to add to a list of accolades they both have. In amongst a life of high-powered accomplishments they also have built an absolutely gorgeous open plan wooden house and filled it with antiques (including a bedroom furnished by an ex-king of Malaysia for just one example) and photos of family.
I couldn't do the place justice if I tried but you could easily charge for entry like a small museum! They took us to a local restaurant (walking distance) called Mad Cow. The first beef we've had in a while! The best cold lime juice we've had in a while! Although Tari had strawberry juice, still can't get over the fresh juice you can get here! We were going to eat at their house, but one of their kids has chicken pox. They live in a sort of compound with separate houses and fences, but all on the same large property, for their three children and grandchildren.
After dinner we were taken on a tour of the city in Shinta's air conditioned car. Red leather interior and Mariah Carey on the stereo. The place is very busy on a Saturday night, it was only 30-32 degrees so lots of people out and about, eating, drinking (non alcoholic of course around here) and being merry. We had a bit of history etc. was a nice end to the evening.
Anyway, going to try and Skype with Mum and Dad now, so will finish off with some pictures of the local Sunday morning market. We were there at about 8:15AM so it was starting to wind down a bit in the heat. These three pictures show the market itself, narrow and packed and you can imagine how Tari and I stand out! The next picture is of one of the car parks. Well, bike parks. You can see they pack 'em right in there and most just leave their helmets. Lastly some of the local transport Andong (horse) which we haven't tried because it seems cruel to expect a horse that's half my size to carry both of us! You'll be happy to know that the horses are looked after VERY well here, often eating better than their owners!
Study hard, students, almost there!
Sim.
1 comment:
Bit concerned that your first bit of beef was at the "Mad Cow"!!
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