Sept 26 - in my own house at last!

Yes, it's true.Herizal and Yani brought me over here around 11 am.Dian and her husband were waiting and took me around the house/yard, showed me the new simple shower and explained how everything worked, chatted a bit etc. before giving me the keys and driving N to where he works.Then we walked a ways to the home of the ketua rukun tetangga or 'neighborhood chief', Mohammed Sajin, to let him meet me.Older guy, simple wooden home with a small front room full of mementos that you might see in many US homes:ceramic figurines, souvenir plates, and so on.The one exception: a small (molded? ) model of Borobudur temple, a national treasure near Yogyakarta.All along the way over there and back, we got friendly, curious stares from the many people outside.Everyone knows I'm here and is no doubt speculating about me at this very instant.I'm sure I'm the first foreigner - much less American - to live among them, or even to walk through.As I noted yesterday, I'm going to NEED to learn a lot more Indonesian, and fast.

Herizal called Raidul to ask him to show me how to take the TransMusi AC bus to the PIM Mall and its Hyper Mart so I could go grocery shopping and begin 'stocking up'.Very easy - 2 miles or so - I could walk if it's not raining and I'm not in a hurry, then taxi back here. We also walked through the IP, International Plaza (eeh-pay ) - nothing of interest, and then up to the already-crowded multi-screen cinema above the HyperMart.It had about half US films, again nothing of serious interest to anyone but kids, which is precisely who were there, and in the mall in general.Even on Sunday it wasn't that crowded; Raidul says Palembang Square (where we went last Sunday )is much more popular for some reason.

We also checked out another bookstore; nothing in English except a thick collection of Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales. There were long aisles of self-help books and computer books, all translated into Indonesian.

The supermarket was semi-worthy of the name 'hyper' but far less impressive than, say, Carrefour.We went up and down the aisles so I could see what was there and at what cost.No cereal except kids' sugary junk; no bread but white bread ( I got a small baguette, a bit dry and slightly vinegary (?) tasting.I found only the smallest sizes of a few imported products like peanut butter, at double US prices or more.Meat was a bit above US non-sale prices and the selection was tiny.Cheese and margarine were almost not represented, and the prices for what was there were astronomical; I won't be buying any, not there at least. Almost no yogurt, and the container I got ( over 2 bucks! ) was made from powdered milk and is, to me, barely edible.Surprisingly, fresh fruit was also very expensive - ??Out of season? No low-cal or low-fat items whatever; even the powdered milk is prominently labeled as 'full cream'.I tried to keep my purchases to basics that I'll use in the next week, but I still ended up spending 500,000, or $60.Raidul says he spends only only 1.2 million to feed his entire 5-kid family for an entire month!He says the mall prices are super-high.He goes to traditional markets - as I will too later.There's one not all that far from here:Pasar Cinde.It has meat, fish, produce, and the basics for locals. I'll check it out when I can find a local to go with me; I've been warned that it would be dangerous for me to go alone lots of opportunistic criminals all around looking for an 'easy mark'.

To get home, Raidul called his youngest brother - the one who took us to Ampera Bridge/Pasar16 before, and has the big SUV.He came with his daughter and wife, but first we went to visit their mom, still living in the house they grew up in, deep down lanes almost too narrow for cars in a neighborhood with a mix of old wood-clapboard houses and new cheap-ornate 2-level cement ones.Sunday seems to be the day to visit Mom/Grandma for Raidul's family and the place was hopping with kids, including 3 stepdaughters one brother ( of 4 ) acquired when he married a widow. One nephew was taller than me - but weighs maybe half as much, since he's built like a beanpole.No one spoke much if any English but all were very friendly, and I had my photo taken with every possible combination of people there.We walked to a corner store under a blazing-hot sun ( still, I'm glad it didn't rain today. )f, where I got a big umbrella for $3 and two big bottles of water for 30 cents each. In that neighborhood too everyone seemed to be out sitting in front of their homes or playing. Few have AC, I guess - or maybe they just like to be out in the fresh air where they can watch whatever might be going on, like a huge bule walking by for some reason.On the walk back we stopped to visit a childhood pal of Raidul's, in a basic but clean wooden house on stilts.Lots of family and neighbors were there too, the men all smoking.We sat in a porch-like area and chatted.One young woman talked to me a bit in English; she's an energy-engineering major at a polytechnic school.Turns out the shop we'd just been to belongs to one of the people there.

After leaving, Raidul's brother took us to a big bowling alley that he manages as a side job ( he works for the Red Cross, and is responsible for transfusions; I told him I'm a blood donor ).We met the alley's owner, a Christian minister who stopped by with his guitar after a nearby service, I think.Many of the guys there bowling intently, each in his own alley, were excellent - almost nothing but strikes and spares.Then we came back here finally - 5 pm almost - and Raidul went home on his moto.Later he says he'll show me how to walk to a bigger, better mall that is closer to here, in a different direction.

I put away my groceries and took a few photos of the house to email home.I checked to see if IAIN's wifi extends this far: no dice.Herizal's wife called - she and her daughter really had hoped to come over today but Herizal had nixed that, saying I needed to have some time to settle in.I asked her how her day went, and she said she was bored all day - with Herizal at work, her options were limited.I told her I will invite them over soon and cook for them.Spaghetti and a big fresh fruit salad are their requests.I think I can handle it.

I will be sleeping here in the living room tonight, and I expect every night, on a compact but firm foam pad from the second bedroom, so I can enjoy the AC; there's none in the big bedroom, and I said I won't need it - they would have to cut a big hole in the wall, which would be a huge hassle and expense for a very limited benefit. I also moved the small bedroom TV/rabbit ears out here, though with just an antenna it gets only Indonesian stations; I might get cable TV and buy a DVD player for it later.

It will be SO good to be able to walk to my office tomorrow, in time for my 7:10 class.

Monday Sept 27

This morning a reporter came to interview us about the faculty English program and had a lot of questions about me in particular.This afternoon a much more on-top-of-it reporter from a different paper came and asked more/much better questions, though still in Indonesian;he also said he wants to come back soon and do a full interview with me for his paper - he seemed really intrigued by me, especially all my world experience, asking for 'words of wisdom' etc.I also had my photo taken. It should be in the papers tomorrow.

( evening ) I just cooked for the first time here: the boneless chicken breast I got yesterday, with onions, garlic, and a bit of a Thai-like sauce I'd also gotten.I'll save it for later since I ate earlier, just bread and yogurt ( embellished by jam ) after my big late lunch of gado-gado.

After work, as it was getting dark, I set out walking further into the 'maze' beyond my house and past where we went to meet the 'chief'.Just a couple houses past me, cars can't continue.A small canal with stinky untreated toilet water runs along the lane for a ways.As ever, folks were outside everywhere, or at least sitting on their steps.Everyone smiled and waved - as I did - and I stopped to chat with more than a few of them briefly, including a guy with an impressive water-filtration system set up on display for his home business.Many spoke a little English, about equal to my Indonesian. All asked variations on the same basic question: what in the world are you doing here?Motorcycles passed continually, all carrying men, while kids and women alone and in groups were walking - some just out strolling as I was. Most houses were very old and simple; some seemed unoccupied but when I looked closely it was clear that someone is leaving in at least part of them.I got a few photos but due to the slow shutter speed most were too blurry to be usable. ( I need to switch to the good camera and quit fooling around. )then I went down the neighborhood's 'the main drag' - busier and less interesting, despite the many and varied shops. Everyone looked busy and most didn't even seem to notice me.Off on the side lanes you realize that the city is mostly just a collection of villages, but on even a minor neighborhood 'through' road most of the 'exotic feel' is replaced by mundane modern commercialism.

Inside I used my simple shower to cool off and freshen up.The water is just a bit cool at first ( as it was at the hotel, mostly ) but it's not long before I get used to it.I don't imagine that many Americans who are addicted to hot showers would stay that way here for long.I miss a sink/mirror more than hot water and and a 'Western' toilet, but even that is no problem.

Back to last Friday's presentation: it was an interesting experience but it turned out that most of the students in the language club are only interested in Arabic and don't know English. So there were lots of 'side conversations' going on - though to be fair much of that was due to students trying to DO the activities I'd given them as examples of easy, fun ways to get fluency practice. I had expected to attend their meetings regularly, but was told mostly they just discuss 'club business' - in Indonesian.