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| Hotel security guard who called across the street to offer me shelter |
Snapshot of the shower - doesn't take long to get soaked!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Getting caught in a shower
Out walking after a lazy afternoon, I got caught out by a shower. Luckily, a friendly security guard was kind enough to off me shelter for the ten minutes it took for the shower to pass.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The new '8'
This is the local replacement for our roaring lion. Sadly the '8' refers to number of seats rather than the number of cylinders.
It does, however, transport us in relative comfort and has even done 0-60...twice!
It does, however, transport us in relative comfort and has even done 0-60...twice!
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| Toyota Kijang Innova |
Friday, May 18, 2012
Trip to Puncak
A day trip to Puncak, a popular spot renowned for its tea plantations. The Jakarta traffic situation means we have to leave the house by 06.30 to have half a hope of getting there!
It was worth the effort though:
It was worth the effort though:
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| Overall landscape smothered in Tea |
Thursday, May 17, 2012
When it rains....it reigns
There can be no uncertainty as to the arrival of a tropical storm 'shower' in Jakarta.
A gentle tapping becomes increasingly rapid and builds in volume to a roar that beggars belief, leaving absolutely no doubt about nature's reign.
A gentle tapping becomes increasingly rapid and builds in volume to a roar that beggars belief, leaving absolutely no doubt about nature's reign.
This video inevitably fails to capture the true ferocity, but hopefully provides a 'flavour' (it's night so don't expect to see anything, it's the audio that hopefully conveys the scene).
What did we sign?
Last Friday we had our date with immigration.
Under normal circumstances this can be a 2 or 3 day process. Fortunately, the company uses an agent which ultimately means someone grabs a ticket on our behalf (think nrma/vic roads) allowing us to waltz in hours later and be near the top of the queue.
We sit and wait our turn, and regardless of how you tuck away your feet and elbows you're trampled as is local custom.
Eventually we're called into another room and first up I'm directed to 'sign here, here and here'. The forms are in Bahasa Indonesian and our guy doesn't seem too forthcoming with explanations. I sign whilst Shell looks on with that "what are you thinking!" look.
We have a quick whispered conversation about signing unknown agreements, and Shell is adamant that she won't do the same. She's called over and asked to sign.....which she does......in silence... yeah, that's telling them! You go girl!
We're then photographed and electronically fingerprinted and sent on our way. The agent advises we'll get our passports back Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. This turns out to be correct, except my passport is immediately sent off to the shipping company to organise release of our shipment, so I won't get to see my passport for another 5 to 10 days. What did I sign?
Under normal circumstances this can be a 2 or 3 day process. Fortunately, the company uses an agent which ultimately means someone grabs a ticket on our behalf (think nrma/vic roads) allowing us to waltz in hours later and be near the top of the queue.
We sit and wait our turn, and regardless of how you tuck away your feet and elbows you're trampled as is local custom.
Eventually we're called into another room and first up I'm directed to 'sign here, here and here'. The forms are in Bahasa Indonesian and our guy doesn't seem too forthcoming with explanations. I sign whilst Shell looks on with that "what are you thinking!" look.
We have a quick whispered conversation about signing unknown agreements, and Shell is adamant that she won't do the same. She's called over and asked to sign.....which she does......in silence... yeah, that's telling them! You go girl!
We're then photographed and electronically fingerprinted and sent on our way. The agent advises we'll get our passports back Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week. This turns out to be correct, except my passport is immediately sent off to the shipping company to organise release of our shipment, so I won't get to see my passport for another 5 to 10 days. What did I sign?
posted from Bloggeroid
Sunday, May 13, 2012
This house is such a crack up! #2
The big cracks in the walls that we previously reported were duly repaired on Tuesday 8th. By the end of the same day it appeared the new and the old paint had started having a disagreement:
By Saturday (fours days after the repair) all peace talks had been abandoned, and war had been declared:
Rock Art
Literally around the corner from our home, is this place. All of these items are made from petrified wood, and are absolutely gorgeous.
We're particularly enamoured by this table and bench-seat set. The bench on the left is petrified mahogany, the table base is petrified teak, and the table-top and right hand bench are petrified ebony. Apparently they're just sanded smooth with fine grade paper and then polished. All up, there's over 400kg here! Each bench was around 120kg if I recall correctly.
We're particularly enamoured by this table and bench-seat set. The bench on the left is petrified mahogany, the table base is petrified teak, and the table-top and right hand bench are petrified ebony. Apparently they're just sanded smooth with fine grade paper and then polished. All up, there's over 400kg here! Each bench was around 120kg if I recall correctly.
The Breakfast Anomaly
After a lazy morning at the pool, Shell offered to make us a nice cooked breakfast :-)
We've already learned that bacon is totally unlike any bacon you've ever seen before, and certainly isn't something you'd actually enjoy, so we stuck with egg, beans, toast and sausage.
We've already learned that bacon is totally unlike any bacon you've ever seen before, and certainly isn't something you'd actually enjoy, so we stuck with egg, beans, toast and sausage.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Weekend Warrior
Ahh, right, so this is what expat life is all about!
Lazy afternoon by the pool? Don't mind if I do :-)
All that's missing is bar service...I guess chips and ice coffee will have to suffice..
Lazy afternoon by the pool? Don't mind if I do :-)
All that's missing is bar service...I guess chips and ice coffee will have to suffice..
posted from Bloggeroid
Monday, May 7, 2012
Singapore Trip #1: The Temple
Whilst we waited for the return of our passports, we decided to go for a visit to the China Town.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Singapore Trip #1: When 57 isn't so good
As beautiful as the infinity pool area is, there are some drawbacks to being 57 stories up in the air......notably when a storm moves in:
Singapore Trip #1: Gotham City
Wandering around Boat Quay Singapore at night is a lovely experience.
Singapore Trip #1: The Marina Bay Sands
So blessed are we, that we get to stay at the Marina Bay Sands hotel. A hotel made famous by its external architecture (looks like a ship floating in the sky) and the fact it hosts the largest infinity pool in the world.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Trip to Singapore
At last!! My visa has been granted and we need to leave the country to collect it, and the arrival stamp required for the next step in the process....which means a trip to Singapore. :)
Since company policy is to provide business class only for flights longer than 4 hours, we're back to the real world of economy...boo! This will also be our first experience of the national airline!
The first observation is that we're not allowed to simply check-in! No, we must first go visit the guy putting plastic ties around each suitcase - are they admitting they handle the bags so badly that they're liable to burst open without the strap? hmm.
The second attempt to check-in goes smoothly.
So what's the plane like? Well, the seats are uncomfortable in a similar fashion to those of Virgin Australia. However, they seem to be narrower (my shoulders seemed to overhang the seat and I'm hardly a 'big' build) and are very much closer together. The seat in front is close enough to make reading a magazine difficult because the size of the average magazine is greater that the distance between your belly and the seat in front. And if the person in front reclines, you're forced to lick the back of the headrest!
Then there's the food. We both took the tuna quiche option thinking 'how wrong can you go with tuna?'. Well......
Mine *looked* ok actually - a cubic lump of eggy stuff with bits of tuna in it. Shell's, however, had been steamed in its container and as a result of the condensation, kinda melted a bit - it looked like lumpy vomit! Complete with the requisite chunks of carrot!
Perhaps 'tuna' quiche was a bit of a mis-representation. The 'hints' of tuna could not compensate for unappetising taste of the 'quiche' - I think we each had maybe 2 or 3 forks worth before we gave up and accepted we would land hungry.
So not the best start to the trip, and certainly not a high rating recommendation for the national airline. Maybe things will improve when we land.....
Or not.
Immigration is quick and painless and we go to collect the suitcase. After we grabbed our case, we're interrupted by an lady offical asking to see our baggage tag. OK, no problem - I guess this is to ensure you collected the right case....except she took the tag, said thanks, and disappeared. She didn't seem to compare the tag to the one attached to the case at all...odd.
We next decided to stop off for a coffee. Being Singapore, we can expect fast efficient service right?
No.
There were at least five waiting staff in the airport cafe, and maybe two other tables of customers - call it eight individual customers, MAX.
We waited for about 30 minutes! Unbelievable! Whilst we're waiting I took a shot of the three staff hanging around doing absolutely nothing:
To add insult to injury, when the coffee arrived, it was crap. Especially disappointing considering their napkins:
Since company policy is to provide business class only for flights longer than 4 hours, we're back to the real world of economy...boo! This will also be our first experience of the national airline!
The first observation is that we're not allowed to simply check-in! No, we must first go visit the guy putting plastic ties around each suitcase - are they admitting they handle the bags so badly that they're liable to burst open without the strap? hmm.
The second attempt to check-in goes smoothly.
So what's the plane like? Well, the seats are uncomfortable in a similar fashion to those of Virgin Australia. However, they seem to be narrower (my shoulders seemed to overhang the seat and I'm hardly a 'big' build) and are very much closer together. The seat in front is close enough to make reading a magazine difficult because the size of the average magazine is greater that the distance between your belly and the seat in front. And if the person in front reclines, you're forced to lick the back of the headrest!
Then there's the food. We both took the tuna quiche option thinking 'how wrong can you go with tuna?'. Well......
Mine *looked* ok actually - a cubic lump of eggy stuff with bits of tuna in it. Shell's, however, had been steamed in its container and as a result of the condensation, kinda melted a bit - it looked like lumpy vomit! Complete with the requisite chunks of carrot!
Perhaps 'tuna' quiche was a bit of a mis-representation. The 'hints' of tuna could not compensate for unappetising taste of the 'quiche' - I think we each had maybe 2 or 3 forks worth before we gave up and accepted we would land hungry.
So not the best start to the trip, and certainly not a high rating recommendation for the national airline. Maybe things will improve when we land.....
Or not.
Immigration is quick and painless and we go to collect the suitcase. After we grabbed our case, we're interrupted by an lady offical asking to see our baggage tag. OK, no problem - I guess this is to ensure you collected the right case....except she took the tag, said thanks, and disappeared. She didn't seem to compare the tag to the one attached to the case at all...odd.
We next decided to stop off for a coffee. Being Singapore, we can expect fast efficient service right?
No.
There were at least five waiting staff in the airport cafe, and maybe two other tables of customers - call it eight individual customers, MAX.
We waited for about 30 minutes! Unbelievable! Whilst we're waiting I took a shot of the three staff hanging around doing absolutely nothing:
To add insult to injury, when the coffee arrived, it was crap. Especially disappointing considering their napkins:
Friday, May 4, 2012
A momentous occasion
Today represents something of a landmark occasion for Indonesia. I laughed at a friends Facebook status of 'May the fourth be with you!' but perhaps there was something to the statement after all.
Today, the Australian government downgraded the travel warning on Indonesia!
According to todays Smart Traveller the overall rating has been reduced to 'Exercise a high degree of caution'.
In case the situation changes again, here is the post:
This is great news for travellers as it should reduce travel insurance premiums, but of course it also indicates that our living environment should no longer be considered as relatively hostile. Of course, everyday life will inform you that the situation has been much safer than the Australian government would imply for several months now, but it is comforting to see it in writing :)
Today, the Australian government downgraded the travel warning on Indonesia!
According to todays Smart Traveller the overall rating has been reduced to 'Exercise a high degree of caution'.
In case the situation changes again, here is the post:
This Advice was last issued on Friday, 04 May 2012. The overall level of the advice has been lowered to 'Exercise a high degree of caution'. We continue to advise Australians to 'Reconsider their need to travel' to Central Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua and West Papua provinces due to recent communal and sectarian violence.
This is great news for travellers as it should reduce travel insurance premiums, but of course it also indicates that our living environment should no longer be considered as relatively hostile. Of course, everyday life will inform you that the situation has been much safer than the Australian government would imply for several months now, but it is comforting to see it in writing :)
This house is such a crack up!
We're still rattling around an empty house due to the fact our furniture hasn't arrived yet, and as a result, the majority of the rooms aren't yet in use....but that doesn't seem to stop the deterioration!
Before I accepted this assignment, I had a conversation with the CEO. This would have been back in August during my second or third visit to the country. There were two statements that stuck in my mind - you can't drink the water, don't even try. And, nothing is quite as it first appears.
The water statement was surprising since I had actually assumed that the water was 'bad' for foreigners, but locals would be able to consume it. However, it turns out that piped water quality is very low and is likely to contain faecal matter or any variety of bugs...yuck! The locals ALWAYS boil the tap water before consumption, or if they can afford it, they buy bottled water like us bule.
The second statement was a little more intriguing. Manufacturing and building quality, in particular, seem to play second fiddle to keeping costs low. The results in a constant stream of 'maintenance' and ill-fitting doors or windows and such like.
Despite the enlightening prophecy, I still was not prepared for this:
The above is a shot of our (empty) lounge room. The main wall. Need a closer look?
Yes, there's a ruddy great crack in the plaster. It's not alone either as there's about half a dozen of the suckers making a 'crazy paving' of our wall!
Of course, it's fixable and will hopefully be repaired next week. But how long will it be before we see a return? Unfortunately, with the low cost materials being used I suspect we'll need several repairs a year. Oh well....at least it povides someone with a job...
Before I accepted this assignment, I had a conversation with the CEO. This would have been back in August during my second or third visit to the country. There were two statements that stuck in my mind - you can't drink the water, don't even try. And, nothing is quite as it first appears.
The water statement was surprising since I had actually assumed that the water was 'bad' for foreigners, but locals would be able to consume it. However, it turns out that piped water quality is very low and is likely to contain faecal matter or any variety of bugs...yuck! The locals ALWAYS boil the tap water before consumption, or if they can afford it, they buy bottled water like us bule.
The second statement was a little more intriguing. Manufacturing and building quality, in particular, seem to play second fiddle to keeping costs low. The results in a constant stream of 'maintenance' and ill-fitting doors or windows and such like.
Despite the enlightening prophecy, I still was not prepared for this:
Of course, it's fixable and will hopefully be repaired next week. But how long will it be before we see a return? Unfortunately, with the low cost materials being used I suspect we'll need several repairs a year. Oh well....at least it povides someone with a job...
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
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