IT'S A FRIDAY THING

Off to a great start this sunny Balikpapan Friday. Have done all my reading this morning; emails, blogs, 2 newspapers* (scroll down and I'll explain about that), and I've even managed a chapter in the book club book.

About the white envelope mission yesterday. No, that didn't quite work out - least not in the way I had initially thought. But, when in Indonesia - do as the Indonesian do. Find another way. So I did just that. All good in fact. ........... and I just know in about another month or so from now - every darn envelope in town will end up being the colour white. (today every shop I went to will be ordering white envelopes in the off chance the bule [me] comes back) All good.

Gulash: Toronto asks, "How is it that you are from North America but you know good old fashioned Gulyas. Isn't that Hungarian dish?"

It's actually my mother-in-law's recipe. (Thank you Mother) Hungarian? I have no idea about that. She's not Hungarian. And as far as I know - all recipes in North America come from somewhere else. Except for maybe beef jerky, poutine, ceasars or bannok. And then there's my Aunt Margaret's recipe for "Baked Gopher". I actually think she was joking about that (I hope) - but she did submit it into the family cookbook. Page 42 in fact. And I can assure you - I have never, nor will I ever; try that.

*2 newspapers - in one day. Ok, well first off the English language newspaper we have here come from Jakarta (The Jakarta Globe). Delivered on a plane that comes in at 4 o'clock (p.m.) and then raced over to our house via motorcycle by the newspaper man. Not sure what happened yesterday. Either (A) he took Wednesday off. Or (B) they didn't fly the paper in that day. Anyways, yesterday he delivered both of them as he has never missed a day. ...... and now I have 2 crossword puzzles for today.

TODAY: I'm not exactly certain how I'll spend the rest of this day, except for the Darts Open the Season event that's happening later tonight. This will be one of those wide open days. I might just carry on doing the same thing I've been doing all morning in fact.

I might even manage to do those 2 (two) crossword puzzles from those newspapers today. I'm actually stuck (crossword puzzle #1) on 8 Across - a five letter word for an epicurean event. Hmmmmm.

Oh yeah. TAMBAL means patch. Bet you can figure out what they do at that little shop.

Have a great Friday.

Good to Go!

TOKO AMPLOP

Ok, life has returned to Balikpapan. Back to normal. Almost - or at least close enough anyways. The stores (above), restaurants, bars, cafes, etc., etc. are opening up. Driver is back. And we are on track to do a whole lot of things today. And gear-up for the very busy and full weekend we have ahead of us. Darts night - a farewell - and an F1 Sunday. Busy, busy.

Wined and dined at the BBC last night. First time we've been there in quite a bit. And so it seems to be the trend here these days, (change) the BBC is not without a few changes of it's own too. They are manager-less. And some of the old staff are back. And I think they're gearing up for a few more changes too. Anyways, last night; good drinks (buy 2 get 1 free) - good company - good food.

TODAY: Failing miserably on my first attempts at today's tasks. Blogger or the internet or both are working like crap. And ...... you'd think buying a white envelope in this town (city) would be an easy thing to accomplish. Not. There must be a million colours of paper out there but every single darn envelope - brown. What's with that? But, I have not given up. Not yet. And on the plus I have learned - an AMPLOP is the same as an envelope. (who'd ever guess that?)

Still have loads of day left and lots of things I'd to do.

Good to Go!

BE A WALK

Check out this guy. He was lurking around out the kitchen window the other morning. His name is BIAWAK. Pronounced: BE-A-WALK. Usually he's pretty shy, lying in wait in the gutters out front, but with all the quietness around here over the long weekend he must have decided it was safe to venture out. As mean as he looks - he's pretty harmless and mostly scared of anything and everything that moves.

It's still feeling a little bit like the weekend around here. A lot of people took the whole week off. In fact a number of local businesses have pretty much closed up shop until after next weekend too. These guys know how have a holiday I think.

TODAY: Yeah! The housekeeper is back. Nice surprise this morning when we saw the full coffee pot. (We are spoiled - aren't we?)

Very much a raining off and on all morning with a mix of some intense sun around here today. And for a change that's a good thing. The perfect weather day. Even the trees are enjoying it.

I have a full day of hanging in the office with a bunch of stuff to do. The Things To Do list - is getting attacked. Well, slowly. Starting to put a few check marks on some of the things listed there. It's setting up to be a pretty good day I think.

Good to Go!

HAPPY TUESDAY

Hi Tuesday. Ok - holiday weekend is over (sort-of) at least for us. So. Better get back at things here and write. What a great weekend, it was (is) good. And I'm certain today will be too.

I'm even braving that funny looking thing called a washing machine today. Woo-hoo. With complete success. Still staff-less. ......... and yes we're surviving without - just fine thanks. Thanks for the coffee this morning other Me too.

Note: AYAM = chicken. pronunciation = I am.

TODAY: Empty house. The other Me's at the office. The staff are still away. Think I'm just going to turn up the music real loud and rearrange a bunch of stuff in this house today.

More later.

Good to Go!

A LONG WEEKEND TOO!

....... as promised - the Furniture Salesman out selling his wares.

Ahhhh - Friday at last. And a long weekend too. Long as in L-O-N-G. Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday too. Not exactly sure when it starts or ends. There is the official version (government) and then there's the Muslim version (which correlates with the fazes of the moon). For some people though - it started today at noon.

Anyways, a long weekend ahead of us and sure looking forward to it. Starting tomorrow, possibly in the p.m. - we're giving the staff a whole bunch of days off. That means no driver (everything's closed anyways) and no housekeeper* too.

Why (?) you ask would one be looking forward to that? As much as I/we do love having them here with us (and they are the best) sometimes you just need a rest. Every once in awhile it's nice to step out of the shower without the bucket of cleaning supplies waiting on the other side of the door beckoning you to hurry your little (big) butt up and get dressed. Sometimes, you need to wash your own clothes. (not really) And sometimes you need to cook your own food. (yes!) And sometimes you just need to clean up your own mess.

Now that being said - in a couple of days I'll probably need to come back here and re-read that last paragraph I just wrote. Did I ever tell you the story about the one and only time I attempted to wash a load of laundry in that very strange looking washing machine we have here, all by myself .............. (?)

*housekeeper - more commonly known as the house manager around here.

TODAY: Ok, so like the dumbie (doh) that I am ................. this morning, I took on another one of those help-the-world-projects. Actually it's a very, very small thing if you're measuring it on the world scale. But. For a very good reason and I just know if I don't step up to the plate on this one and do what I do .............. well whatever, at least I'll be doing something that I love to do.

Pretty much the whole day has whizzed past already. Already way into the afternoon. I have a couple things left to get finished and do. Like wish a special someone a very BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! (love you) and then I'm off. Promised I'd buy a friend a beer - you know, the one disguised in a coffee cup.

It's hot out and I'm thirsty too. Happy Friday!

Good to Go!

TRAFFIC

TRAFFIC .......... and this would be the reason things took such a long time yesterday. For an appointment that took all of about 10 minutes. (yuck)

.... and I should tell you, just so you know (but it can be) - the traffic isn't always like this. Although there are a lot of motorcycles here. This week however is the big build-up to Idul Fitri next week. Kind of like joining the masses at the mall the week before Christmas. On the plus side, the stores are all stocked up. The down side, everyone in town is there, hence the whole lot of traffic. I should mention this is not at the mall but very near the market. ....... and in typical Balikpapan fashion - everything is always left to the very last possible minute.

A pretty uneventful day yesterday aside from the morning thunder, lightning, wind (should have added that in there yesterday) and rain storm and my trip into the mega traffic zone. And my afternoon nap. However, as always, no day ever takes place around here without something that makes a person smile. (at least a little bit) Like the Sponge Bob Square Pants caught up in the power lines and floating in the air high above the traditional market. Guess you have to be here to appreciate things like that, somewhat surreal in fact. A 21st Century Sponge Bob floating around a market that probably hasn't changed much from the past.

.......... and then there was the traveling (motorcycle) furniture salesman that we passed. Tomorrow I'll post a picture of that.

TODAY: Clean up the IN box and everything else in here. (the office - my favorite room in the house in fact - hence the interminable need for always having to clean it up)

Brave the masses and head over to the mall. Need to get to the grocery store before the holidays when everything will be closed-up. I'm still not exactly certain how many days this holiday will take - there's a few different versions out there. Long story, but it looks like 3 red calendar days coming up.

Tonight Ladies' Night at Blue Sky ....................

Good to Go!

RAIN DAY

Good Day all! Good early morning is more like it.

So, not sure of the reason for it, but - pick any one (or two) or all of the following.....

A) ..... last night, asleep and in my bed by 8 o'clock.

B) ..... the thunder, lightning, pouring rain storm that rolled through here in the wee hours of the morning. (yeah for rain - we're in the middle of the dry season)

OR

C) ..... the early morning call to mosque.

...... this morning - I've been wide awake since 5 o'clock. And have pretty much already emptied the coffee pot.

So this is the first real rain we've had in a long time around here. Things are pretty dry here these days. (even the 1 cm. high grass - I'll never understand that) A welcomed rain I guess - and trust me this morning everything and anything around here is pretty much soaking wet. An then there's that insistent dripping in the roof (ceiling) above my bed (hey - maybe that's what woke me up [?]) and everywhere else in the house that seems to never stop. I'm just waiting - for any time now a new hole or holes is/are going to open up. Yeah for the maintenance men. Better keep an eye on that.

Q and A: Regarding PMC - turns out I just happen to have a picture of that. Have a number of friends that live there too. Send me your email address and I'll hook you up with someone who can help you out with that.

TODAY: I have things to. An appointment this morning (and no, of course I'm not ready or organized for that), way on the other side of town. Not that way on the other side is really all that far, but - sometimes it takes a bit to get all the way over there and then back. Need to seriously get some new photos and by this afternoon - I'm sure I'll be ready for a nap.

Good to Go!

KELAPA

KELAPA, aka coconuts. At least these are the Balikpapan type. Yes I know they don't look anything like the outrageously over priced sort you see in the North American supermarket. But these are what you get here, and right now there are truck loads of them and piles alongside the roads all over the place. Fresh by the way - and they really do taste great. Oh yeah - these are about a dollar each. In season I guess. Just in time for Ramadan.

Something else I should point out is the popularity of fireworks and fire crackers around here these days. Including the ones someone decided to set off (fire crackers) in the middle of the pizza house the other night. Every night - and I do mean every night, starting just around 7 p.m. all the fireworks comes out. Just in time with Ramadan too. .......... a 30 day build up to the big night. Idul Fitri is next week in fact.

BIWA Coffee Morning day here today. At the brand new Arts & Culture Center. Which as it turns out, is a really nice place and with an awesome view. First coffee morning I've been to in quite a long time in fact. Good to see all the familiar faces that have come back (holidays) and a whole lot of new ones too. Welcome to Balikpapan everyone - hope you enjoy your time here as much as I do.

TODAY: aka THIS AFTERNOON. I think we need to get some pool time in. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day - think I'm going to head over and enjoy the sun while I have the chance.

Good to Go!

THE BAD BLOGGER

The Bad, Bad, Blogger. Yup. I know. And I am. And I can't even come up with a good excuse for it. I'll try a little harder this week.

A very full and eventful weekend it was for us. A BIG birthday (not mine) party. A BLACK & WHITE bar-b-que. And of course the F1 Sunday event. ....... and WOW, what an exciting end there was to that. Imagine spinning out and loosing control on your last lap. Ooooo. Poor Mr. Hamilton.

So, I'm sure by now you all know about the electrical supply issues we have around here. And this morning of course was no exception to that. It wasn't that we didn't have any - just only in half the house. And it took the better part of 2 hours for myself and 2 maintenance men to figure it out. DOH!

NOTE TO SOMEONE ELSE: When watering plants in the early a.m. - do not, do not spray with the garden hose, copious amounts of water onto the outside wall with the electrical outlet on it.

So now for a a little about the brand new E-Walk. (photo above) The new mall. Ok, if you're here in town - you best go check this place out. Wholly, Balikpapan - we are moving up. And believe it or not - there's really, really going to be a Starbucks! And about 6 other brand new coffee shops. Figure that out.

TODAY: Bills to pay. Emails to read/write and catch up. Today is all about the go.

Good to Go!

HELL PLANT

Let's start with HELL PLANT shall we. Don't worry, there's been some good parts in the last couple of days too - just thought I'd tell you this bit first and get it out of the way. So this thing has to rank up there as one of the nastiest of the nasty plants. Check out the spikes on that thing. I have no idea what kind of plant this is. (?) Cactaceous anyway. Bears spines. Has leaves and bright flowers. (?)

Anyways HELL PLANT pretty much died while we were away. And yesterday just happened to be a pretty good day to something about it. Like throw it away. (Somehow though, it ended up in another pot [rescue mission perhaps] that I still have to deal with another day.)

So here's how it went:

:: Discovered that my still brand-new, no-thorns-will-ever-poke-through-these gardening gloves that I've probably only worn 5 times have somehow managed to get themselves worn out and thrown in the trash. (?)

:: Trained in the art of using balled up old newspapers in the palm of your hands instead. (?) Whatever - it worked.

:: Got stung by a bee (twice) same bee possibly. Discovered that my Auntie Olga's remedy of holding a stainless steel knife on top of the said stung spot or spots for a few seconds to draw the stinger out - WORKS! (?)

:: ........ and I had a helper in all of that. Hence the rescue mission and the transfer to a new pot.

.... To be continued another day.

TODAY: Trying very hard to get this post done, but that's not really working out today. Spending too much time sitting out and drinking iced coffee today. Must try and make up for yesterday.

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend too.

Good to Go!

09.09.09

NINE. NINE. NINE.
Days. Months. Years (actually 2,009 of those). I'm told this is a lucky day over here. I wonder if 10.10.10 will be too? Hmmm

Anyways, on to something new. Check this out (photo above). We have new money. Just when most countries are trying to rid themselves of denominations - the opposite is happening here.

I think this is a prelude of what's to come. I'm going to guess - the price of parking is going up. Rather the price of backing up. Now, instead of handing the usual 1,oooRp note out the car window to the guy (or her - but only once) with the annoying whistle that helps you back your car up - we're going to be giving him a nice brand new crispy one of these instead.

Note: 2,000Rp = 20 cents US today. (Rp = Rupiah)

TODAY: Wide open. Think we'll just let this day happen and unfold all by itself. Who knows. (?)

Good to Go!

TUESDAY

Exciting news for all us Balikpapan-ites! On 09.09.09 (tomorrow) a new place is opening up. The E-Walk at Balikpapan Superblok. Not exactly sure what an E-Walk is. (?) (interesting name) And certainly won't be going by there tomorrow to find out. We'll wait a few days and let the crowd thin out before we try that.

But just the same ............... the sign out front - has the Starbucks on it. And a Dunkin Donuts too! Wholly - can this possibly be true?

Side Note: The future home of the Jolly Rogers, still way in the future I guess. Not a thing has happen there in the past year - just a few more vines and climby plants to cover everything up.

TODAY: New wheels - as in tires (roda). The whole entire afternoon to myself (nice) and Book Group get together later tonight (even nicer yet).

Have a good one. Good to Go!

MONDAY

AHHHH. Hi Monday. It was a lovely weekend. Not a long one (unlike some other people we know had) but it was nice just the same. How was yours?

I've decided I must be building up to something BIG. Not sure what BIG is just yet. ....... but BIG usually comes after I get over the clean-up, sort out and organize all things around and about me. Hmmm (?) Will let you know.

TODAY: Sun is shinning and it's hot out. Good day for a nice iced mocha latte I think. Yup. And maybe even a bit of Yuli's Special pizza later tonight.

Good to Go!

100% OF FULL

100% of full today. Maybe that explains today's shitty internet. (?) Probably not I guess. But I can assure you I AM struggling with it.

SATURDAY + BALIKPAPAN + INTERNET = PROBLEM LOADING PAGE (Hopeless)

Good day to go do something else I guess.

TODAY: Anything that doesn't involve the internet. Have a great weekend everyone!

Good to Go!

GAME ON!

Ok, I'm back. I'm officially back. Holiday done and finished. Yes, I am over it. And wholly crap - that went by way toooo fast.

......... and looks like I took a little bit* of a Blogger hiatus. I can honestly say - I did not look at, read or even contemplate writing any Blogs for the whole entire time in fact. Sometimes, a person (me) has just got to do that.

So! A Blog photo of the day? NOT. Sorry but haven't managed to get around to that. Today, this is as good as it gets. And I had to dig way deep for this one. A badly scanned photo I had from way back. (circa 1999 perhaps) A place called Pangandaran. Not very far from Wednesday's earthquake. 7.3 or 7.4 - depends on where you get your information from I guess. (and, no we didn't feel it here - we're way too far away for that) Yes, toured all those places that did feel it though. Can't even begin to imagine what's left.

Anyways - life is (has gotten)(suitcases unpacked) pretty much back to normal. Aside from the earthquake and the fact that we're smack in the middle (almost middle) of Ramadan around here. Back to the usual electric outages, tea water (that's what I call it - water that looks the colour of tea), shitty internet and the best nasi goreng (fried rice) on the planet. Good to back.

Fish 1 and Fish 3 are alive and well and swimming a million of laps. They've doubled in size in fact. (I think) Should've put more effort into figuring out how to put a grow chart on that tank. If this keeps up - I just know I'm going to end up buying another little fish tank. Man-O-Man. And here I thought they were going to be cute little fish.

* Actually a bit more than a little bit. WINK. WINK.

TODAY/TONIGHT: All the usual Friday stuff. And tonight, head over to our favorite spot where everyone meets up. For an added twist, tonight we'll all be drinking beer/spirits out of coffee cups. Yup, that's the way you do things here. During Ramadan. Disguise the alcohol. Yup, tonight we're all drinking iced cappuccino, lattes and ginger tea I think. WINK. WINK. Cheers everyone.

Good to Go!