A lot of major milestones happened for us this year. Below are the most memorable events in the order they occurred:
January
Learned we were pregnant with our second child
Had to put down my beloved dog, China.
February
Made a trip out to Jakarta to finalize housing for our big move.
Began packing at home.
Completed our physicals for medical clearance and received all 13 of our shots
For the first time in my life, I had to declare a religion on my employment forms. The choices were Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Catholic or Protestant.
March
Visited Bali for the first time.
Spend a holiday in silence, confined to our hotel at penalty of jail time.
Visited a volcano for the first time, and played with wild monkeys.
Fed elephants for the first time.
Arrived at our new home in Jakarta.
April
Drove through flood waters deep enough to leave a wake (see Jakarta Living section).
My daughter had her first close encounter with wild animals.
Met Miss Indonesia
Had to deal with fears of swine flu while living in a third world nation.
When asked why our unit didn't have a dish washing machine, was informed "that is what your maid will be for".
May
Saw a dead (well, dying) person twitching in the street on the way to work
Learned we were having a son.
Defined expat categories.
June
Attended what I am sure was the first of many end of year school programs for my daughter
Our first and second overseas birthday parties.
Learned a lesson about the pursuit of money.
Adapted to life in Jakarta.
Learned what I love about America.
July
Attended my first contract signing with a labor union.
Visited Singapore for the first time.
Learned a sniper was killing my colleagues at our minesite.
Colleagues were injured when terrorists bombed the hotels I stayed in when traveling.
August
Witnessed my first Indonesian protest.
Participated in the olympics and put down my first dog, Guapo.
Laughed at a monkey who decided to then throw poop at me.
My daughter did the gyroscope
Experienced the start of my first fasting month.
Learned that the US has a lot of clout internationally
September
Experienced a major earthquake that damaged the walls in my office.
Moved my wife and daughter to Singapore until the birth of our son.
Experienced personal growth - Imagine that!!
Discovered how inspiring kids can be.
October
Moved myself to Singapore
Birth of my son.
November
Had an adrenaline rush
Had the highest fever of my life.
Visited Bandung and a sulphur lake.
December
Anniversary in Jakarta
Christmas in Jakarta
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The natives are restive
It's been a nervous week for anyone with a quick anxiety trigger. In Papua, where we have our mine site, Indonesian police killed Kelly Kwalik, the purported leader of the Papuan Freedom Organization. Many believe he was the mastermind behind the recent killings and other mayhem around our mine site earlier in the year. After his death, many Papuans began to strike and/or demonstrate. We received security alerts advising us to avoid Timika, the small town containing the airport we fly into when visiting our site, due to potentially unsafe activity.
Then came the reports of increased security at Christian churches throughout Indonesia. For those of us who are new to the area, this was a bit surprising. I view Indonesia as a well blended melting pot of religious tolerance. Indonesia celebrates holidays from four religions and companies and employees alike have, by all accounts, displayed nothing but respect for religious differences. So, when I first read about enhanced security, I was concerned that something new must be raising alarms. Nope. This is fairly common practice and has occurred since at least 2001, from what I've read.
Like any normal person, when confronted with this information I decided to work on my golf game. The last two weekends I've spent Saturday mornings at a local driving range. My first outing was horrible. Today's actually went pretty well. I felt good when I finished hitting a round of 100 balls (hopefully I won't hit that many on the course).
Driving ranges in Jakarta are a little different than those in the US. The one I chose to visit, like many in the US, is not attached to a golf course and has two storeys. I was surprised to find that they also had caddies to take my clubs from the car to my reserved tee. More surprising was how they collect the balls. I'm accustomed to seeing a small, motorized vehicle that resembles a lawn-mower driving around the range collecting the balls. Here, several men wearing construction helmets and dressed in what look like large, heavily padded rain coats that hang to mid-calf wander around kicking the balls into several piles. Then a different man comes along with a large ball scoop and collects the balls for delivery to the tees. Instead of one person driving a machine, they have roughly 15 people running around in padded suits. When labor is cheaper than innovation, innovation doesn't occur.
Then came the reports of increased security at Christian churches throughout Indonesia. For those of us who are new to the area, this was a bit surprising. I view Indonesia as a well blended melting pot of religious tolerance. Indonesia celebrates holidays from four religions and companies and employees alike have, by all accounts, displayed nothing but respect for religious differences. So, when I first read about enhanced security, I was concerned that something new must be raising alarms. Nope. This is fairly common practice and has occurred since at least 2001, from what I've read.
Like any normal person, when confronted with this information I decided to work on my golf game. The last two weekends I've spent Saturday mornings at a local driving range. My first outing was horrible. Today's actually went pretty well. I felt good when I finished hitting a round of 100 balls (hopefully I won't hit that many on the course).
Driving ranges in Jakarta are a little different than those in the US. The one I chose to visit, like many in the US, is not attached to a golf course and has two storeys. I was surprised to find that they also had caddies to take my clubs from the car to my reserved tee. More surprising was how they collect the balls. I'm accustomed to seeing a small, motorized vehicle that resembles a lawn-mower driving around the range collecting the balls. Here, several men wearing construction helmets and dressed in what look like large, heavily padded rain coats that hang to mid-calf wander around kicking the balls into several piles. Then a different man comes along with a large ball scoop and collects the balls for delivery to the tees. Instead of one person driving a machine, they have roughly 15 people running around in padded suits. When labor is cheaper than innovation, innovation doesn't occur.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas
Christmas in Jakarta is not quite the same as it in the US. It's tropical, empty, and everything is still open as if nothing is going on. In the US, even the non-Christians and the "seasonal" Christians celebrate Christmas. In Jakarta, the expats go home, and the local Christians seem to treat it like any other day. One thing is very apparent - and is something the people who feel real animosity towards stores in the US that cater to Mexicans by speaking Spanish should recognize - businesses in Jakarta know that their is a big market for English-speaking foreigners who want to celebrate Christmas, and they cater to us. Businesses know their opportunities and do whatever is necessary to extract the available profit from them.
Even though our staff don't celebrate Christmas, and we gave them gifts for their holiday - Idul Fitri - in September, we still wanted to share the Christmas spirit with them. My wife made each of them a loaf of banana bread and put together a care package. The big spikey thing you see is durian, a favorite fruit of the locals that we think smells like garbage.
For us, Christmas Eve meant baking cookies and watching Disney's "A Christmas Carol". It also meant my first time putting together the "Santa" toys after our daughter went to sleep. Now I know why Santa has elves. The scooter we bought required some "adjustment" before I could actually assemble it per the instructions. I'm glad I had my own tools. Next year, I'm going to assemble at least a week in advance. I don't want to think what would have happened if it had been missing a part.
Even though our staff don't celebrate Christmas, and we gave them gifts for their holiday - Idul Fitri - in September, we still wanted to share the Christmas spirit with them. My wife made each of them a loaf of banana bread and put together a care package. The big spikey thing you see is durian, a favorite fruit of the locals that we think smells like garbage.
Christmas morning, my daughter was much more patient than I ever was. My wife and I were both awake before she was, but decided to stay in bed so she could come and "wake us up to go see if Santa came". When she did wake up, she wanted to take off her pajamas, get dressed, brush her hair and THEN go see if Santa came. Delayed gratification will serve her well when she gets older.
Merry Christmas!
6th Anniversary
On 23 December, my wife and I celebrated six years of marriage. Our anniversary tradition is to eat at the Melting Pot for dinner, and buy a traditional gift. Traditional gift for a six year anniversary is candy or iron. There are no Melting Pot's in Jakarta, and my wife does not play golf or eat sweets, so I was not in a good place heading into this week.
I thought of buying her some spinach because it is high in iron, but I didn't think that would be much appreciated. Then I remembered that when my father and sister were visiting, I found iron handicrafts of the local bicycle taxis and the horse-drawn carriages we see a lot at the birthday parties. I was still planning to look for something else - iron jewelry, flatware - but bought the handicrafts as a failsafe. On Monday, while I was at the gym, I thought of the perfect gift idea. My wife has been asking for a personal trainer to help her finish off the baby weight. Trainers help you lift weight - "pump iron". So that's what I bought and decided to give her the handicrafts for Christmas.
The day before our anniversary I finally found a restaurant that served fondue - at least the review of the restaurant said it served fondue. Even better, it was walking distance from our house - though we still used our driver.
The day of our anniversary, I stopped at the flower shop just outside our neighborhood. Like many places in Jakarta, you can haggle on the price. I like to haggle. I also always remember the first rule of negotiation - whoever gives a price first, loses.
I knew I wanted to buy red roses. I pointed to the bundle of two dozen roses and waited for him to give me a price. Based on what I know roses cost in the US, and on my last experience at this flower shop, I was planning to counter any offer with a price of $20. His initial quote for two dozen roses was $10, which I felt fair, so I didn't bother negotiating.
Pictures below are of us in front of the restaurant and the roses.
I thought of buying her some spinach because it is high in iron, but I didn't think that would be much appreciated. Then I remembered that when my father and sister were visiting, I found iron handicrafts of the local bicycle taxis and the horse-drawn carriages we see a lot at the birthday parties. I was still planning to look for something else - iron jewelry, flatware - but bought the handicrafts as a failsafe. On Monday, while I was at the gym, I thought of the perfect gift idea. My wife has been asking for a personal trainer to help her finish off the baby weight. Trainers help you lift weight - "pump iron". So that's what I bought and decided to give her the handicrafts for Christmas.
The day before our anniversary I finally found a restaurant that served fondue - at least the review of the restaurant said it served fondue. Even better, it was walking distance from our house - though we still used our driver.
The day of our anniversary, I stopped at the flower shop just outside our neighborhood. Like many places in Jakarta, you can haggle on the price. I like to haggle. I also always remember the first rule of negotiation - whoever gives a price first, loses.
I knew I wanted to buy red roses. I pointed to the bundle of two dozen roses and waited for him to give me a price. Based on what I know roses cost in the US, and on my last experience at this flower shop, I was planning to counter any offer with a price of $20. His initial quote for two dozen roses was $10, which I felt fair, so I didn't bother negotiating.
Pictures below are of us in front of the restaurant and the roses.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Limericks and Scary Bedtime Rhymes
Adaptations. Parodies. Liberal poetic borrowing. Call it what you will, I call it fun!
I remember in the fifth grade, we had an assignment to write a Halloween limerick. I had a book with a limerick that read:
"There once was a monkey named Mast,
Who was so terribly fast
One day he grew sick
And being so quick
In less than a day, he passed."
I didn't have the patience, interest, or creativity to come up with my own at the age of 10, so I borrowed from it...heavily. Mine was:
"There once was a witch named Mast,
Who was so terribly fast
One day she grew ill
And took the wrong pill
And in less than a day, she passed."
I got an "A". After receiving my grade, I brought in the book so my teacher could read it to the class. When she read the poem about poor monkey Mast, she knew. I knew she would know. She didn't change my grade.
By the sixth grade, I was a big fan of Weird Al Yankovich. His "Eat it" mockery of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", inspired me to write my own - "Diet":
"You better run you better exercise now
'Cause you and your family, are looking like cows
And ever since your birth you been eatin' like a sow
So Diet Just Diet
Diet, Diet, Diet, Diet
Put down the fork, just try it"
Last week, my wife and I were discussing how my daughter continues to get bug bites while she sleeps. The mosquito netting we bought didn't help. They appear to be spider bites. That inspired this little ditty:
"The itsy, bitsy spider climbs up your leg at night
Out comes it fangs and leaves a nasty bite
When you cry out, it's sure to run away
But the itsy, bitsy spider will return again some day"
What if all nursery rhymes were that scary?
"Hush little baby, don't make a sound
I think the big monster is coming around
And if that monster finds you awake
He'll puncture your heart with an oily stake"
"Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
Hoping to find some steak
When she arrived
All she found inside
Was a large, venomous snake!"
Maybe those were the nursery rhymes Stephen King heard as a child?
On the lighter side, I leave you with two limericks, one my classmate Jon wrote for our Halloween limerick assignment, the other I created tonight:
"There once was a monster named Harry
Who was big, fat, ugly and scary
He lived in a cave
Never bothered to shave
But always seemed happy and merry!"
"Santa arrives saying 'Ho Ho Ho'
The reindeer have his sleigh in tow
He'll leave you a gift
Then, really swift,
He'll be gone before you know!"
Merry Christmas!!
I remember in the fifth grade, we had an assignment to write a Halloween limerick. I had a book with a limerick that read:
"There once was a monkey named Mast,
Who was so terribly fast
One day he grew sick
And being so quick
In less than a day, he passed."
I didn't have the patience, interest, or creativity to come up with my own at the age of 10, so I borrowed from it...heavily. Mine was:
"There once was a witch named Mast,
Who was so terribly fast
One day she grew ill
And took the wrong pill
And in less than a day, she passed."
I got an "A". After receiving my grade, I brought in the book so my teacher could read it to the class. When she read the poem about poor monkey Mast, she knew. I knew she would know. She didn't change my grade.
By the sixth grade, I was a big fan of Weird Al Yankovich. His "Eat it" mockery of Michael Jackson's "Beat It", inspired me to write my own - "Diet":
"You better run you better exercise now
'Cause you and your family, are looking like cows
And ever since your birth you been eatin' like a sow
So Diet Just Diet
Diet, Diet, Diet, Diet
Put down the fork, just try it"
Last week, my wife and I were discussing how my daughter continues to get bug bites while she sleeps. The mosquito netting we bought didn't help. They appear to be spider bites. That inspired this little ditty:
"The itsy, bitsy spider climbs up your leg at night
Out comes it fangs and leaves a nasty bite
When you cry out, it's sure to run away
But the itsy, bitsy spider will return again some day"
What if all nursery rhymes were that scary?
"Hush little baby, don't make a sound
I think the big monster is coming around
And if that monster finds you awake
He'll puncture your heart with an oily stake"
"Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
Hoping to find some steak
When she arrived
All she found inside
Was a large, venomous snake!"
Maybe those were the nursery rhymes Stephen King heard as a child?
On the lighter side, I leave you with two limericks, one my classmate Jon wrote for our Halloween limerick assignment, the other I created tonight:
"There once was a monster named Harry
Who was big, fat, ugly and scary
He lived in a cave
Never bothered to shave
But always seemed happy and merry!"
"Santa arrives saying 'Ho Ho Ho'
The reindeer have his sleigh in tow
He'll leave you a gift
Then, really swift,
He'll be gone before you know!"
Merry Christmas!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Poverty, cryology, and Christmas in Jakarta
After a prolific posting period, my submissions have suddenly slowed. To some extent, this is because the perfunctory aspects of life lack entertainment value. How interesting is to hear we woke up, prepared for work/school, completed our day, and then went to bed? It's not. After nine months of being here, any groundbreaking, culturally revealing events are also likely to be fewer.
That said, I am going to try and post more often. At least 3 times per week.
As anyone who has visited a developing nation, or read my blog for any length of time, knows, beggars are a common sight on the streets. I've heard all sides of the debate on whether or not one should reward their begging behavior. If your incentive is to give your "spare" money to those less fortunate while simultaneously encouraging positive behavior, the best thing to do is give a known beggar some money when they are not begging - for example, while they sit on the sidewalk taking a break. This rewards the behavior we want - no begging.
For the most part, that is what I do. It is more difficult when the beggar is a 5-year-old child standing at your door singing or, as in the case of last week, standing in front of your car pointing at you so they know you see them. When two young girls, no older than seven, approached our car, I gave one the folded up bills of spare change I typically have on me (about $2 USD worth) and the other a bag of candy. That's when it got interesting.
While we still waited for traffic to start moving again, we were able to observe their behavior given the new situation they found themselves in. One had cash, the other had a good that could be exchanged for cash. The rational thing to do would be to evenly split the cash and the candy. That's not how it went down. The child who had received the cash obviously placed a larger value on the candy than did the child who had received the candy (that, or she did not know the value of the money she had received). It was also obvious the one who received the candy was more interested in obtaining the cash than having the sweets.
They conversed. They examined the contents of the bag. They negotiated. The young child with money reached in, grabbed the entire wad of cash I had given her, gave it to the other girl, and then they split the candy. Economic theory at work. It was fascinating to watch.
While my family was visiting, I took time off work. This afforded me the opportunity to do some of the daily activities with my daughter that I am not normally able to do. Walking her to school, going to swim lessons. Her swim lessons are at the only one of the three pools in our complex I had never been to. It also is the only pool with a diving board. I was surprised to see my daughter jumping from the diving board without fear. Head first, feet first - it doesn't matter to her. It's just water, after all. I have some video of it that I will post once I have time to edit it so it is small enough to post.
Christmastime in Jakarta is surprisingly festive. They have decked the malls with boughs of holly, Christmas trees, and even have parades through hall. Santa Claus is omnipresent. At Pacific Place, one of the many high-end malls, they had carolers singing while a snow machine dropped snow flakes from the skylights on the eighth floor. It made for a beautiful, wintry moment in Jakarta.
Finally, I'm going to agree with my friend at Right Point that you should buy and read Robert Begam's new courtroom thriller Long Life?: A Journey into the Unknown World of Cryonics
puts an interesting spin on the topic of cryology. If you have someone join Walt Disney in the freezer, before they have died of natural causes, have you committed murder? Is the person truly dead if you can bring them back to life? Read the book for the answer (buy it using the link provided).
That said, I am going to try and post more often. At least 3 times per week.
As anyone who has visited a developing nation, or read my blog for any length of time, knows, beggars are a common sight on the streets. I've heard all sides of the debate on whether or not one should reward their begging behavior. If your incentive is to give your "spare" money to those less fortunate while simultaneously encouraging positive behavior, the best thing to do is give a known beggar some money when they are not begging - for example, while they sit on the sidewalk taking a break. This rewards the behavior we want - no begging.
For the most part, that is what I do. It is more difficult when the beggar is a 5-year-old child standing at your door singing or, as in the case of last week, standing in front of your car pointing at you so they know you see them. When two young girls, no older than seven, approached our car, I gave one the folded up bills of spare change I typically have on me (about $2 USD worth) and the other a bag of candy. That's when it got interesting.
While we still waited for traffic to start moving again, we were able to observe their behavior given the new situation they found themselves in. One had cash, the other had a good that could be exchanged for cash. The rational thing to do would be to evenly split the cash and the candy. That's not how it went down. The child who had received the cash obviously placed a larger value on the candy than did the child who had received the candy (that, or she did not know the value of the money she had received). It was also obvious the one who received the candy was more interested in obtaining the cash than having the sweets.
They conversed. They examined the contents of the bag. They negotiated. The young child with money reached in, grabbed the entire wad of cash I had given her, gave it to the other girl, and then they split the candy. Economic theory at work. It was fascinating to watch.
While my family was visiting, I took time off work. This afforded me the opportunity to do some of the daily activities with my daughter that I am not normally able to do. Walking her to school, going to swim lessons. Her swim lessons are at the only one of the three pools in our complex I had never been to. It also is the only pool with a diving board. I was surprised to see my daughter jumping from the diving board without fear. Head first, feet first - it doesn't matter to her. It's just water, after all. I have some video of it that I will post once I have time to edit it so it is small enough to post.
Christmastime in Jakarta is surprisingly festive. They have decked the malls with boughs of holly, Christmas trees, and even have parades through hall. Santa Claus is omnipresent. At Pacific Place, one of the many high-end malls, they had carolers singing while a snow machine dropped snow flakes from the skylights on the eighth floor. It made for a beautiful, wintry moment in Jakarta.
Finally, I'm going to agree with my friend at Right Point that you should buy and read Robert Begam's new courtroom thriller Long Life?: A Journey into the Unknown World of Cryonics
puts an interesting spin on the topic of cryology. If you have someone join Walt Disney in the freezer, before they have died of natural causes, have you committed murder? Is the person truly dead if you can bring them back to life? Read the book for the answer (buy it using the link provided).
Monday, December 14, 2009
Catching up
It's been a while since I've posted an update. I'd like to say that visiting family, work demands, and other commitments kept me busy. They have, but the real reason I haven't posted is I've just been lazy. So, let me get everyone caught up.
My father and sister arrived from the on 5 December. I took the day off work so I could meet them at the airport. After a quick trip back to the house to drop off the luggage, we all went to Hacienda for dinner and then crashed for the evening. They'd had a long day, I'd had a long week.
Saturday we all went to Taman Safari. The drive there and back is always horrible, but the park never gets old. We've never actually been to everything there, so there is always something new. We stopped in the small town we drive through so I could buy fruit. The carrots offered by the dozens of stands on the main road leading to the zoo are sufficient for the deer and other cloven hoofed beasts, but the monkeys, bears and elephants require a slightly more delectable meal. For the monkeys - which, by the way, are wild, not part of the zoo - I bought oranges. For the bears I bought mangoes. I surprised everyone in the car by buying watermelons for the elephants. The elephants loved the watermelons, and the crowd loved watching us feed them.
While driving through the lions area, I rolled down our window and growled at them...really, more like a ROAR!! Surprisingly, they didn't like that. They literally stalked our car until we left. I think we all feared they may actually attack us and that the windows may not be sufficient defense against such an attack.
The wild cats at the petting zoo were much more our speed. The lion cub was nearly asleep as my father and sister held it for their pictures. The leopard - the full grown leopard - was definitely awake, and apparently in the mood for tasting humans. It spent much of its time licking their arms. The sandpaper tongue actually drew blood on my dads arm. Good think it didn't try a little nibble. The full grown white tiger wasn't in the mood for licking, but it wasn't in the mood for pictures either. It was rather ornery. The "smile" on my father's and sister's faces had a subtle hint of nervousness and they exited quickly once the picture was taken.
The other new experience for me was actually petting one of the kangaroos. On our last visit, one came and stood right next to me, but wouldn't let me pet it. This time, I was able to reach out and touch it. The fur is soft as velvet.
Sunday we went to a children's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I wasn't sure how good it would be, or if my daughter would enjoy it. Luckily, the musical itself was pretty good, and my daughter loved it. She really got into it and was visibly sad when Charlie didn't have a ticket in his first candy bar. The production was a bunch of expat children aged 5 - 10. We'll probably go to the next one they do.
Monday we toured Jakarta. I asked around the office for areas of the city that would be a good representation of the "Jakarta Experience". We were able to visit areas of the city I had never seen before. We went to Sunda Kelapa, which is a port in Old Jakarta. It's a journey back in time to 100 years ago. The boats used for shipping out of Sunda Kelapa are the same wooden boats that they used in the 19th century. The original Indonesian headquarters of the Dutch East India company is still in use.
Nearby the old port is a neighborhood of extreme wealth and a 7-star hotel under construction. These homes are as large as the White House and have million dollar yachts tied to a dock in the back. I asked my driver who lived in them. He said "the mafia". Apparently crime really pays in Jakarta.
After a quick tour of the city, we visited Cafe Batavia, a famous Jakartan restaurant frequented by expats. It's located on a square of one of the original Dutch forts. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with black and white photos of Hollywood celebrities. The menu is a fusion of Asian and Western foods. I ordered the black pepper steak ribs, hoping it would be like the Sapi Lada Hitam I enjoy so much - it was okay, but not like my normal black pepper beef. My dad, every the adventurous foodie, ordered a salmon sandwich.
My dad left on Wednesday morning. Wednesday night we took my sister salsa dancing at Hacienda. My wife and I watched while she tore up the floor with some of the locals. Friday night, our community hosted a party at the club house. There was traditional Balinese dancing, music....and Mexican food. Interesting combination, but it worked.
Saturday my company's President Director hosted a holiday gathering at his home. My sister watched the kiddies while my wife and I dressed in our best Batik-wear and attended the party. The company choir sang Christmas carols - and they were absolutely phenomenal. Then they had professional singers perform and lead the attendees in dancing. I made the mistake of dancing in my chair to one of the Latin beats. The singer saw me, and during the Cha Cha, pulled me up in front of the entire party and had me dance with her. When we finished, the other expats came over and thanked me for, as they put it, "Taking the grenade for the group". I guess one of the expats has to dance or sing at the party to make it complete.
It is now Monday and my sister has left. Our house is back to normal and we have no visitors on the horizon until January when my father-in-law will visit for two weeks. During his visit we'll take a quick trip to the location I've been looking forward to ever since we arrived: Borobudur. Borobudur is a 9th century Buddhist monument and a World Heritage site. I am hoping to stay at this hotel just outside Yogayakarta.
The rest of this month we'll have four-day work weeks. This Friday is a major Muslim holiday. The following Friday's are Christmas and New Years. We do not have Christmas Eve off. We have no plans, and we see that as a blessing. It was good to see everyone. We're also glad everyone is gone and we have time to ourselves again.
One last thing. My daughter, at age 3, counts to 39 in English, 10 in Spanish and 5 in Indonesian. She knows all her letters and numbers by site, and has started writing many of them. My son, at 4 weeks old started lifting his head. At 5 weeks, he started rolling over. At 7 weeks, he won't sleep through the night, but he can lift himself up on his forearms and roll over from front to back at will. Should be an interesting twenty years or so.
My father and sister arrived from the on 5 December. I took the day off work so I could meet them at the airport. After a quick trip back to the house to drop off the luggage, we all went to Hacienda for dinner and then crashed for the evening. They'd had a long day, I'd had a long week.
Saturday we all went to Taman Safari. The drive there and back is always horrible, but the park never gets old. We've never actually been to everything there, so there is always something new. We stopped in the small town we drive through so I could buy fruit. The carrots offered by the dozens of stands on the main road leading to the zoo are sufficient for the deer and other cloven hoofed beasts, but the monkeys, bears and elephants require a slightly more delectable meal. For the monkeys - which, by the way, are wild, not part of the zoo - I bought oranges. For the bears I bought mangoes. I surprised everyone in the car by buying watermelons for the elephants. The elephants loved the watermelons, and the crowd loved watching us feed them.
While driving through the lions area, I rolled down our window and growled at them...really, more like a ROAR!! Surprisingly, they didn't like that. They literally stalked our car until we left. I think we all feared they may actually attack us and that the windows may not be sufficient defense against such an attack.
The wild cats at the petting zoo were much more our speed. The lion cub was nearly asleep as my father and sister held it for their pictures. The leopard - the full grown leopard - was definitely awake, and apparently in the mood for tasting humans. It spent much of its time licking their arms. The sandpaper tongue actually drew blood on my dads arm. Good think it didn't try a little nibble. The full grown white tiger wasn't in the mood for licking, but it wasn't in the mood for pictures either. It was rather ornery. The "smile" on my father's and sister's faces had a subtle hint of nervousness and they exited quickly once the picture was taken.
The other new experience for me was actually petting one of the kangaroos. On our last visit, one came and stood right next to me, but wouldn't let me pet it. This time, I was able to reach out and touch it. The fur is soft as velvet.
Sunday we went to a children's production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I wasn't sure how good it would be, or if my daughter would enjoy it. Luckily, the musical itself was pretty good, and my daughter loved it. She really got into it and was visibly sad when Charlie didn't have a ticket in his first candy bar. The production was a bunch of expat children aged 5 - 10. We'll probably go to the next one they do.
Monday we toured Jakarta. I asked around the office for areas of the city that would be a good representation of the "Jakarta Experience". We were able to visit areas of the city I had never seen before. We went to Sunda Kelapa, which is a port in Old Jakarta. It's a journey back in time to 100 years ago. The boats used for shipping out of Sunda Kelapa are the same wooden boats that they used in the 19th century. The original Indonesian headquarters of the Dutch East India company is still in use.
Nearby the old port is a neighborhood of extreme wealth and a 7-star hotel under construction. These homes are as large as the White House and have million dollar yachts tied to a dock in the back. I asked my driver who lived in them. He said "the mafia". Apparently crime really pays in Jakarta.
After a quick tour of the city, we visited Cafe Batavia, a famous Jakartan restaurant frequented by expats. It's located on a square of one of the original Dutch forts. The interior of the restaurant is decorated with black and white photos of Hollywood celebrities. The menu is a fusion of Asian and Western foods. I ordered the black pepper steak ribs, hoping it would be like the Sapi Lada Hitam I enjoy so much - it was okay, but not like my normal black pepper beef. My dad, every the adventurous foodie, ordered a salmon sandwich.
My dad left on Wednesday morning. Wednesday night we took my sister salsa dancing at Hacienda. My wife and I watched while she tore up the floor with some of the locals. Friday night, our community hosted a party at the club house. There was traditional Balinese dancing, music....and Mexican food. Interesting combination, but it worked.
Saturday my company's President Director hosted a holiday gathering at his home. My sister watched the kiddies while my wife and I dressed in our best Batik-wear and attended the party. The company choir sang Christmas carols - and they were absolutely phenomenal. Then they had professional singers perform and lead the attendees in dancing. I made the mistake of dancing in my chair to one of the Latin beats. The singer saw me, and during the Cha Cha, pulled me up in front of the entire party and had me dance with her. When we finished, the other expats came over and thanked me for, as they put it, "Taking the grenade for the group". I guess one of the expats has to dance or sing at the party to make it complete.
It is now Monday and my sister has left. Our house is back to normal and we have no visitors on the horizon until January when my father-in-law will visit for two weeks. During his visit we'll take a quick trip to the location I've been looking forward to ever since we arrived: Borobudur. Borobudur is a 9th century Buddhist monument and a World Heritage site. I am hoping to stay at this hotel just outside Yogayakarta.
The rest of this month we'll have four-day work weeks. This Friday is a major Muslim holiday. The following Friday's are Christmas and New Years. We do not have Christmas Eve off. We have no plans, and we see that as a blessing. It was good to see everyone. We're also glad everyone is gone and we have time to ourselves again.
One last thing. My daughter, at age 3, counts to 39 in English, 10 in Spanish and 5 in Indonesian. She knows all her letters and numbers by site, and has started writing many of them. My son, at 4 weeks old started lifting his head. At 5 weeks, he started rolling over. At 7 weeks, he won't sleep through the night, but he can lift himself up on his forearms and roll over from front to back at will. Should be an interesting twenty years or so.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Why the "Big 3" is now the "Detroit 3"
This article was intended to make us feel sorry for people displaced in the current economy. To a degree, I do. In my career, I've been on every side of a layoff. I've survived a layoff, I've been laid off, and I've had to choose who to let go. None of them are pleasant. Being laid off can completely destroy self-confidence for years. Laying someone off and knowing they don't find a job for a year can cripple you with guilt. It's bad on all sides.
What this article really told me was why GM needed a federal bailout. They were paying $100,000 a year to a heavy machine operator. A guy who had nothing but a high school diploma and 26 years experience. Ten years ago when a fork lift driver made a $1 million endownment to the University of Detroit, I had the same concern about GM's viability, and its relationship with the union.
In a union job, 26 years experience meant overtime, seniority bonuses, annual raises, etc. It also meant a company that could not be competitive with countries, like Indonesia, that can pay mere fractions of that amount for the same skill set. Unions have destroyed our urban industrial complex. That's who you blame for the mess in the US.
Unions in other countries are reasonable. In Japan, when mass transit drivers were upset and wanted to negotiate their contract, they didn't strike. Their form of civil disobedience was to simultaneously blow the horns of their trains at the same time for seven minutes. No work stoppages. No strikes. The unions partner with the businesses and know if there is no revenue, there is no money, and no one wins.
Back to the poor sap who is working several fast-food jobs to make ends meet. He should sue his union. He should sue them for taking a protectionist stance that protected their revenue stream (his dues), but not his job. He should sue them to fund his retraining now that the job he was paying them to protect is gone.
Ultimately, he also needs to look inwards. The best protection from a recession is an education. If you want job security, don't pay a union for it, pay a university or community college. Job security comes from in-demand skills. Job security comes from a constant, driving curiosity that continuously improves your skills and increases your value over time. Fungible skills are the cornerstone of economic viability.
Don't blame CEO's making tough decisions to keep their company viable. Don't blame investment bankers doing what they are paid to do - take risks in pursuit of high returns. Blaming others just gives you an excuse to be bitter and do nothing.
Take a positive approach. Do what so many people I know, including myself, have done when they have lost their jobs. Learn a new skill. Educate yourself. Stop worrying about what you used to have and focus on what you can have. Make your avocation your vocation.
Most of all, stop complaining. It never solves anything and just makes everyone around you miserable.
What this article really told me was why GM needed a federal bailout. They were paying $100,000 a year to a heavy machine operator. A guy who had nothing but a high school diploma and 26 years experience. Ten years ago when a fork lift driver made a $1 million endownment to the University of Detroit, I had the same concern about GM's viability, and its relationship with the union.
In a union job, 26 years experience meant overtime, seniority bonuses, annual raises, etc. It also meant a company that could not be competitive with countries, like Indonesia, that can pay mere fractions of that amount for the same skill set. Unions have destroyed our urban industrial complex. That's who you blame for the mess in the US.
Unions in other countries are reasonable. In Japan, when mass transit drivers were upset and wanted to negotiate their contract, they didn't strike. Their form of civil disobedience was to simultaneously blow the horns of their trains at the same time for seven minutes. No work stoppages. No strikes. The unions partner with the businesses and know if there is no revenue, there is no money, and no one wins.
Back to the poor sap who is working several fast-food jobs to make ends meet. He should sue his union. He should sue them for taking a protectionist stance that protected their revenue stream (his dues), but not his job. He should sue them to fund his retraining now that the job he was paying them to protect is gone.
Ultimately, he also needs to look inwards. The best protection from a recession is an education. If you want job security, don't pay a union for it, pay a university or community college. Job security comes from in-demand skills. Job security comes from a constant, driving curiosity that continuously improves your skills and increases your value over time. Fungible skills are the cornerstone of economic viability.
Don't blame CEO's making tough decisions to keep their company viable. Don't blame investment bankers doing what they are paid to do - take risks in pursuit of high returns. Blaming others just gives you an excuse to be bitter and do nothing.
Take a positive approach. Do what so many people I know, including myself, have done when they have lost their jobs. Learn a new skill. Educate yourself. Stop worrying about what you used to have and focus on what you can have. Make your avocation your vocation.
Most of all, stop complaining. It never solves anything and just makes everyone around you miserable.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Fatherhood
I changed my son's diaper for the first time tonight.
It had poop in it.
I'll be hiring a nanny next week.
It had poop in it.
I'll be hiring a nanny next week.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Anger Management
When I first started travelling to southeast Asia, their world renowned hospitality won me over. When I brought my family, I found their deep appreciation of family and devotion to nurturing children very appealing. I've been here long enough now that I'm starting to experience things that annoy me.
Today we went to the mall to see if we could find Christmas decorations - we couldn't. We had our son in a stroller. The malls in Indonesia are large and multi-floor. Before the baby, we would use the escalators. Now, because escalators are not ideals modes of transport for a stroller, we prefer to use the elevators when they are available. This brings me to my first gripe. Nothing annoys me more than seeing able bodied people using services intended for the elderly, injured, or otherwise overly burdened. We waited three times for the only two available elevators only to find them packed with tweens and adults who were more than capable of taking the more readily available and accessible escalators. I honestly believe if these people could ride a mechanized vehicle instead of walk, they would. We ran into this in Singapore, too. Escalators - which are everywhere - are empty. Elevators are packed. I really think it comes down to laziness. One guy in Singapore, when we asked for directions from the subway station to Downtown East said it was too far to walk. I said, isn't it about 1.5 kilometers? He said it was, then said we must be from somewhere else because Singaporeans would not walk that far. Better to pay for a cab than walk a city block? Outrageous.
Finally, I'm starting to get really annoyed when I see men in their 50's and 60's with young, attractive, 20-something locals on their arms. In the US, this never really bothered me. The "attraction" is the same in both countries - his money, her looks. I think in the US I just felt that the women that did that were doing so out of laziness, greed, or low self-esteem. In my mind, if that was the life they wanted, that's their decision. They have plenty of other options available and just choose not to use them. Here, I feel like the expats are taking advantage of the local poverty. These men aren't millionaires like in the states. They are, predominantly, six-figure earners - not poor, but not rich, either. Here, it seems like the women are doing it because they don't feel like there are any other options available. Not enough jobs, not enough access to education, and they possess an asset that wealthy men want - looks and a figure those men could not attain in an industrialized nation. It's exploitative and sickening.
What can I do about it? Nothing, so I do nothing. Otherwise, I become the angry bule. That benefits no one.
Today we went to the mall to see if we could find Christmas decorations - we couldn't. We had our son in a stroller. The malls in Indonesia are large and multi-floor. Before the baby, we would use the escalators. Now, because escalators are not ideals modes of transport for a stroller, we prefer to use the elevators when they are available. This brings me to my first gripe. Nothing annoys me more than seeing able bodied people using services intended for the elderly, injured, or otherwise overly burdened. We waited three times for the only two available elevators only to find them packed with tweens and adults who were more than capable of taking the more readily available and accessible escalators. I honestly believe if these people could ride a mechanized vehicle instead of walk, they would. We ran into this in Singapore, too. Escalators - which are everywhere - are empty. Elevators are packed. I really think it comes down to laziness. One guy in Singapore, when we asked for directions from the subway station to Downtown East said it was too far to walk. I said, isn't it about 1.5 kilometers? He said it was, then said we must be from somewhere else because Singaporeans would not walk that far. Better to pay for a cab than walk a city block? Outrageous.
Unable to use the elevator, we had to move to the escalator - with a stroller, a young child, and bags of our shopping purchases. I'm following my wife, who was carrying our baby, and moving a little slow trying to push the stroller, hold my daughter's hand, and carry our purchases. I start to turn into the escalator, and these two women - a mother and daughter, cut in front of me and block my path, making my maneuver more difficult. I almost went off on them. The people in Singapore weren't much better boarding and exiting the subway. Pushing, shoving, and elbowing to be in front. So much for Asian hospitality. I think large, over-populated cities just become accustomed to rudeness.
While my wife and I shopped - for a new toaster and wrapping paper - we deposited our daughter and an Arts and Crafts section of a department store so she could have fun painting. We roamed around a bit and then came back to help her finish painting. That's when we noticed the music. Rap and R&B complete with sexually explicit lyrics and swearing! Of course, it was all in English so we were the only ones in the store who really knew how bad it was. Just amazing.
Finally, I'm starting to get really annoyed when I see men in their 50's and 60's with young, attractive, 20-something locals on their arms. In the US, this never really bothered me. The "attraction" is the same in both countries - his money, her looks. I think in the US I just felt that the women that did that were doing so out of laziness, greed, or low self-esteem. In my mind, if that was the life they wanted, that's their decision. They have plenty of other options available and just choose not to use them. Here, I feel like the expats are taking advantage of the local poverty. These men aren't millionaires like in the states. They are, predominantly, six-figure earners - not poor, but not rich, either. Here, it seems like the women are doing it because they don't feel like there are any other options available. Not enough jobs, not enough access to education, and they possess an asset that wealthy men want - looks and a figure those men could not attain in an industrialized nation. It's exploitative and sickening.
What can I do about it? Nothing, so I do nothing. Otherwise, I become the angry bule. That benefits no one.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Before I forget
I keep forgetting to mention this, and I need to do it before the topic is stale.
When we were in Singapore, I saw all sorts of bizarre things. From male taxi cab drivers in their 50's with a collection of Disney Princess characters on their dashboards to weird letters flashing at random times on the screens in the movie theaters. The one that I will likely always remember, and always talk about, was a help wanted sign at a small toy store. I don't remember the exact wording, but it was very close to the following:
WANTED: 20-25 year old, petite, attractive female to be sales clerk.
I guess Singapore doesn't have a local chapter of NOW or the ACLU. Maybe they were hoping more dads would shop there.
When we were in Singapore, I saw all sorts of bizarre things. From male taxi cab drivers in their 50's with a collection of Disney Princess characters on their dashboards to weird letters flashing at random times on the screens in the movie theaters. The one that I will likely always remember, and always talk about, was a help wanted sign at a small toy store. I don't remember the exact wording, but it was very close to the following:
WANTED: 20-25 year old, petite, attractive female to be sales clerk.
I guess Singapore doesn't have a local chapter of NOW or the ACLU. Maybe they were hoping more dads would shop there.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Bandung - A trip of contrasts
Bandung (Bahn - doong), West Java, Indonesia is a city just over 125 kilometers southeast of Jakarta. Indonesia's fourth largest metropolitan area, and the capital of West Java, Bandung boasts 7.2 million residents and a reputation as a shopping mecca.
Indonesia is a net exporter of textiles - clothing, shoes, purses, belts. All of the major brand names - Gap, Nike, Versace, Armani - have clothing factories in Indonesia, and most are in Bandung. Outlet malls in the US sell clothing rejected by the retail establishments for having a thread out of place, a slightly uneven cut, or some other barely noticeable blemish. Outlet malls in Bandung have items rejected by the factory's quality control, often for the same reasons. What this means for the consumer is an absence of tariffs, transport costs, and US wages. Armani jeans - made at the same factory as the jeans you'll find at high-end stores throughout the world without a loose thread - sell in Bandung for $10. Calvin Klein sweatshirts sell for $12. My wife found several dresses for her and for my daughter under $10 each.
As a large, metropolitan city, Bandung is lacking. Despite its size, it really lacks a nightlife, or any high-end restaurants. We stayed at a 5 star resort which, in Bandung, means the Holiday Inn. Bandung's streets are not as crowded, and they are also less clean. Bandung had the dreary feel of Batman's Metropolis, or Chester Gould's unnamed city in his dark comic Dick Tracy. I'm sure the rainy weather contributed to the overall sense of melancholy, though I'm not sure sunny skies would have helped much.
Saturday we left Jakarta around 8 AM and, after a quick detour back home to get my daughter's beloved blanket - "Dee Dee", we finally made it to Bandung around 10:30 and checked into our hotel. We shopped and ate at a few of the factory outlets and then did a quick visit to the Governor's office building, Gedung Sate.
On Sunday, we awoke early and my daughter and I went swimming in the ice torture pond the hotel referred to as their "pool". Even my daughter was ready to leave after just twenty minutes of shivering...I mean swimming. It turned out to be a cold start to a colder day.
After a buffet breakfast, we decided we would visit Kawa Putih, "White Spring", in the mountains south of Bandung. Kawa Putih is a sulfur spring created by the magma under the mountains surrounding Bandung. The other major, active volcano near Bandung is Tangkuban Perahu, which means "Capsized Boat" because it looks like a boat flipped over. There are hot springs and mud pools near that volcano. I thought Kawa Putih looked more interesting.
The drive to Kawa Putih was an experience of contrasts. While Bandung is a large, busy city with lots of cars, the mountain villages surrounding Bandung are exponentially poorer, with even greater degrees of beauty. The streets were still crowded, only this time cars mingled with bicycle taxis and horse-drawn carts.
The rolling mountain landscapes covered in rice, strawberry, and tea plantations are strikingly beautiful. The wild chaos of the jungle blends harmoniously with the cultivated civilization in a beautiful tapestry of green and glimmering water. Each turn of the road elicited gasps of wonder as they revealed hidden visual splendor.
When finally we reached Kawa Putih, and paid the $1 per person entrance fee, the rain and wind were causing us to second guess our decision to visit. The moment I opened the umbrella, the wind turned it inside out, which the locals found quite humorous. I didn't spend two hours in a car to let a little rain stop me, so, when the rain let up a little, all but my mother-in-law and new baby ventured down the short path to Kawa Putih. It did not disappoint. Though clouds obscured much of its size, what we could see was spectacular. A beautifully pristine white lake, with green accents, Kawa Putih emits a light mist that gives it a mystical, magical quality unlike any place I have seen.
I got the impression they don't see a lot of Bule in Bandung and the surrounding area because several people kept asking me to stop and take pictures with them. I think I'll start calling them the Bule Paparazzi. The cold rain, biting wind, and cool temperatures were not conducive to the short sleeves and shorts we had all worn, so we did not follow one of the many trails around the lake. Low visibility made it a bad idea, too.
Though my wife wants to return to Bandung to spend more time at the outlets, I don't have any interest in returning. I do want to see more of Indonesia, however. We'll be visiting Yogyakarta, a city in the southern part of the island that has a National Heritage Foundation site (Borobudur, the worlds' largest Buddhist temple), when my father-in-law visits in January. I'm tempted to visit Krakatoa, the worlds most dangerous active volcano, but Dangerous and Volcano are a two-word combination I try to avoid. Maybe we will visit Bogor, which has the national Botanical Garden and is just an hour outside Jakarta in the next two weeks when my sister and father come for a visit.
Indonesia is a net exporter of textiles - clothing, shoes, purses, belts. All of the major brand names - Gap, Nike, Versace, Armani - have clothing factories in Indonesia, and most are in Bandung. Outlet malls in the US sell clothing rejected by the retail establishments for having a thread out of place, a slightly uneven cut, or some other barely noticeable blemish. Outlet malls in Bandung have items rejected by the factory's quality control, often for the same reasons. What this means for the consumer is an absence of tariffs, transport costs, and US wages. Armani jeans - made at the same factory as the jeans you'll find at high-end stores throughout the world without a loose thread - sell in Bandung for $10. Calvin Klein sweatshirts sell for $12. My wife found several dresses for her and for my daughter under $10 each.
As a large, metropolitan city, Bandung is lacking. Despite its size, it really lacks a nightlife, or any high-end restaurants. We stayed at a 5 star resort which, in Bandung, means the Holiday Inn. Bandung's streets are not as crowded, and they are also less clean. Bandung had the dreary feel of Batman's Metropolis, or Chester Gould's unnamed city in his dark comic Dick Tracy. I'm sure the rainy weather contributed to the overall sense of melancholy, though I'm not sure sunny skies would have helped much.
Saturday we left Jakarta around 8 AM and, after a quick detour back home to get my daughter's beloved blanket - "Dee Dee", we finally made it to Bandung around 10:30 and checked into our hotel. We shopped and ate at a few of the factory outlets and then did a quick visit to the Governor's office building, Gedung Sate.
On Sunday, we awoke early and my daughter and I went swimming in the ice torture pond the hotel referred to as their "pool". Even my daughter was ready to leave after just twenty minutes of shivering...I mean swimming. It turned out to be a cold start to a colder day.
After a buffet breakfast, we decided we would visit Kawa Putih, "White Spring", in the mountains south of Bandung. Kawa Putih is a sulfur spring created by the magma under the mountains surrounding Bandung. The other major, active volcano near Bandung is Tangkuban Perahu, which means "Capsized Boat" because it looks like a boat flipped over. There are hot springs and mud pools near that volcano. I thought Kawa Putih looked more interesting.
The drive to Kawa Putih was an experience of contrasts. While Bandung is a large, busy city with lots of cars, the mountain villages surrounding Bandung are exponentially poorer, with even greater degrees of beauty. The streets were still crowded, only this time cars mingled with bicycle taxis and horse-drawn carts.
The rolling mountain landscapes covered in rice, strawberry, and tea plantations are strikingly beautiful. The wild chaos of the jungle blends harmoniously with the cultivated civilization in a beautiful tapestry of green and glimmering water. Each turn of the road elicited gasps of wonder as they revealed hidden visual splendor.
When finally we reached Kawa Putih, and paid the $1 per person entrance fee, the rain and wind were causing us to second guess our decision to visit. The moment I opened the umbrella, the wind turned it inside out, which the locals found quite humorous. I didn't spend two hours in a car to let a little rain stop me, so, when the rain let up a little, all but my mother-in-law and new baby ventured down the short path to Kawa Putih. It did not disappoint. Though clouds obscured much of its size, what we could see was spectacular. A beautifully pristine white lake, with green accents, Kawa Putih emits a light mist that gives it a mystical, magical quality unlike any place I have seen.
I got the impression they don't see a lot of Bule in Bandung and the surrounding area because several people kept asking me to stop and take pictures with them. I think I'll start calling them the Bule Paparazzi. The cold rain, biting wind, and cool temperatures were not conducive to the short sleeves and shorts we had all worn, so we did not follow one of the many trails around the lake. Low visibility made it a bad idea, too.
Though my wife wants to return to Bandung to spend more time at the outlets, I don't have any interest in returning. I do want to see more of Indonesia, however. We'll be visiting Yogyakarta, a city in the southern part of the island that has a National Heritage Foundation site (Borobudur, the worlds' largest Buddhist temple), when my father-in-law visits in January. I'm tempted to visit Krakatoa, the worlds most dangerous active volcano, but Dangerous and Volcano are a two-word combination I try to avoid. Maybe we will visit Bogor, which has the national Botanical Garden and is just an hour outside Jakarta in the next two weeks when my sister and father come for a visit.
Playing Chicken with Food
Friday night our new CFO had a gathering at his house for all management in Jakarta. My wife and I attended and were having a good time mingling with my coworkers and their spouses. Whenever I am invited to such an event, I make a point to inform my host or hostess of my food allergies. I never want to be the drama of the party (that's my sister's job...oooh, burn!), so I do my best to avoid anything that is even suspect. Often, this means eating like a vegan.
As usual, we did the song and dance routine of visiting each dish and understanding what is in it. This was a catered event, so we had to ask the vendor what was in the dish. They didn't really speak English. So, we had some of our Indonesian colleagues do the asking. As expected, the soup was off limits, as was the salmon and other seafood entrees. That left me with salad and pasta.
The lasagna was delicious. I wanted to try some of the other pasta dishes - macaroni, stromboli, etc. I confirmed with the server one last time what the dishes were, what was in them, and even confirmed "vegetarian"? Then I sat down to eat. When I ate their "macaroni", I swallowed some meat, and that surprised me. I dug through the cheese and noodles some more to see if I could find more meat. When I did, it looked like chicken. I was hoping it was cheese, so I had my wife taste it. Nope, it was chicken. I ate more chicken on Friday night - about the size of an almond - than I've eaten combined in the last 7 years.
Having had one of these allergy emergencies before, I know the routine and come prepared. Our hostess also had the requisite Benadryl, so I took 100mg and stayed as long as I could to enjoy the party. When I felt the drowsiness of Benadryl kick in, we left.
Two lingering thoughts after this episode:
1) I never did feel a reaction to the chicken. Usually I feel it within minutes. So, either it wasn't really chicken, I'm not allergic to chicken anymore (at least the kind here that aren't full of supplements), or I responded fast enough with the medicine to avoid any reaction. I didn't have the lingering effects the next day I normally do, so I'm really baffled by this.
2) From now on, I need to talk to the cook. I don't think the people serving the food had any idea what was in it. They knew the name, and they knew how to use a spoon, but not much else.
As usual, we did the song and dance routine of visiting each dish and understanding what is in it. This was a catered event, so we had to ask the vendor what was in the dish. They didn't really speak English. So, we had some of our Indonesian colleagues do the asking. As expected, the soup was off limits, as was the salmon and other seafood entrees. That left me with salad and pasta.
The lasagna was delicious. I wanted to try some of the other pasta dishes - macaroni, stromboli, etc. I confirmed with the server one last time what the dishes were, what was in them, and even confirmed "vegetarian"? Then I sat down to eat. When I ate their "macaroni", I swallowed some meat, and that surprised me. I dug through the cheese and noodles some more to see if I could find more meat. When I did, it looked like chicken. I was hoping it was cheese, so I had my wife taste it. Nope, it was chicken. I ate more chicken on Friday night - about the size of an almond - than I've eaten combined in the last 7 years.
Having had one of these allergy emergencies before, I know the routine and come prepared. Our hostess also had the requisite Benadryl, so I took 100mg and stayed as long as I could to enjoy the party. When I felt the drowsiness of Benadryl kick in, we left.
Two lingering thoughts after this episode:
1) I never did feel a reaction to the chicken. Usually I feel it within minutes. So, either it wasn't really chicken, I'm not allergic to chicken anymore (at least the kind here that aren't full of supplements), or I responded fast enough with the medicine to avoid any reaction. I didn't have the lingering effects the next day I normally do, so I'm really baffled by this.
2) From now on, I need to talk to the cook. I don't think the people serving the food had any idea what was in it. They knew the name, and they knew how to use a spoon, but not much else.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Yesternight
So, I can't read my blog, but I can post to it via email. I'm going to try and keep posting to it.
The below is another story inspired by my daughter. She has started using the word "yesternight" for things that happened in the past, but at night.
Yesternight --
My story is outrageous, and just a little bit absurd
Most likely more outlandish than any other you have heard
It's worth the time to hear it, so if you don't easily fright
I really want to tell you, the story of Yesternight
We had all just finished dinner, the day was coming to an end
Father had a game to watch and mom had shirts to mend
I was in my playroom, playing with my toys
When dad stood up to cheer his team and made an awful noise
I startled from his shouting, and fell back in my chair
Legs stretched out before me, arms flapping in the air
That's when I saw it falling, from the table to the floor
The juice I had been drinking, was in its cup no more
My juice was spilling everywhere, my mom would be mad at me
Then the juice just disappeared and became a tiny tree
I could not beleive my eyes, I'd never seen such a thing before
Was I really looking at a tree that grew up from the floor?
The tree had leaves of silver and gold; the trunk was made of stone
When I saw a window, then a door, I knew this was someone's home!
This wasn't a tree at all, it was a house that looked like a tree
And a house must have an owner. I wondered who, or what, it could be
The door opened slowly, a tiny head looked all around
I held my breath and stood real still, trying not to make a sound
Then it looked right at me! Looked right into my eyes!
I tried to turn my head away but I was mesmerized
In a flash it flew up in the air and whispered in my ear:
"Excuse me, but, do you know how we got here?"
I tried to give an answer, but none popped in my head
"Who and what are you?", is what I blurted out instead
"I am a fairy", she replied, "my friends all call me Fern."
She also had two brothers, I would later learn
The short one she called "Longwell", the tall one she called "Squat"
She said the names didn't make much sense, but they're the names they've got
They were practicing their magic, and the house had filled with smoke
The smell had put them all to sleep, and they were here when they awoke
She asked "Are you a wizard? Do you have us under a spell?"
"No, I'm just a kid", I said, wishing there was more to tell.
"Your tree appeared in my room after I spilled my drink."
"That is strange", she replied, not knowing what to think.
"How we got here's not important, I must know how we can return.
To do that I will need some frog's breath I can burn."
"That will create a smoke, that I can capture in this flask
and when I add to that a newt's tear drop, it will show me the way back."
She asked if I would help her. I said "Sure, but how?"
"I need a frog", she said "I'm all out of frog's breath right now."
I knew where we could find a frog and said "Quick! Come with me."
She rushed inside to get the tools she felt that she would need.
She climbed into my pocket and we quietly went outside
I walked over to the pond I knew had frogs inside
Fern flew out from my pocket and began to search the ground
When suddenly I heard a noise and I quickly spun around
The noise was Tate our neighbor's cat, on his nightly prowl
He had seen Fern flying and his stomach began to growl
I tried calling out to Fern, to warn her about Tate
But he already had her in his sights, I had noticed him too late
With an exicted MEOW! Tate leapt in the air, reaching for his catch
Fern was faster than he thought. He missed, and landed with a SPLASH!
Tate didn't like the water, and began to thrash about
And all of his commotion made the frogs come rushing out
Fern saw a frog and came rushing down, landing on its back
Startled, it let out a gasp, which she captured in her flask
With a tiny match, she lit the breath, and when it turned to smoke
She added in just one newt's tear, then these words she spoke:
"Breath of frog and tear of newt, please show me the way.
I want to be back in my land before the night is day."
She watched the smoke intently, her furrowed brow forming a dimple
When at last she had the answer, she said "Can it really be that simple?"
She smiled at me and said out loud "This is easy to do!
But I can't do it by myself, you'll have to do it to."
We rushed back to my playroom, and pushed aside my blocks
Then Fern rushed about the room, turning back all the clocks
"We need to set the time back, to when we first appeared
Then turn the house three times, stopping when its front becomes its rear."
I understood my mission, what I was tasked to do
The house was much too large for Fern, I'd have to turn it too
Longwell, Squat, Fern and I pushed with all our might
The house just would not move - like a screw that's screwed too tight
"Let's try the other way", I offered, pulling with a GRUNT!
The house moved easily this time, and we stopped when back was front
Longwell, the house, Fern and Squat, disappered in a flash of light
That's how my story ends. And it all just happened, Yesternight.
The below is another story inspired by my daughter. She has started using the word "yesternight" for things that happened in the past, but at night.
Yesternight --
My story is outrageous, and just a little bit absurd
Most likely more outlandish than any other you have heard
It's worth the time to hear it, so if you don't easily fright
I really want to tell you, the story of Yesternight
We had all just finished dinner, the day was coming to an end
Father had a game to watch and mom had shirts to mend
I was in my playroom, playing with my toys
When dad stood up to cheer his team and made an awful noise
I startled from his shouting, and fell back in my chair
Legs stretched out before me, arms flapping in the air
That's when I saw it falling, from the table to the floor
The juice I had been drinking, was in its cup no more
My juice was spilling everywhere, my mom would be mad at me
Then the juice just disappeared and became a tiny tree
I could not beleive my eyes, I'd never seen such a thing before
Was I really looking at a tree that grew up from the floor?
The tree had leaves of silver and gold; the trunk was made of stone
When I saw a window, then a door, I knew this was someone's home!
This wasn't a tree at all, it was a house that looked like a tree
And a house must have an owner. I wondered who, or what, it could be
The door opened slowly, a tiny head looked all around
I held my breath and stood real still, trying not to make a sound
Then it looked right at me! Looked right into my eyes!
I tried to turn my head away but I was mesmerized
In a flash it flew up in the air and whispered in my ear:
"Excuse me, but, do you know how we got here?"
I tried to give an answer, but none popped in my head
"Who and what are you?", is what I blurted out instead
"I am a fairy", she replied, "my friends all call me Fern."
She also had two brothers, I would later learn
The short one she called "Longwell", the tall one she called "Squat"
She said the names didn't make much sense, but they're the names they've got
They were practicing their magic, and the house had filled with smoke
The smell had put them all to sleep, and they were here when they awoke
She asked "Are you a wizard? Do you have us under a spell?"
"No, I'm just a kid", I said, wishing there was more to tell.
"Your tree appeared in my room after I spilled my drink."
"That is strange", she replied, not knowing what to think.
"How we got here's not important, I must know how we can return.
To do that I will need some frog's breath I can burn."
"That will create a smoke, that I can capture in this flask
and when I add to that a newt's tear drop, it will show me the way back."
She asked if I would help her. I said "Sure, but how?"
"I need a frog", she said "I'm all out of frog's breath right now."
I knew where we could find a frog and said "Quick! Come with me."
She rushed inside to get the tools she felt that she would need.
She climbed into my pocket and we quietly went outside
I walked over to the pond I knew had frogs inside
Fern flew out from my pocket and began to search the ground
When suddenly I heard a noise and I quickly spun around
The noise was Tate our neighbor's cat, on his nightly prowl
He had seen Fern flying and his stomach began to growl
I tried calling out to Fern, to warn her about Tate
But he already had her in his sights, I had noticed him too late
With an exicted MEOW! Tate leapt in the air, reaching for his catch
Fern was faster than he thought. He missed, and landed with a SPLASH!
Tate didn't like the water, and began to thrash about
And all of his commotion made the frogs come rushing out
Fern saw a frog and came rushing down, landing on its back
Startled, it let out a gasp, which she captured in her flask
With a tiny match, she lit the breath, and when it turned to smoke
She added in just one newt's tear, then these words she spoke:
"Breath of frog and tear of newt, please show me the way.
I want to be back in my land before the night is day."
She watched the smoke intently, her furrowed brow forming a dimple
When at last she had the answer, she said "Can it really be that simple?"
She smiled at me and said out loud "This is easy to do!
But I can't do it by myself, you'll have to do it to."
We rushed back to my playroom, and pushed aside my blocks
Then Fern rushed about the room, turning back all the clocks
"We need to set the time back, to when we first appeared
Then turn the house three times, stopping when its front becomes its rear."
I understood my mission, what I was tasked to do
The house was much too large for Fern, I'd have to turn it too
Longwell, Squat, Fern and I pushed with all our might
The house just would not move - like a screw that's screwed too tight
"Let's try the other way", I offered, pulling with a GRUNT!
The house moved easily this time, and we stopped when back was front
Longwell, the house, Fern and Squat, disappered in a flash of light
That's how my story ends. And it all just happened, Yesternight.
I can't get to my blog
I am unable to get my blog to load here in Indonesia. I have the ability to post to it by sending it an email. Please send me an email if you see this posting. I think Indonesia may have blocked access to blogspot.com.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Feeling Fine
Antibiotics have done their duty. Within a few hours of taking the pills, my fever was gone for good. Two days later, I have my energy back. Still have stomach cramps, but they don't collapse me to the ground like they did when it was at its worst.
With my new found health, we made the obligatory trip to Taman Safari zoo. This is always a full-day affair if we go on a weekend. Two hours to get there, four hours to get back. Part of the traffic issue is the fact that the make the only road two and from Puncak, where the zoo is, one direction. Up from 1 until 4, down from 4 until 7. If we try to leave before 4, we're stuck in standstill traffic until they reverse the direction. I brought three movies with us this time in anticipation. Worked out okay.
My mother-in-law wanted to return to Puncak Pass, like we did on her first trip. We had fond memories of our first visit. The same cannot be said of this visit. We went there for lunch. Everyone ordered, everyone got their drinks, everyone but me got their food. Knowing that they often bring food when it is ready, not when the whole table is ready, I told people to eat as the food came out. Mine still had not arrived when everyone else had finished. I asked the staff where mine was, and they had forgotten to order it. I told them to forget it, settled the bill, and we left. I won't go back. It wasn't that great to begin with, and that's just not a mistake a restaurant should ever make if it wants to retain customers.
Taman Safari was fun as always. In addition to the carrots we usually buy, we stopped to buy some oranges for the elephants and the wild monkeys, which are not actually part of the zoo but go there for the easy food. As you can see in the pictures below, I made some new friends, and my daughter had fun as always.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Indonesia....you give me fever
Spent 6 hours in the ER today. I woke up with a temperature of 39.6 (103.1). They ran blood and stool tests and gave me three IV's. They were not able to reduce my fever below 38.1 (100.5). I've had a fever over 37.7 (100) for three straight days. It's difficult to stay awake, move, etc.
The test results indicated I have a bacterial infection. Doctors have given me antibiotics. I have until Saturday to break the fever or they want me to go back again. 1000mg of Tylenol isn't cutting it.
A few things I have learned:
1) Fevers from 37.7 - 38.8 give you teeth chattering chills.
2) Fevers over 38.8 make you sweat like you are in a sauna
3) Phlebotimists here must not get proper training. She pricked my vein to draw blood and attach the IV and my blood dripped all down my hand and onto the sheets. I did not like her after that.
4) Bacteria suck.
The test results indicated I have a bacterial infection. Doctors have given me antibiotics. I have until Saturday to break the fever or they want me to go back again. 1000mg of Tylenol isn't cutting it.
A few things I have learned:
1) Fevers from 37.7 - 38.8 give you teeth chattering chills.
2) Fevers over 38.8 make you sweat like you are in a sauna
3) Phlebotimists here must not get proper training. She pricked my vein to draw blood and attach the IV and my blood dripped all down my hand and onto the sheets. I did not like her after that.
4) Bacteria suck.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
I have a fever
I woke at 3 AM shivering with cold. I wrote it off to being directly under the air conditioning, and just bundled up. When my alarm woke me at 5 AM, I was still cold, and now I had a stomach ache. I decided to go to work anyway.
At work, I took Tylenol every 4 hours - which is about the cycle of chills I was having - and felt fine while the medicine worked. At 3:30, when it was time to take it again, I decided not to. I went to my physical therapist for a cyatic nerve issue, and was absolutely freezing. She said my body was hot to the touch and that I probably had a fever. After the session, I went to our medical clinic.
Diagnosis: unknown, but NOT H1N1. Fever was 102.3. No other symptoms - respiratory, nasal, stomach, etc. Just the fever. So, they told me to go home and stay home for 3 days and wait. If I get new symptoms, I have to go back. If the fever is still around after 3 days, I have to go back.
Last night, I fell asleep after dinner around 7:30 and woke at 9 AM this morning. Fever was gone, but is back - much lower - this afternoon. I'm able to keep it down with medicine, and I no longer have chills, just heat. I think I'll be better by Friday.
I'm disappointed because I finally just got back to work. This is really annoying.
At work, I took Tylenol every 4 hours - which is about the cycle of chills I was having - and felt fine while the medicine worked. At 3:30, when it was time to take it again, I decided not to. I went to my physical therapist for a cyatic nerve issue, and was absolutely freezing. She said my body was hot to the touch and that I probably had a fever. After the session, I went to our medical clinic.
Diagnosis: unknown, but NOT H1N1. Fever was 102.3. No other symptoms - respiratory, nasal, stomach, etc. Just the fever. So, they told me to go home and stay home for 3 days and wait. If I get new symptoms, I have to go back. If the fever is still around after 3 days, I have to go back.
Last night, I fell asleep after dinner around 7:30 and woke at 9 AM this morning. Fever was gone, but is back - much lower - this afternoon. I'm able to keep it down with medicine, and I no longer have chills, just heat. I think I'll be better by Friday.
I'm disappointed because I finally just got back to work. This is really annoying.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Colic is as colic does
We are now all back in Jakarta. It's good to have the full family home again. I was really starting to feel like a ping-pong ball going back and forth from Singapore to Jakarta. Singapore always made me feel too distant from work, too, and there is too much work to be done for me to have that feeling.
Our first night in Jakarta, our son demonstrated that at the ripe age of 18 days, he has graduated to the next level of infant development, at least in our household: Colic. Our daughter was a colic baby, and so is our son. Apparently, we produce babies with colic. I don't remember how long she had colic. I do remember it was torturous. To the extent that someone actually said "I now understand why some people smother their babies". Colic is bad.
He also has the "seizures" that our daughter did. For some reason, his entire body goes stiff, as if every muscle in his body flexes at once. When they relax, he picks up an excruciating scream that makes the hair on your neck stand up. Our daughter did the same thing as an infant and grew out of it.
Our first night in Jakarta, our son demonstrated that at the ripe age of 18 days, he has graduated to the next level of infant development, at least in our household: Colic. Our daughter was a colic baby, and so is our son. Apparently, we produce babies with colic. I don't remember how long she had colic. I do remember it was torturous. To the extent that someone actually said "I now understand why some people smother their babies". Colic is bad.
He also has the "seizures" that our daughter did. For some reason, his entire body goes stiff, as if every muscle in his body flexes at once. When they relax, he picks up an excruciating scream that makes the hair on your neck stand up. Our daughter did the same thing as an infant and grew out of it.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Turkish Ice Cream
Turkish ice cream is sticky like taffy, though still cool. You can lick it, but it is easier to eat if you bite it off the cone and then let it melt in your mouth.
The $3 per cone cost is more for the show than for the ice cream itself.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Pictures
These are of our daughter having fun at the pool with her uncle.
Someone should be in charge, might as well be her.
Baby pictures:
Someone should be in charge, might as well be her.
Baby pictures:
Back story on this picture. Before we left the apartment, my daughter made a list of things she wanted to buy when we went out. I told her to bring the coins from her ears if she wanted to buy something. Waiting for the bus, she was distracted by the kid's rides behind us. The picture below is our conversation on the cost of going on the ride and what that means she cannot buy when we make it to our destination. Ultimately, she decided to go on the $1 ride, instead of the $2 ride so she still had money for the mall.
A Tangent
I like to write. If you've read my blog for any length of time, that should be obvious. If it isn't, maybe it's time to discuss the warning signs of dementia with your doctor.
Certain mediums lend themselves to writing - books, letters, blogs. Other medium, well, not so much. The key problem with communicating through writing is that so much of our language is physical - our facial expressions, the way we stand, hand animations; or aural - voice fluctuations, intonation, volume. While possible to convey the non-verbal cues through writing, doing so requires more verbosity than simply expressing your thought.
For example, "You look nice today". How do I mean that?
1) "You look nice today", he said, tilting his head back and giving her elevator eyes, the kind that start at the bottom and work their way up, stopping on every floor.
2) "You look nice today", he snickered, shielding his eyes from her bright yellow shirt.
3) "You look nice today", he said, smiling brightly as he handed her the invoice he needed approved.
4) "You look nice today", he exclaimed, whistling and standing to admire her new hair cut.
See what I mean? But who has time to read all of that, much less type it? Conventional wisdom with emails recommends keeping them concise and to the point. "The project is on schedule." It's like we're in Dragnet: "Just the facts."
I remember an email I sent early in my career to a client who responded to me with pure venom. It wasn't her fault, really. I blame the geniuses in our marketing department who decided to brand our system with the creative use of an exclamation point. So when I responded to her inquiry with "You can find that on OurSystem!", and then explained how, she thought I was yelling at her from condescension, instead of helping her. I didn't use the exclamation point in any future communications about our product.
Social media sites only exacerbate the problem by limiting your character count. Facebook - 264 characters. Twitter - 164. It's difficult to say anything meaningful with so few characters. This sentence alone requires over fifty characters. Most of the time, people end up trying too hard to be witty and compelling in their conciseness and fail miserably. Text messaging and Instant messaging aren't much better. Avid users of these medium have gotten creative - necessity does breed invention, after all - and developed "emoticons". While smiley and dopey are easy to represent - :-) and :-b - sarcasm isn't. Innuendo isn't. Probably a good thing that lust isn't, either.
My point? I once read a satirical rant from a man directed to all women that contained a line that I think accurately reflects what I'm trying to convey:
"If we say something to you and there are two ways to take it, and one of them makes you mad, and the other one makes you smile, we mean the one that makes you smile."
Life is complicated enough without having to explain what our "definition of 'is', is". Besides, your little outbursts reflect more on you than on your target.
Can't we all just get along?
Certain mediums lend themselves to writing - books, letters, blogs. Other medium, well, not so much. The key problem with communicating through writing is that so much of our language is physical - our facial expressions, the way we stand, hand animations; or aural - voice fluctuations, intonation, volume. While possible to convey the non-verbal cues through writing, doing so requires more verbosity than simply expressing your thought.
For example, "You look nice today". How do I mean that?
1) "You look nice today", he said, tilting his head back and giving her elevator eyes, the kind that start at the bottom and work their way up, stopping on every floor.
2) "You look nice today", he snickered, shielding his eyes from her bright yellow shirt.
3) "You look nice today", he said, smiling brightly as he handed her the invoice he needed approved.
4) "You look nice today", he exclaimed, whistling and standing to admire her new hair cut.
See what I mean? But who has time to read all of that, much less type it? Conventional wisdom with emails recommends keeping them concise and to the point. "The project is on schedule." It's like we're in Dragnet: "Just the facts."
I remember an email I sent early in my career to a client who responded to me with pure venom. It wasn't her fault, really. I blame the geniuses in our marketing department who decided to brand our system with the creative use of an exclamation point. So when I responded to her inquiry with "You can find that on OurSystem!", and then explained how, she thought I was yelling at her from condescension, instead of helping her. I didn't use the exclamation point in any future communications about our product.
Social media sites only exacerbate the problem by limiting your character count. Facebook - 264 characters. Twitter - 164. It's difficult to say anything meaningful with so few characters. This sentence alone requires over fifty characters. Most of the time, people end up trying too hard to be witty and compelling in their conciseness and fail miserably. Text messaging and Instant messaging aren't much better. Avid users of these medium have gotten creative - necessity does breed invention, after all - and developed "emoticons". While smiley and dopey are easy to represent - :-) and :-b - sarcasm isn't. Innuendo isn't. Probably a good thing that lust isn't, either.
My point? I once read a satirical rant from a man directed to all women that contained a line that I think accurately reflects what I'm trying to convey:
"If we say something to you and there are two ways to take it, and one of them makes you mad, and the other one makes you smile, we mean the one that makes you smile."
Life is complicated enough without having to explain what our "definition of 'is', is". Besides, your little outbursts reflect more on you than on your target.
Can't we all just get along?
Friday, November 6, 2009
The birth of a child - unabridged
We cannot control time. It will always plod forward at the same pace - though relative speed will vary. Though we cannot control time, we can control timing, and timing is everything....except maybe in Real Estate, where location trumps timing, but it's still pretty good in Real Estate, too. Just ask anyone who bought a house in 2006!
For the birth of our son, the timing of his arrival held many things in suspense. My in-laws return to the US on 26 November, and we want them to see Jakarta. Per the US Embassy website, obtaining a passport takes 10-12 days. Obtaining a Indonesian visa, I know from experience, will require 3-4 days. We will need 2-3 days in the hospital before we can go to the Embassy, assuming they have an appointment available. I was also scheduled to return to work on 02 November, and needed to be present at the Embassy when applying for the passport.
Taking all of the above into consideration, when we met with the doctor on 12 October, she asked if we wanted to induce at our appointment on 19 October. We told her we would think about it.
My wife and I went back and forth. I saw the merits of the decision to induce. She didn't want to force the issue. She was hoping to let things happen naturally. She said it felt like we were "playing God". (Brian 1:3) Thus, I said unto her: "The decision is thine. Do with it as thy will."
Ultimately, we did not induce on the 19th. My wife wanted to know that status of her cervix before making the decision, and the cervix looked ready. Our doctor said if she changed her mind, we could schedule for the next day (Tuesday) or on Thursday. She didn't deliver babies on Wednesday (which made us wonder what magical power she possessed enabling her to prevent births from occurring on Wednesday's - we later found out she was at a different hospital on that day).
By the Tuesday, our son was no closer to arriving, and all our tricks didn't work - scary movie, spicy food, marital relations. I offered to try them again, especially the last one, but that was a non-starter. Tuesday afternoon, we called the doctor and scheduled the induction.
On 22 October, we arrived at the hospital at 8 AM. My wife took her position on the bed, and I took mine in the recliner, complete with control of the TV remote. I brought a book to read, too, until the event began. We ended up watching The Transformers movie until it was time for the epidural. We went in with brave hopes of not using it. Those hopes evaporated quickly...though I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, and probably earlier.
Four hours and thirty minutes after we arrived at the hospital, our son was born. We spent another two hours in the delivery room waiting for our room in the maternity ward. The maternity ward is on the fourth floor at the far end of the hospital. The rooms are larger than the room I stay at in the Ritz when travelling on business. They had a hospital bed for my wife, and a futon for me, so I slept comfortably.
The hospital knew she needed her rest, so they would take the baby to the nursery around 11 PM each evening and return him when they brought breakfast in the morning. They provided food to both of us. We really enjoyed the hospital staff and the accommodations. The location was ideal, too. A mall with a grocery store is directly across the street. On our second night, we both got a craving for chocolate ice cream, so I made the quick jaunt and returned with some decadent desserts.
That same evening, shortly after I returned, we started hearing what sounded like gunshots in rapid succession. We looked out the window and the night sky is flickering orange. Having just experienced the bombings in Jakarta, and being so close to China, my thoughts went to military invasion. I think my wife thought there was a bomb and the hospital was on fire.
As it turned out, the actual cause was nothing near as nebulous. The mall across the street was having a grand opening of a new store, and they had fireworks. Just shows what living in Jakarta can do to you.
The next day, the pediatrician came by and inspected our son and scheduled the circumcision. I don't know how they do these in the rest of the world, but I like the procedure they used in Singapore. They pull back the turtleneck, slide a cuff over the shaft, then let the skin fold back over the cuff. Then, they take some string and tie it tight under the cuff. Within a week, the cuff and the extra skin fall off. No pain, no cutting. Little guy didn't even notice.
After three days in the hospital, we returned to our apartment at Great World City and began the adventure that is all-day feedings and changings every two hours. One of these days, I'll have to ask my wife how she does it. I sleep through it all.
For the birth of our son, the timing of his arrival held many things in suspense. My in-laws return to the US on 26 November, and we want them to see Jakarta. Per the US Embassy website, obtaining a passport takes 10-12 days. Obtaining a Indonesian visa, I know from experience, will require 3-4 days. We will need 2-3 days in the hospital before we can go to the Embassy, assuming they have an appointment available. I was also scheduled to return to work on 02 November, and needed to be present at the Embassy when applying for the passport.
Taking all of the above into consideration, when we met with the doctor on 12 October, she asked if we wanted to induce at our appointment on 19 October. We told her we would think about it.
My wife and I went back and forth. I saw the merits of the decision to induce. She didn't want to force the issue. She was hoping to let things happen naturally. She said it felt like we were "playing God". (Brian 1:3) Thus, I said unto her: "The decision is thine. Do with it as thy will."
Ultimately, we did not induce on the 19th. My wife wanted to know that status of her cervix before making the decision, and the cervix looked ready. Our doctor said if she changed her mind, we could schedule for the next day (Tuesday) or on Thursday. She didn't deliver babies on Wednesday (which made us wonder what magical power she possessed enabling her to prevent births from occurring on Wednesday's - we later found out she was at a different hospital on that day).
By the Tuesday, our son was no closer to arriving, and all our tricks didn't work - scary movie, spicy food, marital relations. I offered to try them again, especially the last one, but that was a non-starter. Tuesday afternoon, we called the doctor and scheduled the induction.
On 22 October, we arrived at the hospital at 8 AM. My wife took her position on the bed, and I took mine in the recliner, complete with control of the TV remote. I brought a book to read, too, until the event began. We ended up watching The Transformers movie until it was time for the epidural. We went in with brave hopes of not using it. Those hopes evaporated quickly...though I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing, and probably earlier.
Four hours and thirty minutes after we arrived at the hospital, our son was born. We spent another two hours in the delivery room waiting for our room in the maternity ward. The maternity ward is on the fourth floor at the far end of the hospital. The rooms are larger than the room I stay at in the Ritz when travelling on business. They had a hospital bed for my wife, and a futon for me, so I slept comfortably.
The hospital knew she needed her rest, so they would take the baby to the nursery around 11 PM each evening and return him when they brought breakfast in the morning. They provided food to both of us. We really enjoyed the hospital staff and the accommodations. The location was ideal, too. A mall with a grocery store is directly across the street. On our second night, we both got a craving for chocolate ice cream, so I made the quick jaunt and returned with some decadent desserts.
That same evening, shortly after I returned, we started hearing what sounded like gunshots in rapid succession. We looked out the window and the night sky is flickering orange. Having just experienced the bombings in Jakarta, and being so close to China, my thoughts went to military invasion. I think my wife thought there was a bomb and the hospital was on fire.
As it turned out, the actual cause was nothing near as nebulous. The mall across the street was having a grand opening of a new store, and they had fireworks. Just shows what living in Jakarta can do to you.
The next day, the pediatrician came by and inspected our son and scheduled the circumcision. I don't know how they do these in the rest of the world, but I like the procedure they used in Singapore. They pull back the turtleneck, slide a cuff over the shaft, then let the skin fold back over the cuff. Then, they take some string and tie it tight under the cuff. Within a week, the cuff and the extra skin fall off. No pain, no cutting. Little guy didn't even notice.
After three days in the hospital, we returned to our apartment at Great World City and began the adventure that is all-day feedings and changings every two hours. One of these days, I'll have to ask my wife how she does it. I sleep through it all.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Back in Jakarta
I arrived in Jakarta mid-morning on Monday. I was surprised at the level of my disorientation. Usually, when I arrive home from a trip, I feel myself preparing to return to routine. Arriving in Jakarta did not feel that way. It felt more like the start of a new trip. The city also felt different. As we're making the way to the office, I asked my driver how long I had been away. Three weeks could have been three months.
To further my feelings of "new arrival", my neighborhood has changed. Familiar shops (that I've driven by but never gone into - which may be why...) were gone and replaced by new ones. The road leading to our town house has new pavement which appears about 1/3 meters higher than the old paving. The main streets of Jakarta are getting new sidewalks. Must be the economic stimulus package I've been hearing so much about.
I went straight to work from the airport and spent the afternoon reading and responding to the 400 emails I had received since I last checked my email two weeks prior. My maid called while I was there to inform me that the phone in my home did not work. Apparently I had not paid my bill on time so they turned it off. I was hoping I still had electricity, internet and cable. Luckily, I did. I seldom use the phone, so, as far as I know, it could still be off even though I paid my bill a few days ago. Someday I'll check.
Leaving Singapore was a flurry of activity. The Embassy indicated we'd be waiting 10-12 days for our son's (not used to writing that yet) passport. Most likely date it would be available is 13 November. I extended our stay at the apartment through 20 November, to account for the fact we would need to obtain an Indonesian visa after we received the passport. I then changed everyone's flights to leave on the 20th and booked a return flight of my own on 13 November so I wasn't away from the family for too long.
When I get to the office, my wife send me an email informing me the passport is ready. What!? Non-refundable payment to the apartment. Fees to transfer all the flights. What a waste of money....luckily, it isn't my money, but still! Now I have to determine when the family will return. We anticipate a few days for the visa, but decide to hold off on making any further changes until we have visa in hand. Today, Employee Services informs me that we will have the visa tomorrow (6 Nov). So, once more, we change all of the flights - only now, there aren't any available to return on Sunday, or even early on Monday, so I have to miss another day of work and return Monday afternoon.
I guess what I'm taking away from all this is.... One more weekend of NFL Football!!!!! Woo hoo!!
Last, but not least, now that my wife is not pregnant, and we have a 20-something family member in town, we're finally going to visit some of the clubs in Jakarta. I told my driver so he would be prepared for some late nights over the next few weeks. I also told him my brother-in-law is a "bule jomblo", which means, 'expat bachelor'. He told me, with a straight face, to be very careful in the clubs. "Local women have black magic. Many bule marry local women because they use black magic on them."
I told him I would wear my wizard cap and that everything would be fine.
To further my feelings of "new arrival", my neighborhood has changed. Familiar shops (that I've driven by but never gone into - which may be why...) were gone and replaced by new ones. The road leading to our town house has new pavement which appears about 1/3 meters higher than the old paving. The main streets of Jakarta are getting new sidewalks. Must be the economic stimulus package I've been hearing so much about.
I went straight to work from the airport and spent the afternoon reading and responding to the 400 emails I had received since I last checked my email two weeks prior. My maid called while I was there to inform me that the phone in my home did not work. Apparently I had not paid my bill on time so they turned it off. I was hoping I still had electricity, internet and cable. Luckily, I did. I seldom use the phone, so, as far as I know, it could still be off even though I paid my bill a few days ago. Someday I'll check.
Leaving Singapore was a flurry of activity. The Embassy indicated we'd be waiting 10-12 days for our son's (not used to writing that yet) passport. Most likely date it would be available is 13 November. I extended our stay at the apartment through 20 November, to account for the fact we would need to obtain an Indonesian visa after we received the passport. I then changed everyone's flights to leave on the 20th and booked a return flight of my own on 13 November so I wasn't away from the family for too long.
When I get to the office, my wife send me an email informing me the passport is ready. What!? Non-refundable payment to the apartment. Fees to transfer all the flights. What a waste of money....luckily, it isn't my money, but still! Now I have to determine when the family will return. We anticipate a few days for the visa, but decide to hold off on making any further changes until we have visa in hand. Today, Employee Services informs me that we will have the visa tomorrow (6 Nov). So, once more, we change all of the flights - only now, there aren't any available to return on Sunday, or even early on Monday, so I have to miss another day of work and return Monday afternoon.
I guess what I'm taking away from all this is.... One more weekend of NFL Football!!!!! Woo hoo!!
Last, but not least, now that my wife is not pregnant, and we have a 20-something family member in town, we're finally going to visit some of the clubs in Jakarta. I told my driver so he would be prepared for some late nights over the next few weeks. I also told him my brother-in-law is a "bule jomblo", which means, 'expat bachelor'. He told me, with a straight face, to be very careful in the clubs. "Local women have black magic. Many bule marry local women because they use black magic on them."
I told him I would wear my wizard cap and that everything would be fine.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Parenting Tools
Our daughter has a creative and very independent mind. She has a counter proposal for everything we ask her to do. "Put on your shoes"; "First, I'll pull up my socks, then I'll put on my shoes." "We're going to eat lunch, an then you'll take a nap"; "We'll eat lunch, play a game of Uno, an then I'll take a nap." Luckily, she also believes in the infallibility of her parents. We've parlayed this last trait, and her penchant for hearing new stories, to our advantage.
We often have a hard time convincing our daughter to finish her dinner. She is always "full" long before her dinner is complete, yet always asks for and has room for dessert (she takes after her father). Things got easier the night I started pulling coins out of her ears. She started asking me to pull coins from her ears all the time. Many times, I didn't have any coins in pockets, and she would walk away disappointed. I started telling her they needed time to grow. At night, I would leave a coin under her pillow, as if it had finished growing at night and fallen out. Every morning, she started looking for coins under her pillow and wanted to know why none were there if we had forgotten. I explained that it depended on what she ate the prior day. If she ate healthy - vegetables, fruits, grains - they grew, if she eats too much chocolate or sweets, they don't grow. Now, she eats healthy and will turn down dessert....of course, I have to leave a coin under her pillow every night.
For now, this doesn't cost me anything because she always gives the coins to me and I just reuse them. When she starts saving them, it could get expensive. My wife keeps asking me for my exit strategy. I've given it some thought. I think she'll likely tell someone at school, and that person will tell her it's fake and she'll ask me about it. My response will be that it only works for those who believe it, and that it only works for kids under 4. Hopefully that works.
My daughter is also a daredevil. Completely fearless. In some situations, her bravery is admirable. In others, it is downright scary for us. Singapore has a riverwalk. The start of the walk is just outside our apartment building and it continues down to our favorite restaurant. Our daughter started climbing the rails at the edge of the water. To prevent her from falling in, I told her the story of the "river people" who get very mad when people get too close to the river or fall in. In short, the people who lived upriver polluted the water for the people downriver, and, as punishment, were sentenced to be guardians of the river forever. Now, our daughter stays away from the river and always points out when she sees their heads, or when she sees the bubbles that occur when they breathe. She isn't scared of the river people - quite the contrary, she really wants to see them. She also doesn't go near the river anymore.
Finally, drawing on my childhood literary memories of the Big Friendly Giant (BFG) by Roald Dahl, I told my daughter the story of the giants who roam the streets at night and blow dreams into the rooms of children. I took a bit of license by extending the story to say that children who behave are given good dreams, and children who misbehave are given bad dreams. For the most part, this has proven quite effective. If she starts to act up, I just mention she'll get a bad dream, and she calms down. Of course when she has a nightmare after being good all day, I have tough questions to answer. We don't dwell on this story so much anymore, though she still remembers it.
Some of you may be thinking that tricking our kids is inappropriate or will lead to mistrust in the future. I used to think that, too, and had planned on not introducing Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy as a result. Then I saw the joy on my daughter's face when Santa Claus brought her a toy airplane. We use Santa for behavior modification, but it's only effective in December. Coins, the river people and dream delivering giants achieve behavior modification daily.
Maybe I'm being lazy by using tricks. Maybe it would be better if I baked broccoli into brownies like the best selling cookbook recommends - that seems to be an appropriate level of trickery. All I know is it works, and my daughter wakes up every morning excited to find coins under her pillow like it is the first time it has ever happened, and walks along the river have become journeys of discovery and hunts for the river people. Those are side effects I can live with.
We often have a hard time convincing our daughter to finish her dinner. She is always "full" long before her dinner is complete, yet always asks for and has room for dessert (she takes after her father). Things got easier the night I started pulling coins out of her ears. She started asking me to pull coins from her ears all the time. Many times, I didn't have any coins in pockets, and she would walk away disappointed. I started telling her they needed time to grow. At night, I would leave a coin under her pillow, as if it had finished growing at night and fallen out. Every morning, she started looking for coins under her pillow and wanted to know why none were there if we had forgotten. I explained that it depended on what she ate the prior day. If she ate healthy - vegetables, fruits, grains - they grew, if she eats too much chocolate or sweets, they don't grow. Now, she eats healthy and will turn down dessert....of course, I have to leave a coin under her pillow every night.
For now, this doesn't cost me anything because she always gives the coins to me and I just reuse them. When she starts saving them, it could get expensive. My wife keeps asking me for my exit strategy. I've given it some thought. I think she'll likely tell someone at school, and that person will tell her it's fake and she'll ask me about it. My response will be that it only works for those who believe it, and that it only works for kids under 4. Hopefully that works.
My daughter is also a daredevil. Completely fearless. In some situations, her bravery is admirable. In others, it is downright scary for us. Singapore has a riverwalk. The start of the walk is just outside our apartment building and it continues down to our favorite restaurant. Our daughter started climbing the rails at the edge of the water. To prevent her from falling in, I told her the story of the "river people" who get very mad when people get too close to the river or fall in. In short, the people who lived upriver polluted the water for the people downriver, and, as punishment, were sentenced to be guardians of the river forever. Now, our daughter stays away from the river and always points out when she sees their heads, or when she sees the bubbles that occur when they breathe. She isn't scared of the river people - quite the contrary, she really wants to see them. She also doesn't go near the river anymore.
Finally, drawing on my childhood literary memories of the Big Friendly Giant (BFG) by Roald Dahl, I told my daughter the story of the giants who roam the streets at night and blow dreams into the rooms of children. I took a bit of license by extending the story to say that children who behave are given good dreams, and children who misbehave are given bad dreams. For the most part, this has proven quite effective. If she starts to act up, I just mention she'll get a bad dream, and she calms down. Of course when she has a nightmare after being good all day, I have tough questions to answer. We don't dwell on this story so much anymore, though she still remembers it.
Some of you may be thinking that tricking our kids is inappropriate or will lead to mistrust in the future. I used to think that, too, and had planned on not introducing Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy as a result. Then I saw the joy on my daughter's face when Santa Claus brought her a toy airplane. We use Santa for behavior modification, but it's only effective in December. Coins, the river people and dream delivering giants achieve behavior modification daily.
Maybe I'm being lazy by using tricks. Maybe it would be better if I baked broccoli into brownies like the best selling cookbook recommends - that seems to be an appropriate level of trickery. All I know is it works, and my daughter wakes up every morning excited to find coins under her pillow like it is the first time it has ever happened, and walks along the river have become journeys of discovery and hunts for the river people. Those are side effects I can live with.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Interesting Singapore
Singapore has unique characteristics I have not seen in other countries (though, to be fair, I can only compare it to the US and Indonesia).
First, the pop culture. Perusing the local newspaper, I found an article celebrating the birth of a local celebrity's child. The local celebrity? The silver medalist in ping pong. Another local celebrity - at least someone I see doing a lot of endorsements and on TV a lot - is a strange man with a large growth protruding from his neck. He is over the top ridiculous, and omnipresent. Reminds me of the French infatuation with Jerry Lewis.
Second, the focus on education. Bookstores have entire sections dedicated to education and preparing children as young as four for standardized testing. Children introduce themselves as "Johnny, one smart boy". There are entire malls dedicated to nothing but childhood education - 6 floors, hundreds of stores, dedicated to clothing, entertaining, and educating children.
Third, browsing my favorite websites here is annoying. If I go to Yahoo, it brings up the Singapore edition, and I am unable to revert back to the US edition. I'm not interested in the Singapore financials, or local celebrities. I'm not sure why a country smaller than New York City should even qualify as having its own celebrities.
Separately....
All my life, I've been against cologne. I've always considered it a waste of money and a poor substitute for bathing. The French invented perfume and cologne to cover the stench of not bathing for months at a time. I prefer my people "odor free". Being on the subway (called the MRT here) and, especially, today at the US Embassy sitting in a full room of people, I now have a reason to wear cologne. It isn't to mask my smell - I showered. I may have to start wearing cologne so I can have a "pleasant odor bubble" that, I am hoping, will act as a prophylactic against the offensive odors of the certain ethnic group in SE Asia that refuses to bathe. Literally, I was lifting my arm an smelling the deodorant in my armpit to avoid having to smell the BO of the woman behind me. It was bad.
At least we now have all the paperwork filed for my son's passport, birth certificate, and SSN. We should have everything ready for the family to return to Jakarta on 20 November. I return on 02 November and will have to make one more commute back to Singapore the weekend of 13 November.
First, the pop culture. Perusing the local newspaper, I found an article celebrating the birth of a local celebrity's child. The local celebrity? The silver medalist in ping pong. Another local celebrity - at least someone I see doing a lot of endorsements and on TV a lot - is a strange man with a large growth protruding from his neck. He is over the top ridiculous, and omnipresent. Reminds me of the French infatuation with Jerry Lewis.
Second, the focus on education. Bookstores have entire sections dedicated to education and preparing children as young as four for standardized testing. Children introduce themselves as "Johnny, one smart boy". There are entire malls dedicated to nothing but childhood education - 6 floors, hundreds of stores, dedicated to clothing, entertaining, and educating children.
Third, browsing my favorite websites here is annoying. If I go to Yahoo, it brings up the Singapore edition, and I am unable to revert back to the US edition. I'm not interested in the Singapore financials, or local celebrities. I'm not sure why a country smaller than New York City should even qualify as having its own celebrities.
Separately....
All my life, I've been against cologne. I've always considered it a waste of money and a poor substitute for bathing. The French invented perfume and cologne to cover the stench of not bathing for months at a time. I prefer my people "odor free". Being on the subway (called the MRT here) and, especially, today at the US Embassy sitting in a full room of people, I now have a reason to wear cologne. It isn't to mask my smell - I showered. I may have to start wearing cologne so I can have a "pleasant odor bubble" that, I am hoping, will act as a prophylactic against the offensive odors of the certain ethnic group in SE Asia that refuses to bathe. Literally, I was lifting my arm an smelling the deodorant in my armpit to avoid having to smell the BO of the woman behind me. It was bad.
At least we now have all the paperwork filed for my son's passport, birth certificate, and SSN. We should have everything ready for the family to return to Jakarta on 20 November. I return on 02 November and will have to make one more commute back to Singapore the weekend of 13 November.
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