An interesting week

While walking to lunch yesterday, I remembered another thing I like better about the United States - sidewalks. Jakarta gives pedestrians two options - walk on paved roads and hope a car doesn't hit you, or walk on sidewalks (if they exist) and hope you don't twist an ankle or fall into the ditch as the sidewalk undulates and splits like an ice flow coming apart in the summer.

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This week was full of surprises for me. Setting aside some of the unexpected challenges on the work front - some of which disappointed me more than anything else - the surprises are actually pretty interesting.

First, I found out I'm now part of an Olympic team. No one asked me to join. I didn't have to try out. They just added my name to the list of 72 people. In early August, Indonesia celebrates its Independence Day. They celebrated Independence Day on my first trip out (ignore the date on the blog, I moved it to a new location which updated the date). Part of the Independence Day celebrations at my company include having sports competitions. They divide the entire Jakarta office into teams and assign a team captain. The team captain is responsible for reaching out to the employees assigned to their team to determine in which sports they will compete. I had no idea about the event, that I was placed on a team, or that I was expected to participate until one of my colleagues mentioned I was on her team. The captain never contacted me and no one sent me an email. Apparently they are nervous reaching out to the bule. It sounds like I'll be competing in the bowling and the billiards events.

Second, Friday afternoon I received a meeting invitation and then a formal invitation to attend the signing of our Collective Labor Agreement. Apparently this is a 3 hour event at which we sign the contract, take some pictures and eat lunch. I did not think I would need a suit my entire time here. When I inquired as to the dress code for the event, they recommended I wear a suit. Today, I will be buying a suit.

Third, Friday morning my administrative assistant walked into my office and gave me a chili dog. I asked where it came from. One of the members of my team, as part of a company competition, won a motorcycle in a raffle. He already had transportation he was happy with, so he sold the bike. With the money he received from the sale, he bought everyone in our department lunch in celebration.

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While eating a chili dog yesterday, I remembered something I like better about Indonesia. Good fortune is shared. The communal nature of the country compels people to celebrate good fortune and big events as a group, and not as an individual. Can you think of a colleague in the US who would have bought everyone in their department - about 50 people - lunch if they won a car/motorcycle in a raffle?