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.