Bad time to be a landlord

With the new legislation just signed into effect by the Obama adminstration, it is a bad time to be a landlord.  Consider this:

1)  Obama has added 3.8% to the tax on rental income.  Presumably, because if you own rental property, you are rich.  He wants to the target the rich.  He said so.

2)  Obama has increased the capital gains tax from 15% to 20%.  If you have a rental property, the government views it as an investment.  If you sell it for a profit, you are now paying 20% tax on those profits, instead of 15%.

As I think of creative ways to avoid, or at least minimize, the effect of these taxes on my bottom line, I am reminded of my prior run-ins with the government tax collector.

College.  When I first moved to Arizona, a friend assured me that people who made less than $12,000 a year did not have to pay tax in Arizona.  I assumed this also meant I did not need to file a return.  I always filed my federal return, but I did not file an AZ return my first three years in Arizona.  In my fourth year, I received a letter in the mail from the state of Arizona.  Apparently, one of the validations the state revenue department does every year is review the tax returns filed with the federal government by people who list their residence in Arizona.  They cross reference this information with the list of people who filed returns in the state of Arizona.  In my case, they learned I had not filed a state return - what I now know to be a violation of the law.  All said and done, my friend was right, I did not earn enough while in college to have to pay taxes.  However, because I had not filed, I still ended up owing over $1,000 in penalties and interest for failure to file.

Renting.  When I first started renting my home to strangers, I figured that all I needed to do was pay tax on my income and make adjustments to how I claimed the interest as a deduction on my tax returns.  I also learned that, because it became an investment property, I had to start treating it differently from an asset/investment perspective and amortize the value.  I did not realize that, once I started renting, I was now a business.  Not a very profitable business, but a business nonetheless.  Just like with my tax returns, it wasn't long before the local government made me aware of my obligation.  I received a letter in the mail from the city where I had my rental property.  Apparently, the cities look at two things:  first, if you are the listed owner on a property and the address listed on your tax refund is different, they assume the registered property is an investment, and that you are renting it.  Second, the cities review rental listing and compare them to the list of properties registered with the city.  If there is a listing they are not aware of, they send you a letter.  Once again, I found my ignorance of the law was no protection from it.  I had to pay my fee to obtain a license, not just for the year they discovered me, but back to the time I began renting the property.  Same thing for the sales tax I was supposed to be collecting on my revenue and wasn't - city wants to tax your revenue, state and feds want to tax your profits.  Add to that interest and penalties for failure to file, failure to collect, and failure to pay, and my total out of pocket expense after receiving that letter was several thousand dollars.

What have I learned from all this?  Always consult a professional before doing anything that involves money.  Don't assume you know everything.  The $200 it would have cost me to talk to a CPA or a Lawyer would have saved me $3,000.  Fair trade....if I had only known.

Four-year-old vocabulary

As children learn to speak in the language of their parents, there are bound to be some humorous, sometimes innovative, mistakes.  Here are some from our daughter:

1)  Yesternight - noun - same as yesterday, only in the evening.  Could also apply to any past event that occurred at night.
2)  Hanisizer - noun - Hand Sanitizer.
3)  Farmer John Cheese - noun - Parmesan cheese.  "Mom, can I have Farmer John Cheese with my spaghetti?"
4)  Credit Cards - noun - the pictures, names, and music that occurs at the end of a movie.
5)  Corrections - noun - Instructions or directions.
6)  Pumkin - noun - where Grandma and Grandpa live.  Most of us call it "Michigan".
7)  Lemalaid - noun - Lemonade

We find that rhymes, sing-song sayings, and concise words help our daughter learn.  Here are some sayings you may hear from her:

1)  We do what we have to do, so we can do what we want to do
2)  Wipe, flush, wash.
3)  Me, me, me is dull, dull, dull
4)  Red means stop, green means go, yellow means time to go slow
5)  Too much TV makes your brain not work
6)  Never get yourself into something you can't get yourself out of
7)  People don't remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel

Catching up on Jakarta Life

My blog has taken a rather political side track in recent weeks, so let me bring it back to its main purpose and provide some updates on Jakarta life:

Sunday, 14 March. The last Sunday before our visitors departed, we left the babies with the nannies and took the older kiddies to Lollipop’s at Senyan City mall. Lollipop’s is an indoor playground extraordinaire. I think the target market caps out around ten years of age, maybe a little younger.

The main attraction is several large slides and a multi-level climbing house. You can generate some significant speed on these, even going airborne over some of the humps (even adults can have fun on these, if you have a pliable back). In addition to the slides are a gyroscope ride, a zip line, and bungee-tramps which have the lighter kids hovering in the air on bungee cords while a worker pulls them down, allowing them to spring back into the sky. Heavier (older) kids jump on the trampoline and get extra bounce from the bungee cords. It also has a restaurant, a toddler area, a small gift shop, and a Wii.

Both girls had a great time. Even I got into the act sliding down the slides with them several times. My velocity carried us past the safety mats and onto the carpet, which is much further than I think the playroom architects anticipated. I’m sure we will return.

Saturday, 20 March. I spent the day in Singapore while the rest of the family remained in Jakarta. I left my house at 4:30 AM for a 7 AM flight, arriving in Singapore around 9:30 AM. My eye doctor appointment was at 11 AM and, after taking the MRT from the airport into the city, I arrived for my appointment at 10:45 AM. A long two hours later, I left with a prescription slightly modified from the one I received from my doctor in the US before moving (and vastly different from the one provided by the Jakarta doctor), and plans to return in two weeks to pick up my new contacts.


After the doctor’s appointment, I had about five hours to kill before I needed to return to the airport for my flight back to Jakarta. It was lunchtime, so I went to Clarke Quay and dined on the riverfront. Our favorite restaurant – Tapas – was newly renovated, and completely empty, so I moved on. I did find a new Mexican restaurant, called “Muchos”, that we will have to visit when we all are in Singapore in two weeks (we're planning to go there for the Good Friday holiday weekend).

After lunch, I took the MRT into Chinatown, intending to buy traditional Asian formalwear. Reservations about how I would take possession of a properly fitted outfit, and the knowledge that I would be returning in two weeks, and likely making a long weekend out of it, changed my mind. I left Chinatown with nothing.

My wife sent me to Singapore with a shopping list, so I took a cab from Chinatown to the supermarket at Great World City. I arrived in Singapore with nothing more than the clothes on my back and an envelope for the eye doctor. I left Singapore with rolled oats, frosting, chocolate pudding, dried fruit, and a new book: “Black Swans”. I thought I would need the book at the airport, but the subway ride back, and subsequent check-in at the airport left me with a mere 30 minutes before boarding the plane. I ended up reading no more than the prologue and first chapter.

Sunday, March 21. Saturday is usually the day we take our daughter out on a fun activity. Sundays we like to stay home and relax. Because I had spent Saturday in Singapore, we spent Sunday at Fantasy Land in North Jakarta’s Ancol. Ancol, also referred to as Fantasy World, is a Disney-esque play land. There is a large Waterbom water park, Seaworld (not the same brand), a beach (too dirty to swim at), a resort hotel, entertainment, and the Fantasy Land amusement park.

The “Lonely Planet” guide referred to Fantasy Land as a place they are surprised has not been sued by Disney for copyright infringement. Having now been there myself, I disagree. Fantasy Land is a B-grade amusement park, though still quite fun for the kids. There are not nearly the amount of rides you’ll find at Disney, or other major US theme parks. While most of the rides are of the State Fair caliber (house of mirrors, bumper cars, etc), it does have the obligatory merry-go-round, a Ferris Wheel, a small roller coaster, and a 4-D movie experience based on the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth.

My daughter is at the age where the majority of rides she can go on – merry-go-rounds, and rides like the Flying Dumbo’s at Disney – just don’t hold her interest, and the rides she really wants to go on, she doesn’t meet the height requirements. The river raft ride is a happy medium and was by far her favorite ride. It reminded her of the slide she called “The Loop” at Singapore’s water park.

We spent four hours at Fantasy Land because we had to be home for an appointment my wife made to buy some furniture from a departing expat and we wanted to eat at Hacienda on the way back. Luckily, because we never had to wait more than a few minutes for any ride, four hours was enough to get to do almost everything. I don’t know if we chose the right time of year, the right day, or if we just lucked out. The crowd was sparse and the ride times were much longer than they are in the US.

Our next activity will have to be Waterbom, the big water park in Ancol. Between Safari Park, Kidzania, Lollipops, Seaworld, Fantasy Land, horseback riding, Playground 72, and Waterbom, we are starting to establish a good list of Saturday activities that we can rotate through each week at varying cost and varying energy requirements. If Jakarta could add large, clean, open grassy areas for kids to run around in, I would call Jakarta a very kid-friendly city.

Bad Lunches, Bad Politicians - New Ideas Required

I want to thank my reader "Steph" for referring this link to me.  http://www.freakalytics.com/2010/03/12/agriculutural-subsidies/

As someone with an Economics degree, I strongly believe in the power of incentives (Black Swans not withstanding).  When you look at the incentives inspired by the agricultural subsidies (below chart), you'll understand why Americans are so overweight. The government encourages us to eat meat, and discourages consumption of grains, fruits and vegetables. The data is damning.

Obama promised "change".  Enough Americans believed him that he is now our president.  Unfortunately, the only change I have seen is the Democrats are now pushing their partisan agenda instead of the Republicans pushing their party agenda.  That isn't really change - even if you prefer the new agenda to the old one.

Politics has devolved into a debate of "what is right for my party" instead of "what is right for America".  They are more concerned about which party can solve the problem, or which party receives credit for a new program, than they are about actually solving the problem or providing benefits for our tax dollars.

I reiterate my request to vote them all out and start anew.  Regardless of party affiliation.

Support healthy children

In support of healthy children, I encourage everyone to read this blog and then inform your national representatives that school lunches should be healthy and economical, not cheap and filling.

How to remove candy from a nose

So, it finally happened. My daughter put something up her nose.

Today is the last day our visitors will be here. As a bit of a going away celebration, we gave the girls some small little candy hearts - the sour kind. After the candy was all gone, our daughter, very nervous that she would be in trouble, informed us that she "accidentally" got candy stuck up in her nose.

In the annals of my recent reading library, I remembered reading how to unstick something from your child's nose. It was in the parent's survival handbook.


I tried step one - remove the object using tweezers.  I tilted my daughter's head back, used a flashlight to locate the object, and tried to get at with tweezers.  She was unsettled and crying through the whole ordeal.  And it didn't work.  It was stuck too far up.

I went to step two.  I had my daughter stand up.  I got down on my knees.  This time, I didn't tell her what I was about to do.  She was calm, compliant, and unprepared for what happened next.  I plugged the unclogged nostril, put my mouth over hers, and blew as hard as I could.

The candy dislodged like a ball shot from a cannon - as did a bunch of her snot on my face.

Mark one down for the survival handbook!  Worked like a charm.  If it happens again, I'll have to record it and post the video.  At this point, the best I could do is a reenactment.

I suggest all parents and grandparents buy one (and please use the link on my blog when you do).

A comparison

Pictures of the different facial expressions of my two kids at the same age.

Domestic Help has its Drawbacks

When you speak to expats, or middle class and wealthy locals, they all rave about their maids and nannies. How much easier their lives are because of the domestic help. They seldom talk about the challenges.

I believe in full disclosure.

1) Money is a big deal. We received very good advice before we hired any domestic help - make them sign a contract. Our contract outlines the monthly salary, when they are eligible for a raise, stipulates their working hours, when and at what rate they will receive overtime, any medical and other benefits they are entitled to and, most importantly, that asking for money is grounds for termination. I cannot tell you the number of friends and colleagues who have complained of being asked for an advance, a loan, or more money. We have not had that experience. We have experienced, however, requests for "transportation costs". The contract indicates we will pay 30,000 Rupiah after 9 PM. Apparently, the taxi is 45,000 Rupiah, and our maid constantly reminds us of this, and asks for it if she stays past 6.

2) Money is a big deal, part 2. I've mentioned before that I pay more for my staff than my local colleagues, or my colleagues with an Indonesian wife. I think I've gained two benefits by paying more. First, and very important for us, our help speaks passable English. Second, they don't quit. Three of my colleagues have been through 3 different sets of help in the year I've been here. We're still with the original people we hired. But the help all talk - and they discriminate. The nanny of one of our friends who are moving on to a new assignment needed a new gig. So, our friends referred her to a family that just moved here. The nanny replied that she didn't want to work for that family because the "misses is Indian, and they are cheap." They want to work for Westerners because: 1) we don't know what the local price is and end up paying more and, 2) they think we will pay more and ask for less.

3) The Kids are Spoiled. This probably should have been obvious. We've seen it with many expat kids. The nannies aren't really enforcers - I think they fear termination if the kid gives a bad report - so, when left with a nanny, the kids run wild. They scream, they are bossy, and, often, downright rude. Neither of us expected our 4 month old to be spoiled. In Indonesia, especially in Bali, it is customary that a child is always in someones arms. Bali, in fact, has a special ceremony at 6 months of age where the child's feet will touch the ground for the first time. When the nanny is here, she is always holding our son. When she leaves, he still expects to be held all the time and cries incessantly until one of us hold him. Makes preparing and eating dinner a challenge. On the plus side, our son doesn't have hang ups about interacting with strangers. In the long run, I think this will serve him well.

4) One is easy, two is hard. If there is one helper, they know they are appreciated. When there are two, they talk. Then one, or both, becomes upset about their pay. If you are paying them the same and they have different jobs (like maid and nanny), one or both of them will be upset because they will feel that their job is more important and, therefore, deserves more pay. If you are not paying them the same, one or both will be upset because either they are the one making less, or they feel the gap is not large enough based on the amount of work they do. Even our contracts haven't really helped in this respect, though neither are asking for a raise (they know the consequences). I think the best thing to do is find one person who can do it all, and pay them well.


I guess if the biggest problem I have in life at the moment is dealing with my domestic help, I don't really have much to complain about.

Feeling gassy

This has been an interesting year in the energy business. A division of my company has just had a breakthrough discovery in the Gulf of Mexico that many in the industry are saying will revolutionize the oil industry. That discovery not withstanding, the most likely candidate for an Energy Discovery of the Year Award is fracking natural gas from shale.

If you are a capitalist, an isolationist, an environmentalist, or just plain like the idea of new technology, you can support what I am about to say:

It is time to switch our power plants, and our cars, to clean burning natural gas.

Don't believe me? Suspicious? Check these out:

1) America's oil supply is in trouble. We are a net importer of oil. Our three primary sources of oil are Canada (from the oil sands near the Arctic), Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. The oil sands in Canada are environmentally challenging. Mexico, long a net exporter, is poised to become a net importer for the first time in their history because nationalizing their industry has prevented them from advancing technologically. Our relationship with Saudi Arabia is diminishing (see below). That leaves us unfriendly (and arguably unstable) Venezuela and Russia, and politically unstable Nigeria, Iraq and Iran. If we transfer our power plants to CNG, we lower that risk. If we transfer our automobiles, we eliminate it. On the plus side for my friends here, it could mean an increased relationship with, and investment in, Indonesia and its deep oil reserves.

2) China's growing demand will destabilize the industry. It's already started. China is gaining favor with Saudi Arabia. On the surface, this doesn't sound like a big deal. Until you recognize that one of the drivers behind the US being a global reserve currency is because oil is always priced and sold in US dollars. Being a reserve currency helps keep the dollar strong, and the United States economically relevant. Saudi Arabia is the reason OPEC prices oil in US dollar. If Saudi Arabia decides that its relationship with China is more important than its relationship with the US, and we are still dependent on their oil, we're in big trouble.

3) Terrorists will lose their funding. It's no secret that the terrorists behind 9-11 were funded by oil. Osama bin Laden's wealth comes from his family's ties to oil. Opium and oil are Al-qaeda's source of income. If we stop buying their oil, we diminish their ability to attack us.

4) We can leave the middle east. Al qaeda has attacked us because of our policies. Not our policies of freedom - if it was just freedom, they could have attacked nations much closer to their home base. They don't like our policies in the middle east. Starving nations with economic sanctions because we disagree with their leadership. Supporting a government, in Saudi Arabia, they believe are not true Muslims. The history is long and the wounds are fresh. Why are we in the middle east? We need oil.

5) Natural gas is cheaper (now). Historically, natural gas has been more expensive than coal. With the new technology, greater supplies, and lower transportation costs, we can expect the current low costs of gas to continue, even with the increased demand. The supply curve has shifted. This means lower electric bills, and less money to fill your tank (even if you still drive a conventional combustion engine).

6) It's all domestic. The new fracking technology unlocks enough US reserves that we can support domestic consumption for 100 years. This means American labor, taxable corporate revenue, and independence from those who would attack us. As a side benefit, we can even reduce Russian influence in Europe (link may require free registration).


I recognize this isn't easy. There are challenges. Power plants are large capital expenses and take years to build. Current distribution networks don't have enough capacity to handle it all. We also have a catch-22. Consumers won't buy CNG vehicles without filler stations to provide them fuel. Gas stations won't add a CNG pump if there isn't enough demand to make it economical.

These are all surmountable. Because burning gas reduces emissions by 70% over coal, we can use the money we committed in Copenhagen to retrofit the power plants. Strategically placed tax incentives will jump start the supply until the demand picks up to make everything economical.

Luckily, companies, like Energen, are already making the profit connection and are focusing on natural gas. Exxon even got in the game by buying XTO. You can show your faith, and make a profit at the same time, by buying companies that find, drill, produce, and create power from Natural Gas. I know I am.

Two simple requests for 2010

I know, the year is two months old already. But, if you operate your life around the NFL, you'll understand that the league year just started last week Friday, so I'm really only 4 days into the year!

Anyway, I have two simple requests for everyone this year.

1) Vote out the incumbents. If you are happy with Congress, by all means, vote your Congressperson back into office. If you are unhappy with Congress, vote in someone new from your district. I know what you're thinking: "But I like my guy. He isn't the problem." WRONG! If you don't like Congress, that means your person has been ineffective. Even if he or she is well intentioned, they obviously aren't up for the job, so give someone else a try. If your blind, religious devotion to dogma won't let you vote for the other party, make sure the incumbent doesn't win the primary. Otherwise, you owe it to yourself, and your country, to vote someone else in. It is time we show our "representatives" that we don't want career politicians. We want people who are there to make a difference and then return to the private sector. Do it with me. Let's take back America.

2) Stop ostentatious displays of devotion. Look, I can appreciate the benefits religion, faith, and a church community brings to people's lives. I even support the rights of everyone to practice their faith without fear of prosecution. What I'm tired of is people who use faith for fame. Tim Tebow, I'm talking to you. And Jesse Jackson. And every politician who becomes 'born again' and contrite when they get caught in an affair, or making racist comments, or embezzling money. It's insincere. I'm also talking to those people who show up at sporting events carrying posters with "John 3:16" emblazoned on them. So, here is my request. When you go to a sporting event, I want you to carry a poster with "Matthew 6:5-8" and stand next to them. Bring the sign to the autograph signing events held by athletes who will say "God helped us win" but won't say "God wanted us to lose tonight". Bring it to the press conferences of the apologetic politicos when they confess their newfound commitment to God. Don't worry, none of them will have a clue what your sign means (though you should look it up yourself).

Let's make the world a better place....well, at least for the 2 years we have left before the Mayan space gods come and conquer us all.

Medical Adventures

Obtaining medical care in Jakarta can be interesting. While my own experience has been overwhelmingly positive, with a few notable exceptions, I've heard some interesting stories. Some could be communication mishaps, others are quite possibly just a different approach, then there are the incidents that are either the result of utter incompetence, or lack of training. Here are a few and you can decide for yourself:

1) Sunburn treated with acid. One of our friends is a fair-skinned woman from a country known more for cold, biting winters than for tropical summers. On a recent trip to Lombok, she spent too much time in the sun and returned with a rather severe burn. After exhausting the medical treatments recommended by other expats - Aloe Vera, hydrating lotion, pain killers - with minimal improvement, she sought the advice of the doctors at a local expat clinic. The doctor (an Indonesian national) prescribed a topical cream that she was to apply every night and leave on for twenty minutes before washing off. On the first night, she followed the directions and it started to burn. The next morning, she awoke with blistered lips and her skin more painful than ever. At the recommendation of another expat, she consulted with a dermatologist. When the dermatologist discovered that the previous doctor had prescribed a SKIN WHITENING cream (presumably to change the red skin back to white???), he told her to stop using it immediately because it contains acid and is the worst thing you can do to a sunburn. The dermatologist gave her a more suitable remedy. She called the expat liaison at the original clinic, who promptly fired the original doctor.

2) Dental scaling. Dental cleanings are typically uneventful. They scrape the built up plaque and tartar from your teeth, clean them with a paste and a spinning brush, floss between the teeth, and send you on your way. In Jakarta, the approach is a little different. The first step is the same - examine the teeth and remove the tartar. That's where the similarity stops. Instead of a brush with paste, they use a spinning pinwheel with metal fingers to "scale" the teeth. That's it. No flossing. No Xrays. In and out in ten minutes. I'll have to ask my dentist back in the US if that is very effective.

3) Eye care. I mentioned that when I was in Yogyakarta, I lost my contacts. After several phone calls with our local medical care facility, my insurance, and our internal HR people, I finally found a local opthalmologist who recognized the name of the eye disease I have (keratoconus) and said he could treat me. I contact my optometrist in Phoenix and get a copy of the prescription she gave me in the weeks before I left for Jakarta. Armed with that, I am hoping to see the local doctor, ask him to order the prescription I have, and then wait for my contacts. He had other ideas. First, he gave me a brief examination. Then, he had me sit in front of a machine that examined my eyes and printed out a prescription. Finally, instead of having me sit behind one of those fancy machines that optometrists use to do perform the "better like this, or like this" exam, he had me sit in a chair and wear very large, lensless glasses. From his briefcase, he withdrew lenses that matched the prescription the machine determined was correct for my eyes and tested my vision by having me read the chart. I couldn't. The glasses I arrived with worked better, but he was quite satisfied with what the machine provided him. He wrote me a prescription and referred me to a local optical shop to fill it.

Well, I ran an optical shop for 2 years, so I know a little about the optical industry. When I noticed that the prescription not only changed a full diopter (which is unheard of for one year), but IMPROVED, I asked him to explain it. He said that is what the machine recommended. I asked again why it would change so much in a year. He asked if I wanted to speak to the expat liaison. I said I did.

I explained my concerns. I've had keratoconus for nearly a decade and visited with several opthalmologists in Phoenix while confirming the diagnosis. They all referred me to the ONE person in Phoenix they knew of who could fit me for lenses. I told the liaison I did not expect that Jakarta would have that specialty. I also informed him that testing for any changes in the cornea is a standard part of the annual exam - at least the last 7 or so I have had. The machine required to perform this exam (it provides a topographical map of the cornea) was not in the room. Finally, because keratoconus involves a corneal deformity, and contacts are typically considered a medical necessity, and not a cosmetic improvement over glasses, it is the standard practice (and a practical necessity) to put a lens in the eye before correcting the vision. The local opthalmologist did not do this.

Long story short, I am going to Singapore on the 20th to see a specialist.

4) Treating an ear infection with massage. The title of this entry speaks for itself. As the story goes, a person I will call "Dave" went to a local doctor complaining of ear aches and problems with vertigo for several weeks. The doctor did a full examination, diagnosed an ear disorder best treated by massage and accupuncture three times weekly for several months. A colleague, shocked at the recommended treatment, insisted Dave go to an expat clinic. In fact, the colleague drove Dave there, accompanied Dave to the front desk and demanded they treat an ear infection. The clinic prescribed ear drops. Two days later, symptoms were gone.


Those are the stories. Keep in mind that for each one of those, we have dozens of examples where everything worked splendidly - and at an extremely reasonable price. Like the emergency room trip in Yogyakarta and treating the fevers and head colds I've experienced.

I sometimes wonder if local doctors dislike treating expats. I know many expats are critical and suspicious of anything a local doctor recommends. Many refuse to see a local doctor and insist on seeing an expat doctor. With experiences like the above, you can understand why. It only takes one bad experience to erase dozens of positive experiences.
 
One last note.  I intentionally am not naming any of the medical facilities or doctors involved in any of the above because defamation laws here come with jail time.  Even if the statements are true, sharing negative information is considered defamation.  So, here is my Law and Order disclaimer:  though all the stories are based on real events, any resemblance to a specific medical facility or provider is purely coincidental and unintended.

UPDATED:  Here is an interesting opinion from the Jakarta Post.

Expat Community

From a very early age, I've been interested in the world outside my home town. I think it probably started with conversations with my Great-Grandfather Nash, who emigrated to the US during the Mexican Revolution. When I was 7, and living in Michigan, knowing that someone in my family spoke an entire different language and came from a completely different country was absolutely fascinating. This fascination grew after a family reunion in Acapulco, a summer spent visiting my relatives in Mexico, involvement in a foreign exchange program to Germany, and my personal travels as an adult.

Living abroad and being part of the expat community has served to affirm and strengthen my interest in and appreciation for other cultures. The richness of their experiences, the diversity of their backgrounds, and both the commonality and differences in familial and political perspectives is amazing and personally enriching.

Last night we had dinner with some expat friends from Greece who are returning to China for yet another assignment. We talked of family. We talked of the vagaries of living in Jakarta, and other countries, and what we love about it, and what we miss in our home country. We spoke of history. How the nobility of Europe began interbreeding by adhering to the rule of only marrying other nobility, and diminished their gene pool so severely, they started birthing morons who would lose the family fortune. A European education, as one might expect, has a different perspective on European history than an American education. Most of all, we spoke of our home countries.

I have always wanted to visit Greece. I'm fascinated by the history. I'm fascinated by the influence the ancient Greeks still have on our world today. From mathematics, to philosophy and government, even medicine and language still retain the influence from the ancient Greeks. I've always wanted to see the great architectural wonders of ancient Athens - the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temples honoring Apollo, Zeus, and Hera.

When I was in college, I saw the movie Summer Lovers and knew I wanted to experience the sleepy seaside communities built on the cliffs of the Aegean and Medittereanean Seas.  After speaking with our friends last night, and hearing them describe the azure blue waters - "the color of Gillete shaving gel", the sandy beaches of every color imaginable, the differences between Western Greece and Eastern Greece, I have a renewed in visiting.

This is the life I always dreamed of when I thought of traveling and living abroad.  Meeting great people.  Sharing stories of our travels to and living in foreign nations.  I always leave these conversations enriched, educated, and with a new perspective on life.  Expats are a unique breed of adventurous, educated, diplomatic and succesful people.  I am proud and humbled to call myself a part of them.

Riding Horses

In our ongoing attempts to keep the kids entertained and provide enriching experiences, this past Saturday we decided to take everyone horseback riding at the Jakarta Polo and Equestrian Club (JPEC) in Senul City, south of Jakarta. This is the same place we took our daughter in August of last year. Last time, because my wife was 8 months pregnant, my daughter was the only rider. This time, we all went riding.

The kids, still without programmed fear, had a great time riding their puny palfrey. My wife, who has only twice ridden a horse not attached to a metal bar and walking in a circle, and sister-in-law who has never ridden an unsecured horse, had visions of Christopher Reeves in their heads as they mounted their enormous steeds. As for me, a summer vacation at El Rancho, and several horseback riding birthday gifts from my Aunt Terry and Uncle Earl trained me as a competent, non-expert rider.

JPEC, much to the relief of my wife and sister-in-law, and to my chagrin, do not permit free riding. This meant all our horses had leads and we walked on pavement the whole trip. The kids still loved it, I was disappointed, and the mom's were still having visions of the horses they were riding overpowering the guides and either bucking them off and breaking their necks, or bucking them to the ground with their foot still stuck in the stirrup while the horse takes off at a gallop.

It's amazing what twenty years of life can do for fear. Kids have none. Adults have all kinds. I'll leave it to people more experienced than I in the ways of the psyche to explain why.