I've always wanted to have a large house. Big house, big yard. The below video demonstrates the benefits of a large house.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Pictures from Singapore
Our time in Singapore this last trip was very short, but we still took some great pictures!
Most of these are from in and around the hotel. Check out the size of the snails! It's the picture with my foot in it.
Most of these are from in and around the hotel. Check out the size of the snails! It's the picture with my foot in it.
We've Gone Hollywood?
I've been playing rugby (touch) now for over a year on Thursday nights. I know all the guys, generally, but none of them very well. Their lifestyle of hard partying and travelling rugby tournaments doesn't exactly align well with mine. Apparently I need to pay better attention when I talk to them about their lives in Indonesia.
All of the guys I play with are expats. The overwhelming majority are from Australia or New Zealand, many with the respective embassies. There are a few Britons, another American and a few Canadians. One of the Canadians, I thought, worked as a cameraman for local TV. When we first met, that's what I took away from our conversation - that his parents spent a lot of time in Indonesia, he decided to stay, and he found employment in the TV industry behind the camera.
Apparently, he said IN FRONT of the camera.
When we had our house warming party, I wore my "Damn, I Love Indonesia" t-shirt. One of my friends commented that the owner of the brand was a local celebrity. When I wore the same shirt to rugby one night, the guy I thought was a camera man told me his friend owned the shop. I didn't think much of it at the time.
At last week's rugby, I asked him: "You said you were friends with the owner of the 'Damn, I Love Indonesia' shop, right?"
"Yes", he replied, "Vijay."
"Isn't he famous?", I asked.
"Famous? No more so than I am. We're on the same TV show", he replied.
Turns out, I've been playing rugby with a local celebrity. He's been on the cover of the Indonesian version of People, his wedding was in all the headlines, they sold their wedding pictures to raise money for charity, and the birth of their baby was as big a deal as Suri Cruise. I asked a few people on my staff if they'd ever heard of him, and all of the women fawned. Apparently he was a fashion model who then starred in TV and movies. All the women I work with want to meet him. My wife says I have a man crush.
I've known a celebrity for over a year and had no idea (he has his own wikipedia page). I guess I'm out of touch.
Maybe he can endorse my game for the iPhone?
All of the guys I play with are expats. The overwhelming majority are from Australia or New Zealand, many with the respective embassies. There are a few Britons, another American and a few Canadians. One of the Canadians, I thought, worked as a cameraman for local TV. When we first met, that's what I took away from our conversation - that his parents spent a lot of time in Indonesia, he decided to stay, and he found employment in the TV industry behind the camera.
Apparently, he said IN FRONT of the camera.
When we had our house warming party, I wore my "Damn, I Love Indonesia" t-shirt. One of my friends commented that the owner of the brand was a local celebrity. When I wore the same shirt to rugby one night, the guy I thought was a camera man told me his friend owned the shop. I didn't think much of it at the time.
At last week's rugby, I asked him: "You said you were friends with the owner of the 'Damn, I Love Indonesia' shop, right?"
"Yes", he replied, "Vijay."
"Isn't he famous?", I asked.
"Famous? No more so than I am. We're on the same TV show", he replied.
Turns out, I've been playing rugby with a local celebrity. He's been on the cover of the Indonesian version of People, his wedding was in all the headlines, they sold their wedding pictures to raise money for charity, and the birth of their baby was as big a deal as Suri Cruise. I asked a few people on my staff if they'd ever heard of him, and all of the women fawned. Apparently he was a fashion model who then starred in TV and movies. All the women I work with want to meet him. My wife says I have a man crush.
I've known a celebrity for over a year and had no idea (he has his own wikipedia page). I guess I'm out of touch.
Maybe he can endorse my game for the iPhone?
Traffic Frustration
This event took place several weeks ago and I keep forgetting to recount it here.
Presumably in an attempt to alleviate traffic (versus line the pockets of a supporter), a major road construction project is underway near the neighborhood where we live. The goal is to build an elevated new road over the existing road and make them both one-way (in opposite directions). The net effect, for now, is increased congestion on the other roads.
Two weeks ago, as we were leaving for dinner with friends, we learned another effect of the construction is detours through our neighborhood. We sat unmoving for fifteen minutes, surrounded by motorcycles on all sides, less than one hundred meters from our house.
For a clear picture of the situation it's important to know the main road through my neighborhood is barely two cars wide (we have to pull in the side mirrors to pass each other) and there are several right-angle turns that, if not done correctly, require a three-point maneuver to complete. Two cars cannot make the turn at the same time. The flood of motorcycles prevented cars from moving at all in the already tight conditions. The result was gridlock.
After five minutes, I grew impatient. We were supposed to pick up our friends and the drive to their house, under normal conditions, should require five minutes. After ten minutes I had a few choice words for the situation. Fifteen minutes of not moving and I'd had enough. I got out of the car.
When you exit the neighborhood from my house, the road heads north to a "T". Turning left is the traditional (paved) way out of the neighborhood and requires two, right-angle turns. Turning right will also lead out of the neighborhood on an unpaved road that leads directly through the heart of the cemetery. Because most of the traffic were detours - and Indonesia doesn't exactly use detour signs to direct the traffic - everyone was trying to remain on the paved roads.
I marched up to the "T" intersection determined to unclog the jam. The recognized the constant flow of motorcycles prevented cars from completing the turn. So, I did what any good Indonesian would do. I directed traffic.
My wingspan is wide enough I was able to cover the entire gap between the turning car and the edge of the road. Once I had stopped all the bikes, I redirected them onto the dirt road through the cemetery. This had the same effect as removing a dam on a river. Within minutes, all of the motorcycles had cleared and were on their merry way through the cemetery. Cars started turning again, and my car was soon able to reach the intersection where it picked me up and we continued on to pick up our friends.
We waited fifteen minutes waiting for the situation to resolve itself. Two minutes after I exited my vehicle, the logjam had cleared.
Next time I won't be so patient.
Presumably in an attempt to alleviate traffic (versus line the pockets of a supporter), a major road construction project is underway near the neighborhood where we live. The goal is to build an elevated new road over the existing road and make them both one-way (in opposite directions). The net effect, for now, is increased congestion on the other roads.
Two weeks ago, as we were leaving for dinner with friends, we learned another effect of the construction is detours through our neighborhood. We sat unmoving for fifteen minutes, surrounded by motorcycles on all sides, less than one hundred meters from our house.
For a clear picture of the situation it's important to know the main road through my neighborhood is barely two cars wide (we have to pull in the side mirrors to pass each other) and there are several right-angle turns that, if not done correctly, require a three-point maneuver to complete. Two cars cannot make the turn at the same time. The flood of motorcycles prevented cars from moving at all in the already tight conditions. The result was gridlock.
After five minutes, I grew impatient. We were supposed to pick up our friends and the drive to their house, under normal conditions, should require five minutes. After ten minutes I had a few choice words for the situation. Fifteen minutes of not moving and I'd had enough. I got out of the car.
When you exit the neighborhood from my house, the road heads north to a "T". Turning left is the traditional (paved) way out of the neighborhood and requires two, right-angle turns. Turning right will also lead out of the neighborhood on an unpaved road that leads directly through the heart of the cemetery. Because most of the traffic were detours - and Indonesia doesn't exactly use detour signs to direct the traffic - everyone was trying to remain on the paved roads.
I marched up to the "T" intersection determined to unclog the jam. The recognized the constant flow of motorcycles prevented cars from completing the turn. So, I did what any good Indonesian would do. I directed traffic.
My wingspan is wide enough I was able to cover the entire gap between the turning car and the edge of the road. Once I had stopped all the bikes, I redirected them onto the dirt road through the cemetery. This had the same effect as removing a dam on a river. Within minutes, all of the motorcycles had cleared and were on their merry way through the cemetery. Cars started turning again, and my car was soon able to reach the intersection where it picked me up and we continued on to pick up our friends.
We waited fifteen minutes waiting for the situation to resolve itself. Two minutes after I exited my vehicle, the logjam had cleared.
Next time I won't be so patient.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Medical Update
I do not have glaucoma. A bit of an anatomy lesson:
Our eyes are filled with a pressurized fluid. Without this fluid, our eyes would collapse like a deflated balloon. We need the fluid to maintain the correct shape which, in turn, keeps our vision accurate. Behind our eyes is a blood vessel that feeds the optical nerve. If the pressure in our eyes increases, the eyeball itself will push hard on this vessel, and blood won't make it to the nerve, which leads to blindness. This is what happens to people with glaucoma, but it takes time. That's why an annual pressure check can detect a problem and, through daily treatment with pressure reducing eye drops, prevent the eventual nerve damage.
The test I took during my physical used a burst of air to check for increased pressure and found it - to a high degree. So why did the test read high and I don't have glaucoma? Because I have keratoconus.
Keratoconus, which I've known about for over ten years, is the term for a coning of the cornea (the cornea is supposed to be perfectly spherical). The pressure tests use a series of complicated mathematical formulas based on the laws of physics to determine the pressure of the fluid in the eye. One of the inputs to this formula presupposes a correctly curved cornea. I don't have this, so the results are widely skewed.
Today, I did a number of follow up tests, including the original air test. The two primary tests they did today were a corneal thickness test and a laser picture of my optical nerve. The corneal thickness test was a bit odd. It involved first numbing my eyes with drops and then using a tool similar to a ballpoint pen to poke at the surface of my eye and measure the response. I'm glad I couldn't feel it. Before I left, they did a final examination to validate none of their tests scratched my eyes.
I took a total of seven tests and spent over two hours at the office. Based on the results, we're returning to Jakarta tomorrow; our good news/bad news thought for the day.
On the plus side, it looks like my keratoconus has improved, too....but I still can't read the fine print on the back of food packaging.
I'm glad it's over, I'm glad I don't have glaucoma and, most of all, I'm glad I don't have to monitor the city morgues and obituaries for dead pilots so I can request an eye transplant; I hear they are required to have perfect vision without correction.
Our eyes are filled with a pressurized fluid. Without this fluid, our eyes would collapse like a deflated balloon. We need the fluid to maintain the correct shape which, in turn, keeps our vision accurate. Behind our eyes is a blood vessel that feeds the optical nerve. If the pressure in our eyes increases, the eyeball itself will push hard on this vessel, and blood won't make it to the nerve, which leads to blindness. This is what happens to people with glaucoma, but it takes time. That's why an annual pressure check can detect a problem and, through daily treatment with pressure reducing eye drops, prevent the eventual nerve damage.
The test I took during my physical used a burst of air to check for increased pressure and found it - to a high degree. So why did the test read high and I don't have glaucoma? Because I have keratoconus.
Keratoconus, which I've known about for over ten years, is the term for a coning of the cornea (the cornea is supposed to be perfectly spherical). The pressure tests use a series of complicated mathematical formulas based on the laws of physics to determine the pressure of the fluid in the eye. One of the inputs to this formula presupposes a correctly curved cornea. I don't have this, so the results are widely skewed.
Today, I did a number of follow up tests, including the original air test. The two primary tests they did today were a corneal thickness test and a laser picture of my optical nerve. The corneal thickness test was a bit odd. It involved first numbing my eyes with drops and then using a tool similar to a ballpoint pen to poke at the surface of my eye and measure the response. I'm glad I couldn't feel it. Before I left, they did a final examination to validate none of their tests scratched my eyes.
I took a total of seven tests and spent over two hours at the office. Based on the results, we're returning to Jakarta tomorrow; our good news/bad news thought for the day.
On the plus side, it looks like my keratoconus has improved, too....but I still can't read the fine print on the back of food packaging.
I'm glad it's over, I'm glad I don't have glaucoma and, most of all, I'm glad I don't have to monitor the city morgues and obituaries for dead pilots so I can request an eye transplant; I hear they are required to have perfect vision without correction.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
In Singapore Again
Singapore has become our home away from our home away from home. To a large degree, I feel I know Singapore better than I know Phoenix! This trip, however, is unlike any of our prior trips: the incentives are mixed.
My wife and I vacillated on whether I should make this trip alone or if the family should come with me. We're always up for a trip to Singapore, even if just for a few days. We often make mini-vacations out of our frequent medical trips because insurance pays for the airfare and lodging, and we make up the difference for adding the kids, meals, etc. Taking this approach has minimized the time we spend apart. If we knew for sure I'd be here one day, I would have come by myself. Because there is a chance I'll be here a full week, we eventually decided everyone should come along.
So for this trip we're in a quandary. We can all use some extended time away from Jakarta. But I'm on medical leave, not vacation. If my test tomorrow comes back negative - which is good news - we return to Jakarta tomorrow so I can be back at work on Tuesday. If the test confirms the original results - which is bad news - my family will remain in Singapore as I begin treatment. In order to get the enjoyment of staying longer in Singapore, I need a positive test for glaucoma. Poor incentives.
We tried to start this trip off on the right footing. We left Jakarta early afternoon. This allowed us to sleep in normally and even have a traditional Sunday morning in Jakarta. We arrived in Singapore while it was still daylight and had dinner at a normal time. Plane was mostly empty, we were no worse than third in line at check-in and immigration in Jakarta and Singapore. No waiting for a taxi once we landed and no traffic on the ride to the hotel. The timing was great.
Unfortunately, my son has added a new wrinkle to our travels. For the first time, as he watched the plane leave the ground, he absolutely flipped out. He didn't calm down until we closed the window shades and he could no longer see outside. The process repeated itself when we opened our shades for landing - a regulatory mandate. After all of our traveling he has apparently developed a fear of heights. I can only hope this is temporary. It's not exactly easy to reason with a sixteen-month-old.
In any event, we're back in Singapore staying at the Shangri-La Hotel. My daughter had the same reaction as our last stay here. This time, instead of one of the tower rooms, we're in one of the more exclusive "Garden Wing" rooms. Totally inadvertent. Apparently my secretary and I miscommunicated. I also didn't pay close attention to the details when she gave me my itinerary. So I'm paying $100 more per night than I had intended. It's quite nice, and, with the new baby in July drastically reducing our travel opportunities, we weren't going to use my full travel allowance for the year, anyway, so I don't mind the additional indulgence.
So I guess now we just have to hope we stay long enough to enjoy it? Ugh, what to wish for....
My wife and I vacillated on whether I should make this trip alone or if the family should come with me. We're always up for a trip to Singapore, even if just for a few days. We often make mini-vacations out of our frequent medical trips because insurance pays for the airfare and lodging, and we make up the difference for adding the kids, meals, etc. Taking this approach has minimized the time we spend apart. If we knew for sure I'd be here one day, I would have come by myself. Because there is a chance I'll be here a full week, we eventually decided everyone should come along.
So for this trip we're in a quandary. We can all use some extended time away from Jakarta. But I'm on medical leave, not vacation. If my test tomorrow comes back negative - which is good news - we return to Jakarta tomorrow so I can be back at work on Tuesday. If the test confirms the original results - which is bad news - my family will remain in Singapore as I begin treatment. In order to get the enjoyment of staying longer in Singapore, I need a positive test for glaucoma. Poor incentives.
We tried to start this trip off on the right footing. We left Jakarta early afternoon. This allowed us to sleep in normally and even have a traditional Sunday morning in Jakarta. We arrived in Singapore while it was still daylight and had dinner at a normal time. Plane was mostly empty, we were no worse than third in line at check-in and immigration in Jakarta and Singapore. No waiting for a taxi once we landed and no traffic on the ride to the hotel. The timing was great.
Unfortunately, my son has added a new wrinkle to our travels. For the first time, as he watched the plane leave the ground, he absolutely flipped out. He didn't calm down until we closed the window shades and he could no longer see outside. The process repeated itself when we opened our shades for landing - a regulatory mandate. After all of our traveling he has apparently developed a fear of heights. I can only hope this is temporary. It's not exactly easy to reason with a sixteen-month-old.
In any event, we're back in Singapore staying at the Shangri-La Hotel. My daughter had the same reaction as our last stay here. This time, instead of one of the tower rooms, we're in one of the more exclusive "Garden Wing" rooms. Totally inadvertent. Apparently my secretary and I miscommunicated. I also didn't pay close attention to the details when she gave me my itinerary. So I'm paying $100 more per night than I had intended. It's quite nice, and, with the new baby in July drastically reducing our travel opportunities, we weren't going to use my full travel allowance for the year, anyway, so I don't mind the additional indulgence.
So I guess now we just have to hope we stay long enough to enjoy it? Ugh, what to wish for....
Thursday, March 17, 2011
A week in the life
Life in Jakarta has finally found a normalcy. It took two years, moving to a house, and trying dozens of different activities before we finally found the people, the lifestyle, the schedule and the activities that are clicking for us.
Last week Friday I hosted my first poker game in over three years. For over fifteen years, dating back to my sophomore year of college, poker was a monthly event. A time for the guys to get together and shift $20 around to each other, discuss sports, jobs and family over the course of four hours. Between my Tuesday night Futsol and the guys I've met through my wife's friends, I have my poker group again.
Saturday we spent back at Kemang Club Villas. Even though we've moved, our rent there was paid through April, so we can still use the facilities. Many of our friends still live there, too. We swam, chatted with friends, and our daughter got to play with her friend who had recently moved to China and is visiting in Jakarta for the next two weeks. Saturday evening, we had dinner at Hacienda with two other couples to celebrate finally closing out the lease on my business in the US. The wife of one of the couples is a month behind us in her pregnancy, and her husband plays Futsol with me on Tuesday nights, so we have a lot in common.
Even our children are getting into the routine. Living in the museum-sized house we now call home, they have mastered riding scooters and scoot cars around the living room, dining room, and kitchen, navigating the furniture like an obstacle course. Our driveway is big enough that I've introduced my daughter to a version of kickball with ghost runners. She always wins. They have play dates, they swim, they run around outside. This is what home was like for us in Arizona.
That's not to say all is perfect. Traffic is still a major drag on our spirits. Anyone who has ever attended a major sporting event and suffered the time it takes to leave the parking lot knows what a trip to the grocery store feels like. Everyone living in a big city complains about traffic. Until a trip to the grocery store is a three hour event, well, I'm not interested in hearing the complaint.
Quality medical care is still problematic. We've been blessed with excellent health, the occasional cold not withstanding. But we're making yet another trip to Singapore for medical care. During my annual physical they did a routine eye exam. One of the tests was for glaucoma. My test came back positive. I sent the results to my ophthalmologist in Phoenix who agreed with the findings and recommended I get some additional tests and, if they confirm the initial tests, begin immediate treatment for glaucoma.
So on Sunday, we're making the trip back to Singapore for an undetermined period of time. I get retested on Monday. If the results are clean, we'll return to Jakarta on Tuesday. If the results confirm the diagnosis, we'll be in Singapore another three to five days so I can begin immediate treatment. Not the best news I've ever received, but, like the keratoconus diagnosis ten years ago, it's treatable and it doesn't have much of an impact on my lifestyle unless I ignore it.
A few other quick notes:
Neither the maid nor the nanny wanted the motorcycle. One said she couldn't drive a manual transmission and she was afraid it would get stolen where she lives. The other said it was so old she was afraid the police would pull her over all the time and harass her to confirm it met driving standards and she didn't want to have to deal with that. So, $120 down the drain...unless I can find a buyer for $150!
We've solved the help issue....I think. We're flying down my cousin (my father's, brother's daughter) to help us out from 12 May through 1 July. My mom will pick up the help from there (assuming she gets back to me....hint hint). This means I get to go to my friend's wedding in Shanghai in mid-May! It's my first trip to China and I'm really looking forward to it, even if it is only for two days.
We've started doing yoga regularly on Wednesday nights. I've done yoga before, but never made it part of my regular routine. I feel great for a full 24 hours after the session. If you've never tried yoga before, I recommend you take a class and decide if it is right for you. I now split my Futsol and Rugby nights with a night of yoga, and we'll probably add another night of yoga. It makes us feel that good!
Last week Friday I hosted my first poker game in over three years. For over fifteen years, dating back to my sophomore year of college, poker was a monthly event. A time for the guys to get together and shift $20 around to each other, discuss sports, jobs and family over the course of four hours. Between my Tuesday night Futsol and the guys I've met through my wife's friends, I have my poker group again.
Saturday we spent back at Kemang Club Villas. Even though we've moved, our rent there was paid through April, so we can still use the facilities. Many of our friends still live there, too. We swam, chatted with friends, and our daughter got to play with her friend who had recently moved to China and is visiting in Jakarta for the next two weeks. Saturday evening, we had dinner at Hacienda with two other couples to celebrate finally closing out the lease on my business in the US. The wife of one of the couples is a month behind us in her pregnancy, and her husband plays Futsol with me on Tuesday nights, so we have a lot in common.
Even our children are getting into the routine. Living in the museum-sized house we now call home, they have mastered riding scooters and scoot cars around the living room, dining room, and kitchen, navigating the furniture like an obstacle course. Our driveway is big enough that I've introduced my daughter to a version of kickball with ghost runners. She always wins. They have play dates, they swim, they run around outside. This is what home was like for us in Arizona.
That's not to say all is perfect. Traffic is still a major drag on our spirits. Anyone who has ever attended a major sporting event and suffered the time it takes to leave the parking lot knows what a trip to the grocery store feels like. Everyone living in a big city complains about traffic. Until a trip to the grocery store is a three hour event, well, I'm not interested in hearing the complaint.
Quality medical care is still problematic. We've been blessed with excellent health, the occasional cold not withstanding. But we're making yet another trip to Singapore for medical care. During my annual physical they did a routine eye exam. One of the tests was for glaucoma. My test came back positive. I sent the results to my ophthalmologist in Phoenix who agreed with the findings and recommended I get some additional tests and, if they confirm the initial tests, begin immediate treatment for glaucoma.
So on Sunday, we're making the trip back to Singapore for an undetermined period of time. I get retested on Monday. If the results are clean, we'll return to Jakarta on Tuesday. If the results confirm the diagnosis, we'll be in Singapore another three to five days so I can begin immediate treatment. Not the best news I've ever received, but, like the keratoconus diagnosis ten years ago, it's treatable and it doesn't have much of an impact on my lifestyle unless I ignore it.
A few other quick notes:
Neither the maid nor the nanny wanted the motorcycle. One said she couldn't drive a manual transmission and she was afraid it would get stolen where she lives. The other said it was so old she was afraid the police would pull her over all the time and harass her to confirm it met driving standards and she didn't want to have to deal with that. So, $120 down the drain...unless I can find a buyer for $150!
We've solved the help issue....I think. We're flying down my cousin (my father's, brother's daughter) to help us out from 12 May through 1 July. My mom will pick up the help from there (assuming she gets back to me....hint hint). This means I get to go to my friend's wedding in Shanghai in mid-May! It's my first trip to China and I'm really looking forward to it, even if it is only for two days.
We've started doing yoga regularly on Wednesday nights. I've done yoga before, but never made it part of my regular routine. I feel great for a full 24 hours after the session. If you've never tried yoga before, I recommend you take a class and decide if it is right for you. I now split my Futsol and Rugby nights with a night of yoga, and we'll probably add another night of yoga. It makes us feel that good!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Books I've Read
I often write of the copious amounts of reading having a driver affords me. I've read the entire collection of H.G. Lawrence, several Stephen King novels, and many of the childhood classics: Gulliver's Travels, The Jungle Book, Treasure Island. I seldom recommend the books I read; not because I don't enjoy them, but because most people are already aware of them and have either read them or decided not to.
The past two weeks I've read three books I think most people should add to their reading list. Even dedicated bibliophiles like myself may not encounter these books:
1) The Dangerous Book for Boys
. This book was highly touted when it first became available in 2007. I think that's even when I bought it. I finally read it this past week and it was well worth my time. Broken into chapters averaging just a few pages each, the book is an instruction manual for how to do the types of activities that are becoming more and more rare as technology takes over our lives. From building home-made batteries, to navigating by the stars, to dealing with girls, to the Ten Commandments, this book is an instruction manual on growing up male. A few of the activities, like making paper hats and boats, growing crystals, and creating your own cipher, I've either done with my own kids or plan to in the coming weeks. I recommend this book to anyone who has a son, a grandson, or a great-grandson.
2) Council of Dads.
At the age of 35, it isn't often that I consider my own mortality. A few events: planning my will, obtaining life insurance; and the Michael Keaton movie "My Life
", both did the trick for me. Council of Dads made me reflect not only on my own mortality, but on what it means to be a human. It tells the true story of a man roughly my age diagnosed with cancer shortly after the birth of his twin daughters. He takes the reader on his personally journey of reaching out to important men in his life who can, collectively, represent him to his own daughters and fill in for the void he feared he would leave. They would be, his Council of Dads.
One of the key takeaways for me with this book was to periodically check your inventory. Not of the things you have, or of your blessing. An inventory of the people in your life you know you can call, under any circumstances: needing bail, a lift to the doctor, a shoulder because of a terrible tragedy; and, no matter where you are or they are, they will drop everything in their life and rush to help you. I reflected on this quite a bit while reading the book and decided a few things: First, if this number is less than five, you may want to be nicer to people. Second, if the inventory is disproportionately family, you need to do more social activities. Conversely, if the inventory is disproportionately friends, you have some reparations to do with your family. What does your inventory look like?
3) Gateway to Empire.
In the two years I've lived in Jakarta, and the nearly 18 years I've lived away from where I grew up, nothing made me more interested in returning to the Midwest than reading this book. Set in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Gateway tells the story of America's expansion into the Mississippi river basin. The author does an excellent job telling both sides of the story in a (mostly) unbiased voice. The imperialistic young nation wanting nothing more than to invite the Indians into their way of life, and the disparate tribes of Indians reluctantly trying, despite a natural aversion to planting crops where the Creator did not intend for them to grow. I learned more about the country I grew up in by reading this book than I ever did in school. If you have ever lived east of the Appalachians, west of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line, you'll get a real enjoyment hearing how it was settled, conquered, and built. After reading this book, I am now looking for a biography of Tecumseh.
Finally, I leave all of my reading brethren with a question: How much of a book you are not enjoying reading do you finish before giving up? In the last year, I've started and failed to finish a handful of books. Others I've forced myself to finish just for the sense of accomplishment, but I found no enjoyment in them (The Cave
fits that description - the book had no punctuation!). I typically give the author 50% of the book, or 200 pages, whichever comes first. I just started Foucault's Pendulum
, by Umberto Eco. I'm 50 pages in and wish I hadn't started. I'm switching books tomorrow.
When do you give up?
The past two weeks I've read three books I think most people should add to their reading list. Even dedicated bibliophiles like myself may not encounter these books:
1) The Dangerous Book for Boys
. This book was highly touted when it first became available in 2007. I think that's even when I bought it. I finally read it this past week and it was well worth my time. Broken into chapters averaging just a few pages each, the book is an instruction manual for how to do the types of activities that are becoming more and more rare as technology takes over our lives. From building home-made batteries, to navigating by the stars, to dealing with girls, to the Ten Commandments, this book is an instruction manual on growing up male. A few of the activities, like making paper hats and boats, growing crystals, and creating your own cipher, I've either done with my own kids or plan to in the coming weeks. I recommend this book to anyone who has a son, a grandson, or a great-grandson.2) Council of Dads.
At the age of 35, it isn't often that I consider my own mortality. A few events: planning my will, obtaining life insurance; and the Michael Keaton movie "My Life", both did the trick for me. Council of Dads made me reflect not only on my own mortality, but on what it means to be a human. It tells the true story of a man roughly my age diagnosed with cancer shortly after the birth of his twin daughters. He takes the reader on his personally journey of reaching out to important men in his life who can, collectively, represent him to his own daughters and fill in for the void he feared he would leave. They would be, his Council of Dads.One of the key takeaways for me with this book was to periodically check your inventory. Not of the things you have, or of your blessing. An inventory of the people in your life you know you can call, under any circumstances: needing bail, a lift to the doctor, a shoulder because of a terrible tragedy; and, no matter where you are or they are, they will drop everything in their life and rush to help you. I reflected on this quite a bit while reading the book and decided a few things: First, if this number is less than five, you may want to be nicer to people. Second, if the inventory is disproportionately family, you need to do more social activities. Conversely, if the inventory is disproportionately friends, you have some reparations to do with your family. What does your inventory look like?
3) Gateway to Empire.
In the two years I've lived in Jakarta, and the nearly 18 years I've lived away from where I grew up, nothing made me more interested in returning to the Midwest than reading this book. Set in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Gateway tells the story of America's expansion into the Mississippi river basin. The author does an excellent job telling both sides of the story in a (mostly) unbiased voice. The imperialistic young nation wanting nothing more than to invite the Indians into their way of life, and the disparate tribes of Indians reluctantly trying, despite a natural aversion to planting crops where the Creator did not intend for them to grow. I learned more about the country I grew up in by reading this book than I ever did in school. If you have ever lived east of the Appalachians, west of the Mississippi and north of the Mason Dixon line, you'll get a real enjoyment hearing how it was settled, conquered, and built. After reading this book, I am now looking for a biography of Tecumseh.Finally, I leave all of my reading brethren with a question: How much of a book you are not enjoying reading do you finish before giving up? In the last year, I've started and failed to finish a handful of books. Others I've forced myself to finish just for the sense of accomplishment, but I found no enjoyment in them (The Cave
fits that description - the book had no punctuation!). I typically give the author 50% of the book, or 200 pages, whichever comes first. I just started Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco. I'm 50 pages in and wish I hadn't started. I'm switching books tomorrow.When do you give up?
Monday, March 7, 2011
Closing out the domestic drama
When we moved to our new house, our staff had two complaints:
1) The increased expense of having to take an ojek because the bus would not drop them near our house.
2) The presence of ghosts.
To alleviate their concerns about the increased expense I agreed to cover the cost of the ojek, about $5 per week. Then I did the math. We'll be in Jakarta for about 64 more weeks. That puts my total cost, per staff member, at $320. I determined I could buy a used motorcycle for less than that amount. Turns out, my hunch was right. Through a connection at Hacienda, I bought a used motorcycle for $70. It required a few minor repairs to make it reliable and safe - new clutch, plugs, wiring of the turn signals, etc - that cost me another $45. Our friend from Hacienda delivered the bike tonight. Tomorrow, I'll give it to our maid as a gift and inform her she will no longer receive the additional travel amount. Hopefully she won't reject it or I'll probably have to fire her.
For the presence of ghosts I took a more traditional route. It is common in Indonesia for families to bless a house before they move in. Well, we already moved in, so I did the next best thing: I had a housewarming party. We invited my staff and our friends along with their families. We had a little over seventy people attend and catered food for one hundred (guess what my lunch is the rest of the week). We also rented an inflatable jumper to entertain the kids. Prior to eating, two members of my work staff were kind enough to honor me by blessing our new home and expelling any evil spirits. We had both Christian and Muslim ceremonies to make sure all our bases were covered. Our domestic staff was present for the blessing - problem number two solved.
Just another week in the life of an Indonesian expat.
1) The increased expense of having to take an ojek because the bus would not drop them near our house.
2) The presence of ghosts.
To alleviate their concerns about the increased expense I agreed to cover the cost of the ojek, about $5 per week. Then I did the math. We'll be in Jakarta for about 64 more weeks. That puts my total cost, per staff member, at $320. I determined I could buy a used motorcycle for less than that amount. Turns out, my hunch was right. Through a connection at Hacienda, I bought a used motorcycle for $70. It required a few minor repairs to make it reliable and safe - new clutch, plugs, wiring of the turn signals, etc - that cost me another $45. Our friend from Hacienda delivered the bike tonight. Tomorrow, I'll give it to our maid as a gift and inform her she will no longer receive the additional travel amount. Hopefully she won't reject it or I'll probably have to fire her.
For the presence of ghosts I took a more traditional route. It is common in Indonesia for families to bless a house before they move in. Well, we already moved in, so I did the next best thing: I had a housewarming party. We invited my staff and our friends along with their families. We had a little over seventy people attend and catered food for one hundred (guess what my lunch is the rest of the week). We also rented an inflatable jumper to entertain the kids. Prior to eating, two members of my work staff were kind enough to honor me by blessing our new home and expelling any evil spirits. We had both Christian and Muslim ceremonies to make sure all our bases were covered. Our domestic staff was present for the blessing - problem number two solved.
Just another week in the life of an Indonesian expat.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Travel observations
We have become a traveling cliche.
When I was traveling to Indonesia on business, I saw a lot of families on vacation. It was easy to pick them out of a crowd because they always fit the same pattern. As we made our way through the Singapore airport on Sunday, I realized we, too, fit that pattern. Father in the lead acting as guide and family pack mule. He is holding the tickets and passports in one hand, searching for the right gate, and carrying all of the family's carry on luggage. Mother following with kids in tow, looking weary in a way only a mother with young children can. Often carrying the baby with one arm and holding the hand of one or more other children. She doesn't really care where she is going as long as they get there quickly. She definitely isn't paying attention to anything other than staying close to her husband and keeping the children occupied.
That is now us. We're among the traveling families who just want to make it through to our destination in one piece and without strangling any of the children. We also hope the young one doesn't scream at the top of his lungs for any extended duration of the flight. Nothing adds tension to a group of people in a big metal can 30,000 feet in the air like a crying baby.
I think we'll have to explore traveling the way many of the wealthy Asians do - with their nannies. On the 70 minute flight to and from Singapore we always fly coach. I try to limit our business class tickets to flights over four hours duration. Because we travel with an infant, we get the first row of economy because they can setup a bassinet. On our return to Jakarta, a young Indonesian family with an infant boarded the plane with two nannies. The couple proceeded to sit in business class with the infant. After the nannies helped prepare the baby, they went to their seats in economy. About half way through the flight, the baby started to cry. The mother tried soothing her for a few minutes, then looked expectantly back to the nannies for help. They rushed from their seats and calmed the child down again.
And they call the US a nanny state!
I don't know what the fuss was about. The baby's cry wasn't very loud. Of course, I'm comparing her cries to those of my son who decided that the flight back to Jakarta was the perfect opportunity to try out both a new pitch AND a new volume level. Freddie Kruger never heard screams like that. Thankfully, the flight attendant distracted him with the sophistication of a sticker. He stared in awed rapture at the wonders of sticky paper as it stuck to noses, cheeks, fingers and hair.
Thank God for the simplicity of a child's mind.
When I was traveling to Indonesia on business, I saw a lot of families on vacation. It was easy to pick them out of a crowd because they always fit the same pattern. As we made our way through the Singapore airport on Sunday, I realized we, too, fit that pattern. Father in the lead acting as guide and family pack mule. He is holding the tickets and passports in one hand, searching for the right gate, and carrying all of the family's carry on luggage. Mother following with kids in tow, looking weary in a way only a mother with young children can. Often carrying the baby with one arm and holding the hand of one or more other children. She doesn't really care where she is going as long as they get there quickly. She definitely isn't paying attention to anything other than staying close to her husband and keeping the children occupied.
That is now us. We're among the traveling families who just want to make it through to our destination in one piece and without strangling any of the children. We also hope the young one doesn't scream at the top of his lungs for any extended duration of the flight. Nothing adds tension to a group of people in a big metal can 30,000 feet in the air like a crying baby.
I think we'll have to explore traveling the way many of the wealthy Asians do - with their nannies. On the 70 minute flight to and from Singapore we always fly coach. I try to limit our business class tickets to flights over four hours duration. Because we travel with an infant, we get the first row of economy because they can setup a bassinet. On our return to Jakarta, a young Indonesian family with an infant boarded the plane with two nannies. The couple proceeded to sit in business class with the infant. After the nannies helped prepare the baby, they went to their seats in economy. About half way through the flight, the baby started to cry. The mother tried soothing her for a few minutes, then looked expectantly back to the nannies for help. They rushed from their seats and calmed the child down again.
And they call the US a nanny state!
I don't know what the fuss was about. The baby's cry wasn't very loud. Of course, I'm comparing her cries to those of my son who decided that the flight back to Jakarta was the perfect opportunity to try out both a new pitch AND a new volume level. Freddie Kruger never heard screams like that. Thankfully, the flight attendant distracted him with the sophistication of a sticker. He stared in awed rapture at the wonders of sticky paper as it stuck to noses, cheeks, fingers and hair.
Thank God for the simplicity of a child's mind.
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