In the two and half years we've lived in Jakarta (yes, it has been that long), we've had our share of visitors. We have the visits down to a science, now: homemade Indonesian feast, restaurants, malls, Taman Safari. So when my father and his wife visited 9 Oct through 13 Oct, we knew just what to do.
They arrived Sunday afternoon. I picked them up at the airport and we made the fast, Sunday afternoon journey back to our house and enjoyed an Indonesian feast of lumpia, nasi goreng, and gado gado prepared by our maid. Delicious as always. When they started falling asleep on the couch watching after-dinner cartoons before the kids go to bed, we knew it would be an early night....and an earlier morning for them. We wished them good night and I said I'd be up at 3 AM to watch the NFL the next morning, so I'd see them then....and I was right.
My daughter had the week off of school, but my son still had class Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as usual. I am usually at work when he goes to school, so I accompanied the grandparents to drop him off. We also planned to celebrate my son's birthday while the grandparents were visiting, so I spent the time between dropping him off and picking him assembling his birthday present - more train tracks for his train set and some new trains! His train set now contains nearly 200 pieces. It requires a vast open space, but he loves playing with it.
Since Halloween is not really celebrated outside the US, and even less so in Indonesia, we wanted to provide the Halloween experience for our kids. Grandma waited in the guest room, and grandpa waited in the kitchen (both behind closed doors) and the kids ran back and forth between the two doors saying "Trick or Treat" and collecting candy. All went well until Grandpa decided it would be fun to scare the kids. My son's only two, grandpa!
Tuesday was the trip to Taman Safari. This is always a fun yet exhausting day. We've been so often we know where to buy the food, how much to buy, and what price to negotiate. My favorite is still feeding the elephants watermelon. Our guests typically like holding the animals best. Our daughter is finally brave enough to hold them herself. They also have several rides that the kids enjoyed....well, at least our son enjoyed the first lap. When it started going around a second time, then a third, he didn't like it so much. I think he thought he could never get off. I'm sure that will change soon.
We'd never made it to the top of the zoo. Typically, by the time we make it to the zoo, feed the animals, hold the animals, and do the rides and/or the walking zoo, we're exhausted. We've not seen many of the shows and had never been to the top of the hill...who wants to walk that far? Our driver convinced us to go to the top and see the waterfall, and we were not disappointed. We'll add this to the list of "must see" when we go again.
Wednesday was another school day for our son and a trip to the mall for everyone else. My father had not seen the modern, high-end malls in Jakarta on his last trip and was surprised at how much wealth exists here. When there is a store in the mall selling Bentley's and Ferrari's, you know there is money somewhere. We capped the day with dinner at Hacienda and card games at the house.
Thursday was a day to just hang around the house. Swimming for most, sleeping for the ladies who felt sick. It was also the day of departure. So, at 7:30, we said our good-byes and sent the grandparents to the airport with a movie to watch on the way.
It was a great trip and far too short. Probably the last visit they'll make since we'll be moving back in June.
They arrived Sunday afternoon. I picked them up at the airport and we made the fast, Sunday afternoon journey back to our house and enjoyed an Indonesian feast of lumpia, nasi goreng, and gado gado prepared by our maid. Delicious as always. When they started falling asleep on the couch watching after-dinner cartoons before the kids go to bed, we knew it would be an early night....and an earlier morning for them. We wished them good night and I said I'd be up at 3 AM to watch the NFL the next morning, so I'd see them then....and I was right.
My daughter had the week off of school, but my son still had class Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as usual. I am usually at work when he goes to school, so I accompanied the grandparents to drop him off. We also planned to celebrate my son's birthday while the grandparents were visiting, so I spent the time between dropping him off and picking him assembling his birthday present - more train tracks for his train set and some new trains! His train set now contains nearly 200 pieces. It requires a vast open space, but he loves playing with it.
Since Halloween is not really celebrated outside the US, and even less so in Indonesia, we wanted to provide the Halloween experience for our kids. Grandma waited in the guest room, and grandpa waited in the kitchen (both behind closed doors) and the kids ran back and forth between the two doors saying "Trick or Treat" and collecting candy. All went well until Grandpa decided it would be fun to scare the kids. My son's only two, grandpa!
Tuesday was the trip to Taman Safari. This is always a fun yet exhausting day. We've been so often we know where to buy the food, how much to buy, and what price to negotiate. My favorite is still feeding the elephants watermelon. Our guests typically like holding the animals best. Our daughter is finally brave enough to hold them herself. They also have several rides that the kids enjoyed....well, at least our son enjoyed the first lap. When it started going around a second time, then a third, he didn't like it so much. I think he thought he could never get off. I'm sure that will change soon.
We'd never made it to the top of the zoo. Typically, by the time we make it to the zoo, feed the animals, hold the animals, and do the rides and/or the walking zoo, we're exhausted. We've not seen many of the shows and had never been to the top of the hill...who wants to walk that far? Our driver convinced us to go to the top and see the waterfall, and we were not disappointed. We'll add this to the list of "must see" when we go again.
Wednesday was another school day for our son and a trip to the mall for everyone else. My father had not seen the modern, high-end malls in Jakarta on his last trip and was surprised at how much wealth exists here. When there is a store in the mall selling Bentley's and Ferrari's, you know there is money somewhere. We capped the day with dinner at Hacienda and card games at the house.
Thursday was a day to just hang around the house. Swimming for most, sleeping for the ladies who felt sick. It was also the day of departure. So, at 7:30, we said our good-byes and sent the grandparents to the airport with a movie to watch on the way.
It was a great trip and far too short. Probably the last visit they'll make since we'll be moving back in June.
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