The most beautiful day in Jakarta - the sea, islands and mountains!

This has been the most beautiful day in Jakarta!

We have had clear sky, been able to see the sun and we have been able to see the sea and islands (Pulau Siribu) and mountains (Puncak) on the other side! Unfortunately the pictures are not clear and big enough to clearly see the sea, the islands and the mountains. But it gives an impression of the city!

WOW

Satisfied at Starbucks - the proud owner of 100 small batik bags!!! :)

Now sitting here again! It is - again - the third time in one day... It is Starbucks!
(I only have six spots left on my bonus card that I need to fill, before I can get a Starbucks calendar 2010!!!)

Thursday I went to ITC after work - and now the tailor is making me a batik dress. I'm excited and very much looking forward to see how it is going to be!

In the evening I had a sushi-date with Peter and afterwards Peter, Cornelius, Johan, Andreas and I went to see "Ninja Assassin" - the worst movie ever! Blood blood blood!!!
(But since it seems that I already have seen ALL the movies that run in the cinema or that are available on fake dvd right now, there were not that many other possibilities...)

Friday was Idul Adha.

Mariza picked me up early in the morning (early is first 6.30 - and that means not early enough to watch morning prayer) and then we drove to Deedee's place, where I had been invited to join the family for Idul Adha.

Many many many people sitting on a field in front of a school - praying!

Deedee's family had just come back from the prayer, when we arrived. And apparently the sacrifice was postponed until Saturday, since there was also Friday prayer later that day.

Deedee's mom had made Beef Rendang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendang) and other traditional dishes! Delicious!

And a picture of the result below:

And after the "breakfast" Deedee and her mom helped me getting dressed like a real Muslim with a veil.

Deedee's mom doing the traditional version.

Deedee doing the modern version.

And off we went, Deedee, Mariza and I, to find a place in the neighbourhood, where they did the slaughtering already on Friday.

And we found a place.

And I fitted in very well! The children had been standing very long and watched me. And according to Deedee, they had been discussion if I was a bule or not. Deedee confirmed that I was a bule and then there was picture time! :)

We also tried out another mosque, but here they were also waiting with the sacrifice until Saturday. Instead there were a lot of living animals. And Deedee had big fun tacking pictures of especially the animals!


We went back to Deedee's place, Deedee had another friend coming over, we eat again and then apparently Deedee and Mariza had some kind of nap - which I think that I ruined for them. No wonder Indonesians can get up that early in the morning and stay up so long every night, if they sleep during the whole day! (I hope you two lovely ones read this!)

After nap-time we went to Coffee War in Kemang, where Tiara and Citra also joint us! A great place! And most of all a great street! So many souvenirs. And I have seen some small wooden Tuk Tuk's that I definitely need to find again and buy!

And we had Banana Fritters (Pisang Goreng)! Saya suga Banana Fritters! (http://indonesianfoodrecipe.com/banana-fritters/banana-fritters/)

Oneng and Onah with Pisang Goreng!

From here it went home in a taxi and on the way I saw a lot of other animals that hadn't been slaughtered yet.

Out of the back window of the taxi: Cows and goats along the street.

At home I got a short short nap, before I had to get ready again and go to Plaza Indonesia. Here I met with Johanna, Heidi and Samuli. We had sushi and ice cream.

Three bule's crazy about sushi! :)

They went home and I met shortly with Mariza, Tiara & Co. to watch a movie. But "New Moon" was totally booked in all the cinemas.

So home to sleep instead.

Saturday I got up very early again. I wanted to be at the post office as soon as they opened - which they apparently first do around 9.00 on Saturdays.

I had a horrible trip there. My taxi driver kept on telling me "I love you!", "I need you!", "Kamu cantik!" and other stuff. I even think that he drove me around for longer than nessesary, without my notice, since I only focused on his annoying flirt!

When we finally reached the post office I was in such a hurry to get out of the taxi that I smashed my head against the door, which resulted in a headache the rest of the day.

But at the post office everything seemed to work out just fine! No one speaking English, but people were very helpful - of course with the intention of being payed tips. But I payed gladly, a lot, as long as someone told me how to ship out all the stuff I had brought there!

And I went home happy in a taxi smelling of petroleum, but with two receipes and two tracking numbers, so I can follow my packages on the internet! :)

The rest of the day was relaxing in my room at Casaluna, cleaning up and being practical.

In the evening I tried to go to Sarinah Mall to watch a movie and have dinner. But I was very disappointed. Again ALL the seats where sold out. So I had a pedicure instead and went home early again.

Today I have been to Mangga Dua with Heidi from early morning on. With the intention of bying scarfs.

Mangga Dua is the worst copy place ever! But they actually also have nice copies! I found some lovely watches and a lot of nice smelling perfumes, where you can't smell the difference and the bottle and the wrapping look 100% real!

(http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/indonesia/jakarta/jakarta_districts/info-123-mangga_dua_jakarta_district_guide.php)

But even though Mangga Dua is THE place for copy products, what I bought is not such a thing at all! I have bought 100 small batik purses, for an amazingly low price! How low - I won't tell - since most of you at home can look forward to getting one! ;)

After Mangga Dua Heidi let me off the taxi at Plaza Indonesia, where I have been hanging out with Johanna until now - in the order: Starbucks, Thailand restaurant, practical stuff, Starbucks, practical stuff, Starbucks.

And this was it! The rest of the day is not totally planned yet. I'll see what it brings.

And to everyone: A nice new week!

Rainy Thursday in Jakarta

Today is the last working day of this week – casual Thursday! (And I have been preparing a little story for you last night after work – very late – since they blocked blogspot.com at Casaluna. So I can only sent my updates from other places now. I DO NOT like having the websites blocked that I like to visit...)

So what has been happening during this week – or since last time I wrote an update about my life.
And it has actually been a very busy and eventful week!

Sunday I got up, did a lot of practical stuff, but then I decided to go to sleep again. This was after all one of the only possibilities in this country to sleep as long as I would like to.

Before noon I went to Fitness First to work out and afterwards there was again time for sushi at Ranch Market (which has become that meal I eat mostly) and (among others) Green Tea Frappucino at Starbucks!

Johanna came to pick me up at Starbucks and together we took a taxi to Heidi’s choir concert (Jakarta International Community Choir 3rd Anniversary Concert) in Dapur Susu, Pondok Labu.
We were in good time, but since we had the most awful taxi driver EVER it took us quite some time to get there. He drove up and down a street that wasn’t even the street we had asked him to go to. And he had actually already been on the correct street and seemed to know exactly where the correct street was... ARG!

The concert was great! And Heidi is now a bit famous, since the concert has made it to the news! Metro news! Actually it's just a short clip of the boys' show "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and it's in the very end of the news:

http://www.metrotvnews.com/index.php/metromain/newsprograms/2009/11/23/3890/118/Senin-23-November-2009

Below pictures of Heidi's fame:

After the concert Heidi went home and Johanna and I went out to eat pizza (VERY GOOD PIZZA) at Grand Indonesia.

And on the way home again there were cows and goats almost everywhere!

Most of Monday was spent at a Biogas Seminar in Bogor with Anjelita. After Anjelita’s presentation we (Anjelita, Triyono and I) went to eat typical Sundanese food at a typical Sundanese restaurant – sitting on the floor. GREAT!

Durian ice cream - finally tasted Durian. Not spectacular - but not as bad as I had imagined...

Avocado juice

Catharina with avocado juice

My lunch! :)

The rest of the day was spent at the embassy and afterwards Ranch Market to shop and then home – this day in a taxi (which I bitterly regretted)... The taxi had like many cars this light that starts blinking, when the driver hasn’t put on his seatbelt. But as a supplement hereto this taxi also had this beeping sound. And this driver hadn’t put on his seatbelt. And it seemed that he didn’t intend to do this. I was only waiting for him to put on the belt, but it never happened. Instead the beeping sound went from a beeping with long intervals to a beeping with ultra short intervals – all the way home!

Tuesday I was at Marriott almost the whole day for a seminar! With a great international buffet. So I had sushi, I had tomato soup, I had roast beef, I had potatoes, I had salads, I had delicious bread and cheese, I had smoked salmon and I had the most wonderful deserts! WOW! And I might have had a lot more which I just don’t remember!
Afterwards I spent a few hours at the embassy and then buying some movies at ITC and home to relax.

Yesterday I spent the whole day here at the embassy. We had a seminar and there was plenty to do. So I’m still a bit tired today – especially because those stupid mosquito’s multiply rapidly during this raining season. But from today on there is weekend. And extended weekend even!

And this weekend might bring a lot of new impressions, since I will at least try to learn more about the sacrifice tomorrow!

And today after being at the embassy, I’ll go to the tailor to try on the jacket I’m having made – and look at batik fabric, since I guess I’ll be having a batik dress made also... ;)

By the way I have finally seen post boxes here in Indonesia! One last week and one this week!
They look like this:

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Cows and goats in Jakarta

Jakarta is now filled with cows and goats. From one night to the other suddenly there were fences, cows and goats everywhere! Even in our neighbourhood on the way to the embassy (this is where the pictures are taken). But in our neighbourhood there are only goats - cows are only for rich people.

So now some issues have emerged! Where are they coming from? How have they come here? Who has built the fences? When have the fences been built? Does Jakarta have enough butchers to slaughter all these animals on Friday? What will they do with ALL the slaughtered animals? What will the animals do until Friday? Mysterious...

On Friday there is Idul Adha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_al-Adha) – for Idul Adha people sacrifice a cow or a goat.
The sacrifice will often take place near a mosque. The meat is then given to the poor people. And in many cases this is the ones-in-a-year-time, where poor people get real meat.

I'm looking forward to see what will happen on Friday!

Wild water rafting on Citarik River, Sukabumi - West Java - Indonesia

Just got home from a late-evening-fast-food-dinner with Heidi at Plaza Semanggi (Burger King and Pizza Hut and afterwards shopping...).

It has been a long, great and hard day! And as soon as this is written, I will close my eyes and fall asleep!

I got up at 5 am. Meeting point was here at Casaluna at 6 am. But apparently some Germans already learned the Indonesian way of coming to late. Actually Cornelius never made it here. At 8 am we went to his place to wake him up...

Then on the road out of Jakarta to go to today's rafting spot (we were three cars). It is probably not very far. Most likely it is not even as far as from one side of Jutland to the other. But it took us more than two hours to get to the rafting spot - Citarik River, Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia. And the roads are horrible! I hate driving in these parts of Indonesia! Motion sickness and Indonesian roads are not a good combi!

We started the day with lunch and then a small truck took us to the spot from where we were going rafting. The trip on the truck was probably even more dangerous than the rafting itself. The roads were more bumpy than usual roads far away from the cities here in Indonesia - and that means way more bumpy than the smallest and worst roads in Denmark.

We went off in three boats. And the trip was amazing! Untouched landscape, rice fields, small villages with houses build on sticks - beautiful! Unfortunately so far I do not have any pictures of the surroundings. Only one of us brought a camera. And after this trip, I'm happy not to have been that one!

There were also small alligators. The others called them lizards. But a lizard is something else to me. If an animal - looking exactly like a crocodile, but the length of my arm - is swimming around in a river and lying on rocks to relax, then this animal to me is an alligator!

It was just a great trip!

But the trip back to Jakarts was long - five hours this time. Lagi macet! (Traffic again!) Amazing how it suddenly seems as if Indonesias 240.000.000 inhabitants are on the road at the same time!

TODAY'S TRIP IN PICTURES:

Good night, sleep well and nice dreams! :)

My first blog post! Friday in Jakarta - at Starbucks with Johanna, Heidi, Samuli and Maj-Britt!

Catharina now has a blog!!!!! :)

I haven't been able to upload further photos on Facebook, so here I am - HAVING A BLOG!

And I'll be the best blogger EVER!

So here just a selection of the last good photos (the ones I didn't make to upload on Facebook on Monday - when Facebook still worked...):

Tiger Beer in Little India

Catharina with Tiger Beer!

Catharina on a Hippo Bus

On a Hippo Bus through the streets of Singapore

Skyline of Singapore

Catharina in a tea shop in Chinatown

Singapore Flyer

Singapore's most important attraction - a fish-lion...

In the blue light of the Hippo Bus - tired and not up for photos...

The Christmas decorations of Singapore were amazing!

At the airport! Sending 18 post cards and then unfortunately already on the way back to Jakarta...

So far I have sent home group emails about my life in Jakarta. But now I'll start blogging about it instead. So for you guys who have received my group emails - I'll stop spamming you from now on!

The last group email was sent on Monday! So here is what I have been doing since Monday!

Tuesday I was at an amazing seminar - in Bahasa... But in a suburb of Jakarta, where it was very nice!

In the evening Maj-Britt, Tanja and I went to Grand Indonesia to eat sushi and treat ourselves with a girls movie "Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past" - amazing! I'm still in love! :)

Wednesday after work I went to Ranch Market (sushi time again...) and Starbucks to meet up with Heidi and go to ITC and the tailor. I'm having a fantastic jacket made - at least I hope so! Afterwards home to relax for the rest of the evening. It has been some long days since Singapore!

Thursday Maj-Britt and I were cold like h... at work. So we decided to treat ourselves with massage after work! We went to Jaspa at Ambassador Mall. It's nice and we are definitely going there again! Next time it will not only be for one hour, but for two and with scrub! ;)

I went out having sushi again afterwards - this time at Plaza Indonesia and with Johanna. Lovely evening! But home again late and very tired!

Today is Friday and there is a weekend in front of me. Now the others have left me alone here at Starbucks, but so far I have been here with Johanna, Heidi and Samuli and Maj-Britt.

This will be a day at Oakwoods! I have brought fitness clothes, but I'm still not sure if I'm going... My list of practical stuff to do is quite long, so I might stay and enjoy my beloved Starbucks a bit longer.

Anyway it looks as if it is going to rain again every second, so I'm definitely not walking home! The weather has been horrible the last week! It is raining all the time, it is grey and it is cold! This was not what I was hoping for, when I decided to come to Indonesia! And somehow the mosquitos are now everywhere! And rats are coming up from the underground - probably their homes are filled with rain water...

But in the morning it is usually very nice.

Tomorrow morning I have to get up very early. Heidi and Mariza (+ 3 others) are coming at 6 am and we'll go wild water rafting! We'll meet the rest of the group at the river. I'm looking forward to it! And it is another reason just to relax today and enjoy Starbucks!

I'll get back to my blog next time I have something to tell about! It probably won't be long! ;)

Have a nice weekend!