Back at Casaluna it was time for getting dressed and getting ready, cause the evening should be spent at Independence Day of Finland at the Finish Residence from 19.00 until 21.00. Most of the Nordic interns were there – Heidi, Samuli, Øystein and Irma, Johan, Andreas and I.
It was brilliant! There was wine, There was rye bread, salmon (different kinds of salmon), meatballs, red cabbage, cheese and then there was liver paté!!!! And of course there were also a lot of other nice things. But rye bread with liver paté and red cabbage was great! Just what we needed!!!!
Øystein, the bad Norwegian :), Johan and Andreas talked me into trying Øystein’s snus and that definitely ruined the rest of my evening / night. I got the worst nicotine rush and did not have a pleasant night. Never do snus!!!!!
Thursday I went to the tailor after work – together with Maj-Britt. Of course my batik dress again did not fit perfectly, so I had to come again on Friday.
We walked through the whole of ITC and discovered a lot of new shops – super cheap snakeskin bags, jewellery and a lot of Christmas decorations. ITC just gets better and better.
Friday we had a fire drill at the embassy. We had to walk down from the 25th floor again. Since that my foot was hurting the rest of the day and I blamed it on the exercise. (Read further – the real reason will show up!)
Anjelita and I went to the tailor together after the fire drill. But again there was something to be fixed at the dress – I had to come back again later.
I worked late that Friday. After work I went to Starbucks to pick up Johanna, who was waiting for me there. I had promised to show her the jewellery store and the snakeskin store at ITC. And Johanna was just as impressed as I was. Even more actually!
At 17.00 I had to be back at Menara Rajawali. We were having another Lucia performance rehearsal at the Swedish Embassy, where we also got our Lucia dresses. It gets better, but we will have the performance today... And I’m not quite sure, whether we will be a catastrophe or not...
After the rehearsal I went back to pick up my dress from the tailor. This time it was perfect and I also found a shawl that fitted perfectly.
When I tried the dress on this time and took off my shoe, I realized that I had a staple deep up in my foot. Aha, that was why it had hurt all day long...
And when the stores started closing, I went back home to relax for the rest of the evening.
Early Saturday morning I had a post office date with Maj-Britt. I had packed four big bags again to sent back home. Now it is easier to imagine how I will ever bring back home all the stuff in my room.
All the stuff is being packed into boxes at the post office by some men who want to earn some money that way. Actually they earn quite a lot on this. And while doing that a customs officer is watching. I had brought some coffee. He smelled it and it was ok. But there was also a tampon between all my stuff. And he had apparently never seen such one before. So he wanted me to explain what it was. Since I wasn’t really up for explaining it in detail, I opened the tampon and showed it to him. He smelled it and nearly stuck it all the way up his nose... And since I didn’t want it back, he kept on playing with it the rest of the time we were there... We had a very hard time keeping the smile away...
When the boys had finished packing all my stuff the customs officer told one of the boys that I should better give him money for cigarettes. Very corrupt. And I guess that every local had just given him the money. But my immediate reaction was: “What is it that I’m not allowed to sent?”. I was quite certain that I had not been trying to send anything illegal. He had probably expected another reaction, cause he just replied that everything was ok and that way he never got money for cigarettes.
Packages and cards were sent and we went back to Casaluna. Now I just hope that everything will reach Denmark at some point of time.
I went to Ambassador Mall and ITC to fix the rest of a wedding present, before we were going to Triyono’s wedding in the evening.
I also tried to exchange the rest of the money from Thailand. But he only wanted to give me half of their value. Amazing what people think they will get through with sometimes...
Back home I was dressing up in Batik. We took a taxi to Lars’ place, where we had a gin and tonic (the absolutely most served drink in this country), before Lars’ driver took us to the wedding.
Even though we first arrived right on time, there was still plenty of time, before the others guests and the couple arrived! :)
The wedding was in a huge room underneath a mosque and the wedding was Lampung style.
Lampung is a province in the southern part of Sumatra, where Triyono’s wife comes from (http://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampung).The couple came in with dancers in front of them and then a huge group of followers – the closest family.
They were seated on some thrones at the end of the room, on some kind of podium.
First there was performed a traditional dance in the middle of the room.
First there was performed a traditional dance in the middle of the room.
Afterwards we, from the Danish embassy, were called up as the first ones to congratulate the couple. Somehow the order went by rank. There were taken pictures with us and the couple and as we went down the podium again, there were two men standing with a camera and a microphone, waiting for us to give our congratulations to the camera.
Only three groups were called up. Afterwards everyone could just walk up there and give their congratulations. And there were no longer any pictures taken or cameras waiting for the guests.
The dinner had also started and people were rushing around to get some of the food.
We left the party just before 9 pm, where it was supposed to end.
We went with Lars to Cazbar in Mega Kuningan, a sports bar, where Per was sitting and waiting for us.
Andreas, Maj-Britt and I went on to fX Mall, where we met up with a lot of the other expats in Jakarta. I didn’t stay long and went home before midnight.
Sunday was spent relaxing until I had to go to a Danish Juletræsfest, which I had signed up for. It was arranged by the Danish part of Nordic Club here in Indonesia.
It was with Danish doughnuts, biscuits, glögg, hotdogs, a plastic Christmas tree, Christmas carols, bingo, Christmas presents and very interesting conversations.
I was very tired when I finally got home and went to sleep almost immediately.
Monday I was at the embassy late, went to fitness and went home to sleep again.
Yesterday was also spent at the embassy, afterwards Maj-Britt and I went home, left our stuff and went back to ITC, thereafter to Starbucks to pick up Johanna and then we walked to PEPéNERO’s, where we hadn’t been for a long time. Here we met up with Heidi, Samuli and Samuli’s girlfriend.
A great evening and there is definitely a reason, why PEPéNERO’s is one of my absolute favourite restaurants here in Jakarta!
Maj-Britt and I walked home again with a small stop by Ranch Market.
Today is the day for the last Lucia rehearsal right after work and the Lucia performance tonight. More about that soon... I can imagine how horrible it will be... But I have a hope that there will be a bigger group of singers this time than at the rehearsals.
A great thing about today is definitely that I’m wearing Batik! It is very comfortable and I’m starting to think that it looks nice.
If you thought that men were looking at you because you are bule, they especially look at you, if you are bule and wear Batik! :)
And this morning I finished one of my scrape Christmas calendars. I had the chance of winning 5000 Danish kroner or 1000 Danish kroner. I couldn’t leave it. I had to see, if I had won. I hadn’t. But now there is only one calendar to go...
Tomorrow we are having a Christmas lunch at the ambassador’s residence and on Friday Heidi and I are going to Yogyakarta! :) So most likely the next update will be on Monday.
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