Indonesia: Farewell

I’m back home - I miss Indonesia a little. Last time it was mostly the people I missed, I got a bit teary on the way back home on the plane. This time I felt like I missed everything including the experience and the food (minus the ones that probably caused me to feel ill) and of course the people and the lifestyle… it was different, it wasn’t the best, it wasn’t home, but it was home to me for three weeks. Every time I go there, I live nearly a month in a place I don’t know all that well, but at the same time… I know it well, in a really rough-rounded sort of way.

It’s good to be home. I have long recovered from salmonella, but my mum and brother and dad have all been a bit ill. My mum and brother have mild cases of typhoid, and my dad seems to have had a stomach bug. Living in Australia, we just aren’t used to the less hygienic conditions in southeast Asia and the condition of a lot of the food, so unlike our family and relatives, we aren’t immune to a lot of diseases that can easily be caught there.

Over the past week I haven’t posted, I’ve been reading all the comments you guys have been leaving. Thank you, I am feeling much better now. :D Since then I’ve been to Surabaya, which is on the opposite side of the island of Java; and to Cilacap, where my mum grew up and lived as a child. I’ve visited my grandparents’ graves as well. Although I haven’t felt like writing much, I did share a few photos on my photoblog.

I did a lot of shopping in Indonesia. I bought some red jeans and finally found some red Converse sneakers that actually fit my tiny feet. Ironically, I think I should have gone a size up because they will likely shrink if I wear them in the rain (well, I probably won’t anyway…). I’m a bit of an idiot. I was wearing rather thick socks though, so maybe if I wear thinner ones it won’t feel as tight on my toes.

I also bought a guitar, a vintage white one, which currently doesn’t have a name. I always have to name my things! :X I’m thinking of naming it Alex, after my dear cousin Ricky (whose middle name is Alexander), but I’m not sure. :P It’s a gorgeous guitar though. It’s an acoustic/electric but I didn’t buy an amplifier in Indonesia with the guitar as I couldn’t find one I liked. Most of them couldn’t be used with a microphone. I love the guitar a lot, though. As soon as I got home I pulled it out and played it. It’s so gorgeous.

I only took a photo on my iPad because I was lazy.

I mean, I didn’t get to pull out my camera very much, and it was convenient just to pick up my iPad or phone. I’d love to share more photos too, but they’ll have to wait until I’m not that jetlagged. Jakarta in Indonesia is only three hours behind where I live in Australia (Sydney), but I couldn’t sleep on the plane. It made it worse that it was a midnight flight. I watched The Hunger Games on the plane, and I thought it was a great adaptation of the book. It wasn’t fantastic, but I think the fact that I already knew the story actually made the movie seem a bit disjointed because I knew what was going to happen. My dad said he watched it too - but he thought it wasn’t that great. I’m guessing he didn’t really understand what was going on. He hasn’t read the book. :P

I only managed to sleep about an hour on the seven-hour flight. I slept during the day. I was going to sleep early but there was a lot of stuff to sort out in our luggage.

Below is a photo of me and my cousin Ricky. I like to think he’s my long lost twin brother brought up by my aunt, because everyone says we look the same. We have the same nose like our grandfather. I find the nose to be one of the most interesting facial features. :P Every time we meet relatives, everyone thinks Ricky and I are brother/sister and either that he is older or we are the same age. :S I just look damn young, don’t I! My mum always has to explain that he’s her nephew and that Brandon is the one who is my brother.

Ricky took me for a motorbike ride back in my mum’s hometown. It’s such a small town, everyone there knows everyone in the town and gossip (if any) spreads fast. In fact, a lot of people remembered my mum and when they heard she was coming, wanted her to visit. @_@ What’s a small world now? XD

I’m tired, I have to go to work in seven hours. I missed work. 🙄 I can’t wait to catch up and see what’s new with our clients. Not to mention open all the packages and mail that’s probably waiting for me.

Being gone three weeks in another country with the opposite climate… gee, it feels like to sit in my warm bed.

Goodnight. ♥️