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.

Sparrow, my white guitar
Sparrow, my white guitar

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

Me and my cousin Ricky
Me and my cousin Ricky

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. ♥️

Comments on this post

So you finally got to go on a motorcycle ride! I hope your mum actually agreed and you didn’t end up going behind her back. xD I mean, I would totally go behind her back, but we don’t want her getting angry at you and all that. :P

I repeat, you and Ricky have THE SAME face. Same lips, same eyebrows, same eyes although yours are slightly bigger, same head shape, same everything. It’s insane. O.o

Is your guitar actually vintage?

I sneaked, haha. She was sleeping at the time and Ricky and I wanted to go downtown to eat noodles. She was a bit annoyed later. :P

Well his skin is darker, but yeah.

I mean “vintage white” – it was just the colour. Because it’s not pure white, haha. ;)

Welcome back Georgie! I totally know what you’re talking about. I had a pretty stressful month in Korea but now that I think back I really miss it because it was really nice. And I got very teary when it was time to leave.

Omg you had salmonella O.o *HUG* that must’ve been really terrible. I’m sorry that the rest of your family is also sick but now that you’re all back in clean Australia with some rest you all will feel better soon! People warned me that something similar would happen to me when I got to China, but I didn’t because I was in Shanghai and the conditions were pretty hygenic. Not as much as here, but it was pretty good. But I think Seoul is the cleanest place out of the three.

Ohhh that’s nice you visited your mom’s hometown! I did that too on my trip this time. And don’t get me started on my shopping bwahahahahhaa. You should not wear converses in the rain. Oh and that is a gorgeous guitar! I’ve never seen a white one before!

Hahaha I’m laughing that you’re saying you’re jetlagged … advice don’t visit the US then LOL. I could not sleep at all on my 13-hour flight back.

How old is your cousin Ricky? I don’t actually think you guys look that much alike. His skin is so much darker woww.

You and Ricky do look alike! :) I am glad you had a fun and safe trip to Indonesia. Looking forward to hear what you name your guitar!

I know what you mean when you said “but it was home to me for 3 weeks”. I feel the same everytime I go back to Taiwan (where my parents are from). I wasn’t born there but it definitely feels like “home” everytime I go. or like a 2nd home away from home :D But hey, you’ll have all the good memories to take away with you! lol the picture of you and ricky is funny because you guys do look alike, which is cool! good luck with work! :)

Joyce @ carouselstreet.com

You two really do look alike, but you’re lighter than he is! :P

I haven’t really been reading a lot of blogs lately, so I fell behind on the little posts you made whilst you were away in Indonesia, so I’ll have to read and catch up on them! :3

I hope your family gets well soon, though. And I hope work went good for you as well, and that you received a nice sleep. :)

Welcome home! :D I have certainly enjoyed seeing your pictures of Indonesia while you were away.

You and Ricky have the same eyes, nose, and mouth. He literally looks like a male and darker version of you. I guess that you guys picked up the same genes from your grandparents.

I hope that your family recovers from whatever they’ve caught soon! Hopefully, they won’t make you sick a second time.

ho U
bet it’s good to be back, eh.

Ricky’- complexion reminds me of a Breadtop bun

Short comment, eh. 8D

(Y)

Ugh, the sicknesses you get when you travel to SE Asia. -__- No one really got sick when my family and I went to Cambodia besides me and maybe my little nephew, if I remember correctly. Perhaps it was the shots that we’re required to get before we travel out of the U.S. Or perhaps I was just very unlucky. :(

Wow, you and your cousin do look awfully alike! Same smile too! No one looked like me when I went to go visit my own relatives, haha. They either looked like my father or my mother only.

Hi Georgie!! *waves*

I haven’t commented on here for a while. Thought I’d see what you’ve been up to. I knew you were in Indonesia but didn’t know when you were coming back. Welcome home!

Sorry to hear you were sick D: I hope your family gets better soon as well. Sickness is one of the reasons that puts me off visiting Asia (India, Vietnam, Indonesia) because I’m worried that I’ll get ill and it’ll be horrible! I know a lot of people get vaccinated before they leave, especially when visiting India, but sometimes you just get sick anyway. I’ve been told to always drink bottled water, never buy fruit and veggies from the markets (because they’re cleaned in their water) etc etc. I suppose you can’t avoid everything, and of course you can’t refuse food that your family gives you!!!

That’s such a cute pic of you and your cousin!!! You do look very alike. He has darker skin, but you have a similar face shape, eyes (yours bigger), mouth and nose! No wonder so many people thought you were siblings. How old is he?

I understand the ‘home away from home’ concept because the last time I was in England, it felt a bit like home (my dad’s from there, and his entire side of the family still live there). It was very easy to immerse myself in English culture and despite the gloomy weather and all the houses looking the same I loved it :) I can’t wait to visit again one day.

I thought The Hunger Games movie was excellent. I’ve read the books and I thought it was a great adaptation. For the MOST part, I liked the things they changed/added in. I can’t wait for the next movie :3

♥

Wow, you’re right, you and your cousin look VERY alike! In fact, I’m certain that he could pass off as an unidentical twin, haha. It’s a shame that your whole family had to get so ill. Two of my friends have been on mission trips with their churches recently – one went to Fiji and the other to Indonesia – and they’ve both come back quite ill. But i’m glad you all seemed to have enjoyed the trips nonetheless!

Wow, Indonesia sounds like quite a nice and cultural place to visit bar the food poisoning of course. Sorry about that, glad to know that you’re feeling better now.
I’m going to start my travels in September, I can’t wait to get out of London for a bit, it’s really starting to weigh me down.
It’s nice to be back on your blog again, reading about all your lovely adventures.

Welcome back! That’s really cool that you got to visit where your mom grew up. I’ve been to my mom’s village in China, and I was amazed that her family still owned the house. I got to see her room, which still had some of her childhood items in it :)

Ooh, that guitar is beautiful, and I love that it’s white. That’s a nice find! And you and your cousin do look a lot alike! I would have thought he was your brother if you didn’t say anything XD

you two do look similar!

glad you missed work. nothing worse than coming back from vacation and dreading the first day back.

I would definitely think that you and Ricky are siblings!

Oooh what a lovely guitar and congrats on the purchase!

I’m like that, too – I always feel like I haven’t quite done everything when coming back from a holiday – At the same time I’m glad to be home, though.

That guitar looks great! Especially the fact that it’s white (H)

That DOES sound like a small world – That wouldn’t happen in a million years round by where I live – everyone’s too self-centered :P

I’ve not seen or read the hunger games, but I have a vague idea of what the theme is about – everyone says I would love it, but I don’t know :P