Hello from Indonesia

It's been quite a while since I posted on my blog. I have been in Indonesia for almost a week now and so much has happened. My head is sponged with new information and things to remember.

We arrived in Jakarta at about 7:30 in the evening (which is 7:30 in the morning). After immigration, baggage claim, and customs, we met Nick (our principal) and Wiwiek (the coordinator). It was nice to match faces to the voices I heard over the phone or via email.

Our drive to our house was quite lengthy, mostly due to traffic. The whole driving on the other side of the road is mind boggling. It's awkward. When I get my motorbike, I'm going to have to practice because it does not make much sense to me.

We got to our house and instead of settling in, went straight to bed. It was nearly 11:30 by then. I slept like a baby. Surprisingly I had minimal setbacks from jetlag. I think it was because I slept most of my plane rides.

The rest of the week we had an overwhelming orientation. This was mostly due to being told things that did not apply to my department. However I did learn a number of cultural things. First of all you are not allowed to pass things with your left hand. Only with your right. Doing this is offensive. Also, when you point, you need to use your thumb, not your pointer. It's more discreet. Using red pens and all caps is a big no-no here too. There are much more but it seems that those things are repeated more often.

I got my first taste of Indonesian food. I had sate ayam (soy coated chicken kabobs), nasi (rice), and fried corn fritters (I don't remember this in Bahasa). Delicious. I find myself eating less because I'm full faster. The food here is so delicious and much more expansive. The desserts here are unique. They are not very sweet but they still do taste delicious. For example I had fried banana with melted cheese and chocolate. You would think that was nasty (as I did) but it was very good!

Wednesday thru Sunday we shopped till we dropped. We were blessed by getting a move-in allowance and means of transportation. This allowed me to get all the necessities for my house, including decorations and what not.

This adjustment period has been very helpful and beneficial, and I'm so glad that I have very supportive co-workers and neighbors that have been there for me every step of the way.