Monday night/Senin 28 Sept - random pleasure

The Free Design, "Never Tell The World"

XTC, "I'd Like That"

Keith Fullerton Whitman, something 9 minutes long from Multiples

Tindersticks, "CF CG"

The Busy Signals, "Show Me Your Gems"

23 Skidoo, "Quiet Pillage" - an audacious homage

Pit Er Pat, "Rain Clouds"

Uusitalo, "Tohkori Kuta"

Department of Eagles, "Interlude"

Cornelius, "Sleep Warm"

First night sleep

Before going to bed, I took some medication on Dave and Linda's suggestion. My first Dolased. Based on what I'd been told, I was expecting a big night's sleep.

Who wants to rock the party at 4 in the morning? The local mesjid, which uses a very effective soundsystem to call people to prayer. Ordinarily, this sound is something I'd listen to on the stereo, but at a time more convenient to my needs! And maybe mixed by Brian Eno and David Byrne. Here, I soaked it up. At first, the call is very loud, and then it's followed by chanting and prayers. After 30 or so minutes, it subsides. Churlish to complain - I'm in an Islamic country, after all, and this is all part of the experience. Next night, though, I'll be prepared for it. While in Kabayoran Baru, I didn't notice the morning call to prayer; here, there's no missing it.

Jakarta to Solo

After spending a relaxing day and a half with Arief and Dianita, it was time to prepare for the next stage of the trip: Solo. They accompanied me to Soekarno-Hatta airport, leaving their place about 2pm. Surprisingly, the streets were empty (jalan kosong) due, they explained, to the Idul Fitri holiday. We traveled smoothly (berjalan lancar), which deprived me of the opportunity to say "macet", a term commonly uttered in Jakarta whenever the traffic is jammed up.

No hassles at the airport, even though it was crowded. Scheduled to depart at 4.10pm. Plane delayed. Music for the airport: The Busy Signals. Classic lyric from "Stormy Stormy Stormy": Underachievers please try harder/I know you're cool and insecure. Another delay. Onboard by 5pm, arrive in Solo at 6pm. I may as well say it now: thank goodness for the mobile phone! Impossible to imagine travelling throughout Indonesia without it. Pak Agna had contacted me frequently. Met at the airport by Nova, Pak Agna's assistant, whose first SMS to me was hard to read as she, as an experienced texter, used SMS shorthand: "Sy sdh d dpn pintu dg baju hitam. Terimakasih"; almost immediately after that text, she sent me another text that didn't use abbreviations in bahasa. Very thoughtful.

Stopped at an Italian-style restaurant in Solo, where, much to my amazement, the menu had a vegetarian section. Had vegie pizza and lime juice. Traffic between Solo and Salatiga was macet due to people returning home from their Idul Fitri commitments. Felt pretty exhausted, but also wanted to speak bahasa with Nova, so kept up the conversation. On a map, Solo to Salatiga looks the same as going from Canberra to Braidwood. In terms of distance it is, but it's very different. The whole road is lined with houses, small shops, buildings of all shapes and sizes. Traffic is fluid, as motorbikes dart in and out, as cars beep politely, and as buses muscle their way through the congestion. Every inch of space is taken up. At one point, Nova said: "We're in Salatiga now" and I asked, "How can you tell?" It's difficult to see where one city starts, and the other ends.


Arrived at Pak Agna's place about 9pm. After being introduced to the family and making small-talk, I went to bed. Bit of a racket outside, but with the iPod I found the perfect sound: Colleen. Fell asleep by 10pm, Colleen's dusty crackles popping in my ears.

Dianita and Arief

For the first part of my trip I'm staying with friends Dianita and Arief and their daughters Farisa (12) and Adira (10), who live in the suburb of Kebayoran Baru, a little south of central Jakarta. Streets here are like Canberra, circular, but different principles of organisation operate. Arief studied at ANU, doing his PhD in RSPAS, and now works at Bank Indonesia (similar to the Reserve Bank; he deals in policy, not money). Dianita worked as a tutor in the Faculty of Asian Studies, which is when I first met her. She was my teacher when I was studying Indonesian 1B. After that, she became my bahasa tutor and introduced me to the world of Indonesian grammar. And then, because our families and experiences are the same (we're in our 40s, we've lived in North America, we have two girls), we became friends. I'd actually taught Arief when he arrived at ANU because, as an AUSAID scholarship holder, he had to attend an Introductory Academic Program which was taught by Academic Skills and Learning Centre.


House is two-levels, with a small garden (kebun) outside. Spent the first part of the morning sitting out there, adjusting to the heat and the jet lag. Woke up at Australian time, which meant I was awake at 4am here. Read my crime novel. Breakfasted. Then Dianita taught me how to SMS (talk about a tedious way of communicating - my thumbs weren't made for these times) and how to use the mobile phone. Called Leonie and the phone worked! Magical. Blogged. Gave Farisa and Adira two books by Australian authors. Listened to Adira play the violin and Farisa the piano - they're very talented. And then, when Dianita came down the stairs and said, Stephen ingin menonton futbul di televisi? ("Do you want to watch the football?"), I was doing what most Australians were doing: watching the Grand Final! Next year I think Prague will be a good spot to view the game. I hope everyone rallies around Phil and supports him during this difficult time. Saints had their opportunity in the first half where all the stats went their way, yet they only led by a goal. Second half was a terrific arm wrestle; grim from a scoring point of view, but tough in terms of tenacity and attack at the ball. Scarlett's poke to Ablett was a huge moment in the game.



Late in the afternoon, we minus the girls went for a drive around the area, which is popular with ex-pats. Bought a cord to connect the digital camera to the computer (the device worked in the shop, but I can't get it working here - and Farisa had a sleepover with her grandma is not here to help me come to terms with the technology!). Landed at a restaurant for orang asing (foreigners, Westerners) and had some American apple pie.

Great being here, as both Dianita and Arief are fluent in English. Our conversations are sometimes bahasa Indonesia, bahasa Inggris, or a mix of Indon and English. By the end of the day, I tend to make a lot of small mistakes when I talk - mainly because I'm exhausted mentally from thinking in another language. Last night Arief and I talked about all the aches and pains that accompany getting old. He's got back pain, I've got neck pain. When I was describing why I'm not drinking alcohol due to sleep apnea, it turned out that Arief, after I'd explained sleep apnea to them, does the same thing. Now he's worried!

Will upload photos another time (Farisa has returned home, so she's enabled me to upload).

Taxi trouble

"Jangan takut, jangan takut", the taxi driver kept repeating. Given the circumstances, why not feel afraid? I'd lost count of how many times the driver had stopped, got out, and asked directions from the locals. It was raining heavily, we were lost, and I was stuck with a private taxi driver, an unofficial operator. At the airport I thought I was catching an official Bluebird taxi, but I'd been conned. With my case in the boot, we drove a little way when I realised there was no meter. They stopped, produced a receipt for 350,000 rupiah, about 3 times more than a metered taxi would charge. I replied, "Mahal sekali" (Too expensive") and "Saya tidak senang" (I'm not happy). I haggled down to 300,000, knowing that this was still way too much to pay, but needing to get to Arief and Dianita's house. For 30 minutes we were circling around Kebayoran Baru, the suburb where I'm staying, stopping for directions, driving some more, stopping some more, and so on. I wasn't comfortable with the situation, but at least I could speak bahasa. I kept up a steady stream of conversation as a way of having some control over the situation. Eventually we arrived at the address. What a relief.

Getting ripped off early has, in one sense, been a useful experience. I'm prone to being wide-eyed, impractical, utopian, idealistic; this may be a shock to some of you reading this! Having this encounter with reality was, in retrospect, good for the senses. I need to be cautious, a bit circumspect. It was useful, too, because I could talk for an hour with the driver, who had almost no English. Positive also to reminded that I don't need to con others to make a living. So I paid more than I should have for a taxi from the airport to the city. So what? I was in a taxi for an hour, I was practising my bahasa, and, through talking with the driver, got a sense of his life, the difficulties he faces in sending his children to university and school. For $35, it was a priceless experience.

Canberra to Sydney to Jakarta

Got to Canberra airport and we decided it would be a quick drop-off so as to minimise the tears. Difficult to leave my loved ones. After getting my boarding pass, we said goodbye and, for the most part, held it together, but we were wet-eyed. The girls anchor me in so many ways, which is why being apart for two months will be a real test.

In the waiting lounge, the smile returned while reading Uncut: David Stubbs on a re-release of one of Duran Duran's Rio: Ultimately, some pop dreams are about transcendence, others about yachts.

Plane was late leaving Canberra. Nothing like being in the transit lounge at Sydney airport, waiting for the bus to take me to the international area, and seeing a message that the flight to Jakarta is boarding. Had an "express" pass to get quickly through customs. Then had a sprint to Gate 32, where it was the final call. Hot and sweaty, that's how I begin this leg of the trip.

The sign I can see from seat 25B: "Please do not proceed into Business Class Cabin - Except in an emergency." From one classless society to another.

Whiled away my time reading crime novel, listening to Q station to drown out the periodic crying, and practising speaking bahasa with Benny, a student studying accountancy at Monash University who was returning home to Jakarta for a friend's wedding. Learnt some new phrases: "kalau tidak salah" (if I'm not mistaken) and "dengan diri sendiri" (by themselves).

Indonesia starts today, without the Crows

When I started organising the tickets to Indonesia, I originally planned to leave after the Grand Final, as, under the old regime, it would simply be unAustralian to miss the big day and, of course, maybe miss the Crows. Not that at the time of the original planning the Crows looked as they'd play a meaningful role in September. But following your team is always an act of faith and I was optimistic that we'd be there. Then a cheaper ticket presented itself, but it involved leaving on the Friday. So I thought that it'd be a good omen for me to be out of the country when the Crows beat whoever they were destined to play. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. For the team. But, obviously, word about my sacrifice got out and Neil Craig and the Crows thought my doing the "sacrifice watching the grand final in the slim hope that it will magically force the Crows to be in the grand final" thing was too big a burden for them to carry. Hence that inexplicable third quarter.

Off to Sydney today. Before that: Coffee with Linda this morning, watch Delaney have her guitar lesson, and then to the airport with my beautiful girls. Tallulah has discovered New Order and loves them. She is under instruction during my absence to raid the CD cabinet and grab stuff at random and give them a listen. Who knows what type of taste she'll develop when I'm gone. Plane heads off at 11.50 or thereabouts. For the plane I've got some quality pulp to read - George Pelecanos - and the usual bit of excess reading (music mags, Freud, and two dictionaries). Pockets are filled with iPod, phone, passport, phrasebook, notebook and other bits and pieces.

It's going to be a great day - Leonie's just turned up the stereo and the house pumps with NO's "Regret". Other sounds: dishes being done, Delaney getting ready for school, and Kucing demanding some food.

Next entry will be from Indonesia.

Salam hangat,

Stephen

Malaria and money

Two steps closer to Salatiga. Started taking malaria tablets - doctor suggested that I start 2 days before I land in Indonesia. After dropping the girls off at school and meeting Dave for a coffee at Satis, I headed into Civic to become a millionaire. Roughly $150 got me 1,000,000 rupiah. Now I need a new wallet to hold all that cash in. I've got enough "uang kecil" (little money) to keep the taxi drivers, street vendors, and stall holders happy.

Tomorrow's D-Day: Dictionary Day. Big decision.

Itinerary

Delaney says that I've got about 8 flights to catch for my trip. For this morning's news, she's going to talk to her classmates about my trip, so this morning at breakfast we were poring over a couple of Google maps and plotting the flights. Here's my itinerary:

25 Sept: Canberra-Sydney-Jakarta, departing 11.55am and arriving 6.35pm. 2 flights.

27 Sept: Jakarta-Solo, then catching a taxi to Salatiga. 1 flight.

7 Nov: Salatiga-Solo, bus or taxi.

11 Nov: Solo-Jakarta-Medan-Banda Aceh, arriving 3.45pm. 2 flights.

12 Nov: Banda Aceh-Lhokseumawe, car.

15 Nov: Lhokseumawe-Banda Aceh.

17 Nov: Banda Aceh-Jakarta, arriving 2.10pm. 1 flight.

23 Nov: Jakarta-Sydney-Canberra, departing 8.45pm, arriving in Canberra 24 Nov, 10.30am. 2 flights.

The second half of the trip is ANU-related work, where I'll be visiting lecturers in the Islamic education system who have studied in Australia via an Australian-Indonesian government program. In Solo I'll be visiting Ismail, who works at STAIN (State Islamic College), and in Banda Aceh I'll be visiting Iskandar, who works at Universitas Malikussaleh. In Jakarta I'll be visiting Greta, who a few years ago did an internship at Academic Skills and Learning Centre, ANU. She works at Bina Nusantara University (BINUS).

Thanks Chip Night Crew

Got to make space for another t-shirt, thanks to the Watson Chip Night Crew, who, at our last chip night before I depart for Indonesia, gave me a wonderful gift signed by family and friends.

Big thanks and love to friends Ingrid, Ruud, Misha, and Lizanne; David, Linda, and Willem; Sarah, Phil, Amelie, and Lulu; and big thanks and love to family Leonie, Tallulah, and Delaney. Will look out for hot chips and sambal on Saturdays in Salatiga!

Getting ready for Salatiga

Visa's approved, vaccinations done. Less than a week to go before I head to Indonesia: Jakarta (2 days), Salatiga (6 weeks), Solo (4 days), Aceh (a week), and Jakarta (a week). Salatiga is where I'll be working at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana to complete the final course of my diploma in Asian Studies. After that, a couple of weeks of ANU work - visiting Islamic universities in Solo (also known as Surakarta), Banda Aceh, and Lhokseumawe, and visiting BINUS (Bina Nusantara University) in Jakarta.

Wrestling with what to pack: 23 kilos of luggage, 7 kilos of hand luggage. 4 shirts or 6? T-shirts - just a handful. Can't take five dictionaries - which one(s) to leave behind? 2 suits. A week's worth of socks'n'jocks. Some hankies. Notebooks. Shoes: Docs for work, Chucks for play. Take something to read? Something heavy or light? Something that will last 8 weeks or something I can offload? Leonie'll help with some of the decision-making, get me lightening the load.

Travelling seems to be about getting the technology right. Mobile? Check. iPod? Check. Camera? Get the one from work. Laptop? Don't bother. As a non-mobile user, and proud of it, I've been practising how to use it, how to shape my thinking to its presence.

Loading up the iPod has been fun. Tallulah showed me how to work the system. First playlist cherrypicked from the entire collection. On shuffle, though, it sounded too familiar. Second playlist needed to be able to sustain and surprise me for 8 weeks. Today, for instance, the first 8 songs on shuffle are: Prefab Sprout, Eno & Byrne, Steve Reich, The Magic I.D., White Shoes & The Couples Company, Stereolab, The Reels, and Spunk.

Other acts of pre-departure consumption. Bought a backpack for daily use and, as part of my medical kit, some gastro pills that, hopefully, won't be used.

Not much more to get ready, other than my mind.