papercut

hit and run

Sometimes I take an angkot to work.  They are these little buses that drive around on different routes and stop to pick up anyone who needs a ride on the side of the road.  It costs a mere 2000 rupiah which is about twenty five cents.  They are cheap, convenient and absolutely terrifying if you get the driver I got yesterday. My first red flag was when he nearly ran over a motorcyclist as he pulled over to pick me up.  I got in anyway because I needed to get to work.  This is when I took this picture of the inside to show you.  The driver, who sported a faux hawk and hand tattoos, proceeded to swerve in and out of traffic like an absolute maniac, sniffing the entire time like he had just snorted a bunch of cocaine.  As we were driving along a main road WAY TOO FAST, he completely sideswiped a guy on his motorbike.  BAM! The guy went flying, the bike skidded on the road, I shrieked and the psychotic driver glanced back, kept on sniffing and sped up.  Then he really put the pedal to the metal and kept continuously glancing in his rear view mirror to see a.) if anyone was following him and b.) if I was memorizing his face (at least that's what I assumed he was doing and yes, I was memorizing his face).  I had this fear he wasn't going to let me out of the bus and I was relieved when he picked up a few old ladies but didn't even give them time to sit down before he sped off again like a lunatic.  All the old ladies toppled onto one another like dominos.  I got out as soon as I saw my work building.  The horrible thing is no one does anything about it!  No calls to the police, no chases after the guy.  MENTAL.

made in japan

Eline is so sweet!  She just returned from Japan and brought back a gorgeous teacup and postcard.  Thank you Eline!

lunch at nobu

the littlest

YUM.

Cisilia treated Annie, Megan and I to an amazing padang lunch at Sederhana followed by some delicious es kacang for dessert.  I was full for hours!

littler yet

even littler

a little littler craft

fortune telling

Annie and I had our fortunes told by Heng yesterday.  Heng and Erwin (who acted as our translator) came and picked us up and took us out to the Buddhist Temple in Heng's little village.  A guy in a blue shirt started singing and chanting to help call the spirits. Heng became filled with the spirit and started shaking and chanting and bopping around while we asked him questions and the spirit answered in Hokkien and Erwin translated.  I was told I should own my own business and work for myself and marry someone older in the year of the rat.  Also, that I was born stubborn and selfish but with a kind heart and if I have kids I might be too busy to take care of them so I should hire a nanny.  Don't know if I believe it all but it was pretty interesting to witness.  After I went, Annie asked some questions, then Erwin then the guy in blue wanted to know the lottery numbers, then finally the guy in blue did some chants and stuff and the spirit left Heng.  Heng was exhausted afterwards.  Then we all drank some water and ate mint candies.

There's the guy in blue and Heng preparing for the spirit/god.  His daughter Lauren on the right.

Heng's daughters Lauren and Michelle who LOVE getting pictures taken!

i'm scared!

 WHAT IS THIS?!?  AUGHHH!!!!!! The eggs are hatching.  I didn't even know they were eggs!  I saw a row of these little things a few weeks ago.  Yesterday, I discovered that they had hatched.  OH MY GOSH!!  They are so gross!  If that's not bad enough, mama is back and just laid a row of eggs outside my window.  

little craft

don't eat this everyday

but eat it once a year because it's delicious.  fu yung hai.  a whole new meaning to fried egg.

bye bye kurt!

we will miss you!

palembang is crying

Palembang has been transitioning into dry season but seems to be getting out every last drop of rainy season through insane downpours.  It goes from sunny to dark in a matter of minutes.  Here's the enormous cloud that crept up over the bright blue skies this afternoon.  The good thing is, the rain stopped in time for me to get a pedicab to the theatre to watch THE RAID which, by the way, is THE BEST action movie ever made.  You must see it!  Well, unless you hate violence and amazing fight choreography--in which case, go and see it anyway and you will learn to love it.  It will blow your mind!  Showing now in all major cities!

dinner with the yoga girls

Yuli, Fang, Emi, Annie and I went out for a delicious dinner at a nearby vegetarian restaurant.  They are just the sweetest girls ever!  Like good Chinese girls, Yuli and I fought for the bill but I lost.  Sneaky Yuli, thank you!  The food was great and the conversation (in Mandarin, English and Indonesian depending on who was talking to who) was great too.  Yum!!

tom yum soup, mie, tekwan, tempe

model, martabak telor, gado gado

 PHOTO SHOOT!