I'M BACK!

I'm back.  Sorry I haven't blogged in so very long.  While I still love Indonesia and being here, I am really getting sick of Palembang.  I miss American food.  In fact, last night, I had a dream about roast chicken at mom and dad's house.  Mom was paying a fortune for this unlimited supply of roast chickens.  It was something like five hundred or six hundred dollars a year.  I was telling her what a fantastic deal it was and how we could have dinner parties and everyone could have as much chicken as they wanted!  And it was really bizarre because the chicken came in these little blue packages that you open up.  I believe they were seasoned with rosemary.  A true delight.

In other news, I know my time here is short so I must try and make the best of it.  I have only fifteen weekends left in Indonesia.  Here is my current itinerary for each weekend:

WEEKEND COUNTDOWN
1.) Bangka Island with Nick, Serena, Megan and Axel.  Megan managed to get Hershey's Chocolate Bars and Marshmallows in Singapore so we will be enjoying some S'mores during our bonfire!

2.) Chris, the new teacher arrives!  Axel, Nick and Serena will all be out of town so it will just be Tom, Megan and I.  Megan and I will be in the midst of toxin-cleanse and money-saving extravaganza so I hope we do not bore Chris too much by not wanting to do or eat anything.

3.) Weekend in Palembang.  On Saturday, I will attend taebo, return home to shower and hopefully go watch a movie at the theatre with Megan.  I have a little list of some restaurants I have yet to try in Palembang so I will try and get through one or two of those.  Unfortunately, because everything is either deep fried or bathed in refined sugar, it's hard to get through this list without feeling disgusting.  I will try and finish my Dodo bird paper cut this weekend and paint a glass plate.

4.) Perhaps a weekend in Jakarta with the teachers.  Nick, Serena and Megan have not spent a weekend there yet.  I would like to do this but I have to be careful because I want to save up money for my August trip and it is easy to spend a lot of money of food and shopping in Jakarta.  THEY HAVE MEXICAN FOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKES.

5.) Weekend in Palembang.  May try and meet up with some of my housewives for a cooking lesson.

6.) We are considering Pagar Alam round two and heading straight for Lahat so we can spend a day or two swimming in the river.

7.) Weekend in Palembang.  Hopefully watch more movies and eat some salty popcorn.

8.) Weekend in Palembang accompanied by a trip to Steve's village (a former EF teacher who has been living/working here for years) which is about an hour away.  I think this is also Nick and Serena's last full weekend here but I can't think about it or I'll be too sad.

9.) Weekend in Palembang.  Say good bye to Nick and Serena/welcome a new teacher.

10.) YES FINALLY, MY VACATION IS HERE!!!  Ryan is flying out here and we are going to see some awesome places!  Off to Kuala Lumpur for a night, then an early morning flight to HANOI, VIETNAM!!!

11.) Will either be in Sapa or Halong Bay.  If in Sapa, we will be high up in the mountains with an incredible view, sipping coffee or staying in a village home stay.  If in Halong Bay, we will be on a Chinese Junk boat lounging in the sun, kayaking, swimming or enjoying all the limestone formations in the Bay.  We plan to do both but haven't decided which order to do them in.

12.) Will be in North Bali ending the sixteen day travel excursion with snorkeling, swimming, motorbiking and eating.  YES!!!!  I AM SO EXCITED!!!

13.) Rabbit Rabbit.  First day of September.  Back in Palembang.

14.) Last weekend before I get another year older.  I thought I was 28 going on 29 but not long ago (with merely the use of simple arithmetic) I came to the discovery that I'm only 27.  That gives me at least another year to romp around in short shorts.  HOORAY!  This will likely be my last weekend in Palembang.  For as much as I complain about this city, I have really grown to love it.  Just how one loves and hates an annoying friend who has a mediocre personality but is the only friend around so in turn, loves them for being there.  It's too soon to get sentimental so I'll save all that for another post.

15.) Off to Singapore for a last hurrah with Megan (well only if we can get the days off together).  A nice transition into a developed country, complete with a trip to Top Shop and Cotton On.

I will leave Asia through Singapore and Taipei back to America on September 20.  Upon my arrival into the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, you will find me at the SFO airport kissing the soil of North America and breaking out in Song and Dance.  I may be requesting an In 'n Out double cheeseburger with french fries animal style and a diet coke from whichever sibling picks me up.  As that was the last meal I had in America, I find it only fitting to come full circle and make it my first.

So this is what's been inside my head recently.  Enjoy.  XO-d