the salt express: July 2012

Monday, July 30, 2012

there's a bird in my bathroom!

Let me set the scene for you. It's Tuesday morning, the birds are chirping, the construction workers are laying bricks down for some project across the road, the ice cream man is making his morning rounds and I am waking up from a dream I can't remember. As I'm laying in bed wondering what the day will hold, I say to myself, "Get out of bed. You need to go to the bathroom." In response, I reply, "But I'm so tired and comfortable that I don't want to move." Eventually, I win and I get up and enter the world outside my room. Upon arrival, I brush my teeth and go to the bathroom.

The bathroom is a small room with a very high ceiling. There is a small window high up on the wall to the right of the toilet. It is always halfway open. Sometimes I hear strange noises. This morning I was sitting on the toilet minding my own business when I heard some strange noises. I looked up to the window and there was a bird standing on the edge. Next thing I knew it was flying around the tiny bathroom like a maniac, knocking over the toilet paper roll into the wet mandi and I was curled up on the toilet covering my head and screaming like an innocent civilian in the middle of a raging war zone bombing.

It soon found its way back outside. I got out of there as fast as I could and found Ida, our housekeeper standing in the living room looking at me. I said, "IDA!" and realized I didn't know the Indonesian word for bird so I just started wildly flapping my arms like a madwoman and pointing to the bathroom.

It was pretty hilarious.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

dolls & becaks

They really spruce up the pedicabs, don't they? SCARY! Look at the
one with the male patterned baldness wrapped on a stick! AUUGHH!

palembang saturday

My Saturday began very nicely. I slept until 10:00am and enjoyed a hot cup of coffee while I listened to music and worked on a letter to send to Suki and to Kenna. At noon I decided to do everyone a favor and take a shower. The housemates have caught onto my lack of showering. Anyway, we hopped in a Bluebird Taxi shortly afterward and went to meet Tika and Uci for lunch and a movie. We ate at Mr. Pancake. I was pleasantly surprised with their creative use of pancakes. The movie for the afternoon was The Double. You should see it if you love watching terrible movies. After surviving Richard Gere and Topher Grace trying (and not remotely succeeding) in being spies, Megan and I double featured it with What to Expect When You're Expecting which was entertaining.

...such as a burger sandwiched between two pancakes, a salad and vanilla ice cream on a waffle.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

PORK

Rosa, one of the other teachers had told me about a nearby eatery that sold pork. We finally went last night. I got stir fried vegetables with pork and I was not disappointed. At a little over $2 I got a huge portion, enough for two meals. Very happy. I will try their noodles next time because they looked amazing.