Blonde on a ojek bike in Jakarta

I had my first experience on a motor bike in Jakarta yesterday…….I think motor bikes are dangerous at the best of times, but here they are positively lethal!

I needed to be at a friend’s house at 7.30am in the morning, but the car needed to take the kids and GJ to school, so it was a taxi or a lift on a bike.

Taxis in peak hour are hard to get and then you have to deal with the traffic. In a car it would have taken up to forty minutes, on the bike it was about 8 minutes although the distance is around 2 km.

Traffic in Jakarta is not like traffic in western countries, it is incomprehensible how bad it is until you have experienced it.

It was change of shift time for our home security guards and I asked one of them to give me a lift; my security guard and I are now very well acquainted lol.

I was so nervous I went for full body contact with my arms tightly wrapped around his middle; luckily, my handbag was the right size to wedge between us on the seat if you know what I mean!

There was no spare helmet and the kids push bike helmets were too small so I went bare…..my blonde hair a shiny beacon to all.

Jalan Ampera was almost at a standstill with traffic so there were plenty of people to witness my inaugural ojek (motor bike taxi) ride. GJ wanted to know if I took photos, I had to admit that it took all of my attention to breathe and occasionally open my eyes!

I saw quite a few stunned and gobsmacked faces as I whizzed by and could even hear some of the comments lol.

But I would have to say that the scariest part of my day was yet to come….

After my ojek ride I met up with my friend where we had to cross JL Ampera to grab a taxi to JL Mangpang and then we had to walk across JL Mangpang Perapatan to meet up with our other friend!

A whopping great big road with bus lanes and homicidal manic bike, car, and bus drivers.

Luckily my buxom blonde bule body is quiet noticeable and it is obvious that if I were hit I would create a lot of damage not to mention a huge mess so I given a wide berth.

By 7.25 am I had zigzagged through traffic on the back of a motor bike, crossed one big road and one whopping big, main road on foot.

I nearly needed a stiff drink and a lie down.

Luckily I was off on a day trip to the factory outlet stores of Bandung and was revived with some retail therapy.

I can, without hesitation say that this will be my one and only ojek ride.

Mahkota Lamps and Antiques, Jakarta Indonesia

It has taken me nearly 3 years to get around to it, but I have finally made time to visit this lamp shop. I drive past at least once a fortnight and have always wanted to go in and shop till I drop browse.

The lamps start out a shinny yellow brass and gradually age to a wonderful dark colour and I want one of each lol! Small lamps start at about 200 000RP (US $21) and go up to 2.5+ million RP for the giant ones (US $ 260+), bear in mind that this is the ‘blonde’ price- it’ll will vary with the colour of your hair i.e. the lighter the hair the higher the price lol

I saved these images a couple of months ago when they were featured on one of my favourite design sites, as they suit a Queensland, Australia tropical home. These photos show what can be done with a well chosen lamp, or two or three……

Ben Stiller’s home for sale, www.hollywoodspanishestate.com
Photos by Everett Fenton Gidley, www.efg3.com

There are no marked prices and the price fluctuates every 2-3 minutes so be prepared to bargain. The shop assistant speaks good English, much better than my Indonesian.

The address is JL Pangeran Antasari # 64 (close to the JL Cipete Raya intersection) Cipete, ph 021 7590 2663

  These photos were all shot on my mobile phone, the colours were much more vivid in real life.

Traditional Indonesian street markets

Ciawi markets. 

Ciawa is south of Jakarta.

Halloween in Jakarta, 2009

A Punk, A Pirate and a Witch!

The school had a Halloween themed day on Friday 30th, GJ's birthday.

The kids had their FIRST experience of Trick or Treating!. A few of the large Expat clubs and compounds host  organised events; we went to the Kemang Club Villas for their event on Friday night. The kids had a party at the club house with a magician before the main event of Trick and Treating! Ben was shocked that you go to the participating houses and "they just give you candy!!!!" lol.

We have a great stash of candy now that the kids and GJ are working their way through!

KidZania Jakarta a Fabulous Birthday Party

Georgia had her birthday party at KidZania this weekend. The kids had been before, but this was my first visit and I can see why this place is so popular, it is amazing. A city designed for kids, in scale, full of fun things to do and as a bonus, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Saturday mornings were not too crowded.The kids have photo drivers licenses, ATM cards and wads of cash (they earnt more kidzos, than they spent!), all which they can use on their next visit. We all had locked wrist bracelets that were programed with our details, which kept track of activities and whereabouts, no child can leave with out the adult that actually signed them in.

KIDZANIA is a unique EDUTAINMENT CENTER for children between 4 to 16 years old and their parents.

It is a kid-sized replica of a real city, with streets, buildings, retail and different vehicles going around the City.

Here, children play adult roles and they learn how to be a doctor, a pilot, a construction worker, a private detective, an archeologist, an F1 driver and over 100 other PROFESSIONS and OCCUPATIONS.

There is a replica of the most representative buildings in a city such as Hospital, Supermarket, Beauty Salon, Theatre, Industrial sites, and many more.

KIDZANIA is a SAFE, INTERACTIVE and HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL center where kids wear the uniform and perform the role they are playing. Led by our Zupervisor, they learn the complexities of the adult world, and learn the value of money, just as in real life.

In KIDZANIA, kids use our official currency KIDZOS. Here, children learn to appreciate the value of money, by performing over 100 professions and occupations and earn a salary. Their salaries earned, can then be used to buy goods and services available in KIDZANIA.

Kidzania’s history starts like all great stories do, with idealistic passion and an unwavering spirit that was stimulated by a communal desire to create something better. The kids decided to create a nation filled with abundant opportunities, where kids could assert themselves and be responsible. And this was a world where kids could think and act independently from adults.

What the kids envisioned was a real world made perfect which ultimately made it “the place” where kids wanted to be, KIDZANIA was born. Making the world a better place was a grand idea for sure, but the kids know it was also the road to self-empowering. It would free and empower them to exercise their rights.

To Be: the power to be self-determining, unique and free;

To Know: the capacity to be experimental when educating oneself

To Care: the responsibility to be supportive and proactive

To Play: the ability to be playful and participatory in life.

KIDZANIA is an indoor facility, located in 6th floor of Pacific Place Shopping Mall, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav 52-53, SCBD Complex, Jakarta 12910

Georgia and friends

Making ice blocks

 

Riding the bus

 

Window cleaning

 

Wall climbing, all made it to the top, rang the bell and then abseiled down!

 

Street views

 

This is Georgia and Chelsea climbing the wall.

Oktoberfest 2009, Jakarta Indonesia

We had a fantastic night at this years German Oktoberfest, the same band as last year was playing and managed the same great eclectic mix of music, very loudly (we were right next to a speaker- and an a/c machine!).

If we are still here next year I'm am getting a dirndl (traditional German dress) made!

The only down side was the smoke, everywhere public in Indonesia the air is full of cigarette smoke, but OMG, it was particularly bad in this ballroom.

Jakarta Earthquake 2009

All is well here with the Qld family, just another unusual experience to be filed away in our memories! Depends which news you read but yesterdays Jakarta earthquake was between 7 and 7.5 scale earthquake...this is apparently pretty big!

As per usual, there was no immediate news online or on TV, but Twitter was instantly full of updates...as with the bombing here and in Mumbai it only takes seconds for the info to start rolling out. This morning I can find out more details; villages closer to the epicentre have been flattened and there was a landslide which killed people. There are no reliable details yet on the number of people killed or injured, Aljazeera has got good coverage with images and video here. It is tragic how much Indonesia suffers from natural disasters, my heart goes out to those who are suffering.

At 2.55pm the kids were still at school, finishing their after school activities. Georgia was on the sports field running and fell over, luckily no grazing just a shock. Chelsea was in the computer lab when all the screens started to jiggle! Ben was the worry for me, he was in the only 2 story class room, one that has a rickety steel stair case bolted to the only exit. A teacher ran up and got all the kids from Mad Science and then all were assembled on the field like a fire drill; good thing we did a fire drill practise last week at school! The driver and the nanny were one block away from collecting the kids and felt nothing as they were driving!

Georgia is still a little freaked out, she is now old enough to suffer from the “what if’ syndrome. She had trouble going to sleep last night in case there were aftershocks - which there weren't:- well that we know about or felt. Georgia had her new phone in the car and was able to ring me just as I went back inside after the earthquake. Poor thing was shook up (literally and figuratively).

The feeling was really strange...like sitting in an inner tube going over irregular waves. It was definitely not a rattle type of shake. I can see a roof top and a building out of my office window, both were swaying...but in different directions! That was freaky. I had no idea what was going on at first...Once I realised it was an earthquake I waited for it to stop, but oh my gosh it did not! The eerie thing is that the quake was silent…I expected to hear loud noise with so much movement. The glass was rattling in the window, but that was all.

My study is upstairs and standing in the door way (remember the old advice always stand in a door way-bollocks) was ridiculous. It never occurred to me to get under the desk; it seemed to start to slow down so I decided to get outside...the huge window over the stairs has always been a concern. We have discussed in the past with the kids that it is the weak point...the glass falling would be super dangerous. Of course as soon as I got under the window more waves came, I ran down those last steps! I met up with the staff and guards and the next-door neighbours in the street just as it stopped. Over 1.5 minutes of rocking and rolling! I was shaking so badly...but I did manage to plan cocktail party for next week with my neighbour (I am Martha Stewart to the bone). Only a week ago we discussed earthquakes with the kids, under my bed is our upstairs safe spot...it is so solid. There are more cracks in the house, but no damage. Only a few light things fell over, and the pictures are all crooked.

I was very pleased to find that the power stayed on but after an hour the internet went very slow, probably as everyone rushed on the get info.

So all is well...what an experience to talk about when we are all old and gray and in the retirement home!


Below is my stairway of potential doom, the cracks that have been around the window for the last 2 years and the view from my office window.

My baby welcomes the tooth fairy.....

Two days after this tooth fell out the one next to it became wobbly. Unfortunately it disappeared...it is either rolling the floor at a friends house or in the septic system lol.

TGIF

This was a TGIF moment, a week or two after the bombs. Rachael's toast was wonderful and poignant:

"here's to friends come and gone, here's to friends lost and found"

Kite flying, Jakarta

Georgia made this kite at school at the end of last year.
It has been up a few times before, but yesterday the wind was perfect and it soared to never before reached heights.

The girls had a fabulous time flying their kite.

Meet our new neighbours

Marley and Ziggy have just moved in next door.

The girls are in love!

GJ is in love with the fact that they live next door and not here!

These gorgeous babies are only 11 weeks old and need lots of sleep.

They are so cute that even I pick them up and cuddle (I'm not a huge fan of critters).

Dr Fish, a fish pedicure.

We tried something new this week.....a fish pedicure.

I'll be the first to admit that it sounds creepy, (and for the first 2 minutes it felt spine-tingly creepy) but this was surprisingly fun and effective.

Chelsea had actually heard about it and then seen it in Singapore and wanted to try it. There is not much I won't try (except dancing on night club bars and bungee jumping) so off we went to D'brascos, a local factory outlet in Jakarta.

Chelsea and I went in while Georgia watched and squirmed in horror. Ben sat on the edge and after nearly falling in for the 4th time took his shoes off and came in too.

Georgia desperately wanted to try it yet was freaked out by it, but after some coaxing she gingerly stepped in and then didn't want to get out lol.

The tank is right at the front of the shop, by the entrance/exit, so of course we were the highlight of the day for many strangers. We are all used to being stared at 24/7, but this was a new high (it is Indonesian school holidays at the moment as well).

The fish create a tingly feeling, much like holding your leg/foot over a spa jet. The fish, Garra rufa have no teeth and live on dead and diseased skin. They can not bite nor tear skin and just suck off the old stuff. Once you get your head around the fact of live animals feeding on you it becomes quiet relaxing.

Here are some links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_fish


http://www.doctorfishguide.com/

http://living.oneindia.in/beauty/beauty-tips/2008/fish-pedicure-salon-230708.html


This cost 35 000RP each for 15 minutes (cute 5yr old boys are free), this is about US$3.50 or AU$4.20. Chelsea decided to see if the fish would tidy up her scabby knee (this did and still does gross me out lol), they did!

We thought this was a nice way to get soft feet and will definitely being going back.

One week until university exams.....and counting.

In 1.5 weeks time I will be free to blog, and read and relax.......until then, here is a little something.

Last time we went to Singapore, Chelsea fell over and had a suspected fractured arm.
This time she slipped and fell on her chin; these are photos of the slowly fading bruise.
Very surprisingly she was not in a lot of pain...
We had no idea it was so bad until we took the ice off.
Chelsea has previously managed to snap an adult tooth in half and I was so worried she had done some dental damage, but everything was fine.
Just over a week later it has just faded away completely.

Chelsea takes after GJ....his body is covered in scars from his childhood.

3 great things and 3 not so great things.

• I'm presently cramming for exams........Mathematics and Functional Linguistics, it is as fun as it sounds. Not so great.
  

• Mothers day was bliss, a wonderful Brunch at the Ritz with eight other families. Great!
  

• We have got another round of cheap flights and are off to Singapore for a extended long weekend. Great!
  

• I have managed to get rid of the latest round of nits........I'm sure the girls have a giant flashing billboard, only visible to head lice, on their foreheads inviting all the head lice in Jakarta to come and party. (p.s. the girls always share with me.......) Not so good.
  

• The leaking upstairs toilet is still leaking and the roof has collapsed for the second time under the dripping sewerage! Re-grouting the floor and re-plastering the ceiling does not fix a leaking pipe under a toilet. Oh the joys of unqualified tradespeople. Very not so good!
  

• Here are some photos of a great night out at the ANZA club with an ABBA theme. Great!
  

The German Ball, Jakarta 2009

We are now officially Ball junkies!

This was the inaugural German Ball in the newly renovated Hotel Kempinski Jakarta.
The ballroom was magnificent, in the collage there is a photo of the huge chandelier which dominated the room.

We were the only non-German speaking table there and I think we were getting a few tiny frowns for whispering through some (long) speeches. We had a wonderful couple at our table who informed us of the term 'ball junkie', (hi V and O, see you at the BWA ball!).

I think that this was one of the best balls we have been to in ages, the band was great and we danced until the wee hours.We ended up at a doof, doof night club in Kemang and managed to just get home before dawn.

The British Women's Association Ball is on next month, it has a lot to live up to!

Although the ball was so much fun, I do think our friends made all the difference. We always have fun with them whether we are at a beach hut with frizzy hair, covered in sand and bug spray or all gussied up at a ball!

Our German friends are definitely getting an Australian accent and outlook!


There was a photographer following us at the club snapping innumerable photos...goodness knows what they will be like, it was after 2am and the ball started at 6pm.......

Mortified at the supermarket.

Spring break (I know, we are in the Southern Hemisphere, in a constantly hot, tropical climate yet it is still called Spring Break here!) is over and the kids and I are back at work/school.

I finished work today at noon and headed to the local supermarket to do a huge grocery shop, as did many, many other people, it was packed.

Just as the last few items were being scanned I opened my purse and found it empty of cards*. They were all still in my Singapore purse!

I had a piled high trolley and had to rummage around and return stuff until I got down to the amount of cash I had on me, all while every one else in the queue behind me watched and waited.

Now I just need to go back and get the rest............with a purse full of cash and cards.




* I have a great system of multiple purses: one for each currency I regularly use; $Au , $Sing , Indonesian RP and $US. I always keep enough cash in each one for a drink and a snack at the airport and a taxi fare in that country. All I then need to do is swap over cards and licenses. I even keep the appropriate health cards and loyalty cards in each wallet. This system works very well for us (except when I forget to change over cards and end up short at the supermarket lol).

Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny managed to find us back in Jakarta after a quick trip to Singapore (more to follow)! I think it was all the beautiful craft the kids made for the lounge room!

Chelsea

Chelsea has recovered well from her stint with Dengue fever. Here she is at an exhibit on diseases in the Singapore Science Centre.
Chelsea is now on first name basis with all the nurses at SOS clinic!
The night before we left for Singapore, she slipped and fell on the wet floor tiles in the garage and I was almost certain she had broken her arm...again.

Luckily I was wrong, it was just a bad sprain.

GJ was stuck in horrific traffic after an afternoon of torrential rain and accompanying floods, so we were car-less. My wonderful neighbour came to the rescue and took us to the emergency room where we got these 'cool' x-rays of Chelsea's arm.


This is when you realise one of the realities of expat life, in emergencies you get yourself to help.
No ambulance, no blood bank etc; these are the things you take for granted in Australia, yet for millions of people in the world they are services that are not available.

Dengue Fever in Jakarta

My middle little darling, Chelsea has Dengue Fever.
The Dr's at SOS clinic are looking after her very well; she is having daily blood tests to make sure that she does not develop any further complications.
Chelsea developed a fever as soon as she arrived in Sambolo, luckily we had some medicine with us and she was okay until we got back to Jakarta.
She is resting at home and is very bored, so she tells me lol.

Movie star kids

The kids had an exciting, yet long and tiring weekend shooting a TV commercial for a Dutch food company.
The add will only be shown in The Netherlands, but we will get a copy.
Georgia was in all three ads and Ben was in two of them. Chelsea was an amazingly good understudy!
This all came about because an agent was in the photo shop last year when GJ picked up some photos I was having printed and asked for his business card.
I was quiet dubious about the whole thing, the kids are shy at first with strangers and have never done anything like this before. They all did fantastically, and are working out what to spend their earnings on.
The TV mom and dad were flown out from Amsterdam, as were the director, produces etc. I was really impressed with how easy the crew made it for the kids. The set was in the middle of this cavernous warehouse and looked so real from certain angles.