Time to go home .. Time for reflection
on Really Out There Experience (Indonesia), 26/May/2010 14:59, 34 days ago
20 May 2010As I am about to exitIndonesiaI though it was important to think about what I will miss and what I will gladly leave behind. Interestingly although I have been immensely happy here my list of things I will not miss had turned out to be quite a bit longer than the things I will miss.Not MissMandi– I do not mind the cold water but I miss standing under runningwaterHand washing clothesOppressive humidity– far more disabling than the heatHello mister– the constant call as you walk down the streetThe joint loosening roadsSix day weekLimited fruitScreaming kidsLack of discipline for childrenSmoking in the officeSpitting– any where and everywhere and particularly prolific when people chew shiriRubbish– so much food and water comes in plastic containers and people just discard them when the item is finished and it is not cleaned up so plastic waste is an increasing problemThe bed– I did eventually found where I could lye without having springs sticking into me!Mosquitoes the high pitched whine and the itching after they bite.The lack of postDifficulty of internet connectionSambol– the hot accompaniment to all foodsLack of meat and cheese– meat and particularly chicken was available but not in small enough quantities for one and generally very toughVolume of music in bemosRed tapeLack of treatment options; particularly analgesia and anaesthesia in A&EThat once invited into the house people just browse your cupboards, fridge etcThe expectation of oleh-oleh– presents being brought back when ever you have left the islandListric mati– regular power cutsThe animals leaving mess on my porch– I mop the porch morning, noon and night and still sometimes have to do it againJam karat– people come to a meeting when they feel like it not at the agreed timeAnts getting into all the food - just never seem to have enough plastic boxes and just because a packet is not open means the food is secure, a mouse will come and open it for the ants!Rotten eggs– even from the best shops there will be an odd rotten egg in the trayElectric shocks– go with over loaded sockets and poorly maintained wiringRisk of seeing snakes in the house/gardenThe assumption that I have lots of money because I am a WesternerWill MissSquat toilet– just so much more comfortable to useGheckosHeatColleagues– the staff at RSUD Baa have been so supportiveBeauty of the islandChallenge of Bahasa Indonesia– it is so frustrating to have to go when my language skills mean I can chat for hours in small groups and am proficient at smsParties esp dancingTempe - a fermented soya bead cake; an excellent source of proteinCommunity spirit with neighbours– such a relaxed atmosphere with people wandering over to chat for a while then drifting off againSopi sessions– a chance to drink and chat with a real cross section of men and towards the end women were joining to chatAmount of free time I have– I have done so much craft work and read lots of booksVariety of fishFriendliness of public transportNurses thirst for knowledgeSwimming in a warm seaMarkets– with fresh organic productsFruit juicesSun setsClearness of the night sky without light pollution– there are just so many stars up there!Deserted white sand beachesChallenge of riding the bike on unmade roadsInstant repairs– if the bike breaks down I know all I have to do is sit and wait for the next rider to come along and he will stop and get the bike going again – or sms a friend who will come and fix it.There are still so many things that I did not find the time to write an entry on including:-Food and eating placesMy daily routineReligionRefuse disposalPost officeSunsetsBeachesAnimals and insectsSiri pinaWould I do it again– you bet I would; thanks to am amazingly tolerant husband 16 July should see me heading off toUgandafor a year. Details of my next blog will be posted shortly: watch this space!