Ho, ho, ho! It is three days before Christmas, and I am happy situated in Surabaya, where I have been the past week, enjoying the creature comforts of a pretty darn modern city. I am currently luxuriating on a well-padded leather (or faux leather, but if you can't tell, who cares?) booth at excelso coffee cafe. I am writing on a laptop which belongs to friends, and using wireless internet to check email and finances and catch up on my beloved television series and blog. Tonight, I am taking a midnight flight into Jakarta, where I have a hotel room booked with a friend, and the possibilities of modern shopping and socializing with other native English speakers are making me look forward to my first international Christmas. All in all, I'm feeling pretty darn peppy.
The things on my mind now are related to the things that have been on my mind for the past few months. There are the daily concerns over being responsible for oneself in a foreign country, coupled with the stresses of trying to plan for one's future in a foreign country with limited opportunities and communication options. Then, of course, one must consider the meager trivialities like feeding oneself and clothing oneself in a manner that is both appropriate and hygienic (an interesting challenge travelling in a foreign tropical country that doesn't really have dryers). Despite all of the partial thoughts flying around in my mind, I am still feeling pretty good. The battery on this laptop has another four hours of life, and I could potentially keep buying wifi cards until I need to go home and pack and head to the airport. Surabaya is nice.
This time away from Bukittinggi has been really refreshing. Just NOT being there has given me perspective on how I can handle the mental challenges of going back. It helps that I have access to most of the modern conveniences I've been missing, too, and I was even taken to a western imports grocery store that made me want to take pictures. They sold Velveeta shells and cheese! Of all things! That find right there insured a merry Christmas for me! Plus, they have Starbucks here. And, I don't have to do my own ironing when I'm a guest of a family with a pembantu.
Although I'm seriously missing the Christmas traditions of my family, and, well, of course, being with my family, I'm also starting to think of the things that I want to make traditions for my own future family. Starting with myself, as a single adult female. Just food for thought.
Anyway, hopefully being in modern Indonesia for the next few weeks, I'll get to post again. Now that the midpoint is almost here, I feel like everything else is just downhill. Of course, there's no guarantee it'll still feel downhill when I go back. But having a lot of mini-vacation excursions planned is seriously going to help.
I'm in a holiday mood!
The things on my mind now are related to the things that have been on my mind for the past few months. There are the daily concerns over being responsible for oneself in a foreign country, coupled with the stresses of trying to plan for one's future in a foreign country with limited opportunities and communication options. Then, of course, one must consider the meager trivialities like feeding oneself and clothing oneself in a manner that is both appropriate and hygienic (an interesting challenge travelling in a foreign tropical country that doesn't really have dryers). Despite all of the partial thoughts flying around in my mind, I am still feeling pretty good. The battery on this laptop has another four hours of life, and I could potentially keep buying wifi cards until I need to go home and pack and head to the airport. Surabaya is nice.
This time away from Bukittinggi has been really refreshing. Just NOT being there has given me perspective on how I can handle the mental challenges of going back. It helps that I have access to most of the modern conveniences I've been missing, too, and I was even taken to a western imports grocery store that made me want to take pictures. They sold Velveeta shells and cheese! Of all things! That find right there insured a merry Christmas for me! Plus, they have Starbucks here. And, I don't have to do my own ironing when I'm a guest of a family with a pembantu.
Although I'm seriously missing the Christmas traditions of my family, and, well, of course, being with my family, I'm also starting to think of the things that I want to make traditions for my own future family. Starting with myself, as a single adult female. Just food for thought.
Anyway, hopefully being in modern Indonesia for the next few weeks, I'll get to post again. Now that the midpoint is almost here, I feel like everything else is just downhill. Of course, there's no guarantee it'll still feel downhill when I go back. But having a lot of mini-vacation excursions planned is seriously going to help.
I'm in a holiday mood!
posted by Amelia at 12:08 AM
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