Wednesday, 21Jun06
Highlights: got my tailored batiks back, first cooking class, and watched Mexico croak to Portugal.
After class, my tutor – Sinta- gave me a ride to the post office to pick up the package of souvenirs I mailed to myself from DC. Only took about 3 weeks. You have to pay some nebulous “fees” to pick up your own mail though. Only amounted to 70cents.
Speaking of money, I had a really interesting conversation with my host family last night. Pak Rochmadi is a chemical engineer, working on a report about gasoline blends & better ways to make diesel (solar) fuel. The university sent him & 3 others to the U.S. last year for a conference, which he organized. The 4-day trip cost $2,500,, which is his yearly salary! Yeah! Both my host parents are chem. Engineer professors at the biggest university in Indonesia, and they both make roughly $200 a month. Whew!
So that gives an appreciation for differences in cost of living,, and exchange rates.
Also- in Indonesia, when you buy a house,, you buy it up front! Very few people get mortgage loans from banks (15% interest rates), and many people in the countryside don’t trust or understand banks… so they don’t use them at all.
Pak & Bu Rochmadi say they were lucky to get their house, because 20 years ago they worked on a project which payed 10-times their usual salary for a year… and they used that money to save up & buy a house. They estimate their house would cost 200 million Rupiah ($20,000) to build today.
Shoot… when I retire- I’m moving to Indonesia!
After class I got a ride out to the tailor shop on the back of Sinta’s scooter. We’re a funny sight with Sinta driving. She’s maybe 4’10,,, and I’m guessing 85 lbs? I can see over her head just sitting there. (=
Merrie (one of the other tuturs) took us to her dad’s tailor shop to pick up a wedding surprise I got for my sister & soon-to-be brother in law. $20 turned 3 sheets of batik fabric into 3 beautiful & authentic Indonesian garments. Unbelievable (= they’re beautiful.
Wednesdays at 5 is cooking class at Ibu Hariandja’s house. I think all of us signed up for this elective. Ah! Whooooo,, good food! Oh man. Bu Martini did most of the cooking,,, I flipped the fried bananas (my contribution) ha ha. I’m not sure how much most of us learned in the kitchen- but the room was full of conversation and probably more closely resembled a party… I finally walked home by 9, so I could watch world cup.
And speaking of World Cup (piala dunia),, whew- Mexico really threw that game away. Launched all their best shots over the crossbar. Penalty kick? What was that?? I digress.
Highlights: got my tailored batiks back, first cooking class, and watched Mexico croak to Portugal.
After class, my tutor – Sinta- gave me a ride to the post office to pick up the package of souvenirs I mailed to myself from DC. Only took about 3 weeks. You have to pay some nebulous “fees” to pick up your own mail though. Only amounted to 70cents.
Speaking of money, I had a really interesting conversation with my host family last night. Pak Rochmadi is a chemical engineer, working on a report about gasoline blends & better ways to make diesel (solar) fuel. The university sent him & 3 others to the U.S. last year for a conference, which he organized. The 4-day trip cost $2,500,, which is his yearly salary! Yeah! Both my host parents are chem. Engineer professors at the biggest university in Indonesia, and they both make roughly $200 a month. Whew!
So that gives an appreciation for differences in cost of living,, and exchange rates.
Also- in Indonesia, when you buy a house,, you buy it up front! Very few people get mortgage loans from banks (15% interest rates), and many people in the countryside don’t trust or understand banks… so they don’t use them at all.
Pak & Bu Rochmadi say they were lucky to get their house, because 20 years ago they worked on a project which payed 10-times their usual salary for a year… and they used that money to save up & buy a house. They estimate their house would cost 200 million Rupiah ($20,000) to build today.
Shoot… when I retire- I’m moving to Indonesia!
After class I got a ride out to the tailor shop on the back of Sinta’s scooter. We’re a funny sight with Sinta driving. She’s maybe 4’10,,, and I’m guessing 85 lbs? I can see over her head just sitting there. (=
Merrie (one of the other tuturs) took us to her dad’s tailor shop to pick up a wedding surprise I got for my sister & soon-to-be brother in law. $20 turned 3 sheets of batik fabric into 3 beautiful & authentic Indonesian garments. Unbelievable (= they’re beautiful.
Wednesdays at 5 is cooking class at Ibu Hariandja’s house. I think all of us signed up for this elective. Ah! Whooooo,, good food! Oh man. Bu Martini did most of the cooking,,, I flipped the fried bananas (my contribution) ha ha. I’m not sure how much most of us learned in the kitchen- but the room was full of conversation and probably more closely resembled a party… I finally walked home by 9, so I could watch world cup.
And speaking of World Cup (piala dunia),, whew- Mexico really threw that game away. Launched all their best shots over the crossbar. Penalty kick? What was that?? I digress.
posted by jonathan adventures at 8:25 AM
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