Friday, 25Aug06

Highlights: Embassy adventures, signing the lease agreement, meeting Brooks

This morning I met my boss at the embassy & continued the checking-in process. At the embassy bank I had to establish an account, then get a letter to prove my odd status as someone assigned to be here but who is not officially an embassy staff member before I could cash a check.

FAO? Where is that office? Well, I’m under the DAO but not on their staff. Will you help me anyways?
I get some funny looks at first, but the Indonesian staff here loves that I can speak bahasa Indonesia & a few expressions in bahasa Jawa. It’s like making instant friends. I got a $6,000 check cashed as a 1st payment for my house, and if I can get the landlord to be patient for about a week, I can orchestrate a money transfer through the embassy for the remainder of my $14,300 rental payment until my Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) kicks in.

By 6 tonight, Helen & Ricardo (our ace realty team) came to the hotel with the lease agreement & I signed the dotted line!