Making our way back to town for lunch, we stopped in a Padang restaurant. Not 2 minutes later, a friend & USINDO classmate of mine appears from no-where & we sit for lunch together! (=

I haven’t seen Wendy Miles in over 3 months! She is very active in forestry conservation, and has been working with several NGOs & local villages to develop conservation awareness, contracts & plans to empower local Indonesians to maintain and protect their forests. Interesting stuff. She’s putting her Oxford education to good use. I have to say I’m impressed with her speaking ability. 6 months ago she didn’t speak any bahasa Indonesia,,, now she’s holding her own with villagers far removed from any English class. She’s come a long way & is doing great!

What a surprise! And in Jambi, of all places… pretty far off the beaten path! Ha ha. (=