Tuesday, 9 Jan07
Highlights: organize trip to DuFan, laptop catching up
Aside from a lot of tapping away on my laptop, the most fun part of my day was going over to Eli’s and planning out my next big project.
Late last year, October maybe, I asked Eli (my maid) and her family what one thing they would really like. One gift. In Java it’s often hard to get a straight answer out of people, especially when their own sense of humility prevents them from being so bold as to say what they really want.
I’m an American, however, and would rather hear it straight. I can decide for myself if it’s too outlandish or not.
After gently putting some feelers out there,, (thicker mattress? DVD player? Shopping spree?)… a few days later I got an interesting answer: DUFAN.
“Dunia Fantasi” is Indonesia’s version of Disneyland. To the best of my knowledge it’s the only amusement park in Indonesia. At $10 per person, it’s a dream most cannot afford: prohibitively expensive.
It’s what they really wanted (= Eli had been there once, 7 years ago, but the majority of her family and neighbors never have, and if their present conditions continue,,, probably never will.
I thought about it, as I watched the kids running around playing together, and decided that one of the things that makes amusement parks so fun are the family & friends you experience them with. Taking all of them, Eli & her family,,, together with all the neighbors they play & live with everyday… would multiply the fun factor and make it an experience none of them would ever forget. It might come to a couple hundred bucks- but I think it’ll be worth it for one time.
Ok. Let’s invite them all. With a quick headcount, I was thinking 25-30 maybe?
It’s been mildly entertaining over the past 2 or 3 months, when I stop by, to see the kids & neighbors with hope in their eyes, but trained by experience & culture to embrace skepticism,,, and constantly voice their doubt that this will actually happen. (=
I learned later that a common Javanese way of asking “are you still planning to do this?” sounds more like, “the neighbors don’t think this will happen...”
Indeed, I hope to never break a promise to kids. I’m a U.S. Marine. I say what I mean, and mean what I say. I’m teaching them what to expect from Americans. Honesty. Sincerity. Straight forwardness. It’ll happen because I promised it would (=
Today I sat down with Eli & wrote out the names of the people we were bringing. Let’s not leave anyone out who wants to come.
A list like this has a tendency to grow. We started with 26, then 29. 31 turned to 36, and by the time we finished there were 41 who wanted to go! (=
Next subject: logistics. I forget who is famous for saying “amateurs discuss tactics,,, professionals discuss logistics.” How am I going to move 41 people from here to there & back again? Assembling a fleet of taxis wasn’t a workable solution. If traffic was light, it would still cost close to $10 to get each cab there ($20 round trip). That’s out of their price range. I’m gonna have to get a bus. So be it.
With the planning going on,,, everyone sees that our Dufan trip is going to happen, and I wasn’t just blowing smoke at them (= ha ha.
We go on Sunday, 14 January.
Highlights: organize trip to DuFan, laptop catching up
Aside from a lot of tapping away on my laptop, the most fun part of my day was going over to Eli’s and planning out my next big project.
Late last year, October maybe, I asked Eli (my maid) and her family what one thing they would really like. One gift. In Java it’s often hard to get a straight answer out of people, especially when their own sense of humility prevents them from being so bold as to say what they really want.
I’m an American, however, and would rather hear it straight. I can decide for myself if it’s too outlandish or not.
After gently putting some feelers out there,, (thicker mattress? DVD player? Shopping spree?)… a few days later I got an interesting answer: DUFAN.
“Dunia Fantasi” is Indonesia’s version of Disneyland. To the best of my knowledge it’s the only amusement park in Indonesia. At $10 per person, it’s a dream most cannot afford: prohibitively expensive.
It’s what they really wanted (= Eli had been there once, 7 years ago, but the majority of her family and neighbors never have, and if their present conditions continue,,, probably never will.
I thought about it, as I watched the kids running around playing together, and decided that one of the things that makes amusement parks so fun are the family & friends you experience them with. Taking all of them, Eli & her family,,, together with all the neighbors they play & live with everyday… would multiply the fun factor and make it an experience none of them would ever forget. It might come to a couple hundred bucks- but I think it’ll be worth it for one time.
Ok. Let’s invite them all. With a quick headcount, I was thinking 25-30 maybe?
It’s been mildly entertaining over the past 2 or 3 months, when I stop by, to see the kids & neighbors with hope in their eyes, but trained by experience & culture to embrace skepticism,,, and constantly voice their doubt that this will actually happen. (=
I learned later that a common Javanese way of asking “are you still planning to do this?” sounds more like, “the neighbors don’t think this will happen...”
Indeed, I hope to never break a promise to kids. I’m a U.S. Marine. I say what I mean, and mean what I say. I’m teaching them what to expect from Americans. Honesty. Sincerity. Straight forwardness. It’ll happen because I promised it would (=
Today I sat down with Eli & wrote out the names of the people we were bringing. Let’s not leave anyone out who wants to come.
A list like this has a tendency to grow. We started with 26, then 29. 31 turned to 36, and by the time we finished there were 41 who wanted to go! (=
Next subject: logistics. I forget who is famous for saying “amateurs discuss tactics,,, professionals discuss logistics.” How am I going to move 41 people from here to there & back again? Assembling a fleet of taxis wasn’t a workable solution. If traffic was light, it would still cost close to $10 to get each cab there ($20 round trip). That’s out of their price range. I’m gonna have to get a bus. So be it.
With the planning going on,,, everyone sees that our Dufan trip is going to happen, and I wasn’t just blowing smoke at them (= ha ha.
We go on Sunday, 14 January.
posted by jonathan adventures at 2:48 PM
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