A new month in Indonesia

5/3/11
Easy to believe it has been a month already overseas but this feels like it has gone really fast so far.
This week I....
Began riding a bike around, that has made getting around locally so much easier. Got caught in a huge downpour, in the dark, with no lights on my bike, on a very busy main road. Got completely soaked through. It can be pretty hairy trying to get across a four laned road with loads of motorbikes & a few cars, they generally drive quite slow, maybe 40km/hr and have a good sense of looking out for eachother.
Joined a Yoga class. This yoga is hard work and since I'm not the most flexible of humans it is pretty challenging but I do like it. The room is hot with no A/C or fan so you sweat like crazy as you stretch yourself through & over chairs & climb from downward dog up onto the wall with your feet. I have a month's membership with them.
Got my first yogya sunburn on my nose & forehead when I was lazing in the pool chit chatting.
Climbed out of bed at 530am for the first time since I've been away & walked to school in the misty rain at 630. Spent the day at school in year 5's english classes helping them out. They were extremely excited by a foreigner & especially clapped when I told them I was from Australia. Once they finally got over their shyness, at the end of class, I was confronted with a barrage of questions from these 8 to 10 year olds-
"How old are you?" "What is your phone number?" "Where do you live?" "Why are you here?" "What are your religious beliefs?" "Do you have facebook?" "Can I be your friend on FB?"
I didn't really know how to tell the kiddies no to my phone number and facebook. I kinda just ignored the question. They all looked confused when I wouldn't be their facebook buddy or give out my phone number. Next week they have exams so I have to wait until the following week to see if I can help out again. Such sporadic opportunities, it's a bit annoying.
I also went to the orphanage I have had in mind to volunteer it but that just goes into the too hard basket now.
We got a last minute invitation to a dress up party, going as someone/thing starting with the first letter of your name. J for janitor. So JP & I were janitors. B for Barber. Ben looked good with a homemade barber's belt I made for him an hour before the party. We were very resourceful! It was a pretty good party, it was stinking hot even though we didn't even get there until 1030pm. I was happy & had many laughs. It was a pretty good night.
Last night after yoga we went & drank vodka with two swedish girls, how very cultural.
Today we are going to an orphanage to watch a film or two with the children. Ben interviewed this NGO who I don't know much about but they have organised the films for the children to watch. I am excited to do this today & hope this I can maybe organise volunteer work with these children.
I had a phone interview yesterday for volunteering in Thailand, in Chiang Mai at a home for single mothers & their babies/children. I am keen to do this. I can start on the 15th April & stay for five or six weeks. I plan to be back to Jogja in time for Ben's birthday. The only thing about the volunteering is that it will cost me about $900 to do so, however I know I am guarenteed work every day, I will be housed for the entire time with breakfast daily & a couple of language lessons. $900 seems to be a lot of money for a place like Thailand, I surely haven't spent that much in Indonesia yet over the month. I have looked into the organisation as much as possible & it looks good & legit. Thailand have 30 day visa on arrival too so I will either cross out of Thailand for the day to get an extra 15 days if I stay for 5-6 weeks or I will see if I can get a sixty day visa organised here in Indonesia. I don't know where I will go for a week or so between leaving Indonesia & heading to Thailand. Maybe Laos.
I have a flight booked for Singapore tomorrow that I won't be using. Unfortunately I can't change the destination & use it for heading elsewhere. I can only change the date. I don't see myself wanting to head to Singapore until I re-enter Indonesia from Thailand.
I feel pretty settled now & have re accepted my sporadic Indo routine knowing that I will have definite work & a big challenge lying ahead of me.