Saya Ibuleh

Buleh means foreigner in local slang- and Ibu means 'mother' or 'Mrs' in Bahasa Indonesia. Hashed together these words are said as I walk around the street. More common, though, is "Hello Miss" (Or occasionally "Hello Mister")- which leads to the following conversation: Me: "Hello" Indonesian:"How are you?" M:"I'm good, how are you?" I:"I'm fine too" (Becasue they presume I have said "Fine", as that's what they're taught in school). So I say this about twenty times every time I leave the house. It's ok, most of the time people are wanting to practice their English, and this is all they remember from school or dealing with the few foreigners or tourists in town.

So anyway, while Padang is technically a city, it looks and feels like a shanty town. 600,00 there may be in the area... the 'city' stretches for miles, and there are houses up the hills, and in graveyards and all sorts of crazy things. It's dirty, there is rubbish everywhere and the streets are rubble in a lot of places and what traffic rules???? You just step into the street with your hand out and walk slowly, so the cars and obeks (motorbikes) can swerve around you. There are a few pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, but they are primarily ignored. There are maybe ten white people in all of Padang at any given time. I am very lonely. :(

But on the whole, Padang is fairly nice. I am ok with the weather, I'm getting used to it (it's pretty damn hot though, and humid, but it cools down in the evening, and you get breezes from the sea- never wind). The food is cheap (I got 14 bananas yesterday which I haggled down to 5,500 Rp (I love haggling, it's fun!) which is about $1NZ), as are other groceries comparative to Australia. Dairy and bread are the most expensive things, which simply puts them at about the same price as in Australia. Imported items, which are available from a little Chinese store, are more expenisve, really luxuries. Padang is a very relaxed place, despite the frantic beeping of the minibus taxis, and the zooming obek. And it is beautiful if you look past the poluution and rubbish.

If I'd written this a few days ago, it would have read that I was coming home on the next flight. My mood fluctuates from day to day, hour to hour really. I have learned the meaning of ramshackle- it IS my house. Holes in windows, walls, doors that don't fit, the shower doesn't work, so we use a mandi (Indonesian bathing tub, which you pour buckets of water from over yourself). And of course, Indo toilet, but I knew about that. The power goes out most days, which means we have no running water because the pump is electric. The house depresses me if I stay there long, so I'm lucky that Robin, a teacher who left to go home again today, was there to take me out and show me around.

Robin first took me to the school, which is quite nice. Good facilities, and it really calmed me down. I can deal with school, it's familiar. Pity the computers are utter crap, so the internet almost never works- I'm in a net cafe right now. That annoys me, because it's supposed to be a part of my contract that I have net access. Then she showed me the markets, where to go swimming, a few places I might want to know around town.

Yesterday she took me up a hill just beyond the town. It's quite a hike, but you get a view of the city, and the beaches. Air Manis (literally 'Sweet Water') is about 45 walk over the hill and is nice for swimming... but of course then you have to walk back. I might try it next weekend. The hill climb showed me massive bright butterflies, an old Chinese graveyard, scrwany scrawny chicken, goats and dogs, and a monkey tied to a washing line. Later today I plan to go up to another hill, a longer walk, but where you end up in a park with lots of monkeys. They all have rabies, I'm sure, but they're not brave enough to come close to you.

If I were not alone, this would be fantastic. But Robin went home today, the Australian girl I was told lived and worked here quit two months ago, and Kenny is married to an Indo girl and rarely around. He and his wife are looking for their own house, and are being pushed by the school director to do so. I hope they don't, the house is huge, and I'm scared to be there alone.

Because of this, I doubt I'll last my whole contract. I'm currently planning to do two months, and when I return to Singapore (originally to change my visa), I will most likely come home. The I can be in town for Nick's birthday (miss you so much babe) ...and U2! If I make two months, I'll still be proud of myself, although somewhat ashamed of breaking my contract... It'll mean I don't have flights reimbursed, but I'll still have had a cheap holiday and a hugely new experience. Is this bad? Please give me feedback... I miss you all, and wish I had someone to show around my new town. That said, I don't necessarily recommend visiting, it really is a bit of a hole. I anticipate the buying of Sudoko books... and thanks everyone for giving me notebooks, I'll need them!