It is day two of Ramadhan, for those of you not in a muslim country, where you would already be accutely aware of this fact. It's quite odd, even though I was expecting it... the streets are so quiet because of course all restaurants are closed, but many other businesses are as well. The first few days of Ramadhan, and a few days before, are hari libur, holidays. So no school, and again, many businesses decide to close. Anyway, this means I have to eat noodles for lunch, and hope I can find somewhere close-ish to me that is open in the evening. I have discovered Ramdhan also means waking up at about 4am when my muslim neighbours wake up for predawn prayer, fasting and general activity. I swear there was music... I am not appreciating the waking-me-up-even-earlier-than-the-mezzuin aspect of Ramadhan. Ah well.
Transport in Indonesia is so... *interesting*. At times I think I want to get a motorbike, because I really enjoy riding with the wind and all that... but if I were driving it might be scarier. And Melbourne winters might not go so well with a bike. And having taken a half hour bike trip and discovering just how raw your backside feels, I began to appreciate a car so much more...
Amazed, but not surprised, to find myself in the middle of a joke about Indonesian transport on Saturday. "How many people can you fit in an Indonesian bus?" :"One more, one more!" This si true. I think you could comfortably fit ten, and at a stretch 15 people in an angkot. On a trip to Pantai Air Manis (Sweet Water Beach) I swear to you that I was in an angkot with 25 people and the biggest bulk bags of groceries I have ever seen! OHMYGOD! This was NOT the most comfortable trip of my life.
Air Manis itself was quite cool though. The beach is purty, the water is warm and has waves (most beaches I have seen are bay beaches), and we could walk out to Pulau Pisang (Banana Island) at low tide. Sadly, no actual bananas, the island is just shaped like one. There were also some pretty things like a carved wall (which I forgot to take photos of) and a 'rock' that looks like a man praying (it's not really a rock, it's concrete, perhaps built up over the original rock, perhaps not..), which has spurred a legend about a man who didn't respect his mother.
Anyway, I now need to say- damn Dan Brown. I have just read Angels and Demons (there isn't a great range of English writing in Padang), and that man annoys me. I think in many ways, such as characters, and the fact that Langdon seems more like a normal0ish guy, this book is better than The Da Vinci Code. But he still annoys me. And I do NOT need stupid hooks keeping me awake until the wee hours of morning. Damnit, the muezzin will wake me early, I need my sleep, Dan Brown!
Anyway, I have a feeling the net is going to die on me soon, so I'd better try and publish this blog. Two weeks til Melbourne :)
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Ramadan Kareen!
ReplyDeleteOur neighbours seem to have a rather quiet 4am prayer and then go back to sleep as they've been up all night feasting and celebrating in general. I guess we're lucky!
Hey Babe, Yea! for holidays and time off teaching! Gee time flys when your working 50hrs a week. sorry this is my first posting but i have been following the blog for awhile. Although there's been alot of let downs, problems and whinge-la's it also reads like you've had a fantastic experience in an amazing/unusual and completely different part of the world. Keep up the high spirits and make sure you use everyone of your last days to do and see it all! I love you hun and I am so proud of what you've done and how you've taken it all on!
ReplyDeleteFy. (or phi - since your reading A&D)
Hey S- my neighbours have quietened down a bit, it must have just been the first morning. Now it's just prayer, and breakfast, then back to sleep. I should know- I did this today myself...
ReplyDeleteFy, it's funny I was thinking of you today and wondering if you had had a chance to read this or not. Glad to hear from you :) See you soon!