The Learning Curve

One month into being in Indonesia and I am amazed at what we've picked up since we've been here, and I'm not just talking language!  Thankfully, we have really enjoyed being here, with a few bumps in the road as to be expected, and there are quite a few things here that have been a pleasant surprise.  For instance...

Our second day here as I was walking through our neighborhood with Ellie I noticed our neighbor/landlord had banana trees growing in his front yard.  How did I notice, you ask?  Well, check this out-

Yeah, I never knew that bananas grew in a long spiral with a flower at the bottom of the banana "stem"- this stem was probably 6 or 7 feet long!  Pretty amazing, I guess I always pictured them more like coconuts- in bunches at the top of the tree.

Since our mode of transportation has been primarily our own two feet (THAT's an adjustment!) some friends showed us how to ride the angkot (pronounced "ong-coat") into town to do basic errands like grocery shopping.  Now- the angkot is probably the most common form of public transportation here- kind of a cross between a cab and a bus.  Basically, it is an old school minivan that the back seats have been out of and replaced with benches along the walls, allowing the driver to fit as many people as are willing/able to ride- even to the point of someone standing in the doorway and holding on to a handle as you drive down the road. I'll try to get a picture sometime this week.  They do have a preplanned route and assigned numbers, but I believe they are all individual business owners.  I really enjoy riding the angkot- it gives me the freedom to do what I need to do and is always a fun experience trying to have a conversation with my fellow passengers, especially when I have Elliana along!

Along the same lines as the angkot is shopping.  Now, dear ones, let me just tell you- I yearn for the day I could just hop in the car (cargo space! no real walking required! *sigh*) and zip off to Wal-Mart or Target or any local grocery store for everything on my list...  Not so here-you go to the pasar (market) to buy fruits, vegetables, meat or rice (or flour, but it tends to have bugs if you buy it there); you choose from one of the little tiny stores along the road or brave the slightly claustrophobic indoor pasar to buy shoes of questionable quality (Ethan's lasted a walloping 3 days!); you go to a kind of catch all store to buy your snack foods (in the States, basically anything not around the edges of your grocery store- flour, crackers, cereal, peanut butter, etc.); another variety of tiny stores (aka- "toko") for tupperware/storage containers because I have yet to see ziploc bags.... You get the picture.  I am not a huge shopper, I would much rather "hunt" for what is on my list- in, out and done- here that's not really an option.  So far, I'm enjoying the experience, just exploring and seeing what is available, learning how to ask for help or what the price is, although I'm sure in a few months I will have insane cravings for the sheer simplicity of a trip to Wal-Mart or Target- need it, get it, home within an hour or less.

Ok, I could go on, but I need to go get some groceries for this weekend- and I need our helper to show me how to choose chicken at the pasar...  Not gonna lie- kind of dreading this one, but it needs to be done!  Here we go.... Happy Friday, friends!  And just for fun- here are the kiddos enjoying each other last Saturday morning...

Update- Pasar was a success! We went early in the morning when everything was still fresh, a nice breeze was blowing and 2 kilos of chicken (filleted while I waited) are now tucked in our freezer!