Some Stuff I've Learned

I have learned all kinds of things since we’ve been here. Not necessarily the “need to know” type of information or anything earth shattering, but just stuff I've absorbed over a couple of months of living in a completely different culture. If you’ve been following my blog, much of this will not be “news” to you.

•  I have learned that roosters crow at all times of the day. I was under the impression that roosters only crowed early in the morning. Not so. It’s 2 pm and they are crowing their heads off. 

• I have learned to recognize the difference between rat and lizard (cicak, pronounced chee chack) poo. I won’t elaborate on that, but there is a difference.

•  I have learned that young boys leave their homes at an early age and live in community while they do whatever they are told to do to make others’ lives easier. The boys at our apartment complex literally run to open and close the gates, check for rats in the attic, mop and clean (?) or do whatever else needs doing. At night they watch tv, play cards and smoke cigarettes. 

• I have learned that “goreng” means fried and that Indonesians eat a tremendous amount of fried foods and consume unusually large amounts of MSG.

• I have learned that motor scooters get you around this city much faster than cars do.

• I have learned that many people are not one bit bothered by flies on food. 

• I have learned that pretty much every male in Indonesia smokes cigarettes.

• I have learned that at least one Indonesian lady considers Disneyland an exotic destination. This is the same lady who told me I sound like Dolly Parton.

• I have learned how clove, cinnamon, vanilla, guava, mango and passion fruit grow.

• I have learned that Indonesians grind their coffee into a powder and they do not use coffee makers.

• I have also learned that Indonesians do not drink decaffeinated or sugar free beverages. In fact, they prefer their drinks almost sickeningly sweet.

• I have learned that many people live their entire lives without the blessing of clean water (I already knew that, but have never lived any place where it didn’t exist).

• I have learned what a Muslim woman’s swim wear looks like.

• I have learned that I can survive without certain creature comforts, but they do make life easier!

• I have learned that all of us “don’t know what we don’t know” and are no less happy because of it.

• I have learned that women are expected to start having babies as soon as they get married, and to have as many as they can.

• I have learned what an angklung is.

• I have learned how difficult it is to shop for groceries when you can't read labels and don't recognize brands or product packaging.

• I have learned that a Diet Coke in Indonesia (only found one in Bali) does not taste the same as a Diet Coke in the US. Same goes for Cheetos and Special K - same packaging, different products inside.

• I have learned what a cream bath is.

• I have learned what it feels like to want to go somewhere but have no wheels.

• I have learned that there are many ways to accomplish a task, and our way is not the only way.

• I have learned that it is hard to be a minority group and feel like a spectacle.

• I have learned that if you stay in one place long enough, you can grow to love it and call it your home. And NO, I don’t plan to stay here that long!!!

• I have learned that people’s stomachs will eventually adjust to whatever “bugs” they have to deal with and that the body is a resilient thing. Our cleaning helper cooks with water straight from the tap and seems healthy enough. We use boiled water and bleach for washing dishes and drink and cook with bottled water only – yet we still have constant stomach issues. Our bodies will adjust in time. “Pelan, pelan” as our language teachers always say, meaning “slowly, slowly.”

• I have learned that the smell of burning trash is such a normal thing here, people pay absolutely no attention to it.

• I have learned that Indonesians have never even heard of a flu shot.

• I have learned that expectations and reality don’t always match.