dagblog - Comments for "Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry"

Congratulations, O. That is

Ramona — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 03:47:20 +0000

In reply to Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry

Congratulations, O. That is one gorgeous picture. As sorry as I am to hear you're no longer in Indonesia, I'm looking forward to your missives from Malaysia. What a dandy life you're leading! Give it all you've got; take away all you can.

I'm kind of in the middle,

Orlando — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 22:33:48 +0000

In reply to Spent 4 months in rural

I'm kind of in the middle, but closer to the east coast. But it's the northeast coast that uber-conservative, and I dodged that bullet. I still won't be able to have non-family member men to my apartment, although I can be seen unchaperoned in public with men who are foreigners because the rules for us expasts are a little more lax--they make some allowances for our heathen ways.

Spent 4 months in rural

quinn esq — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:53:04 +0000

In reply to Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry

Spent 4 months in rural Malaysia in 1980, as paired up youth, living in local villages, working in coffee, rice, batik projects, etc. Still have a bit of Bahasa. The islands and the highlands were great. KL more meh. Malacca cool. Loved the food, once I got used to hot hot hot. Bad bad run-ins with local Mullah dude. For DANCING. Standing up, no touching, but didn't matter. Events in the outside world often drive local responses to whites, so make friends, be conservative. But you know this already. Malaysia not as "authentic" in some weird sense, compared to Indonesia. The Chinese and Indian influence seems to have modernized the Malay element mores than in rural Indonesia. Anyway. Blah blah blah... Glad you're enjoying it, and gonna get more time. Expect to see you at the next sepak takroh game. ;-). Q Oh yeah. You East or West coast? I was mostly in Kedah and Malacca. East coast a lot more conservative.....?

Orlando, congrats on the new

Michael Wolraich — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:47:31 +0000

In reply to Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry

Orlando, congrats on the new job and good luck in Malaysia!

PS I'm still waiting for the exciting conclusing to the Blowing Smoke book club, not to mention the middle part.

Why don't you just drown your

Beetlejuice — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:56:23 +0000

In reply to Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry

Why don't you just drown your sorrows in a cup of java, mate!...it's not like the stuff grown there is at the bottom of the list. It's the little things that adds the flavor to one's life. For me, I can't seem to get past the of cold war DMZ in Europe, but the flavor of the region I'm in...sitting pretty in Germany but only a few miles from Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands and France...gives me the opportunity to do and see things I've only read in books all my life. And it's experiencing the written word that's more powerful than any library in the world including the one Alexander built in Egypt. The world is here for us to appreciate and make better in what ever way we are capable of doing. I'm not sure why you're there, but I have no doubt you're inspiring someone to look over the horizon and think beyond the place they call home. Enjoy it while it lasts because it will never happen again. Time is of the moment and once gone it will never be seen again except in memory.

Orlando, how exciting. First

tmccarthy0 — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:15:33 +0000

In reply to Indonesian Travel Journal: Saying Good-Bye in a Hurry

Orlando, how exciting. First of all, that picture is beautiful. Asia is quite wonderful in it's own way. I cannot wait read about more of your adventures. Be sure to eat the Suha, OMG I love it when I go home. In Malaysia it might still be called pumpulmas, it originates there, and it is sweet and glorious and fantastic. I cannot get enough of it, I am craving it right now.