Pain and Suffering
I have a monster “desktop replacement” laptop which is quite powerful. It is unfortunately quite heavy! It is literally “a pain in the neck” to drag that 9 pound/19.8 kg monster to hotspots in malls and coffee shops!
I also have a high-end Pocket PC. I decided to just carry that device to hotspots, reserving the laptop only for situations it is deemed the truly best tool to use. Unfortunately, writing on the Pocket PC using the stylus (a small, pencil-like stick) for long periods of times also becomes literally “a pain.”
All this pain led to the purchase of a Bluetooth keyboard. It weighs next to nothing. It folds in half, fits easily into your pocket and is only about 1 inch or 2.54 cm thick when folded . Operating the keyboard can’t be more simple: just turn the Pocket PC’s Bluetooth on, then turn the keyboard on. It runs on two AAA batteries for hours. I just point the cursor to the text area I want to type in, and type.
There is one drawback to using a smal keyboard when you have fat fingers: the keys are hard to type on sometimes. BUT after just 4 minutes practice, I can type on this keyboard as fast as I can on any other keyboard.
I am writing this blog with the keyboard, and posting from the Pocket PC while sitting at a starbucks in Plaza EX while waiting for the movie theatre to open, so I may buy tickets in advance (Wi-Fi: gotta love it)!
There are a few things I definitely miss about the USA which add to my pain and suffering:
- My best friend, Jackie
- My dog, Cassie
- Free refills on drinks
- MOVIES (and DVDs)
I saw “Wild Hogs” and “Employee of the Month” this past weekend. Anyway, more information on Jakarta’s kick-ass movie theaters in tomorrow’s post. I will see Spider-Man 3 today!
Horrible News Update: I just stood in line for over 1 hour at Studio XXI in Plaza EX just to discover Spider-Man 3 does NOT play until WEDNESDAY! Kyaaaa!
* ~ Grumble Grumble Grumble! ~*
Bahasa Indonesia Lesson for Today:
(essential vocabulary for taxi drivers)
- Belok: turn
- Kiri: left
- Kanan: right
- Putar Balik: U-Turn
*Smile*
Me Tarzan, You Jane…
I’m quickly learning it is essential to learn Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian Language). While English is being taught in schools, it is on a limited basis. Most individuals still cannot say more than “Hello, Mister” and “Thank You.” Virtually no taxi drivers speak any amount of English.
If you are a tourist in Jakarta, you should have no fear. Odds are you will be traveling to one of Jakarta’s many malls, hotels or to one of the many Monas (statues and landmarks). If you tell a taxi driver the name of such well known destinations, you will be quickly whisked to your destination.
“Whisked?” I’m picking up more British English it seems. *LoL*
Individuals who must find specific addresses, or give directions or instructions to taxi drivers MUST know some Bahasa Indonesia. So far, I can only say “turn left,” “turn right” and frantically point with my finger when the destination is in sight. 
If you do not speak Bahasa Indonesia, your only other alternative—and I’ve done this twice—is to pray you have the telephone number of the destination, know someone at the destination who speaks both English and Bahasa Indonesia, and let that someone tell the taxi driver the proper directions!
I think my Bahasa Indonesia vocabulary is only 10 or 12 words long. From listening to friends speak, I do find there are certain patterns. I also just began Bahasa Indonesia lessons with a friend at work. From what I have seen, the grammar is VERY much like jungle talk!
Me Tarzan. You Jane. I eat not yet. Jane sit tree this day. Jane no get banana banana.
There are no plurals and no verb tenses. Everything is singular and simple present tense. There are no verb conjugations, no “Be” and no confusing things such as “subjunctive case” etc: Makan = eat and eating and eaten… you get the idea. The grammar is so simple, compared to English, that English speakers find it difficult to accept it.
Well, one may express “many” of something by saying the word twice: Anak (child) vs. Anak-Anak (children). You can also express something has occurred, or not yet happen, by adding a word: “I eat” “I eat now” “I eat not yet” “I eat already” I think the grammar and word usage is identical to Mandarin Chinese (with the exception Bahasa Indonesia puts adjectives after the noun).
The only thing one needs is vocabulary and pronunciation: both of which are simple, but take time. Anyway, I’ve decided I will give you some Bahasa Indonesia lessons in each blog posting!
Bahasa Indonesia Lesson for Today:
• Nama: name
• Saya: I, me, my (basically, first person singular)
• Dari: from
Nama saya Rodney. Saya dari Amerika.
(Literal translation: Name my Rodney. I from America)
My name is Rodney. I’m from America.
Take Care!
PomPom Girl…
Many friends have asked about my work. Some of you have asked about my classes. Some of you have asked: what are the students like? Do you enjoy teaching? How many classes do you teach? Etc, etc…
I cannot say I “enjoy” teaching, but I can say it is ok. I currently teach 4 classes. Each class meets two times a week. Three of the classes are approximately 1 hour, 25 minutes long. The fourth class is 2 hours long. The ages of my students range from 10 years old to 44 years old. The students are quite diverse in skill levels and in personalities.
I’ll share some student stories with you, because some of the students are just crazy (in fun ways). I can’t give students’ actual names, of course. Let’s begin with PomPom Girl.
Class #1 has 4 students: two boys (13 and 15) and two girls (13 and 16). PomPom Girl is your typical 16 year old cheerleader. She wears a ponytail hairstyle that bounces up and down when walking, is very animated when talking, and has the typical bubbly personality you’d expect from a cheerleader.
Rodney: “I see. What is your school like?”
PPGirl: “It is an all-girl school. I hate that!”
(Contorting her face as if she smelled durian, and waving her hands)
Rodney: “Wow, so no boys? Well, at least it allows you to focus on studying, so why do you hate that?”
PPGirl: “Because I feel! Because I feel! Uhhhh! Uhhhhhhhh! Because I feel! Wait wait wait!”
(She grabs her electronic dictionary, working the keys at lightning speed with her thumbs.)
“Because I feel TOR-TURE… Yes, that is the word! I feel torture because no boys!”
(Making whining, crying noises and sad puppy face)
Rodney: (trying to not laugh…) “Oh, now I see. You want more boys! I will tell your father!”
PPGirl: “Nooooo! Do not tell him! hahahaha!”
Rodney: “Well, I think it is a great idea! If I have a daughter, maybe I will send her to an all-girl school too… hmm… Maybe I should call your father to get some references… ”
PPGirl: “No! Do not do that to your daughter. It will driver her crazy and torture and make her want to scream!
(Closing her eyes tight, making fists and making a face as if she’s constipated)
Rodney: “So, you are a cheerleader for girls???”
(Looking confused)
PPGirl: “I KNOW!!! So Sad! No boys to show off for! Not tell my dad!
Kyaaa!
Found Treasure!
*Breaking News*
It has recently been discovered that virtually EVERY mall in Jakarta has Wi-Fi (wireless Internet connection)! How cool is that?!?
At this moment I’m sitting in Coffee Bean (a Starbucks clone) typing on my laptop, with my friend Betty (a.k.a. Bets) looking over my shoulder as I type this.
Last night Bets and I were sitting in an Italian restaurant. I’m was trying to not choke on the way-too-much-garlic bread, when I saw the people at the table behind us.
Rod: “Those guys are singing Karaoke… ”
Bets: “Ya, it’s popular here.”
Rod: (thinking to self) “they suck!”Rod: “Hey, that guy is using a laptop! There’s a Wi-Fi here???”
Bets: “Yes, most malls have wireless.”
*shock*
Bets was laughing at me, when my mouth fell open and my tongue rolled out like a red carpet. I knew some Starbucks in the USA have this free service, and even a few Burger Kings in Singapore, too.
(How demented is that? Making the already fat tech geeks sit even longer in a fat-burger and fries joint???).
I was totally speechless (a rare thing). I quickly calculated all the wonderful uses:
- I can now use my pocket pc almost any mall that has a taxi queue!
- I can write and check email from almost anywhere (insuring I never neglect emailing my friends)!
- I can write these blog entries from almost anywhere!
- I can “acquire” more yummy music and Japanese anime online!
(I said “acquire” & not bootleg, steal or pirate which would be dishonest *smile*)
Ahhhh… To be connected again… I’ve truly missed being online. So far, most Internet cafes are too far away.
(The closest Internet cafe is actually across the street from my house, but crossing the street is like playing a 1980s game of Frogger. Also, it is always full of teens playing loud video games. The PCs are ancient Windows 98 driven oddities.)
There is a down side to using this wonderful Wi-Fi connection:
- I will need to go to a mall (via taxi or the crowded TransJakarta bus system).
- I will be tempted to drink more and more of the yummy iced mocha drinks
*Superman has kryptonite as his weakness; Iced mocha drinks are mine*
Ok, Jakarta’s stock is starting to rise *grin*
Like a Goldfish…
I’ve been here for almost two weeks. I feel like a gold fish recently purchased from a pet store, and now I’m in a new aquarium trying to acclimate. Every time I leave my house I cannot help but think of Matthew Broderick’s quote from the movie Biloxi Blues:
“Man it’s hot! It’s like Africa hot! Tarzan couldn’t take this kind of hot!”
My friends say Singapore and Bangkok are more hot and humid. I personally feel this is NOT true! Also, the air quality in Jakarta is so bad it’s tangible! Just try standing on the street around 3 PM waiting for a “proper” taxi (always use Blue Bird Taxis!) then have one or two bajaj (the cockroaches of the roadways) come by. Your visibility will instantly drop to just a few meters (yes, I’m learning to think in meters hahaha).
As a big guy, I start to sweat the instant my big toe leaves the A/C. On top of this, the main office I work in is on the 5th floor of the company’s building, and there is no elevator. My Indonesian friends LOVE this, as I will lose more weight at a faster pace. One of the Indonesian staff loves to walk up the stairs with me: “Just a few more, you can do it!” Hahaha. The first week, my body gave out after 3 floors. Now, I’m able to go the entire 5 floors, albeit I’m breathing like a choo choo train. The fact there is no A/C turned on in the stairway during the mornings does not help either!
In the last two weeks I’ve met most of my friends who live here, but I’ve yet to contact some friends. I feel beyond guilty over this! OK! I promise to call you guys (and you know who you are) as soon as I get more Telkomsel Pulsa for my phone! Hmmm, I’d better buy more TelkomFlexi too. I have two cell phones: GSM and CDMA (much lower operating costs than GSM)
Speaking of phones: my home phone is rigged by the owner to only make local calls. Much to my dislike, calls to cell phones are NOT considered local calls. I’m also getting calls from debt collectors, because the previous guy living here skipped town, leaving the house owner and a bank with a huge pile of bills.
Slowly, but surely, I’m learning Bahasa Indonesia (Indo). When I say this, I do not mean I can hold conversations with the locals. My friends love to speak Indo, then laugh at me when my face contorts from the pain of trying to understand what they are saying. More and more I’m learning “functional” Indo. I can tell the taxi drivers “turn left” “turn right” etc. Learning the language is essential. Thank God all cash registers show the Rupiah amounts, so I can see how much things cost!
Hmmm, what else to tell:
Krispy Kreme is in Jakarta! I was quite surprised by this. I have to say JCo (Jakarta’s answer to Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts) is a step above. JCo’s “Cocoloco” is a chocolate lover’s dream food with chocolate donut, and choc filling and choc icing.
So far, I’ve encountered very few Indonesians who speak English. When standing in line at Jco, I decided “I will use Bhs!” I practiced what to say in my mind over and over. I ordered “Tiga ’strawberry’ dan Tiga ’sugar ice’” with confidence! Betty smiled then started laughing at me. Marina was at the table smiling. The order taker said “oh, you are American… Ok, three of the strawberry and three of the sugar ice… ”
The one time I use Indo, it would be with someone who spoke nearly perfect English. Betty is STILL laughing about this. Grr