So. I left.

I've been gone from Atlanta for 10 days, already it feels a lot longer. I packed up my shit, had and amazing few days in LA, and took about 22 hours to get here. Here being Indonesia. Quit my job, turned in my leased car, sublet my apartment. It was all hurried and rushed and running around to get everything done. I know I left some things undone, but once I was on the plane, they all kind of melted away... so Comcast might have to wait to get their modem back. Oops. It didn't seem real that I was leaving...some sushi and a porn shop stop, then bam... we're looking for China Airlines. Even as I boarded in LA I felt like I'd be coming back soon. The reality is, I don't really know how long I'll be gone. I just got approval for my Australian visa, which would allow me a year there. I have to be back in October for my best friend's wedding, so I guess the longest I'll be gone is 11 months, the shortest 5. It almost seems like it doesn't matter.

Starting my unemployed status the right way... no alarm clocks, a lot of reading in the sun. Jet-lag was a whore this time, took me almost 3 days to be normal. Running isn't the same here, at home I run to clear my mind and get away after a shitty day at work. Here... my mind almost has too much time of its own and there are no shitty days at work. Lucky for me, I do like to run in the heat, though this sweltering equitorial-ness isn't the best idea in mid-day. And the staring. The staring, while running, I hate. I know not a lot of people run for exercise here- it's too polluted and hot. And I know there are about 7 bule (boo-lay-white people) here for every 8839233 brown, so to see a blonde girl running mid-day, causes maids to point and stare, motorbikes to nearly crash, and construction workers to pause. When I'm walking, dressed normally, on the street, it's kind of fun. Their curiousity and desire to get a wave and a smile out of me is charming. But for some reason when I'm running, I hate being watched.

Food is crazy cheap here. Cheap and spicy. But then again, relatively, pretty much everything here is cheap. My sister-in-law and I went to the salon to get "creambath" and mani-pedi. Took nearly 3 hours and cost about $12, with a fat tip for my foot guy. The guy working on my feet said in Indonesian "It's been a long time for her." Olga had to explain that I run a lot, therefore have somewhat calloused and mangy feet, and he showed me, marvelling, all the dead skin he'd labored to remove. I nodded and said, smiling, yes I know, I'm a monster. Another fun thing here, few can speak or understand me. So I feel at ease, nodding and smiling, "yes, you probably have a small penis." Creambath= washing, massaging, massaging, washing, conditioning, massaging your head. I don't think we have it in the States, but it's amazing.

Because the weather doesn't change (95 high, maybe 77 low), and because it's so smoggy, they love their malls. All Jakarta really seems to have to offer the world is a decent, if not corrupt and dirty, nightlife, some good restaurants, and their malls. While at the mall the other day, I saw a nerdy-skinny geeky mid-40's guy in glasses, sending a text outside of Starbucks, wearing this shirt, tucked in to his pleated khaki pants "Overworked and Underfucked." I can only imagine. Also, there was a relaxation massage type store, the type that would attract healthy yoga types, yet, in the store, they were playing the Aqua song, the Barbie song. I expected Indonesian Hooters girls to hop on the massage chair thingys and ride off into the hazy sunset. There is a radio station here, called "Female Radio." You can guess what they play.I just rocked my 1 yr old niece to sleep to an unedited version of Alanis Morisette.

I think I'm leaving on Wed or Thursday, for 5 weeks. The beaches of Thailand first. Then... not sure. Not much of a planner. I've been online so much since I got here because of the odd hours I've been awake. I should still be able to find internet cafes in most places, at least to let people know I haven't been drugged and sold into Thai prostitution. (maybe no jokes until I'm back.)


Fotes to come ASAP. Maybe tonight. Off to a gym/outdoor pool oasis thing in the middle of the craziness of Jakarta to read in the sun and watch naked Asian girls have no qualms about clipping their toenails in the public sauna. Jealous?