M-whY

Fears of terrorism shouldn't prevent people from visiting Indonesia. Every local I've met has condemned the bombings and those involved. Many are quite patriotic, and they're aware it's not good for their country's global image. Though I want to put up the green light and encourage everyone to visit, I do realize travelling here is akin to crossing a former minefield. It's always possible that by stepping down the wrong street, you'll be (figuratively and literally) blown up.

I only visited a small part of Indonesia. Yogyakarta was easily my favorite destination. The people were friendly and the sights were fantastic. Tourist hassling was kept to a minimum, usually limited to a couple becak operators asking if you wanted a ride somewhere. Bali, in my opinion, is a little overrated. The beaches are nice, the surfing is excellent, and if all you wanted to do was tan during the day and party all night, it's not a bad place to be. Coming from Australia or America, prices will seem wonderfully cheap. My main gripe is that (to borrow a traveller's cliche) you'll feel like a walking ATM; Everyone wants a withdrawal.

With a few more days, I probably would've stopped in a few more cities, and given a more accurate portrayal of Indonesia. But I was due to be in Singapore by May 9th. A friend would be waiting for me there, and since they were kind enough to pick me up from the airport and offer me a place to stay, I didn't want to change my flight ticket and possibly inconvenience them further. From my hostel in Jakarta, I took one of those funny bajaj things to there bus station, where there was supposedly a cheap bus service to the airport. I couldn't find it though, and ended up taking a taxi anyways. As usual, I arrived early and lounged around in the waiting area a couple hours before boarding my flight.

In Singapore, Tao's mother was waiting for me with my name written on a sign. I hadn't seen Tao and his family since I was five years old. I actually hadn't been in contact with them since that time. My memory of them is faint, at best. It was actually my dad that put me in touch with them.

Tao was busy today, so I'd catch up with him some other time. After getting a little lost in the airport, we managed to find the parking lot. I threw my bag in the trunk, and was soon driving down neat, orderly traffic on the spotless highways.

From this point on, all conversation was done in Mandarin.

"You haven't changed a bit," she noted when she first saw me.

"Really?" I've seem pictures of myself when I was younger. I think I've changed a lot.

"Yeah, you still have some semblance of your younger self."

We did a little catching up. She asked where I've been, what I've done. I found out what they've been up to.

"Sorry my chinese is a bit rusty," I apologized. "I haven't used it in a long time."

"You don't speak chinese at home?"

"With my parents I do. But I haven't lived with them for a long time."

Tao's mother dropped me off at a relative's apartment. They're own apartment was crowded and didn't have any spare rooms, but Auntie (I guess that's how I'll refer to her from here on out) lived alone and had a spare bedroom.

"Why don't you cool off with a shower and we'll go get some dinner?" suggested Auntie.

I did just that, and we headed downstairs where there was a collection of chinese restaurants. Tao's mother had to return home to attend to other matters.

"We'll stay in touch by phone," she said as she left.

I'm not a picky eater, and I found the food in Indonesia to be acceptable. But Singapore, in addition to being known for shopping, also has some great cuisine. Auntie treated me to one of the best meals I've had since leaving home. Afterwards, she showed me where the MRT station was, so I could get into the city tomorrow.

Back in the apartment, I set out to do some laundry. I have about five days worth of clothes. I didn't do laundry a single time in Indonesia. All the dust in the air, coupled with my excessive sweating in the heat, well, let's just say I was long overdue.

I've never done laundry by hand, and I found it shocking how dirty my clothes were. I washed one shirt, and the small tub of water immediately turned dark. Wow! I can't believe I've been wearing this stuff!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!