Its Been so long....

Ok, I know we have been
gone for a little while..
but hey its Indonesia!!
u didn't really think
we would be back
at the time we said
did you??



Which brings me to "nanti" one of the trickest words in the Indonesian langauge. A loose translation would be "later on" . A typical conversation
would go along the lines of:
" What time will the driver be here"?
Nanti Pak
"What time are we expecting him?"
Nanti Pak
"But the ferry leaves in 30 mins"
Its ok Pak, Nanti aja
"Ok we have now missed the ferry, is there another one"?
Sebentar Pak....
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhhhhhh (Sebentar = another variation of Nanti)

By now you are wondering about the picture, we did finally make the ferry and I had to use the tiolet. Devlish little things, it took me two years to work out I sitting (sorry squating) on it facing the wrong way.

Now its been decided to create a new award..The Greenstump Absolute Knucklehead Award, hereby know as the GAK. An our first ever winner, the brightspark who has decided to outlawing smoking in Jakarta with a 50million Rp fine. The reason ..public health..nope but to cut down on pollution. This from the city with the black, stinking, fetid, septic rivers of death. Buses that spew forth more b;ack filthy smoke than the space shuttle with a faulty seal.

In fact anyone who has been here for more than ten minutes knows the reason smoking was chosen..quick, easy subjective fines (for want of a better term) whereas the buses and river who actaully cost money... Stay tuned for more GAK awards..or suggest a few.