Home safe and sound

We have arrived back in Appleton and all is well. Our trip back was pretty good with only one delay from Tia Pei to San Francisco. The thing I had trouble getting my head around was that we left our apartment in Jakarta at noon on Saturday the 28th, flew to Tia Pei and our flight there left for San Francisco at 1am Sunday the 29th. But then we arrived in San Francisco at 9pm on Saturday the 28th. We slept over and caught a flight back to the midwest at 10am on Sunday the 29th. Pretty weird to live two days twice. Excited as we were to get home, we felt a little sad as we drove one last time through Jakarta, Claire even got a bit misty about missing her new friends in Indonesia. Thank goodness for email.
Thanks to all of you who have followed our blog and shared in our adventures in Indonesia. We aren't going to continue the blog so this is our last post!
Selamat Malam!

Hectic FInal Days

Time grows short, and, as these go, there is a lot going on. There's been two more earthquakes, a tsunami, our personal little cash crisis, and we're trying to figure out how we are going to get all the STUFF we've acquired home within our airline baggage allowance. Breaking it down:

Earthquakes, one off the southwest coast of Java near Pandangeran Beach, which created the tsunami I'm sure you've read about. We're on the northwest coast of Java, so the quake caused buildings here to sway a bit, but there was no damage in Jakarta itself. We are heaing about 5 or 6 deaths in Garut, where we were in the mountains last month, from this earthquake. The second earthquake occurred about five days later in the Sunda Strait west of Java. The people staying at the Mandarin Oriental hotel said they felt it easily, but we didn't notice it. I think that's because they are all staying on the 21st floor at the Mandarin, and we are only on the 4th floor in our building. Tall buildings tend to amplify the effect.

Cash Crisis: This one is our credit union's fault. They "upgraded" their systems last weekend, and in the process managed to disconnect our ATM card from our bank account. They've spent the last four days trying to figure out how to fix the problem. In the meantime, we've lost our only access to cash in a cash-based society. Not very comforting. The ironic thing about this whole event is that it's actually been cheaper for us to get cash here in Indonesia than it was back home, since there are no local ATM fees on cash withdrawals here.

After much thrashing about, we've managed to set up (very expensive) money transfers via Western Union until the bank gets their act together. Fortunately the credit union has agreed to pick up the money transfer fees. Lesson learned: always have PIN-based access to at least two different accounts when travelling. I have requested PINs for my American Express and Visa accounts so that I have a backup if we ever have an issue again. There are ATMs everywhere in the world today, and they are still the easiest and cheapest way to get cash.

Finally, packing. This requires an advanced degree in logistics management. We are jettisoning quite a lot of stuff we've managed to acquire while here - towels, housewares, and pillows. We're also having to go through and get rid of some of the clothes and other stuff we brought over to make room for all the souvenirs. If all else fails, we could end up paying the excess baggage fees, or a 50 lb Fedex box costs $250 to the US. I think we'll avoid that fate, but it's going to be close.

Joel

You're Invited!

Selamat Datang!

Please help us welcome back Joel, Karon, Derek & Claire from their seven-month adventure to Jakarta, Indonesia!

An open house picnic will be held in their honor on SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th from 2pm to 7pm. Please join us for authentic Indonesian cuisine and a good old American cookout at Lutz Park in Appleton.

We hope you'll join us to say hello, share photos and stories, and have a little fun on the banks
of the Fox River. The Sandbergs are looking forward to seeing you!

Directions to Lutz Park:
From W. Prospect Avenue, turn south on Pierce Avenue (at the east side of Pierce Park).
Follow Pierce Avenue down the hill to the park pavilion.

Rain or Shine. Please bring a folding chair, and feel free to drop by as your schedule allows.
Hot food will begin being served at 4pm, with snacks and beverages available throughout the day.

For further information, please contact Kerry Sandberg Arndt at : kerryarndt@att.net or (920) 832-9914.
Did we forget someone? Yes, you may forward this invitation!

What I will miss...

Ask us if we are glad that we came and all of us will give a resounding YES! It has been an amazing experience and southeast Asia is like no other place we have EVER been. It is almost difficult to explain. But what I will miss is...

Indonesian men actually giggle, I will miss hearing that.
The spas, the spas.....I think I may cry.
How cheap most things are in general, seriously, $5 seems like a lot of money here.
Seeing the most amazing things carried on motorbikes.
The sights and sounds of the streets, hand carts and vendors, huts and shops in the most amazing little nooks and crannies.
Our apartment, it is the perfect size, our house will seem too big.
All the time we have had together as a family here, life and activities will get in our way again.
Bali...it is truly my favorite island in the world.
Call to prayer, it is such a wonderful reminder to be mindful.
Geckos in the house.

What I won't miss.....
Public bathrooms tend to have standing water on the floor...yeeww!
Durian at the grocery stores.
Traffic and factoring in one hour to get any where.
Not being served all together at a restaurant.
Air pollution and open sewers
Feeling like a major water buffalo next to the beautiful and petite women here

Coming Home

We have been given our traveling orders and will be returning home a bit sooner than expected. Multiple events have transpired that make this the best course of action. Indonesia promises to take a huge bite out of our income if we remain in country for more than 142 days and Joel's company has some very pressing needs that require his assistance in the states. So we begin the journey back. The kids are excited as they have missed friends and school, and football practice is calling Derek from across the shores. Joel's sisters want to throw us a homecoming at Lutz Park in Appleton for Saturday August 12th, I am not sure of the time yet but will post it and send emails to friends as soon as we know.

Lessons on Jamu

Went to a plantation the other day to learn about Jamu. Jamu is an herbal drink that most Indonesians take at least twice a day. A Jamu expert will listen to you and find out what your ailments are or what you want to improve. Then they will crush leaves, roots or nuts that have specific qualities that will help your problem and boil it in hot water. Brown sugar is usually added to make it taste better. The Jamu expert will carry her wares around on her back in a tall basket, wondering through neighborhoods in the early morning. People will stop her on their way to work and pay rp 1,000 (or 10 cents) for their morning dose and then again in the evening. We learned what can cure diabetes, rashes, acne, high blood pressure, etc. Of course the most popular drink for the men was the one that "helped with exercises in the bedroom" as our guide so delicately put it. I bought some for rashes, as I am the queen of exzema. Other women in my group bought the "thinning jamu" it is supposed to help you lose weight. I told them to let me know if it works, then I will go back and buy a case.

Dolphins in Batam

Went to the island of Batam for a long weekend. Our goal was to swim with dolphins at the nearby Dolphin Lodge. Took a long boat ride out to the island where the dolphins were and spent the day swimming and learning about August and Pluto, our first two finned friends. then we broke for lunch and got to spend the afternoon with 3 other dolphins. Their nature reminded me of playful puppies or little kids. They wanted to please us and have us play with them so much. Even though they were fairly large they were so gentle. I learned that the clicking sound they make is actually through thier blow hole. Was shown how they check their health tapping thier head and then holding your hand over thier blow hole. The dolphin then blasts air through thier hole and pushes your hand off. Kind of like blowing thier nose on your hand, yewww. This dolphin was healthy though and didn't blow a lugey on me.

Waterpark week

Went to two different water parks in the last week. Having Noah's Ark (America's Largest Waterpark) practically in our back yard back home has possibly jaded my two lovely children as they felt the offerings of 4 slides seemed a bit lame. Going with friends seemed to make it more enjoyable. Waterboom had it's own Balinese style complete with a spa. How ingenious is that? While the kids ran around on the slides, I slipped away for a delicious facial (for $5) in a peaceful spa. I love this country.

Dry Season

The weather has improved tremendously over the past six weeks. Days are now dry and warm, even pleasant. The temperatures haven't changed, but humidity is no longer an issue, and it hasn't rained at all for a couple of weeks. We are now in the height of the dry season, which will continue through September. It's a welcome change from last February.

One thing I do miss is the long summer days you are enjoying back home. Here at the equator, every day is the same - sunrise shortly before 6 AM, and sunset shortly after 6 PM.