One of my rules of life (just formulated today) is that if it's faster to get somewhere on foot, then that form of transportation should be chosen over anything with wheels.

While following that rule today, I caused amusement for many of the hundreds of commuters on their way home from work as I walked along the edge of the crowded roadway. There were some cars that I passed upwards of seven times. We started having conversations as they rolled down the windows, taunting me when they passed by and then receiving the taunting when I passed them back. All the while, I continued to walk at a slow, steady pace (confounding all the Indonesians who would never think to walk anywhere if it wasn't absolutely necessary).

The Asian karaoke version:
Have You Ever Really Love A Woman?

To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Your every told she dreams
N' give her wings when she wants to fly
And when you find soft line helpless
Ya know ya really love a woman

When you love a woman you tell her that she's really wanted
When you love a woman you tell her that she is a warm
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her is gonna last forever
She tell me if you have a really - really really ever love a woman?

To really love a woman
Little holder - til ya know how she needs to be touched
You gotta breath her - really taste her
Til you can feel her in your blood
When you can fill around gone children in her eyes
Ya know ya really love a woman

Chorus

You got to hold her give kid little nice
She will be there for you, takin' good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...


(Of course, we didn't actually know the real words, so there may have been some other strange lines that we missed because they actually made sense. We listened to the song three times to get down the best ones. We were also laughing so hard that the tears were streaming down.)

Date:	2006-11-09 23:34
Subject:	cookies
Security:	Public
Mood:	_

I really don't like baking cookies.

This is a confession that might be taken with shock by some, but I assure you, it's true.

Mostly, it's because one has to bake so many sets of them - especially when one only has a tiny toaster oven with one small cookie sheet that holds 9 small cookies at a time.

I don't mind mixing up the dough (though it seems there's less room for creativity, because of the necessary form of the outcome to qualify as a "cookie"). I don't even really mind rolling and cutting (if it's a small batch of cookies).

But I would just be much happier with a dessert that can be mixed up with a creative flair, then go in the oven once (or even rice cooker), and be done in 20-60 minutes.

Thank you. That's all.

Cool! There is a musical based on the boardgame clue. It sounds amusing.

Unlike the film (which limited itself to three possible solutions) the musical has 216 possible endings. At the start of each show, three audience members select one card and placed it in the envelope. These cards determine how Mr. Boddy deliveres some of his lines.

(Well, OK, so Wikipedia can't spell or use consistent tenses, but we'll forgive them this once, because they are just such a great source for quirky knowledge.)

More info for the interested can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clue_%28musical%29.

1. It’s OK to put ice in red wine when the wine is sitting at room temperature, and room temperature is hovering around 90 degrees.
2. I walked by a woman who must have been pushing 6’2”. I felt short! Yea!!
3. I love hiking socks. They are soft and squishy and make my feet happy!
4. Almost burning lental soup actually adds an interesting depth to the flavor.

They're called cicak in Indonesian, and they're just darn cool. Now scientists have proven it!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5217240.stm

I think I just felt an earthquake (though I didn't know I was feeling it until my boss asked if I felt the earthquake...). Cool. Check that one off the list of life goals!

Why does anyone buy salad dressing? It must have once been a huge consumer ploy, and then it just stuck. And generations of Americans have been tricked by the thought that if they want to eat salad, they have to buy salad dressing.

Homemade salad dressing is so much yummier and quite easy to make!

Last night I joined a few thousand others to watch the world cup final at the local mall. Seats were reserved days in advance, and every square inch of floor space was filled with people watching the game - sitting, standing, climbing over each other, etc. With the chants of "Italia" rolling from one wing to the other, and screaming fans jumping up and down at every near or not-so-near shot on the goal, it was just darn exciting.

That is until halfway through the second-half when the clock finally caught up with me (it was 3:00 in the morning for goodness' sake). At that point, I decided it didn't matter who won. I just wanted someone to score - ANYONE - and put an end to this sophisticated game of keep-away.

So maybe football (aka soccer) hasn't yet become my favorite sport. But the fans are FUN. And I've got some ideas for a rockin' super-bowl party!

I'm not sure whether to be excited or not, but I am amused to be going to the mall at 2 am to watch the world cup finals. However, I've been told that reservations should have been made two days ago, thus I'm not sure if we'll find a seat or just wander around for hours. Aahh. That would be the Indonesian thing to do anyway. It'll be fun.

Date:	2006-06-19 14:49
Subject:	wow!
Security:	Public
Mood:	shocked

We're already 6 years into the 2000s. Wow. Crazy!

OK. Back to work.

Date:	2006-06-19 00:35
Subject:	Wheat thins
Security:	Public
Mood:	sleepy

Wheat thins are amazing. Usually when I get a treat from the States, I would rather share it around than keep it to myself. But I think these are all for me... Then again, maybe they just seem so AMAZING because it's 12:35 am and I'm still not finished with the report... It'll be done soon. Hopefully by that time there will still be Wheat Thins left to save for another time...

Maybe not sophisticated culturey-culture, but culture nonetheless. Welcome to my country!

You Know You're Indonesian When...

Check out my friend's blog for some fun anecdotes and disgusting pictures from our trip to Northern Sulawesi in May.

The word for moldy here (as in look at that moldy food I just found at the back of the refrigerator) literally means "with mushroom". I don't know what that says about the cultural views on mushrooms or moldy food.

But anyway, that means that tonight for dinner I had stir-fry made with "oyster sauce with mushrooms". It almost sounds like it could have been labeled that way for the gourmet food store. I boiled it extra long. I hope it doesn't make me sick.

Date:	2006-05-14 14:34
Subject:	nevermind!
Security:	Public
Mood:	annoyed

It started to rain and the neighbors cranked up the bass on their music.

Date:	2006-05-14 14:05
Subject:	So why am I on my computer right now?
Security:	Public
Mood:	content

This is as a Sunday afternoon should be. Sunny, with a cool, fresh breeze. Voices and music floating around the neighborhood from a party down the street. A balcony to sit on while writing letters so I can feel like I’m being productive at the same time as relaxing and enjoying the afternoon. Plans to go for a walk later with friends and then possibly a call from manikitty this evening.

Sigh.

The researchers designed their experiements to try to produce psychological stress in rats similar to that seen in humans. This was done by placing the animals on small platforms surrounded by water.

Is this all my sometimes stressful life equates to - a rat on a desert island?

(quote taken from this less-than-interesting BBC Article.)

The Indonesian Center for Vulcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the alert status for Mt. Merapi Volcano in Central Java to Level 3 on April 12, 2006. Level 3 means that volcanic activity has increased and that an eruption might be imminent. Authorities have forbidden climbing on Mt. Merapi until further notice, and advised miners and local residents to avoid coming within an 8-kilometer radius of Merapi’s summit.

I want to go! Can I go? I want to see lava!!

Spicy mayonnaise = good hamburger condiment – maybe a touch of sambal (chili sauce) and horseradish in it. Maybe something else. Anyway, it made for an AMAZING burger.

Laundry detergent = dish washing soap. Something just doesn’t seem right. I bought a small bag of laundry detergent today, and then looked on the back. It showed two uses – one for washing clothes and the other for washing dishes. Laundry flavored water glasses, anyone?