A Change... and not just in location

After speaking with Yuna, our host teacher in Tangerang, we were under the impression that we would have quite a relaxing morning as she wouldn't be here to pick us up until almost noon. Surprisingly, as Jennifer and I sat at breakfast, we discovered that all of the host teachers had arrived significantly early. (Yuna was three hours early!) It was exciting to finally meet Yuna and she was very polite about waiting while we went upstairs to pack.

Once back down, we were able to meet Yuna's husband who accompanied her and our driver for the day. They agreed to take us to Barack Obama's elementary school, which was particularly special as today is his birthday! After a quick drive to another part of Jakarta, we were able to stroll through his school, which is unchanged since his attendance and see a very special statue of President Obama as a child. We really enjoyed this opportunity.













































It was finally time to make our way to Tangerang. It was a lengthy drive, but the air-conditioned car ensured a pleasant trip. There was no traffic which was unheard of and could only be attributed to the start of Ramadan. I was grateful.

Yuna and her husband escorted us in to our hotel, Hotel Santika. It was lovely. Yuna also pointed out our close proximity to a hospital and then walked us out the back of our hotel to show us we were literally feet away from a beautiful mall, which had a full grocery store, a massive book store, countless restaurants (including a few American chains), a huge gym, a multiplex theater, and many shops. It seems we have everything at our fingertips!





















Our hosts left us to explore and get acclimated to our new home. Jennifer and I jumped (literally) with glee over our luck knowing that many of our colleagues would have much more difficult accommodations. We decided to explore the book store as we wanted to get some school supplies for our lessons. The book store was too overwhelming. It was packed with every imaginable supply. We browsed the books purchasing some to help us communicate and found some other great buys.

Sadly, looking around at familiar food establishments made me crave a taste of home all the more. Jennifer was kind enough to humor me and we dined at Wendy's! I had a "burger", french fries, and a frosty. The burger was mediocre at best, but the fries and frosty were more than I could have ever dreamed!
Both of us wanted desperately to browse the grocery store. We were in awe of the fruit, fresh fish (literally swimming in tanks), endless spices, and bizarre foods packaged in every aisle. We were clicking away taking pictures when we were approached by a security guard who told us we were not allowed to take photos. We apologized profusely not knowing if we were in danger of being arrested. I blame Jennifer for drawing attention when she screamed at the top of her lungs when she passed an open bin that was filled with live eels! Fortunately, we escaped the grocery store unscathed.










































We made our way back to our hotel to check in. Our rooms are very nice - clean and well air-conditioned. It is always a relief. I even have a view of the local water park. I saw advertising for a two hour massage for $33 so Jennifer and I quickly made a reservation. Within half an hour, the ladies were at our doors. The massages were done in room, which made us a little nervous, but the petite Indonesian ladies seemed anything but intimidating. The massage, which included a foot and body scrub and facial, was one of the strangest massages I have ever had, but it didn't stop me from falling asleep during the first half!














Jennifer and I cleaned up and went back to our mall to find a place to eat. After my American meal at lunch, I was ready to jump back in to the Indonesian food pool. We ate and laughed at our ridiculous fortune. I am so grateful to be traveling with someone like Jennifer. I'm not sure I would survive otherwise.

After dinner we purchased "cotton buns" (very, very soft bread with sugar and/or chocolate - to die for!!!) and then stopped by a restaurant to purchase some bingtang to go. We ate and drank in our room enjoying each other's company. We needed to get some rest as we had a very early morning ahead of us. I can't wait to see the surprises tomorrow brings!

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