After five grueling days of shopping with many, many helpers to interpret and drive us around, we are in the house. Getting it furnished and usable for us spoiled Westerners has been a major undertaking. Basically, I have needed to learn all over 1) how to eat (more rice, no bread), 2) how to bathe (see below), and 3) how to communicate (very little progress on that front). As for the bathing, I gave the "team" a huge belly laugh when I asked how to get into this large tiled basin that sits on the floor of each bathroom. It is used for dipping and showering, and Pak Parto had to demonstrate that for me. Thus, the need for a more familiar type of shower added to this bath configuration. Essentially, the whole bathroom is now a shower.
But everyone is so helpful! I have just asked either the neighbor family we met or someone from the university (through interpreters of course), and they are out that day or the next to fix and engineer things that seemed unworkable. Today, for example, we are getting more lighting. I know I am beginning to appear to myself more and more like a colonial, and that will be even more evident when we (hopefully) get a housekeeper next week. That is necessary because a) we don't know how or where to shop; b) we don't really know how to cook (really) with the available ingredients. The food is delicious and more on that later. For now, it is sufficient that we are here.
Maria,
ReplyDeleteI can't get over how spunky you are!! It sounds like a bit of colonial style is kind of vital to survival for us Americans. Don't worry about the "ugly American" image. Everyone is falling in love with you and they totally understand that you are already making a HUGE lifestyle shift! The lifestyle issues alone would be plenty to incorporate into your research there, but you have much bigger ecumenical fish to fry. Here's to a bold and beautiful world communicator and bridge builder! I enjoy your blog, please keep it up. I hope Bob's English classes go well.
Love,
BJ