Months and months of waffle

So it's been a long long while.... and I'm still here in Indonesia... .in Yogyakarta, Java... to be precise... So I haven't been washed away by the floods in Jakarta, I haven't been made homeless by the earthquake in Sumatra, and Mount Merapi that looms over the city of Yogyakarta that I wake up to every morning hasn't erupted yet... but jesus Indonesia really does have more than its fair share of tragedies.... A plane crashed into my little city the other day... the third plane incident since I've lived here... Getting a plane with that very same airline in two weeks time from that very same airport... I'll be clutching my holy medals!!!

So where oh where do I start... well I never did describe my adventures in Bali for Christmas... well let me just include the highlights now... The main highlights were deciding to splash out seeing as it was Christmas on nice hotels. I had a hot shower for the first time since living in Japan.... oh how i miss hot water.... oh oh and I had a proper shower.... not just a plastic pot to pour cold water over my head.... so proper shower.... and and a toilet... a toilet I could actually sit on... and a toilet I was allowed to put toilet paper into.... oh the luxuries.... So now it's been 3 months since I've been in Bali... A hot shower is once again long over due....

Other interesting things about Bali... Myself and Ipung decided to be the good catholics we are and ventured to find a church on Christmas eve.... but when we got there we had to go through metal detectors and have our bags searched.... crazy shit eh... but going to midnight mass was really lovely.... the place was absolutely packed... the carpark was filled with plastic chairs.... we had to struggle to actually get inside the church....

Bali is wonderful - a place I could live in and time would just pass me by.... It's full of art and creativity, the atmosphere is just so easy..... ahhh Bali.... And another bonus about Bali is that everyone is Hindu so it's a nice escape from the 5am pray call and hotels don't ask for your marriage certificate when you request a double room........ Go to Bali - it's just lovely.

So since January I have been a student again..... and oh how I love being a student again. I'm studying Batik Textiles...... it's lots of wax on fabric... and dye and stuff.... and i'm very flowery... I love it... I've been on little adventures into the forrests and up mountains to try and find batik men to teach me more and more... Last week we climbed a mountain to find this man living in this little house and he makes his living from batik painting, the lesson was really great but on our return down the mountain it started to rain and it was so muddy and slippery I had to climb back down bare foot.... I've also been learning about making natural dyes from plants and wood... it's all very interesting.... so yep that's basically what i've been spending all my time doing....

I'm living in a little house with Ipung, and our sneaky little rat.... We had a little hole in our bathroom wall (which has since been cemented up -Thanks Pung). And then a little rat- actually I take that back, it was a big arse rat that discovered the little hole on the hunt for tasty food.... So one evening I am watching TV in our bedroom and I see something out of the corner of my eye.... perhaps a big cockroach,,.... emmmm perhaps not that was bigger than a cockroach.... so i looked again and oh there he was a lovely rat running around our kitchen floor... oh how i screamed...

So yes... even though I've been living here in this creature invested country for the past 6 months - I still haven't become friends with cockroaches, they still make me scream, and go hesterical. The mosquitoes still lovely my sweet milky skin.....

I am also a University lecturer now..... oh how i've come up in the world as an educator! I teach Public speaking and English Correspondence in University Islam Indonesia (UII), Yes dear readers a Islamic Unversity... so whilst teaching I have to cover every each of skin... ah no that's an exaggeration- my head can be exposed!!! It's good, I'm enjoying teaching for pittens...

Right so I will bring my waffle to a close.. I hope you enjoyed my long overdue update - stay tuned for more adventures from Indoland... and pictures.... pictures made not this time... I think I about to get kicked out of this restaurant....

bye bye farewell....