Persistance Pays Off....Too Hard to Resist

Pak? Pak.....Pak? (Mister? Mister......Mister?) She followed us for quite a while with her sites set directly on Barry. We usually do not give to children begging with their parents for a number of reasons, but sometimes.......they overcome you!! She was so cute and tiny!

A busy street but apparently not so busy for the becak drivers!

Those are shells with hermit crabs in them that he is selling! My close up did not turn out but they were painted not only in beautiful colors but with pretty writings and designs!
Persistance didn't work for him! :)

When we came back that way, little "relentless" was asleep on her mother's lap as the mother continued begging.

Just a snapshot from the photo album I call my life. It's times like these I go,"Now what was it that I was worried about or was complaining about?" These scenes tend to put things in perspective. Things could always be much worse!

Masuk Angin........or Maybe Not!!

Me and "M" with her weapon!

So there was a tutor, a lady, and her husband and they walk in this....... Oh, sorry almost forgot what I was going to write about! :)

Here we were sitting on the couch discussing the questions we were given in class about today's topic: obat (medicine). We discuss who does or does not go to the doctor and why they do or do not go. We discuss what a tukang obat is (a person skilled in medicine, otherwise known to us as a tukang bohon=skilled liar), one who is more of a schister(sic?). You know, kind of like the man in that episode of Little House on the Prairie where Mary and Laura buy that medicine kit from him which supposedly has these cure all medicines, because they want to raise money to buy Rev. Alden a new "Manual"? But it was all a big hoax because the medicine didn't really work but they had already spent their money on the medicine and then couldn't buy a "Manual", remember that one?

Well.....anywho, we were discussing all of this when the topic turned to "kerokan". Literally translated this one word means, "to have one's back rubbed with a coin." Who knew right? So much meaning for such a small word! :) Kerokan is something in the Macchiato culture that they do to determine why you are sick, and I think it it suppose to help you in the process. What happens is they take some type of oil, often eucalyptus oil, rub it on your back, then take a coin and rub (read SCRAPE) your back with it!! If you turn red from the coin (and who wouldn't?)you have Masuk Angin, which literally translated means "enter air" from what I can tell it's like a cold or flu with fever. Which by they way brings us to a side topic. Masuk Angin is the reason that they all wear jackets (often coats) when they ride their motorcycles. Like it can be 95 degrees and these people are wearing heavy leather coats zipping around town!! But they don't want Masuk Angin so heat or no heat those jackets are on!! :)

"M" decides to show me exactly what it is and so Campbell brings in some lotion (no oil here!) and "M" proceeds to scrape the tar out of my neck!! I'm saying, "This hurts, of course it's going to be red, you are breaking blood vessels here!!" She just smiles, secretly, or not so secretly, enjoying my discomfort and laughing at my comments!! :) So by this time Barry, with a mischievous smile, is going, "Justine, do you feel okay? It got so red so fast! You must be sick" and I'm like, "Of course I'm fine, she is just scraping me to death!". We all have a good laugh then she tries my arm which of course does not turn as red as fast, probably because of the hangy down arm fat! :) Don't laugh at me....you know exactly what I am talking about! Hahahaa

As you can see it was quite the adventure! Barry says, he thinks it's like "snipe hunting" .LOL

So since I apparently have Masuk Angin, I think that means I can stay home from class and not give my presentation tomorrow! Right? "Cough...cough...sniffle....sniffle...I'm SO sick!!" Quick, somebody find me a tukang obat.........just wait until after class time tomorrow!! :)

They Say It's Your Birthday....

The pool and spa area

Kayu Arum: Restaurant, Resort (7 rooms) and Spa

Our lunch date, celebrating Barry's birthday!

A beautiful setting with our favorite drink, a Lime Squash (like a limeade), they bring out a little shot glass cup full of liquid sugar that you add to taste. YUMMY!

The view from the terrace where we ate.......gorgeous!

I know...another toilet pic! But I thought you would find it interesting that it has one side completely open! Crazy!!

So even though his birthday was Friday and we enjoyed getting a coffee, we decided to celebrate by going to a restaurant that we like but the kids aren't that crazy about, Kayu Arum. This place is also our favorite place to go swimming. It is an amazing little oasis on the outskirts of our city.

Barry got a fish dish (surprise, surprise) called the ying yang fish. It has salmon wrapped around a white fish and I had a tropical Madagascar sirloin medallion (sirloin, pineapple, cheese with a tomato sauce) it was good but I'd skip the sauce! :) Not that anyone asked.....I'm just saying. This is a pricey restaurant so our meals cost $6.50!! :) That is really expensive here! We don't eat here often because the budget doesn't allow for it, but it was a nice relaxing lunch for us to just enjoy some time together.

But also note that the homework is out on the table.......we can never seem to fully get away from it!! :P

Did I tell you that we, and the kids, have class on Thanksgiving Day? Sniff-sniff.....but the kids only have a half day and after Barry and I get out we are going to have a Thanksgiving Feast with the dorm parent's and kids at our company dorm that is at the international school. So that will be nice. Since we always have a houseful on Thanksgiving, it will be nice to share it with them and not just by ourselves! Still thinking about how to do Christmas........