In-DO-nesia! (as opposed to In-DON'T-nesia...)

Hello All!


I hardly know where to start! This weekend, my roommate and I (along with a bunch of others from NUS) went to Bintan, Indonesia. It's an island that's 4x the size of Singapore, part of the Riau Archipelago. They speak Indonesian there. That's about all I know as far as statistics. However, that does not even begin to tell the real story...it was just amazing. I wanted adventure, and I got it! Indonesia was everything I've ever dreamed and more. I did not want to leave there, ever! The only thing that would make it better is if I had my loved ones there with me.


Speaking of loved ones, I am so lucky to have Lisa as my roommate! She is very funny, sweet, brave and also tremendously self-aware. She knows who she is and what she wants and she doesn't care what anyone else thinks. She always makes sure to take care of everyone else, but she's not mothering or hovering. Of all the people at NUS, I am glad we got put together. We spend a ton of time together but we never get bored of each other. I'm starting to know her beyond the superficial and it's going really well. She's no Trystan, of course, but she'll do just fine for the next few months. Watching other people on the trip be hell-bent on NOT experiencing the local culture, making a fuss and generally annoying everyone, I was so happy to have a mature, intelligent, and culturally-conscious roommate. Okay, lovefest over. But I was just grateful at so many points over the weekend to have her around.

Anyway, Indonesia! We took the ferry over from Singapore at 9am, which means being at the terminal at 745 which was VERY EARLY! To go to Indonesia, you need exit visas from Singapore, entry visas to Indonesia, boarding passes, etc. etc. It was all a bit overwhelming for so early but luckily Leong (our fearless leader) made sure that things went relatively smoothly. He's a Singaporean NUS student who plans trips like this for the exchange kids, which I think is very sweet. I wonder if Georgetown has such a program?


As soon as I got on the ferry, I felt immediately good. As many of you know, I consider myself to be part mermaid (and descended from Irish pirates), so being near the water makes me feel...whole somehow. There's nothing quite like the feeling of being on the water, sailing towards the horizon with no land in sight in any direction. It's hard to explain but very real. I knew that we were going to have an awesome time. I knew a few people on the trip but not a lot, so I was looking forward to making new friends.


It took about an hour to get to Bintan. As soon as we arrived, it was apparent that this was like nothing that I'd ever seen before. The contrast with Singapore was immediate: no English signs, trash everywhere, etc. Singapore looks like a theme park version of Asia; Bintan was Asia. We walked down the narrow, crowded street past motorcycles, people hawking various wares and some goats to a small, open air restaurant. Once we sat down, foot was brought to us with no explanation, rhyme or reason. Mismatched china plates were hastily distributed, as well as assorted silverware. Bottled water was offered and accepted. Never in my life have I not drunk the local water, but it seemed like a good idea here. We ate foods that we did not know the names of, nor did we ask. The spices were new on my tongue. Despite having no clue what I was eating, I found (most of) it delicious. I don't want to make Indonesia sound sketchy, it's totally not, it's just...foreign. Exotic. Different. Really, really different than anywhere I'd ever been before.


After lunch we were all herded into taxis, where we were thrust headfirst into the heart of the city. Driving here is an aggressive contact sport. Taxis compete with bicycles, pedestrians, and the ubiqutous motorcycles for domination of the road.  I could write an entire post about  the motorcycles alone. I saw women in burquas on motorcycles, ten year olds driving motorcycles, people carrying windowblinds on motorcycles, entire families on motorcycles...it's as if no one told Indonesia about cars. I saw a family of four on on a single motorcycle: child, Dad (who was driving), child #2, and mother on the back. It's really remarkable. Many times as we careened through the city center, I was sure bikers were about to perish, but there were no accidents (that I saw). It was totally wild. We flew past mosques, cemeteries, homes, shops, and farms at breakneck pace. I took pictures, of course, but they cannot do justice to the kalidescope of color and texture that is Indonesia. I will post a bunch of them at the end of the blogpost, but I will put the full album on facebook. There's just too much to see!

Gradually the hustle and bustle of the city faded away and we found ourselves in the country. Like really, really far out. We pulled into our "no frills hostel", aka The Shady Shack. Yes, it's really called the Shady Shack. We had honest-to-God shacks on the beach. No electricity, no plumbing, no sheets or towels, just mattresses and mosquito nets. Here is a picture:

There were not enough beds for everyone, so Lisa and I got moved to another hostel down the road. It was nicer than the shady shack, but without the view. I didn't want to leave all our friends at the shady shack, until I saw this:

 As you might imagine, I ran my ass off as far away from the Shady Shack as humanly possible. I mean, come on, is that thing for real? All the boys were laughing at me but DO YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THAT THING?


After that close encounter, I had to hit the beach. And, it was glorious. The South China Sea is balmy, even in January. There is lots of seaweed, lots and lots. The wind buffets it about on the beach, making it look like it's alive and crawling. It's a bit alarming at first but you get used to it. There are some seashells but not a lot. Apparently it's a crime to take a seashell from Indonesia to another country, so maybe they have been a victim of over-shelling (like overfishing?). Lisa and I went into the water near our hostel, a bit away from everyone, and swam in the sea. We were both giggling, exhilarated by the sun, sand, and waves. I thought, this is exactly what I wanted. It was so ridiculously perfect, so far away from everything I knew and cared about. My troubles were (literally) miles away and I could not have been happier. Lisa remarked that it was nice to know that the pictures from postcards actually existed somewhere and I agreed. There we were, two young women totally in the moment, rapt in the bewitching splendor of the South China sea.

Later that afternoon I was sitting on our verandah. The sun was setting over the island, roosters scuttled in the grass of the courtyard, and somewhere in the distance a child was laughing. As I inhaled the fragrant perfume of the flowers that surrounded my hut, I felt utterly at peace. I knew in that moment that somehow, everything was going to work out. I would make spring break plans. More importantly, I was going to find a job when I got back to the US. Tom and I were going to fill our days with love and laughter and I was going to grow to enjoy Boston. We would make tons of friends and I would be okay. That's what I felt in that moment: I would be okay. Whatever came next, there was no need to worry and obsess, because I was in God's hands and He surely loved me if He brought me to this paradise. He would see me through. I felt like Aquinas in the orchard, and it was really, amazingly, comforting. Back in my apartment now, the peace may prove to be fleeting, but I will try to hang onto it for as long as I can.

That night we had an Indonesian barbecue! All 35 of us crowded around a long table and passed around chicken, rice, beef satay, and other unidentified (but delicious) dishes. We had brought an undisclosed amount of alcohol with us from Singapore, and that was flowing pretty freely. As the hot night wore on, I found myself chatting up people I'd never met before, laughing and conversating with ease. It wasn't the alcohol (I never have more than one drink in an unfamiliar situation), it was perhaps just the magic of the island. I saw myself from the outside, amazed at the facility with which I entertained my new friends. We joked, shared, and danced in the moonlight. I ended up on my back in the sand, shocked to find Orion's belt above me. Sure, it was in a different position, but it was unmistakably there, same as at home. How could we be under the same sky, the world I knew and this brave new one?


During the party, I found myself explaining being a defense lawyer to a bunch of Canadians. I was impassioned and loud, and apparently very funny, also. I'm not sure when I became this person who loves this job so much, but it has happened. I am so excited to finally find a job that I feel like defending (pardon the pun) at a party. I was horrified this morning that I might have been a bit boorish, but Lisa assured me that everyone was interested and it was fine.


"Don't Stop Believin" was played at some point, and everyone, I mean everyone, got up and danced. We are all different ages from different countries with every life story imaginable, and we all danced our pants off (not really). I was beyond gratified to learn that it is a truly universal song :) That's what the whole night was about-belonging and communion in a new place, celebrating our differences and appreciating what was the same in all of us.


Giddy with the promise of new friends and limitless possibilities, I swam naked in the sea. The experience was indescribable (and unlike Stephenie Meyer, I won't use the word undescribable and attempt to describe it for three paragraphs) and lovely. Highly recommended. That is all.


The next morning, we all reluctantly packed up our things and bid Bintan adieu. Our cabdriver asked us where we were from. I was the only American in our group, and he gave me a high five, grinning ear to ear and saying "Yes, Miss US Lady. Obama!" It was a delightful, wonderful moment. Who could have predicted America could make me cool?


Our ferry back was choppy as all hell and I was glad my sweetheart was not aboard. Astoundingly, no one got sick. It was odd-the sea, which I had swum in that very morning, was a totally different creature now. It made me appreciate how hard it must be to be a sailor, how attuned to the water you have to become. It reminded me of the passage in "the Old Man and the Sea" about loving the sea and calling it different things based on your feelings about it. At least I hope it was "Old Man and the Sea". It left a strong impression on me, I'm just not entirely sure where it was from. I'm getting old, you see.


Returning to Singapore reminded me of the night I landed here two weeks ago. God, it seems like years. Can it really be such a short time I've been here? It is so far past hard to believe that I can't even see there from here. Once back, I appreciated the well-marked signs, the order, the cleanliness, and the calm. Singapore may be Asia Light but it's really, really nice. Going into Indonesia, I was jealous of the "real" Asia and resentful that Singapore was so Westernized. Upon my return, I was gratified by it. A lot can change in twenty-four hours.


I am beyond bone-tired. I have sand in places I can't name and I have a very busy day tomorrow. I will close with a series of photos, totally random. Again, the whole album will be on facebook shortly. Until next time, this is Singapore Sue, saying sionara, suckers! Love you all.