So, I'm a little slow because this is a story about last Saturday, but I still think it's worth telling!
I had decided I needed to get out of the house, and go do something by myself, so I headed off to BIP (Bandung Indah Plaza - a shopping mall) to get a new watch battery, some stationary and try to find some work clothes. I got a laugh out of my reception on the angkot by a group of primary school students (Indonesian schools usually operate 6 days a week, so Saturday is not a day off!). There was a moment of shocked quiet, followed by lots of giggling. I told my sister, who caused my first tiny moment of homesickness by saying she misses being stared at, now that I'm not with her to attract attention. I guess, having spent my whole life with the two of us being stared at, I'm used to it, and being one of the few westerners in this area means life is no different. It doesn't help when I wear my fabulous new t-shirt (thanks, sis!) which is tardis blue, and has the slogan "Keep calm and don't blink" in big white letters on the front. I haven't found anyone yet who knows what it refers to, and the joke is kind of flat when I have to explain it ;-)
But I'm off track - back to my story, in which I was also off track. I didn't get off the angkot at the right place, and ended up in an area I had never seen before! Luckily when I asked the driver, he was very helpful and stopped another angkot for me, which took me to BIP. I can't say I love shopping by myself, but it was kind of fun to wander around the shops, and it was exciting every time I managed to find something on my list :-) For lunch I had miho Singapore, from a place in the food court called mi hotplet & co. It was basically noodles (hence the mi in the name), chicken, some vegetables and lots of a really thick sauce served on a hot metal plate (when I say hot, I mean it!!! Because of the plate, and the thickness of the sauce it took forever to cool down enough to eat, although because my chopstick skills aren't so great, this wasn't a huge problem), plus something called fruit tea punch, which was (I think) carbonated fruit tea. Also on the tray is the obligatory chilli sauce, which is always provided, but never touched by me!
Here are two friends I made along the way, a gorgeous duck-shaped sharpener (who needs a name - any suggestions?) and a guy in a costume advertising a bank (no, I have no idea what the connection is either).
My journey home was no less eventful - after buying too much at the supermarket (again! I will never learn) I walked outside to find it raining, which means it's hard to get a taxi, so I had to get on an angkot, which is not a particularly enjoyable experience with heavy shopping bags - I'm always a bit embarrassed and clumsy when it happens! However, my grumbling soon stopped when I saw that on the angkot with me was a couple with a water dispenser in a big box. I should know by now that just about anything is acceptable in an ankgot (or for that matter, a motorbike)! The angkot I had gotten on didn't go all the way to my house, so I finally got to try an ojek (motorcycle taxi), which I quite liked. The driver was lovely, chatting to me the whole way and teasing me about all my shopping, plus there was very little other traffic so we could go fast on the sections of road where there aren't potholes, or speedbumps, or pedestrians, or dogs, or any of the other things that can slow you down.
And that was my adventure :-)
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