Weekend Recap - Jump into June

My life in Jakarta may be a lot of things, but it's rarely boring.  Last weekend was another example of that to add to the countless others. The plans were fairly simple, I thought. This was the last weekend that everyone was here before people start leaving for summer holidays. Last week I sent out the all call via facebook that we would be going out for jsut that reason.  Friday night - dinner and EP.  Saturday night - dinner and dancing at X2.  I was hoping Saturday day to run some errands with BoT and then have a lazy Sunday by the pool.

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What actually happened was that BoT couldn't set anything for Friday.  His boss kept talking about after work team drinks on Fridays but then it would never materialize. They all left work two hours early to go for drinks after two guys got fired; one is BoT's good friend and roommate. Not only was it a surprise, the last thing you really want to go do after a firing is have drinks with the boss. The boys, as good British boys do, went "a-drinkin" and I didn't hear from him after 10:30.  I did see the fired friend at EP for a goodbye drink.  The girls went through two bottles of Jose Cuervo and I surprisingly had only two tequila/sprites from the bottles. Instead I was "bartending" as the mixings were all on our table. I saw a heap of people who are other regulars at EP, some of BoT's footie boys, and we even met a Mexican named Carlos who sounded like Rango. After tucking a drunken friend or two into taxis, I headed home with Carla.  There we had this bizarre lasagne her maid had cooked. Now we know why the Italians, and not the Indonesians, do pasta. There were cukes oddly, but not nearly enough cheese, tomato sauce or flavor.

AYYYY Jose!  Por que estas siempre con nosotros? Que fatal!!

 Saturday was a slow start but improved rapidly upon my descent to the pool.  Carla and I sat there from 11:30 until nearly three.  The sun was out, we had tunes, snacks and good convo.  We both agreed that in someways, life here is pretty darn good.  Then we went up to our respective apartments for naps and showers.

It was about four pm that I finally heard from BoT and what was happening.  They'd tried to find a way to keep fired friend in town.  It was like a tennis match - he was staying, he was going, he was staying but had to change his flight, he was going because he couldn't change his flight, he was staying but not with this company. I nearly got motion sick!   I went out to dinner with a couple of the girls and then we headed over to X2, a dance club, as planned.  We got there and others started joining.  We must have been twenty strong or more at some point after midnight.  It was brilliant.  BoT and fired friend even made it out. The dramameter then ratcheted up another notch.  One of the office girls from their company was at X2 and threatened to go to the boss (which she did on Sunday). Nothing here is ever simple.

We traipsed home about 4:30 and tucked snugly into bed, not to be roused before noon on Sunday.  The weather meant it wasn't worth going to the pool.  Instead it was a video, eating, lounging in the apartment day.  My favorite kind of Sunday.  I am still holding out hope that someone will institute a third weekend day, called Restus, in the spirit of Festivus and to be taken literally. Two days to see people, have fun, run errands and rest is not nearly enough.

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A last note, I was honored to hear that I inspired someone else to blog. It gave me a warm, happy glow. She's a newbie here in Jakarta and is trying to deal with the acculturation. Her worry was that it would turn into a winging, ranting, complaining spot.  Don't we all deserve one of those?  I've happily joined her site and will be reading along.  We haven't met in person yet, but I hope to before summer holidays. I didn't imagine that my blog would be anything other than my silly anecdotes for the benefit of my friends and family (who are obliged to read.  This means you JENJEN!!) and the random stranger who finds me mildly entertaining.  Perhaps there is more to it.