Saftey First?

I mentioned in yesterday's post that there was a skirmish outside a bar on Saturday night.  We were not so much involved in the action as we watched it whirl about us. The more I thought about it, I realized I'd like to elaborate just a bit.

Carla and I talked through what happened last night.  We both agreed that it was a bit surreal, like the scene out of a movie in two senses.  One - a movie in a foreign country that is on the verge of war and one side of the debate is trying to evict the foreigners; Two - it felt a bit like a movie that you'd walked in on 3/4 of the way through, at the highest action point, but had no idea what had happened to get the scene there.(Two names have been omitted and instead I will use She/her and He/him in bold letters to differentiate.)

The bar was packed, absolutely to the rafters.  Her purse was a very small clutch and she had it under her arm with the chain over her shoulder.  The thief didn't take the whole purse.  He didn't pull it off her.  Somehow he managed to pull the phone out undetected.  Of course with all the jostling, pushing and yelling, you could have snuck someone's kidney out without them noticing.  His phone was taken from a pocket.  Not the money or the smokes that were also in pockets, just the phone.  From the way we'd been hassled passing through the crowd there were several people it could have been.  Both of the victims indicated they thought it was the guy who'd been the biggest loud mouth. He was an unimposing Indonesian of about 20 or so.  Ugly jacket and a big mouth to boot.  He'd pushed along to follow near us in the club and was obnoxiously yammering the whole while.

Her phone was found to be missing first.  I don't think his went missing until after He'd gone back in the club (we'd made it out to the patio) looking for Her phone. The two of them then went looking for this guy.  Now, if you or I stole something we would immediately leave the premises.  Not this jackass.  He stuck around long enough to be found.  He got him by the collar and was forced to let him go by two friends who didn't know what was happening. Once informed, the aforementioned friends went along with Him to hunt the thief out again. A friend of the thief was found and he made promises of getting the phones back which fell on skeptical ears.

Security was roused from a slumber somewhere to join the group standing around and gawking like eighth graders in a hallway push about. At this point my group decided it was a pointless venture and we made slowly for the door.  Upon exiting, we made sure we were still nine together and headed towards someone's car.  As we neared the car, the same friend of thief approached again making promises of phones to be returned.  There was a bit of shouting on both sides and then my group piled in the car.  This is when I feel like I must have missed something.  We got in the car and to pile nine in a mini van took a few minutes.  After we were all in, the car was surrounded and several very, very drunk Indonesians who had not been even peripherally involved, started pounding on the doors and windows.

There were punches thrown from the outside in through open windows that hit Him. The driver (an employed driver) not only bailed from the car, but took the keys with him.  Bastard!  We were stuck in what was fast becoming a lynch mob. One of the boys managed to wrench the door open and by sheer presence moved the crowd back.  I've been told the Indonesian girls in the car were screaming, though I honestly don't remember.  We spent several minutes in slow motion trying to find the keys or the driver without luck.  About that time several of us made it out of the car and started to head for taxis. The driver was found and a few friendly Indonesians from the crowd helped usher us back to the car and hold back the lunatics.  We smashed back into the car and pulled cautiously away, against my hope of peeling out and not looking back.

Courtesy of michaeltotten.com.  It was somewhere between this many people around the car. . .

Courtesy of scottthong.wordpress.com.   . . .and this many people.

I feel like there are a lot of bits and pieces that are missing from my recollection of the night.  I didn't see the crowd  until they were surrounding us.  I don't know why they did.  I didn't see who hit Him through the window. I don't remember hearing much (not even my heart pounding in my ears).  I don't remember being terrified in the moment, though I probably was.  I do remember begging the boys not to get out of the car.  Not only because I pictured twenty Indonesians piling on each of them like piranhas on a chicken, but also because a couple of our guys had a size advantage and I was afraid they might literally pummel someone to death.

Courtesy of courtneyoutloud.wordpress.com.  This is how it feels now looking back.

I was with our group, in the middle of our group of nine.  We did not instigate this fight.  I do not know what precipitated the mob surrounding the car other than one or two guys being drunk and stirring sh*t. For a country with a population what usually prefers to avoid physical contact, it was an even that took me totally by surprised and has jaded my opinions (at least temporarily) of Indonesians.

Weekend Recap

Due to problems with internet connectivity and then the blogger website being down I haven't been getting posts up regularly again. The upside is that I have lots to write about when I do write.

Once a month the English teachers can leave early.  It allows for banking and other business since many of those institutions close at 2pm.  I usually take it as a mental health day, as was the case last week.  Even with a day off on Tuesday, last week felt long and excruciating.  Since I hadn't taken an early leave day in two months, I felt entitled. I had a great plan too.  Except the best laid plans lead often to disaster (chuckles).

I left work on Friday at noon.  It was hot and sunny so I thought I'd grab an hour at the pool.  I changed and it was sunny.  I got in the elevator and it was sunny.  I got out of the elevator at pool level and it was cloudy and darkening.  Within fifteen minutes it was sprinkling (insert expletives here). "Fine, I'll go back up before it starts to pour", I mumbled to myself. If I'd waited there it surely would have.  Since I went inside, the sky promptly began to lighten.

I changed clothes and prepped a bag.  Last weekend was a men's international slow pitch softball tournament (more to follow on that tomorrow). I'd gone last year and was excited to go again.  I departed, thinking I could soak in some sun and beat the Friday afternoon traffic.  HA HA HA on all accounts.  Twenty minutes into my taxi ride it started to spritz. Twenty five minutes in it was raining.  At thirty minutes it was pouring. The ride to the sports complex took nearly an hour.  On a "normal" day it should be a 35 minute trip.

I spent all afternoon there, shooting the sh*t with other Americans, drinking beer and eating sate. I was quite happily surprised I didn't get sick from it.  BoT (that's all he's to be called for now) came to meet me after work and we went for Mexican food.  Dinner was good apart from a misunderstanding resulting from miscommunication. Home again, home again for a quiet night in.

Softball babes!

Saturday started a bit later and lots slower than I figured but that was fine. We met Carla and headed off for (more) softball.  I'd watched alone on Friday.  Saturday was to be a family affair.  In all there were about six adults and two kids.  I even managed to talk a Russian, a Kiwi and a Brit (YES , a BRIT) into coming. we got to the games about 11:30.  The boys took off for a football/soccer team meet up at a bar.  We girls all bailed at about 6:30 for showers, dinner and naps. I napped anyway.

BoT showed up about late (comic eye roll here) as per usual.  The we grabbed a cab to meet "our peeps" for drinks.  Beyond was not beyond expectations.  It was busy, but only two foreigners in the bar other than us.  The beer was reasonably priced but 95,000 Rp for a weak vodka/sprite is painful.  Folks trickled away to other bars and eventually we did too.  About 2:30am Carla, BoT and I headed to meet some of the others from before at Venue. It was so packed we could hardly get in the door.  It was not good from moment one.  There were people hassling us, we were hassling them back, it took a full lap around to find our group.  After about five minutes Carla and I headed towards the toilet only to find someone had taken her phone from her bag.  We went hunting for the guy and in the process someone stole BoT's phone from his pocket. We think it was the same guy since he was hovering and obnoxious.  The night took a swift down turn from there.  Seeking out the thief resulted in collaring him, letting him go, tracking down his friends, following someone outside, then trying to leave the bar.  It was at that point that we were surrounded by a mob of bystanders, 98% of whom had nothing to do with the situation and at least 50% of whom were drunk.  We were in the car being rocked and windows punched by the crazed Indonesians.  It was scary as hell.  Why didn't we drive off I can hear you wondering.  The driver bailed and took the keys.  Why?  Because it's Indonesia, the land where only the illogical can be expected. After what felt like an eternity, while the girls tried to keep the boys from killing anyone or getting thumped on themselves, we finally made it outta dodge.

After all that, a snack at 24 hour dim sum was quite a comedown.  We were all coming off an adrenaline rush and were tired. Sunday was a well deserved day in; just watching dvd's, eating and doing nothing.  It was well needed after the rest of the weekend.

Monday morning was an unwelcomed sight today. It's hard to leave a comfy bed to deal with children any time, but especially at 6am!!