I am at work and I have a deadline. Naturally, time to blog!!!
The beginning
I just went to Indonesia a few weeks ago. What can I say. I am BLOWWNNNNNN. This has undoubtedly been the most amazing and overwhelming trip of my life and we're talking between Hawaii, and Scotland and London and Vegas and everything!! Now anyone who knows me, knows that I have the slight tendency to be overexcited about stuff. But this was for real guys.
I decided to do this trip when I saw a post from a stranger on Couch Surfing asking if people wanted to join him on the trip. It turned out to be 4 of us (and a fifth part timer). One of the awesome cool things about the trip was the fact that all five of us were from different countries (Pocholo - Philippines, Teann - Canada, Cherlyn - Singapore, Tiago - Portugal , Me - India ). It gave us the cheapest thrills when everywhere we went, people would ask us where we were from and we would cheekily rattle off all the countries.
The trip started on the 8th of August with me heading straight from work. My pink suitcase caused much amusement in the office. Also, to my fellow "backpackers" once I reached Indonesia. I don't understand why do you need to carry all your luggage on your back to be a "backpacker". I mean, literal meaning aside, I personally think I was the most comfortable one on the trip breezily dragging my little wheeled buddy. The plan was to fly into Jakarta and to spend the night in Jakarta, going out into the city for dinner, check it out and then head to Jogjakarta the next morning. However, things did not go as planned.
Jakarta (airport) experiences
So as I reach Jakarta, the first feeling that I get as I am descending down the makeshift stairs from the flight, "OMG, I am in India". Upon further reflection, I realized that the reason that I felt that way is because the only time that I have gotten out of a flight on to the tarmac has been in India. In all other countries, you have the aerobridge. Also, in the past, I have mostly done that coming from the US. So the way the extra windy air hits you, the noise, the sudden warmth after the air-conditioned flight, all had a very India connection in my mind. Anyway, moving on.
I get my visa and it so happened that I was the last one left in the immigration line. So by the time I approach the window, everyone else is gone. I give the immigration officer (who was Indian) my passport and am waiting when his buddy just comes and stands there. Then they keep talking in what I can only assume is Bahasa Indonesia and they are laughing and smirking. Suddenly his buddy asks, "Are you here alone?". I told him that my friend is waiting at the airport for me. He then asks me, "Do you have a boyfriend?". Now Cherlyn kept telling me how Indonesia is a Muslim country and very conservative. So I don't want to be locked up for adultery or whatever so I just say no. Big mistake. THE GUY ASKS FOR MY NUMBER!! At this point, since the 4 other officers are jobless, they are all listening in, and a few of them come over and not to help. I am like.. uhhhh... "I am here only for tonight. I leave tomorrow morning." And the buddy goes, "This is Ravi. He is also Indian. He is really nice and you guys can hang out tonight." (So much for conservative!). Now I know how you all think I should have stormed off or something but I am alone in another country and this Ravi still has my passport in his hand. Between hooting and whistling and me turning pink (inwardly atleast), I manage, "Umm.. I thought you meant if I have a boyfriend in Indonesia. My boyfriend actually lives in India and we are getting married in December. Please can I have my passport?". The guy insisted at least twice more and I kept chanting "No, but thank you" and finally I all but snatched my passport and ran away.
I found Cherlyn waiting for me and I was sooooooo relieved. I wasn't traumatized or anything because I am sure all Indian girls have dealt with enough "eve-teasing" and sexually-frustrated men to be unfazed by this behavior. But it really made me think about how violated and unsafe foreigners must feel when they are in a completely strange land like India and then they are tormented by cab drivers and such. Someone I know had her ass grabbed by a cabbie in Delhi and this is just one such incident. Anyway, after that, Cherlyn and I decided not to venture in the city alone and stay put on the airport all night.
I was starving so we decided to hunt for food. We had the same experiences with the waiters and everyone in the restaurant really staring at us. The funny thing is that halfway through my meal, Cherlyn pointed out that what I thought was a KFC, was actually CFC with the same font and everything! The funniest thing happened to Cherlyn. She left her charger in the socket and went to the bathroom or something. She came back and didn't find it and made the biggest deal about how the cleaning staff stole her charger. They went to find the security in-charge. Meanwhile, she notices that the charger is plugged into another outlet. Totally embarrassed, she just unplugs it and puts it in her bag. The security guy arrives, and she's all like, "Never mind, it's just a charger". The security guy insists on watching the CCTV footage. LOLLL.. She totally shit her pants. Then she very "graciously" insisted that it was not worth the effort and that she was very tired and ran back to our couches :) All night she was imagining that those guys will watch the footage and come back and get her.
Well that was I could experience in Jakarta :) I'll continue in another post.
The beginning
I just went to Indonesia a few weeks ago. What can I say. I am BLOWWNNNNNN. This has undoubtedly been the most amazing and overwhelming trip of my life and we're talking between Hawaii, and Scotland and London and Vegas and everything!! Now anyone who knows me, knows that I have the slight tendency to be overexcited about stuff. But this was for real guys.
I decided to do this trip when I saw a post from a stranger on Couch Surfing asking if people wanted to join him on the trip. It turned out to be 4 of us (and a fifth part timer). One of the awesome cool things about the trip was the fact that all five of us were from different countries (Pocholo - Philippines, Teann - Canada, Cherlyn - Singapore, Tiago - Portugal , Me - India ). It gave us the cheapest thrills when everywhere we went, people would ask us where we were from and we would cheekily rattle off all the countries.
The trip started on the 8th of August with me heading straight from work. My pink suitcase caused much amusement in the office. Also, to my fellow "backpackers" once I reached Indonesia. I don't understand why do you need to carry all your luggage on your back to be a "backpacker". I mean, literal meaning aside, I personally think I was the most comfortable one on the trip breezily dragging my little wheeled buddy. The plan was to fly into Jakarta and to spend the night in Jakarta, going out into the city for dinner, check it out and then head to Jogjakarta the next morning. However, things did not go as planned.
Jakarta (airport) experiences
So as I reach Jakarta, the first feeling that I get as I am descending down the makeshift stairs from the flight, "OMG, I am in India". Upon further reflection, I realized that the reason that I felt that way is because the only time that I have gotten out of a flight on to the tarmac has been in India. In all other countries, you have the aerobridge. Also, in the past, I have mostly done that coming from the US. So the way the extra windy air hits you, the noise, the sudden warmth after the air-conditioned flight, all had a very India connection in my mind. Anyway, moving on.
I get my visa and it so happened that I was the last one left in the immigration line. So by the time I approach the window, everyone else is gone. I give the immigration officer (who was Indian) my passport and am waiting when his buddy just comes and stands there. Then they keep talking in what I can only assume is Bahasa Indonesia and they are laughing and smirking. Suddenly his buddy asks, "Are you here alone?". I told him that my friend is waiting at the airport for me. He then asks me, "Do you have a boyfriend?". Now Cherlyn kept telling me how Indonesia is a Muslim country and very conservative. So I don't want to be locked up for adultery or whatever so I just say no. Big mistake. THE GUY ASKS FOR MY NUMBER!! At this point, since the 4 other officers are jobless, they are all listening in, and a few of them come over and not to help. I am like.. uhhhh... "I am here only for tonight. I leave tomorrow morning." And the buddy goes, "This is Ravi. He is also Indian. He is really nice and you guys can hang out tonight." (So much for conservative!). Now I know how you all think I should have stormed off or something but I am alone in another country and this Ravi still has my passport in his hand. Between hooting and whistling and me turning pink (inwardly atleast), I manage, "Umm.. I thought you meant if I have a boyfriend in Indonesia. My boyfriend actually lives in India and we are getting married in December. Please can I have my passport?". The guy insisted at least twice more and I kept chanting "No, but thank you" and finally I all but snatched my passport and ran away.
I found Cherlyn waiting for me and I was sooooooo relieved. I wasn't traumatized or anything because I am sure all Indian girls have dealt with enough "eve-teasing" and sexually-frustrated men to be unfazed by this behavior. But it really made me think about how violated and unsafe foreigners must feel when they are in a completely strange land like India and then they are tormented by cab drivers and such. Someone I know had her ass grabbed by a cabbie in Delhi and this is just one such incident. Anyway, after that, Cherlyn and I decided not to venture in the city alone and stay put on the airport all night.
I was starving so we decided to hunt for food. We had the same experiences with the waiters and everyone in the restaurant really staring at us. The funny thing is that halfway through my meal, Cherlyn pointed out that what I thought was a KFC, was actually CFC with the same font and everything! The funniest thing happened to Cherlyn. She left her charger in the socket and went to the bathroom or something. She came back and didn't find it and made the biggest deal about how the cleaning staff stole her charger. They went to find the security in-charge. Meanwhile, she notices that the charger is plugged into another outlet. Totally embarrassed, she just unplugs it and puts it in her bag. The security guy arrives, and she's all like, "Never mind, it's just a charger". The security guy insists on watching the CCTV footage. LOLLL.. She totally shit her pants. Then she very "graciously" insisted that it was not worth the effort and that she was very tired and ran back to our couches :) All night she was imagining that those guys will watch the footage and come back and get her.
Well that was I could experience in Jakarta :) I'll continue in another post.
