WHOA internet two days in a row. rejoice.

My friends and i made our way to the grocery store to make pancakes for the village, and also stumbled upon an internet cafe. we actually had our eyes peeled for one.

Again, not too much time to write, and I keep forgetting what I wrote in my journal, already wrote on this blog, already talked about with someone, etc, so forgive the repetitions.

Pooja, you made a good point about agro-economics, but you don't understand how things work here. people just don't like extra work, and we don't exactly have the means (we have no money, and i am the only person here who has taken introductory accounting/knows how to make a business plan). An analysis based on my knowledge alone is comical. it would probably consist of a huge doodle, with some random numbers thrown in to make it look legit.

Again, I don't have much time, but mom, I send you an email every so often to let you know I'm alive. There really is a very slight possibility for death. While in the village, we go to bed before 11, wake up around 9, walk around and snack, eat breakfast, do our laundry, and read. Occasionally, we watch movies, or walk to the nearby mini food market for some snacks. Most things are fried. One thing I really like about the culture here is that everyone shares their food. They offer whatever they have to everyone, so even if they only have a couple bites left, that's perfectly ok. Hoarding is a very western thing apparently.

Also, EVERYONE all over the world followed the U.S. elections. People who can only speak in their random village dialect come up to me upon finding out I'm from the US and say 'barack obama!'. American headlines are global headlines. Often, U.S. news comes before local Egyptian or Dutch news, and they know of the U.S. political process in depth. Noha, my friend from Egypt, said that everyone down to the beggers were following the election, and parties ensued all over the world. I knew the U.S. had major political/social/economic weight, but I'm still continually shocked.

Yo pooj... sorry to hear about the heat wave. honestly, it's not much cooler here. And there aren't any fans or air conditioning... so enjoy the indoors. The bucket showers aren't too bad... the waiting around is what gets to me. For example, I went to the beach with a group of about 20, and the car behind us somehow to lost. it took us 6 instead of 2.5 hours to get there.

Also, I should tell you guys about the people i'm traveling with. Nicky and Carolien are dutch, and Noha is egyptian. They're all really cool and nice, and everyone is really different, which makes it a good mix. One thing all four of us have noticed about Indonesia is the repression of sexuality. We were watching Avatar on a laptop and during the scene where the avatars are making out n Eywa, the Indonesian student we were watching it with covers the screen and goes 'why do they have to do that in every movie?!'. Nicky wisely says that it's a part of life. I knew the guy had a girlfriend, so asked 'well, don't you kiss your girlfriend?'. He pointed to his cheek and said he only kisses here there.

It's not just this guy, but it's everyone. Most of the indonesian students have boyfriends or girlfriends, but they treat any form of sexuality has something that's gross and forbidden. Also, when we went to the beach, which was a touristy place, we were really surprised to find that everyone on the beach was fully clothed. Forget bathing suits, but many women still wore their headscarves and long pants. It's especially strange for Nicky and Carolien, who are from Holland where laws are the polar opposite. They can buy weed at cafes and it's normal there for them to sleep over at their boyfriend's place, even in the same bed. The families are completely okay with it. Egypt is definitely more conservative than the U.S., but Noha has also been surprised by conservatism here.

The four of us are getting used to public transportation, which at times is like a really bad carnival ride. On our way back from the beach, we deviated from the AIESEC group, stayed an extra night, and came back on a bus. The driver almost challenged another large bus to a duel, and a poor kid's head banged against the door as everyone started yelling at the driver in bahasa.

Well, I'm going to go try to keep my mind occupied. Between the heat and lack of activity, I often feel brain dead. The email from my dear parents urging me to learn something made me smile. Don't worry, I will make the most out of this internship. Today, I made a presentation with Noha on how to make a business plan, determine price and cost, and market the product. However, that's the most productive we have been so far.

What I am learning is mainly from the people I'm with. I'm learning about staying positive even when things don't work out as planned, living with complete strangers, learning about the Dutch, Egyptian, and Indonesian customs, appreciating generosity, making light of situations, and dealing with diarrhea. Too much information? Well at least you don't have to deal with it.

I'm just kidding, the runs have gotten better.

Yeah.. I think I'm going to end on that note.