I watch the world go by

I sometimes think that I am just a spectator in the game called life, I see it passing every day, but at the end of the day I am always wondering what I have done to make that day the best it could ever be.

I moved away from London because I had become stuck in a rut, my work life was hectic and the whole London dating disaster was crazy. A head spin.

I thought that moving to another country would stop the routine and predictability of it.
I was wrong, here I am in Indonesia and have become stuck in a somewhat mundane routine.
I start to wonder how that could have happened, I start to blame work, my boyfriend and just fate. But then I start to think more, and look a little closer and I realize it's me, It's all in my control I have the ball and I am deciding which way it goes. Scoring a goal and happiness depends on me. Yes I work 5 days a week from 12-8pm, but why should that stop me from having a little fun?! The answer is it shouldn't, it should push me to make my non working hours as fun as possible. I should be pushing myself to experience new things and meet new people. Why don't I? Honestly I am scared, I was scared in London and now even more so in Indonesia, I am scared of breaking my comfort zone. Moving to Indonesia was the bravest thing I have ever done, some could say I wasn't really using my head when I decided it. I just left on Impulse.

Now I am this beautiful country, but paralyzed by fear, fear of change, fear of failure and fear of communicating with people in case of them laughing at me.

I want to do so much, I want to join a traditional dance class, I want to create some kind of Indonesian/English coffee meeting time... so I can Indonesian and people can use English too- No charge just a chance to make friends etc, and have fun. I want to take vocal lessons, there is so much here to enrich my life. But fear takes over.

I like Indonesia, It's weird how normal life seems to me now, how I know the streets of my city, how i know the food to eat, how i know the customs. I love it, I love that i know so much about another country, but I want to know more. i want to push myself deeper into the unknown because i know if i do, there will be rewards at the end of it.

For Indonesian Friends,

Aku sebaiknya coba pada tulis di Bahasa Indonesian, karena aku bisa belajar lebih. Blog ku tentang hidup ku di Indonesia. Aku bebicara tentang Kerja, Happiness dan takut ku.

Ohhhh.. itu susah sulit sekali untuk aku tulis itu. Haha

Maaf jika km ga mengerti ini... aku coba ya!

I jinxed it

So my last blog was about how I love to ride my motorbike.... Big mistake I jinxed it.

Three days ago, me and my friend were on my motorbike on the way home. We were both really happy after spending a good night watching my friend play in a band. So anyhoo, whilst driving through the campus of a University, a bike started to drive really close to us, so close i could touch his bike- All i thought was " how weird is that" but a second later, i see that the two boys are trying to steal my friend bag from her, and as a result were also pulling my bike. The boys were thankfully not successful in getting my friends bag, but were successful in pulling me and my friend off the bike and making us fall and my bike slide down the road. The most scary experience I have had.

After we fell, I went into panic mode, screaming and crying. Thankfully my friend totally calmed me down, a kind fisherman helped us, and then the police came but nothing they can really do for us.

My injuries are not serious, a sprain, grazes and a dislocated knee. I now walk a little funny until i start to heal. Today in an effort to speed up the recovery my boyfriend took me for a traditional massage- I had to no idea what to expect, i thought maybe a light massage to release the tension- How wrong i was, i was led into a really dark and dingy room, where my blind masseuse proceeded to try to click my knee back into place, oh the pain. I screamed so much, and cried for the whole ten minutes of the hellish massage. Thankfully now, i am walking much better so that's a good sign that the pain was worth it.

I have learnt one lesson this week, don't jinx good luck.

x

Dont Think just do

Ok so driving in Jojga may not be the safest of places to drive but I have been successfully driving my motorbike for a couple of months now, and touch wood I haven't had a problem yet. I was driving yesterday in total mayhem and i started to think how the hell have I not had an accident?! I mean if you have seen these roads then you know that its total craziness.

So here are my top tips in order to survive the roads of Jogja or anywhere else in Indonesia.

1. Do not at any time be polite and let people go in front of you, or come out of a street- just charge on.
2. Consider cars the enemy, they beep, they are faster and bigger- We hate them.
3. Don't get yourself stuck behind a bus, coach or becak, if you do expect to use your brakes every second.
4. If coming out of a small street onto a main road, don't stop just go go go, even if you can see lots of traffic they will move.
5. Have no fear of being nearly squished by a lorry and a coach on either side of you. It always works out.
6. Make sure your mirrors are positioned to see the sky and not the road, or better yet- don't use your mirrors at all- just swerve into the lane and hope nobody is in your way.

Ok so I am being super English and using amples of sarcasm here, because here in Indonesia well my sarcasm isn't understood... So i am applying lashings of it here.

Although totally dangerous, driving my motorbike gives me a real sense of freedom, I truly enjoy riding around with the wind blowing in my face. It makes me proud that I have learned something else here, how to ride the roads with confidence.

Everything else fine over here, just plodding along doing what I do. My job is going well, my health better and my social life 100% better, I now have friends that i trust and care about( and who sometimes get my humor too). Guitar lessons are going well, I am now in process of learning a whole song- Its a really cool Indonesian song called Pelan Pelan saja- Slow Slow only( not a great direct translation). I hope one day i can play and sing at the same time, that's my ultimate goal.

Okelah gotta go!

Niketa xxx

Beauty comes from Within

A year ago i was totally obsessed with the way I looked- Clothes and Makeup. I obsessed about it so much, as i was totally lacking in confidence people may have thought that I was this confident person because that's the way I acted. How wrong.

I find that since i have moved to Indonesia I have become so less obsessed with the way I look, I am comfortable in my own skin, if people don't like the way I look then that's their problem. But i think more than anything i have come to realize that beauty isn't how you look but how you are as a person. Cliched as it sounds but do you have a beautiful heart?

At first we are attracted to a person by the way they look, but after a while you come to find out that the beautiful person is not such a nice person. I am told daily how beautiful i am, because of my unique look( not so white, not so asian), maybe a year ago I would have been so happy to hear those comments, but now( yes of course I like) but always think about how beauty is only skin deep, what about me as a person. Am i beautiful too? I wish someone would just say that to me.... Oh Niketa you are such a beautiful person. But then I start to think, Am i a beautiful person inside?

I start to think what I could to make myself a better person... I look through all my flaws, and i decide yeah maybe a i could be a better person. More so a better sister and Friend, I could be a little more understanding, interested and thoughtful. I could make more time and effort with new and old friends. I love my sisters and friends so much, so why not show it more...? I love you! ha ha.

I don't know why I have gone all spiritual on this blog, I suppose Indonesia has mellowed me out a little. I am not the same person as I was in England. My priorities have changed, I am more concerned about my health, my future and when I will see my sisters again( i miss u so much). I think also when I was doing my modeling shoot thing, I realized that been young and looking young doesn't last forever, but been a nice person does. I suppose I also have a lot of time to think as there are lots of moments when i am alone and free to think.

At the moment, i am feeling a little scared here, i mean there are moments where i feel super confident and will happily chat away with anyone in Indonesian, but right now I feel a little lost and shy. I feel like this small fish in one huge bowl... Totally lost and directionless. It's a phase and it will pass I know.

But overall I feel happier than I have done in a while, i have started to get my appetite back, and can actually see my curves returning, I feel stronger and determined to get my health back on track. After last weeks week long sickness, I have realized if i don't eat then I will be in serious trouble soon.... so eat, eat and eat!!

Thanks guys for reading my blog, i am always happy to hear from people, and I hope that you guys enjoy reading my feelings and new life.

Love to everyone.

So yesterday I had a modelling shoot for the front cover for Jogjas teenage newspaper, which will be published on Wednesday. Yesterday was a long day, with many people all taking my photo. Whilst standing in various shots and poses, I started to think how fake the modelling world is, I was caked in Make up, my skin which is naturally speckled with freckles was turned flawless, my eyes were made to look like little dolls… I looked in the mirror after about 1 hour in makeup- and I didn’t recognise myself- who was this perfect looking girl staring back at me?

I loved the day and relished in the idea of how good I could look every day if I spent one hour putting on fake lashes, foundation, powder, eye liner, mascara, eye shadow and lipstick oh but how lazy I am… nah that idea is not for me. So the results are amazing and you can see some of my photos on facebook- more to come when I get them too! I love the fact that when I am older I can look at these photos and tell my children “ Yeah your mommy can look pretty sometimes” ha ha.

After my last blog post I am feeling a little better, and taking each day with a renewed energy and confidence. I had my friend from England come and stay at my house a couple of weeks ago- and that was great, I got to polish my tour guide skills by showing Liz around for 10 days! Miss u!

So anything new? Nope not really, my guitar lessons are going well, I can now play four chords relatively quickly, not an expert yet but getting there. Oh yes actually one thing new, I have a new cat! Me and my boyfriend were driving home in the rain( always) when we saw this little kitten all alone and crying, My heart broke there and then! I had to have her, so I scooped her up and took her home. She is now happily residing at my house and has even chosen her religion…. muslim!! Whenever my boyfriend prays little Ginger will go in the prayer room and pray with him… Very sweet.

I seem to be suffering from a disease called Lazi-i-tis!! Haha, I just don’t want to go out at the moment, which means I am been super unsociable… Ah well we all have times like that. When I finish work all I want to do is go home and sleep… lazy huh. In Indonesia and all I want to do is sleep.

Sorry for the lack of contact to everyone over the past week, I have again been sick. This time struck down with a virus that knocked me out for four days, I am now in recovery...This would be the 5th time I have become sick in Indonesia, so now I need to take action and start to look after myself a whole lot better.. Vitamins, plenty of food, gallons of water and happiness in my heart. So I give myself a month to pull my health together starting with weight gain- Coming out to Indonesia i weighed a very healthy 63kg and now i am 53kg... Not good... Target weight 60Kg...... So lets eat! I want my sisters chilli con carne with spam ham so much followed by a dessert from Marks and Spencers.... Boo Hoo....

Oke well have to go, speak to you all soon..xxx

Life in Indonesia seems to be flying by, I have been here now for 6 months, half a year already gone. Everyday I am becoming more accustomed to Indonesian culture and traditions. I spent my first birthday over here in Indonesia last week, turning 24 does not really fill me with joy, I feel older and I don’t like it. Yes I know in the grand scheme of things 24 is young, but to me I feel like I have experienced so much in my life (good and bad) that turning 24 is not so enjoyable, it was made even worse by the fact that I had to stay at home as I had a chest infection- so all in all a pooey birthday!

I should really make myself some resolutions for the next year, little targets which I can work towards, but well that’s just not really me… you could say I am a little lazy.

I have a new little part time volunteer position at a school close to my house, where I go in and read to all the elementary students there. On my first day there I thought I would be reading to a small select group of maybe around 10 students, but how wrong I was as when I arrived there, I was given a microphone and shown the room full of around 70 students, so that scared me a little bit. However getting over the initial shock I actually found myself enjoying it- it gives me a chance to act and make a complete fool of myself whist I also try to be 10 different characters whom all have 10 different voices- So that takes two early mornings a week.

My guitar lessons are progressing slowly… I mean really slowly… Not me but my fingers, however much I try my fingers just don’t want to move fast, so they proceed in a slow manner which makes my music sound stilted and shit! Ah well I will keep trying. Funny thing is that my teacher wants me to play in this event that my music school is holding. There is no way I can do that I have only had 3 lessons and I don’t think I have improved at all- I kindly say.. Mas Nggak Bisa, belum siap. Saya nggak pede. Saya malu mas! Ha ha- Which means… Friend I cant! I am not ready! I am not confident, I am shy!

Thankfully my Bahasa Indonesian is improving partly to my confidence increasing, of course I am not fluent and wont be anytime soon, but I can hold a conversation and understand maybe 50% of what people are saying, if they speak SLOW SLOW SLOW… PELAN PELAN PELAN! I do sometimes get my confidence knocked when people simply don’t want to try and listen to me, and automatically say they don’t understand me even when I haven’t said anything- I find that a little rude and offensive, but overall Indonesian people are real friendly and happily help me mumble and stumble my way into a conversation.

I have to admit I am starting to feel really homesick, there are moments when I just want to jump on a plane and go back home, go back to where everything is easy for me, but of course I am not going to do that… Just moments on insanity!

Before I came here, I though it would be easy to make friends etc, but its not. I suppose its always to make great friends that truly understand you and get u. I find making male friends the hardest, as I am always worried that they may want something more than friendship. That’s not because I think I am beautiful or amazing, it’s just how it is here. I have always got on better with guys over girls…. They just get me better, my sense of humour and I love bantering….but I am not stressing over the friend situation as I am pretty busy so it will happen when fate decides it wants it to happen.

Untuk teman ku yang orang Indonesia, saya nggak bisa menulis Bahasa Indonesia karena itu susah bagi saya. Mungkin dalam satu tahun saya bisa. Tapi untuk sekarang saya bisa menulis Bahasa inggris aja. Saya harap kamu mengerti sedikit, atau kamu bisa Tanya aku dan aku akan coba tolong kamu! Ha ha ( English friends this is for Indonesian friends only)

Oke gonna go, miss everybody!

Cruising along

Hey Everybody,



Hope all are well.


After my last blog post my mood and feeling have now improved a little. This is due to myself having a long talk to myself( and all the lovely emails) and deciding that I need to put myself out more into the community. So I have done the following-


1. Started my indonesian language course, I am not the most academic and have the attention spam of a small new born baby but I am learning lots, and have even taken to sticking post it notes all over the house in aid of my remembering, so now my house resembles a post it note factory.... Waduh.

2. I have always wanted to learn how to play the guitar since my first boyfriend inspired to me this particular instrument, I did try to go to Guitar lessons in London but my laziness made me stop... This time I have no choice as I have just paid for one months worth of lessons.. starting next week..

3. I have also come across this aerobic thing, only problems are I dont need to lose weight and it's at 6.30am in the morning( Indonesians are obsessed with waking up at 5.00am)...Maybe I will give that one a miss!

4. Anyone who knew me well, knew that I made jewellery when I was in London, so I have also found a place that runs free courses, that's great!! I just have to find the nerve to go there... I am a little scared.

5. My friend works in a hospital at the weekends volunteering for cancer patients, this is so inspiring to me, so I wanna do it too... so in a couple of weeks I will be going there too hopefully.

I suppose things are here in terms of facilitating making friends, you just have to go out and find them, and push yourself into unknown situations. For me everyday is a struggle and i am very shy when it comes to speaking Bahasa Indonesian, I can speak a lot and people have told me that my Indonesian is very good seen as I have only been here a short time, and i now speak 70% Indonesian with my boyfriend.... but people I don't know it's different I go into shy mode.... I am hoping all of these courses will help me to become more confident!

Indonesia is a great place, real friendly people and cultural I just have to embrace and adapt, to be part of a different culture is such an amazing thing so I shouldn't waste it worrying about how many friends I have but i should be worrying about how much fun I am having and how much i am learning!

Bye guys, miss everybody so much.

Loneliness Strikes

I feel this may be a little bit of a sad post, as well at this moment I feel a bit down, yesterday I felt great but today I feel like Poo poo.

The feeling of being alone strikes me now and again, and today it's hit me how alone I truly am.
This is going to sound all depressed and dreary but Maaf( sorry).

So I haven't got many friends over here, which saddens me a little. I just don't know how to make friends here, I struggled to make new friends in England when i could speak the language and here I am in Indonesia not able to really articulate what I want to say into anything but mumble jumble.
I know that I have a problem with the way I act with new people, people will mistake it for snobbery or arrogant but it's not I am a really shy person when I meet new people, I worry that I am not interesting or clever enough to be talking to people- those are the thoughts in my head when I meet new people. It takes me a while to be myself with new people, I wish I was the type of person who could just talk to anybody... But I can't... I don't know how to.

I am of course taking steps to try and make friends, in two weeks i am due to start Indonesian lessons, and I am going to Yoga, I really want to join a sports club or team, but not many Indonesian women play sports here, only men which is not cool as they are stare at me!
So if anyone has any ideas on how i can interact more with people then lemme me know!

Hmmm, well gotta go, I had to talk to someone, so I chose all of you!

xxx

Freedom and Knowledge

So it's dawned on me that I have been over here for four months now, It's gone so fast I can't believe it. Life seems to just whizz by at a super fast speed.
So four months gone, what have I achieved? What has changed?

1. I can now drive a scooter alone, so have been whizzing around jogja trying to discover new places and new things to try- Did Yoga today and my body is killing me... waaaaa.... Plus I couldn't understand half of what the instructor was saying so that made the lesson a little harder!
2. Confidence to use my shaky Bahasa Indonesian- at first I got really paranoid that people would laugh at me( they do) but it's all cool, I must sound a little funny. Although Bahasa is the one of the easiest languages to learn I am still having trouble to remember half of it.... Hmmm maybe my brain is just not big enough.
3. After teaching little children for a while now, I come to discover I want children... ha ha... I came to Indonesia not wanting them- oh how teaching little ones can make you maternal!!
4. I have become a little bit more patient... But that is more to do with the fact that everyone moves at a snails pace( apart from the roads) so I have been forced to follow suit.
5. Indonesian people are really the most friendly and helpful people I know!

One bad thing though here is that I just don't want to eat, I don't really seem to want to eat the lovely food that is here, so as a result I have lost a fair amount of weight, which is not cool.....
So I need to stuff my face with food to keep the energy and weight on my body... as anyone who knew me from the Itsu days- knows that I can get very skinny!!! Arrrrggghhh... Pizza hut here I come!!

Another part of my life that has changed is the whole budgeting thing, I get paid a good sum for Indonesia BUT i need to save money to go to Hong Kong in November which is not cheap when u are on the Indonesian currency of Rupiah, also I need to save for another years rent for my house to be paid in December, so I am not loving this saving 50% of my salary thing... I want to buy clothes...

24 is looming around the corner for me, and I am not happy about it!! 24 what? when did that happen? I am actually an adult now, and that thought alone scares the shit out of me. My age is not the only thing that is changing... My mind too, instead of obsessing over my hair, I am obsessing whether I should buy a washing machine or how will I get the garden fixed up.... Or do I have enough food in the fridge for everyone. I simply don't like it I want to think like a 18year old again!

Ok Guys, hope everyone is ok!!

Lots of Love xxx

Comfort or Fashion

Well I am in Singapore for the 8th time in one year, so understandably I am a little bored, I am here for hopefully the last time as I am picking up my one year Visa for Indonesia.

I do really hate coming to Singapore for lots of different reasons-

1. I always seem to spend lots of money here, on various things-Travel, Food and the biggie clothes, I love the clothes in Singapore especially in the Bugis clothes market.... fantastico.

2. The feeling of not belonging here, I mean when I come to Singapore i don't look fashionable or supermodel esque or rich.... So when I see lots of expensive clothes on rich people... I silently weep in my 40,000rupiah( £4.00) top. Ok i am going over the top a little, i actually don't care, but the difference in the way I am from a year ago is huge. I used to obsess with what I wore and wanted to have designer things. NOW. I don't care, as long as I am comfy.. he he

Ah the scooter, well yes still learning each day getting a TINY bit better, a few moments when I have accelerated instead of braking, nearly causing a accident with another motorbike... OOOOOpppssss...Arda will not allow me to drive without him or in the day until I have mastered the night driving and turning a corner... A couple of weeks and I think I will be ready!

Went to a gig the other weekend, and mingled backstage with some very famous pop/rock stars...which was really cool! Aku suka! There was an amazing ambience at the gig, people having so much fun, loads of families and cool people, but what really amazed me was the fact that there was no alcohol in sight, it's refreshing to see that people don't need booze to have fun. I love that aspect of Indonesia, not feeling any pressure to drink or party.I am very happy with my party free life right now.. Give me a cup of coffee any day!

Ok well gotta go,

Sampai Nanti!

Discoverys

Hello All,

So I am sitting at work on a Sunday so I thought that I would catch up with everyone.

Bad news is I have an ear infection, which is so painful I have to cry sometimes!!! he he.
Hospitals here are fantastic I must say, as I only had to pay 8.00 quid, and I go to see a doctor and get all the meds too( and there was a lot to give me as well), so I am impressed by that. I am even more excited I got my own hospital card with my name on it( small things please me)... but of course I am hoping that I don't need to use it so much whilst I am here.

Hmmm, I discovered an internet place, and a very cool coffee shop near my house, which I can bike to now, so I feel a lot happier that I can at least go on the net to chat to my old friends.
Yes I know only little things the net and coffee but it's a big deal for me, as I am starting to find new places and things around me.... Oh and I am going to do Yoga!! as I also on my bicycle exploring found a yoga place!! yay...

Hmmm Hmmm Hmmm..... Me and Arda are great, of course I miss him like crazy when he is in his hometown, and my working hours have increased a little which means I can't seem him as much at the weekend... We have a crazy relationship in terms of traveling etc... as we live far from each other... but it works....

I have just started to do a new class, it's called " Conversation", basically there are no books and no set curriculum just talking, I was scared at first as I didn't know how I would handle such a class, but I have fallen in love with the lesson and the students, such a great class... I really look forward to teaching them every Tuesday and Thursday....

Me buying a scooter is just around the corner, I am a little scared, but I have now mastered the bicycle- if you could have seen me the first time I cycled on the road.... but now I am a pro!! he he....

I would love people to come and visit me, although I don't really have much time off work, I would love to have some visitors...

Spoke to my sister the other day, and I feel so much happier after the conversation.... I love u both!! and miss you so much...

Love always

xxx

Halo... Apakabar

Hey All,

So I have been working as a teacher for one month now, which has flown by. It’s crazy how quick life goes here, surprisingly quicker than London, but of course the quality of life is very much different.

So what have I achieved after one month!?

• To confidently (well sometimes) ride a bike on the roads of Jogja.
• To drive a scooter
• Lots of new words in Indonesian
• Confidently teach a class full of 7,8,9 year olds and 17,18,19 year olds.

I love it over here, but of course there is that old problem of loneliness that creeps into my life sometimes, as I don’t speak the lingo yet, it’s sometimes a little hard to immerse myself into the whole culture here, and my lack of confidence when I speak Indonesian hinders me somewhat, I am scared that people are going to hear me speak Indonesia and laugh in my face, at my pronunciations of the words, so here comes the Indonesian lessons…. My friend Eric has kindly volunteered to spend sometime with me to teach me the lingo, and my lovely boyfriend has also upped the ante on the lessons- So maybe in 3 months I will be sounding a little better.. Of course there is also the problem of transport, now if you have been to Indonesia, you will know that you need transport, buses simply do not exist (well they do, but with no structure or timetable) so to get around you need either a scooter or car, my bike is only for getting to work, I simply cannot cycle everywhere its not possible, for me anyway.

So right now if my boyfriend or my friends are not with me I am stranded in my house… Although I do love my house I don’t really want to be there all the time.

So the solution to this little loneliness problem is………… speak Indonesian and get a scooter- my two things to work on for the next few months, hopefully this will allow me to make friends.

So my boyfriend has just joined this new band, it’s a Brit pop band stylee, and they have asked me to be a singer in the band, now I have always harboured an ambition to sing in a band, even dreamt about having a sell out tour and people chanting my name everywhere I go. So yeah I would like to do it, but my boyfriends having none of it, doesn’t want me there cramping his style, as the band is his thing- in his words “ You are too good for this band” HA HA….. so in revenge I am making my own band… anyone want to join, I have spaces for guitarist, bass player, drummer, that’s basically the whole band…. Oh Dear it’s not going to work, my dreams of been a rock and roll star are over. Although I do still have a piece in this band, as they are currently in the studio rocking out to my song that I wrote (my boyfriend did try to pass it off as his own song), it’s a song about Fate. It sounds pretty cool, so from now on just call me “ The songwriter”

The men in Indonesia, can be a little in your face here, I get so much attention, I should charge people 1000Rupiah every time they look at me. Now this is NOT because I am a beautiful goddess, it’s because I am female and white. Which is problematic, as I can’t stop being white or a female. It’s ok when I walk down the street if people want to stare or make lewd comments I can somehow take it, but when I am already wobbling on my bike, to have a scooter honk and drive right by me, or even start speaking to me is a little distracting to say the least. Not just distracting though, it’s potentially dangerous for me as I am no award winning bike rider so I could easily fall off my bike or worse still hit the offending scooter. So I have been thinking of ways to make myself look less “British and Womanly”

• Eat 40 doughnuts a day, get really fat and look so hideously unattractive, causing pain to the eyes if you look at me.
• Wear a full helmet and facemask when riding the bike, or even when walking down the street.
• Paint my body neon orange; making me so bright people can’t see me.
• Paint my body brown everyday and shave all my hair off which will make me look like a man.
• Go into Hibernation in the day and only come out at night.

I am opting for the 40 doughnut a day one, they do the most amazing doughnuts here in a place called J.co… yummy…

I just want to show off my Indonesian learning( which is minimal)

Well enough ranting,miss everyone.

xx

All Moved in...

Hey All,

Hope everyone had a really amazing Christmas and New Year. Heard it’s snowing in England at the moment, which I am a little jealous of, as the weather here is too hot! I am literally sweating half my body fat everyday. So I have just moved into my new house which has Dua Kamar, Satu Toilet and Satu Garasi… Yes I am showing off with my Indonesian that I am learning at the moment!

Moving into my house has not been without problems, at present I still have builders here as they are still renovating the toilet and kitchen (as if you would have seen it you would have run off screaming), totally traditional Indonesian, outside kitchen complete with various insects to keep my food company and a toilet that is basically a hole in the floor( yak, yak, yak) so all of this getting done up now! So this is my new home for one year…. So please come to visit- I know my sister may come, more please!! In reality I will not be coming back to England for a year, as my wages just will not allow such travels to happen at the moment, and with me just paying for one year for this house, and kitting it out with furniture I am all spent out…. But it’s worth it, my pad is cool and I am closer to my boyfriend… but far away from my sisters who I am missing more and more everyday… Grrrrr….

Today I visited the leader of my village who welcomed me into the community (well my boyfriend as I don’t speak Indonesian). Complete opposite of London where you don’t even know what your neighbours look like.

Christmas has passed in a blur, with my crazy trip to Singapore and moving house; I actually don’t feel like I have had a Christmas. So to cheer myself up I bought myself a new bike to get around, no, no, no I know I said a scooter but in reality if I drive one of those I am instantly doomed to be dead within a day or so… so I went for the safer and cheaper option of a bicycle, the only problem is that I am SCARED of cycling here, as driving doesn’t seem to be Indonesia’s strong point.

Hmmmm, my trip to Singapore was problematic, but talking about it makes me want to cry so better not! My trip to Jakarta proved that after six months of travelling, I am still a target for tourist rip off prices…. Oh how I hate it when that happens… Jakarta is so different to Central Java, as the level of poverty is very high, the worst I have seen in my travels around Asia, just looking how people lived made my eyes water, I had to look away at times, as the guilt that I felt was unbearable, but what it better was that all the people seemed content and happy with what they had, it’s a great thing to see, puts things into perspective for you.

Last year was a rollercoaster, I had moments when I thought life couldn’t get any worse, I was diagnosed with Gastritis of the intestine, which then took over everything for five months…. I thought I would never get over that, and worse I thought it would never get better. But it has everyday I am thankful that I have no more problems with my stomach…. I have my sisters to thank for supporting me (and listening to my endless list of worries) Aylin who cared for me in Cyprus( but also made me gain at least a stone in weight, due to bread eating) Tony who did a little bit of mental magic and mostly Arda My boy…. Who made me see the light again.

There of course were many highs, travelling, riding elephants, facing my fears, having a family moment in Hong Kong, meeting the love of my life and becoming a teacher.

New years resolution?! I don’t make them, but I know what I want to achieve/do.

1. Speak Indonesian
2. Ride a bike without killing myself on the roads of Jogja
3. Speak to my sisters more
4. Experience new things
5. Make lots of friends in Indonesia
6. Keep in touch with England Friends… Aylin, Rory, Tony, Liz the Itsu Crew….

Well that’s it,

Miss you all

Niketa xxxx