SUMBA-Bound

A quick update:

The Indonesian government has granted our official Kitas (VISAS), and they are finally under the right names!  The minister of science had the main visa under my name with Chris being my female spouse.  This clerical error raised some red flags at immigration when they realized I am a girl and Chris is a boy.  This whole process was again supposed to only take three days, but we have been in Jakarta for two weeks!  Regardless, we have the proper paperwork to legally work and live in Indonesia for one year.  We also are allowed to leave Indonesia during the year and return to Sumba hassle free!  Christmas in Australia, anyone? 

Jakarta might be a dirty, busy city, but we have enjoyed our time here - mostly taking in all of the strange contradictions that abound.  I mentioned already the dichotomy between off-road and on-road personalities.  There was also a woman outside of a mosque dressed modestly and wearing a hijab, but the man next to her was wearing a black T-shirt with the words “The Virgin”.  I can only assume that he does not speak English.  I wanted to say to him, “Excuse me sir, but you know your shirt could be referring to the Virgin Mary.  You know, the mother of Jesus – the other team.”  We found another glaring contradiction near the harbor in the old neighborhood called Batavia.  There is a canal of sorts down the middle of a main street.  On either side is a large sidewalk and the canal has lights all along it pointing over the water – illuminating the sludge flowing in the canal gently taking trash and feces to the ocean.  Surrounding this olfactory offense was beautiful, old hotels, historic buildings from the 1600s, and a famous 1930s-style Jazz bar and restaurant called the Batavia Café. 

Well... Goodbye Jakarta and Hello Sumba!  (I am a little nervous about what our toilet will be like.  Keep your fingers crossed for something more than a hole in the ground!)