Yesterday Jeremy and I went shopping to the local hardware shop to buy a Christmas tree. While I was trying to prevent Oscar from costing us a fortune in broken glass decorations (I presumed that the sign in Indonesian said ALL BREAKAGES WILL BE PAID FOR) an ex-pat family with a small boy, who looked about the same age as Oscar appeared and smiled as they walked by.
Jeremy was looking for door handles (mum - we've been having to huff on our hands to open the sliding doors) and he saw the family too.
We don't see many people who look like us and when we re-grouped downstairs we decided to go and introduce ourselves. We were still chatting with them half an hour later and had exchanged telephone numbers. They agreed with our thoughts that it is hard to met other ex-pat families.
In the afternoon we took Oscar to the swimming pool. There was an ex-pat family there too.
Bouyed by his earlier success, Jeremy got out of the pool and strode over to the family enjoying their snack and introduced himself. Once again, the family didn't whip out their pepper spray!
It is a little bit like being five again when you're on holiday and don't know anyone. You have to be brazen and just go up and ask if you can play with any children that look like they are having fun.
Oscar played with their boys in the water for the next hour, we sat and chatted with the parents about how unsocial and lonely it is in Balikpapan and decided that we should go out for dinner together that evening to celebrate having found each other.
We met up at Balikpapan Super Block, had dinner at a restaurant and then coffee at Starbucks where I bought the coffee cups that Jeremy has been looking for for years. All in all a 100% successful mission.
Add to that the fact that in the morning I drove myself to the Tupperware shop (check out my motivation to brave the roads and crazies on them here) to purchase a drawer full of plastic to keep our food Tupperware fresh! Fabulous.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Saturday, 6 November 2010
No Touchies!
Today we went to the Hypermart complex in downtown Balikpapan to buy groceries and a much needed DVD player to watch all of the DVDs that we have bought for about 70 pence each. I am sure they are real because they have been purchased from actual shops.
Mr Pickle got very worked up and upset today while we were out. Having endured day after day of local people trying to touch him on the face because he is both blonde and in one side of cute and out the other, he started to shriek at the person who was insistent on pressing his flesh. It had the desired effect of them pulling back in horror but it took me a little while and the promise of ice cream to calm him down.
We do not understand these people's need to touch our precious child or the fact that they ignore our pleas to leave him alone because he doesn't like it.
We thought about making a sign for his forehead that says either 'No touchies' or 'I Bite' but being a) in English and therefore not understood or b) ignored because these people cannot keep their hands to themselves, this would probably be a pointless exercise.
Instead we have gone for some karate for tots. This evening we ran through some drills with Mr Pickle and we are confident that the next time a hand comes in from the left it will be met with a 'wax on' coupled with the shout of 'TIDAK!' and a hand from the right will trigger the 'wax on' manouver.
Maybe we should get a sign made that says 'I know karate' or maybe go for the Neo line of 'I know kung fu'.
We have explained to him that if he doesn't want the scary big stranger to touch him, he doesn't have to let them and it is fine to swat them away and say 'No' in Indonesian. He seems much more relaxed about the potential touchies.
Mr Pickle got very worked up and upset today while we were out. Having endured day after day of local people trying to touch him on the face because he is both blonde and in one side of cute and out the other, he started to shriek at the person who was insistent on pressing his flesh. It had the desired effect of them pulling back in horror but it took me a little while and the promise of ice cream to calm him down.
We do not understand these people's need to touch our precious child or the fact that they ignore our pleas to leave him alone because he doesn't like it.
We thought about making a sign for his forehead that says either 'No touchies' or 'I Bite' but being a) in English and therefore not understood or b) ignored because these people cannot keep their hands to themselves, this would probably be a pointless exercise.
Instead we have gone for some karate for tots. This evening we ran through some drills with Mr Pickle and we are confident that the next time a hand comes in from the left it will be met with a 'wax on' coupled with the shout of 'TIDAK!' and a hand from the right will trigger the 'wax on' manouver.
Maybe we should get a sign made that says 'I know karate' or maybe go for the Neo line of 'I know kung fu'.
We have explained to him that if he doesn't want the scary big stranger to touch him, he doesn't have to let them and it is fine to swat them away and say 'No' in Indonesian. He seems much more relaxed about the potential touchies.
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
Melbourne Cup and Cross Stitch
I went to a ladies day to watch the Melbourne Cup with the Balikpapan International Women's Association (BIWA) yesterday. We were all dressed to the nines and those who have been here a while were wearing appropriate head wear (think Ascot).
Before the race we had a fashion show. In the back of beyond, we were sat in the spacious home of the current president watching models (also members of BIWA) sweep down the huge staircase in couture (made by a member of BIWA). To say that it was surreal would be an understatement, it was also fabulous to be in the company of women in my position and in such a civilised atmosphere.
We all took part in the sweepstake, watched the race and then had a delicious three course lunch, catered by the local Novatel. I met some really nice people and we exchanged numbers. I also found out about the crafty sewing group which meets on a Wednesday morning.
I knew I had packed the cross stich stuff in my suitcase for a reason! I planned an alphabet sampler for our forthcoming baby way back when we didn't even know what flavour baba was coming. Today I put the first stitches onto the fabric. By the time Oscar is 21 he will have a lovely Apple Tree Farm picture for his bedroom.
I met a like minded stitcher today and I spent more time chatting than sewing, which is why it will take me a further 18 years to finish the sampler, and had a generally lovely relaxed morning while Mr Pickle was entertained in pre-school. Fabulous.
Mr Pickle and I spent the afternoon together making playdoh chickens for him to cut up while I chopped up our most recent purchase of poultry. Once again, I forgot to take pictures!
Before the race we had a fashion show. In the back of beyond, we were sat in the spacious home of the current president watching models (also members of BIWA) sweep down the huge staircase in couture (made by a member of BIWA). To say that it was surreal would be an understatement, it was also fabulous to be in the company of women in my position and in such a civilised atmosphere.
We all took part in the sweepstake, watched the race and then had a delicious three course lunch, catered by the local Novatel. I met some really nice people and we exchanged numbers. I also found out about the crafty sewing group which meets on a Wednesday morning.
I knew I had packed the cross stich stuff in my suitcase for a reason! I planned an alphabet sampler for our forthcoming baby way back when we didn't even know what flavour baba was coming. Today I put the first stitches onto the fabric. By the time Oscar is 21 he will have a lovely Apple Tree Farm picture for his bedroom.
I met a like minded stitcher today and I spent more time chatting than sewing, which is why it will take me a further 18 years to finish the sampler, and had a generally lovely relaxed morning while Mr Pickle was entertained in pre-school. Fabulous.
Mr Pickle and I spent the afternoon together making playdoh chickens for him to cut up while I chopped up our most recent purchase of poultry. Once again, I forgot to take pictures!
Oooooooo spooky
I managed to find a whole pumpkin in one of the local supermarkets. The person that weighs the produce and puts a sticker on it for the till was most perturbed that we wanted the whole thing and not a slice!
Clearly they do not get many people coming in for members of the squash family to carve into spooky effigies!
Mr Pickle did not want to help me with the pumpkin scraping, he was freaked out by the seeds inside and ran away shouting 'Nooooo' at the top of his voice after he had touched the slimy innards.
I hollowed out the pumpkin and then together we made our spooky ghoul. As you can see in the pictures, the pumpkin may have been small but was perfectly formed!
There was one snag. No candle! I tried to burn all sorts of things inside the pumpkin, eventually I got a sizeable flame from a combination of screwed up paper, tissue and cooking oil. Any children reading this should only attempt such pyromanic activities with a responsible adult present.
I have also made a perfectly formed pumpkin pie with ingredients scrabbled together from a number of supermarkets.
The shipping boxes still have not arrived and Oscar's halloween outfit is inside one of them. Once they arrive I am sure we will have a small skeleton running around shouting boo randomly. Maybe for Christmas! That's something to look forward to on the blog, a Christmas skeleton.
Clearly they do not get many people coming in for members of the squash family to carve into spooky effigies!
Mr Pickle did not want to help me with the pumpkin scraping, he was freaked out by the seeds inside and ran away shouting 'Nooooo' at the top of his voice after he had touched the slimy innards.
There was one snag. No candle! I tried to burn all sorts of things inside the pumpkin, eventually I got a sizeable flame from a combination of screwed up paper, tissue and cooking oil. Any children reading this should only attempt such pyromanic activities with a responsible adult present.
I have also made a perfectly formed pumpkin pie with ingredients scrabbled together from a number of supermarkets.
The shipping boxes still have not arrived and Oscar's halloween outfit is inside one of them. Once they arrive I am sure we will have a small skeleton running around shouting boo randomly. Maybe for Christmas! That's something to look forward to on the blog, a Christmas skeleton.
Saturday, 30 October 2010
Water water all around
It has been very wet here over the last couple of days. That might be the understatement of the century.
Apparently the rainy season hasn't got into full swing yet. Last night we had a rain storm that started at 11pm and went on into the wee small hours. This morning, our 'garden' was under water!
This evening, the storm started at 8pm while we were driving back from downtown Balikpapan. Within 30 minutes there was about a foot of water on the road. The rain water was running down the ajoining roads like waterfalls and Mr Pickle was staring out of the car window in a mesmerised state. He asked if we were driving in the river, as the wake from the passing cars washed over his window. He was also very excited by the crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning.
It has stopped raining now, we are hopeful that the storm is over for tonight.
We went swimming today. It was lovely, so there goes my plan to change the name of the blog to 'Will Mr Pickle and his mummy ever make it to the swimming pool'.
The water in the swimming pool was warm and there were just enough people in there that we didn't feel isolated. Mr Pickle even plucked up enough courage to have a go on the slide set into the pool with daddy.
Apparently the rainy season hasn't got into full swing yet. Last night we had a rain storm that started at 11pm and went on into the wee small hours. This morning, our 'garden' was under water!
This evening, the storm started at 8pm while we were driving back from downtown Balikpapan. Within 30 minutes there was about a foot of water on the road. The rain water was running down the ajoining roads like waterfalls and Mr Pickle was staring out of the car window in a mesmerised state. He asked if we were driving in the river, as the wake from the passing cars washed over his window. He was also very excited by the crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning.
It has stopped raining now, we are hopeful that the storm is over for tonight.
We went swimming today. It was lovely, so there goes my plan to change the name of the blog to 'Will Mr Pickle and his mummy ever make it to the swimming pool'.
The water in the swimming pool was warm and there were just enough people in there that we didn't feel isolated. Mr Pickle even plucked up enough courage to have a go on the slide set into the pool with daddy.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Call me, don't be afraid and just call me....
Oh, but you can't because we have just discovered that the Internet Speedy technicians, who managed to roll up at 3.15pm yesterday to fix the internet cabling, have cut the telephone line!
What a very strange place we have moved to. By fixing one problem, you create another. It is like a whole industry in itself. No wonder things move so slowly round these parts.
Mr Pickle loved his trial session at the pre school and went back today for his first actual morning session. In his own words, he did dancing, helping, doing and painting a pumpkin.
I spent my 'free' three hours ironing. I do not have the luxury of a maid/helper as many other wives and mothers do in Balikpapan because I have a house boy. That's all I'm going to say on the matter as I have talked about the virtues of said house boy already on this blog.
Although, to be honest, from the accounts of others, the maids/helpers sound like an absolute nightmare. Through genuine or contrived misunderstanding, on their part, it would seem that most wives end up continually showing the helper how to do things. This sounds pointless and time consuming, not to mention frustrating.
We have had a couple of people enquire about whether we have disappeared into a hole created by an earthquake or swept away by a tsunami. Rest assured, we are fine. Jeremy says that Borneo is the most stable island in the archipelago. If you would like a scientific explanation of the recent events please feel free to visit Jeremy's blog:
Jeremy's Blog
Today, Mr Pickle and myself are sitting in the house waiting for the Indo Vision man to come and fix the satellite TV. So once again we will not be visiting the swimming pool. I have started to use the possibility of visiting the pool as a lure to speed up the number two stage of potty training and we had a successful delivery into the potty this afternoon. There is no picture to share with you.
As luck would have it, Mr Pickle will be swimming with his pre-school tomorrow and he thinks it is as a result of his success. All's well that ends well.
I will probably have to spend tomorrow afternoon waiting for the telephone repair man to appear.
What a very strange place we have moved to. By fixing one problem, you create another. It is like a whole industry in itself. No wonder things move so slowly round these parts.
Mr Pickle loved his trial session at the pre school and went back today for his first actual morning session. In his own words, he did dancing, helping, doing and painting a pumpkin.
I spent my 'free' three hours ironing. I do not have the luxury of a maid/helper as many other wives and mothers do in Balikpapan because I have a house boy. That's all I'm going to say on the matter as I have talked about the virtues of said house boy already on this blog.
Although, to be honest, from the accounts of others, the maids/helpers sound like an absolute nightmare. Through genuine or contrived misunderstanding, on their part, it would seem that most wives end up continually showing the helper how to do things. This sounds pointless and time consuming, not to mention frustrating.
We have had a couple of people enquire about whether we have disappeared into a hole created by an earthquake or swept away by a tsunami. Rest assured, we are fine. Jeremy says that Borneo is the most stable island in the archipelago. If you would like a scientific explanation of the recent events please feel free to visit Jeremy's blog:
Jeremy's Blog
Today, Mr Pickle and myself are sitting in the house waiting for the Indo Vision man to come and fix the satellite TV. So once again we will not be visiting the swimming pool. I have started to use the possibility of visiting the pool as a lure to speed up the number two stage of potty training and we had a successful delivery into the potty this afternoon. There is no picture to share with you.
As luck would have it, Mr Pickle will be swimming with his pre-school tomorrow and he thinks it is as a result of his success. All's well that ends well.
I will probably have to spend tomorrow afternoon waiting for the telephone repair man to appear.
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Christmas is coming
Christmas has started to trickle into Balikpapan. We saw three sad looking plastic trees for sale in Ace hardware a couple of days ago. The shops here don’t bother to dress them to sell them, they were bare and pathetic looking. I suppose it is a case of you either want it or you don’t.
It is strange not to be seeing the shops bursting with Christmas stock by this time of the year. There is also a distinct lack of pumpkin related paraphernalia.
I am suffering from serious withdrawl symptoms from the lack of internet. I am dreaming of Facebook and wondering what status updates await me. Sad but true. Along the Christmas theme, I am still going cold turkey!
I have walked Mr Pickle down to the pre-school this morning. I was given a chair to sit next to him for the first part of the morning but he didn’t want to sit next to me. He ran around to the other side of the table and started to sharpen the pencils with one of the helpers. Having sat on the tiny yellow chair for ten minutes, being ignored by my little man, I decided to take my leave and get back to wait for the Internet Speedy man.
He isn’t here yet. Maybe we will have the internet fixed for Christmas.
Fingers crossed Mr Pickle will love his trial at the pre-school and I will be able to plan mornings where I don’t need to have eyes in the back of my head and six hands.
Still no speedy internet man!
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