Hello hello hello again. I have found that these introductions are the hardest part to write, and you all probably skip past them anyways, so let's just dive in!
For those of you who were wondering when my inevitable stardom would begin, wonder no more! I have made a newspaper debut (along with the other exchange students) in the local newspaper, the Fajar. Naturally I was in a very elated mood which sent me into a goofy kind of state (not great timing...) because I started making some faces to the camera during what I thought was the outtakes (I could have sworn it was outtake time). This came back to bite me in the...behind when the newspaper came to my house and I saw that the picture they chose to use was one of the outtakes ones!! Everyone else looked fine. I was really the only doofus. Mind you, I did smile nicely for a bunch of pictures too, but for reasons unknown, they decided against using the photo where we ALL looked good. Lesson learned: don't get cocky and make funny faces in public. Or in front of a camera.
the one they used ^
the one the COULD have used
So I recently went to Malino (another city on my island) which was amazing. The weather is windy, cool and perfect. Like Minnesota in the fall. And the house we stayed in looked just like a cabin and had the most spectacular view of the mountains and rice fields! Trust me when I saw that this is quite possibly my favorite place in Indonesia (keeping in mind that I have already seen Bali).
.jpg)
This next story is perhaps a little cringe worthy, or at least it is when I remember it. So my friends and I wanted massages and we heard from another friend about this place that was pretty cheap. Wanting to save a rupiah, we went to this new place. It was pretty inexpensive, so we bought a package that had a sauna, massage and traditional scrub along with an ear candle treatment. The sauna turned out to be a really small closet-type thing (you know, like the place someone stores a dead body or where James Bond would lock you inside to die a toasty death). I only stayed in there long enough to contemplate the likeliness I could get trapped in there and left after a minute or so. Next were the massages. This was awkward for a number of reasons. Reason 1: we were basically laying on the massage tables naked except for underwear that the masseuses gave us. Reason 2: all the massage tables are next to each other so you can look over and see your buddies. Reason 3: They massage your buttocks (dad, I am really trying to not say butt, it is getting difficult though), and to do so, they pull down the underwear enough so your backside is exposed. Reason 4: none of our bottoms have seen the sun for quite a while, so the lack of tan is real. Reason 5: because the tables were close and we could see each other, the whole massage we laughed at how each other's caboose were so white. The traditional scrub turned out to be the worlds most painful mistake. They rubbed a rough paste, which I could have sworn was sand paper, all over us (yes. the behind too) and then when it dried they had to rub it off which hurt more than putting it on! And now I know, no good can come from a scrub. Lastly was the ear candle. This was pleasant until part of the candle broke off and almost lit my face on fire. To those of you who think I am exaggerating, all I have to say is that I wish I was. Thankfully, no pictures were taken of this experience.
Very recently, I got to visit Air Terjun Bantimurung (a waterfall) with my friend Fernanda, Kak Diah, and ibu. It was so gorgeous with the cliffs covered in greenery and butterflies everywhere. The waterfall itself was so beautiful too. After admiring it for a few minutes, I noticed my ibu swimming in the stream! I wasn't aware we could play in the water! So Fernanda and I waded into the water at the bottom of the waterfall to take our pictures, had a mini water fight, all good things. Then we talked about how it would be fun to float to the stream. NOT FUN. Jokingly, I did this and the water was a lot stronger than I anticipated and it took me from the base of the waterfall with aggressive speed. At first I thought it was super fun, like a roller coaster, until I noticed my ibu and Kak Diah shouting with worried expressions. That is when I noticed all the rocks I could hit my head on ("Sharp rocks at the bottom. Most likely. Bring it on. BOOYAHAHA"). Luckily, before I got too far and hit my head on something, I got stopped up on a large boulder. Crisis adverted. Here are some photos before my little adventure.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
right before I slid ^
I was reading some other previous exchange student's blogs and realized that they talked about food and places a lot more than I have. To those of you who wish I would talk more about those things, my deepest apologies. I can never remember what the food is called or what is in it, I just eat it and hope it isn't dog or horse and as for the places, I suppose I could describe those more. But isn't the point of exchange not to see places but make memories and bring back stories? If that is the point, then this blog isn't half bad! Anyways, ta ta for now!
Until next time,
your wandering Holman
P.S. I found a store with nerf guns! The assassins game is back on as of now!
P.S.S. To those of you who are loyal readers and genuinely enjoy what I have to say, thanks a ton! You're the reason I keep blogging away.
