Progress is when you can eat chili without tears<\/p>\n
Almost two months into my foray into the Indonesian culture
\nand I've survived with only a few hitches along the way and have
\nmade some intriguing discoveries.<\/p>\n
I feel like a wide-eyed child in a lolly shop with so many new
\nand exciting things to see and experience, with the only food
\nI've politely declined being durian ice-cream.<\/p>\n
A recent trip to Bandung sparked something in my spiritually
\ndepraved Western soul and although the skeptic inside me has
\nspent the past five days trying to find a logical explanation for
\nwhat I saw, I haven't been successful.<\/p>\n
My friend booked a massage and I expected the masseuse to
\narrive with 20 different oils and strange looking hand tools but
\nall he had were leaves, one oil and a staunch Islamic faith.<\/p>\n
By allowing his hands to hover just above her back, the
\nmasseuse identified trouble spots that she had not mentioned to
\nhim previously and, as his hands made slightly erratic movements
\nabove her back, she felt like needles were being inserted. She
\ngrimaced, I grimaced; all the while wondering what his trick was.<\/p>\n
At any moment I expected acupuncture needles to fall from his
\nsleeve and, just as my friend painfully exclaimed \"my whole body
\nis tingling, it feels like it's on fire!\", the coup de grace was
\nadministered.<\/p>\n
With the masseuse's face contorted in concentration and my
\nfriend's face contorted with what looked to be pain, my mouth
\ndropped as smoke rose from his nimble hands, and it wasn't like
\nthe rabbit-being-pulled-out-of-a-hat trick because the smoke just
\nkept coming.<\/p>\n
For several seconds I debated dousing the potential fire with
\nthe cup of green tea I had spotted on the floor but
\nno one else in the room flinched, so I remained still.<\/p>\n
It was later explained to me that the masseuse was harnessing
\nhealing energy to provide my friend with relief from her
\nbackache.<\/p>\n
My friend was exhausted after the massage and I have to admit
\nI was too.<\/p>\n
Speaking of exhaustion, I'm still not used to Indonesia's
\npublic transportation system.<\/p>\n
I was in a taxi on my way back to the office after an
\ninterview, and we were on an extremely busy part of the road,
\nwhen the driver applied the brakes and ordered me out -- but
\nstill wanted to be paid for his troubles, though I was nowhere
\nnear my destination.<\/p>\n
I reluctantly gave him some money and then spent the next 20
\nminutes trying to flag down another taxi game enough to put up
\nwith the torrent of honking horns and abuse that was sure to come
\nfrom stopping on such a busy road.<\/p>\n
I finally hailed down a taxi and we spent the next five
\nminutes not understanding what the other was saying, until I
\nwrote down the address.<\/p>\n
I gritted my teeth as we weaved in and out of traffic at
\nracing-car speed and I stared out of the window trying to keep my
\nmind on other things, such as why there are so many chickens on
\nthe sidewalks of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
One of my favorite discoveries, and something that most
\nIndonesians would find inconsequential, is Hero supermarket.
\nI could spend hours walking up and down the aisles choosing a
\nmeal made up from ingredients from all corners of the globe.<\/p>\n
I take five steps and I'm in Japan choosing from a myriad of
\ninteresting looking snacks and I take another five steps and I'm
\nin Columbia with an endless choice of coffee.<\/p>\n
If you are after variety it certainly beats my corner store in
\nSydney, the most exotic item of which is the owner, Doris',
\nhomemade surprise pie.<\/p>\n
So, the question must be asked, am I no longer a \"clueless
\nexpatriate\"?<\/p>\n
Well the answer is no, but at least I've stopped feeling like
\nI need to show my feminine side because the kids on the street
\nare calling me \"mister\", I've swapped coke for bottled tea and
\nI've stopped crying after eating chili.<\/p>\n
I'm on my way.<\/p>\n
- Karen Stingemore<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/progress-is-when-you-can-eat-chili-without-tears-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }