More Angst at 31

Been in Jakarta for almost 6 months and realized that I haven't really been anywhere nor done anything, especially in the last few months. The 1st few months were pretty ok; the novelty was exciting, the meeting friends and partying was new and fun! But now I've gotten into a rut, which is surprising considering I'm in a completely foreign land with hundreds of places to explore and millions of people to meet (233 million to be exact)! I pretty much spend my weekdays counting the hours til I get home, then spend the night in the gym, finding dinner, watching TV or reading. Friday nights, which used to start only at 12 midnight, now finds me snoring contentedly by 1030 PM! I try to wake up relatively early on Saturdays, around 830 to 9, to catch my morning yoga class. After which, I just have lunch in the mall or gym area, then go home and watch more TV/DVDs. I don't even go out Saturday nights anymore! Sundays are spent dreading the work week to come.

Right now, I'm in a coffee shop attempting to get some work done. Lovely Indonesian place called Bakoel Koffie, with magazines, game boards (including sungka!!), free wifi, and adaptors/extension cords galore! These are the type of places that truly understand who goes to coffee shops! What I'd give for a real bluebery muffin though! :(

More presentation sheets for a visit from the gods next Monday. Sigh, so sick of endless sheets. Been here for an hour and have not even had the energy to open the files. Dread, dread, dread...Still haven't found my work motivation. Coaching people is not doing it for me. Moving the country's processes forward is not enticing either. Had a talk with one of the senior managers and she suggested using retirement as a motivation. As in, saving enough money to retire early. Sounds promising...and very Chinese! Based on initial computations though, need to save P5.7 million a year if I want to retire by 45! (assuming I reach the ripe old age of 80)

Seriously need to jumpstart my immersion into Indonesia. Some things I WILL make happen in the next few months:

1. Make more friends
2. Explore other regions
3. Study photography already!
4. Learn the language already!
5. Find a way to look forward to work (but how???)

3 Things (2)

1. Had a nice dinner in the Kemang area in that artsy Koi restaurant. Food was great, mojitos were better, vibe was excellent!

2. Was able to get my new Fitness First card, and do my grocery shopping in Ranch. Wonderful to be able to shop when you have money!

3. Had an extremely relaxing morning with a slow, luxurious breakfast and a nap right after!

Life is good.

Chillax

Nice chill saturday morning. Put on my nice Air downloads, brewed strong hot black coffee, had a really good chat with Aaron, and cooked semi-decent yang chow slash nasi goreng slash japanese fried rice for breakfast. All in all, the perfect way to start of the weekend.

Went to Dragonfly last night with Jed, etc but didn't stay too long. It was much too crowded, and our usual spot was closed off for a private party. The smoke was also getting in my eyes (hmmm) because I wasn't wearing my usual contacts. So left after about an hour and just went straight to bed.

Will go to the gym a bit later and get some groceries. Will probably have dinner and drinks with the gang as well. But in the meantime, just enjoying the whole slow Saturday vibe...

God has a weird sense of humour

This has been a very interesting night...surreal, but interesting.

Why I Heart Jakarta

1. All the Indonesian food is 1) deep fried, 2) in rich, tasty sauces, and 3) are either sweet or spicy or both. Can life get any better than that? Plus, they're really proud of their local food, which I found fascinating.

2. Swanky malls galore. Perfect for a city slicker like me.

3. Jakartans are really knowledgeable and choosy about their House music. I've actually heard chillout music playing in the mall! Beats hearing a loop tape of the SM jingle anytime!

4. Those exotic Sumatran and Sulawesi coffees you order at Starbucks? That's their Nescafe here.

5. J. Co glazzy donuts (Brewed coffee and a donut = 60 bucks!)

6. Lots of places with free wifi and more importantly, you're welcome to use any of the tons of electrical sockets!

7. Bluebird Taxis. The most efficient taxi service I've seen outside Singapore.

8. Gas is half the price of Pinas!

9. You can't converse in English with a lot of people, but most everyone I've met has been very nice, friendly, and unpretentious. That's such a refreshing change!

10. J. Co glazzy donuts (they deserve 2 mentions!)

This is Third World Jakarta?

The view from my loft: