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Daily Scripture
 
"Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgements are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast."

Psalm 36:6

YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN INDONESIA WHEN...

August 24, 2008

by …little lizards scurry across the walls and ceiling each time a light is turned on (Supposedly, they

…little lizards scurry across the walls and ceiling each time a light is turned on (Supposedly, they are good for eating bugs, but ours must be dieting).
…you awaken to the call of prayer at 4:30am every morning and then hear it four other times throughout the day.
…you keep a short shopping list because you must visit a different store for each item (one for diapers, one for fruit, one for meat, one for light bulbs,)… and you can only buy what you can haul on your motorcycle or a cramped taxi van.
…you might be asked to come into someone’s house or offered something to eat, but don’t accept until you are asked three times, otherwise, they were just being polite. …you must wash all raw fruits and veggies in PK crystals or bleach to kill germs and worms before consuming, unless you need the extra protein.
…KFC is considered a “fancy restaurant.”
…you eat rice every day, yet there always seems to be another kind you have never tried.
…you have “visitors” come to your gate asking for money two or three times a week (usually during dinner), sometimes they play a guitar or pretend to be pregnant. (This is known as the “white- man- tax.” Compare it to telemarketers in the US, but these people know your home!
…you never shut your windows because it never gets cold.
…you see a family of five on a moped.
… your socks or feet are perpetually dirty because you don’t wear shoes into anyone’s house yet the tile floors are always dusty
…you can have anything made, repaired, restored or duplicated (patents and trademarks don’t translate into Indonesian). We can even have our burnt out light bulbs repaired!
…there is no such thing as a “burn ban” and your neighbors never seem to run out of flammables.
…you are expected to leave a little food or a slight amount of drink in your cup because if you completely empty the tray or glass, it indicates you want more and the host is obliged to refill even if they don’t have more.
…you point with your entire right hand or right thumb, but NEVER with just one finger or your foot.
…you can’t keep people from patting, pinching, admiring and carrying your blue eyed, blond haired kids.
… you are considered a pale giant because you are 6 foot or taller, especially on a motor bike.
…you discover the word for “pepper” and “birth control” are spelled similarly, but sound totally different!