Jacque in Jakarta: The view from my new apartment

After five months in Jakarta, we have now moved three times. Thus, in less than a year of marriage Alexander and I have had 1 graduation, 1 new job, 1 TEFL certification, 2 hospitalizations, 2 flood days, 5 moves, 6 countries visited....and a partridge in a pear tree ;). I can honestly say that I'm ready for a break from the craziness and look forward to being somewhat settled for at least the next 6 months, and possibly longer.

The new stove top

The new living room/dining room

Our new apartment is actually brand new. Not only is it newly built, but there is also a lot of new things in it (T.V., stove top, fridge, shower). All that is obviously an improvement from the last. However, our stove top only allows for one pot at a time, so it's a bit more challenging to cook, and we also have a lot less storage space. But all in all, I still see it as an improvement, and by Indonesian standards, it's actually a luxuary apartment, so I really can't complain.

I especially can't complain when I see the view from my balcony. It's incredibly humbling to look out and see the shacks that the average Indonesian lives in. In fact, the average Indonesian makes a measly 2 dollars a day, which means they make less in an entire year what we individually make in a month. Although our salary isn't large by Western standards, I feel very spoiled by Indonesian standards. On average we go out to eat three times a week, take a taxi to and from church every week, go to the movies once or twice a month, get a massage twice a month and generally live a very comfortable lifestyle. So whenever I even consider complaining about my salary, I just look outside to remind myself of my neighbors who live like this:

We as Westerners live an incredibly priveleged life. Of course, not all Westerners are well-off, and plenty live in conditions that are similar. However, on the whole our governments have programs in place that take care of us. Food stamp programs ensure that our children are fed and don't have to beg on the streets. Medicare and Medicaid programs allow elderly and poor to seek affordable healthcare as opposed to suffering through life-threatening illnesses. Although these systems are not fail-proof, at least they are in place.

Since Jakarta is currently my home, I hope I can do something to raise human rights awareness. People need to understand that life can be improved. I'm not sure how to do it, but I guess the best place to start is with myself. I vow to no longer complain about First World Problems and instead dedicate myself to addressing real world problems. Will you join me?

WaterAid
Save the Children
Children International
World Vision
ActionAid

Jacque in Jakarta: The appliances in my apartment

 It's been nearly a month since Alex and I arrived in Jakarta. We're slowly getting through our shock and sliding into the initial adjustment of our culture shock. One of the things that is taking us a while to adjust to is our appliances.

I've grown accustomed to not having a tumble dryer whenever I go abroad. Most places I've lived outside of the U.S. are much more environmentally conscious and therefore don't want to waste the energy that a tumble dryer uses. However, I've always had the luxury of a washing machine that is hooked into the plumbing. Here, it's a bit different.

In order to use the washing machine correctly, there are two hoses that need to be used. The green hose is for the ingoing water, and the white hose is for the outgoing water. The green hose is attatched to the bathroom faucet on one end and the back of the machine on the other. The white hose is attached to the bottom of the machine where the waste water is dispelled on one end, and on the other end it is in the shower drain. The tricky part is using the machine without having water go all over the place.

The first step is to correctly attatch the hoses. One time the white hose wasn't firmly attatched to the bottom of the machine and the waste water went all over our apartment. The next step is to turn on the water to fill the machine through the green hose. If the water isn't turned off on time, the pressure of the water causes the hose to fly off the machine and then water goes everywhere. The water from the green hose is used to fill the machine and then used to rinse the clothes, so it's used twice. Lastly, there is a pot under the green hose because it usually leaks. The first time we did laundry, we didn't realize it would leak and, once again, water went everywhere.

Not only is the washing machine a bit wonky, our air conditioner usually leaks if it's been on too long. So, when we go to bed we turn it on and as soon as we wake up we usually have to turn it off so it won't leak. Also, there is no hot water, so we've been taking cold showers for a month.

However, I can't complain too much. Next week we'll be moving to a new apartment with hot water and an a/c in the living room. Also, I should be happy to at least have a washing machine and running water. Afterall,  I'd hate to be accused of suffering from FWP.