37 days in, and I've acquired a researcher identity card, a temporary residency card, registration with the local police (including a suspicious transaction involving a contentious 10,000 rupiah note which was quickly returned when I asked for a receipt), a motorbike, a "room" in a boarding house, and "furnishings". The room suffered an invasion a few days ago when a mysterious animal fell through the ceiling, leaving a large hole, and left a large pile off feces in the transitional space between my sleeping area and bathing area. The feces are gone, and the violated bathmat has already returned from the laundry place (not really a laundromat since they do all the laundry for you) -- the hole remains. My ibu kos (Mother of the boarding house) promised to bring in a repairman today and requested that I wait in my room, yet no repairman showed. I will start leaving my room keys with her during the day, travelling with my laptop, camera, and legal documents (significantly larger in quantity) everywhere I go.
I spend a couple of hours at this place (http://www.jogja.pphotels.com/) everyday, running, exercising and swimming. For those two hours, I'm offered a world of luxury, and then I go out, hop on my motorbike and drive back to my room with holes in the ceiling, random cockroach appearances, leaks when it rains, and the noise of twenty-five 18-26 year olds. It is a dramatic transition, and I've become reliant on the order, cleanliness, and personal space available in the recreation areas of the hotel. I love living here, but the disorder and disrespect shown to schedules and other people's time starts to drive me crazy. For the 30 minutes that I spend at the pool, life here seems surreal.
No comments:
Post a Comment