Kelly's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 6/21/00 -------------------- 6/15/00 6/6/00 5/24/00 5/10/00 5/3/00 4/25/00 4/18/00 4/12/00 4/6/00 3/29/00 3/22/00 3/15/00 3/8/00 3/1/00 2/23/00 2/16/00 -------------------- Kelly's Introduction

April 12, 2000

Mabuhay. *

Despite the Muslim holidays last week, Aaron didn’t/couldn’t really observe it as there’s "WORK, WORK, WORK" (expat’s downside). So both Orion and I felt frustrated that Papa was even away more than usual and hardly played with us. We couldn’t even go out for a short ride as the weather was really another concern to reckon with. It just gets so depressingly crazy when there’s a downpour and I didn’t want to be stuck somewhere out of the house with a toddler in tow with no taxis in sight. (Funny how they seem to disappear when you need them most!)

By the end of the week, Orion was really cranky and restless and just plain giving me the pain-in-the-butt attitude (as in he will climb the headboard over and over even when he keeps falling down; will paint the walls after you have given him paper to write on; will insist on "watering" the plants but actually spray it on himself; will push all furniture around and say "Mama, I’m strong," and so much more) that finally I told Aaron that "If you can’t be with us, we will come to you." (Aaron is spending a lot of time nowadays at their training school in Merak, West Java, about 135 kms from Jakarta or 2 hours drive, if you don’t get stuck in traffic. He normally leaves at 5 am and returns by 9 pm, to be with us but actually it’s pointless as Orion is already asleep and he’s so tired anyway!) He was glad about the idea so we made arrangements to follow him last Saturday. His company maintains a staff house there so our accommodation was no problem.

I was half expecting a boring weekend until we got to the staff house. As we drove further, the backdrop was becoming more rustic (trees, greenery and ouch, ouch, bumpy patches on the road) while the hot, polluted city air now tasted salty, cool and fresh.

And the house, although sandwiched within a long row of houses, the "community was quiet." The best part was that the beach was right across our street, literally. We arrived just before sunset and even though I felt queasy from the long drive, I didn’t hesitate to join Papa and son for a walk at the beach! It wasn’t as Aaron describes it a "rich man’s beach" but the sand and the fresh air and the setting sun was all so beautiful! Orion was actually free to run and wade and his shrieks were contagious!!! Finally, there was Papa and Mama and free space to frolic, what more can we ask for?!

We had bar-b-q dinner by the seaside restaurant and Orion just won’t sit still. He even forgot to poop that day! Finally, we called it a day after a full meal. Sunday, Aaron wanted to drive off early to a "proper beach" as he said that locals from the city flock to this beach by busloads, so it would be crowded and noisy. We were just getting so relaxed -- sitting on the couch and the beach is right in front of you! "No way!" Orion slept in (must have had too much excitement the day before) and when he got up, zoom out the door and said "Ba-bath, swimming, beach!" With an insistent toddler, you can’t say no, so after putting on some sunblock, we crossed the road to "test" the waters. Hey, it may not be one of the "world’s best" but it was not bad at all. First, it was just father and son but I got so jealous, so I joined them. It was really FUN!!!! The morning sun was getting too hot, so Aaron said we should go back to the house. You think it was that easy? There was MAJOR RESISTANCE!!!!! Finally, Orion budged only after we told him that he can continue in the bathtub. He had a long nap again afterwards.

Had I known earlier about that staff house, I would really prefer to live there. So with only about a month and half for us here (we have to return to the Philippines), we will most likely be off to Merak more often.

At last the photos made it after all!!!

See you next week.

From Indonesia,