As somebody who is not from here and struggles through speaking simple sentences in bahaha Indonesia, it is hard to work on any projects. It can often be heard by many expats if only there was a ___________ (fill in the blank with their home country hardware store) to pop into and browse the aisles. For myself I can easily ask a people around school for help order, but sometimes it's just that I am unable to verbalize my plan and just need to get the things myself. So again it comes back to if only Jakarta had a convenient place to find it.
Last week was spring break and it was a relaxing time. During my time off I made the decision to go out on a motorbike ride. (no I wasn't driving) There are many reasons to enjoy motorbike rides price, speed, and different roads. The place that I was headed was over 25 kilometers away, so I had to have a midway point before continuing on to the next. The trip was a culmination of 32.7 kilometers and lasted an hour and eighteen minutes.
If you look at the photo you will see my beginning at the green dot, the midway point is where the orange toll roads intersect, and finished at the red point. What you cannot see from this quick glance and zoomed out map is everything I saw. If you were able to zoom in on the map you would see the little old lady selling potted plants along Jalan Panjang Areti. Continue that road to find lumber for sale. Or move backwards to Jalan Kebayoran Baru and find more power tools than you can find in Ace. As I was riding through these roads it was in the streets of Jakarta that I was finding what "was on my list." Jakarta had it all the things that I needed, but I just hadn't taken the time to look for it. I had the excuses that I wouldn't understand, that somebody else could do it for me, and that it would be uncomfortable, but as stated those were just excuses. Was the motorbike ride comfortable? Absolutely not, I mean you're riding behind some stranger on a under stuffed seat all while wearing a helmet that hundreds of others have worn. Oh and motorbikes don't get the easy route. Sometimes they have to take side roads with speed bumps every 15 feet OR detour through the rocky alley. So it is not comfortable but it is worth the ride being able to see all the sites above and even more so being able to know the city better.
As I was riding it gave me time to think. These last couple of weeks I have been reading a book by Tim Challis about spiritual discernment. The bigger points that I had come across by the time of this ride were about knowing God's word and that you can't be discerning unless you know His word. It began to sink in, just like in Jakarta finding the things you need isn't easy, but you have to go through it to know it. Just like Jakarta it would be easy to have somebody else find the supplies for you, but you need to know His word. Just like Jakarta things can get uncomfortable, but we need to know all of it, not just the coffee mug verses even those that point out our sin. Just like Jakarta you might not understand the language, but you need to learn it.
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| My Route. |
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| Actually while walking |
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| Old softball field |
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| Bricks for sale |
I am thankful that there are not items all in one place, so that I could see it all.
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| Foxes with no legs |
As always (although it has been months) please forgive the spelling/grammar errors.
Other updates:
Next year I have the opportunity to expand my experience to a new grade.
I will be finishing my 4th year here and begin my 5th in July.
Random things I made:
Eggplant parmesan (I didn't do so well)
Prayer: finishing the year strong while planning for the new grade.
Continually for the relationships with those around
