Arrival in Indonesia
Well, friends, not much has changed since I last posted from NYC. I'm still at an airport waiting for a flight (but in Jakarta). I still haven't bought vitamins (sorry mom). And I'm still wearing an H&M v-neck (different color).
Here are the highlights:
- I haven't gotten sick yet.
- I've had 3 wonderful airplane meals and semi-considered transitioning this into an airplane food blog but decided I wouldn't have much to write about after the first 3 days. Airplane food blog though - somebody get on this please.
- Just kidding. There are a bunch already out there...
- I was able to finally catch up on some Oscar movies on my flights (too little too late, I know). Semi-considered transitioning this website to an airplane movie review blog but again that wasn't sustainable.
- The Big Short - solid movie but 99 Homes covered the same topic and did it better (I haven't seen 99 Homes but I read this somewhere and I believe it. It also did 4% better on Rotten Tomatoes so...)
- Steve Jobs - Leo, give Michael Fassbender his Oscar back.
- The Martian - Made me realize how absolutely not prepared I am for being stranded on Mars. I need to learn some skills ASAP.
- Realized my 5 years of Japanese language learning in elementary school has all boiled down to "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you). I said "arigatou" about 5 million times throughout my journey on my Japanese airline.
- Insider tip: If you don't know a language, you can pretty much get by with substituting "thank you" for most words including "hello", "goodbye", "you're welcome", "bless you", "please", "help me", "where is the bathroom", etc...
- Indonesia is going to be cheap (11 cent ramen)
- I made my first friend, Fabian (pictured below), and I was inspired to begin a "Man-bun Series" as I search for a new Reza. Unfortunately, he is heading home to Austria today at the culmination of his 3-month trip as I begin mine. Love is fleeting. However, I will use this series to explore the nature of relationships and their transience. Though I may have lost a Reza, there can always be a new, Austrian Reza, and a new friend with a man-bun, around the corner.
- Footnote: Reza is a friend who was supposed to travel with me but is no longer joining. He, of course, has a man-bun.
- Cab driver got lost on the way to my hotel. I will need to be better with directions. He also tried to charge me 3 times the normal price but I told him I wasn't a gringo (lessons learned from Tulum) and "negotiated" (neither of us could understand the other). When I got to the hotel I asked the staff how much I should have paid and felt good about myself.
- Here are some pictures:
Welcome to Tokyo
Tandoori chicken
In-flight entertainment
Breakfast in Jakarta
The cab ride that wouldn't end
11 cent ramen
These streets were not made for walking
The Coffee Bean I'm writing this at
Man-bun Series: Fabian
Until next time, good night!