I’m enjoying a 9 day break from work, but this time I’m not going anywhere. I decided that for once I’d sit my ass down in Jakarta for the entire break – relaxing, working out, sitting in the sun on my balcony, reading in coffee shops, and basically doing nothing (think “Office Space”).

Sure, I’d love to be in Bali right now – or India like one of my friends – but the fact is I’m not – I’m here – and I have to make the best of it. I only have one year left in Indonesia and I’d like to take the time to enjoy each moment that passes. You don’t always need a beach, room service, and fresh towels to make that happen.

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Ok. Forget that last paragraph. I’m full of shit – I’d love to be in Bali right now.

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My Honda that I’ve ordered is not yet in – typically you have to wait a number of months for a new car in Indonesia. What’s this mean? That I’m gettin good use out of my mountain bike, ojek, bajaj, and taxis. Somehow you feel more connected to your environment when strapped onto a motorcycle with 12 speed size tires moving at 100 kph – a sense of mortality that negates the need for coffee.

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The other night I went out with some of my Chinese – Indonesian friends. To say they’re wealthy would be an insult. I was humbled. Throughout the evening they went through no less than 8 bottles of whiskey – at $450 per bottle. I don’t even want to step into the arena of conversing about the disparity among weath in this city.

This is a whole new world for my wallet. In the end, they wouldn’t accept any cash from me; somehow they knew I wasn’t quite as familiar with Benjamin Franklin.