Home? Yeah, I’m wondering where that is. Is it Indonesia now? Is it America? Is it Cape Town?

Well, at any rate, I’m back in Jakarta. The Marriot was bombed downtown only days before my return – how’s that for a welcome home! It feels a bit strange knowing that I was eating sushi in that hotel in June! I must be getting used to hearing these events because it didn’t even really surprise me.

I’m buying a car next week, so I’ll be able to get around much better, and hopefully explore Java a bit more.

I have a new roommate – very cool guy. He’s 24, and actually looks a lot like me… many people ask if we’re brothers. It’s interesting to see things from the perspective of being here for a while. I have to help him stay out of trouble… there’s way too many girls here who “just wanna be friends!” or are “in university and need money for books”, or “lost their handphone, can you help?”. My roommate is just like me, in the fact that I’m very attracted to the beautiful girls here, so I have to help him to be careful not to get involved with the wrong crowd.

In some ways, I’m settling in here, and finding myself becoming much more comfortable getting around, speaking, and “fitting in” – well as much as a blonde, blue-eyed guy can here! I hope this year I can find time to travel a bit more, and learn more about life outside of Jakarta. In the meantime, I hope the terrorism doesn’t get much worse, and that I can remain in this gritty, beautiful, corrupt, crazy city.

Sampai besok!