I'm going, going - back, back - to Bali, Bali..

Every August, Indonesia has about two weeks off in celebration of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday. The whole country basically goes on vacation! I love it. I will definitely miss it next year when I am back home but the summer break in June and July will make up for it.

I decided to travel with my friend Julia since we had a lot of fun last time we were in Bogor. She's so free-spirited and adventurous. Those are the kinds of people you definitely want to vacation with. And she isn't clingy! So it was nice to be able to go off and do my own thing.

We left on a Wednesday afternoon. The airport itself was quite interesting. We were relaxing at the Starbucks until we could check-in when this scene right out of Maury or Jerry Springer erupted! It made me miss my trashy reality TV shows back in the States. This couple had the whole airport staring as the girl stood up and started shouting at her significant other. I'm not sure if it was her husband or boyfriend but he obviously was in trouble. Maybe he cheated on her. I don't know. It had to do with his phone -- that much was evident. The angrier she got, the louder she would like bark at him. Literally. And then he'd have her sit down out of embarrassment and then a few moments later, she'd go off on him again. It got so out of control, that she tried to hit him and picked up the table which ended up knocking her coffee all over the place. Then she stormed off! Security did nothing. I'm not sure if it's cultural or not but people don't intervene when trouble arises. Which is a bit scary to be honest...

Eventually, we were on our way to Bali. The plane ride itself was horrific! I don't know what was up with the cabin pressure but my ear drums felt like they were going to burst. I was in so much pain but I think part of that was due to my sinus infection. I travel all the time and even the international flights don't hurt my ears like that particular flight did. It took a couple hours before my hearing was back to normal.

Jakarta is near the top of Java

We landed in Bali and stayed the night at a hostel called Dana Guesthouse.

The perfect getaway

Our little room was it's own little brick building with a closet for a bathroom (that's okay though). The water wasn't hot so I was pretty bummed about that but the owner's dog was protective and slept in front of our door all night. The breakfast was yummy too. Best egg sandwich ever!

Although Dana Guesthouse was completely out of the way but they did have free motorbikes and an amazing resort within walking distance. We had a late dinner and relaxed by their pond. I had the BEST tomato soup, ever! My favorite thing though in Indonesia is the hot tea. It is as organic as it gets. The tea leaves are placed in a hot tea kettle (usually made of glass) with a metal strainer you press down on. Then, you just pour yourself a fresh cup of tea. I had peppermint tea to help open up my nasal passages. It was wonderful and soothing! A great way to end a painful flight.

Our security for the night

Because most of Bali is Hindu, there are lots of religious type sculptures for worship in the area. Dana Guesthouse had some beautiful pieces that I just had to snap some photos of (with permission of course). You will notice in the pictures to follow that there is a little set of what appears to be bamboo, flowers, and incense.

The Hindu god Shiva

The offering is lit every morning and night for the gods. It brings peace and security. You will see these all over Bali, including temples, restaurants and even the front gates of homes.

Look closely and you can see the incense or offering

The offering

I must say it is amazing Indonesia has such vastly different religions on islands just hours away from each other. The island of Bali is mainly Hindu whereas Java (where Jakarta is located) is mostly Muslim. And yet it seems that everyone gets along so peacefully. In Indonesia, all religious holidays are celebrated. That includes Christian, Islamic, and Hindu holidays. Chinese New Year is also celebrated and you can find Buddha statues all over. That's how it should be. Everyone seems to get along just fine! I really respect that about Indonesia. I think the worker at Dana Guesthouse was impressed that I recognized Shiva. I thank my friend Pratiksha for that! We met in high school and because her family is Hindu, she explained her beliefs. Here is a throwback picture of us at an Indian celebration back in the day. I borrowed her clothing. People thought I was Indian!

Oh to be 115 pounds again...

I also saw this pretty spectacular tree in front of our little homestay. I instantly thought of you, Kelli! How WEIRD is this tree? Its roots were growing out of the ground.

Does anyone know what kind of tree this is?

 

I have a tea obsession

The next morning, we were off to Padangbai (Puh-dong-bye) to catch the ferry to Lombok. They have fast boats available too but the ferry is only $4.00 versus a $60 one way trip on the fast boat. Although the ferry ride is a bit slower (maybe 3 hours), it was relaxing because we were on the top of the ferry so I got to recline and work on my tan (or sunburn, rather). You always meet interesting people on your travels here! It was so funny to look around and see the Indonesians covering themselves with sarongs (a colorful, long but light-weight cloth with a variety of uses) or newspaper to avoid the darkening of their skin.

Whereas the "bules" or Europeans/Americans were working on their tans and were soaking up the sun as much as possible. I should have put on sunscreen though. Tanning on the equator is completely different from tanning in the West.
 

Say no to skin cancer

I must say the most memorable part of this trip was walking around the bay area until it was time to load the ferry. I was pulling my heavy suitcase up this insanely steep hill (my work out for the day) with Julia's duffel bag on top. We were in search of a little snack to hold us over on the ferry ride. On our little food search, we came across a dead cat on the side of the road. This is another cultural difference in Indonesia compared to back home. Road kill is rather common and is very rarely moved off to the side of the road unless someone decides to be a good Samaritan and move it. I had to do a double-take though because this was like a FREAK ACCIDENT. Not only was the cat dead, but it was covered in blood and one of it's eyeballs (I kid you not) was hanging out of its socket. I thought that was something that only happened in cartoons! I felt the blood rush from my face. I'm not sure if that was worse than seeing the cow being freshly slaughtered in the Thousand Islands or not but it was pretty close. Needless to say, I lost my appetite. If my P5 Joy students from last year are reading this, I'm sure you guys would have enjoyed it. I can just hear the girls screaming out of disgust and the boys saying, "AWESOME! I want a picture with it!"

On our way to catch the ferry, we saw some roosters caged up. :( Sometimes, I secretly imagine myself removing the cage and screaming, "Roosters. Be free!" I have never seen so many roosters until I moved to Indonesia! Unfortunately, they were for sale and probably not as pets..

Foghorn Leghorn

Part two coming up soon. Hope you enjoyed the post!

xoxo amber

Lombok Update Coming Soon!

I know it's been awhile since I've last posted. I just got back from a relaxing (well, mostly) vacation in Lombok with my friend Julia. I have so much to share so it may take a few days before the entry is actually posted. Be on the look out soon though!

Lombok sneak preview. Reminds me of home :)

xoxo amber

Quails and Squid(ward)

On a weekly basis, I come across all sorts of interesting food here in Jakarta. Here are a couple recent ones. I haven't worked up enough courage... yet!

Quail eggs. I had to do a double take.

The squid version of beef jerky

Dua Lima (part II)

Dua lima means 25 in Bahasa (Indonesia). Well, it literally means "two five" but if you wanted to say "twenty-five" then you would say "dua puluh lima" (which comes from 2 ten five). Just in case you were wondering... ;)

"You are my favourite teacher"

So much love

 The last half of my birthday was just as fun as the first half! After taking a break (and washing sticky flour out of my hair), I headed downstairs to my 3rd graders for 2 hours of English. As soon as I approached the door, they told me to wait outside -- 27 third graders in a classroom for 5 minutes? Scary.

My wild third grade students

I walked in to a dark classroom with kids throwing pieces of Styrofoam and confetti (teacher's worst nightmare, mind you) in the air. The students then sang Happy Birthday to me and the other little girl in class who happens to share the same birthday with me!

One of my favorite cards

The whiteboard was decorated with lots of sweet Happy Birthday cards. My desk was covered in various gifts (mostly homemade -- the best!) The kids had re-arranged the desks so that there was a bit of a runway for the P3 Faith Girls' Fashion Show! I eagerly got my ticket and sat in my seat. The girls came in, modeling various heels and ridiculous shirts. They were adorable. I filmed some of it.

The boys then put on a small comedic act which was absolutely adorable. They had the little girls giggling with their humor. Finally, they served a delicious fruit birthday cake along with a pudding snack.

Loved the kiwi!

But the best part about my birthday? These beautiful roses from a special someone back home. ;)

Ryan's the best :)

What a wonderful day! I have felt very blessed to have such a first great year at BBS. I can't wait until next year!

My First 10K was with Darth Vader

This past Sunday, I ran my first 10K race. I have ran numerous 5Ks in the past and I have ran 6 + miles on a treadmill before, but never in a competition.

Thanks to Terence, I was persuaded (if my 3rd graders are reading this, hey guys -- that's a spelling word!) to compete because of the "free" wine and brunch that was to follow. I was really hesitant at first, mainly because I knew it would occur my first free weekend in May in awhile. I gave in, naturally, since I basically cannot say no to running outdoors. I can be convinced almost every, single time.. but I'm glad I went!

The crew in the photo booth

I woke up early Sunday morning and boarded the transport at 4 am. Many of my close family and friends know that I am not a morning person. I get irritated anytime someone tries to strike up a conversation that early. Poor Ryan, I have snapped on him so many times... Anyway, I took the front seat the moment it was available and slept!

We picked up some of the other teachers. There were 8 of us. Mr Bryan overslept and missed the race! We were running super late (haha -- running, get it?) and arrived just two minutes after the gun shot went off. We dodged old women and had to circle around the start line to make sure our chips registered with the timer. We're such dorks. We were laughing the whole time as people just shook their heads in shame. And then we were off!

Me and my boy Darth

I got a good start and was feeling pretty good about myself until Jane passed me. Man, she is fast. I need to start training with her.. :) My goal was to cross the finish line in an hour and 20 which I did! An hour and 19 to be exact. ;) If I had trained better, I'm about 80% positive I could have made it in an hour and 10 minutes. I think I'll shoot for that next May when I run it again. Props to the guy from Kenya who ran his in 32 minutes. -___________-

The race itself was an interesting hour and 20 minutes to say the least. I had completely forgotten there was an optional costume contest under the theme science fiction. Kevin Moon would have absolutely LOVED it.

Jane was first. I came in shortly after her, followed by the other teachers

I woke up as soon as Darth Vader past me. No, seriously. And then he was followed by one of the natives from the Avatar movie. I also saw characters from Ghostbusters and Wolverine and Storm from X-Men! It definitely kept the race interesting.

Avatar - she won a prize for her costume

The races in Jakarta are much different from those I have experienced in the States. One of the biggest differences I have noticed is that:

• people run barefoot 
• the locals will often join in during the middle of the race 
• your shirts are of top (sometimes Adidas) quality aka sweat repellent and not some lame t-shirt that fades after two washes
• traffic doesn't stop unless the police men see runners coming

Many of the locals will stand out from their homes and watch. Men on motorbikes will honk and cheer you on as little children run barefoot with a kite trailing behind in shrieks of excitement of the "bule" running down the street (although these days, I tend to blend right in).

The exhilaration you feel as your feet pound the pavement cannot be put into words. Many of my friends and family who despise running will probably never understand this runner's high that you get but it is as if all the stress melts away. I think I was most excited about the costumes. Every kilometer or so, I would see another interesting costume that Kev would have loved. So that put a smile on my face. It kinda felt like he was there.

GHOSTBUSTERS!

After what felt like eternity, I finally crossed the finish line, followed by Darth Vader (no, seriously). He even swung his light saber as the paparazzi snapped a billion photos. Classic.

We were greeted with smiles, handshakes followed by a heavy gold medal which was placed around our necks. Water was served left and right, as well as bananas and electrolyte replenishing drinks. We also received a goodie bag with a free liter of SOY MILK! I was ecstatic. :)

After chasing down and snapping photos with all of our favorite characters from the race, we headed off to the brunch and wine. I haven't had a glass in awhile and it was absolutely delicious. I felt like such a wine connoisseur as I told people what would satisfy their taste buds. "Oh, you're looking for a sweet but not too bitter? Definitely go with the Riesling." I could have bar tended! I guess those restaurant days came in handy.

Terence is the Blob

Storm! Kev would have loved these contacts

Yes, she ran in these. THE ENTIRE TIME.

My new baby -- sorry Ryan

Hope you enjoy the pictures. It was a really great day but I must say the best part was the 6 hour nap I had after. ;)

xoxo amber

5.14.2013 -- a day full of JOY!

The other side of the board said: "Stay Young and Gorgeous! YOLO#"

25 years later, here I am. I wish Kevin Moon could have been here to celebrate with me. I know he would have made it a memorable one. Miss and love you.

Kev and I on my 22nd birthday. The world just isn't the same without you in it!

I don't even know where to begin. The day before my birthday, I was warned to bring an extra set of clothes, a towel, shampoo and conditioner. My students know how scatterbrained I can be, so they wrote it down on a piece of paper (out of habit -- God, I love them) so I wouldn't forget.

The BEST chocolate cupcakes from my "RIDICULOUS" Sara!

Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I packed my gym bag with the necessities I was encouraged to remember. Not really knowing what to expect, I took my sweet time going upstairs to the classroom. My students actually insisted upon taking my books and bags upstairs for me and even beat me to the classroom post morning assembly. This never happens. I am always missing at least 2 or 3 students, only to discover them dragging their feet in the hall way every morning.

I was very hesitant to walk into the classroom. I honestly was fearing for my life.

Cute jewelry boxes (and adorable jewelry inside!)

I had this image of just opening the door and having a bucket of water just splash onto my head. I approached the classroom door and noticed they had covered the window with paper. I gently knocked and was greeted by some of my girls!

Kev would have LOVED this gift from my kids

They forced me away from the (dark) classroom and gave me a bag. Well, more like shoved a bag into my hands and said, "Here miss! Go see if it fits!" (A dress!)

My maxi dress from 5 Joy girls

I tried the maxi-dress on (perfect fit!) and walked back to the classroom to see what the little troublemakers were up to. They were being strange..

One of my students suddenly popped her head up from behind a corner and took off running back to the classroom and quickly shut the door.

I showed them the dress and they told me to go back and put on my ugly clothes. LOL

I knew I was in for it now!

I walked back towards my classroom when all of a sudden, all 26 of my fifth grade babies came out with the most beautiful, mouth-watering red velvet cake with a 2-5 candle lit on top! (Who was playing with fire?)

Hello Kitty perfume from Edward

They sang Happy Birthday in the hallway as I walked towards the classroom. I almost cried! I'm sure the other classes heard my kids singing as lessons were going on early in the morning, but hey, I was too in shock to even care.

I walked into the classroom after a million thank you's and was suddenly being pelted by water balloons! I could tell the boys were wanting to do this all year. Too bad they didn't throw 'em hard enough.

I grabbed one and went after them! I got one when suddenly I felt a cold chill go down my back. One of my students had so quietly snuck up behind me and squeezed every ounce of water out of the balloon, into my hair.

I shrieked. Turned around and had FLOUR thrown on to me! Turns out I was to consider myself fortunate as they forgot the eggs. -____________-

Vanessa delighting in my torture

A human cake. That's what I was. I smelled like a bakery the rest of the day.

I looked around me and saw post-its with individual notes of appreciation from each student. A birthday poster, streamers, and balloons were attached to the wall.

Presents were given to me from every direction. Earrings. Rings. Gold bangles. Five novels. Nat Geo Encyclopedia. (For my "inner nerd" as they so bluntly put it) Candy. Hair accessories. Nike shoes. Mango bath set. Cupcakes. Noodles (class party apparently).

Welp, there went the lesson plans.

We celebrated! I spent the first 20 minutes opening up the most ridiculous package. I swear the kid used an entire roll of clear boxing tape. I was instructed to open it with only my hands. No scissors ("cannot miss"). Only to discover the wimpiest little piece of candy inside. (It's okay. I can say that. It's Jacky's humor.)

I almost chased him out of the room. I worked up SUCH a sweat trying to open that little sucker..

Here are some pictures my P5 Joy classroom birthday party. I asked the kids if they normally do this for their teachers and you know what they said? No. They told me that sometimes they might bring in a cake or cupcakes but never anything as extravagant as what I experienced.

I asked them why. Honestly, I can be so mean to them (I think so). But they said it's because I'm "nice" and "make learning fun." That warmed my heart more than any of the gifts they gave to me. I felt especially grateful for all the books they got me!

Not only can I add them to our classroom library, but it just comes to show how evident my "love for reading" is to these kids. I think that's one of the most important things a teacher can do. Don't just preach something. Model it. Show them how important and cool something can be. Guess that's why I'm giving a talk on "Motivating Reluctant Readers" in July at the annual 2013-2014 BBS Teachers' Conference in July. ;)

I have been trying to wear or use as many of the gifts this week as I can but there just aren't enough days in the week! I loved that Livia got me these adorable Nikes. They match perfectly with my school uniform. Blogger is being painstakingly slow. So birthday part 2 with 3rd grade will get posted this weekend sometime. xoxo amber

:)

What was I supposed to do?

Birthday wish from every kid

My new bling (and diamond studded headband)

New kicks

<3 them

5th grade

Red velvet cake

A Tale of Bajais, Bikes, Bogor, and the Bostons

It has been awhile since I posted a blog entry and I send my apologies, especially to my grandmother who insists I keep her updated on recent happenings. Truthfully, March was c.r.a.z.y. I got bacterial laryngitis and lost my voice for an entire week. I finally caved in and went to the local Rumah Sakit which literally translates into "House Sick" or sick house. It looks and acts as a hospital and outside of the language barrier, it was a pretty smooth doctor's visit. One of my colleagues, Mr Pedro, offered to go with me after school on a Thursday. We hopped into a rick racketing orange bajai for only 10,000 rp ($1 USD) and were at the hospital within 5 minutes. I felt like I had entered a time machine. The nurses were wearing the old fashioned nursing uniforms from like, the 50's. They were dressed in all white with thick, rubber shoes and pantyhose. I was too sick to even snap a photo but here's an image from Google to give you an idea...

After some translating and paperwork (not nearly as extensive compared to that in the states), I saw the doctor, was forced to crawl into the bed as if I was staying over night as a nurse put a thermometer under my armpit and the doctor listened to my heart. A quick diagnosis of bacterial laryngitis and an Rx for meds and I was out the door. Now all you have to do is hit repeat a month a half later, I'm back with the same illness. -_______- Refusing to suffer any longer, I went back to the hospital last night and you would have thought I was some freak of nature for showing up alone. The doctor couldn't get over it. I don't think I will ever understand people who think it's strange that I enjoy my independence. Anyway, Dr. Kevin (a poor excuse for a doctor, I should mention) gave me another round of medication and sent me on my way, reminding me not to eat "fried food" for a few days. I hardly eat fried food. I'm not sure why that's such a popular doctor's order here. He didn't stress the importance of sleep or to drink hot tea. Maybe it's because everything is fried in Indonesia. I don't know. I was too irritated to question him any further. Mother dearest thinks it's my tonsils and has nagged me non-stop 'til I have no choice but to get it checked out when I go home in June.

Rumah Sakit Pluit

For the mean time, I currently sound like Ariel after she exchanged her voice for a pair of human legs. Maybe I'm cursed. Our school did just finish its production of "The Little Mermaid Junior" in April! Between props making, remedials, 5K training (apparently not enough -_____-) and the beautiful Boston wedding, it's no wonder I've been sick. The end of the school year is quickly approaching though and I cannot wait to fly into the States into my boyfriend's arms once more! And snuggle with my puppy and see my family :)

Mrs. Boston

I recently took a trip to Bogor with a friend of mine named Julia. She is so sweet and reminds me a lot of my friends back home. She's so laid-back, finds laughter in the worst situations, and loves the outdoors. That's definitely one thing I miss about the rolling hills of Tennessee. It's hard to just spend a weekend hiking or floating in a boat down the river with friends. Between the demands of trying to balance a full-time job (definitely harder than internship year) and a bit of a social life, I don't find many opportunities to travel. I never thought I would be saying that but when the weekend arrives, I just crash. The energy spent to merely get a cab and sit in Jakarta traffic is absolutely, undoubtedly exhausting. I'm hoping that May will be a bit calmer.

Bogor was a nice weekend get away though. Julia is actually moving there this summer and wanted to get a feel for the place anyway so we booked a hotel and went overnight.

The trip to Bogor was an interesting one to say the least. We spent a drizzly Friday night in Jakarta over margaritas and pizza with bags in hand from a quick factory outlet "splurge". I bought running shorts for $5.00 and an Ann Taylor tank. High quality I must say.

must.go.back. 

I stayed the night at Julia's. What an adorable little house she has! And the SWEETEST overgrown puppy! His name is Booyah and he is a Lab/Rottweiler mix. He is easily 150 pounds. He has the loveable personality of a Lab but the face of a Rottweiler and a defensive attitude to go with it when the situation calls for it.

He snuggled up on the couch with me for the night. I was awakened several times throughout the night by his ferocious growl at the suggestion that someone was trying to enter. False alarm of course but boy did I feel protected. I have now insisted upon getting a bigger dog when I return home, especially if Ryan wants to continue living in Knoxville.. he knows the Fort freaks me out and I think I have convinced him of the importance of getting a protective dog while he's away. Plus he gets to stay in Knox. Win-win situation if you ask me.

The next afternoon, me and Julia hopped aboard the train to Bogor for a whopping $3.00 (upgraded to "Executive" for a $1.50) and met some interesting characters along the way. Before we even located our train, we bounced from station to station trying to figure out which train would take us. You'd think the websites online would be updated with the most accurate information but I learned real quickly in Jakarta that nothing is as it seems. Thank goodness Julia is the type to not get annoyed with frustrating situations. After being surrounded by local Indonesian men who could clearly tell the "bules" were lost, we were on our way.

Guess who caught the bouquet and garter?

While waiting for the train to come choo-chooing into the station, my mouth dropped in disbelief at the economy train we had decided not to take. Not only was it lacking AC (ya'll know I hate being hot) but it was packed beyond belief. There were people LITERALLY hanging on the outside of the train and I don't mean just the windows. I mean holding on to the structures of the train on the outside because there was no room inside.

If that wasn't enough to get my afternoon started, I soon realized that: 

a) you are expected to cross the tracks despite the incoming trains

b) you are also expected to get off the train with no assistance as you feel like you are jumping to your death (a good 4 foot drop onto the pavement for exit)

On the way to Bogor!

Julia was chastised by a local on the train for not speaking Indonesian. All we could do was laugh at the old lady's bitterness. She was helpful though and told us which stop was ours.  We stepped off the train and entered what reminded me of the slums of New York. There were small, privately owned shops selling everything you could imagine -- burned CDs, jerseys, sports hats, magazines, water, fruit, toys, and other various trinkets -- with people hounding you to make a purchase. It was a bit of a culture shock I must say. Bogor was much more run down than Jakarta at its worst. And the legless little girl sliding on her bottom, barefoot, with a coin purse in her mouth begging for money on the filthy ground was heartbreaking.

We took a crowded bus, known as an "angkot" which is short for "city transport." These are shady little buses that can fit up to 15 Indonesians and maybe 6 Americans. Here's a photo from Google images. I was too claustrophobic to even think about snapping a photo. Not to mention the overpowering smell of some major body odor.

Angkot

Although quite uncomfortable, these bad boys are only 2000 rp (20 cents) and the people watching isn't so bad either.

We were dropped off at a shady corner instead of the hotel as requested, pestered by some beyond creepy older men who followed us from taxi to taxi, muttering things under their breath I do not wish to know and finally reached the safety of a security officer who informed us that even the well-known and trusted metered taxi companies (i.e. Blue Bird and Express) do not use meters in Bogor.

A friendly police officer came up to us and took the initiative to yell at some of the taxi drivers for the harassment and sent us in a Blue Bird taxi after telling the guy to charge us no more than 30 000 rupiah ($3.00 for a ten minute drive is an absolute rip-off by the way.) I glanced at the meter on our way to the hotel which was actually only half the price when he suddenly decided to stop the vehicle, turn it off, and re-start the engine. I just looked at Julia who rolled down her window and politely asked the driver if she could roll down the window and blow off some steam (merokok).

Novotel artwork

We finally arrived at our beautiful 4 star hotel and after a late night indulgence in some serious chocolate cake, we crawled into our beds for the night.

Hotel room with twin beds

The hotel was extremely nice and would have easily costed $300 + plus in the States but it was only $140 for a night after taxes.

It had some of the most beautiful interior decorating and the Buddhist statues were gorgeous. I love art and this place was very inspirational. I would have loved to get out my canvas and acrylics as I sipped my hot tea the next morning and admired the bright green landscaping, filled with flowers and frogs croaking. Well worth it if I must say -- especially after the day's adventure.

We awoke the next morning to an all-you-can-eat breakfast with chefs and calm music and the sound of a stream bubbling by.

Freshly made croissants

We rode bikes to a golf course and played for several hours. We looked like complete fools, barefoot, no equipment (or experience for that matter) until a golfing pro from Switzerland named Manfret helped and showed us the tricks of the trade! He also made some inappropriate comments about how its "all in the hips" and how his sexual life has improved dramatically since he started playing golf three years ago. I almost gagged.

Anyway, I think golfing just might be my new favorite sport! I really do have a lot of respect for golfers now. There really is a technique to it. A lot of angling and flexibility will make all the difference in your shot. However, it's not something that can be acquired in merely a day. It definitely takes practice and lots of stretching.

Unfortunately, hiking fell through due to the previous' nights downpour, the waters were too high for kayaking, and the Botanical Gardens were drenched :( Hakuna Matata. Bogor, we will be back!

And on a side note, I will remember that sunscreen is worth the investment as I have possibly one of the worse farmer tans, ever. I actually peeled. Ryan got a good laugh out of it. Him and his Irish genes.. just wait 'til this summer buddy and we will see who is laughing!

Manfret! Golfing extraordinaire

I posted a video below of my first decent shot at hitting the ball. This was on my third try! Pretty proud of myself. :)

Until next time! xoxo amber