Indonesia

[Doktor Avalanche]

I'm headed to Indonesia Monday. I'll be back on May 2.

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

Have a good trip!

[Cathulhu]

Hey, it's a short trip at least. But always be a moving target, ok?

[Doktor Avalanche]

Have a good trip!

Thank you, I shall.

Hey, it's a short trip at least. But always be a moving target, ok?

I'll be ok, Cathulhu. Thank you.

[Doktor Avalanche]

Greetings from Singapore - specifically, Changi Airport.

The rumors are true: Singaporean food rocks.

I'm just sitting here waiting for my next flight which will be onward to Jakarta. It leaves in four hours.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I'm just sitting here waiting for my next flight which will be onward to Jakarta. It leaves in four hours.

Time enough to hit a boom-boom room for some short-time.

After a 19 hour flight the only thing I hit is a serious bottle of booze and a nap.

Anyway, greets from Indonesia - I have, at last, arrived.

First let me start off by saying this as often and as loudly as possible:

Jakarta sucks.

I'm not talking about any two-bit suckiness here, folks. Oh no, this is major Hooverism with a capital S. So much so that a 19 hour bus ride to my eventual destination was preferable to staying one more minute in that city.

The city of Jakarta has about 10 million people in it, all of whom seem to want to drive down its streets all at the same time on any given day - driving in this town is nigh impossible if not just downright suicidal.

Walking across the street here is quite hazardous to your health.

I've just been informed that Jakarta's nickname is "The Big Durian", much like New York is often referred to as "The Big Apple". I find this nickname for Jakarta to be quite appropriate.

Case in point:



This, ladies and gentlemen, is a durian fruit. Yes, this fruit is butt ugly but what's more it also smells like rancid petroleum. I know petroleum doesn't exactly go rancid but if it did it would smell very much like a durian fruit.

I'm glad to have put that city behind me. Now to the matter at hand:

I'm currently in the sleepy little hamlet of Sragen. The weather is hot and humid but the scenery is lovely, the people are very nice, the food is excellent (put down two bowls of bakso this afternoon) and the pace is very slow.

In other words, it's not Jakarta.

Just letting everyone know I'm alive and doing well. I shall, in the fullness of time, divine the reason as to why I am in Indonesia.

To make this interesting, I suggest you all get a pool going as to what my announcement is going to be.

[Pottapaug1938]

Bringing the news of NESARA to the Indonesians?

[Cathulhu]

Something to do with the job "that can't be that important"?

[Demosthenes]

I'll put 25 Quatloos on a wedding.

[Green Lantern]

I'll put 25 Quatloos on a wedding.

I, too. Neither love of money nor country could explain this strange journey. But a woman? Yes, yes.

[Doktor Avalanche]

I'll put 25 Quatloos on a wedding.

That's only because you have a distinctly unfair advantage over the rest of Quatloos - you have access to my Facebook page.

Oh, hell...well, I was gonna save this but since Demo decided to throw salt in my game I may as well spill it - yes, I am getting married to a very lovely woman here in Indonesia whom I have been seeing for the last year since my divorce was finalized.

I have a whole discussion thread on marrying in this country should any of you, or anyone you know decide they'd like to get married in Bali. The process is quite enlightening and not for the faint of heart.

[wserra]

That's great. Mazel tov.

[notorial dissent]

Congratulations!!

[Pottapaug1938]

Congratulations, Doc!

Have you told your bride-to-be about the odd company that you keep on a certain anti-fraud/anti-scam web site?

[texino]

Best of luck and happiness. ( Also, please don't take part in any hi jinks punishable by caning.)

[Doktor Avalanche]

Best of luck and happiness. ( Also, please don't take part in any hi jinks punishable by caning.)

How dare they threaten me with a good time.

Congratulations, Doc!

Have you told your bride-to-be about the odd company that you keep on a certain anti-fraud/anti-scam web site?

Yes, she knows all about Quatloos - she's also familiar with the bullsh*t that is MLM.

I was close with mail order bride. It was not that difficult to puzzle out. Exotic locale, plus sailor boy, equals marriage. It is an ancient tradition.

Don't forget the pre-nup.

And yes, congratulations on the impending nuptials.

Yeah, you were pretty close Skipper.

I gotta tell you - as exotic locations go, Indonesia does not disappoint; even if it is fiercely Islamic.

Way ahead of you on the pre-nup. I already got rooked once in a divorce, I'm not doing that again.

Congratulations!!

That's great. Mazel tov.

Thanks guys. Pictures will be posted shortly.

[Imalawman]

Congrats!!

[Doktor Avalanche]

Here's something cool for y'all:

The (impending) Mrs. Avalanche took me to a village today where her aunt and uncle live and work a large tract of land growing rice, corn, peanuts, papayas, what have you and as I walking around the village I noticed something that I've been noticing ever since I got here and finally got up the gumption to ask:

I've noticed that when walking around this part of Java people tend to stare at me with the same amount of trepidation, hesitation and curiosity one might have if seeing for the first time an intelligent alien step out of a UFO.

So I asked:

"Do you get any buleh (white men) around here?"

The answer - no. In fact, her uncle went on to tell me that in all the years (centuries?) the village has been there I am, in fact, the first white man they have ever encountered.

You read it right, folks: I was the first white man to set foot in that village - ever.

Cool, huh?

Congrats!!

Thank you, sir!

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

Congratulations Dok! I have a good friend who visited a Pacific Island where no white people had been for several decades. He's rather tall, white pale, and very hairy, even by white standards. Given this stark difference in appearance from the native residents, he was quite a novelty for the children who liked to come up and feel the hair on his arms.

It sounds like you're having a fine adventure!

[webhick]

Congrats, Dok!