Santa's Sleigh: Bonding in Jakarta

I do believe these images are lost forever, which might just be for the best as they were rather disturbing .... read on.

Safari Land. The blurry effect is to replicate what your mind has to be like when you enter into this land. You can see the dragon returning to its stable and the giraffe emerging from Jungle Land taking a brave little girl for a ride she will never forget - even if she wants to.

I have finally arrived at the point in parenting where I can manage going to those “funland” places where they have ball crawls, see saws, bouncing things and various other dangerous devices. There was a time in my life when I would never even consider stepping foot in one of these places let alone actively participate in and support its existence. But things have changed and now I join thethrongs of nannies in making sure that the little ones are not crushed by the big hyper kid doing a WWF style, off the ropes dive into the ball crawl.

The “funland” at our mall is called Safari Land and the play area has a sort of jungle theme and is called Jungle Jumpland or something of the sort. There is a procedure to getting your kid into Jungle Jumpland and of course it is filled with all sorts of complicated steps and maneuvers. The workers already treat me with a bit of wary skepticism – because I am not Indonesian and not a nanny. Add to the fact that I forget the requisite socks and look like a slack jawed yokel because I enter into that glassy eyed, just short of shock stage that dads go into when they undertake things like themed restaurants, toddler/mother care type stores, and “funlands”.

But I am changing and now enter Safari Land like a seasoned veteran, bring my own socks and help manage the tumbling toddlers determined to somehow hurt themselves even though everything has rounded edges and is relatively soft. Due to my new found confidence, I felt it was finally time to conquer one of the more bizarre offerings of Safari Land; the forward moving, machine operated, rideable creatures.

The Chinese Dragons make quite an impression as they lurch out of Safari Land into the mall proper.

Four years ago, upon first seeing these things in action, they were so startlingly strange and unusually fascinating that I would actually follow them around the mall. Unfortunately, a description does not do these things justice but I will give it a shot. They include a variety of animals, a few Chinese dragons and a Santa’s sleigh attached to two reindeer. Most are in various states of disrepair, the lion is missing an eye, the fur on dog is ratty and patchy so it looks like it has contracted mange, the elephant has one tusk and it is sagging. They make quite a frightening site as they shuffle jerkily around the mall like something out of a Hollywood, B Zombie movie.


Giraffe.

Four years of living in Jakarta and two years of being a dad do a lot to a person, and today I actually thought this forlorn looking group of critters looked neat and that Emmerson would enjoy a ride on one. I bought her a ticket and then allowed her to peruse the lineup so she could choose one to ride. She chose Santa’s Sleigh. I didn’t like Santa’s Sleigh and tried to urge her to select the deranged dragon or the mangy dog, but she was set on the sleigh. She had to wait her turn as another kid had dibs and I watched with a tiny bit of concern as the reindeer began shuffling and the sleigh began jerking rather violently up and down, and back and forth. My concern grew as the sleigh came into site around a corner on its return journey. The carriage was still bucking erratically and the kid had a strange look on his face – one that said “I know this is supposed to be fun and I should be smiling but in fact it is scary and I am confused by this whole experience”. Unfortunately, Emmerson's skills of observations and intuition are not quite as keen as mine and she did not understand the look on the child as he came down the final stretch of a very disturbing experience. When I urged her to select another of the less violent looking creatures she again, insisted on Santa’s Sleigh.



The infamous Santa's Sleigh waiting for its next victim/rider.


I believe the chicken was out of commission or it had been acting particularly ornery and its handler had put it in the corner for a "time out" session.

When the guide (a handler trained in the unique idiosyncratic behavior of each of the creatures) spurred the reindeer on and the sleigh began to buck violently, I realized that even though Emmerson was smiling, she was actually in danger of getting whiplash from this ride. After about 20 feet of shuffling and bucking I actually placed my hand behind Emmerson’s head to keep it from whipping backward as the sleigh lunged this way and that. Every time I would take my hand away she got that same confused look on her face worn by the previous rider. To add to the overall bizarre and increasingly disturbing quality of the experience, half way through the trip, we heard emanating from deep within the bowels of one of Santa's reindeer not Jingle Bell's or some other appropriate Christmas themed music, but Celine Dion's voice belting out a particularly emotional rendering of the Titanic theme song. Finally, the handler guided the reindeer home and the sleigh was put to rest. I looked at Emmerson and she at me in a special, knowing way; for we had just experienced one of those unique moments in life where a special bond is forged that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. So in the future when she is angry at me for not letting her stay out late, upset because she failed her driving test again, or mad at her mom for embarrassing her again in front of her friends, I will simply have to say “Santa’s Sleigh” and everything will be seen in its proper perspective, and be OK.

Another "fun" land. Emmerson and I on the elephant ride.

Jakarta Traffic

The other evening I went out for a run. My route primarily consists of two residential neighborhoods which are quite nice to run in. But to get from one neighborhood to the other, a few busy streets need navigating. It was late afternoon on a Friday and the streets were full up with rush hour traffic. I was half way into my run when I came to the first crossing. I stood on the curb for only a brief moment before I turned towards traffic, lifted my arm as one would do when parting waters, evoking a higher power, or acknowledging a crowd of devoted followers and stepped directly into the line of cars barreling down on me. I strutted across the street, arm held high, staring each car down, exuding absolute confidence as I stepped defiantly into each of the three lanes of oncoming traffic. When I made it to the other side and began running again, I thought to myself, what in the hell did I just do? It was then I realized that I had unconsciously used for the first time, one of the superpowers that all residence of Jakarta eventually get which enable them to survive life in this city - the ability to stop moving vehicles by simply holding one's arm aloft and stepping boldly into the line of traffic. Perhaps it was simply a matter of time before the two required pieces came together - as both the arm motion and bravado are essential - attempting a crossing using one without the other is courting disaster. And I think when you leave Jakarta the superpowers stay behind - so don't raise your arm and step boldly into the path of an oncoming New York cabby.

Jakarta Flood

The street in front of the school.
Parts of Jakarta were flooded last week. It rained hard for two days but the ground was not yet saturated as the monsoon had been mild so far this year. So the rain alone should not have been enough to cause the massive flooding that certain areas experienced. All sorts of explanations have been whirling around but most point at corrupt and/or ineffective government. Much of Jakarta is at or below sea level so it is very important to control the amount of water coming into the city from the surrounding hills and within the city itself. This is done by a canal sytem through which water can be moved from one part of the city to another and eventually out to sea. Well, this did not work last week. Several of our friends houses and cars were damaged and we were inconvenienced somewhat but 1000's of people lost everything - and as is typical in the developing world - it is the poor who are most effected. Those with money have second stories on their houses and the means to evacuate. If you want to help, go and make a zillion dollars, pay off all the government officials to go away, then hire a team of urban developers and engineers the likes of who appear on the Discovery Channel type shows like MegaMonsterMachines. Pay them a ton of money if and only if they successfully rebuild the infrastructure of Jakarta.

Actually there are a number of relief agencies doing an excellent job of taking care of those in need and of course they need money. We are focusing on several members of our Indonesian staff who lost most of their stuff. The following are some images from our experience with the flood.

Our school is built up a bit from the street so most of it remained above water. The soccer field became a lake but that was about it. We also had a generator and our own supply of water, both of which were unavailable throughout the rest of the community. Several teachers who lived off campus ended up making their way to the school. Here is Olga, with her two little ones, Kiana, and Isabella, making her way to school from her flooded house, with the help of a few other teachers. It ended up we could not stay at school because getting off the campus was impossible unless you walked in thigh deep water or you hired a large truck to get you out. We did not have enough food at school to feed everyone. We also had many kids, including several toddlers and newborns and Alicia is 7 months pregnant, so we decided it would be best to evacuate to an unaffected part of the city for a few days.



The army truck leaving NJIS.
We decided to evacuate on Sunday, two days after the flood began. The water had been slowly increasing and all sorts of rumors were spreading about flood gates in the hills being opened, super high tide not allowing the water to recede, pumps here and there being broken. NJIS is built on a little high ground so it becmae a vitual island. Our generator kept the power and water running but we could not get out to food, medical service and such as the roads had become rivers. So somone made a few phone calls and the army came in one of their big transport trucks to get us out of the flooded area.

The army truck trying to navigate a way out of Kelapa Gading.
In addition to the water, broken down abandoned vehicles, underwater hazards like potholes and curbs, and various people walking and floating about made driving a challenge.

Emmerson on the truck.
She was pretty good thoughout the entire ordeal but the truck ride created a bit of a dilemma for her. It was during nap time so her body wanted to sleep, but it was exciting so she did not want to miss anything. Her curious mind won - but it was a battle.

Arriving at the hotel, where we could only stay for one night before moving again, because their water pump broke - not good when it is full to capacity of evacuees - many who had waded through nasty Jakarta flood water to get there.

Staircases of South East Asia

For the Christmas and New Years holidays, we visited three wonderful cities of Southeast Asia, each offering a very different experience. Singapore was a nice starting point as its pleasant orderliness is such a contrast to the chaos of Jakarta. Bangkok continues to deliver and live up to its reputation as a truly fascinating travel destination. And Hanoi is a city in transition, still offering plenty of tradition but with the vitality of a place on the move.


Enjoying a street side "beer from a hose" on New Years Eve in Hanoi. These drinkeries are quite common in Hanoi and offer cheap beer, eats and great vantage point to watch the city go by.

I am considering crafting a coffee table book showcasing the staircases of SE Asia. I have become quite the connoisseur due to Emmerson’s fixation with the vertical walkways. Hotel lobbies, restaurants, shopping malls, Ho Chi Min’s mausoleum, parks, even a street curb will do in a pinch.


Not so tiny baby anymore taking a break from her busy schedule long enough to pose in front of "Uncle Ho's" final resting place.

While in Hanoi airport Emmerson needed one more perusal of the staircase connecting the arrival hallway to the immigration area. We heard a commotion upstairs in the arrival area and left the stairs for a moment to check it out. A ceiling tile lay on the floor in pieces and two airport workers were excitedly talking about something. Next to the wall lay the cause of the collapsed ceiling piece; a well fed foot long rat had apparently become a bit too well fed for its ceiling home and fell through the tile. Of course Emmerson wanted a close up look of the “puppy” – it was that big – but I quickly got her refocused on the staircase.

The staircases on the boats that service Halong Bay are very steep which offered Emmerson quite an exciting challenge. The scenery was pretty impressive as well.


Emmerson taking a break from the stairs at Halong Bay in north Vietnam.

Jakarta to Bali

Six days into our trip I opted to press "OK" when the "erase all" command appeared on the digital camera. A little advice - if you want things to go smoothly while vacationing - DO NOT do this. So I won't be posting a "Monet-esque" series of beach sunsets. Also missing are heaps of photos with descriptions like; Emmerson digging on the beach with shovel, Emmerson digging with fingers, Emmerson smiling and digging, Emmerson digging and smiling and so on. We have taken previous trips to the Bali beaches and to Ubud (the part of the trip I erased)and the photos do get repetitive so it is actually not really so bad, that I erased the 100 + pictures - at least I freed up alot of disc space. The one photo I am very disappointed about losing was of an enormous pig riding in the back of a pickup truck. The following images are of our drive from Ubud to Tirta Gangga on the east coast and of the sites around this stunning part of Bali.

The Amandari hotel built overlooking a gorge on the outskirts of Ubud. I think it is in one of those "1000 Things You Should See During Your Lifetime" books. I was too busy trying to conjure up the photos I had just erased to fully enjoy the experience.


A huge volcanic crater in the highlands of Bali. It has a large lake, a town, and a large volcanic cone inside of the crater.


Not so tiny baby anymore at a restaurant overlooking the crater.


The Water Palace at Tirta Gangga. It is a beautifully maintained garden interspursed with various pools of water and surrounded by rice paddies. We stayed at a bungalow within the grounds.








Another volcano visible from the parking lot of the Water Palace.


From the Water Palace there are many walks that you can take into the rice paddies that dominate the landscape of this part of Bali.








We ventured into a village on one of our walks and came across this calf.






Not so tiny baby anymore in the rice fields of Bali.


Some ladies carrying their wares through the rice fields.


Jack fruit in a bag. This is done as the fruit is in its last stage of ripening to keep it free from hungry critters.



Roosters for sale on the side of the road - a commonsite in the villages of Bali.


Good use of empty Friskies cat food bags.


Sasquatch crossing. I first saw such a sign outside my hotel in Legian beach and thought it was to warn motorists of unaware tourists crossing the road - thus the lumbering size and shape of the individual on the sign. But I saw these same signs in non touristy areas so it must just be the Balinese style indicating any pedestrian crossing.


The ubiquitous baby in sunglasses shot. Emmerson says "cool dude" when she sees people wearing sunglasses.


This is how I looked at the end of the trip after the flight home. Nothing quite like traveling with a little one.


Emmerson as a bug, Alicia as a ManU fan and me as an exaggerated version of myself on vacation.