02 February 2006 @ 1:04pm. I just spent my whole morning and early afternoon going to more offices (e.g., immigration, police department). I didn’t mind riding on the motorbike with an office assistant, but I did mind the awful pollution. I think I inhaled more gas fumes in a few hours than a human being is supposed to have in a lifetime! Next time I’ll remember my handkerchief. The offices are spread out all over Jakarta, so I got yet another taste of macet (traffic), too. At least the motorbike is small enough to squeeze by the bigger cars and buses, which shortens our travel time from place to place. I had two observations this morning: (1) It is actually possible to feel so tired that you are tempted to fall asleep on a whizzing motorbike, and (2) people’s jackets can have interesting statements. Case in point, I saw the generic names and logos of businesses like “Suzuki,” but I also saw strange ones like “BitchBrother” (excuse me?!?). My favorite today was a jacket that said “Wanderer.” :)

I had lunch with my U-M friend yesterday and we chuckled about how low our expectations are these days about what can be accomplished in a day. Back in the States, my to-do list would have a million things on it. Here, I don’t even have a to-do list (at least not yet!), in part because it’s a good day if I can get up, cross the street safely, and get one thing done. Seriously. For instance, getting certain paperwork to the correct office and person today was a huge accomplishment. The fact that I was able to do it at two offices, well, that’s just fabulous. Though being forced to slow down and not expect (or be in control) so much of the world can be stressful at times (I am American afterall), the process is actually healthy for me. I’m much more patient. I go with the flow, so to speak. I get things done when they can get done. Things eventually get completed anyway, so why not enjoy the slowly-but-surely process? :)