Selamat Tahun Baru!

We hope you all have a wonderful 2009!  

While we like keeping you updated on what's going on in our lives, which requires interesting incidents to write about, I really hope that 2009 is less eventful than 2008, and that there are no medivac trips off the island, and no trips to the emergency room because someone ate eggplant.  So here's to hoping for boring blogs this year!!

January 4, 2009

I've had an orange juice craving for a week, and decided to try this brand because it must be good for me if it has "cells" in it.  Right? 

Earthquakes

There have been some large earthquakes on our island yesterday and today, but we haven't felt any of them...they didn't even rattle the pots on the hanging potrack in the kitchen.  So in short: we're just fine.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/

January 6, 2009

We have found the answer to all of those trendy, urban, "fusion" restaurants - where Eastern foods meet Western - and it is fusion junk food.

January 9, 2009

A ceremonial necklace, and part of the traditional Papuan costume for ceremonies and dances.  This one is a bit unusual because of the fossil molds in the rock decorations.

And I can tell you that this one is authentic and well-used.  If only you had a scratch-n-sniff screen, I could share the distinct aroma of sweat, campfire and cloves that you can only find on this island.

January 10, 2009

(By Eric) - The project I am working on reached a major milestone last month.  The picture above is a tribute to the accomplishment, with members of the contractor's crews along with myself at the bottom of a +2000' deep mine shaft they have excavated.  There are South Africans, Australians, Canadians, Papuan Indonesians, Non-Papuan Indonesians from almost every major island in the country, and of course, the single American (yours truly in the green vest) in the picture.  I believe this sums up what it takes to work here, and the fact that things are accomplished here just as they are back home, albeit with a lot of effort towards effective communcation, cultural understanding, etc...

January 12, 2009

Me and my friend, Pious (pronounced Pee-ohs).  He and his wife made the necklaces.  And I am even slouching.

And here is a close-up...I think this is very cool in a very witch-doctor kind of way.  

January 23, 2009