sudah terbiasa

As i looked around the other day, it occurred to me that there are so many things that we've gotten used to that were so foreign when we first got here. I never took photos of them when we were settling in, and now it seems silly to be taking photos of these things. Here are just a few things that are a part of our every day lives here. We see and use these things without even thinking about it. That's what makes us "sudah terbiasa" - already used to it.

I love this photo for all the things packed into it:

1. The overloaded truck with daily necessities to be delivered all over town.

2. The fact that it's no big deal to us now that we have our drinking water delivered to our house, and we don't EVER think of drinking the water out of the tap. Nadia has no idea that people even do that on this earth. No drinking from the garden hose here.

3. The fact the LPG tanks are so nonchalantly hefted all over the place - I wonder sometimes if they've forgotten here that those things can do some serious damage if mistreated.

4. Though it's not really clear here, behind the truck are some glass, 1 liter bottles full of gasoline. That's how we fill up.

5. This building is not only a store, rather, it's someone's home. They've simply turned their living room into a mini-mart.

This little store is located about 3 minute's walk away from our house. We either go there or talk to the owners at least once a day. This is where we buy all of our eggs, rice, drinking water, LPG and gasoline. This is a much better photo of those 1 liter bottles mentioned above.

I never thought I'd say this, but: I LOVE THE TAMBAL BAN GUYS! This little shack is someone's home as well. Except this guy has turned his living room into a tire repair (Tambal Ban) shop. If you can limp your motorbike to one of these guys on the side of the road, they will repair or change your flat tire for $.50 (fifty cents). Not only are they quick at what they do, they are usually super friendly. Most of the shops have a little stool under some shade for their customers. Since we started driving (last August), we've had 5 flat tires. We love these guys! (and i think they love us back)

Our local "Home Depot". Freshly felled local wood and bamboo can be bought here. The only problem we've not quite figured out is how to get a nice big piece home. They'd just hang onto it with one hand as they drive their motorbike back home. No big deal?

We just call our local shop (see above) and order an LPG refill, and a guy drives it to our house. No problem.... for us. These guys make me a little bit nervous. I never like driving behind one of these delivery boys. Not only are their bikes often overloaded, the drivers are often barely 12 years old.

Why did the chicken cross the road? I never understood how that ever morphed into a joke... until i started driving in Indonesia. Chickens are the most indecisive animals on the planet. "I'm going left! No, right! No, wait... where am i going?! Left? Right!! Wait!!"

When you run over a chicken here, it is customary to just keep driving. I made a point to search that out before my second week on the road as a driver was up. Cats, on the other hand - you should stop and bury. Good to know.

Driving a motorbike... on the left hand side of the road. That is something we thought we'd never get used to. Turns out, it's not so bad. We are even starting to like it.

No carseats... no...seats. Just a couple helmets and a Nadia sandwich.