Decy and Stela made it safe to Jogjakarta ... saw the temples .... visited some of Decy's friends there ... then to bed at approx 11pm.  I think they are already up (currently 5am here) as they have an early morning flight to Surabaya .... where they will spend today (Thurs) and Friday .... returning to Jakarta mid-afternoon Sat.

As for me .... work is .... work, so I won't bore you with the details.

My back is still very sensitive although modestly (maybe) better.  Yesterday, I forgot to bring my back brace (for the chair) to the office .... I won't forget (I hope) today.

Last night had dinner at the 4 Season hotel with Nat Simpson.  I have a lot of memories about that place as I lived there 5 months in 2001 after the evacuation from Aceh (then another 4 months at the Hilton - before moving to Angola).  When I walked in the hotel door last night, I looked to a particular couch in the lobby ... the couch where I was sitting when I saw Decy for the first time (as she walked into the hotel).

I talked to Decy on the phone last night while at the hotel.  She asked me if I ordered a bowl of shrimp soup (which I didn't) .... as that is what she ate/drank for dinner that first "date" with her.  Our first date was a "double blind date" .... a guy and his girlfriend set me and my friend Danny Guilliott up on blind dates on a Sunday afternoon in late April 2001.  So, the three couples sat and chatted and snacked/ate for about 3-4 hours.  It was an incredibly difficult evening .... Decy's English at that time was probably only 5% ... thus although she could understand some of what I said ... a sentence from her was incredibly difficult (for both of us) ... just a few choppy words ... with me filling in the blanks trying to understand what she was trying to tell me.  OBVIOUSLY, we worked it out ... she is now my lovely wife ....

*** Decy just called, her and Stela have checked out of the hotel and are on the way to the airport.

ciao ciao