Say these words just as they are written ... sukses ... bisnes ... jus .... rumah ... mobile ... telepon. now, blog a remark and translate those from Indonesian to English (Chely, Decy, Thasya .... DO NOT !) ... let's see how many you get right. Have fun.

On the Palm house ... step by step ... WE HAVE TOILET PAPER !!!  So much time ... so little to do ... "oops, reverse that" as Willy Wonka would say.

Ok, we have a genset and stablizer (although not yet hooked up).  No wonder the Owner didn't want to buy them ... they are EXPENSIVE ... and big .... genset is the size of two chest freezers stacked on top of each other ...and is towed on wheels.  The stabilizer (a giant voltage regulator) is the size of a small refrigerator.

Temporary security guards (ones that work specifically for our company) are now in place. Very nice fellows.  They will be our security until my company puts in place a contract covering all expat houses - - not my problem to worry about. 

One mattress,ours, showed up last night (Tuesday) and Decy made a delivery on key "day-1 items" ... toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, basic cooking items, hangers for clothes, brooms, mops etc.  Decy goes back to the store today and starts buying laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, napkins, more of that kind of stuff.

Today (Wednesday) is a BIG day ... all maids and gardner show up, washer/dryer will be delivered, water dispensers delivered, girls mattresses delivered, UPCs for electronics delivered, some of our rugs, and some of the other furniture - can't remember which.

Decy will be making numerous "runs" between the hotel and house.  Thankfully, the two are apart by only 10-15 minutes travel time.  She will try to move as many of the 13 boxes of stuff and other things we have bought ... today and tomorrow ... and let the maids unpack, wash/dry/iron, and put away as appropriate.  Decy's mom will be at the house to help supervise the maids while Decy is running back and forth.

I think today (or tomorrow) Decy will buy the safe and queue it up for delivery.  I think the Owner will begin putting the new curtains in during the next few days.  Don't know about the alarm system yet ... maybe next week.

As for me ... what am I doing ... I'm working, keeping the cashflow coming, lending help wherever I can .... yeah I know ... I'm a slimeball !!!

Other key items before move-in, internet access, food, bottled water ... not necessarily in that order of importance ... but all important.  We are targetting moving this weekend ... but it will likely be late Sunday or a Monday check out from the hotel.

... stay tuned ... ciao ciao

Decy's charging ahead on the preparations for move in ... for those that want to know details see below.

Monday:  Back-up generator set delivered; guard bench and table delivered; contract with 1st maid signed; received preliminary information on utilities (will remain in owners name and we will pay the bills - its an Indonesian thing ... have to be the owner of the house to have utilities in your name)

Security guards arrives on Tuesday at 6am.  Both maids and the gardner will begin working on Wednesday ... there will be lots for them to learn ... and they can keep the house clean and mop up after "all those feet" carry in furniture ... plus, they can begin washing, ironing and putting away all our clothes that have been in boxes for 4 months (Note:  The boxes are the 13 air freighted boxes; the shipment is still somewhere in the world)

Some furniture starts arriving on Wednesday - quite a bit on Thursday.  Somewhere in there the owner will deliver a washer and dryer - key to moving in ... as with 4 family members we have lots of laundry ... as it is we are paying about $75/week to keep our clothes clean ... which means we will have a nice costs savings in that regard once we move in.

I think today Decy will buy a large safe for the house ... for delivery this week.  That is, believe it or not, a critical day-1 item ... we must have a place to store/safeguard our money, jewelry, passports, key papers, etc.  Not yet sure the size of safe ... but I expect it to be 2-3 foot tall (it needs to be HEAVY ... and large). 

>>> On the downside ... somebody stole one of the axle covers off of one of our Fortuner tires/wheels. It was only a $10 item ... but as Decy says ... it is worth $2 on the street and is 2 days wages for somebody.  Sadly, this happened while the car was parked in the covered hotel parking lot that had "security".  >>> It will be good to move into our house, where this can't happen. Later this week, one of the drivers will go get a replacement cover.  FYI ... our drivers Mustafa and Yono are fantastic ... they are very competent and always looking for ways to save time and improve our efficiency ... they can easily run errands on the way to/from dropping one of us off ... soooo ... they are a Godsend !!! 

On Saturday we wanted to go visit several places to look for electronic equipment and a printer ... Jakarta is such a "challenge" with regards to traffic and travel time ... consider ...

1045am - leave hotel ... to get massage .... 8 miles away (south of hotel) ... travel time 30-45 minutes

1130-130pm - get massage

130pm - leave massage place collect Thasya from hotel ... travel time 30-45 minutes

230pm - eat lunch - 45 minutes

315pm - travel to electronics store .... 6 miles away (north of hotel) ... travel time 30 minutes

345-530pm - in electronics store .... gazillion things on display ... but only ~10% actually in stock

530pm - leave electronics store ... travel to hotel ... arrive 630pm (1 hour) ....

.... so much for going to a second place.  Organizing one's time and optimizing travel locations/routes are absolute keys to minimizing "car time".

>>> On a more positive note, Decy and the girls went with Fairus to two production studios.  They met the key folks, put in applications, yadi yadi yadi.  We shall see what develops.  Several folks asked Decy if she wanted to get back into the business .... Decy's initial thoughts are:  (a) perhaps for commercials, (b) unlikely for soap opera ... due to time committments.

>>> Decy recieved the keys to the Palm house on Saturday.

A friend of ours from Angola is visiting this week.  Decy is spending time with her.  She says that Luanda just isn't the same anymore without Decy ... : (

>>> On Sat night, after spending the evening with Fairus, we went to an open air "cafe" ... sat on plastic stools, ate soup, and listened to some street musicians .... a most excellent experience !!!

Urggh - now off to Monday morning work.

.... in case of doubt ... Amsouth still sucks !

Yahoo !!!  The lease on the Palm house has been signed.  Owner says we can begin the move-in sequence now ... even though he won't get the company check for 2 weeks.  Time to get to work ....

Decy has a gazillion things to start queuing up ... security guards are supposed to show up on Tuesday ... then stuff can start being delivered ... mattresses, bed frames (from different vendors), couches, safe, refrigerator, washer, dryer, chairs ....

Decy says the maids and gardener are ready to go ... one set is a couple ... they will live with us ... One maid will sign the employment contract on Monday.

Things are moving along, although there are a gazillion things to think about ... such as ... the girls need ready access to the internet as much of their homework is posted online ... Decy's working that one.  Then I had a brain freeze and realized we don't have any printers with us ... they are in the shipment "somewhere" in the world ... got to go buy a new printer today ..... Otherwise, the girls can't print their homework .... details details details ...

Oh year, and can't forget to buy food and soap ... important Day-1 stuff ... you know "eating" and "bathing" ... ooops, and don't forget TOILET PAPER !!!

ciao ciao  

I'll pay the rent .... and so, on Thursday at about 11am, I receive an email advising that the company agrees to pay for the alarm upgrade.

Now before anybody jumps up and down for joy ... after I started pushing this issue hard (to get closure) ... there was silence from the company (presumably they were considering the matter).  Then at 930am Thursday I get a visitor in my office needing some critical help.  I stop everything ... listen to the issue ...do my research ... respond via email ... hear a sigh of relieve from the receiver of my email.

So, what's the point of the preceding paragraph?  Well, the person who needed the help was one of the two key people that were involved in making a decision on the alarm system ... after I helped them ... then my answer came.  Connection or coincidence ??? One may never know .... but the result was good.

At 2pm I saw a new draft of the lease. Looks good.  I initial a couple of pages ... and then am told to be at the ground floor of the building (I'm on floor 29, out of 39) at 2pm on Friday for final execution of the lease agreement.

I explain the situation to Decy ... she ponders the situation ... responds "ok, now its my turn" .... starting today (Friday) she begins executing the move-in sequence.  There's a gazillion things to do ... and we cannot physically move in until the security guards are in place and the minimum life support-type issues are resolved.  We both agree that we may or may not make it into the house next weekend (14th-15th) ... but what is important is that WHEN we do move in ... we have a place to sleep, a way to cook/eat, a way to bath, a way to do laundry, and a place to store our valuables ..... 

Let the games begin .... albiet slowly ... this is Ramadhan and we are fast approaching the long Idul Fitri weekend (21st-24th) when nothing will be accomplished.  FYI, Idul Fitri is the end of the fasting month .... lots of celebration by a gazillion tired and hungry folks.

ciao ciao ... 

What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object - everything and nothing.

Remember the old vaudville act where the villian says "pay the rent" ... the maiden say "I can't pay the rent" ... the villan says "you must pay the rent" .. the maiden says "but I can't pay the rent" ... then a handsome guy says "I'll pay the rent" .. and the maiden says "my hero !!" ???? Remember that ??? ... that's kinda of what's going on now ...

After settling 4 of the 5 outstanding issues on the Palm house ... the only remaining issue is an alarm system.  Company says ... "you must have an alarm" ... owner says "it has an alarm" ... company says "you must upgrade the alarm to my standards" ... owner says "then you pay for it" ... company says "owner must pay for it as part of the lease" ... owner says "but my friends tell me company has always paid for the alarm system .. therefore, I refuse to pay" ... company says "you must have an upgraded alarm" .... and I just to say ... " I'll pay for the blasted alarm ... I just want a house !!! "

So here we sit ... immovable object .. irresistible force ... the company is setting leasing standards under the new housing program that (a) is not being communicated in advance, and (b) owners cannot and will not meet after the deal has already been negotiated.  And, even if the standards were known in advance ... the allowance and costs are such that you would end up living in a bungalow with gold plated security and electricity.

So, where do we sit? Not sure if we are at a temporary red signal light ... or a dead end.  If a dead end ... we (and every other expat coming in) will be faced with this same issue over and over and over again.  That's dumb.

Hopefully, we are at a temporary red signal light ... as the company decides to either "pay up" or "shut up" ... if the security requirements are that critical, then the company has two choices (a) either pay directly for the installation, or (b) increase the rental rate to include the security system.

This is a bit of a dilemma for the company ... as it really wants to get out of the housing business ... and if it provides the security system ... then it will be responsible for paying and maintaining it.  On the other hand, if you hand that responsibility to the owner ... there is no assurance it will be installed and maintained according to standards; thus, compromising security.

Based on the fact that the company is directly contracting for the security guards to guarantee appropriate 24/7 coverage ... I bet they elect to take responsibility for the security system ... rather than trusting the owner ... but that is just a bet ... in the meantime ....

... waiting ... waiting .... waiting .... waiting ....

ciao ciao 

Notary - Done.  Found one close to the office. Decy came in town, joined me after work.  We relaxed a bit then did the paperwork.  Home at 730pm .... total time 3.5 hours ... but the sequence and content was much better. Thanks luv !!!

Palm House - previous note I said "its not in my control" ... but funny thing about Indonesia ... conflict and conflict resolution is a challenge.  So .... we have inspectors saying ... do A, B, C, D, .... the owner agrees to do all but C (for example) ..... now its time to finalize the lease and sign it ... I look at it and ask "so what about C ... its on the list by the owner says no?"  I get blank stares.

So, its back into my control.  Time to utilize my skills ... phone call here ... phone call there ... couple of clarifications and confirmations .... bingo .... have everything lined up ... I think ... all going well (ha ha ha) we should execute the lease on Friday the 6th ... and a target move-in date next weekend (~13th) ... assuming security guards are in place and we get get the beds moved in during the week (remember this is Ramadhan month).

So what were the key issues and how were they resolved?

1.  Company insisted on a backup generator of 45 KVA (cost ~$5k).  Owner said no, but he has a small, older one.  Solution - Company to provide

2. Company insisted on an electrical stabilizer system for the house (cost ~$7k).  Owner says not needed and that Company has provided it for other expat houses.  Solution - Company to provide

3.  Company suggested 100 liter hot water tank (vs 80) in addition to 250 liter solar tank that is already in place.  Owner says not necessary.  Solution - I agree to 80 liter and if not sufficient for the house will revert/discuss with Owner at a later time.

4.  Company suggested 400 W water pump (vs 250).  Owner says not necessary as water pressure is already more than sufficient.  Solution - I agree to 250 as a test.  If it is not sufficient Owner will upgrade.

5.  Company insists on upgrade to the house alarm system, including 3 new detectors.  [I know I can't fight security on this one].  Owner says that system is not his and that previous renters put it in.  Solution - get agreement that one of the detectors is not necessary if the door has a lock ... as for the rest of the upgrades on the system ... its in the lease ... and I push back on the Owner request that he address/pay ... based on my working all 4 items above on his behalf.  I think I will win this one ... and I won't let it stop the lease ... its just a matter of "who pays" and we are probably talking about $500 for the upgrade.

This whole leasing process is a bit ingenious to the owner and renter.  We are told to find a home within budget, negotiate price, furniture, upgrades.  Then we turn it over to the company for inspections ... with each inspection there is a list of (say) 10-15 "to do items" ... and as you can see some are quite costly ... its ok for small items ... but I believe it is unrealistic to expect owners to have security systems, electrical stabilizers, and back up generators (at the cost of >$10k) just to meet the company standards ....

But, this leasing process is a new process (we are the 2nd family to do this) ... there is a learning curve and as the results come in, I expect the company to adjust the program ...

enough for now ... ciao ciao

One Step Forward - Palm House ... the Owner agreed to most of the items on the QA/QC list.  Now the owner, broker, and my company can fight out the last 2-3 items .... its not in my control.

Two Steps Back - Need to have some forms notarized.  Left work at 345pm ... to go get that done ... 2 hours to get to hotel ... then 45 minutes looking for the notary, which we never found ... 700pm back at the hotel ... no better off than I was at 345pm ... just very frustrated.

Yeah ... Che ... I meant JIS .....

Went by the Palm house today. Owner is doing the various upgrades and cleaning the house.  It looks really nice. I am starting to feel better and better about it ... but will be more confident once the lease is signed.

Got a new piece of our life back together.  Decy had said she couldn't get the karoke machine to work in the hotel ... and I just accepted that.  So tonight (Sat) I thought I would make a go of it ... got it working ... now Decy and Che are over there singing ... another step toward normalcy ..... CELEBRATE THE SMALL THINGS ...

ciao ciao

Friday night all of us (including Decy's mom) went to LIS to hear the concert.  Lots of very very good music from the high school kids.  Chely's group was the last group to sing ... they did 3 songs.

Ok, so, for Chely's choir there was about 70 people ... Chely's in the soprano group (they don't break out 1st and 2nd).  The songs were very well done ... very well balanced.  On several occassions the director pointed to the sopranos to bring up the volume for a special part ... of the probably 8 sopranos only 2 had decent voices ... there in the auditorium ... with hundreds of folks listening and 70 kids singing you could clearly heart the sweet sound of Chely's voice lifting above the others ... crisp, clear, beautiful ... just like the director wanted.

Chely has so much untapped talent in music ... and, beginning next week she will be taking private singing lessons ... we are going to try to develop that God-given talent.

As for Thaysa ... we are still trying to find that 'sweet spot' for her and her talents ... for now, she is taking some modelling classes ... and will be in a few fashion shows at the end ... this should be a confidence builder for her.

Decy says that Fairus is going to take her and the girls to the TV production studio (not sure when as he is moving to England in a couple of weeks).  Fairus is going to re-introduce Decy to the staff (recall that Decy use to act in soap operas before we met) and the girls also.  He seems pretty confident that the girls will be offered some bit-parts (in due course) ... the girls are just not your normal Indonesians ... and their confidence and the way they carry themselves sets them apart from others.

RE the Cars - A-ok ... all is in place (Yeah).  Friday we released the rental car and driver.  Decy said that Pak Supandi (driver's name) cried a bit ... I understand he didn't have any work after this and was hoping he could be one of our permanent drivers ... but we had already chosen Pak (Mr.) Mustafa and Pak Mulyono.

RE the Palm House.  On Friday we received the QA/QC audit report .... as soon as the owner agrees to the list (which is pretty short) we can move towards executing the lease.  I figure it will be Friday next week at the earliest that the lease is actually executed.

After the lease is executed we will establish a firm move-in date ... organize security 2-3 days before move-in ... and then move in the furniture.  My best guess is the weekend of 13-14 October that we check out of the hotel and sleep in the house for the first time ... BUT, its not a done deal yet ... anything can still happen.

Amsouth still sucks !!!

Time to wake Decy up and for me to go get a 2 hr massage ...

ciao ciao.

Its end of the month (EOM) ... some good things to reflect on ... some bad things to reflect on ...

Good Thought - Purchase of cars complete

Good Thought - God loves me ! (and so does my mother)

Good Thought - One month closer to retirement

Good Thought - All sons doing well, daughters are progressing at LIS; Thasya started modelling classes, Chely starts singing lessons next week

Bad Thought - Lots of finger pointing on the Palm house ... 18 days later 2nd inspection is still not complete ... everybody says it is somebody else's fault ... I don't know where we are in this process ... at this pace we will be lucky to be moving into a house by the 13th of October

Bad Thought - Amsouth bank sucks

Good thought - I'm healthy and my weight is doing fine; massages help !

Bad Thought - hotel living is not fun after 2 months ...

Good Thought - Today is payday

Bad Thought - Today's paycheck is the last of the big ones (Indonesia is not nearly as financially attractive as Angola)

... ok, enough of that ... one last good thought ... IT'S FRIDAY !!

ciao ciao

The Good - Cars:  Progress on clear-coating and rust protection on the cars is going well ... Fortuner returned / CrV in the shop  ... security stickers for school and work are falling into place.  Overall, this process has worked pretty well ...and the foreign exchange rate movement has resulted in a savings of about $3,000 ... while Decy's good negotiations have saved us probably another $3,000 ... YEAH ...

The Bad - House: Delays continue on the Palm house.  The various groups responsible for the inspections on the house just don't "get it" ... apparently they think it is fun living in a hotel, family of 4, with teenagers, for months on end ... we just learned the 2nd inspection STILL is not done ... any hope of signing the lease and moving in by 7-Oct have pretty much disappeared ... barring divine intervention ....

The Ugly - Traffic.  Yesterday's weather was just fine, so that was not an issue.  But traffic was absolutely horrid last night ... frustrated over the lack of progress on the house ... I walked out of the office at 5pm ... had to wait 30 minutes for the driver to get out of the garage [due to traffic] then it took another 30 minutes just to get out of the parking lot ...  so ... 1 hour later I'm just leaving work .... got home at 655pm ... after my [very good] driver named Yono (nickname) took a jalan tikus ["shortcut" ... or literally "rat road"] and recovered 15-20 minutes of travel time.

Well ... today (Wednesday) is a new day ....

ciao ciao

Nothing to report on the Palm house (sadly).

CrV and Fortuner are alternating turns in the shop for clear-coating and rust protection .... takes 2 days each ... both will be done by Thursday/Friday ... costs for the 2 is about $700-800 ... that will come out of the "car purchase contingency funds".  Should release the rental car on Friday ... and just be operating with the two new cars and two new drivers .... OURS !!! YEAH.

I am now getting involved in recruiting and interviewing here in Indonesia.  I did a lot of the same while in Angola.  This is a bit of a challenge as you can appreciate - first, I have to look past any language barriers to carefully understand skills, strengths/weaknesses, yadi yadi yadi.  Second, is trying to find a "baseline".  What is a "good candidate" in Indonesia may not be a "good candidate" in Angola ... may be better ... may not be.  Right now, I can only judge candidates against the few Indonesians I've met that I consider "strong".  Ah well, nobody ever said this job was easy or boring or straightforward.

Also, getting very involved in the preliminary stages of the the installation of a new SAP reporting-accounting-purchasing-warehousing system.  Its a BIG deal and costs gazillions of dollars.  I was closely associated with the SAP installation in Angola.  It nearly killed me as I was responsible for bringing up the accounting and payroll sections ... it set the pace for my working 80-100 weeks for ~1.5 yrs ... then I had to implement the financial reporting system ... which was another set of 80-100 weeks for another 1.5 years ... those 3 years were a near blur.

Good news on SAP - this thing won't grow to a full head of steam until 2008 & 2009 ... and I won't be directly responsible for the implementation.

Bad news on SAP - I will probably still be around to help implement it, and folks will look to be for "guidance" b'coz of my experience.

Current assessment on this assignment - barring severe social unrest and insecurity ... or Avian flu issues .. it is likely this assignment will go more than 3 years.

Overall, that doesn't bother me too much ... as (a) I am spending a ton of money buying cars (and soon furniture) ... and don't want to have to sell everything at a loss in a couple of years ..... and (b) working here (say) 4-5 years puts me in perfect position to work 1 or 2 more assignments and then retiring early ..... yahoo !!!! what a wonderful goal.

ciao ciao ....

Decy and the Fortuner ....

Bill and the CrV ....

... NOT !!!! Don't you know a Harley when you see one?  Sorry ... don't have a pic of the CrV yet ...

ciao ciao ....

Bill and the CrV ....

... NOT !!!! Don't you know a Harley when you see one?  Sorry ... don't have a pic of the CrV yet ...

ciao ciao ....

Today (Sunday) begins the muslim month of fasting and (extra) prayer.  While I am not a muslim, I know that this is very serious for them ... they are not allowed to eat during daylight hours ... so they must get up VERY early ... eat, pray, work all day, pray, then eat ... and then try to get 4-6 hours sleep before starting again.  This goes on for a month.  It is very tough on their bodies and work and other things slow to a crawl ... especially in the afternoons.  Muslims and non-muslims have to adapt.

Speaking of adapting, many places that are normally open are now closed, so it is very important to check ahead on key places of dining and entertainment.  Case in point - massage businesses are under pretty strict orders to be closed ... UNLESS, they are located in certain areas, hotels, etc.  Our favorite place (called "Bersih Sehat", which means "clean and healthy") in the Majestic area is closed for one month ... but, Bersih Sehat in the Bintaro area is open ... so yesterday we went to Bintaro ... I don't fully understand the logic, but I can manage and adapt.

Here's one I don't understand .. but am thankful for. After the massage we went for Nasi Padang (Indonesian "buffet" from the area called "padang" on the island of Sumatra).  The men wore skull caps and the women wore jil-bobs (I'm sure I spelled that wrong).  Anyway, I swore they were muslim ... but it was strange they were serving food.  They had the TV on .. it was in Bahasa Indonesia ... my understanding of the language improves daily and I was certain the guy on TV was preaching about Jesus.  Suddenly, Decy pointed it out to me ... and he was ... so why was the restaurant watching Christian TV ????

The Fortuner arrived yesterday.  Metallic black with dark tinted windows.  A truly beautiful and "beefy" machine.  A very smooth ride ... and one feels quite safe in it.  JOB WELL DONE DECY !!!! (CrV is ok too ... and smaller sized, as per our plan).  I'll try to post a pic of the Fortuner tonight.

Palm House progress.  I think we are moving forward on signing the lease.  I will know more as the coming week unfolds but perhaps by Wednesday I can tell people about the "signing date" ... and maybe even a tentative move-in date.  BUT, I don't want to get my hopes up ... this IS the Ramadam period.

This week Decy is going to pay off the balance owed on the furniture she has already bought ... things like beds, couches, dinettes, etc.  She is going to start queuing that up for delivery at the Palm house ... although we don't yet have a move-in date.  KEY FOCUS on new purchases will be what I calll the "day-1" items that we must have at the time of move-in ... safe, towels, soap, toilet paper, sheets, something to cook on, eat on .... etc.  After we get done with the day-1 items we will consider buying additional items ... but will wait (a) until we are moved in and see exactly what we have/need, and (b) until we can get our finances better lined out.

Gotta run ... thanks for "listening" to me.  Hope you find some of what I write as interesting.

ciao ciao 

What a week ... I think the whole family ... including those in Florida and Tennessee ... have been through the ringer this week.  Hang in there loved ones .... we are survivors !!! More than conquerors !!!!

PALM HOUSE:  Owner says he's ready to sign the lease, we say we are ready to move, my company says ... step by step, still have to do the QA/QC inspection ...and then ~1 more week before lease signing ... and then we start moving towards a move-in date.... urrrggghhhh ... 2 months of this ... poor Decy and the girls .... we just want to get it over with.

FORTUNER:  Decy made the insurance payment yesterday.  Final payment is due Tuesday ... supposedly the car will be ready Tuesday or Wednesday with "final license plates" ... we shall see ... hope so.

WORK:  Overwhelming right now, can't keep up ... and transportation is limiting my ability to work overtime in the office.  I'll need to bring some stuff home for this weekend ... sadly.

.... sorry ... that's all I have to say at this time ...

Ciao ciao

... (at least for public consumption) ... rode in the CrV to/from work yesterday.  Overall, pretty good ride and Pak Yono my new driver (the one Decy hired) is pretty good ... a bit cautious right now ... but given the car is new, he is new, and Jakarta traffice is ... (well, seeing is believing .. and Chris and Paul can see for themselves in December) ... all was fine.

CrV has this complicated new fangled DVD, CD, MP3, etal player ... and built in DVD movie monitor .. it will take some time to figure that puppy out.

RE the Palm House ... still waiting on the QA/QC inspection ... our hopes of moving in by end-Sept are fading fast ... perhaps 7-12 October ... rats !!!

Decy takes the next step on the Fortuner today ... and pays the insurance ... I think we are still on target for receiving that car next week ... hope so as our rental runs out next Friday ... and I really don't want to spend the money to extend the contract ($30/day)

ciao ciao

On Monday we received the CrV with temporary plates.  Decy and the driver went to the store to buy supplies for the car (for washing it etc) and were promptly "field arrested" ... seems the temporary plates aren't exactly acceptable .... after some smooth talking, throwing around a few high level names of friends at the police station ... it was agreed that for 150,000 Rupiah (approx US$18) Decy could be escorted back to the hotel instead of the police station where the discussions would have been in the 8,000,000 to 20,000,000 Rupiah range.

Cost:  $18 ... value of having friends in the right places ... PRICELESS.

Tuesday the car broker delivered the permanent plates ... and then later called about the final payment on the Fortuner ... Decy gave the car broker an earfull and advised that the final payment will be made when the Fortuner has permanent plates and not a moment before.  I think the payment will be next week ... we shall see

Today, Wednesday, I get to ride in the CrV to work ... he he he ....

As for the Palm House ... made it through the security inspection with only minor upgrades required ... now on the QA/QC inspection ... this is a very slow process !!! Looks like we will not get into the house by the end of Sept ... maybe 7th-10th of October .... all going well.

ciao ciao

The worse part of being overseas is difficulties in trying to reach/contact one another ... and from Indonesia ... I am essentially 12 hours out of sync with the US.  This creates some unusual challenges ... and is particularly difficult during a transition before all contact information is known.

Thankfully, today I move into my office ... will have the phone number ... plus, late Friday I received my company handphone.  Its a step by step process ... and it can be hair-raising in the event of an urgent need to contact each other.

Sadly, some communications were delayed by ~17 hours.  I apologize for the concern and worry placed on my family in the US ... starting today ... things will be easier.

I thank God for my close-knit family .... and their ability to use their resources to find me ... even if it meant Josh going back into my blogs to learn what hotel I am staying at !!!

I LOVE ALL OF YOU !!!

>>> PS ... we are fine here in Indonesia ... no health/safety issues to worry about ... just trying to resolve the basic issues of housing, cars, furniture, and finances.  

So here it is, 9am in Jakarta, on Saturday.  What does "Amigos" have to do with Indonesia ??? Well, last night Decy, Chely, and Thasya and I went to the Amigos restaurant in the Kemang area.  It was one of my favorite restaurants in 2000/2001 because after the Wednesday ladies hash all of us would go to Amigos for dinner, live music, and dancing.

Last night was good ... good food (tex-mex), good music (lots of country western and not too bad given the accents), good fun.  Only problem ... it seemed like the entire expat population took their kids there for dinner .... 90% expats ... 10% Indonesians.  Oh well, can't have everything ... but my preference is to go to non-expat places .... B'coz .... cheaper, better food, more fun, and (in reality) SAFER !!!

PALM HOUSE.  Decy met with the owner on Friday.  Essentially they closed all the open issues ... all I need to do is type up the "to do list".   Security inspection is complete ... just waiting for the report.  Also need to do the "audit/inspection" ... hope to get that done EARLY next week and then move this to the final stage - - finalizing the lease.  Decy says the owner is really nice, very straightforward ... offered information on who to use for the A/C maintenance (13 wall units), pool maintenance, what is required for water and "community security".  Owner says he will start cleaning the place now so that we can move in just as soon as the lease is signed.

CrV.  Did not get it on Friday. That ok (I had Monday in my contingency planning).  Decy made the final payment as planned ... but it didn't clear the bank ... they said it would clear today (Saturday).   Decy told them to hold the car until Monday ... which is when Mulyono (we just call him Yono) begins work.

FORTUNER.  Decy will make the final payment next week.  Not sure when that car will be ready ... maybe a week after that.

MY PC.  URRRGGGH.  I think everything is more or less ok.  BUT, seems our hotel somehow is assigning addresses and can recognize our different PCs ... we generally use Chely's for internet access ... but when I want to use mine ... we have to call "somebody" and they have to reset the machine.  Plus, I think they have some type of special settings because my machine CRAWLS on the interenet (but Chely's is fine).  I've checked all the settings (Chely's PC vs mine) and they look the same .... but.

ciao ciao ... time for a 2 hour massage.

THE PALM HOUSE:  We continue progressing this.  Yesterday the house underwent the security inspection.  I don't think there will be any major issues - results should be available today.  Then they will do the "audit" which is more of a physical inspection - that should be Friday or Monday; again, don't expect many issues on this house ... but one never knows.

On Friday, Decy meets with the house owner to clarify our "to do list".  It doesn't sound like there are any showstoppers, but one never knows ... overall, it is probably Tues-Thurs next week before we know if this house is likely to be a "winner" for us ... third time is a charm.

CARS:  Decy is finalizing insurance as we speak and has to make payment for insurance on one or more cars today.  The CrV should be available tomorrow (Friday) or Monday after we pay the remaining balance on it in full tomorrow.  Our first driver starts work on Monday.  As for the Fortuner ... we pay it in full tomorrow ... it will be available in about 1-2 weeks ... and the 2nd driver starts work at that time.

DOMESTIC HELP:  Preliminarily identified but will need to be fully interviewed once we know we have a house and a move-in date.

MONEY:  Continues to be a challenge regarding getting it here in country, good thing I have contingency plans in place ... sent into Indonesia a Wire Transfer ... and also cashed a check.  The WT made it into the account yesterday (Wednesday) ... the check funds ? Maybe today.

FURNITURE PURCHASES:  On hold until next week pending, better information on the status of the Palm House and what furniture will be purchased by the owner.

WESTLIFE CONCERT:  It was pretty good - brought back lots of memories.  Last time they were in Jakarta was 5 years ago ... we were at that concert too.

WORK:  Progressing.

VACATION PLANNING:  Stinks ... I have 27 days left in 2006 ... and will not be able to (a) take them when I want them, and (b) use them all up.  Have to carryforward to 2007 about 10 days.  Of the 17 ... lots of it will be in pieces; although I'll get a couple of extended weekends around the holidays to spend with family and friends ... in Indonesia (won't be able to leave the country for a vacation).

HOTEL LIVING: Sucks.

LAPTOP:  Now have Norton's Internet Security 2006 (shrink wrap box).  Even with that, trying to "update" the programs with latest data took 3 hours of downloading time (slow connection).  Had I tried to download the software either my old 2005 or new 2006 would probably have required another 5-7 hours .... the "original loads" are about 50 Meg while the "updates" were only 33 Meg.

LIFE IN JAKARTA:  Haven't had much of a chance to experience that yet ... but, massages are great and food is too !!

ciao ciao

Did a very modest celebration of Decy's birthday .... we were going to go to Hard Rock Cafe ... but they were doing a band audition there and it sounded like they cranked up the music to 95 decibels ... we went elsewhere.  Not a particularly exciting evening for Decy (sadly) ... but it was (a) Monday night, and (b) followed a very busy day of house and car activities.  Nevertheless, we were together ... and we wish her the very best for her birthday.

Decy went back to the Palm house ... put the "punch list" together and submitted that to our agent for forwarding to the owner.  The owner received the offer yesterday; hopefully, we will here some type of response today ... he is in bandung (about 2-3 hours a way by car) and won't be back in town until Saturday ... but he is contactable via phone and email.  In the meantime, we scheduling all the inspections/audits.

On the cars, Decy is checking out insurance for the cars; she is getting two quotes.  I'm not sure I understand the coverages, but she is an Indonesian insurance expert ... so she is well qualified ... cost for the two cars will be approx US$1,800/yr.

This Thursday or Friday Decy will make the final payments on both cars.  We are hopeful to collect the CrV on Friday or Monday (15th or 18th) ... the Fortuner won't be ready for a week or two after that.

Gotta run ... time to go to work.

ciao ciao

Monday is Decy's birthday. I am so very proud of her and love her very much.  She has gone through so much in life, yet continues carrying forward ... learning and growing each step of the way.   God has truly blessed me by allowing me to be a with a woman such as her.

Tonight (Monday) we are going to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, Decy, the girls, and me.  That was where Decy and I had our first date.  Tuesday, the 4 of us are going to see Westlife in concert.  Decy and I did that (just the two of us) 5 years ago the last time I lived in Jakarta.

Monday morning starts the negotiations on the Palm House; pray that all goes well.  We are going to try to fast-track all the activities (presuming negotiations are successful).  If the world is perfect (which it is not) we could be in house in 3 weeks.  For now ... step 1 ... negotiate price.

Computer came back from the shop ... the cleaning did the trick on the overheating ... most of the time the fans aren't even coming on now ... just during lots of memory/disk movements.  BUT, now I see a new problem - - something is wrong with the Norton's dll and it has destroyed my subscription date ... and the "synchronization" function doesn't work (b'coz of the dll issue).  Looks like I have to buy a new Norton's.  Tried that last night, but ran into problems. I'll try again tonight ... if I run into more problems I will have Decy go buy a "boxed copy" of Norton's rather than trying to download it ... urrgghhh.

Gotta run ... time for breakfast/work.

ciao ciao

About last night ... ok, so we met with our French friends that have moved here from Angola ... and introduced them to Fairuz and Cecilia (Cecilia is French).  Fairuz is an Indonesian movie star;  he and Decy use to work together about 10 years ago ... they did comedy together in that particular series.  Don't have a pic from last night yet ... but here is F&C's wedding pic from a week ago.

I've heard rumors that there may be some Industry interest in Decy returning to the studios ... I won't hold my breath, but one never knows.

About today ... continued house hunting ... went from 400 possibilities, to 100, to 31 that met our needs. Then there were about 16 in the area we can live in ... we exhausted that list of 16 Friday and Saturday.  New lead case is the "Palm House" ... see more pics in my pic area ... here's one

The realtor sent (on Saturday) a letter of intent to the owner and advised that Monday we will prepare and submit an offer (being as folks here do not do business on Sunday).  Monday morning Decy goes back to the house to prepare the "to do list" for the owner ... which will be with the owner by end-Monday.  Hopefully our LOI will prevent anybody from sneaking in on us (during our 2nd visit to the house there was a couple from Chevron looking at the house).  We hear the owner VERY BADLY needs money ... and is likely to agree to almost anything that is reasonable.  PLEASE pray that this is the right house and everything works out ... we are emotionally tired of this process ... and living in a hotel.

BTW ... sent my laptop to the "cleaners" .. they said it was very dirty and must have been in a dirty place, causing the overheating ... no kidding ... Angola is extremely dry and dusty.  Hopefully the cleaning addresses ALL the overheating/shutdown problems.

Ciao ciao.