The Java Jive

Puncak

Posted on 24. Jun, 2003 by Brandon.

By the way, I apologize for the lack of writing, but I’ve been quite busy getting things in order.

Here’s the link to the new photos of the mountains (link removed, March 2006) where I was last week.

I’m off to the gym to grind away my thoughts . . .

Continue Reading

Technology and Distance

Posted on 20. Jun, 2003 by Brandon.

It’s crazy how quickly time can pass. I left America in July of 2002 and haven’t returned yet. I called my dad last night for the first time in a year and a half (it was his birthday). Even though my family is pretty close, we’re physically all very distant. There’s something much more personal about a phone call than instant messaging or emailing.

It’s funny how technology can move us closer, and yet distance us in so many ways.

Continue Reading

West Java

Posted on 17. Jun, 2003 by Brandon.

I’ve been away at the mountains of West Java for a few days… it was simply amazing. I’ll write more about it later, and will include some photos of the breathtaking scenery…

Continue Reading

Matahari

Posted on 10. Jun, 2003 by Brandon.

You’ve probably heard that word before. “Eye of the Day”, in Bahasa Indonesia, the language here, it’s quite the understatement. I’ve been here for 10 months now, and guess how many times it has rained? . . . 8 . . . No, that’s not a drenching, all day, can’t go outside and play, wet t-shirt contest, this sucks, type of rainy day. That’s only a couple of hours out of 8 days in over 300 total days.

Before coming here, I was all about the sun; absolutely loved it. I still do – but how can an island in the middle of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, not get drenched with months of monsoons? Indonesia has 2 seasons. Wet and dry. That’s it. Since we’re almost right on the equator, the sun rises at 6 am, and sets at 6 pm. Locals can’t believe when I tell them that at home, in July, the sun doesn’t set until like almost 10 pm. In the States, I always glimpsed at the Weather Channel to see what the day would be like, sun, rain, snow, fog, sleet, freezing rain, thunderstorms, etc. There’s no need whatsoever for a Weather Channel here. Everyday is sunny and around 88 – 91 degrees (32-34 C). Even when I stumble out of bed at 3 am to grab some water, I leave the comfort of my permanently air-conditioned bedroom, to hit the wall of humid heat in the hallway that’s at least 20 degrees warmer.

I was looking on the ‘net at the weather where my family is today, this is what I found.

My mom is in Cape Town, S. Africa: Chance of rain, 65 degrees.
My brother and dad in America: Sunny, 77 degrees.
My sister in Atlanta: Chance of thunderstorms, 95 degrees.
Jakarta? You guessed it! Sunny, 91 degrees.

See what I mean? V A R I E T Y. It’s starting to wear on me if you can’t tell. I still don’t miss the snow, but damn a chill in the air would be nice. I guess last year, there were torrential rains during the rainy season that caused massive flooding, forcing people to float on rafts made by the unemployed locals, and pay around $40 to float to the market. The sewage canal mixed with the rainwater and deposited the sludge into people’s living rooms…

Ok, maybe I should be thankful once again for the ever-present Matahari.

Continue Reading

Fear Factor, Brain Food, and the Roommate's Girlfriend

Posted on 01. Jun, 2003 by Brandon.

Let’s talk about food. Everyone has to eat. But our cuisine choices seem to differ around the planet. I’ve traveled a bit, I’ve seen some strange food, but let me tell you… Indonesia has some of the strangest choices I’ve ever seen, smelled, and had the audacity to sample. When I am feeling ambitious, I let my maid chill and I go shopping for groceries… it’s quite the experience. First of all, when you walk into the grocery store, you notice unlike American stores, you can see clear to the other side of the store. Hmm.. why is that? It took me a while to realize that it may be due to the average height of an Indo. All in all, Indonesians are a bit shorter, so obviously the food aisles don’t need to be stacked 3 meters high.

The next thing you realize is there’s none of the shady marketing that you find in U.S. stores. In America, the food marketing wonderboys set up the store so that you’ll follow a natural progression. They place certain food in certain areas, especially placing the more profitable food at eye level. Did you ever notice the cereal aisle in the States? Cereals like “Blueberry Morning, Special K”, etc are located right at eye level, so that the consumer will pay $5 a box. (as much as beef per pound if you do the math) Then they place the sugary please-make-my-kid-as-hyper-as-possible cereal a bit lower so Junior will beg and scream till Mom throws it in the cart. See, there’s a devious strategy to all of the American grocery stores.

So, back to my point. As I wander through the aisles of Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, and “bule” food, I feel the naturally cooler air towards the meat section refreshing. However, upon cooling myself for a second, I glance down and notice sprawled out chicken, plucked and buck naked. If I look to the left, I see an assortment of frogs, squid, shrimp, lobster, snails, prawn, etc. If I look to the right, I’ll find more “exotic” cuisine: fish head, chicken feet (yeah, just they’re little clawed feet), a nice cow tongue complete with taste buds the size of a nipple, pig skin (for what?), an assortment of brain from chicken to cow, goat penis (ala John Bobbit), goat testicles speared on a stick and grilled as “sate” – just imagine how would that feel!, cow tail (for soup).

Ok, so I’m back home, watching Fear Factor. My roommate’s girlfriend is sitting next to him, eating some Sumatran food… smells a bit spicy, but pretty much I don’t take notice. On Fear Factor, the team has to choose to eat a 100 year old egg, beef brain, intestines, among others. My roommates and I are completely on the verge of puking just from watching the girls dry heave from gorging on the green eggs. My roommate’s girlfriend starts almost gagging from the sights, and in a sympathetic way, I tell her to try not to watch the show, but to instead concentrate on her food. That is, until, I look down at what she’s eating – a slippery, slimy, and yellow swirled piece of some kind of flesh. My stomach turns. “What the hell are you eating?” I ask. “Cow brains“, she replies nonchalantly. Holy Shit! If you click on “cow brains”, you’ll see what I mean. How can she be grossed out by Fear Factor while munching on some neurons and cortex?

The brain is about the size of an apple, completely covered in this placenta looking goo, and steaming still as if straight outta the skull…

Continue Reading