Apparently that’s what I’ll have this year.

Believe it or not, it’s a bit tough finding natural 8 foot pine trees in Jakarta. Well, and the fact that the country is 90% Muslim.

This will be the first time in my life when I’ll have to relinquish the smell of pine needles, the impossible task of balancing the tree, and the never-ending fight to give more water to the tree than blood from my arm getting scratched on branches.

Somehow, I will make the best of it, realizing that the Christmas tree is not what the holiday is about. I had planned on going back to South Africa or America, but that’s just not going to happen yet. I suppose I’ll venture around the island of Java, maybe hitting Bali, Bandung, or Yogyakarta (I still can’t spell that word right).

Actually for being such a Muslim country, Indonesia sure puts effort into decking out their malls. Maybe it’s cause the mall is such a vital part of their social existence. Of course this only applies in the large cities – but it’s true!

This will be the first year that I can’t spend Christmas with my family. It’s a bummer.

. . . . . .

We’re heading into the rainy season here. Pretty much it’s sunny for most of the day with a slight chance of torrential rains in the afternoon. It kinda sucks that my windshield wipers just won’t turn on – it makes driving home a bit like playing “Frogger”.

I don’t mind the rain. Actually it’s much better than the monotony of perpetual sunshine. Things cool off, breaths are easier to take, and the flowers seem to take off as if on steroids. It can only hope that the roads don’t flood like two years ago!

. . . . . .

If anyone reading this is interested in visiting Bali, Java, or Indonesia, let me know and I’ll hook you up with some good deals and some great places to stay. I’ve found some amazing things to do and some “exotic” places to see. Send me an email! I love hearing from anyone.