THE WELCOME WAGON

Dearest Friends,

Unbeknownst to me, the Mobil wives had a welcoming committee of sorts, led by a woman named Pat Baig.  Their mission was to ease the new wives into life on the compound as seamlessly as possible, 'cause, as everybody knows, "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

So, instead of sitting alone in my sad empty house that first week, with nothing to do but feel sorry for myself, I had someone knocking on my door each morning, ready to escort me on another adventure!

Pat herself had made certain our house was spic and span before we arrived, and that it contained all the furniture, linens, dishes and cooking utensils it was supposed to have.  She also stocked our refrigerator with a casserole for that first night, and a few basics such as milk, bread, and eggs.  She then assigned six or seven different women to call on me, each with a different task.  Peggy volunteered for the first mission, that of meeting us at the airport.  Another lady came calling early Monday morning, and took the kids and I down to the school to show us around, introduce us to the principal and their teachers,  to remind me that the kids and dads would be coming home for lunch each day, and to make sure I volunteered to help out at the school!

Miss Becky teaches cooking to the younger classes.

Miss Patti showed up the next day, and introduced me to the three different grocery stores I'd be shopping from.  The one closest to us, near the school in Bukit Indah, was the one most likely to get American products, such as Philadelphia cream cheese, or the occasional Dr. Pepper!  The one in the Indonesian section of the compound carried more gift-like items which you could use as party favors, like little tea or glassware sets, and lots of crappy stuff the kids loved to spend their allowance on, such as cap guns and candy cigarettes.  The third one, where you had the best selection of plastic household stuff like dish drainers and storage crates, was out at Pioneer Camp.  Pioneer camp was a bunch of portable buildings and trailers where the very first people to come over were housed, but which was now used for things like the bank, the commissary, the beauty salon and the church.  The buildings left a lot to be desired, but they had the advantage of being near the beach, and there were even some boats that we were allowed to use.  Patti was the perfect one to show me the ropes of grocery shopping, since she and her hubby were serious foodies, and did more entertaining than anyone else on the compound!

Pioneer Camp

Another woman, though I don't remember which, drove me into Lhok Seumawe, showed me around the market, and introduced me to the fabric stalls.  It might have been my friend Crys, another of those we had known in Midland and Houston, and who's kids had played with ours a few times.  She was an avid seamstress, so she would have known her way around the fabric section and tailor shops.

A gal named Teresa came by one day, just to visit and share some home-baked cookies, and another one introduced me to the wonders of our "Beauty Parlor", which was housed in one of those trailers out at Pioneer Camp.  It may not have looked like much, but believe you me, it was everybody's favorite place to be!  Where else could you get a facial, a manicure or a haircut, for about $3 each!  Not to mention the fabulous head, neck and shoulder massage they threw in for free, each time they shampooed your hair (and the juicy tidbits of gossip you always picked up in the process).

The most memorable day was the one where Miss Melody escorted me around.  We had been warned never to wear shorts off the compound or to our husbands' office building, but in our own sections of the compound, we could wear whatever we pleased.  Since Melody was just going to show me the pool, tennis courts, golf course, clinic, lending library, etc., I wore my favorite new outfit -- a 2-piece cotton knit Liz Claiborne ensemble purchased just before we left.  It was a boat-necked top and matching culottes that hit just above my knees, made in a green and white pin stripe, and I even had green sandals that matched perfectly.  I thought I looked pretty spiffy!  Only problem was, Melody had an errand she needed to run while we were out and about, which involved stopping off at one of the administrative offices -- one where lots of Indonesian men were working.  As we walked down the long hallway, men started poking their heads out of the doorways, some coming out into the hall.  Suddenly there was lots of chattering and laughing going on, and I had the nasty feeling that it was directed at us!  "Um, Melody?  Do you have any idea what they are saying?"  "Well, not exactly, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with your exposed legs."  I don't think I ever wore that outfit again.