LETTERS HOME: ANOTHER SIDE OF JOHN

Thursday, October 14th, 1993

Dear Gang,

Well, I knew that new red wig I bought this summer would really knock 'em dead, but I never guessed that John would be the one wearing it! Last Friday Carol Silverman had a 50th birthday party for her husband, and she got John to come "in drag" for entertainment. Coming so close on the heels of his dropping to the floor and performing the 'Gator at a recent dance, well, people are finally getting to see the real John -- the crazy, fun-loving guy that only his closest friends get to see. Guys he works with have been coming up to me all week, wanting to know what we did to "force" him into doing this. They just don't believe me when I say "not a dang thing!" I must admit, it was kind of fun dressing him up. I dug through our dress-up trunk and found an old slinky black jersey one-shouldered mini dress of mine, and he wore it with thigh high stockings and lots of jewels. Of course, his bushy red beard went great with the curly red wig!

Check out those gorgeous gams!

The kids and I have thoroughly enjoyed our batik workshop with Azziz this week, although I doubt if my "masterpiece" will ever be hung. It's such a fascinating art, but it involves so many complicated (and somewhat caustic) chemical processes, that I doubt if it would be very practical as a hobby. We were forced to take the whole week off from quilting because this was so time consuming, and I can hardly wait to get back to it. I want to get this first sampler quilt out of the way so I can start on my Christmas fabrics that I brought back from Singapore.

Alexis has been on many school trips and exchanges since moving here, but today it was finally Austin's turn. Mr. and Mrs. Zavala flew up to Medan with all the 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders for just a one day exchange with the Medan International School and the Medan Japanese School. He was so excited last night that he just couldn't get to sleep. I thought I would be dragging him out of bed by his toenails this morning (they had to be at the school by 6:15) but he had me walking down there in the dark and we arrived by 6:00! They get back this evening around 6:00, and I bet he will be one pooped puppy.

These kids look Indonesian to me, but it's the only school-visit photo of Austin I could find.

This week was probably the best in two years, as far as mail goes. The Southern Living magazine that I asked Theda for, and the three lace doilies that I asked Carolyn for, all made it here safe and sound. It's just amazing how much little things like that mean to us. I was on cloud nine all week! I enjoyed the magazine so much that I went ahead and subscribed. A full year's overseas subscription is only $26.95, and since Theda spends close to that every time she sends a little packet of magazines and computer junk, I figure that even if only half of them make it here, we'll still come out ahead. Another big hit that came in the mail was an article, from Kathy and Bud, about the recent sightings of some Blue Footed Boobies in Texas. For those of you who don't know, that is the silly secret "magic word" that I have used with the kids since they were tiny, but until they saw this article, I don't think they ever actually believed me when I told them that there really was such a bird!

Guess that's all for now, and as always, PLEASE WRITE!!!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEGINNING TO ADJUST WHEN...

7th April, 1993

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry it's been so long since my last letter, but I was just way too busy having fun, with visiting sister Kathy, to stop and sit at the computer! We really had a blast, but I guess you could say her agenda ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. We started off by picking her up in Singapore and going straight to Penang. We stayed at the same place we went to last year -- the one with all sorts of organized activities for the kids, the great rock slide into the pool, massages on the beach, little flags to raise when you wanted another drink, etc. (you get the picture!) Then we took her to Lake Toba back in Sumatra. Carolyn is the only one who can fully appreciate what you have to go through to get there, for she has now "experienced" travel in Indonesia!

Sister Kathy, a.k.a. Gus

First we had a one hour flight back to Medan -- not too bad, although you might not recognize any of the foods they serve on board. The Medan airport itself is the real adventure. No air-conditioning, lots of clove-scented smoke, millions of little porters in yellow jumpsuits who scramble for your bags, whether you want them to or not, and then head off in ten different directions, etc. Then there are the mobs of people, none of whom believe in queuing up for anything! Assertiveness goes first so, of course, we are always last.

We were met there by a very nice driver with a van who, unfortunately, spoke not one word of English.  (sad to say, our Indonesian isn't so hot either) He took us to lunch at Pizza Hut, and to the grocery store to stock up on "survival food." Then we embarked on the four hour trip up to Lake Toba, and this is where words fail me. All I can say is, thank heaven I had on my motion sickness patch, and was able to sit in back with my eyes closed the entire trip. I thought I had developed nerves of steel with regards to the local driving habits, but this was a true test! It was worth it though (easier to say, now that I've come out alive) for the lake truly is amazing. The island in the middle of it is larger than Singapore (so imagine the size of the lake itself!) and was originally the home of the Batak tribe, who were cannibals (we got to see some of their ancient stone tables, chairs and execution blocks) and they managed to withstand the influence of the Moslems by isolating themselves on the island and eating any strangers who ventured in. At least one intrepid missionary must have managed to infiltrate the island without being eaten, for now they are all Christians. They really love music and singing, and you see "Batak Singers" listed as entertainment at clubs all over Asia.  We stayed in some really neat cottages that resembled Batak houses, with roofs that are pointed on each end -- no A.C., but you don't really need it since it's nice and cool up in the mountains. Oh yeah, did I mention that this lake was formed in an ancient volcano crater?

After spending a few days here, we had to do the whole tedious trip in reverse. Unfortunately, I had used up my last patch, so I was green most of the trip. We were convinced of our driver's excellence when he managed to find us a little minit mart type place to stop at on the way home that actually had a clean bathroom. No, the toilet was not western style, but at that point, we really didn't care. Hey! That reminds me! A friend in Jakarta found this in her book on culture shock:

You know you are beginning to adjust to Indonesia when...

• you spend the night on the toilet, and don't bother mentioning it the next morning
• you sleep through the 4:30 A.M. call to prayer from the mosque's loudspeaker
• you don't flinch when faced with squatting over an Asian-style toilet
• you are positive cars in American movies are driving on the wrong side of the road
• you go on home leave, and try to bargain in the department store

I guess you could say we are very well-adjusted now!

Poor Kathy thought she was going to end her vacation by spending the week here at our house being waited on by our staff, lounging around the pool, and having facials and manicures at the salon. Unfortunately, she arrived right at the end of Ramadan (I swear I didn't know this when Bud bought her ticket last summer), which meant the help was on vacation the whole week, and the salon was closed. She's convinced I planned it that way so that I would have her help doing all those dishes by hand, and having to hang laundry out on the clothesline, since the dryer quit working the day she arrived! We still managed to have lots of fun and sun, then had a great couple of days in Singapore (hey Gus, remember eating Boober Cha Cha for tea at the Raffles, and almost wetting our pants, we got to giggling so hard?) before she had to head home. All in all, this has been a fantastic year for me, but next year will be rough. We are fairly certain we won't be having any more visitors from home, and the longer we are here, the more homesick we get. Also, the older Alexis gets, the harder it will be on her at school, since there will be less and less kids near her age.

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for John's play. He's done nothing but moan and groan about it from day one, so I was really shocked when I finally saw a rehearsal and discovered that he was great! The director says he is the most improved of all the cast members. His only problem is that he has trouble keeping a straight face when he says something funny, but I think the audience will love it all the more if he actually loses it during a performance! He swears he will never do this again, but maybe it will be like having babies, and he will forget about the agony after a while.

Not much else to tell, except to update you on our plans for the summer. Looks like we will be arriving in Cincinnati around 6:00am Sat., May 22, then in Dallas Sat., May 29, around 10:00 am. John will probably drive on out to Odessa the next day, but the kids and I will wait and fly out a week later. Luckily, we will be there to keep George company so that Theda can fly up to see Megan graduate from high school June 10th. Around June 28th we plan to head for the hills! (Texas Hill Country, that is) We hope to stop in and see the Reeh's ranch in Doss, meet up with the Sanfords in Fredericksburg, maybe take in Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, and finally end up by dropping Alexis off at camp in San Marcos on July 4th. We've discovered what appears to be a great one at Southwest Texas State University's Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center. It's called Aquatic Studies Summer Camp, and they combine learning about pond, river and aquifer life with doing fun things every afternoon like tubing, rafting, and going to Schlitterbahn, Aquarena Springs, Seaworld and Natural Bridge Caverns. She's really excited, and it looks like her friends Lizzie and Jennifer Newsome will be going too (same one she went to Scout camp with last year).

Anyway, as soon as we drop her off we will head up to Dallas, since John has to fly out late on July 8th. Then I will have to turn around and go back to get Alexis the next weekend. Anyone care to go along for the ride?  It looks like July 16th will be the best weekend for our family trip to New Orleans, to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary. May 1st is the actual day, but they are sneaking away on a cruise by themselves, and waiting until we get home this summer for the family celebration.

That covers just about everything, except for a 3 or 4 week orgy of malls, movies and restaurants, before the kids and I head back home around August 11th. Y'all take care, and let me know if anyone hears of any great activities for Mr. Austin to participate in this summer. We can't wait to see you all, and are counting the days until we head in that direction -- 43 to be exact!

P.S. I've got lots of pictures I'll be posting over the next few days. In fact, we took so many on these trips that I will have to sort through them first, and just pick out the best of the best!

GOOD LUCK FOLLOWS ME AROUND THE GLOBE

Dearest Friends,

I have always been rather lucky when it comes to contests. You'd be shocked at how many  prizes I have won, considering how few contests I have bothered to enter. In Sumatra I shocked even myself, however, by winning the grand prize in a contest I didn't enter!

Almost everyone on the compound had ordered at least a few pieces of teak or rattan from the furniture-makers in Medan, but only a few had ordered from this one fellow in Singapore (Or was it Jakarta? I really can't remember.) I had been with friends when they ordered from this guy, and his stuff was indeed beautiful, but it was just way too expensive for this frugal frau. Then, however, Danny and Peggy invited John and I over to admire their new fold-out bar when it arrived, and that was all it took. My hubby just had to have one! We knew we couldn't take our full-sized patio bar home with us -- there just wouldn't be room for it in most houses. But this? This would fit in most any house! Eventually, I caved in.

A few weeks after I placed the order, I got a letter from the furniture-maker. I expected it to say the usual "Oops, so sorry! Delivery will be much later than we told you." That is not what it said. Instead I found out that, unbeknownst to me, there had been a drawing for several pieces of furniture, and they had entered the name of every single person who had ever placed an order with them. Guess who won, not just any old prize, but the muy grande prize of a Fold Out Bar? Yep, little ol' me. They gave me a choice: apply the prize credit towards the bar we had already ordered, or use it to order something else. Sooo, we ended up ordering this...

and then we couldn't resist ordering this as well...

and, oh yeah, there was also a cute little curio cabinet to hang on the wall. So, yeah, as you can see, winning that contest ended up costing me a bundle. I should have know better than to let John go to the showroom with me! But, here it is, almost 20 years later, we're still using all those pieces, and they are still gorgeous, so...maybe it was all for the best, huh?

LETTERS HOME: DISNEY WORLD!!!

20th February, 1992

Dear George and Theda,

Greetings from beautiful Lhok Seumawe!  I'm so sorry that we were late in making George's birthday call.  John was just sick about it.  The kids sure did enjoy the Valentine cards you sent.  As for those catalogs, I would love it if you sent the Spiegel and the Hearth Song (if they're not too big), but the rest can wait.  We're still trying to get things straightened out for home leave and our first trip to Disney World.  I don't know who's more excited, the kids or the parents!  We thought we would have to fly from Singapore to Tokyo to Dallas to Orlando, but the travel agent found a direct flight from Tokyo to Orlando, which will put us in around 9:00 p.m. Saturday the 30th.  We will leave there on June 6 and go to Dallas (provided this fits in with Mike and Prisi's plans -- we still haven't checked dates with them).  John will stay for just a few days, then drive our car on out to Odessa to see you guys, and the kids and I will probably fly out the next Sunday evening, the 14th.  We should be there about two weeks.

There are several doctors we need to see while there, and I would really appreciate it if you could line up a few appointments for us.  I guess the kids both need to see their pedodontist in Midland (Walter Taylor) and John and I need to see our dentist, Vincent Bash.  Also, I would like to get a mammogram, since I've never had one.  Wherever you get yours would be fine.  I will probably need to go see a dermatologist as well.  I was doing fine in nice, dry west Texas, but something about Indonesia has set me off.  Imagine, getting zits again at almost 40! (Note from the future: turns out it wasn't really zits, but some kind of creepy infection!)

I guess all of us will drive back to Dallas around Friday, June 26th.  John has to leave for Indonesia on July 1st, but the kids and I will stay in Dallas for that whole month.  Hopefully Alexis will be able to go to Girl Scout camp during that time, and we can get Austin signed up for something too.  Mom's checking to see what the Science Place and Children's Museum have to offer.  I may even send him back to Midland if Karen and Linda sign their boys up for baseball camp or something.  On July 31st the kids and I hope to meet you two down in Houston for the Lane family reunion.  Then, if you wouldn't mind, I thought I would let the kids fly back to Odessa with you, but that I would try to stay in Houston two or three days longer, so I could try and meet up with Paula and Charlene.  I will go on to Odessa Tuesday or Wednesday, the kids and I will fly back to Dallas on the 7th, then we head back to Indonesia August 12th.  Whew!  All this is very tentative though -- who knows what will actually happen!

I went with Peggy Reeh on a lightening quick trip to Jakarta this week.  Basically, we only had one day there, so we started out at 8:00 a.m. and didn't get to eat dinner until 10:00 p.m.  Fun, but tiring!  Found lots of good Christmas and birthday presents to bring home for everyone in the States.  John doesn't want to go anywhere over spring break.  He can't stand to use up any vacation days that could be used on Home Leave, and I don't blame him!  Next month I'm supposed to go with 3 other ladies to spend 3 or 4 days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  I don't know much about it, but they say it's kind of like Singapore 10 or 20 years ago, before they tore everything down to build high-rises, and much cheaper.

I finally got my nerve up and made a trip out to the golf course.  Much to my surprise, I actually had a pretty good time.  Of course, I had no idea what I was doing, and the girl who was trying to show me how wasn't much better.  If we could just find a really good teacher, who knows?  I might finally learn to like a sport (don't faint!).  I'm sure I hit less than 100, though we didn't keep score.  Of course, we only played four holes.  You'd love the naked little boys that dive for your balls when they land in water, then sell them back to you!

Tomorrow night one of the girls here is having eight couples for dinner and Bunco.  I'm really looking forward to it.  Did I tell you about meeting Julie Underriner, the one having the party?  I was just chatting with her one day, and discovered that her sister lives in Midland, and is good friends with my old boss Barb!  We used to cater stuff for her all the time, but I never had a clue she had a sister in Indonesia.  It really is a small world, isn't it?

Next weekend the 3rd through 8th graders get to fly to Medan for an exchange weekend with the International School there.  Alexis is so excited about getting to go off by herself with all the big kids!  It should be a great adventure for her.  They are even taking them out to visit some kind of Orangutan Preserve.  They held auditions for the spring play this week.  This one is just for the older kids.  They're doing Pinnochio, but we are almost hoping that Alexis doesn't get much of a part.  She has enough trouble keeping up with all the homework they pile on her as it is, without having to memorize a million lines as well!

Not much else to tell.  I was certainly startled to see the town of Bogata, Texas in the headlines  today, for having six cases of AIDS in their itty bitty high school.  That's where my uncle's ranch is, and where all my cousins went to high school.  Good thing they've already graduated!  Well, take care, and write soon.

LETTERS FROM SUMATRA: LEXIE'S BIRTHDAY BASH

20th January, 1992

Howdy there folks at home,

Is everybody freezing their little tushes off?  I spent all afternoon Sunday on my big purple float that has  little holes for your drink in the armrests.  I deserved it, after all I went through putting on Alexis' 9th birthday extravaganza.  I hope my friends there are duly appreciative of being able to let McDonalds or the roller rink do all the work for you.  I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if Santa Claus hadn't brought her this stupid book full of party ideas.  She chose the "Enchanted Garden" theme, which meant we were getting all the twinkle lights back out to string in the trees, hanging wind chimes, cutting out a bazillion little gold moons and stars to hang from the ceiling, baking fairy ring cakes and pixie pizzas, and trying to figure out how to make a wishing well from a trash can.  Then of course, it rained the entire day, so we had to move everything indoors (18 little girls, and one little brother, dressed up as fairies, pixies and leprechauns, bouncing off my walls!).  I guess it was all worth it though -- at least the kids had a great time.

Smartest thing I ever did?  Putting the older kids in charge of entertainment!

A lull in the rain allowed them to try out the bubble wands.

We're starting up a new session of after school activities this week.  Instead of teaching cooking to toddlers again, I decided to try teaching a craft/sewing class to 2nd through 6th grade girls.  I think it will be fun.  Alexis signed up to take tennis from another mom who is supposed to be really good.  She had her first lesson today, and seemed to have a great time.  If she gets good enough, maybe she can teach me!  Austin will be taking "Fun with Bikes".  Hopefully, it will include some bike safety lessons. He makes me really nervous!  I still haven't got around to trying out my golf clubs -- I seem to be putting it off.

Not much else to tell right now.  We've been invited to one of those "How to Host a Murder" parties next weekend, by a couple that's pretty zany, so it's sure to be interesting.  Also, we're having an exchange with the international school in Medan.  About 30 of their kids are coming down here for a fun-filled weekend, and we will have a 3rd grade boy staying with us.  Guess that's about it.  Take care, and write soon.

Love,
Becky, John, Austin and Alexis

P.S.  Theda, Lex loved the books about Molly McGuire that you sent her.  Did you know that they are part of the American Girl Doll Collection?  We gave her the "Samantha" doll and books for her birthday.  The next time you are at Sam's, check their book department and see if they still have some of the American Girl calendars, diaries, activity sets, etc.  Those would all be great things to put back until next summer, for her birthday and Christmas.  There are also all kinds of clothes and accessories that you can order from their catalog, to go with the doll, but they are outrageously expensive, so I thought I would see if the tailors here could make some matching dresses for Lex and her doll, if I show them some pictures from the catalog. (Her doll is dressed in the styles of 1904 -- sort of Victorian, with pinafores, etc.)  Also, I might be able to get some wicker furniture made to fit the doll.  Can you tell I'm having as much (or more) fun with this as Alexis?

Oh yeah.  Did you send some books to Austin as well?  If so, I'm sure they will be there when we go to Singapore of Feb. 7th. (we're finally taking the kids to the orthodontist -- the dentist here thought Austin should to as well.  He thinks if they start "expanding" his jaw early, maybe they could avoid pulling a bunch of teeth.)  The kids both thought the Kids Discover magazine you sent was really cool, and would love to get more of them!  Well, take care.

AZIZ: BATIK GENIUS

Dearest Friends,

On Christmas Eve we went to an open house given by our next-door neighbors, Bob and Judy.  We were pretty worn out from all the partying by then, but I spotted something there that perked me right up -- some pictures kinda like these:

They had the lights dimmed for the party, and until I got right up close, and could see all the little crackle lines, I assumed they were water color paintings or pastels.  They were absolutely nothing like any batiks I had ever seen before -- the mass-produced sort in garish colors that appeal to tourists -- so I immediately went to find my hostess, to pump her for information.  I found out that they were done by an artist in Medan, by the name of Aziz.  We paid him a visit, first chance we got.

For some reason my favorite art has always been of ordinary people, doing ordinary things, whether it be selling veggies at the market...

harvesting cacao beans...

or shopping for fabric.

What I loved most about this artist's work was that, though he may have created hundreds of these fabric stall scenes over his lifetime, each one was unique, differing in hue, texture, pattern and expression.

I don't remember how much we paid for them, maybe two or three hundred each?  Then we had to pay that much again to have them properly framed and matted in Singapore.  Anyhoo, it was an exorbitant amount to me at the time, and the most extravagant purchase I had ever made -- which is why we only bought three for ourselves, over the next three years, plus one smaller one as a gift for my artist mother-in-law.  Whatever they cost, they are worth twenty times that to me now.

During our last year in Indonesia, my friend Teri somehow managed to convince Aziz to come to our compound and teach a two day workshop at our school, for all the kids.  I volunteered to help out, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Miss Melody, our Austin, and little Emily learn how to block out certain areas on their batiks with wax, before dipping them into various dye baths.

I wish I could tell you more about this gentleman, but since most Indonesians only have one name -- a name that thousands of other Indonesians share -- I had no luck at all when I tried to "google" him.  All I can tell you is that he was ageless, he worked from his small home surrounded by children and grandchildren, the formula for his special dyes were his great secret, and that they were so caustic that they had eaten away all his fingernails, as he refused to wear gloves when he worked.  Oh, and one more thing -- that I am very blessed to have met him, to have seen a true artist at work, and to have these examples of his genius in my possession, even if the rest of the world is now oblivious to his existence.

MEDAN DELIGHTS

Dearest Friends,

I was never the dedicated shopper that most of my compadres were, but every so often, if there was something I really needed, if the kitchen cupboards were extremely bare, or if I just had a severe case of compound fever, and we weren't due to go out to Singapore or on vacation any time soon, I would let one of my friends talk me into a day-trip to Medan.

Image from igougo.com

Medan was the 3rd or 4th largest city in Indonesia, and the largest by far on the island of Sumatra.  If you wished to go there, you made sure your hubby got your name in the hat for a seat on the co-plane well in advance.  If they decided they probably had room for you, you needed to be up and out of the house before dawn, to get to the tiny, open-air, company-run airport in time.  Then you prayed that they hadn't had to remove too many rows of seats to make room for cargo (which had priority over just about anyone other than major muckety-mucks).  Worst of all, you had to step onto a big freight scale to be weighed, while a bunch of little 80-pound Indonesian men gathered round to watch!  If their pencil and paper tallies said they could afford to take on that much extra weight, you were finally allowed to board the little plane.

Image from panoramio.com

Once you arrived at Polonia airport in Medan, which wasn't just a whole lot better, and if you had remembered to make arrangements in advance with Mrs. Ben, there would be an air-conditioned car and driver waiting to pick you up and spend the day driving you hither and yon.  The most important stop of the day, of course, was at Mrs. Ben's grocery store (actually, it was called Mr. Ben's, but it was obvious who ran the place) where you would purchase a few of the necessities you couldn't find back on the compound -- like hot dogs, bacon, cheese and sour cream -- and a few special treats.  My weakness was Baldedas bubblebath (the Asian equivalent of Green VitaBath), which caused me to break into a major happy dance, first time I spotted it there.  They would then pack your food into coolers with dry ice, and have them waiting at the airport for you when you got there.  You couldn't risk buying too much though, or they might not let it all on the plane!

There were a couple of furniture-makers there that we all frequented, primarily because they were willing to combine orders and ship things directly to the compound for you.  One, called Edy's, is where I had ordered the new wicker furniture for our living area, and where John had his fancy dart-board cabinet and Medan Craps sets made.

Yes, my hubby's pride and joy now resides on the floor behind a toilet, out in our garage utility room!

Lunch was usually at one of the hotels, and the last stop of the day, before finally making our way back to the airport, would be to pick up the Pizza Hut order we had called in -- a much appreciated treat for our hubbies and children, who would be very hungry by the time we came dragging in!  In between there was a frenetic blur of antique shops, shoe factories, congested streets filled with the ting-a-ling of the pedi-cabs called becaks, a thousand honking horns, choking smog, and mysterious aromas.  Oh, and we must not forget the one bright and shining star that stood out from all the rest, Azziz!  But, you will have to wait a bit to find out more about him, for he deserves a special post, all of his own.

Writing this post reminded me that we still had our beautiful Medan Craps set hidden under a piece of furniture here, and hadn't played it in years.  Since our kids and their friends are all very much into games, will be here for the holidays, and were too little to play this game back in Indonesia, I decided to pull it out, dust it off, and get it ready for their arrival.  There's just one problem.  Neither John nor I can remember how to play!  Can any of our Indo-buds help us out here?

COMING DOWN TO EARTH

Dearest Friends,

The Singapore airport is one of the most beautiful, easily navigated airports in the world, and Singapore Airlines has always been the epitome of luxury to me, with it's serenely exotic attendants clad in full-length batik sarongs with fitted tops.  However, from that point on, each leg of our journey brought our kids just a bit further down from the stratosphere.  The closer we got to our final destination, the wider their eyes, and the more serious their expressions.  I knew exactly how they felt!

image from tokyoworklife.com

It's all a bit hazy now, but I'm pretty sure we landed in Medan, the largest city on the island of Sumatra, and had to clear customs there.  The airport there is nothing like the one in Singapore!  I remember a large cavernous building, old and none too clean; sweltering heat; a small kiosk selling newspapers, candy, some bottled Fanta sodas, etc.; and the smell of those clove-scented cigarettes.  You know how I said the scent of Tiger Balm whisks me straight back to Singapore?  Well, it's clove-scented cigarettes that take me to Indonesia!  

As soon we had cleared customs, a swarm of little men in bright yellow or orange jumpsuits descended upon us and began grabbing our bags. They each insisted that they should be the one to help us, and that we should follow them, then they all headed off in different directions!  You always ended up having to tip five or six different people just to get them all back.  It was very disconcerting, and I never quite got the hang of keeping things under control.  My friend Crys always referred to them as "the bumblebees."  Of course, I should add that, in all that time, we never actually lost anything, and the total of what we paid those five or six was still probably less than what you would tip a single porter here in the states.  So, as they say, it's all relative.  It was pretty overwhelming to the kids though, especially since they were both very blonde when they were young, which made all the Indonesians want to touch their hair.

Since the company plane wouldn't be leaving for several more hours, we'd been instructed to take a cab to Mobil Oil's guest house, where we sat in a daze, along with several other Mobil employees, until it was time to head back to the airport.  At least it had A.C.!

The next leg of the journey was the part I'd been dreading the most.  Thanks to my propensity for motion-sickness, I was very leery of small planes.  Thankfully though, the company plane (or co-plane, as everyone called it) was a small jet with a very smooth ride, and I am happy to report that I never once got sick on it!  The planes were primarily for moving cargo to and from the plant sight, and the number of passengers allowed on depended upon how many rows of seats had to be removed to make room for all the cargo.  There was usually a huge pile of it, strapped down and covered with a net, right there in the cabin with us!  Finally, we took off.