Misc.

Bugs
There are no bugs here at Hotel Sarangan.  Oh, certainly outside there are, but very few mosquitoes indeed, and inside there are none.  I take it back, we did have one house fly.  Now there's something.  These house flies are the fastest flies I've ever tried to clap.  Can't get 'em, just too fast.  It's in the genes.

Entertainment
Had a wonderful time today, returning from lunch, walking by a hotel with some live Javanese entertainment.  Someone showed us in, another gave us a front row seat.  He turned out to be one of the musicians, and gave us drinks and snacks.  One of the drinks was arak Jawa (Java wine).  When the music stopped for a moment I was able to ask what percent?  About 30.  It was kind of wierd, we were almost as much entertainment as the entertainers.  It was a big tent full of chairs and the people were sitting all around the perimeter.  Most of the place was empty, room for another 50 to 100 people, and we were front and center.  After the set completed we excused ourselves, thanking everyone, shaking hands with everyone.  Really kind of fun.  And the real entertainment was Javanese vocalists with an electronic band that somewhat mimicked a gamalan jawa, but not.  It was a real treat.  This link will give you the flavor of the entertainment, add in another slinky woman, and middle aged jokester, a bit pudgy.  This particular song happens to be very very popular.  And they have been partying like that since noon (now 11PM), with the amplifiers blasting their music and antics all through the town.

Who's the entertainment?
After we leave the show we run into a gaggle of elementary school girls, who are of course quite surprised to see Occidentals in their midst.  Further surprised, when they are to shy to open their mouths, that I tell them in Indonesian who we are, where we're from, etc.  One responds with "tidak mengerti Ingris" (I don't understand English).  So now we're the entertainment.  Lets all gather round for a picture taking session with the kids and some of the parents.  Kind of fun.  Really.  Actually we go through this sort of thing on smaller scale nearly every other day.  Occidentals in an out of the way place, what the hell are we doing here anyway?  Well they don't really approach us like that, really it's always a very pleasant exchange.  We're sort of ambassadors of good will here, and it's very easy to do since everyone is sooo nice.

Shine
So I asked Juari at the hotel (He's usually the guy that waits on us.  We'll call him our butler.) about the arak 60 proof.  Not sold in stores, but 2.50USD can get you a bottle if you know who to ask.  We scored some, and I'm going to sample it in just a few...

Hand Shakes
There is a wonderful approach to handshaking here.  We in the West grip hard and manly, as if to say I'm just as strong as you, so don't mess with me.  Some might say the intent is not that, but rather to show sincerity.  You mean we equate strength and sincerity, is that it?  Anyway, the handshake is an Islamic thing.  After shaking hands softly, sometimes grasping the other's had with both hands, very gently, then the right hand is brought to ones own heart, as if to take a part of your friend and place it in your heart.  Children are taught an even more endearing approach, they will take your hand and brush it against their cheek.  The first time experiencing a child's handshake is really very heartwarming.  It was really a surprise too, I must admit, that a devout Muslim family would ask their children to shake our hands in such a way.

Taste Test
It goes down like brandy, smells like brandy but kind of like gin too.  So, no wine here, but we do have brandy, of sorts.

Holidays
Tomorrow is begins a long weekend for all of Indonesia.  The 17th is "Kenaikan Isa Al Masih" (The Ascension of Christ), and the next day is " Sesudah Kenaikan Isa Al Masih" (After The Ascension of Christ).  Yup, we're talking really Christian here.  We are really trying to maintain a pluralistic society here, this is a government holiday, and the banks are closed too.  Big doin's all weekend here.