Riding Solo
Jul. 1st, 2009 10:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeThe problem with being with a couple for any length of time is that you get the distinct impression that you are getting in the way. At home, I can only spend a few hours alone with a couple before I start to feel uncomfortable. Here, it has taken four days. In Singapore it wasn't a problem because my friend and his girlfriend were working at differing times, meaning I spent my time with either one of them. However, since Saturday, it has been the three of us and I get the feeling that I am starting to become a nuisance. Today, they spent a lot of the day hugging, cuddling, holding hands and kissing. They spent all of their time walking together, allowing me to lag behind. Everything she did, he did, and so, essentially, I was left to my own devices whilst still being with them. I don't necessarily think this is intentional but tonight, when they opted to go for dinner, I just made my excuses and headed back to the hotel.
It's a minor thing and one that will disappear as soon as I get back to Singapore on Friday as I will just do things on my own, but it has cast a bit of a shadow on things. I know I shouldn't worry as he was massively excited about seeing me and he is the reason why I am experiencing all this cool stuff. I don't want to say anything either for fear of ruining the friendship, particularly as his girlfriend is moving back to London from Singapore as of July 7 and this is the last chance he will get to see her for a while (after the three weeks he will be spending in London until July 27). Saturday is her last day in Singapore and I don't want to get in the way, despite being assured it's fine.
After making excuses, I returned to the hotel to find that a rat has shat in my bed. I assume it's a rat - I am not an officienado on shit but it's long and thin and looks like a rat's shit. One scuttled across my foot as I was walking back to the hotel so they are ubiquitous. The staff have checked the room, there is nothing in there, but it must have got in and out somehow. I doubt it happened at the same time the staff changed my bed as it wouldn't have scuttled in, done a shit and scuttled out again without anybody noticing. Will make for an interesting night tonight.
Today we went to Solo, a town an hour away from Yogyakarta with a population of over half a million. It is a smaller and more organised town than Jogja, with a more friendly feel. It is also far less chaotic. We went down there to check out the Kraton (there written Keraton) Surakarta, which is far more splendid and ornate than the Kraton here in Jogja. The intricate woodwork and delicate painting was spectacular, as was the gamelan instruments that were on display. Knees and elbows had to be covered - thankfully my baggy shorts meant they fell below my knees so I was spared the embarrassing batik trousers, unlike my friend. His girlfriend had to take off her shoes and burn her feet on the scalding earth. The outside of the Keraton is painted blue and looks very Victorian colonial. However, it was built well before then. We also looked around the Sasono Sewoko Museum, which is dedicated to life in the Keraton. Here, we saw many tools linked to the dynasty incumbent at the Keraton, was well as Hindu-Javanese figures made out of silver and bronze. We also saw antiques, heirlooms and many carriages. There was a distinct horsey theme too.
We also got an ice cream from the ice cream bike that plays a weedy jingly musical tune. It's very much like an emaciated ice cream truck, in every sense of the word.
We had got to Solo on train and this was an experience in itself. We were whisked through the main queue - you had to take a number, ours was 548, they were calling 370 - by a security guard, who marched us to a secret ticket office. We purchased tickets there and boarded the train. The seats were mere benches stretching the length of the train, one on each side. On them, we whizzed past paddy fields and long straw-topped barns as Indonesia's agricultural side once more opened itself up for us. The trip on the way back was even more interesting as we had to go through another train to reach our train. When we got there, we found a window had been smashed in and there was litter all over the floor. It was like a riot. But not as much as the riot on the football express that had passed through Solo station some minutes before we boarded our train. This was a cattle mart in many ways, with people crammed into carriages, sat on the roof and also in between the carriages. They were all shouting something rude about Solo as they went through the station, whilst banging on the roof of the train. It was rather surreal and definitely not something you would get in England.
Not much else happened in Solo really. My friend's girlfriend stood on some red ants, which are ubiquitous here, and they stung her foot. She was in a lot of pain. I bought a little wooden child's toy that cost me Rp 9000 (75 cents) that was a nice little gift to accompany the pink whip I bought at the Dieng Plateau yesterday. We also had an hour to kill at the railway station so watched a strange film about an Indonesian boy called Ikshan who was failing in school and had to be moved to a special school. It dealt with his emotional struggle and was quite moving, despite the English translation being hilarious in places - "Neat your shirt or you will be angried" anyone?
I also tried a srabi a crispy pancake with gelatinous ricey gunk in. I had a plain one and a chocolate one and it was most delicious. Well, it was better than the restaurant meal we had - it was the first time we had followed a Lonely Planet recommendation (well, the second but the first time, the restaurant had since closed down) and we wished we hadn't. I had a sirloin stake that looked suspiciously like turkey and everything was covered in goo. It was pretty horrid. We should have tried the market food as no doubt it would have been better. This was in a massive clothing market where every store sold practically the same thing. However, we decided not to opt for the food as it looked like it had been sat there for ages. The restaurant was also on the end of a street that can only be described as a plushphile's heaven as it contained plush shop after plush shop after plush shop (plus a batik shop - I wonder if they do batik plushes...). I also sampled a real strawberry smoothie from a roadside stand. It was made with real strawberry, condensed milk and ice. It was beautiful.
On this street there was also a chemists that sold Kum Kum. This was an easy to use powder puff - all you had to do was "pull the hard knob firmly" - I should have got a picture.
The journey back was tiring but we were determined to see the Wayang Kulit at the Pendopo Museum. Wayang is the traditional shadow puppet show of Indonesia and the performances can last for up to eight hours. This one was a mere two but with full backing accompaniment from a full Gamelan orchestra, the event was truly magnificent. Granted, it was all in Bhasar Indonesia so I didn't understand a word but a brief plot synopsis gave us the outline of the story in English and the performance more than made up for the confusing language. The story performed was another Hindu story - Rama's Dam - and in it there was an ape and wolf-like character to keep the furries amused. The puppets themselves are crafted out of leather (the Kulit part) - others are made out of wood. These ones were made out of buffalo hide and they are intricately decorated and designed. Tiny dots of 0.5mm diameter adorn these puppets, as do holes through which the light shines through. As the light is so strong and the sheet so thin, you can see the colouring and the pattern through it, creating a unique shadow.
The puppeteer, who also did the voices of the characters is highly skilled, often performing four characters all in one go. These characters have three controlling mechanisms - one to hold them upright and two to control each arm. The arms are triple jointed (at the shoulder, elbow and wrist) and movement is created through the puppeteer flicking his wrist in a particular way. Between each scene the characters walked on and off the stage and there were many points in the play where there was fighting between puppets. At one point, the puppeteer was throwing them up in the air, catching them and continuing the battle whilst simultaneously flicking his wrists. Behind him, the raucous Gamelan band portrayed a sense of urgency, so much so that you didn't need to understand the specifics to enjoy the show.
Down the side of the stage, all the puppets from the other shows were adorned (there are eight shows on rotation - we just saw one of them). Afterwards, we were told how the puppets were made and we congratulated all involved for a spectacular performance. Indeed, it was another memorable evening.
The other thing to point out is that almost all of the scant few Westerners I have seen out here have been Dutch. I know Indonesia used to belong to the Dutch (until 1949 I believe and that only ended after a bloody war) but seriously, I didn't realise that so many Dutch people existed!
Tomorrow is my last day in Indonesia before I move back to Singapore for two days. If any fur is interested in joining me on Friday evening and/or during the day on Saturday then let me know. I may be going to the swamp or Sentosa on Saturday and it would be great to spend some time together :-)
P.S. If anyone knows any furs in Bangkok, I will be there Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 July. I'll be on my own so it will be good to meet up with a few of them :-)
P.P.S. There are a lot of horses pulling carts out here, many with beautifully crafted bridles, reins and bits. It has reawakened my desires to be a pony boy and then some...
It's a minor thing and one that will disappear as soon as I get back to Singapore on Friday as I will just do things on my own, but it has cast a bit of a shadow on things. I know I shouldn't worry as he was massively excited about seeing me and he is the reason why I am experiencing all this cool stuff. I don't want to say anything either for fear of ruining the friendship, particularly as his girlfriend is moving back to London from Singapore as of July 7 and this is the last chance he will get to see her for a while (after the three weeks he will be spending in London until July 27). Saturday is her last day in Singapore and I don't want to get in the way, despite being assured it's fine.
After making excuses, I returned to the hotel to find that a rat has shat in my bed. I assume it's a rat - I am not an officienado on shit but it's long and thin and looks like a rat's shit. One scuttled across my foot as I was walking back to the hotel so they are ubiquitous. The staff have checked the room, there is nothing in there, but it must have got in and out somehow. I doubt it happened at the same time the staff changed my bed as it wouldn't have scuttled in, done a shit and scuttled out again without anybody noticing. Will make for an interesting night tonight.
Today we went to Solo, a town an hour away from Yogyakarta with a population of over half a million. It is a smaller and more organised town than Jogja, with a more friendly feel. It is also far less chaotic. We went down there to check out the Kraton (there written Keraton) Surakarta, which is far more splendid and ornate than the Kraton here in Jogja. The intricate woodwork and delicate painting was spectacular, as was the gamelan instruments that were on display. Knees and elbows had to be covered - thankfully my baggy shorts meant they fell below my knees so I was spared the embarrassing batik trousers, unlike my friend. His girlfriend had to take off her shoes and burn her feet on the scalding earth. The outside of the Keraton is painted blue and looks very Victorian colonial. However, it was built well before then. We also looked around the Sasono Sewoko Museum, which is dedicated to life in the Keraton. Here, we saw many tools linked to the dynasty incumbent at the Keraton, was well as Hindu-Javanese figures made out of silver and bronze. We also saw antiques, heirlooms and many carriages. There was a distinct horsey theme too.
We also got an ice cream from the ice cream bike that plays a weedy jingly musical tune. It's very much like an emaciated ice cream truck, in every sense of the word.
We had got to Solo on train and this was an experience in itself. We were whisked through the main queue - you had to take a number, ours was 548, they were calling 370 - by a security guard, who marched us to a secret ticket office. We purchased tickets there and boarded the train. The seats were mere benches stretching the length of the train, one on each side. On them, we whizzed past paddy fields and long straw-topped barns as Indonesia's agricultural side once more opened itself up for us. The trip on the way back was even more interesting as we had to go through another train to reach our train. When we got there, we found a window had been smashed in and there was litter all over the floor. It was like a riot. But not as much as the riot on the football express that had passed through Solo station some minutes before we boarded our train. This was a cattle mart in many ways, with people crammed into carriages, sat on the roof and also in between the carriages. They were all shouting something rude about Solo as they went through the station, whilst banging on the roof of the train. It was rather surreal and definitely not something you would get in England.
Not much else happened in Solo really. My friend's girlfriend stood on some red ants, which are ubiquitous here, and they stung her foot. She was in a lot of pain. I bought a little wooden child's toy that cost me Rp 9000 (75 cents) that was a nice little gift to accompany the pink whip I bought at the Dieng Plateau yesterday. We also had an hour to kill at the railway station so watched a strange film about an Indonesian boy called Ikshan who was failing in school and had to be moved to a special school. It dealt with his emotional struggle and was quite moving, despite the English translation being hilarious in places - "Neat your shirt or you will be angried" anyone?
I also tried a srabi a crispy pancake with gelatinous ricey gunk in. I had a plain one and a chocolate one and it was most delicious. Well, it was better than the restaurant meal we had - it was the first time we had followed a Lonely Planet recommendation (well, the second but the first time, the restaurant had since closed down) and we wished we hadn't. I had a sirloin stake that looked suspiciously like turkey and everything was covered in goo. It was pretty horrid. We should have tried the market food as no doubt it would have been better. This was in a massive clothing market where every store sold practically the same thing. However, we decided not to opt for the food as it looked like it had been sat there for ages. The restaurant was also on the end of a street that can only be described as a plushphile's heaven as it contained plush shop after plush shop after plush shop (plus a batik shop - I wonder if they do batik plushes...). I also sampled a real strawberry smoothie from a roadside stand. It was made with real strawberry, condensed milk and ice. It was beautiful.
On this street there was also a chemists that sold Kum Kum. This was an easy to use powder puff - all you had to do was "pull the hard knob firmly" - I should have got a picture.
The journey back was tiring but we were determined to see the Wayang Kulit at the Pendopo Museum. Wayang is the traditional shadow puppet show of Indonesia and the performances can last for up to eight hours. This one was a mere two but with full backing accompaniment from a full Gamelan orchestra, the event was truly magnificent. Granted, it was all in Bhasar Indonesia so I didn't understand a word but a brief plot synopsis gave us the outline of the story in English and the performance more than made up for the confusing language. The story performed was another Hindu story - Rama's Dam - and in it there was an ape and wolf-like character to keep the furries amused. The puppets themselves are crafted out of leather (the Kulit part) - others are made out of wood. These ones were made out of buffalo hide and they are intricately decorated and designed. Tiny dots of 0.5mm diameter adorn these puppets, as do holes through which the light shines through. As the light is so strong and the sheet so thin, you can see the colouring and the pattern through it, creating a unique shadow.
The puppeteer, who also did the voices of the characters is highly skilled, often performing four characters all in one go. These characters have three controlling mechanisms - one to hold them upright and two to control each arm. The arms are triple jointed (at the shoulder, elbow and wrist) and movement is created through the puppeteer flicking his wrist in a particular way. Between each scene the characters walked on and off the stage and there were many points in the play where there was fighting between puppets. At one point, the puppeteer was throwing them up in the air, catching them and continuing the battle whilst simultaneously flicking his wrists. Behind him, the raucous Gamelan band portrayed a sense of urgency, so much so that you didn't need to understand the specifics to enjoy the show.
Down the side of the stage, all the puppets from the other shows were adorned (there are eight shows on rotation - we just saw one of them). Afterwards, we were told how the puppets were made and we congratulated all involved for a spectacular performance. Indeed, it was another memorable evening.
The other thing to point out is that almost all of the scant few Westerners I have seen out here have been Dutch. I know Indonesia used to belong to the Dutch (until 1949 I believe and that only ended after a bloody war) but seriously, I didn't realise that so many Dutch people existed!
Tomorrow is my last day in Indonesia before I move back to Singapore for two days. If any fur is interested in joining me on Friday evening and/or during the day on Saturday then let me know. I may be going to the swamp or Sentosa on Saturday and it would be great to spend some time together :-)
P.S. If anyone knows any furs in Bangkok, I will be there Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 July. I'll be on my own so it will be good to meet up with a few of them :-)
P.P.S. There are a lot of horses pulling carts out here, many with beautifully crafted bridles, reins and bits. It has reawakened my desires to be a pony boy and then some...
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no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 04:15 pm (UTC)Oh, please. Ha ha, this is a problem with some couples, not with you personally. My partner and I spent a weekend with his ex and his new boyfriend, and they spent all the time and effort they could to make the both of us feel like third wheels. Instead of having the intended effect, it usually just displays massive insecurity and in our case, it confirmed what we had always known but he had vehemently denied, that my partner's ex was still not over my partner.
I wouldn't be surprised if he still wasn't although it's been a while since we've seen them.
People who go out of the way to do PDA not only seem to be insecure but for some reason they lack basic self-awareness, because they never seem to realize they may as well put up a big honking neon sign with big blinking letters, "INSECURE INSECURE INSECURE".
no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 05:51 pm (UTC)It reminds me of the family holiday I recently had. Quite simply, I just distracted myself with plenty of photo-taking. Since we all had our own cameras, we could take what we all wanted. I shot what I wanted and was a happy horse. If you don't want to feel like a cog out of place, just distract yourself. For me, I just pay attention to great shots that I can capture and share back home.
Indonesia just rocks on culture. And the sheer space they have to cater to a natural park. When I was young, Mum brought us out to Jakarta for a good 3 or 4 days. I remember getting to visit this amazing drive-through safari and getting to take a photo with a cheetah in your lap. There were promises of a white tiger, although the memory of it has faded a good deal.
P.S. Horses? Really? Well, bugger. Why didn't they have more of them carts when I was young? =(
no subject
Date: 2009-07-01 11:47 pm (UTC)I don't know of any furs in Bangkok, sorry. However I do know that travelling alone can be pretty lonely. If you want to meet other foreigners in Thailand then check out Silom, Siam or Khao San Road. You should also take a look at the Grand Palace, take a boat down the Chao Praya river in the evening and eat Som tam and Tom Yam Goong.
Sorry I am unable to meet you, sucks having to work. Take care.
no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 06:52 am (UTC)http://www.kemodungeon.com/index.php - this is in Thai, mostly.
PS. Krado: perhaps you're refering to fenrirwerewolf(rl-name is not given). X3
no subject
Date: 2009-07-04 03:15 pm (UTC)