San Jose del Cabo

So.. I'm on a plane headed to Mexico. The hotel I was going to stay at? Yeah, just got an email that they are overbooked. So I have no idea where I'm staying. I don't know how bad mosquitoes are there but I brought repellent so at least I have that if all else fails.

This is definitely going to be a rocky trip. If I can find power for my phone I will document it.
If I wash up on a beach...or not, at least I posted this blog with intention on following up.

HAHAHAHAHhahHhHhh

Oh geez. What is coming.

Done with COTI.

Today I did my final presentation. I think I spent more time than everyone else and it still turned out not so awesome. For me it all comes at once or not at all.  I spent so many hours writing my paper.

So this last week was amazing. I had WAY too much fun. I spent the whole week on my rental motorcycle going to Surakarta and Semarang. The traffic is crazy. You have to weave in and out of cars and constantly play chicken to get anywhere. Its really fun, in a non-death-wishy sort of way. Although I decided on one of those trips that if I were to die in some tragic accident I would prefer dying in a motorcycle accident. Ha.

Sometimes I prefer to drink from a bowl.

We went and watched this thing called Reog. I'm sure its on Youtube if you get curious, but its like this:
-bunch of Javanese guys dancing
-big mask made of real tiger fur face with a huge peacock feather mane that weighs more than 40 kgs
-mask is held up by possessed guy using only teeth
-guy that gets possessed by eating a live chicken to channel the tiger's spirit
-guy is able to go crazy with the mask and lift more than 100 lbs with only teeth (often people ride on the mask)
-the participants all told me I looked like the drummer from Greenday

I'm not sure if that last one happens every time but who knows..

I was talking to my sister Linda about how its impossible to write when you are really stressed. I've been really stressed due to the hours of trying to write my final paper and present it. Being stressed makes writing better though. I was finally able to get stuff done when I would put all Linda's music on shuffle replay.

I gotta be careful what I write on here... at least until I get back. Crazy place.

Melon Milk

Last week I had a double infection. It was quite the experience.
I had to keep putting on a jacket because I was freezing cold, then take off the jacket a few minutes later because I was so hot. Then I would sweat from fever and start freezing again. That lasted a few days.
I still have a bad headache.

After that, I started craving milk really bad. So I've been drinking tons of flavored milk. They have tons of flavors including melon, and grape. Its the melon flavored milk that I'm addicted to. I hope there is some sort of powder I can take home.

Speaking of addictions, I want some Blue Mountain Dew SO BAD.
They don't have caffeinated sodas here. Its a tragedy.

This is my last week of class. I can't wait to get home honestly. I've had my fun.
Now all I want to do is get back to Cross Country, and people who actually care.
All I can say is I'm censored.

I really want to avoid fried food, but its so impossible.
The family I live with fries pretty much everything, and I don't want to make them go out of their way to cater for me. They already do. It's so hard to reject things here. Its so impolite and sometimes it gets on my nerves because its like this: (this is not exaggerated)

ME: Wow, I just ate so much. I'm stuffed.
Person 1: Add some more
Person 2: Yeah, here is the dish, take it.
Me: Ya, sorry, I'm full.
Person 1: NO.. don't be reluctant, just take some.
Me: seriously, I'm full, I just ate this list of things and then repeated the list when you asked the first time.
Person 2: No, go ahead, we SERIOUSLY made this whole plate of food just for you.
Person 1: Yeah, if you don't eat it, your wasting our money. Noone else is eating that.
Me: Really, I already took half of that, and I don't want more.
Person 1: We're going to sit here and stare at you till you take some.
Me: Can I leave please?
Person 2: Here, I'm holding this dish so you can take some more.
Person 1: Stop being over-polite, you are family here.
Me: OK fine, I'll take a ridiculously tiny portion just to make you happy.
Person 2: ...you didnt eat enough vegetables. thats also why I'm spooning them on your plate.
Person 1: Here is this towering plate of fruit, because Americans eat so much.
Person: Oh, and you are the only one at the table who eats fruit. We'll just watch you.
Me: Wait.. why aren't you eating?
Person 1: Oh, I'm not hungry.
Person 2: Thats all for you
Me: I'm stuffed. This is uncomfortable.
Person 1: Oh, you must be exercising too much.
Me: I'd like to eat less. I cant do this 3 times a day.
Person 2: You're so ungrateful and shy.
Me: I'm sorry, I'm just not that hungry tonight.. I had a huge lunch.
Person 1: What's wrong with you? You must be sick.
Me: Uh, yeah, I AM sick.
Person 2: Eat this fried food. Don't eat simple things like oatmeal. It destroys your stomach.

THE END

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A few photos for the weekend..

Fences are often made of cement with jagged shards of glass poking out. lovely.

The next few photos are of a snake fruit tree (salak)

Squished frog. I love these, they are thin as paper.

During the Friday call to prayer for men..

A bunch of friends at the Pesantren Edi Mancoro.
Kinda like an Islamic boarding house.

I don't have time for anything else!!
except this!!

Some general blogginess... and a run..

So this is my run from yesterday morning. I'm getting pretty good at making running paths here with minimal crossover.. So yesterday morning I explored a new road. The scariest thing about exploring is the fact that it messes up my calculation of how much more I need to run if I hit a dead-end. I could probably just come back and run the dead-end again, but ..okay forget it. 

I went down this new road and intentionally passed the road that I knew would connect again because the road was a little longer. There were trees on both sides and little houses. So I got the end of the road and was searching for a way out without going back the way I came. I saw a little path that went into trees toward the main road I live on. At first I was like, oh cool, this road goes through this jungle and its perfect. Then I got to the back of a house and thought I was to the road. But I wasn't. Right as I came around the corner of the house I got a face-full of extremely strong thick web. 

Obviously I panicked and flailed my arms trying to fling off the invisible spiders.

But there still wasn't a clear road out.. and I was in someones private yard. (no way I'm going back past the spider web or screw up my running loop) After a few seconds (still flailing) I  found a small path and started bushwhacking towards the road. After a few more face-fulls of spider web and increased flailing I leaped over a bush onto the road. Mid-leap I had to slow myself down rather than get hit by a motorcycle that happened to be passing by.

So there I was half-stumble/jump-running out of a bush onto the road when an equally thick web decided to make its home on my face. I freaked out for a little while (of course I never stopped running) and I continued to brush off invisible spiders for the next 10 minutes.

The past few days I have been sick. Not anything horrible - my head just feels like its going to explode if I bend it over or change from lying down to standing up. I started on an antibiotic today because the left side nose under my eye is sore, and my chronic sinus infections don't fix themselves. Don't worry mom, I still have probiotics left. I eat a lot of papaya also..

SIDE TRACK TIME!!!

This is the snacks I bought for my trip. It cost me $1.

This is supposedly Beef Stroganoff, I was not impressed.
They try to copy a lot of foreign foods.

I still can't get an amazing picture of this volcano.

This is an example of what my "homestay family" gives me for breakfast.
This is some sort of coconut milk rice porridge with brown sugar syrup.
Then some fried bread. The white bread puff in the middle of the plate is one of my favorites.
Its called 'bak pao' and its steamed bread with a filling. (strawberry, chocolate, chicken, etc.)

This is Opek (Nickname for Faith)
(they pronounce english in funny ways)
I thought his name was Fate for a while.
Here he is helping me demonstrate the filling of 'bak pao'.

Quote of the day (I received this revelation while showering, complete with reference)

Questionable things: Question them so your lack of questions may remain unquestioned. 

-Arcturus the Walrus, Volume 7, Chapter 5

So this week I am trying to hit my max mileage (60 miles). My schedule is like this:

Wake up around 5:30 A.M to run

Shower, eat, then leave to school at 7:30 A.M.

Class until 1 PM, then eat

Study or waste the little time I have till 4

Run again

Stretch, shower, eat, then its time to sleep by then

Somewhere randomly in there I get some core workouts done.

Amen.

Arthur the Vampire

This picture is dedicated to anonymous who wishes to remain anonymous who may or may not be departing from an unsaid program for unsaid reasons.

People are starting to suspect me as a vampire
due to the fact that I'm always gone "running" night and morning.
This means I don't socialize with the others as a normal human should.
Hence I'm called the vampire here.

This anonymous person will mysteriously disappear as of today.

Here's a video of me being excited to get on a roof. I'm obsessed with exploring.

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Now for a few more things about my current life:

Here is a nest of spiders near my house. Unfortunately you can't really tell how big they are.

This is Snoopy. This dog's fur is really soft.

Here is what the public transportation looks like from inside:

Here is the Indonesian version of a Burger. (they roll both r's in burger). Its like sweet hot sauce with balogna and a kraft cheese slice. There is one slice of cucumber and tomato. It might not sound good, but it is. It doesn't taste anything like a hamburger though.

This is one of the industries in my small town. They make sandal straps from the reeds I show in this video. I bought 3 pairs of female sandals.. not for myself.

This motorcycle is made completely from those reeds I showed in the previous video. 

The craftsmanship is amazing.

Here is the inside of the hotel where me Sara, and Stephanie stayed in Jogja. It was infested with mosquitoes. I probably got more mosquito bites that night than all the other days here combined.

Me learning to get water from a well.

I stayed with Garry again. Here is their bathroom and shower. Its so cool. 

All the families living in this alley share it.

So I was travelling all this week to a few other cities. The program is more than half way done. :(

I spent my time interviewing people, mostly at universities. 

Besides students and those working in higher class jobs, I really couldn't get people to talk to me. 

I'm not in the mood to post a lot of words or more pictures today. HA!

Typical morning..

Here is the water basin. They actually have another bathroom with solar-heated water, but I'm usually really hot after running. The water is still freezing.

This is Jenny. (actually spelled Jeanny for some reason).

She was really happy eating her breakfast.

In the video is Jambu juice (they blend up fresh pink guava fruits), fried rice, and some spicy chicken stuff.