Pious dog, mischievous monkey, and the place I call home

My first few days in my new place in Yogyakarta were a little rocky. But, I’ve come to accept some of the quirks, chalking them up to personality of this place. The water heater tends to “pop” with a flame that I narrowly dodge with each use. I am pretty sure I have some unwanted company in the form of beg bugs, and my electricity goes out every time I use my electric teapot. But, really, overall it’s a great place with beautiful grounds, a quaint neighborhood, and AC. I love it. In the evenings I walk down a narrow street to a café where I join a crowd of teens who check facebook, drink coffee, and smoke. I pretty much fit right in, minus the smoking.

Our complex provides for a nice little community. We’ve already said goodbye to one character, who I wish had been here long enough for Todd to meet. He’s a Swedish professor who assigns different types of liquor to the various days of the week. I met him on Saturday before he went out for beer (Sunday is whiskey and Monday is wine, that’s all that I remember). A large, white 'boule' (slang for white person), his field is the psychology of religion, and somehow he manages to research the psychology of extremism by interviewing fundamentalists in Indonesia. He commands attention, not just by way of his size, but through his humor and candid self-assuredness (this is why I think Todd would find a match in him).

My neighbors to the right, Paul and Nancy, are incredibly kind and hospitable. They have introduced me to a lovely pizza place that serves thin crust pizza (the way pizza should be) and a clutch market which sells imported goods such as Grana Padano cheese, Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, and muesli. We’ve enjoyed a few porch conversations since I’ve been here.

When Todd comes to stay in June, we may move upstairs to a larger place. While the larger apartment has a deck, it lacks all the lush greenery that I see from my porch downstairs. I was glad to hear that Ibu Sudarno, our landlord, is planning to buy plants if we move. Apparently there were potted plants there, but some neighbors had a mischievous pet monkey who came and threw all the plants from the porch to the courtyard below. The monkey is no longer around, so I think she feels the new plants will remain in their proper place.

Beyond the flora and fauna we enjoy at “Bu Darno’s” place, we also enjoy the company of Tom, a sweet doxon who moves from porch to porch in search of affection. There’s some discussion, even debate, about Tom’s religious affinity. The property is located across the street from a mosque. Certain tenants are worse off than others in terms of being disturbed by the calls to prayer, which come five times each day, beginning at 4:30 a.m. I am often a little jolted by the first sound from the megaphone. As it turns out, so is Tom. He begins a low wailing, as if he is the distant accompaniment. He continues howling, pausing to catch a breath, before beginning again. The Swedish prof believes this is Tom’s rant and protest, concluding that Tom is a Christian canine. I happen to think he is in fact a Muslim. I am pretty sure he faces Mecca, but I am not totally confident in my sense of direction just yet. Another neighbor, who happens to be the expert or guru (Indonesian word for ‘teacher’) for religion on Java, reminds me that Muslims consider dogs to be unclean. Oh well.

Bu Darno is a darling little lady who loves the company of her tenants. Today she met me at a nearby university where I can take more language classes once my intensive course is over. From there we rode the bus to the mall and went grocery shopping. We concluded our outing with McFlurries. I am finding all the comforts and company I need at all the right times.