Friday, November 11, 2011

Hellos and good-byes

Life here is always an adventure. Between TRAFFIC, figuring out where to buy the things you either need or want, assorted things that I will not get in to, and people coming and going all the time you sometimes get a little off balance.

Today the SEA Games began. The Southeast Asia Games, which are held every two years, are kind of like the Olympics. Hello to all the athletes from 11 different countries who have arrived in Jakarta for the games. Best of luck to you all.

There are various events - soccer, weightlifting, badminton, dragon boat racing, blah, blah, blah. Over the next 11 days, traffic is going to be even more of an issue than normal. Many of the major roads are going to be blocked so the competitors can use them to get to the venues and back more easily. Unfortunately, as we are not competitors, the rest of us will just have to work it out. I think getting to work for sweetie will not be the problem. It is going to be the getting home. Oh well, it is for only 11 days so we will just have to suck it up as best we can. I think snuggle bunny may want to consider taking a pillow, blanket, a change of clothes, and toothbrush/toothpaste just in case he can't get out.

Also today, I said good-bye to a good friend. This is one of the parts about this life style, as mentioned before, that is very hard. Being so far from home, you really become more dependant on your friends than you might under normal circumstances. In 22 months I have had five close friends, and many acquaintances, move and I miss them a lot. It is a very transient situation when you live like we do. You have your heart broken on a regular basis.

Anytime you leave friends, or they leave you, you all say good-bye and you truly hope that you will keep that promise that you will see each other again. The reality is that you know that unless you both make great effort, that will more than likely not happen.

As she and I were eating our lunch, a lady came in that I had just met yesterday in my art class. She is from Perth, Australia and I invited her to sit down at the table with us. Somehow, very early on in her conversation, she started to talk about this very same thing; friends coming and going so quickly. My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief. You sometimes really think that what you are feeling just belongs to you and everyone else is doing okie dokie. This is the beauty of communication. When we actually share our thoughts and feelings with others we many times find out that we are not alone.

I have met some very nice people, and some not so very nice, over the last 22 months. In fact, over the last month I have met several new expats that have come in from various locations. With some of them, I hope we will find common ground on which to build a friendship. That would be a good thing.

That doesn't mean I will not miss my friend who is leaving today or the fine women I have met who have moved away earlier, or the friends who I have left in the US. They each hold a special place in my heart. I can never thank them enough and tell them what each of them mean to me.

I sat this afternoon with a cup of my favorite tea, sweetened with honey from my brother's bee hives, and took fingers to keyboard to contemplate all of this. I think of those friends in my life that have come and gone. I miss many of them so very much and appreciate how they enriched me. The current friends that I have, no matter where they are, are treasures. I also look forward to opening my life up to new friends. Not only do I hope they will bring something special to my life, but I hope that I will to theirs as well.

Safe journey my friend. I hope your return to the US brings you many good things. Enjoy being home with family and friends and don't forget about your time here in this land - 6 degrees below the equator.

Cheers friends near and far.