Back!

So I realize I will have to change the title of this blog now that I have relocated to Jakarta after a three month hiatus in the US.  But that will have to wait as I just have time to give a quick update and then will be heading back up to Jambi to celebrate Idul Fitri (the end of Ramadan) with my friends and old coworkers there for a week and a half.

My first week back in Indonesia has been incredibly exciting and allayed any concerns I had about moving to the big city and settling in to a new office and neighborhood.  My flight from the US was, in fact, probably the most exhausting part of this entire process, particularly due to the 8 hour layover in Singapore where I not so reluctantly succumbed to sleeping on the floor with the other Indonesians.  Once in Jakarta I stayed with friends for the first few days as I began work at the Tifa Foundation’s and searched for a kos (Indonesian kind of boarding house) to live in.  Luckily I have found one now, just a 10 minute walk from my office and complete with AC, my own bathroom with a shower and real Western toilet (!), an upright bed as opposed to the mattress on a floor I used in Jambi, and an extremely sweet pembantu (housemaid) who insists on making my tea and cleaning my room.

Fortunately, I have been equally satisfied by my new office where my young and extremely friendly and inclusive coworkers exceed my PKBI friends with their professional attitude and hard work.  Additionally, the human rights and democracy/governance focus of the work here is exactly what I am interested in and I have already connected with the program managers to get apprised of the current programs.  Another pleasant surprise has been the arrival of another American (the entire staff is Indonesian) who is working as a consultant on a Legal Empowerment of the Poor Initiative that I will get to help with.

So, all resettled in Indonesia with what looks to be a fulfilling job, a comfortable and smartly located residence, and a handful of friends around the city, I feel that I have gotten off to a good start and am excited to start exploring the city.  While I have already become more acquainted with the traffic jams and horrible air pollution than I ever wanted to be, I am hoping this will die down a bit after Lebaran- or at least I will be able to combat it with a map and my “fluent” Indonesian.