1 Week Today in the house on Jalan Antasena (yes we had previously received a wrong address!)

Hi All! Gosh we are now today 1 week in this house and settling in nicely!  Today we purchased a phone line - for the flash drive with connection to a cell tower - well it works at times (here on the front porch) but no skype, no magic jack, no blogging...and that is NO FUN!!!!!  

We paid for the hook-up and the installment people will be coming within the next 3 days to install it bringing the modem & phone along as well! So soon .....very soon we hope to be able to call, Skype, blog again - so longing to do that!!

Since 2 days now we have our cute little Yamaha

motorcycle and so that has been such a blessing too these past 2 days! 

Yesterday, Nick & I took a little outing - we took a drive out to Ambarawa and Banyubiru

 We are planning to go back with some more information we have found - but at least we got this~

This is an old Dutch warehouse now being used as a administration building.

This is the town where Nick, Cecile and their Mom, and Robert & Peg and family too were interned ~ we tried to find the camps but Nick found a large gated area that is now a commando post for the army - and that just might be the place!!!!!  We hope to do a little research online soon and try to find more information on it - and we are asking local people (older ones if they can recall)  - maybe Peg or Robert or Cecile will remember something!  Do you guys remember anything at all - do email us!!!!

It was so sweet to drive through little villages with scooter - the Sun was shining but a cool breeze was out - going in and out of the little towns is so enjoyable - and relaxing!  It was an hour out to Ambarawa.  We stopped at a little cafe called 
"de Coffee" and decided to stop there - for a break!  Your bippy gets kind of sore after about an hour on that motorbike....anyway...ha!

We enjoyed meeting a family there who runs the shop: Edy & Sri, father & mother, with daughter

 Dewi and son Dedi (Dad called his son right away to swing by because he can speak English!) and we had a nice time of sharing with them!   Dedi also got on his motorbike and showed us where the Train Museum was where the old Dutch locomotives were all parked - regretfully

Can you imagine these old locomotives being brought by ship from Holland - my! 

While Nick & I were snapping pictures these cute little ones were checking out 'these tall people' and I got this cute shot of them!  Sweet huh?

They were laughing and giggling among themselves! We wished we could understand what they were saying!!!!

The museum was closed and under renovation - but we enjoyed looking through the fences!  

Then on the way back we came across old Dutch warehouse now being used as a administration building.
Oh it was such a pleasure to be on the scooter again - now being able to go off and do and see things again! YEAH!!! 

 It is good to have a set of wheels under you - 4 months without that is so' weird!!!!!

It was a great day and we enjoyed zipping through the villages and saw beautiful mountain scenes and lush green rice fields -very relaxing and we feel so blessed too!  

Oh yes in the morning, I ordered sms (text) 2 water bottles - it went like this: "Salamat Pagi - 2 air botels trimah kasih adres Jl Antasena Ramah Merah hari pagi ini." he answered "oky" so I know someone got it AND MOST IMPORTANTLY UNDERSTOOD IT....on the other end!!!

To translate = "good morning - 2 water bottles please address Jl Antasena house red -today this morning"

How do you like them cookies huh?  Yep Ellen the Indo...ha! 
We are studying every night a little bit - trying to catch words to use in different situations.  This afternoon - I received a sms from one of the gals we met at one other hotel who also wanted English lessons - I told her come!  That is a great way to learn back and forth..don't you think?  "Kiki" wants to learn to speak better English and Ellen & Nick are wanting to learn better behasa (language) Indonesian!    

As I am writing this on the front porch - there are chicken's and roosters walking into our yard - they live across the street - with

 the 8 dogs - and because our gate is open they are walking in, pecking, and cackling! Gosh - a new thing huh?  

Can't picture that one on Kim Lane in Bend!!!!!  


Oh yes - one last thing - the house does not have (as far as we know) a house number - the previous family who are now in Papua also said there was no house # although the next door neighbors have a #23 on theirs - (oh and by the way Nick said the house on the opposite side of us is #22....oh oh???) so that is why we say "house red" when we tell people where we are! Got it?

 Nick connecting the "old" way with the flash drive on the porch! 

Signing up for internet!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!

Learning new things all the time!  Hugs to all and do know we are hopefully SOON more reachable!!!!

Love ~