Approaching Java, Indonesia - April 2009

Being able to visit the school before we arrive this summer was an outstanding opportunity well worth 24 hours of flight time and 14 hours of layover time - all in just five days! Bummer to have to do it without Jason, but he consoled himself with a trip to Taba. I was overwhelmingly reminded of the windward side of the Hawaiian islands. I was surprised that the weather really was pretty pleasant, though it is still the tail end of the rainy season. Lots of gray skies in the pictures, but not much rain while I was there.

I am a bit out of the blogger groove, but here are the highlights of the trip. Can't wait to welcome you all there.

"Welcome to Jakarta..."

Though you can't read the signs, standing in the Visa on Arrival line it says, "Welcome to Indonesia - Drug Traffickers Punishable by Death"

The drive from the airport

Lots and lots of scooters/mopeds. That seemed to be what would make driving the hardest - everyone else stuck to their lanes - a refreshing change, but scooters just seemed to be everywhere, as were the food carts which I was just a little too afraid to try... shway, shway as they would say in Arabic..which won't do me any good in Indonesia where we will need to start learning Bahasa ;-)

Welcome to Jakarta International School

The front security gate and the back of the administrative offices.

JIS has a gorgeous campus...

Dinner with Katie and Amy after the conference. Amy was in from Bangladesh for the conference and Katie is going to be one of the other new counselors (5 total high school counselors; 3 are new, but one of the new is transferring from MS PE, which created the job opening for Jason's position!). Katie actually spent four years at AES in New Delhi about two years after I left and we are really looking forward to working together.

Our New Home #13 Bintaro

So we will be housed in Bintaro, a school owned subdivision. Funny that after avoiding the suburbs for most of our lives we end up in a suburban community in Indonesia. It seems we will be about a 1/2 hour drive from school when traffic is moderate. It can get much longer we hear, but we are told that the new toll road has significantly reduced the commute time in general. We will likely be spending a few years in Bintaro and plan to settle in, though it will be possible at some point to move closer to school when we increase our seniority. We hear the area is nice for jogging/walking and not far down the road is a Carrefour, the French answer to Wal Mart - definitely Indonesia's answer to suburban America!

The Yard... there is a team of gardeners that take care of the neighborhood so we won't have to mow our own grass, but we are going to have to find a way to get them to plant Jason's lime tree.

Some interior shots of the houses. This will not be our house. Ours is five houses closer to the pool and likely has a slightly different layout. It is the home of former colleagues from India - small world! We did not realize the connection until I was already out to see their place which they graciously let me photograph. I did not take too many pictures, but suffice to say it is lovely, with for BIG bed rooms upstairs, 2.5 bathrooms, gorgeous wood frame windows and stairs, a full garage and room for a cook and a housekeeper.

The many amenities of our new neighborhood: pool, work out room, fancy grill, tennis court and for Mary especially a trampoline!

It was a really good visit and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to get so many questions answered before arriving in July. The school really felt like a great fit - everyone on campus was so friendly; the country itself has an infectious joy; and we definitely will have a home that will fit all our family and friends.