September 13, 2006

• Yesterday
  afternoon, we needed to buy some ice, because the expat teachers were coming to
  our place for “thank you” drinks in the evening. 

  The place where
  we previously bought ice in the village of Lakarsantri no longer sold it., but
  there was another place two hundred metres up the road. Helen had been there
  before, and had bought a block of ice (~ 100cm x 20cm x 20cm) for Rp 10,000
  (~AU$1.30).

  Most Javanese
  village houses are fairly messy, but this one was exceptional. There also
  seemed to be at least four women who were pregnant or nursing babies, with
  hordes of little kids around, and a few dodgy-looking blokes. They all looked
  as though no-one would be really sure if someone was their father or their
  brother. 

  Helen, of course,
  was recognised, and they sprang into action. One simpleton grabbed a length of
  rubber, and his motor bike – there was obviously no ice. “Three minutes”, said
  a lady, in Indonesian. 

  I thought it
  would save time if he took the ice straight to our place. Helen and I attempted
  to explain the concept, and our address, with no success. We waved him off, and
  he sped into the distance. A while later, he came speeding back through the
  village, weaving in and out of the traffic.

  The ice was
  dumped on a dirty rice sack, and another man proceeded to dissect it. The
  courier grabbed a bucket of water (of dubious origin) and took over the
  chopping up. He sectioned it into sixteen roughly-equal pieces, and washed each
  piece in his bucket, before putting it in the large rubbish bin we had brought.

  Helen paid the Rp
  10,000 and we got into the car. As we were pulling away, the courier came
  running up – he had been left out of the transaction, and wanted Rp 5,000 for
  his trouble. We thought that it was a very cheap price for the entertainment.

  • 5:53 am
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