Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Gifts

They take good care of us here at Prince George's Park student hostel. Just this evening, my cluster leader (the same guy who brings around the mail) came and gave me an oral digital thermometer and am aerosol can of insect killer. The insect killer is for mosquitos, and the thermometer is for me when I get Dengue fever. Apparently there have been incidents recently, though I haven't heard of them. The management also "gasses" large parts of the complex with thick chemicals that kills mosquitos and makes being here unpleasant. I feel loved.

This weekend I'm going to Java, one of the islands of Indonesia. I'm going with Matt, two people from France, and one from Canada. We're flying into Jakarta, the capital, then traveling around the island to see some nature parks and temples. The trip will be 4 days, a Friday morning flight to a Monday night flight. I'm way more excited than I sound.

You know what that means: picture to come.

EDIT: The thermometer is in Celsius. Useless to me.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

To the rescue! If the thermometer ever goes above 38, you have a fever. If it ever goes above 39, seek help. If it's 40, enjoy your remaining minutes.

How cheap is airfare around the area?

Tom said...

You can basically get anywhere in SE Asia from Singapore for less than $300US. If you're lucky or fly on a special, you can get much less than that - like $50. But the cost of living in all the surrounding countries is really low - like $10/night for good accommodations, and maybe $15/day for good food.

Stephanie said...

It's easy to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit! Just add 62 to the Celsius temperature, multiply by 7, divide by your height in inches, subtract your blood alcohol content and then go ask someone who isn't from America, because they're all born knowing how to convert their useful units into our crappy ones and sometimes they'll help us along.

suewc said...

Tom,
I just wanted you to know I read your blog regularly, and totally enjoy your writings. I am impressed with your writing, humor, and word choice. I also read your blog aloud to my students during advisory time, and we all chuckle. Take care, Aunt Sue

Anonymous said...

Tom, the red pills make you woozy, the blue ones...I forget.
Get into the jungles in Jakarta and look for volcanic lakes the colors of those pills...they are found on Sumatra for sure. Safe hiking and watch your back pocket. Ahhh, what I'd do for a Malay curry and sand in my toes. Enjoy, and remember it's much easier to stay out than it is to go back out. Your pal in all things Recycled...Beaverton, OR. PS: thanks for the Postcard. I'm a dad. pics to follow. Also, Luang Prabang/Vientianne in Laos are worth the trip if you have time. Very affordable and 'rustic.' Both are great launching points for jungle adventures.