New Normal: This little piggy ...

came to dinner

Two suckling pigs = the bonus meat at a graduation party. Delicious, really.

New Normal: would you climb this staircase?

Even if you trust your eyes, would you trust your balance?

We spotted a wooden staircase (no railing) leading to the roof of a 2-storey building. The kids playing below made it even scarier: can they resist?

New Normal: oh those useful phonics!

Remember the phonics your grade-school teacher drilled into you?

Sometimes we can figure out what's going on because the spelling is phonetic and/or a mish-mash of other languages. We've taken the "taksi," hung "gordyn" (Gardinen = sheer curtains: German), and dried dishes with a "lap" (Lappen = cloth: German). It's all part of the adventure.

New Normal: Rabbit Sate

Ever had a pet rabbit? Here's another viewpoint:

Sate (pronounced satay) is meat on a skewer, usually roasted over a charcoal grill. One northern village of Bandung is noted for their rabbit sales. Cages line the streets.

"Buy one for a pet or for lunch," jokes a friend.

But she means it. Cafés serving rabbit are everywhere.

New Normal: hair color variety

This ad in the local grocery flyer reminds us we've left Europe and the West. Apparently "All Variant" colorant doesn't include blond, red, or white.

New normal: Where's the TP?

Getting acquainted with a "bum gun":


Indonesian plumbing and sewers cannot bear the sewage generated in large cities, so most bathrooms do not have toilet paper. You spray (back to front) to clean up; then dry with a tissue. The bidet-style sprayer is inelegantly nicknamed a "bum gun."

In a Western-style household, the toilet may have TP - but you must toss the used tissue into the garbage, not into the toilet. Going out? Take tissues along: they may or may not be supplied.

New Normal: Commercial dishwasher

Many street vendors wash cooking and client dishes in a pail, using (and reusing) ambient temperature water from a 5 gallon bottle throughout the day. Rinsing is optional; dishes are reused after air-drying.

Health tip: bring your own dishes ... or skip the food cart.