The monsoon has arrived over the archipelago (with the exception of certain places that, for geographic reasons, don’t have the luck to attract the rains). Jakarta is seeing its annual floodings and the squatters along the coastline are those being tormented. It seems that despite the Dutch colonizing Indonesia for many years they did little to manage the waters that they have managed so well in their native land. The echoes of colonialism run on.
The Aceh separatists and the Indonesian government were in Helsinki for ‘peace talks’ although not much came of it.
The king of Nepal has once again reasserted his power and took control of the government. Flights in and out of Kathmandu had been cancelled and strict censorship of news has been the norm. I have not received emails from any friends living in Nepal at the time of this writing. The world is watching this as many pundits have gone so far as to call Nepal a ‘failed state’ with a stalemated governnment and Maoist insurgency insisting on a republic. Thus far, the Nepali goverment has denied that any international help is needed to resolve the longstanding conflict. For more on this see The Peace Corps Experience of Scott Allan Wallick.
The rains are coming more frequently and those who said that they would only be showers were just shining me on. It rained for two days non-stop. The gutters in which the boys play are now raging rivers. The boys can play there no more as they run over four feet deep. Luckily, I live on the higher end of all this and the pooling of water
is saved for the areas near the sea. I’m not sure how much longer the heavy rains will continue but I’ve bought a splendid rain poncho designed specifically for motor bikes. It is extra long in the back
due to there being an head slit for a passenger. The front has a clear, plastic window so that when I slide it over the front of the bike, the headlight can still shine. Additionally, there are slits that accomodate the rear view mirrors on each handle. I’ll try and jump into the get-up with a passenger for a picture soon.
This is how I bide my time these days.
2 Comments
Does that poncho get caught in the spinning tires when you ride? I can’t picture it without thinking it might get caught. I’m envisioning my pantleg in my bike chain… Never a pretty picture.
Wonders never seize me. It sounds like you tony, doing wonderful things i can only dream of. Happy to have found you and listen to your adventures. Please write if you like. What is your email?