Yo, they gave us KITKATS.
Let’s talk flights
2 hours to NYC, 13 hours to Doha (Qatar), and 9 hours to Jakarta (capital of Indonesia). Plus, another 1 hour to Yogyakarta (Indonesia).
I liked the 13 hour flight WAY more than the 2 hour flight. Mhmm. The head rests were NOT ONLY adjustable in height, they had bendable flaps. You hear that?!?! BENDABLE FLAPS. I was basically rejoicing (I immediately took pictures + a video of the headrest as a treasure to show my family later), and that was BEFORE I noticed the remote control (for a touch screen). That wasn’t it, oh no. We were equipped with a blanket, a pillow, socks, eye mask, ear plugs, half a toothbrush, and an itty bitty toothpaste half the size of my pinky finger.
The airplane wing as we flew over Qatar.
Not to mention, the plane was 10 seats wide and there was no poor sweet child next to me barfing in intervals. Seriously; the barfing on the 2 hour flight was not pleasant to see, hear, nor smell (I literally just shuddered thinking about it). I felt sorry for the sick kid, but still…
And the foooooood. Best airplane food in existence, hands down (we’re talking the 13 hour flight here). Again, I don’t know the names of… well… anything, but it was all mouth-wateringly YUM. Every meal came with mango nectar and a little pudding-like dessert that was different every time.
Following the meals, the flight attendants came around with little ginger crackers, followed by tea/coffee, followed by—most surprising—KitKats!
As we wandered around the airport in Qatar, I observed a fascinating love of KitKats; I’m not kidding, there were entire sections of stores devoted to the red-wrapped chocolate wafer things.
My NSLI-Y cohort on an escalator in the Doha Airport.
As for entertainment on the flights of Qatar Airways (13 & 9 hrs), there were movies (I watched Creed, Top Gun, and all the Kung Fu Panda movies), music, games, information presentation on some of the greatest cities of the world, and an online version of The Holy Quran. Andddd an audiobook version.
The Doha Airport (this place was MASSIVE).
Also, in both the 9 & 13 hour flights, I had the middle seat (notoriously the crappiest spot), but it was fine because I was in between two of my new friend peeps, Sofia and Lindsey. Sofia was my roommate in New York and I already miss rooming with her because of our loooooooong talks—that went till the wee hours of the morning—about anything and everything from unfortunate camp experiences to the political state of the U.S.
The peopleeeee!!!!
They tell you Indonesians are kind and open. But in reality… they are. They totally are. These are some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met in my life. Wait, gimme a moment… the power just went out. And… it’s back on (we just had to switch the room key in the thingamabob). ANyWaayYY…
Even the SECURITY GUARDS at the embassy were teaching another girl and I some words in Bahasa (Indonesian), encouraging us, and laughing with us when we failed to say “saya sangat bersemangat” (I am excited). We got a hang of it… eventually.
It also helps that the people leading a program are super energetic, funny, and relatable. And, of course, kind. The night we got to the hotel, the three staff/volunteers who brought us there delivered food to all of our rooms (after midnight). And that food. Omg. Wow. They told us to eat it with our hands, so we did, and it got REAL messy REAL fast but mm mm MMMM. 'Twas GLORIOUS.
My first breakfast at Veranda Hotel in Jakarta.
The food.
Yoooooooo. SAYA KAYA (I’M RICH). HAHAHAHA!!! I woke up Friday morning in an extraordinarily nice hotel, opened the curtains to a blindingly bright cityscape patched with greenery, and walked down to breakfast to find a 30-ish feet (still working on the metric system) long counter with all the delicious delectables I could ever imagine. I don’t even know what anything was called, but my GOSH it was all delicious. Soup, sushi, pastries, sandwiches, and other lovely culinary creations. Then, of course, we carried our mango juice and yum yums outside to eat right next to the crystal clear pool, with palm trees in the background. I can now confidently say I have experienced a day in the life of a millionaire.
The area outside the AFS learning thingamajig.
I think I’m in love…
To be well and truly honest, I often find Europe a bit too familiar. Sometimes, if you look at the streets in Minnesota, and you look at the streets in Finland, you wouldn’t be able to see a difference. Europe and America are very different, yes, but they tend to be a bit too similar for my taste.
Jakarta does NOT have the same problem. I thought I fell in love with Minneapolis. I thought I fell in love with Boston. Now, I’ve cheated on them both; Jakarta may very well be my favorite city in the world. Though that will likely change as I see more and more cities, I find it hard to believe anything (in present time) can be better. Edit: I changed my mind again. My favorite city in the world is Yogyakarta.
It was the moment when the humidity hit me—and my boarding pass turned into a makeshift fan—that I realized I was in Jakarta.
A view of mountains in Yogyakarta. Edit: how does it look so much like Chile???
Every now and then, I still find myself wondering, “how did I get here?” This place is unlike anything I’ve ever seen (this picture does not do it justice). For a while, my jaw was permanently propped open with awe.
There are plants EVERYWHERE. Not just grass, PLANTS. Flowers and trees and bushes and vines crawling up buildings and bridges, hanging from roofs, exploding from the road medians; people are whizzing around on motorbikes (I swear they get within 3 inches of the cars)—piling up at the traffic lights like runners at a starting line; the buildings literally look more like New York than New York looks like New York; the streets are clean and smell like a greenhouse (or maybe that’s just the humidity); the FOOD is the best I’ve ever eaten in my life; and the default is a warm smile.
Also, for being across the planet, I feel pretty at home with all the chaos and unpredictability. When I look in the mirror, the face staring back at me is so happy and glowy, despite my non-existent circadian rhythm.
It’s not all cupcakes and rainbows, but I think things are going pretty darn well right now.
P.S. Squat toilets suck.
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What an amazing trip so far! You write so beautifully I felt like I was right there with you. It all sounds wonderful! Happy for you!