five thirty am
air is heavy
skin on my back moist
light is renewing itself
in subtle tones
birds awaken us
five or six distinct sounds–
birds busy opening the new day
seven am
half sleep
the arrival of the motorbikes
like bumblebees coming
back to the nest
the maids
the teachers
the carpenters
the gardeners
each on their own motorbike
motor bike is like the family car
Ibu Endah, the school office manager
and general magic maker
rides by on her cycle with her youngest
in front of her and the two older boys
behind
our cottage is right on the central courtyard
with soccer, volley ball, and basketball courts
the compound is a series of linked
circular roads like the Olympics symbol
half sleep
shhttt, shhtt, shttt, shttt, shhtt
the sound of sweeping
Surya, our maid, has arrived
sweeping the back patio,
sweeping the leaves from the grass
sweeping is the morning ritual
in Indonesia
sweeping the night jinn away
beginning anew
comforting
rainy season
rain doesn’t sprinkle
it comes down as if the heavens
were a shower head
strong, pelting rain
dominates the sound field
pouring off roof drains
drumming the roof tiles
like a trio of drummers gone wild
with exuberance
then, suddenly gone
silence
puddles everywhere
on the precipice of flooding
but the sandy soil sucks the water down deep
other sounds
crickets at night
ubiquitous fans everywhere
dogs barking occasionally
such deep silence
that every sound is heard and felt
SMELLS….
one distinct one
smoke
several times a day
from little brush fires
set to burn the raked up leaves
and debris
also smoke
the sweet distinctive smell
of clove spiced “kretek” cigarettes
drinking? a beer every once in a while
smoking? very prevalent
FOOD
simple school lunches
a bowl of rice
with one piece of chicken or beef or tofu
and some slivered and cooked carrots and string beans
hot sambal sauce if you want
some rice chips
water
for dinner
fried rice
fish stew
delicious
tonight Indonesian salad
peanut sauce with cold potatoes
cucumber, sprouts, hardboiled egg
I’m going to ask Surya
if I can make a little recipe booklet
of her dishes
what I miss most is cheese
Now night
walking outside
in the distance
I can hear the Muslim call to prayer
softer, sweeter than Turkey
but still eeirie
crickets send their messages
in morse code of 6s, 4s, 9s
but mostly 6s
fan drones itself into white noise
and then, with a flip of a switch
is still
revealing an even more profound
quiet
as we go to bed
swaddled in the warm, damp air
air is heavy
skin on my back moist
light is renewing itself
in subtle tones
birds awaken us
five or six distinct sounds–
birds busy opening the new day
seven am
half sleep
the arrival of the motorbikes
like bumblebees coming
back to the nest
the maids
the teachers
the carpenters
the gardeners
each on their own motorbike
motor bike is like the family car
Ibu Endah, the school office manager
and general magic maker
rides by on her cycle with her youngest
in front of her and the two older boys
behind
our cottage is right on the central courtyard
with soccer, volley ball, and basketball courts
the compound is a series of linked
circular roads like the Olympics symbol
half sleep
shhttt, shhtt, shttt, shttt, shhtt
the sound of sweeping
Surya, our maid, has arrived
sweeping the back patio,
sweeping the leaves from the grass
sweeping is the morning ritual
in Indonesia
sweeping the night jinn away
beginning anew
comforting
rainy season
rain doesn’t sprinkle
it comes down as if the heavens
were a shower head
strong, pelting rain
dominates the sound field
pouring off roof drains
drumming the roof tiles
like a trio of drummers gone wild
with exuberance
then, suddenly gone
silence
puddles everywhere
on the precipice of flooding
but the sandy soil sucks the water down deep
other sounds
crickets at night
ubiquitous fans everywhere
dogs barking occasionally
such deep silence
that every sound is heard and felt
SMELLS….
one distinct one
smoke
several times a day
from little brush fires
set to burn the raked up leaves
and debris
also smoke
the sweet distinctive smell
of clove spiced “kretek” cigarettes
drinking? a beer every once in a while
smoking? very prevalent
FOOD
simple school lunches
a bowl of rice
with one piece of chicken or beef or tofu
and some slivered and cooked carrots and string beans
hot sambal sauce if you want
some rice chips
water
for dinner
fried rice
fish stew
delicious
tonight Indonesian salad
peanut sauce with cold potatoes
cucumber, sprouts, hardboiled egg
I’m going to ask Surya
if I can make a little recipe booklet
of her dishes
what I miss most is cheese
Now night
walking outside
in the distance
I can hear the Muslim call to prayer
softer, sweeter than Turkey
but still eeirie
crickets send their messages
in morse code of 6s, 4s, 9s
but mostly 6s
fan drones itself into white noise
and then, with a flip of a switch
is still
revealing an even more profound
quiet
as we go to bed
swaddled in the warm, damp air
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