It's Official! I've Had My First "Bali-Belly"! :-(

It's Official! I am dying! I have to be!

I knew Tuesday's dinner was not good! Yesterday after Les left, about 1pm, it started! It's now Friday and it hasn't stopped. I had to go into Global Doctors last night and have a drip put in, there was NO way I could keep anything in! Yes people! I've lived in Indonesia and I've now had the full effects! Not Happy Jan! Love To All.

Our First Visitor Leaves ...

On Monday, Alan's Dad arrived in Jakarta via KL for a couple of meetings with a close contact at a University in Bogor and also at the Australian Embassy. I went out with Pak Bambung (Glencore Driver and my new buddy) to the Airport to pick Les up and it was very funny to see him standing there with all of his luggage in my new but still very foreign country. It was nice to see someone else who sticks out like a sore thumb! Monday night we went to a Lebanese restaurant at the Le Meridian for dinner and the food was absolutely delicious. It will be a favourite of ours I think, now that we have already been there twice. Then on Tuesday night, Les, who enjoys Indonesian food, wanted some so we took him to one of the Indo restaurants in the hotel part of the apartments we live in. Alan and Les said that the food was pretty good, but I was not a fan, at all. Brrrr, GROSS. I did not enjoy mine at all. I kept thinking, "Hope I am going to be ok after this". Anyway, Les is now on his way back to KL where he will have more meetings then off to Dehli for more and where he will surely be sweating as the temperature there is about 40 degress plus!

I Could NOT Eat Another Thing!!!

Today, Alan and I went to the famed "Jakarta Shangri-La Sunday Brunch". I can't even begin to describe just how big this thing was and do it justice. There were food stations EVERYWHERE! There were: Indian, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Fruit, Bread, Dessert, Soup, Cheese/Salad, Stir-fry, Carvery, and they are the ones I actually looked at. There was food everywhere! Alan thoroughly stuffed himself but told me that his Mum DEFINATELY made a better roast beef than they did. Reminds me of the story that Beth tells me that Alan missed a Rooster's Game one year because Eva was making a roast.

I ate lots too, even in my pregnant state where I can hardly fit food in, I managed it. On the way out of there, as Alan and I waddled our way out, I was spell bound by the sight of a chocolate fountain! I quickly looked around for Todd and Peter to see if they were watching for people putting their head in under there! I stood there mesmerised, thinking "Can I, can I?". I quickly regained composure and decided to leave it for next time. Might make that first port of call. Love To All.

Harness? Shoes? What For?

Next door to our apartment block is a construction site. They are building apartments and are finishing a small office block in conjunction with them. I watch it every day as it gets higher and more complete. These guys work 24/7 and get paid pittance. An average wage for a labourer in Indonesia is roughly RUP650000 per month (AUD$100). Admittedly there seems to be a SLIGHTLY more safety concious attitude at the apartment building. While they don't have harnesses, they do have hard hats and some form of foot coverings, albeit thongs or flip flops. (I think the guy who swings at the end of the crane in the concrete tub wears shoes although the other day he wasn't wearing a hard hat!) The guys who are finishing the office block don't have anything! This one guy was walking from office to office inspecting the balcony on each of the top ones with no shoes, no hard hat, no harness, no rigging. Just like he was walking on the ground, he was walking on a thin plank of wood 5 sotreys above the ground. They say that 10 people die in Jakarta each day in a Motorcycle accident, I want to know how many people die on construction sites!

"Darling, Just Popping Down to Get This Weeks Louis Vuitton, Won't Be a Moment"

He He He! There are some seriously crazy and expensive shopping in Jakarta! For somewhere to live that is so 'cheap', Jakarta can really dish it up to the Upper Class Locals and Foreigners. I went yesterday to Plaza Indonesia (next door to the Hyatt Hotel, that should have really been my first give-away that I was not in my 'area') and it was just too much! I didn't know whether to walk around just saying, "Holy Cr@p! How much?!?!?"

There is Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Tiffany's and more! I felt like Dorothy saying "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto". Hopefully on Friday when I go to the ANZA House for the first time I will make friends that do not want to frequent the Upper End Shopping Centres and are as big as phlebs as me. Hmmm, wishful thinking. Love To All.

Mission Bl**dy Impossible! Grrr!

Well, I have survived my first weekend in Jakarta. Alan and I went shopping on Saturday Morning and did not realise that shopping centres here do not open until 10am (the upside is that they do not close until 9 or 10pm). We sat around the "Coffee Bean" and had some breakfast at Plaza Semanggi. I miss toast already. My 'toast' that I was presented with was a pale comparison to the good old Tip Top I am used to. Way too sweet (yes, you hear that right from Mrs Sweet Tooth herself), and not nearly toasted enough. I miss vegemite too. When we get a kitchen up and running, I will somehow get vegemite toast going in the mornings. Mmmm.

So, off we went to the Supermarket to buy household items. It's mental. Completely Mental!!! It's like Coles, Big W and KMart in one. Thankfully we went early as Alan said he and Tony went last weekend together and it was completely packed. There are some weird and wonderful things here. I had a 'lychee and soursop' Fanta the other day and that wasn't even the weirdest flavour! We then came home to clean the kitchen within an inch of it's life. The apartment is very nice and comfortable, but I think the last people just moved on out without cleaning anything. It is very musty and pretty disgusting and I am slowly working my way through it. Plus, I think Alan was alone here too long. We'll get a part time maid soon, I'm too tired at the moment to do anything but sleep and walk the 5 minutes it takes me to get to Alan's office to have lunch with him. On Sunday we then went and saw a movie. We were the only 'non-Indonesian' patrons and we really stuck out like a sore thumb. Very funny indeed as some people still look at us like we are from a completely different planet. We went and saw Mission Impossible, complete with Indo subtitles. Not bad. Best out of the three, I think.

Taxi's also are SO cheap. Flag fall is less than AUD$1.00 and each km is about AUD$0.50 or something like that. At least until the baby is born, I really don't think we will be in need of a driver or car. Plus, when Tony isn't around or needing him, I can utilise Bambang (Glencore driver). Well, best be off. Cupboards to clean out. Love to All!

Fed Up!

I am stressed and fed up! I just want to go now! I am sick of being apart from Alan and want to go to sleep with him beside me (read, 'Hope wants her head and/or back rubbed)! I am super tired at the moment. I went and had my last appointment with Super Gez today and he tells me that I am now around 9 weeks (in week 10) of my pregnancy after having my Dating Scan done on Friday. Was not quite real having the ultrasound as obviously the baby is only the size of a grape with no moving limbs etc. I've had stacks of ultrasounds on my kidneys before, but didn't feel any different. I am sure the next time we have one, things will be very different. It will also be nice since Alan will actually be there for that too.

Alan has been coming up with some very 'unusual' names for Baby Copeland. I told him that we were not giving birth to a 60 year old man so we could not name him Watson. He has also been told that if he does not get his act together in the Naming Department, he would be quickly relieved of duty. Bless him for trying though, you have to admit! Might be Baby Copeland forever though! Well, very very tired and need my sleep, talk to you all soon. Love to All!

BIG NEWS!!!

Alan and I are pregnant!!!

Shocked?!?! We were too!

I have to try and get some appointments this week before I go, but Gez (my Super Doctor) says I am about 8 weeks now. Well, this is what the little grape-sized-makes-me-sleep-all-day-alien-looking-bub looks like at the moment! Love To All!

9 More Sleeps Until Cuddles From My Bubbe!!!

Went into work today to hand in my uniform and to say "So Long Suckers!" Was a little sad to say Goodbye, will miss people like Alex, Keti, Chris, Stelios, Mannie, Brett and Simon, all of whom have been there since my time. I remember my wash day, Alex trained me and kept me away from the rest of the smelly boys and Keti was my Buddy on the Counters. It will seem strange not to see them so much.

I went and finalised all our lease stuff too, THANKFULLY a job Alan could actually do! Sign a piece of paper and fax it. Yeah, Good O! Well, here is a photo of Alex and I a couple of weeks ago. Will run now and keep doing more packing and run more errands for the big move! Love to All.