Artisans in Yokyakarta

We drove today from Semarang to yokyakarta. This is about 100 miles and takes about four hours. The reason it takes so long is because the main road is a two lane street hampers with motorcycles. The trip was worth it, though. Erni, my colleague, and I spend the afternoon at the little house of this artisan, doing quality control of the baskets he had made. It was hot, it was tedious and absolutely fantastic. How many foreigners get the chance to be around the real Indonesia? I made some photos which I will post as soon as I have figured out how to download them in my computer. But I'll try to describe it. The house is in the middle of the kampong (Indonesian village). With narrow dirt roads. The house is actually half of a house. The other half was destroyed by the earth quake of 2004. The government had promised xxxx amount of rupiahs but because of widespread corruption the family has only received half. At one point the mother said she will work even harder till the have the money to rebuild the house. The whole family hangs around doing whatever, talking and now and than Erni will translate. In the meantime the grandmother is cooking dinner on a fire in the kitchen, a real fire on he floor! The time, it seems, has stand still in certain places. But than a few miles further things are totally in the 21st century. Like this evening I had dinner in a restaurant in Yokyakarta with European food, everybody on blackberries and a gay guy gossiping about his latest boyfriend.
I had a better time with the artisans in the kampong!
im. He always stayed so calm and focus under enormous fire.

We drove monday, january 12, from Semarang to yokyakarta. This is about 100 miles but takes about four hours. The reason it takes so long is because the main road is a two lane street full of motorcycles.

I am now sitting in a beautiful resort in yokyakarta, only for one night. So had my first shower in a week. I actually am used to doing the mandi now as they call throwing a bucket of water over your head. The water is not cold here but like tea water
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Has the most wonderful experience yesterday. A lot of the suppliers of the export company are in Yokyakarta because that is the center of crafts like batik, woodcrafts, pottery etc. we had to do quality control of the baskets that were made by this pagan (kind of weave) artisan. They all live in a village outside of yokyakarta. Village in Indonesian is Kampong. It is cluster of small houses with narrow streets between. Scrawny chicken running around and women and men in their sarongs. Around 4 the call to prayer sound and men (only the men, go to the mosque for prayer. Anyway, we were in this house doing the quality control. Actually in the section that was heavily damaged by the earthquake in 2004. The family told us how the government promised ex amount of rupee for restoration but because of corruption they have only gotten half of that money. The amazing this is how cheerful everybody is. So friendly and helpful. And the live still very primitive. At least in the villages. While Erni, my colleague, and I were sitting on the mat doing our work the grandmother is preparing the dinner on a wood fire on the floor in the kitchen.