Friday, April 29, 2005
salamat baggi
Yes, finally I've cracked the Indonesian for 'Hello'.
Now, after nearly 8 months in Asia, almost everyone (the dragon in the Bangkok hotel being the exception that proves the rule) is exceedingly friendly and anxious to chat. We have a fairly standard conversation with everyone. There were days gone by when the British were famous for things other than football - doubledecker buses, colonialism, Lady Di, fish and chips etc - but these days it's merely just the Premiership. And the conversation goes something like this (at least 20 times a day..)..
Hello. Which country?
To this we usually answer England. No we're not trying to deny or hide Courtney's Canadian heritage, it's just a lot simpler and besides most of them have never heard of Canada and we'd only end up having to explain it as part of America..
Ah, England, good country, Michael Owen, David Beckham.
Yes, well done. You like football? Which team do you support? Manchester?
No Manchester anymore, I like Chelsea.
At this I usually launch into a lecture along the lines of how they should support their local team and not choose a team just cause it wins thing. And if they are going to support a team because it wins things, then they should at least stick with it and not change when they no longer win as many things as they used to.
No, no I like Chelsea always. You like Chelsea?
The response to this is to roll the eyes and decry, no, we like Crystal Palace (even Courtney has taken to describing them as 'our team' - a crucial and pivotal step towards achieving that ring on her finger anytime soon!). You know?
For most of the last 7 months the words 'Crystal Palace' have resulted in a nonplussed look and I'd then demonstrate by holding one hand as high as possible and saying 'Chelsea' and then the other as low as possible and indicating Palace. But recently there has been more of a flicker of recognition. At least 50% of all respondents reply in the affirmative.
Ah, Crystal Palace. Which player?
Well, do you know Andrew Johnson? (a mime along the lines of not having much hair usually does wonders here)
Ah, Andrew Johnson? I know, I know. Who else?
At this we usually pack up and leave, figuring the chances of anyone knowing Danny Butterfield and Fitz Hall are pretty remote.
The life of a traveller..
Elsewhere we've moved onto Java. To Yogyakarta which is very hot and I can't spell it. And ,in rapid succession we visited 3 new entries in the top 10 most underwhelming tourist attractions ever visited.
First up was an underground water complex which didn't have any water and resembled a Barratts housing estate (and about as interesting). Number 2 was a silver village. Expecting a quaint little backwater full of pretty little silversmiths, instead we got a nondescript street with a couple of junk filled shops. Even standing in the doorway of a workshop with our best gormless WeAreWesternAndWantSomeoneToShowUsRound faces didn't have the usual effect. And the third and final entry was a supposed coloured lake that looked like every other uncoloured lake I've ever seen. And it smelt.
Countering this we did visit a volcano crater that was definitely the real McCoy. Smoke billowing from the top and with water bubbling inside the crater. And we had the whole place to ourselves. Was it worth the 5 hours and 4 different buses necessary to get there? On balance, it probably was (plus we did get to see the not coloured coloured lake).
And in another trip first, our hotel used letters instead of numbers to identify different rooms. Continuing the descent into middle age I found this so 'interesting' that I took a photo. I'd send it into Esther Rantzen and the That's Life team if the programme was on still..
Now, after nearly 8 months in Asia, almost everyone (the dragon in the Bangkok hotel being the exception that proves the rule) is exceedingly friendly and anxious to chat. We have a fairly standard conversation with everyone. There were days gone by when the British were famous for things other than football - doubledecker buses, colonialism, Lady Di, fish and chips etc - but these days it's merely just the Premiership. And the conversation goes something like this (at least 20 times a day..)..
Hello. Which country?
To this we usually answer England. No we're not trying to deny or hide Courtney's Canadian heritage, it's just a lot simpler and besides most of them have never heard of Canada and we'd only end up having to explain it as part of America..
Ah, England, good country, Michael Owen, David Beckham.
Yes, well done. You like football? Which team do you support? Manchester?
No Manchester anymore, I like Chelsea.
At this I usually launch into a lecture along the lines of how they should support their local team and not choose a team just cause it wins thing. And if they are going to support a team because it wins things, then they should at least stick with it and not change when they no longer win as many things as they used to.
No, no I like Chelsea always. You like Chelsea?
The response to this is to roll the eyes and decry, no, we like Crystal Palace (even Courtney has taken to describing them as 'our team' - a crucial and pivotal step towards achieving that ring on her finger anytime soon!). You know?
For most of the last 7 months the words 'Crystal Palace' have resulted in a nonplussed look and I'd then demonstrate by holding one hand as high as possible and saying 'Chelsea' and then the other as low as possible and indicating Palace. But recently there has been more of a flicker of recognition. At least 50% of all respondents reply in the affirmative.
Ah, Crystal Palace. Which player?
Well, do you know Andrew Johnson? (a mime along the lines of not having much hair usually does wonders here)
Ah, Andrew Johnson? I know, I know. Who else?
At this we usually pack up and leave, figuring the chances of anyone knowing Danny Butterfield and Fitz Hall are pretty remote.
The life of a traveller..
Elsewhere we've moved onto Java. To Yogyakarta which is very hot and I can't spell it. And ,in rapid succession we visited 3 new entries in the top 10 most underwhelming tourist attractions ever visited.
First up was an underground water complex which didn't have any water and resembled a Barratts housing estate (and about as interesting). Number 2 was a silver village. Expecting a quaint little backwater full of pretty little silversmiths, instead we got a nondescript street with a couple of junk filled shops. Even standing in the doorway of a workshop with our best gormless WeAreWesternAndWantSomeoneToShowUsRound faces didn't have the usual effect. And the third and final entry was a supposed coloured lake that looked like every other uncoloured lake I've ever seen. And it smelt.
Countering this we did visit a volcano crater that was definitely the real McCoy. Smoke billowing from the top and with water bubbling inside the crater. And we had the whole place to ourselves. Was it worth the 5 hours and 4 different buses necessary to get there? On balance, it probably was (plus we did get to see the not coloured coloured lake).
And in another trip first, our hotel used letters instead of numbers to identify different rooms. Continuing the descent into middle age I found this so 'interesting' that I took a photo. I'd send it into Esther Rantzen and the That's Life team if the programme was on still..
// posted by courtney and pete @ 15:39 
