A day in the life ......

Going to be a fun day.
Off to BSD to sort out some local government required paperwork, then typing out bits and bobs, finishing with prep for another jaunt to yet another part of this beautiful country.
I'll have to stay at my South Tangerang residence over the weekend so won't see my beautiful lady and kids for another week.

That sounds exciting Fred. Where will you be visiting this time?

Paperwork in Indonesia isn't quite as bad as the roads are .... but neither are worth celebrating.
Two useless idiots on bikes hit my car on the  way to disdukcapil, one did a runner but I stopped the other.
The latter was a waste of time as he said running his bike into my car as a result of overtaking on the inside and losing control when he hit a pothole was my fault.
The video sorted that out in short order but he still would pay for my damage. There's another scratch I have to sort out.
Ho hum.
Still, only another 40 in the queue in front of me then I can get out of here.
Perhaps I should take up getting drunk again ... or maybe things aren't that bad.

Have you considered getting a driver Fred? Driving in Indonesia is a lot more dangerous than in many other countries. You'll find is very much different than in the UK.

So far I've been lucky and haven't had any accidents, but keeping my fingers crossed.

Have you considered getting a driver Fred

There goes a pointless suggestion. I can sit in the back while an idiot on a bike runs into the back of my car .. and add the cost of paying a driver as well.
Sounds great so I'll do that and coat the car in gold so the damage costs much more to repair.

Well if you get a local driver it won't cost much and your car might get damaged less often. Have you tried driving slower and checking your wing mirrors more often?

Anyway, it was just a suggestion. You've probably been told this hundreds of times but driving in Indonesia is not the same as driving in the UK. Not everyone is cut out for driving in Indonesian traffic.

What are you talking about?
Motorcyclists will run into the back of cars regardless of who happens to be driving and your comment about speed is yet more pointless crap as they ran into the back of the car.
Please stop posting rubbish as I fear people will think you're stupid, and you wouldn't want that would you?

What a lovely evening.
Popped out for a while and met two exceptionally nice people I haven't seen in forever.
Brightened my day up no end.
The kebab was a nice bonus.

I've been crazy busy over this last month, but I had a few days off here and there.
Apart from all the messing around, travelling, and meeting new and interesting people, I slapped a recording studio together in order to help a couple of people out with a couple of problems they have.
As I rather enjoy electronic toys, this was work and pleasure, and I get to help people out as part of the deal.
It's a pretty basic setup but easily good enough for voice and perhaps a little intro jingle, all recorded onto a cute little program called "Audacity", then edited to tart it up for production.

Move over, Dan TDM, Fred is coming.

I got home late on Friday night but my shaver is still in my case.
My wife is starting to complain.

Working from 7 am, then off to the cinema to watch the new mission impossible film (Seat gripping job - well worth the money), then shopping for my wife.
I bought a bottle of my favourite lemon drink, a lovely potion in a small glass bottle with a metal screw cap, probably the best lemon drink in the world, but I'm going to stop drinking it.
The metal cap has a safety thingy on it so you know you're opening a virgin bottle, but the design allows the metal to stick out and cut your hand, as has happened many times.
The cashier looked a little pale when you saw blood dripping from my hand, and the security guard offered me antiseptic and a plaster (very kind of him), but I have a lot of blood and a few drops falling out isn't likely to make me faint on the way home.
I seriously love that lemon drink but I think I'm going to have to stop buying it.
Sad, sad, sad old world.

Dear diary
Windows 10 is killing me, it's a pain in places we don't mention in polite company and the useless piece of lousy, pointless, rubbish, all pervading, snooping, crappy, exasperating, and depressing software is naffing up my computing life.
Updates slow the computer down and no matter what you do, you can't stop the pointless crap downloading.
Windows 8.1 worked well and did everything required to make my computers work, but I've had to buy an extra machine that's kept offline so I can actually work with the damned thing rather than do as the results of unmarried parents at Microsoft want me to do.
They lied when they told me how to stop updates (their instructions don't work and they know it) and they're a pain to get hold of anyway.

I need to find a computer that'll run Google Chrome, Powerpoint, Corel draw, a simple audio editing program, and a simple video editing program but doesn't have a windows logo or have i-anything in its name.
......or buy a machine without an OS and bung 8.1 on it.

HELP!

I've been doing a lot of audio recordings of late so I decided it was time to upgrade things a little.
The laptop, much as it's rubbish windows 10, has a spec easily good enough to handle the job so I'm using that as a base for the moment. When I've reset my old windows 8.1 stick, that's going to be the main computer.

The screen wasn't really big enough ... but it is now.
The rough lighting is down to bad photography but it's fine in real life.

Moving house means a new identity card and paperwork is always a pain, so I paid a guy to do all the running around for me.
There went a few hundred thousand but it was worth it as it saved me loads of running around and waiting for hours in queues.
I am now the proud possessor or a KTP with the new address, and all hassle free.
Not that anyone ever asks to see it except the bank and other official stuff when I tell them where my new hovel is. - oh, and hotels when I'm out and about.
They share one thing as I show it to them, their jaws always drop when they see I'm an Indonesian bule - not many of us around.

In other KTP news, this will now allow me to get on with the pension transfer and bringing a load of cash from the UK to Indonesian accounts. Depositos are a hassle free option with fair interest rates so I'll be buying a few more of them. A lot of people like various investments but I'm after a quiet, trouble free life so, much as I realise I can do better, I don't want the messing around so these are the option I go with. Started buying them years ago and, as the interest gets paid, I use the cash to buy more.
I could live off the interest and lead a fair middle class life but I'd sooner do a little something rather than sit on my arse all day.

What a week (so far)
I've ditch my windows ten rubbish computers for the moment, the laptop sitting on the bench behind me ignored.
I still haven't sorted out the CMOS battery in the Intel stick but it otherwise works and doesn't give me the headaches I get with that 10 rubbish.
I've got the train app set up on my phone so I don't have to bother going to the station to buy tickets any more as you can book using the app and pay by BCA's app or nip to an ATM or Alfamart (Or where ever).
My bank account has just experienced a sudden boost so I'm a happy bunny. Define "Boost" as something you'd experience as the second stage ignition kicks in on a Saturn 5, and there's more to come - Yippee.

I've just read a story about the West Sumatra administration sending beef rendang to Lombok to feed the survivors.
Apart from it being filling and packed with everything someone in difficulties is likely to need to eat, the delicious taste has to be a moment of pleasure in an otherwise grim situation.

That alone makes sending the stuff a good idea.

If you've never tried beef rendang - correct your omission as soon as possible and your mouth will love you forever.

I've just added a wifi extender so the home wifi now reaches my office, that meaning I have fast, reliable, and unlimited up here.
Handy when I'm working so I can blast a little rock out from youtube.

A lot of travelling this week, first to Jakarta, then Purwokerto for Friday and Sat, the first by train, the latter a terrible car journey.
The roads down there from the Java toll are narrow, full of heavy trucks, and the roadworks are a killer.
Stressful driving so, if you have to make that trip, take some chill out time before you do it and stop for a rest half way.
However, both were business and both went pretty well so it was worth the messing around.
The hotel in Jakarta was very Islamic in nature, and very clean and tidy, the one in Purwokerto being more international style, and very, very nice, but more than twice the price of the Jakarta place.
Sunday was spent doing some stuff for this forum (You see that appear in due course), and loads of stuff for work, starting with printing out all the reports and whatever so I can get a handle on how things run there.
Most looks pretty simple but it's always the working out how the new boss likes things rather than the work being hard.
I'm in the happy position of liking the stuff he says, that and I've been working that direction for many years already so it's easy to slip into the new place's ways.
Back at that stuff in the morning, but with a break to do some banking and a bit of other stuff, and I'll, take a moment to nip into Maxx for a coffee, but I'll have a laptop with me to do a little messing around for work whilst I'm sipping on my brew.
A computer shop sold a mini base unit to me the first evening in Jakarta, that upgrading my home computing power so I can add a little more efficiency to my system.
None is exactly HAL, but it does what I need and it's replaced the duff windows stick - that'll be repaired and returned to duty as a back up for my presentation computer when I'm out and about.
Tomorrow will also see me writing a report with suggestions regarding the way I'd like to see things move.

I usually use a fan in my home office but my new work means I'll be doing a lot more from here so I decided it was time to install air conditioning.
That in mind, I went out and spent Rp3.6 million on a portable unit, smashed a hole in the wall for the exhaust, then switched it on.

I'm cool ........... and smashing the bricks out of the wall with a hammer released tension.

Right - back to work

I'm working on a Sunday morning, then going shopping, then working again.
I still need a new printer as my poor old Canon is showing its age and the print quality is getting a bit rough on the edges - it still manages black documents but the colour is completely shot and it isn't worth spending money on as it's so old.
Whatever comes next will have an external ink well as standard, the HP combination being the cheapest but I'm a bit unsure about buying one of their machines as the last one was so prone to giving me headaches.

Shopping time.

Had a coffee this morning, then two more in a shopping centre because Maxx were doing a buy 1 get 1 offer. Big ones at that so I'm buzzing a bit.
Good day with loads of useful stuff done.

Got up
felt terrible
felt lazy
ordered McD for breakfast
Ate McD
Went back to bed
Got my daughter to go for a walk on my back
went to sleep for ages
woke up at 1
Had another shower
Made a cream of chicken soup Iblis would cry if he ate
Starting to feel less dead
Came up to the office to do a bit of work
Ended up messing on the internet first.
Dreaming of fat sacks of cash because sold both houses and the cash will be coming soon.

I've spent a while upgrading my computer, just adding a webcam and a better microphone.
I can now do skype conferences, something that could well prove handy in the near future.
The new scanner/printer/copier is also a nice addition.

Tidying up and sorting stuff out. Finally set up my mini library and all the office stuff is looked after.
I popped a few pictures on my wall to brighten the place up a bit whilst I was on the go.
I've also changed office chair to one I bought ages ago for work but hardly used so that's an improvement as well.
The biggest thing was getting rid of everything windows ten - the lack of computer generated headaches is great.

Listening to Beethoven

I started work at 6 this morning, took my wife shopping for an hour, did some other bits and bobs, but have been working most of the time since I started.
7 at night - maybe time for a rest - but I want to copy some files to a tablet first.

Making copies of great art for the house and listening to

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZkTh_T75QY

What a great day

and....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2zurZig4L8

Haven't been out of the house for two days - busy doing stuff for work so spent most of my time upstairs in the office.
Presentations rebuilt, plans set up, site kept up to date,  of at 4 tomorrow morning.

Monday - Had a shave because I was conducting a site visit
Tuesday - Shaved for the same reason
Thursday - Shaved for the same reason
Wed, Fri., Sat - too lazy to shave because I was working from home.

Wife complaining at me.

I'll have a shave on Sunday before I set off on the next jaunt - and take an electric chin smoother with me.

I'm really looking forward to the next trip.

East Java all week, Jakarta tomorrow.
I leave at 1 in the morning

I'm too fat so I've decided to get a bit fitter - will buy:

One kickbag
Ankle and wrist weights
A few other bits and bobs

Also - will eat less - killer because food here is amazing

I went for a wander around bits of West Java, that meaning I had to use the Central Java to Jakarta toll road. I've never been on that road without seeing an accident, but these few days were exceptional.
The way there I saw three, a silly little town toy car that was hardly suitable for long distance driving in the central reservation with its front end smashed in, probably the result of the driver nodding off, and two trucks, both topped over at the side of the road, probably for the same reason.
The way back was worse with two trucks down near Subang, another about 10km up the road, then a load of cars all scattered around a short while later. No idea what had happened with the last one but a load of cars were involved - probably blind stupidity as is less than unusual on roads here.

I'm off into the depths of East Java for a few days, then away to Bali not long after. I'm not much for partying and all that stuff but I'm going to spend a day looking around to see what's so appealing about Kuta.
I'll probably end up looking around a rubbish dump or wandering down back streets - I usually do

Busy, busy, busy - I'll have been on four islands by the end of April.
Loads to do and the back up work is a killer - but I'm enjoying it

Been out to  play in Surabaya, met a lot of very nice people, then drove home.
The new tolls really make like easy but there aren't quite enough fuel stations as yet. The new toll has two on the way back towards Jakarta, enough as long as you top up at every one, but the 300+ KM between the last one and the first petrol on the Jakarta toll is just a little too much for a lot of cars so I had, just for safety, to get off the toll and fill up.

Tiring trip but a couple of hours kip in the car is enough to keep things safe (Ish).
A quick flight out of Java on Sunday so I'll have to a bit of rest.

The roads, the roads, the roads.

You name it, if it's blindingly stupid, I've probably seen an Indonesian driver or motorcyclist do it.
I saw two fools do U turns on the toll road a couple of weeks ago, and today saw a gojek rider in a rush slam into the back of my car. Staying clear of me wasn't hard; I was waiting to turn right so driving at just a few KPH, but the 3 or 4 M gap on my inside wasn't enough for this speeding idiot - BANG.
He moved to the side, as did I, then he tried to do a runner - SMASH! straight into the front of another car, that impact damaging his bike and making a rare old mess of the car.
I looked at my damage - nothing to bother about, but the other car looked a lot more seriously, and expensively, bent.
All it would have taken was to stop and say he was sorry (So little damage to mine that would have been the end of that), but that just isn't the way a lot of motorcyclists here roll.

Back from a weekend in Jakarta, new electronic gadget I lied to my wife about the cost of in hand, then come home to my projector's power supply going 'fizzle fizzle, bang". I'll have to sort it out properly another day as I have another meeting in Jakarta tomorrow.
I'm also looking for a new dentist as the veneer I had fitted 2 weeks ago, the one that fell out last week, has fallen out again.
Advice from professional dental sites suggests I see a new dentist, but they fail to mention the dentist used previously might very well be rubbish - they're far more subtle than I am.

Fred wrote:

Most of my day was at a hospital.
My kid, who is almost as handsome as me, is still having a few problems, but getting better.
He's still having some difficulty breathing, but this is much better now.
He has an infection, but that's clearing up.
He went a touch yellow, but blue light treatment is looking after that.
My wife was discharged from hospital today, but I returned later to check on mini Fred.

Where did the time disappear off to?
We're hunting out his first school later, but he has no idea what's coming.  Will it be tears and screaming, and who will they be from?
He's not a bad kid, hardly ever cries, and does what he's supposed to do, but school could be another story.
Hang on - over four years disappeared as if a second went by - perhaps I'll be dead when I post his graduation photos.

His first school day - or at least a trial lesson.
I was surprised, and pleased. He took a few minutes to get into the idea but ended up sitting in the class circle and taking part in the lesson. He looked seriously confused much of the time but got on with it and did well. We've signed him up so there goes another big school bill so I'm seriously miskin (poor, impecunious, and generally skint) now.
I have to pop to Jakarta in the morning so I may find a red light area so I can sell sexual favours in order to make a little extra.
As an import, I have to charge a premium price.