Rumah Kos

The most interesting news I have to report is my move to a boarding house – called a rumah kos here in Indonesia. I have been bouncing around between hotels (three of them: one too expensive, one in an unsafe area, and one in an overly run-down hotel) and the SIMPUR office since I arrived in Ponti. All of this movement has inconvenienced me, but is even more difficult for my coworkers who have been kind enough to transport me from location to location every few days.

A few days ago I, along with a cadre of coworkers on motorbikes, went shopping for a rumah kos. We toured about five different options, from the very luxurious (including TV, AC, laundry, and bathroom/shower) to the very cheap (just a small room with one window and a bed). I chose something in the middle – a large room with two big windows, a bed, dresser, desk, and chair.

The mandi (Indonesian bathroom with squat toilet and water to bathe – don’t get me started about squat toilets – see example picture below) is down the hall and laundry is included in the price of the room. My neighbors are friendly – mostly students at the local university – and they think it is hilarious that I’m living in Indonesian-style housing! Plenty of giggles every time my neighbors see me. A very dirty, large irrigation ditch runs in front of the building and I’m hoping it won’t rain too much while I’m in town, because flooding is a big problem here….

The location is excellent – close to the mall (which contains my gym, a grocery store, and a café with wireless access) – and close enough to my office so that I can bike to work in the mornings. And the price is unbelievable – only about $60 USD per month!

The last couple evenings after work I have entertained myself by shopping for things for my room – a desk lamp, fan, extension cord, and the requisite mosquito spray which I dutifully use every evening. Contracting dengue is not on my list of things to do this summer!