The Secret Life of the American PCV

What exactly happens when a Muslim village-dwelling, long skirt-wearing, Indonesian-speaking PCV goes on vacation?

Wear shorts.

Who wears short shorts? 

We wear short shorts!

Which directly correlates to the need to run to the beach to tan because one’s pasty white legs blind people.

Awas! Super white!

Wear a dress that shows some skin!

Maybe I'm a hat person after all!

Imbibe in some cheap drinks (let’s face it, still on a budget)

(Stolen from my Singapore blog!)

Es degan...right from the tree. I saw the boy climb the tree, cut down the cononut, and then whack it open with a machete. Indonesia. 

Share a hotel room with boys, gasp!

ID6 (Britteney, Alex, Brian, Dave and I) at the meet and greet with ID7

Stay out past 8 PM.

Oh my gosh, it's getting dark and people aren't running for their homes!

Sunset over Bali

Take a hot shower.

Use toilet paper.

Eat bacon.

Bacon breakfast!

Eat until one’s stomach is bursting.

* Turns out that’s something I’d rather not continue…

I sorta felt like this! 

Unfortunately, sometimes our indulgences ended in a "what the heck is this?" situation. This is "Hawaiian Chicken Salad. We expected lettuce with pineapple and chicken...Instead she got a scooped out pineapple with chicken salad in it...interesting...

Eat a burger for the first time in a year.

2 days after eating that burger, eat fish and rice again and realize that buying a $6 burger was stupid when you can eat a delicious $2.50 fish from a tropical island. And it’s cheaper. Maybe now I can buy another cheap drink???

Puffer fish! (this picture is false advertising, I did not eat this!)

Wake up after 8 AM, as this island is significantly less Muslim than Java.

* Well, once, anyways.

Pura Batu Bolong di Sengigi (Hollow Hole Temple in Sengigi)

Hindu offerings 

Pura in Mataram, Lombok's capital

Pura Meru, the largest Hindu temple in Lombok. It was built in 1720 by a Baliensse Prince named Anak Agung Made Karang of the Singosari kingdom. This was built in an attempt to unite Lombok. It is dedicated to the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. (source) 

Speak in English idioms.

* Which are frequently interrupted by “apa?” (“what?”). That is basically asking oneself aloud what one is trying to say. Very Indonesian. Example: “It’s raining cats and apa? Oh, and dogs.”

** Ending questions with “ya?” Example: “Let’s walk around the island, yeah?” “Let’s eat at 7 PM, yeah?”

Some friends of a friend who teach "Cake English Course" in Mataram, because English is a "piece of ...apa? cake." 

Freak out at the people trying to get you to take their taxi. It’s not my community, they won’t see me again.

Sit in air conditioning.

Have no shame in telling people what your schedule is and not feel guilty. It’s my vacation, I will do what I want!

Gili Trawangan is beautiful!!

Tumbleweed-esque, Lauren Millikan! 

In the words of Julie, "I see why The Bachelor brings people to islands like this."

Impress the locals by speaking Indonesian.

Chatting with local fishermen, who did not actually want to chat with me, sorta a nice change of pace! 

The boat they take out to drop the net in the sea.

Come back young!

It takes them an hour to pull in the huge net.

Avoid speaking Indonesian at all costs so as not to have to have a conversation with a stranger when you are on vacation darn it and just want to be left alone! Stop looking at me!

Despite being away from my village, some things don't change:

Refuse to take private transportation because 100,000 Rp/$10 to go somewhere is ridiculous when I could go for 3,000 Rp/30 cents.

Cidomo (horse-drawn carts) 

Julie, super thrilled

Being floored when an Indonesian unexpectedly begins speaking amazing English, despite the fact that you know you are somewhere teeming with tourists.

Feel scandalous and the object of everyone’s attention when walking along the beach with your close guy friend (who is married with a kid and you have no attraction to).

Ask the hostel owner to borrow 2 buckets to wash your clothes in. Why use a washing machine when it’s sudah terbiasa (already normal) to wash my own clothes?? And anyways, there’s another way to save a couple thousand rupiah for a Western meal!

And now some random shots from the trip! 

Julie's face reflected all of ours at this strange performance. "The Bubble Show" from Latvia. Ok Surabaya, why not?? 

Nusa Tenggara Barat museum 

See the next picture. Yikes!

Super cute boy on the boat ride home! He knew it, too! 

Mt. Rinjani!!