Welcome to Batam!

So, I'm here and I'm safe. I have to apologise for not writing this post sooner, but I've had a few computer problems... more about that later.

After saying goodbye to my Mum at the airport I boarded an aeroplane for the 12-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur, and soon realised I had foolishly left the charger for my laptop in England - computer problem number 1. I got my first stamp in my passport - for entry into Malaysia - after filling out this rather imposing form.

I then spent 4 uneventful hours in Kuala Lumpur airport, got my second passport stamp - for leaving Malaysia - and caught my plane to Singapore.

An hour later I landed in Singapore (another form, another stamp), where I had to take a taxi across the city to the Harbour Front shopping mall, where I was to meet my new boss, Steve, and take a boat to Batam. My taxi driver was friendly, and told me a little about Singapore life, which apparently is very expensive, but it's a very clean place where chewing gum is illegal! The shopping mall was ultra-modern and western in style, with a few minor differences, such as this shop's name...

I met Steve in a Starbucks, and he's a lot cooler than I was expecting... he's a 27 year old tattooed American from Boston. We had a little introductory chat, before getting the ferry to Batam. The boat took 45 minutes and everyone was staring at us because we were the only white people. When we arrived in Batam I finally entered Indonesia and got the last stamp in my passport.

As it happened, my first night in Batam was Hare Riya, the last day of Ramadhan (the Muslim month of fasting), a national holiday and an excuse for the whole of Indonesia to party. Everywhere people were shooting fireworks into the sky with strange guns, and trucks were driving round playing loud music with upto 30 people on the back. We drove to my new house, which is very nice and spacious, where I met my other housemate, Tommy - an Indonesian guy who works in the school's offices, and Steve's girlfriend Tanti.

Tanti and Steve

Together we went to the food court to get something to eat. I wanted to try something different, so I ordered goat koftahs in chilli sauce (below)

They were delicious! Especially accompanied by some local beer. Then we went to the bar where Tanti works - named "My Place" and I introduced everyone to traditional Polish honey vodka. Then we sang on Karaoke for a while before we made our drunken way home to sleep. A good first impression of Batam indeed.

The next day I woke up pretty late (more due to jet-lag than alcohol, seriously) and as I needed to buy a few things - including a laptop charger - we headed to the nearby mall and I had my first glimpse of Batam in the daytime. The first thing that I noticed was the traffic - it seems as though nobody obeys any rules (although this was apparently because the police were also on holiday) and there were motorbikes everywhere like swarms of bees, never looking where they were going, rarely looking where they were going, and sometimes looking like this;

That is my current record of seeing five people on one moped. When we got to the shopping mall it was pretty cool - although a lot of the shops were closed (including everywhere that might sell a charger - computer problem number 2) but we went shopping in Carefour, a common sight between here and Poland, although inside was very different.

We went to get some food - I had some very tasty noodles with a mixture of seafood;

Then we went to another, bigger mall to try to find a charger. Nowhere had anything for my samsung laptop, but I bought a multi adaptor designed for many things, but when we got home none of the plugs fit my laptop (computer problem number 3). Slightly annoyed, I fell asleep on the sofa and when I woke up played some PlayStation with Steve.

By the way, if you are wondering why I haven't been to work yet, again Hare Riya means the school is closed until Monday, and so my first days here are all holiday!

The next day, Thursday I think (jet lag is confusing), we went back to the mall to return the charger I bought and try to find one that worked. Nowhere sold them (computer problem number 4), and as I desperately wanted to contact the world outside, and my old laptop isn't very good (with a broken keyboard - lost count of my computer problems by now) I decided to buy a netbook. The guy in the shop selling it said he needed 30 minutes to install all the software. Steve and I went for food, came back 40 minutes later, and he said another 30 minutes, and he would call me when it was done. We went to a bar to play pool while we waited - which was another experience, the place was run by young girls, who were very eager to give is beer, set up the pool table for us and try on my Wyraybane sunglasses;

After about an hour I called the computer guy and he said 10 minutes, so I waited another 30 and took a ride on the back of a motorbike taxi back to the mall, where my computer still wasn't ready. I waited, and complained a little and he gave me a free mouse and headphones, and I finally got my computer. I took the motorbike taxi back to the bar where Steve was waiting, and found my new computer wouldn't connect to wi-fi. (f**king computers!!!!).

We left the bar and went to 'My Place' to meet Tanti and I ate a crocodile curry;

which was very spicy but very nice, then I came back home to try plugging in an internet cable. Again, my new computer refused to connect to the internet, but as it was also a samsung, I used the charger to charge my old laptop, which connected to the internet with no problems, and now I have been typing this post for about 6 hours - either side of sleeping (it's now Friday), because all I have is an onscreen keyboard.

Later today I will go back to the shop with my computer and try to make the guy fix it. My school reopens on Monday, so I will be able to type easier then.

Sampai Jumpa Lagi! (See You Later)