I woke to more long fingernails scratching my face this morning so I gave up on sleep, put Samudra in the baby sling, picked up the camera and off we went for a morning walk with me still in my pj’s (how times have changed!).. The sun was just rising so the air was warm but bearable as we wound our way through the nearby streets, up to the park and stopping to say hello to so many women and babies along the way. This seems to be baby hour in the complex with kids being rocked in slings everywhere you go while being fed rice porridge. We saw cockatoos in cages, roosters, loads of cats on the streets, rubbish collectors, and the usual morning scenes in Jakarta as people prepare for the day ahead.
As we were on our way home I noticed a little alleyway that I hadn’t seen before so decided to take a look down there.. it was a maze of very small walkways with baby chickens foraging in the dirt, little warungs, old tiny house and suddenly loads of people standing in their doorways looking at us, or moving onto the path to take a closer look. One man asked where we had come from and then started giving me directions on how to get back there as he thought we must be lost. It turns out that no foreigners have ever been into their little kampung before, so they were all amazed and thought we had no idea where we were. Bless. It also turns out that their kampung leads into a rubbish dump site a little further down and apparently it’s very bau (smelly!), so we said our goodbyes and set off yet again, this time with Lenny who befriended us as she could speak English as she is a nanny to Scottish expats.
We had already been walking for a little over an hour, but I decided to take a quick walk down the alleyway close to the house as I had only been in a short way in the past and wanted to see where it lead to. There were little kids EVERYWHERE and parents asking for photos and giggling – it’s a bustling little kampung the further you go and it was very entertaining. Lots of older women recognised Samudra and were calling out to him and wanting to hold him, but I kept him in the sling as I was wanting to leave as the sun was getting too hot as it rose and suddenly loads of flies had appeared in the area. So we finally made it home dripping in sweat after fun adventures and then it was time for Samudra to play with Daffa and his nanny for the morning.
I made a quick trip into Kemang before settling back at home infront of my computer, trying to work my way through updating my website again.. it seems to be taking much longer than anticipated but hopefully it should be up and running by Monday! Yah!
In the late afternoon I was missing being with Samudra so put him in the sling again and we headed off for a walk back up to the park before the sun set for the day. There were so many kids in the park flying kites and kicking balls around, so Samudra had a quick kick of the ball with the help of one of the ladies we regularly see around there who loves him to pieces… He was in fits of laughter as she sang to him and played with him which was really lovely.
I hope you had a beautiful day wherever in the world you are too.
Day 65: Morning fruit and vegetable seller doing his rounds in the complex. Happiness.
Day 65: Another little friend for Samudra and a week difference in age! Happiness.
Day 65: Every morning that I walk, I see this lady selling vegetables on the side of the road and every day she tells me that I need a nanny to carry my baby for me! haha. Happiness.
Day 65: The first new kampung we wandered into, before loads of people came to see what we were doing there. Happiness.
Day 65: Morning in the kampung. Happiness.
Day 65: The most familiar sight this time of the morning. Babies in slings. Happiness.
Day 65: Two week old baby girl sleeping with her bapak oblivious to the morning craziness in the kampung around her. Happiness.
Day 65: Another little street in the kampung. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming here. Happiness.
Day 65: This little boy followed us on our afternoon walk and kept asking me to take his photo. Happiness.
Day 65: I love this little food stand, it reminds me of a boat. Not sure it is still in use, but I spied some bottles of sauce inside. Happiness.
Day 65: Samudra playing bola in the park. Happiness.
