Yogyakarta in Short

Alright.
I didn't get stranded or kidnapped in Yogyakarta. My bad. I have no reason but laziness.
But it was a great trip and i shall sum it up in 10 memorable points of Yogyakarta (in no particular order)!

1. I rode pillion on a motorcycle for the first time in my life! Definitely not as scary when the driver is kind enough to ride at 40km/h and the roads don't have massive jams or crazy cars. Definitely also a plus point when it is at night with a gorgeous starry sky above you and the night breeze blowing as you pass by busy dangdut gatherings and quiet paddy fields. Highlight of the trip. =)
2. People there are so lovely and polite. I went for a few community meetings and they're all very hospitable and friendly and offer tea and snacks. (mind you we've never met before and they definitely aren't very well off) And also extremely civil. Maybe there's something in this community empowerment thing (that we propagate and don't practice at all)
3. I drank teh sampah which is actually extremely yummy tea with ginger, random branches, mint leaves, cinnamon and rock sugar but it looks like rubbish floating inside. Jawa tea is the yummiest drink in the world. Well, maybe next to Milo. And Baileys. And ... it's yummy anyway.
4. I ate a chicken heart. *Bleurgh* all in the name of politeness. All I can say - chewy.
5. I learned that Bahasa Jawa and Bahasa Melayu is same same but different. Asmara means love, not illegitimate sex. Intermisu means joke, not intermission. Cowot and Cewet means boy and girl. And seronok has sexual connotations. Bisa faham?
6. I had a Rp1000 meal. That's 10 US cents. That's 30 Malaysian cents. Nasi kucing - the staple of poor students in all Jogja. But too little with only a small portion of rice and sambal. The meal may have been improved by the buskers who travel around to the many mats that people sit on to sing for tips. Not great, but entertaining.
7. If you need inspiration for political activism and passion, just go to Indonesia. I was asked if there were demonstrations in Malaysia after the fuel hike and i said very very small ones. And they said 'Oh, there was quite a bit hubbub here.' So i told them that we get arrested on the Internal Security Act for 'illegal gatherings'. Indonesia used to have an ISA too. But they managed to get rid of it. "How?" i ask. "Oh. We demonstrated against it." (-_-") chicken and egg scenario, isn't it?
8. There was cheap accommodation (well, relatively) with awesome free breakfast, lovely staff and a library to boot! I am a big fan of Ministry of Coffee and Damn, those were some good chocolate banana pancakes.
9. My stomach did not act up, thank goodness. Even after the super spicy padang food. Oh, political gripe here. Although farmers in some regions have been on their lands (growing chilli and other things, there's some connection to the spicy food) for years and years. The land does not belong to them! So, they can be kicked off at any time. Like now, when there is an Australian mining company interested in buying the land. How unfair. *grumble*
10. People in Yogyakarta are extremely resilient with little signs of the devastation from the 2006 earthquake. My respect goes out to those ibu and bapa (sign of respect there) that are raising cattle, processing cassava, working on ceramics and just getting on with their lives.

Okay. 10 points. I know there was much more but i left it too late. Bad Jeannie! Bad Bad! In other news, there have been many comment-worthy things in the paper that i think "Ah! Blog worthy!"

Like the latest stupid Malaysian comment that lipstick and high heels are encouraging rape and immorality. Like i said, the fun never ends. Yay!