First Days in Tegal

Living in Tegal so far is not as bad as I thought before. It’s a small town, yes. I just knew today that every street here doesn’t stretch any longer than 300 metres. I went to the banks this morning and, unlike in Surabaya, I only had to walk to those places. To go to the only mall here would only need around one or two minutes by the angkot. I like the fact that it is just so very easy to get to some places here, but probably that is also the advantage I get from living in the heart of the town.

Another positive thing is… the air is sooooo much fresher than in my beloved polluted Surabaya. It’s hot here, like in almost everywhere in Indonesia, but the heat is not hurting, like when you find when you visit Jakarta or Surabaya, or other bigger cities. I can still walk at noon without feeling too uncomfortable. I actually am thinking to buy a bicycle here so I can get somewhere farther. Doing that in the morning will be a good start for a good mood. But… it’ll have to wait until I get my first salary in the end of the month, if the loans at the banks and friends don’t really choke me. :D
That doesn’t sound so positive, huh? But I’m dying to get a bicycle. I won’t even mind if it’s just a second-hand one.

I still haven’t got my own room here. The administrator, Dedy, promised me that tonight would be the last night I shared with the other two teachers. But looking back at the similar promises made these past few days, I don’t set a high hope for that. Dedy asked me why I insisted so much to have my own room. He, like the other Indonesians, thinks that it’s always nicer and better to have a friend/friends to live with. When he said that, a friend whose room I am staying in at the moment, was there. So I replied with a more polite but less honest answer. “Well, I don’t want to bother them in the morning. I always get up early and get in and out of the room so often for toilet purposes. I realize I always make noises that can wake them up, and I don’t want that. But you know, even when I get my own room later, I think I’m gonna spend most of my time at their room. It’s fun to gossip at nights with them.”
I saw a smile in Ernie’s face, the teacher whom I am sharing the room with temporarily, and I knew I answered it right.

The real truth is, however, I need a space. A privacy. An ownership. That’s why I can’t wait to get my own room and decorate it as I please. I can be tidy or untidy as I want. And I can be alone when I need it. It’s all hard to do all those things when you share your room with someone.

One other truth is I do enjoy being with them sometimes. We have many different interests, but the topic about boys is always interesting for all ages. They also have a TV and DVD player in their room (there is also each of them in the living room, but it’s nicer to watch them on a bed, right?). So I guess I will visit them quite often at nights, anyway.

Besides, we’ll live only one floor away!