10 August 2012

speaking of coughs...

there's been no shortage of non-magical moments in jakarta.

like, you know how esmé is perfect? not so when she's hungry or mad tired. this happens a lot here, especially after a full day of school, hours of play and swim afterwards, and oh yes an entirely different life. and i only recognize this much much too late when i catch her glaring at me with folded arms, origami-ed in an incorrect twist, but almost. and then the hissper.




this was the worst day. ever. why did i get stuck in this family? tell me. because it's the worst family. ever. and this place. it's the worst place. ever.

ugh. can somebody get this monkey a banana?

the first week here, we had to take a lot of taxis, the girlies three and me. it was...unsafe. no language, no seat belts, esmé on my lap like it was the late seventies.




after one epic fail of an afternoon of back-to-school shopping in malls overflowing with Louis Vuitton and Christian Louboutin, we hailed a cab home. bagless. scrunched up in the back. preparing ourselves as best we could for the probably hour long drive through traffic to our house one mile away.

at one point, i coughed. loudly and twice. and then repeated that loveliness again.

the look grae gave me made me cough again. WHY? would you HACK? on ME? she hisspered.

for the record? she knows me. she has known me her entire life. she knows i have never once not ever hacked on anything or anyone. it has never in the history of happenings happened.



through gritted teeth, i hisspered back. i am trying to wake up the cabbie.

dead asleep.

things here aren't perfect. they're just kind of perfect to me.

all images found here.

8 comments:

And Kathleen said...

I can only hope Esme or Grae write a book a decade or two from now recounting the experiences you're providing for them now. What a book that will be. And I'll read every last word.

Erin said...

Oh my goodness, it's entirely too much fun picturing you all in these situations, and I love how I can hear your voice through your words.

billy said...

What a joy to be reading your words again. Keep writing of your perfect adventures because I miss them when you are quiet. x

Mariah said...

What brought you to Jakarta? I do not know much about Indonesia but your descriptions are intriguing!

elodierose said...

When faced with dodgy cab drivers, just remind yourself of the big picture - you're giving your kids the adventures of a lifetime. They'll grow up worldly and confident and have great stories. They'll be those grown ups who you *really* want to sit next to at dinner parties.

I hope they (and you)make some great friends there soon. I hope they meet some really fun expat Aussie kids (because us Aussie runaways make awesome friends) and I hope it doesn't ever quite feel normal, because that's where the fun is.

Amy said...

Oh goodness. I'm sorry more of your days aren't full of happier magic, but I'm selfishly oh-so-happy to see your words again. Please do tell us more of your tales.

Callie Grayson said...

oh my!
I can't wait to read more of your adventures!
xx
callie

Relyn Lawson said...

Snorting. Yes, snorting with laughter. But not hacking.