Show #3 Jakarta

First show in Jakarta last night. It went super well. I was nervous about doing Prismes here with nudity and all but it seems to have been just fine. The director tells me that this is the only theatre here where such performances are possible. The crowd we had last night were very appreciative if somewhat challenged.

The theatre café complete with jungle...

Coconut stand across the street...

Dancers by the poolside

Lush world

In this city with next to no park space there are these private oases like the hotel where we are staying. And in these places it becomes apparent that we are in fact in the jungle. How things do grow! The hotel garden is very carefully tended by quiet gardeners who work away tranquily much of the time.

Jakarta day 2

Another version of the side walk... this time there is a little space so it has become a plant shop. There are also these storm drains everywhere competing for sidewalk space.

Another lovely moment around a table with good food and good company.

Another meal

Indonesia: no walking

Here I am in another world... in so many ways! One can not walk here. It is dangerous and there are no sidewalks. We have to take a taxi to go have a meal! This is going to take some getting used to!! Good thing there is a pool at the hotel.

You can rent a bicycle and a hat to ride around the square. I have only seen one bicycle on the roads. This is the only such open space in town or so I am told.

Sidewalk - at least there is some space here!

Indonesian trains

What not to do on the train:

Train station:

Women only: The train has women only cars. Funny that they distinguish the cars by pink drawings of women with hair when all the women inside are wearing veils, most of them black.

Indonesia day 1

What a day we have just had in Jakarta! What a different world and what a crazy city!!! We started out with a quiet morning at the hotel recovering from our trip here - a seven hour flight (which now seems like a short hop compared with the 14hrs getting to Korea) plus an almost equally long trip in from the airport. Then out into the city.

There are no sidewalks here and it is almost impossible to walk anywhere. Every inch of the streets are filled at every moment by cars, buses, trucks, carts, rickshaws and especially motorcycles. We had to take a car to the nearby train station, well within walking distance. A train ride across town, lunch in a Dutch colonial building then a short walk through the trafic to a coffeehouse, back through the traffic to the train which was now packed. Once again, every square inch of space put to use.

Rain in the evening to add to the chaos. We saw a Malaysian dance/ music show at the festival. It was a good mix of old and new.

We'll see what tomorrow has in store!

This is the view out my window.

Postcard #3 from Rachel in Seoul

The Koreans are very proud of their food and with good reason it is so delicious!!!!
Here follows a smattering of our food experiences...

This is at an enormous food market near our hotel. Did you say fresh noodles?

Dumplings at the market.

Noodle soup

Postcard #2 from Rachel in Seoul

Chères Flor et Gabi (stp fait suivre à Gabi, je n'arrive pas a changé son courriel),

I thought of you two last night. We went to a Korean sauna. What an experience!! No one there spoke English so we had quite a time trying to figure out where to go and what to do but what fun! There is a mixed sauna where everyone wears these shorts and t-shirts but mostly we are in the women's area. There are showers and tubs hot and cold and a very hot sauna but most of all there are women who scrub! We are put on tables and doused with water and then scrubbed vigerously until the outer layers of skin peel off. It feels soooo good!

I imagined being there with the two of you!

Postcard #1 from Rachel in Seoul

Rachel finds it awkward to post on our blog from her cellphone, so I will gladly act as the publisher of her "postcards" from Korea, Indonesia and Croatia...

Here is her Postcard #1 addressed to Alice:

Dear Alice,
This picture is taken in the old part of Seoul. These little houses are the traditional Korean homes though there are not many left like that. These young women are wearing traditional garments. Many people here dress up like that when they go and visit the old town and palaces.

I send you a big kiss and a long snuggle.
Love,
Mama

tea

I have been twice now to this lovely tea house. Yesterday I had tea made from lemon jelly!

The white fluffy things are rice cakes.

 
 
 

palaces

 

 
 
 
 

 

prismes in Seoul

Here I am in Seoul of all places. We just finished our first show of Prismes. All went well. Peter, who's plane was due in at 10:30 this morning, arrived in time too! Phiew. I don't know what the Koreans made of Benoit's rather sarcastic humor - they are too polite to imagine that we are making fun! They seem to have enjoyed the show all the same.

We are being very well taken care of as you can see from the 'team Canada  poster that was waiting for us when we arrived at our hotel. The shows have been sold out since august apparently!

 
 

 

a day at the Biodôme with Owen