So I found out today that I'm out of a job at the end of the month. It's not a huge surprise. The new factory we've been working out of is huge and has a lot of skilled workers who will be making our frames, so therefore I wont be training anyone. There also wont be a workshop back home, because the company doesnt have any money right now and ( Read more... )

Things have been a little crazy here. We started working out of a new factory, which is bigger and way more advance than the last place. If only we knew about San-Yu before. In one week we've produced more than in a month at Belgindo. Not only that, but this place manufactures frames as well as moulding, so I wont have to train people with 0 ( Read more... )

SO, some crazy stuff has happened since my last entry. Thursday night, which was Indonesian Independence day, half the factory burned down. Our workshop was one of the sections and we lost everything inside, our saw, joiners, vises, everything. It was really some bad luck. Any other day but a holiday, there would have been a night shift, and ( Read more... )

SO, we might all be looking for jobs soon. I'm really worried that if we dont start production soon we'll loose the contract and the company will go bankrupt. We are supposed to ship out 1200 frames by September 15th, and I havent even started training yet. Supposedly the people I'm supposed to train have some experience, but who knows how much ( Read more... )

We had a great time last night, but we're paying for it this morning. We had some drinks a the bar in the hotel we were staying at, and the people wouldn't let us leave. Other than Bintang (the local beer) I had an Indonesian Guinness, some Japanese whiskey called Suntory, and a couple Jelly Specials! The Guinness is made in Jakarta, and is ( Read more... )

Hi Everyone. Long night of mosquito hunting again last night. Yesterday Anton took us to Borobudur and Yogyakarta. Borobudur was by far the best part of being here. The place is huge and the we stayed and walked around it for 2 hours. On the way we stopped at an old coffee plantation which has been turned into a resort/spa. It's an amazing ( Read more... )

We moved into the house last night and spent an hour in my room killing mosquitoes before going to bed. I thought I got them all until I woke up to them buzzing around my ears and scratching bites all over my arms! I finally turned on the lights and hunted them down. I don't know what time it was, but I think it was about 4 am, since it was ( Read more... )

We are moving into the house today. Finally got the internet hooked-up at work. Sunday we are going to Borobudur, which is a huge, super old Buddhist temple. It's about a 3 hour drive from Semarang. We are also going to Yogyakarta, Which is supposedly a really cool artsy, cultural city about 1/2 hour away from the temple. Anyway I'm tired and ( Read more... )

Hey everybody. Kinda rough start to the work week. The communication barrier is starting to get to me a bit. I have to stop working every ten minutes to get a tool or fix something, and then spend twenty minutes trying to explain to someone what I need or looking for someone who speaks English. I seriously need to learn some Indonesian! ( Read more... )

Kirsten I did it! You were right it was quick and painless. Anyway, we are on the start of our second week here in Semarang, Java. Lets get all caught up. The night of my flight I went to the emergency room at Kaiser, using a fake address and social security number, since I dont have insurance. The nurse told me it was a 50-50 chance I had ( Read more... )