Bazaar No.1 done

Bugs in blogspot, can't organise the pics. Sorry. Top: Me behind my stall. Couldn't stand up straight, so figured peering from around the rack looked better than hunched over the table. All other photos: pics of my haul. Excepting the bear. The bear is kiddo's. She just felt it looked better with he new tutu on...

Today was the first bazaar of the Christmas season for me. Organised by the BWA (British Womens' association). It was held in the Grand Kemang Hotel. Lest anyone think I'm an insatiable bazaar hopper, I actually go to flog stuff for charity. This time it's the Panti Asuhan Pondok Taruna orphanage. With the thought of them needing 70kg of rice a day (costs about Rp500,000/ USD50 per day), I went there totally prepared to be the barracuda salesperson of the year. No taking 'no' for an answer! Everyone who pauses has to buy! Buy! Buy! I say!! Well, within an hour of arriving at the venue (6am for set up!! Ugh!), this barracuda became a minnow... I stupidly bent over to pick up a box forgetting that it was heavy and that I generally have a dinky back. No prizes for guessing what happened next... My back locked up big time, and I was left squirming around trying to pretend that I was looking for something inside the box when in actual fact I could neither fully straighten nor fully bend! I eventually plonked myself onto the sample bean bag I was selling since it allowed me to wriggle into a non excruciating position in order to unpack the offending box. No surprises that everything ended up on the edge of the table. It was as far as I could reach. An emergency call to my co-vendor, who luckily, was only due in later netted me a couple of lifesaving panadols. She was very apologetic about not having anything stronger, but at that point, I would've gratefully settled for anything, even a hammer to my toe as distraction from my back.

In any case, there was selling to be done and people to meet. I love doing the bazaars. Every time I do, I meet someone new, or an old customer. And you never know when you're going to meet a great friend. Like my co-vendor today, V. I met her at the last bazaar a few months back and we got to talking. Now she's a fab friend that I cannot imagine I've only known for a really short time. Even funnier, our girls both have the same name! And we both love crafting... Not to mention we're going on holiday together in 2 weeks and moving into the same apartment complex in 3 weeks. Before you suggest it, no, I'm NOT stalking her...

Well, if there's shopping to be had, I'm the one to call. I can ALWAYS find something to buy. Picked up some lovely little batik covered boxes for gifts, as well as some cutesy little things for the kid. Turns out it's lovely having a co-vendor because we can take turns shopping while the other person mans the stall. And V is as great a shopper as me, which is saying a lot...

All in all, it was go, go, go from the moment the doors opened. I've never been in a bazaar that has been this busy. Barely had time to shop for myself!! *wink* For the first time, I also won a raffle prize! I only know it's to some restaurant. The main thought flowing through my head when going up to get the prize was, 'Suck it in!! Walk upright! OWN the pain! Don't limp!'. Hilarious that as we were walking around the hall, V kept trying to carry my bag. Geesh...!

Back pain or no back pain. A preliminary accounting shows that the orphanage will get Rp1,750,000 (about USD175) from today. That's about 3 days worth of rice or 60 chickens. Rather pleased with that I have to say. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come for the next few events.

PS will post some photos when my back unlocks enough for me to focus my camera higher than my knees...

Panti Asuhan Pondok Taruna orphanage

Today was my first visit to the Pondok Taruna orphanage. This orphanage is one supported by our church and since it was practically next to Kiddo's school, I though I'd join a bunch of other ladies and go have a wander round.

The house is set in the middle of a kampung. And before you think 'little backwater hamlet', let me just tell you the difference between an Indonesian kampung and a Malaysian kampung. 1st of all, a kampung in Malaysia is usually quite rural. Not many amenities, slow pace of life. Indonesian kampungs are vastly different. According to Mr.D, my walking encyclopedia of all things Indonesian, because Jakarta is essentially pockets of affluence within many kampungs, the kampungs themselves function like towns abutting towns. Think Yong Peng (a town in Johor State) 30 years ago. This little kampung had it's own internet cafe, and streets lined with restaurants. The biggest difference, though, was the greenery. Indonesian kampungs are filled with greenery. And the inescapable traffic...

To get to the orphanage, you have to drive down this tiny lane that barely fits the width of a car (we missed it a few times thinking it was the back door into someone's house). It then opens out into the orphanage that has a few joined buildings, and even it's own school. They have some donated computers, but no instructor. A stocked library but no supervisor. The kids cannot be left unsupervised at the library because they will attempt to sell off the contents to the seconds collector for extra pocket money! There are 170 kids under the direct supervision of the extremely capable Ibu L and her 17 staff (some are ex residents, all work for room and board only). She was previously supervising 5 other orphanages but got tired, so is now matron for this one only. However... she is also starting another orphanage in Lampung, as well as rescuing kids from all over Indonesia. Whew! At present, her husband is part of the relief work at Padang.

Looking around, the kids are all clean and polite. They're cheerful and happily pick up the younger ones that one can see running about. Everyone has their duties, be it kitchen, cooking, laundry, cleaning etc. I was there for almost 4 hours and never heard any scolding or crying. Everyone calls Ibu L 'Ma' and there was always a kind touch or word for passing kids. What a lovely lady. I admit to being a touch alarmed on spotting the barbed wire wrapped around the balcony railings, but Ibu L explained that it was the only way to stop the boys from climbing up to the roof for some kite flying. Apparently, all that prancing on the roof was causing water to seep into the bedrooms... Boys will be boys she said. For the same reason, she couldn't manage to grow plants, as the kids would pull on them if they were trailing, or pick at them if they were ground level.

Ibu L, trying to generate a little income for the home, often personally carries little crafty items from all over to sell at the orphanage. Lovely little carved eggs with cinnamon attached that smell heavenly, Dayak beaded purses etc. No marketing is done though, so her customers tend to be the local village people. Minimal profits as you can imagine. Well, my eyes practically popped out, and since my coming bazaars are in aid of the orphanage anyway, she was more than happy for me to take some stock to sell. Ooo... Very tempted...

Just some interesting facts that I have no where to insert... They get through 70kgs of rice (Not kidding!!) and 10kgs of vegetables (if available) PER DAY!! Often they can't get that amount of veg so go without. Meals are rice, or fried instant noodles 3 times a day with a little tempe (locally made fermented soy beans). Meat is a luxury. Once a while, they will kill a dog (desperate, ok...). That's really got to me 'cause they had a bunch of very nice looking pups in cages. According to Ibu L, they will keep the good guards, and sell or eat the fat ones. Dog meat is apparently very pricey in the market. Rp25,000 (USD2.50) for a whole chicken, but up to Rp40,000 (USD4) per kg of dog meat. I tried really, really hard not to be influenced by my own opinions while thinking about this issue, but I'm afraid I can't get away from thinking of dogs as pets and not livestock. Ugh.

I will leave you with that lovely conundrum and go off to catalog the goodies that Ibu L sent with me instead... Let me know if anyone is interested!!