Articles in Sumatra Part 01
More Illness and a Walk to the Giant Buddha
Sunday, March 13, 2016
11:00 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Hostel
Siantar, Sumatra
Well, my life continues to be dominated by illness. I really wish I knew what made me sick. It’s the ultimate mystery. Was it the fish and rice and soup that Al’s wife served me? Was it the bubur ayam that I had for lunch in Kisaran one day? Was it the big expensive meal I …
Thief! A Stolen Smart Phone in Siantar
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
5:40 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
I’m not in a good mood this morning. I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I relived the moment when a thief grabbed my cell phone on my belt, ripped it off, and took off on his motorcycle. It was driving me crazy thinking about it—all the ways I could have prevented it from …
Thief! Part 2 – A Police Report
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
7:35 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
My return to the police station went, perhaps, much better than I anticipated. There were some of the expected, though I think avoidable, problems. For one thing, when I first approached the main desk, I was treated as if I had never been there before. They knew all about me. Everyone knew my story. Many of …
Thief! Part 3 – Follow-Up at the Police Station
Saturday, March 19, 2016
8:00 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
My life continues to be dominated by the theft of my phone. I now see thieves everywhere. I suspect everyone on the street—especially men on motorcycles. And whenever anyone looks at me, I follow them with my eyes to make sure they don’t double back and stalk me. It’s not really feasible to live like this …
Thief! Part 4 – A Resultant Bad Mood
Sunday, March 20, 2016
6:30 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
I didn’t make much progress in my search for a new smart phone yesterday. Once I started my research into the Xiaomi brand, things got very complicated very fast. In a way, it’s connected with my concerns about Xiaomi (and the other Chinese brands): I get confused by the language they use and the naming conventions. …
Compromising and Buying a Cheap Phone
Monday, March 21, 2016
7:30 a.m. Room 7, Tamariah Losmen
Siantar, Sumatra
The search for a cell phone continues. After doing a lot of research, I had nearly made up my mind to take a chance and buy a Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. This is in spite of the fact that I don’t trust Chinese brands as a rule. I feel like even if they look amazing on …