We used rickshaws all the time in India, as they were the quickest, most convenient, and cheapest ways to get around our side of Mumbai. We even dressed up in our Indian finest and had one of my favorite family pictures taken in a rickshaw there. It is still the cover photo of our website home page.
We haven’t really gotten into using them so much here in Jakarta, primarily because we have our own vehicle, but also because they are far less ubiquitous. Taxis – real cars – seem to be the more common modes of transport-for-hire, at least among the middle/upper classes. (There are, of course, other options available. Little, dangerous mini-buses called “Metro Minis” run routes around the cities, and motorcycles for hire, called “ojeks” are also available.
But there are rickshaws here in the city. They are called “bajaj” and, unlike Mumbai (but like most of the rest of India), they neither run on LPG nor do they have meters. The combination of these two attributes mean they are a smokey way of getting ripped off for a quick ride.
But, after an elementary school happy hour, Susan decided to take one home. Apparently the negotiations for the fare went well, because I got a call from her happily shouting, “I’m coming home in a rickshaw! Get the camera!”
And so, when she rolled up to the front gate, I was ready and waiting, and now we have photographic evidence of our first ride in an Indonesian rickshaw!!
So here it is, one day after our Diwali shindig, and we had the big Halloween get together. (You can bet the kids are just going nuts at school with all the parties, candy, days off, and break coming up.) We had a trick or treating night at our apartment building, and all staff kids were invited to go up and down the stairs, knocking on all the doors and getting tons of candy. There were even ‘adult treats’ being cracked open in one of the apartments.
Was a blast! We had a great crew of people show up, and we ate, drank, and danced the night away. Breck and some buddies were the ‘no shirt club,’ keeping things under control in the apartment, and Alea and her friends were very excitedly dancing to all the songs. It will absolutely become a Bombay tradition as we go forward from here. I have to run this morning for a week in Matheran, but will post a picture of the yummy keg we were able to get. Auf wiedersehen…
Whew. This week went out like a lion. It has been crazy, crazy, crazy around school as everyone in the middle and high school prepares for the “Week Without Walls” that kicks off next Monday. I’ll be traveling with the 6th graders to 
Unfortunately on the home front, Alea has had to stay home the past 2 days with the same yucky cough thing that Breck had last week. She’s really bummed, because today was Crazy Hair day at the Elementary School and she was part of the group that organized and designed the day. Luckily, Breck was there to pick up the Stutz family participatory slack!
Well the kids are in bed, but the fireworks are just starting to go off all over. It is Eid, the end of a month of fasting for Mulsims, and our neighbors downstairs are gearing up for a big party tonight. I wonder how that will compare with the 
Had the big elementary school soccer tournament today – last day of coaching for me (yay!). We went 2-0-1, but the team we tied won on goal differential. Oh well, it was a fun day in the sun. The tough part about it was that Breck wanted to be on the team, but there were only 12 allowed (and 63 went out). Kind of a rough deal to have to make cuts in grades 1 through 3.