how beautiful on the mountains...

the following is a copy of a conversation i emailed to my brother earlier today.
i thought it would make a good blog post.

so the other day i was in the mall in jogjakarta. my neighbor wanted a bible in indonesian so she could do some street evangelism stuff, but since she doesn't get out of town a whole lot, i told her i'd pick her up one. so i was in the bookstore called gramedia looking over like the 3 bibles they had mixed in with the 148437 different versions of the al quran (koran). just then, 2 youngish looking guys in uniform came over to me.

guy: excuse me miss, there is a problem.
me: (oh my heavens. i am about to get arrested for buying a bible.)
guy: may i tell you the problem?
me: (NOOOOO!) um, yeah, sure.
guy: because of your hair, we think you are from the countryside. this is clearly not true.
me: (i am so confused right now. laughing nervously) um. ok?
guy: you are from where?
me: america.
guy: you are a tourist here?
me: no. i live here.
guy: well, we think you are from the countryside. this is problem?
me: no. no problem, guys.
guy: (relieved) oh, ok. may i know your phone number?
me: no.
guy: but how to contact so i may see you again?
me: i don't give my phone number to men i don't know.
guy: why not?
*note that it is actually kind of rude to say no here. so i feel like the bad guy*
me: look, um, i could give you my email address instead, ya? *this is my usual out*
guy: you check your email?
me: yes. (i write my email down) so. uniforms. you guys police? military? boy scouts?
guys: (blank look on their faces) um. air force?
me: oh! my brother is in the air force too! in america, of course...
guy: he is a pilot?
me: no. engineer.
guy: we are pilots.
me: cool?.....
guy: that is very wonderful for your father.
me: uh, yeah, well, i guess i hadn't thought about it that way before...
guy: i don't understand.
me: YES! yes.... my father is very happy.
guy: you are very beautiful. may my friend take your picture with me?
me: sure, but then i have to go and meet my friends.

so there's now about 3 pictures of me with the indonesian air force floating around somewhere. i'm sure they sent it to all their friends by this time.

so people taking pictures with me (or with any white person, really) is pretty normal. i really don't think anything of it anymore. i can't even begin to estimate how many pictures i am in with random indonesian people. or how many pictures random indonesian people have taken of me just as i walk down the street or sleep on the ferry. it's great.