Books and Martabak
Solo/Surakarta - 8th September

[From: MKORP@acadvm1.uottawa.ca]

Ah, well, Danny's interface with the various postal systems is
interesting,n'est ce-pas?  Today I received nr. 12 in the
occasional series of Danny's missives.

Neat photo on front:  Against a jet black background, two gorgeous
shadow puppets have been photographed.  Just the upper torso of each,
wonderful close detail of the photos. One is male the other female.
They bend toward one another and look downward at something out of
the picture frame.  They are gold painted with black and red detailing.
The center supporting stick of the frame undulates in a serpent's
spiral up along the backbone and into the crown of the head.  It's
painted red and reminds me of "lifeline" imagery on Native Canadian
painting from Manitoulin.  Here's the caption:  Indonesia--The shadow
play or wayang kulit of Java employs delicately carved and painted
puppets.

Message itself (the stamps are the same blue airplanes we've "seen"
before):

Postcard #12 - Solo 8/9/94
Being sick has induced me to resort ot two extreme measures--I'm
going to start taking antibiotics (I think I have a secondary infection) and
I've bought a book in English.  I had to go through a few of the many
second-hand book shops before I found one with English books, and most
of tehm were real junk.  If they are typical of tourists' reading material
then that helps explain their general ignorance and prejudice. (But I am
being unfair--no one would leave a copy of _The Religion of Java_
behind in their losmen, after all).  I ended up wiht a collection of
Frederick Pohl short stories.
Dinner was a martabak--a kind
of omelette--followed by a chat with the youngsters
running the warung.  Apparently the family has run
the warung on the same place for 95 years! (One of the
grandparents is from Bombay) and they pay 18000Rp
a month rent (it's in a prime location on the main
street).  Sure beat reading essays on "Petty trade in
Java" for entertainment value!
The really annoying thing
about having the flu is that otherwise I
am perfectly healthy--regular bowel movements and
a regular sleep cycle and as fit as I've ever been.  Maybe another
2000m climb is what I need to kill this cold.
                                              Danny

(What's a "losmen" and a "warung"?  Pohl is an American
science fiction writer by the way.  Antibiotics are of
no use for viral infections--colds and flu--I would think
Danny would know that.  That "9" in 95 could be a "4" as in 45.)

best to all,
             Micki in Ottawa on a glorious 24C Indian summer day with
                   red maples and the bluest sky