Happy New Year

I was just about to leave Starbucks, where I generally do my writing, but then one of the baristas offered me a free coffee—so, of course, I shall stay. These guys here are truly so good to me—Dharma, Iadi, Hendra, and Resy—almost always giving me a reduced price, and fairly often a free coffee. Were this not the case, I couldn’t afford to come here every dayJ. Moreover, they have all become my friends and will often sit with me at break time and chat. They have been a pleasant part of an otherwise rather trying year, and I have learned much from them about conversational Indonesian and become more able to comprehend the spoken language. In turn, they have learned any number of ‘American expressions’ from me and have benefitted from my ‘tutorage’ in English. Each understands the importance of English as a universal language and each is keenly interested in growing more able. “How much are they paying you?” my most recent wife would no doubt ask. Well, much—in coffee and in companionship. Because of them, I would say, I am much more able to converse with any Indonesian I meet, both in communicating my thoughts and in comprehending theirs. What, after all, would be the cost of formal instruction? And aside from practical matters, it is a joy to hear about their families, their complaints, their escapades, and their loves. Happy New Year to them, and to all who read these scribblings of mine!