With friends like these…

One of my reasons for leaving England to work abroad was to prove to myself (& maybe to others) that I could do this alone; that I could be self-sufficient; ‘me time’ to use American talk-show phraseology. So on one level I was a little disappointed when I found out that Zoe, a fellow VSO volunteer was not only going to be working with me but living with me – how could I prove myself if there was always someone else to share the burden?

Well I realise now that being alone wasn’t really my aim – at this level I proved myself when alone I boarded that plane from Heathrow back in November. But since then I have never been alone, in fact rather than being a lesson in self-sufficiency, this experience is turning into a lesson in friendship.

Firstly of course there is Zoe. Living & working with Zoe I have become part of a couple again! Flippantly I could say I couldn’t have done it without her, but probably I could, the more important point is that now I wouldn’t want to.

Zoe & I

Then there are all my friends back in England – the ones who phone & text, the ones who post books & chocolate, the ones who email, & you guys who read & respond to my blog.

Receiving post

Also now I am starting to make friends in Ruteng. This is tricky as my language is not good & it feels like I am constantly calling on them for help – but they don’t seem to mind & I guess that is where friendship starts.

new friends in Ruteng

But the one place I feel I am not receiving friendship & support is from VSO Indonesia. VSO is proud that it doesn’t nanny it’s volunteers (like the US equivalent – Peace Core – is alleged to do by the bitchy NGO in-crowd). But I think I would like a bit more support (not much, just perhaps a monthly phone-call, and a friendly welcome when I go to their office) and I have told them so. VSO is a huge organisation, and so like all other large businesses has a baffling amount of procedures and protocol that seem specifically designed to make my life hard. My friend Michael left a comment on my blog last week telling me that the VSO link from my page was going through to Vermont Symphony Orchestra (oops!). But sometimes I feel would get more help & support if I were sponsored by them instead!