Wednesday Night out to Dinner (6/2/2021)

The other interns and I have been eating dinner quite often at a street stand near our homestays. Pak Han makes the best nasi goreng jawa (fried rice) that I have ever had. Hands down. I have had it more times than I remember. I tried mie goreng jawa (fried noodles) for the first time last night, and it was also high quality. The basic ingredients always stay the same, but each time there is a different kind of meat. In addition, you can select the spice level, which ranges from none to impossibly hot. Each meal costs 10000 IDR, which comes out to about $0.70. Amazing. 

It may seem strange that this post is exclusively about food, but since food is such a large part of Indonesian culture and conversation, I think it's necessary to include. Food is foundational in Indonesia. Different foods signify different occasions and events (the wedding of a dear friend, for example). Conversations with family and between neighbors happen around food. Food here is loved and never taken for granted. I hope the single focus of this post captures this.