Been here for nearly 5 ½ months now and I still can’t believe it. Have got to do some cool things in the last couple of months as you have all probably seen from my photos. Sorry there haven’t been more words to go with the pictures but I feel like in the last couple of months I have barely had time to sleep let alone write on here. For a small group of people we manage to keep ourselves very busy!

But a few highlights of the last little while: Jakarta Bintangs AFL Grand Final Day (was part of my birthday celebrations), and all I have to say is champagne breakfast, frozen margaritas, Geelong winning, meat pies and lots and lots of dancing at Bats late into the night (the photos tell the story). Next came a weekend in Penang for a cricket 6’s competition (6 a side, 5 overs per innings, no LBW, lots of 6s) which unfortunately for my liver involved more drinking than cricket but had a great time as captain, coach and manager of the team (I went to the toilet at the wrong time and got elected as all 3 by my devious team mates) and we were even runners up in the plate competition so we got to come home with a trophy despite our lack of sleep and commitment. I should perhaps also mention that as the only female player in the competition of 16 teams I received more than my fair share of attention (they loved me, too much!!) including having to give a speech at the main function after a few beers, being carried off the field after our last game, and also being interviewed by the local press at the end of the competition. Was possibly the best tournament I have ever played in, I certainly had the most fun at a tournament that I have ever had and I so think that we need 6’s competitions in Australia – they are an ingenious idea!

Had a couple of quieter but still busy weeks after that getting ready for the MCC to tour here (Marylebone Cricket Club for non-cricket fans, oldest cricket club in the world). As part of their commitment to developing the game around the world the MCC tours countries where cricket is still starting out and we were lucky enough to be the second leg of their tour with Japan their first stop. I was tour co-ordinator for them while they were here which involved organising all the events for the tour, both cricket and non-cricket related. They were a lovely bunch of guys ranging from ex-England players and state coaches to a couple of young kids just starting out, and they were very good cricketers and coaches. The highlights were probably the coaching sessions that they were involved in, despite language barriers all the kids that got to go had the best time and it was lovely to see both the kids and the MCC guys playing the game with such enthusiasm. From CI’s point of view the tour was a huge success and has hopefully helped us to form some new relationships that could have important long-term benefits for cricket here. After 5 days here in Jakarta the tour continued in Bali with one more game and some amazingly scary singing at Jimbaran Bay on the last night of the tour.

Once they left to go back to the UK I had a few days recovery including running a coaching session with some girls in Bali (I finally found the girls that play here!) followed by a short trip to Flores, an island east of Bali. The flight in was so beautiful as it was over many many islands and was so tempting to jump out a few times. I flew into Labuan Bajo, a tiny town on the west coast of Flores and best known for its proximity to Komodo Island, famous for the komodo dragon. Unfortunately the trip was a bit of a waste work-wise but the few days of rest were much needed. Then finally it was home to Jakarta where I have happily been since.

Been to a Halloween party and to another Bintangs function and plenty of socialising with all the lovely people here and now aiming for a quiet weekend! Today is Jimmy’s birthday so we are all off to the soccer tonight at the Bung Karno stadium to watch Indonesia take on Kuwait, will be awesome!! And Friday I have a very exciting trip to Bogor (south of Jakarta) to watch a girls cricket competition, possibly the first of its kind here!
But perhaps most exciting of all I will be home in just over a week for Misch and Tim’s wedding, can’t wait to see everyone and for those I don’t see I will be home again a couple of weeks after that for Christmas.
See you in Australia soon!