Two years ago today, I received an anxious phone call from our removal company. ‘Mrs. Nevin, we have an 18 tonne articulated lorry parked outside your house and 4 packers ready to box your things for shipment, where are you? At first I was a little confused but then the penny bounced. ‘OH FUCK!’ I shrieked, swiftly followed by an ‘OH SHIT!’ for good measure. Where was I? I was the other side of London clearing out Irishman’s office and had totally forgotten that this day, this important day that I had had penciled into my diary for weeks, had somehow totally slipped my mind.
This inauspicious start to the morning of the 14th September 2011 marked the beginning of our Indonesian adventure. By the end of that day, our worldly goods had been wrapped, packed and sent off on a ship for their long journey to the Indonesian Archipelago. There was no turning back.
Two years down the line, and things are in reversal. I’m trying to sort out our shipping back to Europe, but this time to Spain and just to complicate matters, to an address that doesn’t even register on Google Maps, or even a road map. In fact I’m still not really sure what our new address is. We completed on the sale of our Andalucian house this week and on one document it says that we live in Jazmine Street and on the other, Primavera. Right now I couldn’t give a stuff what street we live on, I’m more concerned with trying to organize Indonesian shipping and customs which is beginning to feel a little like herding cats!
Feeling nostalgic, and as displacement activity this morning, I went back to photographs taken around this time 2 years ago. Aside from being the week that I forgot the removal men where coming, it was also the week that Irishman and I boldly tied the knot (it’s his 4th marriage and my 3rd)
Here are a few pictures of the newly-weds and their first 3 months in Indonesia. Whatever you are doing this weekend, I hope that it is fun!
Lottie Nevin - The Red House Diaries 
Happy anniversary to you both. Its been a lot of fun following your time in Indonesia and I hope you continue in Jazmine / Primavera street. The pictures of the newly-weds are beautiful – I’m not so sure about the cattle and goats on the landfill. One day you’ll look back at the 2 years as character building (very British) if not fun. And if nothing else you learned how to use the water-hose. Bon Voyage.
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Thanks Andrew. It’s been a lot of fun, especially the water hose. And certainly also a very character building and waist expanding 2 years. I hope that once I’ve got Irishman positioned with some sort of satellite device on the hill behind our new house, I can get the internet going and continue to blog my adventures from there. 😀
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Well done Lottie, you survived. Onto a new adventure x
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I’m looking forward to the new adventure very much, but like you and your Indian adventure, I know that I’m going to miss life here a lot. It’s difficult to put a finger on it, but there is something about the madness and chaos that makes one feel alive. Life here is never boring and nothing ever goes as planned! Thank you Denise X
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This time last year I arrived to give my sister some moral support, and realised you were not joking about the challenges.i could not believe how confidently you took it all in your stride. The trip to spain will be nothing compared to your first few months in Jakarta. So proud of you, you didnt just survive, you bloomed in Indonesia. Can’t wait till you are only a sleezy jet flight away.
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Ahh, you made me a little teary with your comment, thanks B so much. You are right about the blooming side of things, I’ve morphed into a right old porker since living here. The sooner I get on that mountain bike the better. love fatty X
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Geez, seven marriages together and on the move again. The two offered ice-creams showed great promise not unlike the two apples my parents had in between the reeds in Holland back in 1939. Never a dull moment for Irish and Lottie. You are ‘n adventurous couple and nothing will stop you. Thanks for the tcjebokken toilet photo, I was greatly encouraged by the presence of soap and the tap.
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You are right, Gerard. There is never a dull moment! I’m glad you liked the toilet photo – generally there are cockroaches whizzing about in there but I swept them away before taking the photograph 😉
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Dear Lottie!
I’m just looking forward to “Lottie Nevin- An account of my life in Spain”! Happy and uncomplicated moving 🙂
¡Hasta luego!
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Thanks so much Marta 😀 I’m hoping for an uncomplicated move too!! At the moment it’s a bit fraught but I’m sure it will all be sorted out soon. Great to hear from you, Lottie xx
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Happy anniversary! Lots of memories there.
AV
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Thanking you kindly AV. Yes, lots of memories and lots of happy times 😀
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What a team, what a pair~congratulations to you both! I’m still looking for my Irishman!
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I am very,very fortunate to have found my Irishman. I’m sure that there is an Irishman out there waiting for you……:D
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Great post, Lottie, re: marriage, moving, adapting, and then getting ready to move again. Happy anniversary to you and Pete. I am quite sure that your marriage will continue to thrive and to even grow in depth and meaning. You complement and complete each other.
I simply can not fathom Jarkarta. Actually the photos gave me the willies, with me muttering to the computer screen, “oh my Lord. What a dirty place to live.” Thank God you are almost out of there and that both of you still have your health. I am almost counting the days when you can leave. I am sure that you are only worried about how to get your things out of there and over to your casa. I’m sending good karma to you. 🙂 yvonne
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Yvonne, you always make me laugh! Jakarta certainly isn’t for everyone but we’ve had a good time here and it’s been a great base to have discovered a part of the world that we otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to see. I have no regrets about living here but I’m ready to move on now. It’s definitely time for a change of scene and some fresh air. Thanks for sending the good karma, I’m hoping this week to have got the shipping sorted out! xx
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Happy anniversary to you & the Irishman! Trading in Bintangs, Bali, traffic & trash for.. well, we’ll just have to see!! Here’s to at least as many years of adventure in Andalucia.. and beyond 😉
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Thanks my friend for your lovely comment. I’m hoping for lots more adventures in Spain – it’s going to be fun getting my head around the language to start with. I’m overjoyed at being able to replace Bintang with Rioja! 😀
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I’m sure the new adventures in Spain will be just as exciting as those in Indonesia. You’ve had two great years and when you finally get the packing and moving sorted there will be much more to write about and photograph so you won’t have time to miss Jakarta.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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Huge Hugs back to you! Thanks David. We have a very busy few weeks ahead but it’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to Spain and living in the countryside again. I hadn’t realised what a fresh air freak I was until I moved to Jakarta, I’m looking forward to sleeping with my bedroom window open and taking great gulps of mountain air! XXX
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Hi Lottie. I see you have similar address problems. My house number is 137, my electric is 131 and town hall taxes 143, but so long as the bills/mail come to 137 I don’t care how screwed up the Spanish system is. Maybe we will meet sometime. Ralph xox 😀
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Ralph, your comment has cheered me immensely! Now it’s all starting to make sense. I haven’t yet got an electricity or water bill but thanks to you I now know that it might not necessarily correspond to where we live! Yes, it would be fun to meet up some time xxx 😀
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Looking at your new house location you are probably miles from nowhere, so will need a mailbox in your local post office. I am just inside the postwoman’s round so get my mail (except parcels) delivered to my letterbox.
I live in the railway village 5 km south of Cortes de la Frontera which is south-ish if Ronda. I know what you look like now so I’ll look out for a lady with ice-creams as boobs 😉
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hahahaha!! sort of Madonna like cones?
Our village is about a 15 minute drive due west of Alcala La Real. I’m off to find my map now so I can see where you are 😀
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Madonna ….. definitely 😉
I Google Earth-ed you and I see you are in olive tree country. We have both olive trees and a cork forest but mainly wild mountains ….. suits me 😉
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Happy Anniversary, Lottie and Pete. And a very happy future as you embark on the next adventure.
Every time you show the garbage and trash of Jakarta it is astounding that it seems to be everywhere. Surely you will not miss that.
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I won’t miss the garbage and trash problem in the least but there are plenty of things that I shall miss. Thanks for your kind wishes Steve 😀
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Well, I will chuckle about this post all day. I going to miss the pictures from Jakarta, especially those of the people, but I’m looking forward to your posts from Spain. Maybe you answered this already… Are you going to change the name of your blog?
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Hello Lorijo! Thanks so much for your comment. I’m going to miss posting photos and posts from here too but I hope that I can bring you a ray of sunshine from Spain!
Yes, I am going to be changing the name of the blog, I’m still undecided as to what it should be! 😀
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Congrats and Bon voyage! Can’t wait for your accountings of the next chapter of your wild and crazy adventure. If it weren’t for the kids still living under our roof, my South African and I would be somewhere in the south of France, I’m sure. We’ll have to wait a couple of years *sigh*
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Thanks so much Beduwen. I hope that you and Mr Beduwen manage to escape to the South of France soon! It’s been tough being so far away from our kids, living here in Indonesia – thankfully Spain is just a 2hr flight away so it will be make life a lot easier keeping in contact and being able to see them.
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How cool to see how it all began, Lottie! I’m so excited for you and Irishman — Happy Anniversary, by the way. Cannot wait to hear about what’s to come!! xxxxxxx
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Thank you, dearest Steph. Right now I’m pulling my hair out trying to get shipping organised. It shouldn’t be so complicated but it feels like I’m running into brick walls at the moment! One step forward, three steps back kind of thing. It will all come right but it’s frustrating – deep breath Lottie, deeeeeeep breath xxxxxxx
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Congratulations on your 2 year anniversary, and onto another adventure. What do you think you’ll miss most about Jakarta? So many of your photos looked so like our streets here in Ghana, mostly the rubbish I must admit, and the banana seller too. All the best for the stressful, tedious, anxious; but admittedly exciting time of packing. More than a little jealous of your move to Spain. ps the cupcake photo is hilarious!
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Thanks Chris! I must admit that I’m having kittens now about the shipping, it’s turning into something of a nightmare, only because these companies know that they have us by the short and curly’s so want to charge us exorbitant prices – Mrs Nevin isn’t having it!!
What will I miss about Jakarta? Well, I will miss the people the most. The people that I see and speak to everyday. The shopkeepers, the garbage collectors, the street kids tugging at my arm, the toothless grin of the man by the gate, the shy girl at the shop. They will never know this, but their smiles and kindness towards me have made such a difference to my time here.
Glad you liked the cup cakes!! 😀
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Such interesting photos! Happy anniversary too, is that photo indicative of the general atmosphere of your wedding day? Love it!
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It’s absolutely indicative of our wedding day!! it was a lot of fun 🙂 Thanks for your kind words Hayley 😀
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Hi Lottie m’dear and Pete – wow another great adventure. You haven’t murdered anyone I trust? I hope your new life will be just as exciting and culturally complex as your time in Indonesia has been. There will be a whole other madness of things to observe and write about I’m sure. I’m really going to look forward to more hilarity – but sad that you’re going to be far more than a short plane ride away.
Have a really safe and stress-free (ha ha) time getting to Spain and setting up your new home and I hope to be in touch from here to there soon. Let me know if there’s somewhere to paint so I can come one day with my zimmer frame and get that portrait happening! All my love, Chas xxxx
PS Now what are you doing in that photo with our ex-PrimeMinister?
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Happy Anniversary! (Belated. Sorry, my head has been up my ass… or rolling around whilst chasing the man-child.)
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Thanks Darling, and please, no apologies. Man-children soon become men and we know what that means! Enjoy your gorgeous man- boy and squeeze every last hug out of him whilst you can! xxx
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You and your tits, madam! Happy Anniversary! Wishing you a safe and easy journey to your Jasmine Spring casa.
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Thank you, Puffin! I can’t believe that we will be there soon. It’s beginning to feel very exciting 🙂
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