They're going to let me stay after all..

Well, this is what all the fuss was about. As of this morning, I am now the proud possessor of a shiny new KITAS (Kartu Izin Tinggal Sementara - temporary residence permit) and the subject of a massive file in the Kantor Imigrasi in Maumere. This little card neccessitated six flights, four nights hotel costs, numerous visits to the passport agent's office, a mountain of paper, a collection of official seals, a fingerprint session (my third in Indonesia) and more signatures than I can count.

The wedding season continues unabated - last Thursday I was invited to the wedding of Pak Robby, who works in the finance department of the hospital. This was a quieter affair (i.e. more sober) than the last wedding I went to but the music and dancing were quite something. Instead of a DJ, there was a real band, headlined by Pak Edmon who is the HR manager at the hospital. His talents are wasted on such mundane matters as absenteeism policies, this guy really knows how to work a crowd (aand he's also a great jazz pianist) ! The wedding was also a chance to see some colleagues from the hospital in other than their rather drab official brown uniform !