The Kindness of Strangers

Leaving Semarang

I'm mostly packed up and ready to go.  Since I started my trip in Semarang, my impression of Semarang is my impression of Indonesia.  It's seems very similar to Viet Nam, but perhaps that is because I have been to Viet Nam a few times.  And now as I think about it, Viet Nam, Sri Lanka, Thailand - outside of Bangkok -- seem similar.  But I have a sense of really not understanding anything.  What do I know from driving by in a car?  The aircon filters what I breath and there are many unnamed filters between me and understanding as we speed by in our air conditioned car through villages, swarms of motorcylces carrying families, public buses jammed tight with passengers, chickens, selling stalls, children, trucks, bicycles...

I happened to be leaving an industrial area at lunch time.  Many of the workers were on their lunch break and filled every bit of open space.  And by open space I mean, the tiny strips of lawn, the road, the space between parked cars -- everywhere, people sitting on the ground eating their lunch.  In order for us to leave, security cleared a path for us to walk, moved people away from the car so we could open the doors, and then cleared the road so we could drive off.  The image of shooing away a crowd of pigeons haunts me.  the people stood up and walked away from their trash, the car pulled out so we didn't have to walk through all of the trash, and we drove off.

People have been very kind and helpful.  I am struck by the kindness of strangers and have been thinking about the phrase, "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers."  I wonder if that takes the surprise and gratitude out of it, or if that made her even more grateful.  I like that I am still delighted by the kindness of strangers, sort of receiving it like an unexpected gift.