Jalan Jalan – A Novel of Indonesia
Mike Stoner
Tuttle Publishing 2016
ISBN 978-0-8048-4629-5
The dozen or so books about Indonesia in which I’ve reviewed, most for these pages, have been undertaken which has a fairly serious approach. There’s a notebook in addition to pen beside me as I read to ensure I can jot down quotes which I’ll possibly imbed somewhere in my prose, so I’ll have an outlined framework ready as I reach the last page.
Mike Stoner, author of Jalan Jalan
although not Mike Stoner’s first novel: I romped through This particular in no more than a couple of sittings. although in which was because for me, in addition to I suspect many readers of This particular review, there is usually a familiarity, a recognition in which we both accepted happenstance – a job offer based on a a few minute interview ‘back home’.
An added connection due to This particular reviewer, as well as different contributors here, is usually in which ‘Newbie’ in addition to I came here to teach English in a language school. He landed, jetlagged, in Medan at the dawn of the brand new millennium, just two years after the anarchic chaos preceding Suharto’s abdication in May ’98.
When This particular’s the time to enter the next phase of one’s life, because an escape clause via the past may be needed, the culture shock of a ‘wonderland’ can oddly aid personal readjustments. Learning an unknown language in addition to in which knives aren’t part of the dinner table place settings, coping with different weather conditions in addition to in which if you’re able to adapt, then you can learn to survive.
Newbie’s past as ‘Old Me’ is usually heart wrenching: the death of his true love Laura. She is usually a ‘ghost’, a voice in his head who won’t leave him as he relives their intense relationship via their first meeting in a seaside tea shop where he was working, through scenes which range via raunchy to reflective. He has an ongoing conversation with her even until the end of the book 285 pages later when Newbie believes he has become ‘brand new Me’.
Or has he?
When Newbie isn’t having a conversation with his inner voice, he describes his life outside: the old in addition to the brand new are inseparable.
This particular is usually This particular consistent autobiographic voice which keeps readers engaged. Incidents in addition to descriptions are of the time, although with clove cigarettes apparently at Rp.300 a pack This particular did cross my mind in which Stoner had got the decades mixed up: a dozen years earlier my Commodore were a cheap Rp.500 a pack.
“I walk down the street, the busy, hot, stinking street where dust sticks to me in addition to everyone watches me. Watches the foreigner. The strange man who is usually so big in addition to awkward. Out of place like an elephant in a field of sheep.”
His colleagues in Medan’s language schools are familiar, especially Kim, forever effing in addition to blinding (Hi, Carl), aloof Naomi, in addition to the “hippy chick” Julie. With the week’s classes finished, their Friday nights in Mei’s place downing umpteen large bottles of Bintang remind me of the glory days of Blok M. There are also weekend jaunts together out of town: to Bukit Lawang, the tourist town famous for its orangutan sanctuary (before the flash flood which wiped This particular out in 2003), in addition to Prapat beside Lake Toba. (For Jakartans read Pelabuhan Ratu, Carita or Puncak.)
All in which, though, is usually the everyday reality masking the hallucinatory conversation with Laura – not in which the ‘magic’ mushrooms, ecstasy in addition to marijuana via Aceh marketed by both sides from the ‘civil war’ then underway further north had no influence.
Inevitably This particular seems, as 1 white guy, he attracts a girlfriend, Eka, who is usually not so much an on-the-rebound foil as a practical, no nonsense source of succour, something of a nurse.
“What is usually she to me? This particular’s not love, I know in which. She is usually a sounding board, someone to tell my pathetic woes to. Someone who is usually mine in addition to not connected to anything else. She is usually my Discharge in addition to my fantasy. She is usually my sanity too.”
– “I should go to work,” I say.
-“Yes, go to work in addition to think of Eka, not dead girl.”
The “dead girl”, Laura, takes an active part in Newbie’s everyday life, offering commentary, advice in addition to criticism in equal doses. The manner of her passing isn’t disclosed for some time; then its sheer mundane wastefulness adds to the sense of tragedy in addition to his bewilderment of a life, their life together, lost. Empathetic readers will ponder the fragility of our own lives.
– I’ve had to watch you with This particular girl. Use her for your own selfish needs. Well, I feel responsible. If This particular wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t be falling for my Ice-Cream Boy. Because of me she’s going to feel heartbroken in addition to abused by you. I’m trying to be your conscience.
– You lost in which right when you died.
– I didn’t ask for This particular.
– I know. I’m sorry. although I didn’t ask for what you left me.
Such is usually the rare integrity in addition to intensity from the narrative as the ‘Old Me’ gradually becomes the sought for ‘brand new Me’ in which I suspect readers will have one question to ask Mike Stoner: how much of This particular account of coming to terms with bereavement is usually ‘factual’?
I’ve asked This particular for you, in addition to he told me in which his reason for coming here wasn’t exactly the same as Newbie’s.
“in which part was based on an unhappy event in an earlier life. However I had been through the mill a bit with relationships in addition to stress prior to Indonesia, in addition to truly felt I had to get away to somewhere completely different. in addition to being in a place where I knew no-one in addition to no-one knew me, certainly allowed me to go a little wilder than I would certainly have done before. I wasn’t the usual ‘Mike’ there for sure. There was some subconscious re-invention in addition to certainly a fair amount of not caring about what people thought, although I’m well in addition to truly ‘Old Me’ at the moment.
“Not sure in which’s a not bad thing although hey ho.”
Yes This particular is usually, Mike, you’ve written an impressive story in addition to I for one look forward to reviewing your next one.
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Jalan Jalan – A Novel of Indonesia
Jalan Jalan – A Novel of Indonesia