The weather was extremely sunny this week. When outside, I felt sticky and a little stuffy because of the humidity in the area. Jakarta is by the ocean, so much of the air is full and thick with vapor. Since the city is also at or below sea-level, the sun is especially strong when there are no clouds in sight.
This week, for the first time, I saw little mice scurrying around in Indonesia. They are just like any other ones I've seen in big cities, like New York City, Beijing, and Amsterdam.
The coolest thing that I saw this week was recognizing the city of Jakarta as an environment unto itself. A long time ago, the area which would one day be the biggest city in southeast Asia was just a swamp with mushy mud and fairly brutal heat. Through the centuries, canals were built along the land and ports were opened that made trade easier. Water flushed out of the swamp, and with it came a new opportunity for development.
