Soto is a kind of traditional soup that is from Indonesia, while sop is a kind of soup that was made based on recipes from other countries. The soto I had was in a little warung (family business) tucked away in the middle of a neighborhood, hidden by narrow streets and alleys. It was delicious: creamy from coconut milk, with different savory textures from the broth, beef and chicken.
I do not usually listen to music, but I did get to hear a pianist and singer/guitarist play at a café one night. Indonesian pop music is similar in style to K-pop and American pop music in some ways and is really popular (which is fitting, since “pop” is short for "popular"!).
This past weekend I got to go to a nearby village to watch a theater production, which I really enjoyed. I could not understand what was said because my Indonesian is not there yet, but the actors were really funny and I enjoyed their theatrics. It was neat to see the ways that children of different ages were involved in the show and how the whole community was involved in it.
I finished a novel titled Babel, which is about the evils of empire, the magic of language and the joys and sorrows of friendship. I also began reading a different novel and watched Tolkien, a movie about the author of the same name who is best known for his books, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
