Shipments and Tortillas

One of the major highlights in the life of a Foreign Service family is the arrival of Pouch and DPO/APO shipments.  We get many foods, toys, and various items that are way too expensive and/or unavailable in the local market.  In our case we get lots of gluten free foods.  It relieves my mind considerably to have my pantry well-stocked.  Stocking my kitchen is far more stressful to me after an overseas move than is waiting for our UAB and HHE.  Although UAB and HHE do contain all my precious kitchen supplies like my Ninja and my electric mixer.  Making cake frosting without an electric mixer is laborious.  I have a deep respect for pre-technology homemakers.  But, despite the difficulties, once I have my pantry stocked I can attack the kitchen basics armed with a fork, a big spoon, and 5 years of baby-lifting muscles.

The order we received this week was very exciting!  Craisins, cashews, mac and cheese, bread mix, granola bars, masa harina, a tortilla press, and a waffle maker!  Oh, and a cleaning supplies caddy to make cleaning a 3-story house a bit more sane.  I even treated myself to a Swiffer wet jet to manage 3 stories of tile floors.

Since corn tortillas are a staple in our Tex Mex heavy diet and they are not available in the local market we invested in a tortillas press and some masa harina.  The boys and I spent the better part of Saturday afternoon making home made tortillas.

Punch that dough!

Press it!

 Fry it!  The results we fantastic!  Time-consuming, but simple.

Critics agree: Home made tortillas rock!!

In other news, Jakarta is gearing for the October start to rainy season:

Get Ready for Rainy Season Floods, Fauzi Tells Officials
Lenny Tristia Tambun | September 13, 2012

In anticipation of the looming rainy season and its perennial flood problems, Jakarta authorities on Wednesday held a roll call to check on preparation and readiness for inundations. 

All personnel in the city’s public works office and related institutions took part in the roll call, which was held in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. 

“We have been able to complete the construction of various infrastructure in anticipation of flooding in the capital,” said Governor Fauzi Bowo, who led the roll call. 

As an example of the work that had been done, he highlighted the construction of the East Flood Canal, which has reduced the volume of flood-prone areas in the east and north of the city by 30 percent. 

Fauzi said that floods during the rainy season, which are expected to begin as early as next month, were a serious problem that needed the full attention of local authorities. 

He said the city has reduced the number of flood danger spots across the city to 13 last year, from 123 previously. 

Fauzi said the city’s water pumps and sluice gates were adequate to deal with flooding, adding that the pumps had a combined total capacity to channel 378 cubic meters of water per second. The city also has 76 mobile pumps with a 15.7-cubic-meter-per-second capacity and an underpass pump with a capacity to pass 12.9 cubic meters of water each second. 

The city was also ready with stocks of sand sacks and construction materials, dump trucks, pick ups and heavy machinery as well as relief equipment such as rubber boats, tents and movable communal kitchens, the governor said. 

“Through the various construction projects in anticipation of flooding, we are better prepared than in previous years. We want to eliminate the assumption that Jakarta flooding is an annual event,” Fauzi said. 

The city, he said, had learned from past experience, including the 2002 floods that put large parts of the city under water. 

Fauzi called on coordination posts established across the city to deal with floods to be ready for action at any time in terms of personnel, equipment, communications and logistics. 

“[There is an] early warning system on the level of water in Depok and at the Katulampa Dam in Bogor. If the water exceeds its normal limits, residents should be told immediately, with traditional wood drums, loudspeakers, or other means of communication,” he said. 

He added that the early warning system should also involve the public, who can report information to the posts by telephone.