Had I known it was going to be such yucky weather today, I would have postponed. Jeju is much better to explore on sunny, clear days. Today’s plan was to try out a new-to-us restaurant on the northeastern part of the island, Tennessee Table, which has a substantial Instagram following. Of course, we had to also make a pit stop on the way to get donuts at our favorite place, Randy’s Donuts, a chain from California that has *miraculously* made its way to our tiny speck of an island.
As we left, we noticed a blue-gray painted across the sky, but not a rain cloud in sight. Just as we were about to pull up to the donut shop, the rain began. “At least this means the line won’t be too long today. The rain will have kept people away,” we naively said. After parking (down the street, since Randy’s lot was full), we were shocked to find that the line was the longest it’s ever been, snaking around the back side of the building. Undeterred, we took our place at the end of the line to wait our turn. Forty-five minutes later, we had the goods. And before you say it, yes, the wait is worth it. These are some damn good donuts.
See the line behind me?!?!
After devouring the chocolate-covered one first in the car, we set the GPS for our next destination, Tennessee Table, which was about an hour away. The rain had given us a reprieve, and we were able to enjoy the cherry blossoms that seemed to pop up outside our windows as we cruised down the highway, singing along to my girls’ night playlist.
About 20 minutes into the trip, we were enveloped in a blanket of fog so thick you could only see about 2-3 car lengths in front of you. Slowing down considerably, I switched on the hazard lights to alert others to my presence. Jess, sitting in the passenger seat and free from the stress of driving through the soupy, barely visible sky, marveled at the scene, taking photo after photo of the eerie backdrop. As we drove through pine tree-lined backroads, I felt like I was in the movie Twilight, which seemed to always be covered in fog. The predicted time of about an hour took us longer in the end, but we made it to Tennessee Table for lunch.
Jessica, the owner, welcomed us in her southern twang, and her accent, coupled with the decor on the walls, reminded me of home. Jess had the chicken burger with fries and a milkshake and I had the veggie burger with fries and a coke. The food was delicious and lived up to its Instagram hype. Just look at the photos and you’ll understand.
We talked to Jessica, learning a bit more about her story. She has been in Jeju for 13 years, and after being a teacher for 15 years, five of which in Jeju, she decided to follow her dream of opening a restaurant, thus Tennessee Table was born. She, along with her Korean husband, built the entire restaurant themselves, which was very impressive, but something she said she’d never do again. After our conversation (including an unprompted “Bless your heart”), we headed back out. Stopping off in a Korean bookstore for a quick browse, we got back on the road.
On the way home, we made a detour to see the ocean, but the wind and rain ensured our visit was short-lived. The waves were much bigger than normal, which meant the surfers were out, but Jess and I agreed that you couldn’t pay us enough to get into that freezing cold sea on a day like today.
The ride home was a little stressful, as again, we drove through patches of dense fog, but we made it safely back to the GEC (our part of Jeju). We made one more stop on the way home to get Chai tea lattes from Grumpy Baby, a perfect end to the day.
Jakarta ranks as one of the worst cities for traffic in the world. No joke. With an estimated 25 million people, no metro or subway, few sidewalks, and even fewer highways, that means a lot of vehicles on the road. When it rains, the traffic is ten times worse, so a 5 km journey goes from 20 minutes to an hour. Yes, you read that correctly. It can take an hour or more to go 5 km (roughly 2.2 miles). Now you see why I use Go-Jek for delivery so much.
Anyhow, tonight I had plans to meet my boss and his wife, along with a colleague who is in town, for dinner in Kemang, a trendy area in South Jakarta. After a busy day at IKEA, I dozed off on the couch this afternoon, lulled to sleep by the steady rain outside my window. When I awoke, I only had 30 minutes before I was meant to meet them. Thirty minutes to get somewhere in Jakarta is not very long, so I was a bit worried I’d be late. After changing, I realized the rain had momentarily stopped, although the sky was still grey and ominous. If I get a taxi now, I’ll for sure be at least half an hour late. I’ll have to Go-Jek it. But that means there’s a high chance I’ll be stuck in the rain on the back of the bike.
With little choice, I decided to order a Go-Jek and take my chances, knowing that even then I was going to be late. Having been caught in the rain on a Go-Jek in the past, I knew I had to come prepared. I quickly changed out of the clothes I intended to wear for dinner, opting for a pair of running shorts, a singlet, and a rain jacket. Stuffing my dinner clothes, a hand towel, and extra pair of undies in my purse, I was ready to go. You might be wondering why the extra undies. Well, one time I got stuck in the rain during a torrential downpour and I was soaked right through to my knickers. I wasn’t going to risk it tonight!
Hopping on the back of the bike, it had started to drizzle again. About 5 minutes later, the rain started coming down in sheets. At this point, I was unhappy with my footwear choice as my shoes became soggy. Oh well, I’ll have to live with it. As we wove through the cars lined up at the traffic lights, I was glad I’d gone with the Go-Jek instead of the taxi. I may be wet, but at least I’ll get there at a reasonable time. Pulling into the parking lot, I made my way through the winding hallways to the inside of the mall.
Dripping wet from the ride, I thanked myself for packing dry clothes. I slipped into the restroom to quickly change before dinner. The line for the toilets was so long! I’m not waiting in that line. Sneaking over to a corner near the sinks, I toweled off my legs before removing my rain jacket and pulling my shirt over my singlet, then as quickly as possible, I changed my shorts. If anyone even noticed the bule (foreigner) in the corner changing her clothes, they didn’t bat an eye. Luckily I wasn’t soaked through and still had dry undies. I’m a risk-taker, but not that much of a risk-taker! Dry, apart from my squishy shoes, I made my way to the restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious Thai dinner.
my heart is happiest when i travel. read. write. connect. 