Litratong Pinoy: LILA (Violet)

Ito na ang pinakamalapit kong karanasan sa pagiging milyonaryo. Ang isang dolyar ng panahong ito ay katumbas ng 8,500 rupiah. Kaya't nung ipinapalit ko ang aking baong $200 dollars, nakahawak ako ng 1.7 milyong rupiah! Mura ang pagkain at bilihin sa Indonesia kung kaya nama'y malayu-layo rin ang inabot ng aking milyones.

Pakikipagsapalaran lang ang magpapalit ng pera. Madalas ay barat ang mga hotel. Ang mga nasa loob-loobang nagpapalit ng pera naman ay nakakatakot puntahan, bagaman mas galante sila. Nakabisita kami ng di bababa sa limang palitan ng pera bago kami nagpasya na tangkilikin ang isang tinadahan na pinakamataas ang palit kung ihahambing sa aming ibang napuntahan. Masaya ang lahat.

Hanggang sa sumilip kami sa katabing tindahan na ang palitan ay 9,100 rupiah kada dolyar.

Para sa ang aking ibang kuwentong Indones / For my other Indonesian tales:
Sidetrip to Indonesia

LILA = VIOLET This is the closest I have ever been to being a millionaire. At this time that we were in Indonesia, the exchange rate was 8,500 rupiah to a dollar. So when I had my $200 pocket money exchanged, I had 1.7 million rupiah on hand! The food and other goods did not cost too much so much; my millions went a long way.

It was an adventure to have our money changed to the local currency. The hotel's rate was the worst. It was too scary to venture into the innermost recesses of streets which were said to give the best rates. We had to visit at least five money changers before we settled on exchanging our dollars with a store that gave the best value among the others we visited. Everybody was glad our perseverance paid off.

Until we peeked into the shop next door where the exhange rate was 9,100 rupiah to a dollar.

Sari Pan Pacific Hotel, Jakarta, 2007, using a digicam.