Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 55. I spent it alone. Well … not really. When I am in Jakarta, I hire Dede Ardiansah to drive me around Jakarta. Over the months, I have gotten to know him a bit. I hear about his family. He has 4 children including a 9 month old. They do not live in Jakarta. He goes home every few months to see his family. He lives in a bunk house with a bunch of other cab drivers.

Indonesians are inquisitive. They always want to know where you have been, where you are going, where you are from, if you are married, if you have children, what are you doing, etc. Dede and I have been through all of these. Now, we talk about his family and my family. Yesterday, he asked why I did not have any luggage when he picked me up at the airport and where I was going and why. I explained I was going to the mall to waste some time and to my favorite Italian restaurant for dinner to celebrate my birthday. He could not believe I was alone on my birthday without my family. He must have thought about it a lot while we were apart. When he picked me up, he wanted to sing for me. He said he did not have anything else to give me. He loves Karaoke, so he sang Bryan Adams. He said one of his favorites. He really wanted my family to know I was not alone. He says in the video he wants me to tell my family.