Where in the world is Kelly?

— By Kelly Fitzgerald —

Those ubiquitous, uniquely Indonesian mealboxes are dangerous territory for vegetarians. If you’ve ever lived in Indonesia, you know the ones: usually found at large events and always come with rice, one of those stabby-straw cup waters, and say Selamat Menikmati! [Enjoy!] or Terima Kasih [Thank You] on the top. While the big chunks of fish or chicken are easy to spot and thus avoid, the side dishes can be a more delicate matter.

Nganggung, the celebration of the city of Pangkal Pinang’s birthday, was a Thanksgiving-style affair complete with a seemingly endless supply of mealboxes.

During my first month in Indonesia, I attended one such large event. It was Pangkal Pinang’s 258th birthday and students and teachers at my school, SMAN3 Pangkal Pinang, were celebrating by wearing traditional Malayu clothes and sharing a meal in the outdoor hallways by way of aforementioned mealboxes. I confirmed…