Saturday, September 18, 2010

6 month update

Learning a Javanese Dance

Preparing Donuts for a Circumcision Party

The Junrejo Kids at our Local 'Starbucks'
Luke, Scott, Teguh, Oma Colleen, the shopkeeper and her daughter, Me, Andy

Truong in Front of Borobudur Temple

Bantengan Festival

Women Praying at the Largest Mosque in Jakarta

It’s only taken me 6 months (plus the help of an IT friend and the incentive of being partnered with an elementary school in Boulder) to start a blog. Please be patient while I figure it all out. For those of you who haven’t been receiving my email updates, here’s the ‘condensed’ version of my life since March. WARNING: it’s a long entry, but I hope you enjoy.


#1 March 22, 2010

It’s been nonstop since we arrived in San Francisco a week ago today. Because we're the first group to go to Indonesia, everyone seems to be making a huge fuss. We went to the Indonesian Consulate General's home in San Fran for dinner- something that hasn't happened since Peace Corps started in 1961! Amazing food and people! The next morning we flew 11 hours to Tokyo, where we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in the airport during our three-hour layover. Then another quick flight (9 hours) to Bangkok where we stayed the night at an impressive hotel at the airport. We only had time for a short nap before an early flight to Jakarta (capitol of Indonesia).

One week in Jakarta. Obama was scheduled to be here, but he postponed in order to work on healthcare reform back home. We were scheduled to meet him, but unfortunately that won't happen until June... if he’s able to keep that appointment. We’ve met so many people from the embassy, including the American ambassador, as well as important staff from the Ministries of Education and Religion here in Indonesia. It’s been great being able to talk to former Peace Corps Volunteers about their diverse experiences, good and bad. The language (Bahasa Indonesia) is a bit tough, but I’m starting to pick it up slowly.

Yesterday we went to downtown Jakarta to check out local life and history.

It was insane to see the poverty gap between the area we're staying in and walking the streets downtown. In Old Town we were swarmed by school-aged students wanting to practice English- someone even video taped an interview with me about my limited knowledge on local cuisine. We visited one of the largest mosques in the world- one of the coolest experiences of my life! We were able to witness the call to prayer- so beautiful!! The people here are so tolerant of other religions, cultures, and races. I feel so welcome here. The food is also pretty tasty. As expected, lots of rice (3 meals a day) and a variety of vegetables/fruits as well as unidentifiable meats. I’ve tried everything at least once including fish with the heads still on and an array of spicy foods. I feel like I’m finally with "my people" among the other volunteers. Almost everyone in my group is in their mid twenties and somewhat in the same mental spot I’m in. It will be sad to split up tomorrow into four groups (clusters) for the next step of training. The name of my new village is Junrejo. I’ll be with the other kid from Colorado (Scott) as well as Luke (from Poland), Andy (the Eagle Scout), and Colleen (the oldest one in our group at 61 and a master of the language already). I’ll live with a family of two daughters, 13 and 29, and both parents. Supposedly the weather near Malang is much more moderate because it's at a higher altitude in a "mountain range". There are also seven active volcanoes in East Java, including Mt. Bromo which I hope to hike before I leave. Almost all the volunteers brought their laptops, but I’m embracing the separation from technology as of now. We’ll get phones once we get to Malang.

Here’s a link to the flicker account that my friend Truong (pronounced chung) set up. Not a lot of pics, and none of them mine, but at least you can catch a glimpse of some of what we’ve seen :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48510959@N07/



#2 march 29, 2010

Things have been pretty great since leaving Jakarta. The houses we're staying in are much more lavish than what I pictured Peace Corps to be like. I have my own room and some of the other volunteers have their own bathroom or even floor. I’m only a 2-minute walk from where we have class. My family is so wonderful! Even though there is a huge language barrier, they're so excited to have me here. I finally understand the 'fish bowl' analogy that Peace Corps warned us about. There are constantly people coming up to me, wanting to touch and hug me, and feed me. Our group of 5 made several of the local and regional newspapers as well as the nighttime news, just for being "bule" or foreigners. People are constantly commenting on our beauty because of our white, white skin and big noses- things which I tried to convey are not necessarily considered beautiful in America. They were shocked when I told them about tanning beds- completely baffled as to why anyone would pay money to darken their skin. All the people here are naturally beautiful, so it's strange that I would be the center of attention.

I live with a mother, father, and sister Eni, as well as their granddaughter Naili. In the attached house lives the great-grandma. The other grandkids stop by frequently. The youngest, Inas, is 3 and makes me miss my nieces, Ella and ivy, back home. They are very family oriented, so I think I was matched up with the perfect homestay. Naili and Eni both want to learn English, so we help each other when studying languages. Bahasa Indonesia is a pretty simple language as far as grammar goes: no past/present/future tenses; conjugation of verbs for different pronouns; or definite/indefinite articles. But I struggle with the pronunciation. Most of the people in my village speak Javanese, so it's been difficult to improve by listening.

Yesterday I went to an aerobics class with Eni, and it totally wore me out. But it was so cool to be in a place where the women could be more open. Although Junrejo is not overwhelmingly conservative, I definitely notice the difference in the role of women here versus in America. They laugh when I tell them that women play soccer, or that colleen is a former bus driver.

Our teacher Teguh is great. He’s the only male 'guru', and speaks exceptional English. He teaches us a lot about the culture as well as bahasa. I’ve finally become comfortable with taking cold showers and using a squat toilet. Not sure that I’ll ever really get used to it, but it's getting easier. The food is ok, and my family is constantly telling me to eat more. I’ve tried a lot of foods I never thought I would: fish with the heads and tails still attached, lard, shrimp with shells and eyes looking at me, lots of tofu and tempeh. Even though I’m not starving, I still crave a nice hamburger occasionally. The drinks are warm here, even milk, because they boil everything to sterilize. The coffee is so sweet! Here, it's crazy to think anyone would drink black coffee. There’s still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen over the next three months, and even the next 2 years, because this is a brand new program, but for now I’m embracing this experience full-heartedly.


#3 April 17, 2010

It’s been nonstop. By the time our day is over, I’m completely exhausted. I’m usually in bed by 8:30, wake up around 3:30 or 4 to the call to prayer then go back to sleep until around 6 am. We have bahasa (language) class in the morning and then technical training in the afternoon. I don't feel like I’m gaining the knowledge I need to be a teacher in two months. We are partnered with a high school in Malang where we've been able to team teach and observe each other. It’s great to be in front of a real class, but it would have been beneficial to observe Indonesian teachers first. My first day teaching was a mess. I was so nervous and we (Diana and I) weren't able to engage the class very well. It was difficult to gage their level of English. But the more we teach, the easier it gets. I can't wait to have my own class so that I get to know the students and can establish some type of routine and build off of what I know they’ve already learned.

After we get back (usually around 6) I go home and spend time with my host family. Now that I speak a bit of the language, we're able to communicate a lot better. They love to laugh, so I have no problem making countless mistakes while speaking- it usually turns into the entertainment for the night! Things I’ve learned from my ibu (host mom): how to wash my clothes by hand; the social norms for women including not drinking directly from the bottle (rather using a straw); how to make fried rice and a variety of other fried foods; always inviting my friends in for tea, and always accepting when others invite me. I just found out that my nenek (grandma) only speaks Javanese, and even though we can't communicate with words, we constantly laugh together.

We went to a beach last weekend- Sendangbiru- which was a nice getaway and it was good to see the volunteers from other clusters. It's a little fishing village and not very touristy. We stayed overnight after spending the day on a private island. We saw dolphins while swimming- they were so close to us!! Everyone we've talked to said that it's not very common to see them there, so I’m taking it as a good omen for my future time here in Indonesia.

Other good news: I’m no longer sick!! For about 5 miserable days I could barely eat white rice, let alone fish with heads, but I’m back to my hungry self again and have learned what foods to avoid. Ibu has reduced the spice she puts in my food because I’m not quite accustomed yet. My family here is taking really good care of me and wants to learn about me as much as I want to learn about them. They're amazed that I could have a younger brother as tall as 6"4. Even I tower above most of the people here.

I wish I had brought my laptop. I debated until the last minute, but decided to leave it. We’ll be getting all of our teaching materials on a flash drive and wireless internet is fairly easy to find in Malang. I think I’ll end up buying one here. I also wish I had an entirely different wardrobe. I don't know yet whether I’ll be teaching at a madrasah (an Islamic school), where I might need to wear a jilbab and more conservative clothing. Three of us will be going to Madura, an island off the east coast of Java. We’ve heard mixed reports about it, so it will be interesting to see what it’s actually like. One of our group of 20 already went back to the states. He decided that this wasn't what he was expecting and had some personal matters at home, so he left about a week ago. It was tough for all of us, but he seems content with his decision.


#4 April 29, 2010

So much has happened over the last week! I got my first letter- from the best and most amazing sister in the world! A package from mom with photos. And a phone call from mom and dad which totally made my week :)

We were invited to Batu to watch traditional dancing...some of the craziest stuff I’ve ever seen. It was more of a parade with representatives from each surrounding village. The men eat a flower (I think) that puts them in a trance, so it's as if they're possessed by the spirit of an animal they channel- bulls, tigers, and monkeys. It was a little scary. They dressed up as the animal and are totally unaware of reality. They had sober men restraining them with ropes, and a couple of "possessed" went into seizures. I can't really put it into words, but it was amazing and terrifying all at the same time. We were invited to sit with the mayor's wife up on a platform, where the announcers singled me out to interview- in bahasa Indonesia- in front of the crowd. I have stage fright when speaking in English, so I was absolutely mortified by the end of it all. Luckily it was broadcast on the nightly news...

On Thursday we were invited to the mayor's house again-to an event where everyone dressed in traditional clothes. The university we're partnered with arranged for us to get 'glamorized'. Hair-Makeup-Clothes. I looked like a completely different person. They teased and hair sprayed the front of our hair then attached a black bun to the back of our heads. I looked a bit ridiculous, so they spray painted my red hair to "match". Still ridiculous looking. It was fun getting ready together, and the guys looked great too- they even got to carry traditional Javanese knives. The only drawback was that we started getting ready at 9 in the morning, the event didn't start until 3 and we didn't get home until 9 that night. Then it took an extra hour (with an absurd amount of help from my host sister) to wash my hair and get all the makeup off. Ibu kept telling me that I looked like a Javanese bride and was convinced that this day was all I needed to find a Javanese husband. At the mayor's house we had an elaborate feast and watched wayang kulit (traditional Javanese shadow puppets). Unfortunately we had no clue what was going on because it was in the highest level of Javanese- not even our teacher could translate for us. Even with all of this great cultural exposure, some days I feel really overwhelmed by the language and not really fitting in culturally.

In different, non-cultural news, we learned how to prick our finger so we can test if we think we may have malaria. And we’re waiting for approval from the Indonesian government for the sites Peace Corps has chosen for us.


#5 May 7, 2010

Last weekend we took a cultural trip to Yogyakarta. A ten hour bus ride. When we got there the sun was setting behind the Hindu temple of Prambanan. We didn't stay long, but it was a cool intro to temple life in East Java. The next day we toured the silver shops and the Sultan's palace. It’s interesting how there's royalty as well as a democracy both in power. Later we went to the Buddhist temple Borobudur- the one thing I wanted to see before leaving Indonesia. It was incredible!! I was expecting it to be more serene, but everyone swarmed us as soon as we reached the top and it wasn't quite the spiritual experience I was anticipating. The temple was built with different levels which represent the journey up to nirvana, or heaven, which is the top level. There are hundreds of carvings along the way representing the good and bad sides of karma as well as depicting the life of Buddha. There are 504 Buddahs on the temple and at the top there are countless stupas. One can reach into a stupa, rub the Buddha and make a wish for good luck. I think it was my favorite day in Yogya!

The following day we went to see how batik (the traditional patterned material of Java) is made. We practiced hand painting it then took a short tour of some of the amazing artwork done by local artists. There was also this really remarkable underground mosque which can be difficult to find, but totally worth the extra effort. The inner part is outdoors, but you can't see it from anywhere in the city. I’m not a huge fan of big cities, so I was ready to leave after a few days, especially after experiencing the craziness of the Malioboro market. It was a long trip home, but my host family was so excited to see me and it felt good to be in my own bed again.

We were supposed to find out our new site assignments this week, but the government still hasn't approved them. Now I’m in Surabaya where the new Peace Corps office is. It’s unbelievable!! The internet is so fast here and eventually there will be wireless. There’s 24-hour security and a volunteer lounge. The permanent staff is great and I can't wait to start working with them. We met the U.S. consulate today, and the American embassy is just a street over. We’ve been afforded a lot of really great opportunities being the first group, and I feel so lucky to be a part of Peace Corps' reintroduction to Indonesia.

Last week the five volunteers from junrejo went to my host niece's middle school. Yesterday she came home with a bunch of hand written letters from her class which asked for responses so they could practice their English. It’s the first time that I’ve felt like I’ve done anything Peace Corps worthy as far as integrating with the community and improving someone's English.


#6 May 15, 2010

Selamat siang!

I’ll start with the most exciting news: I bought a new netbook (mini laptop)!! Wifi is more accessible here than I was expecting. Definitely not the Peace Corps from 20 years ago, even 10. We’re still waiting to hear from the Indonesian government before we can do pre-visits/assessments at our new sites. We’re also waiting to hear whether President Obama will be at our swearing in ceremony on June 3- I can't believe it's less than a month away! It’s bittersweet thinking about leaving my current family and teacher, but I know this experience will continue to be equally amazing and unpredictable.
I also took part in the rice harvest at my bapak (host dad)'s rice fields. I beat the rice against the crate- that's the best way I know how to describe it. My family had a picnic breakfast there and watched other people harvest. Other than that, nothing too exciting. Lots of language class and getting our teaching portfolios together. Oh, I did try durian for the first time. It’s this really smelly fruit that is supposedly really delicious, but I was not impressed. It seemed like a lot of work for not a lot of fruit. It’s about the size of a pineapple and covered in spikes. You use a machete to open it and it's really messy. It's legendary here.

After returning from Surabaya, my host family took me to Selecta- a beautiful park with a couple of swimming pools. It was great to relax with all of the women in my family. It was Mother's Day, and the first flower that we came across in the gardens was a hydrangea which instantly made me think of Mom back home. I took it as a sign that somehow we were together in spirit even though we're a million miles apart.


#7 May 17, 2010

I just found out where my new site will be!!!! I’ll be living in Mojokerto (name of the region). It’s about an hour away from Surabaya. My new host family (a husband and wife couple) lives about ten minutes away from the school, which is a madrasah (Islamic school). From what I understand it’s optional for me to wear a veil (jilbab) because I’m not Muslim. But as a sign of respect, I’m considering wearing one. There are still a few formalities that need to be taken care of, so we won’t be able to visit our sites before we move there for two years, which is unusual for Peace Corps.

Yesterday the 5 of us in Junrejo helped with a construction project. Andy’s bapak was demolishing part of his house to rebuild it a bit bigger for his grandson. Of course the girls didn’t help with any of the hard labor, rather with the cooking and dishes. I was happy to feel like part of the community, even if I didn’t get to do any of the dirty work.

Our medical officer asked me to give a presentation about rape and sexual assault because of my background with RAAP. I felt really good about the info I presented, but was shaken by the Indonesian side of the presentation. Apparently when a woman is raped she is dissuaded from reporting the crime and encouraged to marry the perpetrator because she is considered spoiled since she no longer has her virginity. She’s faced with the choice of being an outcast in society, or marrying the man responsible for (what I consider) a serious crime. Quite a cultural wakeup call.


#8 May 29, 2010

This month is a special, or lucky, month in the Javanese calendar, so there are countless weddings almost every night. I wish I could better describe a Javanese wedding. It’s an all day preparation the day before: all the women from the family and surrounding community come together to bake, cook and prepare food, both for the reception snack boxes the following night as well as meals for the families of the women who are helping since they can’t be home to cook. The men are outside together building the structures and decorating the area where all of the invitees will gather throughout the following day. These preparations last from about 6 in the morning until 11 or 12 at night and there is ridiculously loud music playing the entire time. So if the preparations happen to be taking place next door, getting a solid night’s sleep is pretty much out of the question. But I absolutely loved helping with the preparations!

One afternoon I thought I was helping prepare for a wedding, but it seemed different than the others I had seen. It was more elaborate: there was a huge stage and they were setting up a gamelan orchestra; there were little horse-and-buggies to take kids around; there were way more tables and food than usual. I kept trying to figure out who was getting married, but with my limited language skills, I couldn’t decipher what the women were trying to tell me. After an entire day of shredding coconut and wrapping snacks in banana leaves (and still not understanding who was getting married) I asked Eni to clarify. That’s when I realized that we weren’t preparing for a wedding. We were getting ready to celebrate the circumcision of the first grandson (who is traditionally the most favored grandchild) which is why this particular party was so extravagant. All of my prior conversations with various women started to make sense. The 11-year old boy who I kept getting introduced to was the star of the event. That’s right: it’s a right of passage to be circumcised after the age of 8/9 in Indonesian as well as Muslim culture. My family was perplexed as to why it usually happens as a baby in America, and we had lots of laughs about my minor misunderstanding.

The celebration was across the street and the speakers literally right outside my bedroom window- needless to say, I didn’t sleep. Earlier my neighbors beckoned me to watch the traditional dancers. I was definitely not prepared to be thrust on stage to dance with them. I was completely embarrassed, but my neighbors were wildly impressed that a “bule” was willing to try their traditional dance. Afterwards I raced off stage and back home to try to process what had just happened before having to return later that night. I went back later with Eni, prepared to avoid any similar situations. I should have known better. After thinking I was in the clear (I had made the rounds, taken my picture with almost everyone at the party, sat with the honored grandma in a privileged seat, and helped out a little in the kitchen) I decided to hide out in the background to watch the new set of dancers with Ibu before the wayang puppet show started. But, by word of mouth, the kepala desa (head of the village) tracked me down, and practically dragged me up on stage. Although I repeatedly politely declined and told him that I was too shy, Eni encouraged me by saying that he’s the most important person at the party and it’s a privilege to have this opportunity. So she took my picture as I was mortified in front of at least 70 men sitting at the tables set up in front of the stage. I put on a smile and made it through the whole dance. I could tell that everyone was impressed that I gave it another shot, even though I was utterly awful. I really feel like part of this community though, and since being involved with the preparations for these events, everyone says hello to me by name. The kids even call me Mbak. It will be really hard to leave everyone next week.

As one of our community projects we taught English to a women’s family group who was really excited to practice basic phrases with us. It was cute: their kids, who are studying English in school, were able to help the moms. They were so proud to share their knowledge. It’s amazing to see how much everyone wants to learn English, “the international language”, and how they look at it as the key to a better life for their children. I hope over the next 24 months I can continue to encourage people of all ages to learn English and teach about the reality of American ‘culture’ and life- it’s not always like it appears in movies…

In other news, it doesn’t look like Mr. Obama will be making it to our swearing-in ceremony, but it’ll still be a really special day for all of us. I’m currently reading a book called “Rainbow Troops” by Andrea Hirata about the struggles an underprivileged school faces on an island in Indonesia. It’s based on a true story and has been really inspirational to someone who will be teaching in here for the next two years. I strongly recommend it. They also made a movie out of it, so those who are less inclined to read should definitely check that out. My bahasa teacher also gave me the movie My Name is Khan. It’s an Indian film about Muslims in America after 9/11. It was interesting to get a perspective from outside the U.S. By my next email I will be at my new site, with a new address, and new adventures to talk about. I meet the headmistress of my new school on Tuesday (yeah, a female leader!).


#9 June 10, 2010

For the first time since I’ve been in Indonesia, I feel like 2 years is a long commitment.

Swearing In was surprisingly uneventful. Our farewell lunch was extremely emotional. when Ibu was being interviewed by a local news station, she started to tear up when she told them how I taught her the English words ‘spoon’, ‘take a bath’, and ‘scissors’. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone in Junrejo/Malang. Even my neighbors were in the street crying their farewells. I felt like part of the community there: I knew the people and the traditions of small village life, I had a routine, I knew where/who to go to if I needed anything. I knew how much things should cost, and what form of public transportation to take in order to get where I was going.

I’m finally at my new site near Mojokerto. I was so excited to start the next chapter of my Peace Corps experience that I didn’t take into consideration how different my life here would be. I feel like I’m starting at ground zero again. New people. New routine. New food. New bathroom. I met the rest of the teachers at my madrasah the other day. There are over 900 students at the school for only three grades, 10-12. They’re all excited to have a native speaker, but there is this unspoken expectation that all of the kids will instantaneously become fluent just because I teach a few classes a week. I will be wearing the uniform(s) (khaki mon-tues, pink wed, and batik thurs-sat) so hopefully I’ll be seen more as one of the teachers by the students. But I will not be wearing a jilbab…as of right now. It’s significantly hotter here than in Malang, which everyone cautioned, but I didn’t believe until I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat. Needless to say, a fan was the first thing I purchased with my settling in allowance. My new site is also significantly larger than Junrejo, which has its pros and cons. I’m afforded the luxury of having a post office, atm, supermarket, traditional market, and wifi all within walking distance. But there isn’t the same sense of community that I felt in Junrejo. People don’t talk to their neighbors as much, but I’m determined to find my niche in this community, even if it takes longer than when I first arrived in Malang.

Each day that I’m here it gets easier and easier- I think the first day is always the most difficult. Eni and Teguh drove up last night for a surprise visit. It’s nice to know that I have a support network not only in America but here in Indonesia as well- they brought Pizza Hut and a bag of oranges. This is the last week of the semester, so all of the students are testing. I’ve been invited to Bali at the end of this month for the teachers’ retreat. Peace Corps strongly encourages us to stay at our sites for the first 3 months, so I have to get special permission from our country director.


#10 June 21, 2010 "And then there were 18"

I want to share a little bit more about my new living situation. I live with Bu H (mother), Pak S (father), Mas Pam (10-year old brother) and Yuwan (16- year old cousin). We practice English and Indonesian every night together. Bu H is a chemistry teacher at a vocational school and Pak S works in Surabaya. Pam is so smart and loves sharing random trivia facts. Yuwan is much more reserved, very quiet and keeps to herself, but I’m trying to bridge the communication gap. One of my new favorite family activities is listening to them read Al Qur'an every night, which sounds like singing in Arabic. I don’t understand, but it’s lovely to listen to.

This family and living situation are definitely different than in Junrejo, and at times I feel like I’m starting over again- that all of the culture and language progress I’ve made is completely useless here. Almost everyone speaks Javanese, so it can be frustrating when I’m trying to communicate in Indonesian and they respond in a “foreign” language. It’s been difficult to find a tutor, but I keep reminding myself that it’s only week one. Every night we eat on the floor and the TV is usually on, watching Indonesian Idol or an Indonesian soap opera. Sunday morning at 5 we go walking to the traditional market while it’s still cool out. I feel like I stand out more here than in Junrejo. This is a much larger town, so there are always new people pointing and gawking. News of where I live has spread, and there have been random people who just stop by to practice their English.

I live back off of a main street in the middle of rice paddies and corn fields. The local farmers have their goats, cows and oxen rest/graze in front of our house, literally 5 feet away from our front door. There’s a small path that goes in front of our house and every day there are women carrying bundles of sticks on top of their heads, barefoot and missing most of their teeth, who call out “mongo!” as a local Javanese greeting. It’s a 5 minute walk to school which is nice, and oftentimes there are one or two students who wait around to walk with me and practice their English. There are two mountains looking off of our front porch, which I still can’t remember the names for, but it’s like having a little taste of Colorado any time I’m missing home.

But I am struggling with my lack of independence. I “take a bath” 2-3 times a day because it’s so hot here. The mosquitoes are awful. People are constantly commenting on how I would be more beautiful if I were fatter or wore lipstick. They might start a national campaign soon to try to find me a husband, because it’s completely unheard of for a 25-year old, educated woman to still be unmarried.

Each of the 19 of us is in very different living and teaching situations, but all of us are struggling a little bit to readapt to a new life. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in missing the comforts of Malang or being perpetually confused by the teaching system here. Unfortunately one of us didn’t feel that teaching English in Indonesia was a good match for him, so Matt is flying back to America tomorrow. We’re all in a minor state of mourning. We’ve already been through so much together in such a short time, and we’re forever bonded at some level.

This week is still testing at our school, so I’ve just been proctoring tests. The students exchange papers, talk, or use their cell phones and most of the teachers allow or even encourage it. I’m trying to figure out the best way to broach the topic and discourage cheating in my classes. I was finally granted permission to go to Bali. There are almost 200 people going because they’re all bringing their families. It will be interesting traveling to a resort destination as part of such a conservative work environment- no 2-piece bathing suits or eating pig (I miss bacon!) but I’m excited to go to such an historic and beautiful destination.

Things are different, but ok here. I’m still trying to work out a routine, but I have a lot of support both from my new family in Indonesia and from back in America.


#11 July 27, 2010

Even though I’ve been here for almost two months it doesn’t seem like much has happened…yet simultaneously I haven’t had any free time. Seems to happen quite frequently in Indonesia.

I’m still trying to settle into my new environment. New town. New host family. New school. New culture. New food. New to teaching. It’s not quite what I was expecting Peace Corps to be like. I’ll give a brief synopsis of how the school year has progressed so far, starting with the ambiguous start date. No one could give me a definite date of when my first day of teaching would be. Or what classes I would be teaching. Or who I would be teaching with…which makes planning a bit difficult. After getting back from Bali, I was told no one would be coming to school for the next two weeks, so just relax and settle in. After two days of not going to school, I get multiple text messages from teachers and administration staff asking why I haven’t been coming in. So I go to school the next day, and there are only about 10 of the 80 staff there, helping with new student registration. I didn’t do very much while I was there, but I’m glad I got to see what the process was like. I helped the treasurer accept student fees (higher for girls than for boys because the uniforms are different), and realized that there is definitely a poverty discrepancy here. Some of the families could pay the full $130 all at once, but others asked to pay in increments. Also, about half of the parents who came in were illiterate- either their student or I had to help them fill out their forms (name, birthday, address, job). But you could tell they were all so proud of their kids for testing into this school.

I was told that the first day of school would be on Monday the 12th, and even though I didn’t have a schedule yet I was excited to start teaching. On the 12th, I came to school to find new student orientation taking place and only about 20 of the teachers there. But I enjoyed the time. I was able to meet OSIS, the student council here, who are a bunch of really great kids and who were able to explain what was going on. I saw my first flag ceremony where they sang “Indonesia Raya” (the Indonesian national anthem) and repeated the Pancasila (the 5 principles of Indonesia: belief in only one God, a united Indonesia, internationalism, democracy, and social welfare) All of the students were very obedient, standing at attention the whole time, responding to orders directed at them, and not smiling. For 3 days the new students had to dress up in silly outfits and go through a variety of military drills, program orientation and bonding exercises. On Thursday we got our teaching schedules! I’m co teaching 9 different classes with 3 different teachers each once a week. English classes meet twice a week, which means that I only participate in lessons half the time, and don’t know where the class left off the previous period. Again, this makes planning kind of difficult. Conveniently, however, Indonesians usually aren’t too keen on planning. They think I’m uptight because I like to be prepared for what I will be teaching, and writing lesson plans is unnecessary work. They laugh at the time I spend preparing different activities, but the kids love them, so my humility is a small price to pay. I also found out that 2 of my co teachers would be at teacher training for the first week of class. Convenient timing…I taught the first week by myself. IT WAS AWESOME!! But not really what Peace Corps wants from us as far as sustainable teaching is concerned. But I spoke almost 100% in English, slowly, and the kids were able to understand most of it. And we worked together to figure out what they didn’t understand. The kids were motivated to listen, participate in the activities and practice speaking. They were stoked that they could understand an American. It was great! I wasn’t sure exactly how to teach to the curriculum, but I figured we would discuss that when they got back from training. I figured wrong. They were tired from their week in Malang, and opted not to go to class. They were still at the school, but didn’t enter class. And there’s no penalty. Oftentimes teachers just don’t show up, or they show up, habitually, half an hour late. And the students just sit in their classrooms. It’s ridiculous! But I seem to be the only one with those sentiments…me and the other 17 volunteers who are having almost the exact same experience.

Team teaching is a learning experience for all parties involved, so I’m embracing this first semester as a trial-and-error period. Finding out what methods work, and what the English teachers want from having a “native speaker” here. Although this first week-and-a-half hasn’t been the most ideal introduction to teaching, here are some of my successes: 1) I started an English Club! I made a rockin’ poster advertising the time and place, and there were enough kids who came so that we can meet twice a week. 2) the teachers feel more comfortable speaking English with me.3) the students feel more comfortable practicing their English with me!! I love it! From the first day when they were too nervous to say ‘good morning’ until now when they ask me all sorts of random questions just to practice talking has been amazing! 4) the 16-year old that I live with has become more comfortable talking to me too, and we’ve bonded over each of us being so far away from our families 5) I’m learning how to be a good teacher: setting classroom rules the first day of class doesn’t make me a mean teacher, it means the students know what’s expected of them and the learning environment is better for everyone. We can still have fun even with a set of rules!

It’s little successes like this that make me realize why I joined Peace Corps- to make a difference in at least one person’s life. When I think about the students, it makes the 2 years seem like a doable commitment. When I think about the lack of motivation from the teachers or the constant cultural reminders that I’m different and will never fit in, I want to give up and fly home tomorrow. Luckily the students are too amazing, so I think I’ll stay ;)


#12 August 16, 2010

Happy Indonesian Independence Day! (August 17, 1945)

I’ve stopped dwelling on the idea that this is not the Peace Corps experience I imagined when I applied. I don’t live in a grass hut, or have to slaughter my own chickens. I don’t live in isolation and have to travel miles by foot to school every day. I don’t live in a primitive community without modern conveniences like clean water and electricity. All of my students have access to books, even if they aren’t the most grammatically correct. But there’s something appealing about being a Peace Corps Volunteer in an area where I can find some comforts of home while still being exposed to a variety of new cultures. I still face my fair share of frustrations and challenges, just not in the form I had anticipated

As most of you know Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world, and last week marked the beginning of the most important month in the Islamic calendar: Ramadan. For 30 days every capable (meaning not sick; too old; too young; nursing, pregnant or menstruating female) Muslim will fast from sunrise to sunset. The school day is shortened from 6:45-1:45 to 7:30-11:00, except for Fridays when the men make a special trip to the mosque in the afternoon- the school day only lasts until 9:45. Out of respect for my Muslim host family, friends, students and colleagues, I’ve decided to try fasting. I’m already five days in, but after teaching then walking home in this absurd heat (it is now the “hot” season, which I think should be renamed the “hotter” season, because I’m pretty sure I’ve never been chilled here even when sitting directly in front of my fan during the “not hot” season) I sometimes drink water in the privacy of my bedroom. Almost everyone appreciates my efforts and is forgiving when I take a break from fasting. They’ve been training since elementary school, so I’m not too hard on myself when I close my door and indulge in a few sips of water.

The other day I was able to go to a friend’s mosque to observe prayer. The men and women are separated by a large screen and the women cover themselves in large white robes. I feel like I snuck in and was watching some secret ritual, but everyone was so welcoming and invited me to sit in the back and watch. I covered my head with a jilbab and wore long sleeves and long pants…so hot. But, the more conservatively you dress here, the more ‘beautiful’ you’re considered. It’s interesting to experience first hand what another culture considers beautiful. I felt somewhat uncomfortable in the attire, because I’m not Muslim, but again most were appreciative of my respectful efforts and willing to share about (not convert me to) Islam. Every day I experience something new. Fasting is not my favorite activity, but it does get easier day by day, and I am more aware of the distress that those less fortunate go through- obviously not on the same scale. So that’s my Indonesian carita (story) for now. I’ll leave with some final random thoughts:

Top 5 things that I’m not so thrilled about in Indonesia right now:

  1. Some teachers complaining that there’s not enough time to teach the entire curriculum, yet still showing up late to class, unprepared to teach then blaming it on the students.
  2. The two roosters that hang out under my window and crow for about 22 of the 24 hours of any given day…at ten-second intervals.
  3. When my 10 year old host brother is being naughty.
  4. Lack of support from a certain member of my host family.
  5. Missing out on the family trip to the Cape, Ella’s first day of Kindergarten, Ivy starting to speak in full sentences, Stacey’s wedding, and an abundance of other wonderful activities back in the states. And it’s only been 5 months!

The top 5 things I love about Indonesia right now:

  1. I’ve made two new friends: Bu S who is a 26-year old (single) English teacher at a different school. She’s offered a friendly hand in becoming more integrated into the community and likes to go on bike rides; and Mas A, a friend from school who is willing to open-mindedly share about his culture and religion- he was the friend who invited me to go to the mosque a few days ago. He’s only 22 yet always has a smile and is willing to learn as well as teach. He’s one of few Indonesians who are taller than me, and I like to think of him as my Indonesian little brother. It’s nice to have somewhat of a social life again!
  2. I was able to change my teaching schedule. Now I’ll only teach 5 classes, each twice a week, which has made planning infinitely easier and teaching much more effective.
  3. Watching the sunset and listening to the call to prayer for Maghrib- the 4th of 5 daily Islamic prayers. It’s so peaceful and spiritual after a day of chaos and ambiguity.
  4. My students are awesome.
  5. I found a store that sells peanut butter.
  6. I’m going to Bali with my volunteer friends to celebrate the end of Ramadan in less than a month!

I think it’s always better that the positives should outnumber the negatives in any given situation, so I added number 6.