#14 october 7,2010

I’ve gotten a lot of positive comments from friends and family who have read this blog, so thanks to everyone back home for your continued support!
This past Sunday Bu S. took me and my host bro Pam, on our weekly bike ride, to a rice refinery. In Indonesian, there are several words for rice: padi, if it’s still in the field; beras, after it’s been dried and husked, but before it’s cooked; and nasi, after it’s cooked- the rice we eat. I know there are others, but I can’t remember at the moment. When she was a child, Bu S. used to go there with her father. She would play- climbing the massive mounds of packaged rice, or racing up and down the isles between the rice piles lying out to dry in the hot Indonesian sun- while her father would work at the refinery, usually 12-hour days. He wanted to stress to her and her siblings the importance of getting a good education so that she wouldn’t be forced to work 12-hours days for low wages like him. Just one of the many stories that factor into why she’s such a remarkable woman. We not only saw all of the machinery and methods used to process the rice, but were able to trek out to the peanut/corn/soybean fields (they alternate crops in order to help sustain the mineral levels in the soil, I think). We dug for our own peanuts, and then took them back to roast them in a fire for a tasty morning snack.
Later that afternoon after English Club, Bu S, her 9-year old niece, my counterpart Bu Eni, and myself, all went to check out some of the local history of the area. Apparently it was the center of the great empire (not sure if that’s by international, Indonesian, or Javanese standards) Majapahit which was discovered and excavated in the 1920s by the Dutch, the then colonial power. Maja is the name of a green fruit with white pulp and is about the size of a large grapefruit, and pahit means bitter. The kingdom was named after the limitless maja trees that are found in the area. We stopped by the resident museum to read up on the history before heading out to the graves and temples nearby. A museum guide cracked open a maja and offered us a taste. I definitely understand why bitter is the adjective used to describe this fruit! The taste is appalling! And afterwards the guide explained the myth that if you eat too much of the fruit, you’ll die. Would have been nice to hear that story before I ingested such a big bite. Then for lunch we tried a local favorite, wader: tiny fried fish about the size of fish bait. Eyeballs, tails, bones, and all. Tastes just like you might imagine. Fishy. It wasn’t my favorite meal thus far in Indonesia, but I’m glad I was brave enough to try it.
The only ruins that we had time (and energy) to see were those of Candi Tikus or Rat Temple. The story goes that before the temple was discovered, the farmers in that area had a major mouse problem when trying to harvest their crops. They decided to dig up the fields in order to destroy the mouse nests, and discovered an ancient temple instead. It’s believed to have been used as a fancy bathing area for the female nobility during the time of the empire.
In other Mojosari news, we’ve been really busy prepping for the first English Camp this Sunday. Over 60 kids have registered already, and we’re definitely expecting a lot more to show up the day of. I had no idea that so many people would be interested when I casually mentioned the idea about a month ago. But it’s exciting to know that there’s so much encouragement for an educational program for children in the area. I feel the pressure, but have a good feeling about the success and sustainability of the project.
On Saturday a former Peace Corps Volunteer from Africa (who now lectures at a university in Malang) along with 2 Fulbright scholars who lecture at UMM, want to come see my school and meet my students. My school is excited because this visit will contribute to their image as a hopeful international school, and I’m excited to talk to a former PCV. I’m sure she’ll be really impressed by the fingerprint scanner that was recently installed in the administration office in order to check the teachers’ attendance… I feel more like James Bond than a Peace Corps Volunteer every time I scan my thumb.
And starting Monday I’ll be in Surabaya for two weeks of intensive training with Peace Corps. I’m eager to see everyone again and receive the teacher training that was lacking during our Pre-Service Training. And daily hot showers will be a nice treat too.
I think that’s about it for now. I have excellent intentions of trying to keep this blog updated regularly. No promises though…