October 9, 2011
It has recently been brought to my attention that as my time in Indonesia progresses, I have written less and less about being Inspired In Indonesia. It’s not that I haven’t been inspired lately, quite the opposite actually, it’s just that things have become so routine that it feels almost monotonous to write about my seemingly mundane experiences…a routine, by the way, that I am wholeheartedly clinging to after the complete and utter chaos of my initial 18 months here.
So, for those of you who don’t find my contributions monotonous and mundane, here’s my October shout out to my most recent inspiration: all the little Javanese munchkins who join English camp twice a month. My kids are awesome! Today we celebrated our 1 year anniversary of English Kids’ Camp. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 12 months since that first frenzied afternoon at the balai desa. While fundamentally still the same, things are noticeably different with our camp. Instead of the nearly 100 disorderly children of days past, we now have an enthusiastic group of thirty kids who religiously show up every other Sunday with their over-sized backpacks and occasional bewildered looks in tow. And now, in addition my 30 fabulous elementary school kids, I have half a dozen unbelievable high school English Club members whose skills and confidence flourish more and more each progressive time they teach or plan a lesson.
In order to celebrate the Big One, my high schoolers came up with inventive and entertaining ways to practice what the kids have learned over the past year: balloon races to study body parts, songs to help with prepositions, and wildlife voice competitions to practice animals. While still somewhat disorganized (I’ve finally learned to embrace that particular Javanese approach) I can confidently say that our one year celebration was a success- my untamed host brother even managed not to complain or get too wild for the whole 90 minutes. And like any other outstanding birthday party, we ended with some sticky American candy, a few rounds of singing ‘Happy Birthday English Camp’ and a goofy group shot.
Happy Birthday English Camp!
Practicing Prepositions: "Thumbs Up, Elbows Out..."
The Whole Group Singing Together
One-legged Races
Acting like Frogs
Body Relay Race Using Heads
My Host Brother and His Posse Enjoying Themselves
Group Shot After a Great Day