Easter in Sulawesi

I spent my Easter vacation on the island of Bunaken, which is just off the coast of Manado in North Sulawesi. Then I headed south to the small town of Gorontalo.

Day 1: I thought I had a direct flight, but should have known better. There was an 8 hour delay in the Makassar airport. I finally arrived at night in Manado and took a bumpy ride through small villages to reach my boat. It was evident that I had arrived in the most Christian area of Indonesia because the village roads were lined with crosses and lanterns in preparation for Easter. It was really beautiful. I took a small boat to Bunaken island and since it was dark, a man stood on the front of the boat using a flashlight to light the way.

Day 2: The effort to get to Bunaken was well worth it! The snorkeling was the best I have ever seen! I saw a small shark, and was hoping the mother wasn’t nearby. There were so many varieties of coral and brightly colored fish. At one place there was also a lot of trash floating on the surface, which had floated over from the city of Manado. This was a bit disgusting having to clear the plastic bags, etc. out of my way as I snorkeled. But luckily, I only had this problem in one area. After snorkeling I spent a lazy afternoon napping in a hammock on the porch of my bungalow, which was right on the water.

Day 3: There was a great group of people where I stayed, mostly Europeans, so I had plenty of company on this trip! More excellent snorkeling and saw 2 sea turtles and a stingray! Also visited the small village on the island.

Day 4: Easter. I was planning to go to church and I guess I sort of went. I joined a snorkeling/diving trip where I snorkeled close to another small village. When I lifted my head out of the water I could hear lively singing coming from the churches on the island. Also found a scorpion in my bathroom.

Day 5: I took an 8 hour shared SUV ride to Gorontalo with a really nice Indonesian family. I was crammed in the back row so it wasn’t the most comfortable journey. We sped through small villages lining the road as people, goats, and ox pulling carts jumped out of the way. Saw one dead dog on the side of the road that wasn’t so lucky.

Day 6: Gorontalo. I visited the university here and saw the town which was my main goal. This is a site for next school year. I think I could go stir crazy here. Some of my experiences:

-pink rice for breakfast
-several becak drivers told me “No terrorists here.”
-people at the university were so excited to have a native speaker visit so I quickly ended up in the President’s office where a photographer took photos of my meeting with the President. Felt like someone important for a few moments.
-very friendly people
-I was the only westerner in town from what I could tell
-most food items on the menus were not available…….I was puzzled why fried fish was available but not grilled fish????????????

Day 7: Returned home to find a roach on my bed and green mold covering my closet, inside and out. I had to take most of my clothes to the laundry since they were covered in mold.

Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet Performances)

I went to my first wayang kulit performance and it really is fascinating. This is a traditional Javanese custom and most performances last all night...........8 hours! However, I went to the "tourist" version which is a manageable 2 hours. First, each puppet is meticulously carved out of buffalo hide and then painted. The audience can view the performance by watching the shadow puppets behind the sheet, or can watch "backstage" which is also interesting. As you can see from the pictures, there is classical Javanese music and singing during the performance, and the puppet master tells the story in Javanese. So after 2 hours I can sympathize with my some of my beginner students about how it feels to listen to a foreign language and not understand a thing.

Weekend in Bengkulu, Sumatra

First of all, I found out that the word "eco-terrorism" is indeed a new word. That is just strange.

I had a nice weekend in Bengkulu. It's expected that all flights never leave on time here, so I did have delays. I flew there in the morning, which is the best time to fly since in the afternoon we usually have storms and rain. There were beautiful views from above of the turquoise water and jungles of Sumatra.

We stayed in a small hotel by the ocean. I frequently forget that I live on an island because my city isn't close to the water. I love being near the ocean, but there are signs in the town of Bengkulu indicating the tsunami evacuation routes, so there is always the reminder that the water isn't just pretty to look at. Bengkulu and the rest of Western Sumatra is the most frequently affected by big earthquakes in Indonesia. The opening remarks of our workshop on Saturday were "Let's hope there are no earthquakes while you are visiting." We presented the workshop to middle and high school teachers. The goal was to help them "think outside the box" and create more interactive and fun lessons for their students.

Work........And Soon......Another Vacation!

This discussion group was at Muhammadiyah University and the topic was the possibility of Obama becoming President.

This discussion group took place at a Muslim high school in my city. The topic was "Youth Lifestyle in the US."

*****

Things have gotten so busy with work! My classes are going really well and last week I led two discussion groups. I can really see that a major part of my job here is breaking down stereotypes that exist about Americans and also helping the Indonesians understand Americans because the news has created so many false impressions.

On Friday I’m going to Bengkulu, Sumatra to do a workshop at a colleague’s university. This will be my first time in Sumatra so I’m excited to see a new place.

My friend at Save the Children has coordinated for me to start volunteering at an orphanage here. I’m also looking forward to that and I think I could make a project out of that experience by possibly having some of my college students do an English camp for these kids.

I was asked at the last minute today to look over some papers (for English mistakes) that will be mailed out to participants of an English debate competition. On one paper all the topics were listed that would be debated including “Eco Terrorism!”………instead of Eco Tourism of course. At least I hope it was a mistake! That would be an insane topic…………….terrorism that is environmentally friendly!

I’m due for another vacation and Easter break will arrive just in time………..as you can tell I need a vacation since I’m so amused by the English mistake above! We have a week off and I’m going to Bunaken, Sulawesi for what’s supposed to be some of the best snorkeling/diving in Indonesia!

Of course my life isn’t all positive here, but I’m just focusing on the positives! Yes, internet at my house was disconnected, the smell of a decaying animal (probably rat) is permeating my house, the woman next door is constantly trying to get me together with her college aged son, and Rendi (who helps around my house) is always complaining that he is sick (and needs meds) or that my weeds need to be picked……….always thinking of ways to relieve me of money.