Diann in Asia

Ni Hao!

2009-09-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Tatooed Fish!

So here I am…… in China. I arrived on August 31 and have been busy ever since. There are 22 non-native teachers working in the English Language Center at Shantou University and 20 Chinese teachers. There is an interesting mix of non-native teachers, coming from the US, Tasmania, India, Brazil and France.

After a few meetings we were flown to Hainan island in the South China Sea where we were all given matching hats to wear on our weeklong tour. If you take a tour in China, it seems to be a requirement that everyone wear something that matches. The Chinese tour groups really outshined our group…..many groups we saw were wearing matching Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and hat outfits. It was a challenge for most of us to be herded around from place to place on the tour when we have been accustomed to independent travel. After our work sessions, we did see some nice beaches and landscape.

Now, back in Shantou, I have been busy settling into the apartment and making preparations for the upcoming semester, which starts on September 28. The city of Shantou is not attractive, but it does have some creature comforts like a place to get a massage, acupuncture, or reflexology, a few decent restaurants, a Walmart, and a Pizza Hut. The other day I realized that I was willing to ride around on the hot city bus all day in order to find the Pizza Hut (I don’t normally eat there)! The things I do when I live overseas! So we were successful in finding the Pizza Hut and took the local bus back to campus. At a stop light I noticed that the light had turned green and our bus wasn’t moving. Cars were zooming past us. We looked at the driver and he had decided to take a nap! An old man next to me also noticed this and looked at me and laughed with his one front tooth dangling from his gum. It was a funny moment! On the way back to campus, the driver proceeded to take naps at the red lights.

Shantou University is located outside of the city (this is a good thing) and has many trees and tropical plants. The campus has two swimming pools, some restaurants, and most importantly….a fruit smoothie place! I’m so happy that I can find tropical fruits here…the mangoes are delicious.

I’ll be teaching freshman who have intermediate English language proficiency. They have also asked me to mentor a new teacher and be a Coordinator for my level team. I’m excited about these new responsibilities. I’m also hoping to be able to present a workshop at CAMTESOL in Cambodia.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep updating my blog. China has something known as the “Great Firewall of China” and many websites are blocked here including Facebook and Blogger. I’ve found a proxy and that’s how I’m updating my blog now, but could lose access at any time.

Indonesia Photos

2009-08-23T08:12:00.000-07:00

BaliBorneo

Jogja

All My Bags are Packed I'm Ready to Go......

2008-07-05T04:41:00.001-07:00

These are just some of the people that I will miss.........the lecturers that I worked closely with, my counterpart, Tata, and all of my students....and of course I'll miss the adventures with the other fellows as well. I've had such a great experience! Memories of great relationships made, volcanoes poking out of the clouds when flying, flying in planes that shouldn't be flying anymore, the snake at my house, the Ibu's warung (small restaurant) next door, beautiful cool evenings in Jogja, the call to prayer, the noisy metal shop next door..........

I'm going to Jakarta tomorrow and then flying back to the States on Monday. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing friends and family but also sad to be leaving so many good things behind here.

State Dept. Reception

2008-07-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a reception where I met the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Goli Ameri, and some others from the State Dept. It was an interesting glimpse of life in the State Dept.......

The Spice Islands

2008-06-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

I was finally successful in making it to Ambon! After months of waiting in the States for my visa to work there, and months here in Indonesia trying to get a permit to visit, it turns out the only thing I needed to visit was my passport and visa! So the letter and dealing with the police wasn't necessary (see other blog entry). It makes for a good story though!

Ambon is a small island in the Maluku Islands, Eastern Indonesia and these islands are the original "spice islands." Before the 16th century, spices were used to preserve food and also for medical purposes. People from all over the world came here in search of cloves and nutmeg, since they couldn't be found anywhere else.

During my visit there I realized that these islands are little pieces of paradise. Because I was there for work, I was only able to site see around the island of Ambon, which has beautiful coral offshore, turquoise water, rivers and streams, and is a mostly undeveloped island. During 1999-2004 this area was involved in religious riots, and remnants of those riots can still be seen. There are still many burned shells of buildings, houses, mosques, and churches. But the people which I interacted with seem to be optimistic about the future and are moving forward.

My workshops went really well and the participants were so enthusiastic. Our RELO (director of our program here) also joined the workshops and we both commented that we have never seen and participated in so much singing and dancing at a workshop! In fact, after the closing ceremony of the workshops, we did the poco-poco (line dancing). Somehow, the lecturers in the English Dept. also got me to sing in front of the group! I won't even do karaoke, so this was big!

We had lots of rain while we were there since their rainy season is opposite the rest of Indonesia. But we were determined to do some snorkeling and went to the north of the island, where there were lots of fish and I spotted another turtle! The RELO and I also did some pearl shopping on the last day.......you can find them for such a great price here! I was browsing the internet and found that Mikimoto actually gets their pearls from Indonesia, among other areas!

So this trip was definitely one of my highlights in Indonesia and was a great way to finish my contract here. I'll be coming back to the States on July 7th.

Bali

2008-06-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

I just had to go back to Bali one more time before leaving Indonesia! I spent a week there, first in Ubud where I did some shopping and went to 2 spas. The first spa was outside under a thatched roof, with the sound of the nearby river and views of the tropical foliage everywhere I looked. The second massage was at a different place and was a little painful. Unfortunately the girl didn't understand very much English, so I wasn't successful in asking her to be more gentle. The highlights of the trip were the times I went by motorbike through the countryside. The first time a guy from my guesthouse took me to Mt. Batur, which is an old volcano in central Bali. It was amazing passing the beautiful rice fields and Hindu temples along the way. Then I met a friend in Seminyak, south Bali and she and I took a motorbike ride to Uluwatu temple. We both agreed that it's one of the most beautiful spots in Bali and not over-touristy. The small temple sits on the edge of tall cliffs which drop off into the ocean. There is also a family of monkeys which lives there.

Jail Time & a Rp5,000,000 Fine?

2008-06-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Ambon tomorrow to do 3 workshops for lecturers, and junior & senior high teachers. Because this area is considered "politically unstable" there were a few extra steps I needed to do before going. Not to worry though, it hasn't been living up to this label. So yesterday Pak Dwi from my uni said that I need to go to the police station before going to Ambon. I knew this probably wasn't going to be an easy process, so I was prepared for whatever was thrown at me......or at least I thought I was prepared! So we sat down at the desk of the official and he and Pak Dwi proceeded to talk in Bahasa Indonesia and I was pretty pleased with myself that I could understand a bit. Then the official, with his very serious face, pulled a dusty book from his desk and had Pak Dwi read "Article 61". Pak Dwi began to smile....a smile here is used to mean so many things like......."you've got to be joking", "this is impossible", "how much can I pay you so this doesn't happen", etc. These things were probably going through his head. So I asked if I could read "Article 61" since it was in English and it said that I would face up to 1 year jail time and a fine of Rp 5,000,000 ($500USD) since I didn't report to the police station within 30 days of getting my immigration card. I told him I just received the card but he didn't believe me. Then he said it was impossible to go to Ambon tomorrow since I didn't have the permanent immigration card. With a smile, I kindly told him I had my ticket and I was going. So after jumping through lots of hoops and smiling a lot, the official told me no jail time, no fine, and just smile and tell the Ambon police I didn't know I needed a permanent card. Pak Dwi slipped the guy Rp50,000 ($5) and we were on our way with the letter we needed.

Mixing Business With Pleasure

2008-05-25T00:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month and I know some have been wondering if I've just disappeared! During the past month, I've given a seminar on Professional Development in the US, been a judge at a speech contest, along with some friends who visited, and gave a workshop in East Java. Of course I've managed to fit in some fun along the way too! It's also the end of the semester for my university so I've been saying goodbye to students and giving final exams.

I went to a Javanese wedding with Kun, the RELO Assistant for my program, and a friend. The wedding had many similarities to a wedding in the States, except of course for the style of dress, the enormous amount of makeup the bride AND groom wear, the bride and groom only kiss on the cheek and then shake hands (it is a contract after all right?), and no dancing at the reception.

Last week I headed to Jakarta, a place I promised myself I wouldn't go unless I absolutely had to! But this time I was able to appreciate what the city has to offer and not just see the poverty, pollution, and endless traffic jams. I had great dinners.......Italian and Mexican, went to posh shopping malls, and was overwhelmed at the variety of crafts from all over Indonesia at a huge handicraft market.

From Jakarta, I was supposed to catch a flight to Medan, Sumatra, but because of a ridiculous amount of traffic I missed my flight. So I wasn't able to do my workshop in Medan, but have to say that I did have a great time in Jakarta.

Then I flew to East Java where I met up with other fellows in my program. Immediately after getting off the plane in Malang, I noticed that the air was much cooler. We stayed at a great hotel in Malang (Hotel Tugu) which is an ecclectic mix of antique Indonesian style combined with worldly charm. Kendra, who lives in Malang, reserved the "Romeo & Juliet" room for all of us, and we enjoyed a multicourse meal with our own private server and violin player.......it was really romantic, even with 5 women and no men! Of course, all at a wonderful, non-western price!

We then headed to Mt. Bromo, which is one of the "must see" places in Indonesia. Our 4WD vehicle struggled to make it up the winding mountain roads. The scenery was amazing and the temperature even better. The landscape looked like a patchwork quilt, with all sorts of crops growing in the fertile volcanic soil. We all bought hats and gloves as soon as we arrived and thought it was pretty fun that we could be this cold in Indonesia! The photo says it all about Mt. Bromo. We hiked up to the crater of the smoking volcano in the foreground of the photo. It really had the feel of being on another planet, and definitely not the Indonesia we are all familiar with.........lush green rice fields and tropical vegetation.

Now back at home in Jogja, I'm preparing to grade loads of final exams, grade 2 debate finals, prepare a trip to Bali for R&R, and plan my final workshop in Ambon, which is a remote area in eastern Indonesia-where I was originally supposed to be placed. I'll be back in the States in July and can't believe that my time here is almost finished. I definitely have mixed feelings about leaving. As the positions fill here, and I haven't heard anything about my job in the States I'm wondering how things will work out.......

Spa in Yogyakarta

2008-04-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite spa so far and it's right next to my campus (in the Jogjakarta Plaza Hotel)! For Rp297,000 or about $US30 I got two hours including body scrub, massage, sauna, body mask, and a flower bath. This is actually kind of pricey for Indonesia, but every now and then it's worth the splurge.

Bunaken Underwater Photos

2008-04-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some great photos taken by my friend Philip, while diving in Bunaken. I was able to see the same while snorkeling.

Something unexpected happened at the museum.....

2008-04-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

I visited the Sono-Budoyo Museum here in Jogja, which is a great museum. As I was leaving, a large group of Muslim school children were arriving for their gamelan (musical instrument) practice. Soon they were practicing their English with me. Since Indonesians don't waste any time in asking personal questions, one of them asked my religion. When I told them Christian, a few had really wide eyes and one shrieked! What are they teaching these kids?:)

Easter in Sulawesi

2008-03-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-03-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-03-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

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.

Various Photos

2008-02-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

This is my campus, Sanata Dharma University. The inner courtyards are beautiful with many tropical plants. The classrooms are what you see in the surrounding buildings.

Borobudur Temple is about 1.5 hours from my city and is the most visited temple in Indonesia.

Durian fruit is called the "stinky fruit" because of the strange and strong odor. It smells similar to dirty socks, but the taste isn't too bad. Not something I will be eating alot of!

Life at the University

2008-02-01T05:10:00.000-08:00

It's the end of the first week teaching and I thought I'd give you a glimpse of my work life here:

-I have a driver that picks me up from my house and takes me home each day. (Sometimes he forgets to pick me up, other times he's late.......this is common here. I haven't missed a class yet though. Having a driver sounds luxurious, and while it's nice to have this service, I get picked up in an old van.)

-Of course, no A/C in the classrooms, but "common rooms" like planning room and main department office has A/C.

-No copywrite laws here.........all teacher "textbooks" are copies of the original book........no texts for students........some teachers photo copy an entire book for each student!

(Piracy is very common here and there are more illegal copies of DVDs and CDs than there are legal copies. These are sold in shops, so it's not a back alley type of business. Copies of DVDs/CDs cost about Rp10,000 or $1.)

Weekend Getaways

2008-02-01T04:58:00.000-08:00

All around the city of Yogyakarta, the countryside is covered with ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples. Today I went on an outing with Sas, an Indonesian friend, and some of his coworkers at Save the Children.

First we drove to small village where we saw the batik making process and then made our own batik. The process basically involves tracing a pattern onto cloth, applying hot wax to the pattern using a special stylus, dying the fabric, rinsing, boiling (to remove the wax), and drying. A medium sized piece of batik can take one month to make, working all day, every day for a month.

We then drove deeper into the countryside passing beautiful green rice fields and mountains. We took a break on the side of the road for a cold drink. The drink tasted fine, but the part that bothered me a little were the clear little globs of stuff floating in the drink. The globs are made from rice, but reminded me of something disgusting.

Boko temple is a buddist temple from the 9th century, which is mainly in ruins. It felt like it was our own personal discovery because there were hardly any other tourists there. The temple grounds covered a lot of area and here and there women were leading goats around by rope. The parts of the temple that are still standing had detailed stone carvings and we could see where the stones had been chiseled to fit together like a puzzle. No mortar was used here. All around the temple were mountains and palm trees, with hundreds of dragonflies in the air. It was really pretty magical and was nice that we didn’t have to deal with souvenir stalls and men calling out “taxi, taxi” as at other temples.

We then found ourselves in the middle of a downpour so we found shelter under the corrugated iron roof of a little drink stand. On the way back to the car, I had to use the bathroom and was surprised to see a little frog in the toilet.

The next day was a Sunday, and Katie, a fellow from Sumatra, surprised me with a visit. We decided to go to Borobudur, which is the most famous buddhist temple in Indonesia. After lots of searching and asking people where to catch the bus, we finally found our bus and were on the way. The bus was literally falling apart………….a piece from the ceiling fell off during the ride and the entire bus shook like a wheel was about to break loose. We made it safely to the temple, but unlike yesterday, this temple is definitely discovered. There were so many tourists and souvenir stalls, and people following us, trying to coax us into buying their piece of junk………….I mean their souvenir:) But the temple was amazing. It’s over 1200 years old and has survived a volcanic eruption, many earthquakes and a bomb (in 1985). It seemed as though Katie and I were also a tourist attraction. Everywhere we turned, Indonesian tourists were asking to take our picture with them. At first it was flattering, but then got a little annoying. We then took a becak (see picture on blog) to see another temple and were almost hit head-on by a bus. (Don’t worry Mom and Dad…………..this is very typical of Indonesian style driving………happens all the time). We returned by bus (a newer one) to my city and then went shopping in an area known for silver.

It was a busy but fun weekend. It’s nice that there are so many things to do in and around my city.

Stir Crazy (this happened a few weeks ago, but gives good insight into my life here)

2008-02-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

I awoke this morning and opened the door to my garden area. I was taking a look at the plants when I saw a rat (I’m guessing the mother) scamper out of an empty plant container, followed by two baby rats. She made eye contact with me briefly and then went on her way. So I guess I’m not living alone in this big house after all.

For the past three days I’ve been cooped up at home waiting for repairs to be done on my house. Installing the western toilet (to replace my hole in the ground) was only supposed to take one day, so I was told, but it has turned into three. Most of the time the repair people have been here, they have been lounging around waiting for parts to be delivered. This was a little unnerving for me, since all I have been able to think about is that I should be at campus preparing for classes. On day one my kitchen faucet broke and luckily they were here to stop the water. So for a day I had to use my bathroom for my water supply. This meant using the same bucket to take a shower, flush the toilet, and wash dishes. It sounds gross but wasn’t horrible.

The most stressful part was having the repairmen speak Bahasa Indonesian to me and not understanding a thing. I got out my dictionary and called someone from the university several times to translate. I have picked up some new phrases like “Lengkap?”…………Finished? and “Kapan Lengkap?”……When will you be finished? “Anda mau makan/minum?”…………Do you want something to eat/drink? (this was after day one when I didn’t know I had to feed them and they looked ready to collapse by the end of the day).

They also finally removed all of the trash that was behind the house, left over from the last tenants. Rendi, who has a portable food stall in front of my house, went through the trash and salvaged some things that he wanted. I felt sad for him that he was going through my trash pile, but he was excited, like on a shopping spree. I pay him to get rid of my weekly garbage and pull weeds that grow like crazy in this tropical climate.

So now things are officially repaired at my house and I’m going to campus tomorrow! But I noticed that the repairmen removed a part from my shower so now I have to hold the shower head. I’m wondering why they removed it? So much doesn’t make sense in this country. But now I have a western toilet and internet at my house!

A Different World!

2008-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

I just received an email from Bed Bath & Beyond about a lawsuit where customers may be due a refund. I've inserted part of the email below:

"A lawsuit is pending in the Federal District Court for the District of New Jersey that may affect your rights. This lawsuit alleges that Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as Synergy, Inc., misrepresented the thread count in its two-ply bedding products sold in stores and on its website by stating the number of threads in the warp and filling directions in one square inch of fabric, rather than the number of yarns."

I guess I should also add the situation that just happened at my house before I read this email. It was in the middle of a downpour and the electricity was out. I happened to look outside and saw an enormous (6-7 foot long) green snake on my patio area. I don't even like little snakes, so to say the least I was freaking out! I waited a few minutes to see if the rain would let up a little and then went to my neighbor's house for help. (I looked up the word for snake in my dictionary first). I ended up with about 7 wide eyed and terrified men at my house. They had brought along a 4 foot long piece of wood, but after viewing the snake, came back with a long piece of bamboo. I wanted to know if it was poisonous, so I looked up that word in the dictionary too. And found out yes, it was very poisonous! Great! So they killed it while I stayed far away in case the snake came charging into the house. They carried the snake through my house and out the front door, where a crowd of people had formed. Americans always provide the best entertainment!

So then I read the email about the thread count problem at Bed Bath & Beyond and had to laugh. Things in America are so easy. There is so much corruption here, and the combination of my snake experience and knowing that a thread count lawsuit would never be an issue here, was a big reminder that I really am living in a different world!
How ironic too that I didn't see a snake in the jungles of Borneo, but found one in the "city" of Yogya!

My Impressions So Far.............

2008-01-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

What I love here:

-mangoes and mango juice
-having my laundry washed, dried & ironed for less than $1
-my garden
-rice terraces
-frangipani flowers
-great snorkeling
-cheap flights to Bali
-call to prayer 5x a day
-Mt. Merapi on a clear day
-becak (a form of transport......I'll post a picture)

What I hate:

-internet cafes (loud music and keyboards don't work)
-traffic
-loud motorbikes
-pickpockets (yes, they tried with me, but didn't succeed)

What is amusing/different:

-a family of 5 on a motorbike (including babies at times)
-that people wear sweaters and leather jackets here when its always in the 90s
-they don't waste time in getting all personal info the first time they meet you (How old are you? Are you married?)
-you are only supposed to use the right hand for eating and receiving or giving things to people (this has been a challenge since I'm left handed)

Bali

2008-01-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

One week is definitely not enough time to see Bali. I’ve already checked my planner to see when our next bit of vacation time is so that I can go back. With only a week, I spent my time in Ubud and Nusa Lembongan.

I can understand why people extent their time in Ubud! There is so much to do there and it’s an excellent base from which to take tours to other parts of the island. My first night in Ubud I stayed right in the middle of rice fields. At night it was nice to hear the sounds of the insects and frogs in the rice paddies, but it was so loud it actually kept me awake. I switched to a guesthouse that was a little closer to the center of things. This place was wonderful with tropical gardens and weathered buddist statues scattered over the grounds. In Ubud I visited many hindu temples, saw some traditional dance performances, and even went to a wedding ceremony. There is also an area called Monkey Forest, which has three temples in the jungle. As the name implies there are also plenty of monkeys roaming around, and since there are also plenty of tourists with food, the monkeys are not afraid of people and will even try to climb up a leg or snatch something from an open bag. The place did have an Indiana Jones feel to it, with monkeys swinging between the vine wrapped trees, and climbing over moss covered temples.

Unfortunately I did get really sick while in Ubud. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but I wish it wouldn’t have happened on vacation. I went to a clinic and got some Cipro, which is a wonder drug! The doctor did a few strange tests, but I knew in the end I would get Cipro, thanks to my great Peace Corps medical training. So for a day I did nothing but stay in bed, but then the next day I felt well enough to take a tour. I saw beautiful rice fields, which Bali is known for, and also went to see a lakeside temple in Bedugul, central Bali.

I then headed to Nusa Lembongan, a little island to the southeast of Bali. It’s a little piece of paradise with turquoise blue waters and not much development except for a handful of places to stay along the water. Here the people do seaweed farming which is the main source of income along with tourism. I took a scooter ride around the island and also went on an amazing snorkeling trip! I have never seen so many varieties of coral! There were also plenty of colorful tropical fish. The only bad thing about the trip was seeing my boat drag its anchor through the coral beds, breaking it all into pieces. I guess ecotourism has yet to leave its mark on Indonesia.

So now I’m trying to get into the mindset to prepare for classes and start seeing things around my city, Yogya. But as I’m trying to get into the work mode, I’ve been getting emails and text messages from the other teachers in my program planning trips for days off in February and March. That will give me something fun to look forward to! I am excited to start working though. I'll be teaching undergrad courses in Cross Cultural Understanding, Paragraph Writing, and Public Speaking. I'll also be leading discussion groups at the two American Corners here and giving workshops to teachers. Aside from these things, I'm hoping to be able to do some volunteer work with Save the Children here in Yogyakarta. So for the next 5 months I should be really busy.

Orangutans and So Much More

2008-01-01T00:35:00.000-08:00

The holidays this year will be something to remember! It all started the day I left for the orangutan trip. It was a Muslim holiday in which they sacrifice animals, and my neighbor invited me to the mosque to take a look at this ritual. Watching goats and cows being sacrificed was sad but they do give the meat to the poor. I reminded myself that we also kill animals this way............the meat dept. at Safeway would be empty if we didn't.

I met up with the other fellows and we headed for Tanjung Puting park in Kalimantan (Borneo). We boarded a small boat and headed up the river in search of monkeys and orangutans. The trees along the river changed from palm and pandanus trees into dense, mysterious jungle. It was surreal to see monkeys and orangs swinging from trees! Our first trip into the jungle yielded one giant orangutan, a downpour of rain, and leeches on the legs of my coworkers. We had much better luck the other days. We trekked trough the jungle to feeding stations where once captive orangs are given food to supplement the food they find in the wild. A highlight was seeing the baby orangs ride piggyback on mom's backs. Watching their behavior I can understand why they say they are 97% like humans.

After the orang tour we took an 11 hour bus trip to our next destination. I guess it was a preview of things to come when the driver taped the trunk closed to keep our luggage from falling out! The following 11 hours was the bumpiest ride I have ever taken! The bus had no shocks so going over the pothole filled road was intense. We also drove through a 2 foot flood, but arrived with our bags still in the trunk.

At Loksado we did an adventurous jungle trek through bamboo forest, Dayak villages, and beautiful mountains. The downside was that we slipped around in the mud and at times couldn't see our path because of the thick jungle. Our last day we spent bamboo rafting down the river which was a great way to end a busy trip.

Happy New Year to all of you! I spent New Year's Eve at my counterpart's house. Her husband picked me up on his motorbike and I held on with one hand while balancing a meal of goat's innards on my knee.

Since classes don't start until Jan. 28 I've decided to go to Bali for a week..........Jan. 8-15. I can't believe Bali is only an hour flight from my city........and $25 each way! This makes all of the struggles and adjustment issues worth it!

Settling in to Yogyakarta

2007-12-16T02:15:00.000-08:00

I have to say that I'm going through a bit of culture shock! I think the Peace Corps in Tonga was a little easier since we had a few months of training/orientation before starting to work.
I'll be working at Sanata Dharma University here and will teach classes in the English Education Dept. (teacher training) and the Faculty of Letters (literature). All of my coworkers speak perfect English and they have been so helpful. I have two counterparts who have been assigned to help me while I'm here, Tata and Mita. Mita has been out of town, but Tata has been helping me get my house set up, showing me where to get groceries, etc.
My house is HUGE for one person! I live just about 5 minutes from the center of town in a small community. My neighbors don't speak ANY English, except for one boy who is a university student. So I've given myself a crash course in survival Indonesian. Most of the time I just smile. My house has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The baths have taken a while to get used to. The toilets are typical Asian style....just a hole in the floor with footrests on either side. Each bath also has a small tub that holds water. I wish it was a bathtub, but not so! This is the water used to flush using a scoop. I have a wonderful garden area and have been planting some tropical plants.
I live on a pretty busy road and there are many warungs (small family owned eateries) around. I've been surviving on this food since I haven't had a stove or frig.
The city of Yogyakarta is a fairly busy city of about 450,000 people. It's full of contrasts......huge shopping malls with Starbucks, dirt floor markets with women selling exotic fruits and veggies, and the home of the king and queen of Yogyakarta. (There is also a President who oversees the entire country). Mount Merapi is a beautiful cone shaped, smoking volcano that looms over the city. It's a safe distance away though....I hope.
My first trip to the grocery store was an interesting one. I spent over an hour in there just trying to figure out what many things were and ended up with a mostly empty grocery cart. I was happy to see lots of tropical fruits, one being bright pink! They also had lots of fish and seafood so I'll be content for the next 6 months. Some things I probably won't be buying.......packs of chicken and fish heads.
On Dec. 20 I'll be joining the other fellows on a trip to Borneo! The highlight will be seeing orangutans in the wild. I can't wait! Promise to post some pictures as soon as I find a fast internet connection. Have a great Christmas!

A Busy Week

2007-12-09T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe I've been here only for a week. My schedule has been packed! All of the Fellows attended the TEFLIN (Teaching English as a Foreign Language Indonesia) conference last week and each of us conducted a workshop. I was nervous but my workshop went well. My topic was "Applying Brain Based Research to Design Effective Instruction." From what I've heard from other Fellows, teachers here use very rote methods of teaching....mostly lecture. So the participants of my workshop seemed to enjoy learning how to incorporate art, music, drama, etc. into their lessons.
After the conference the Fellows and Teaching Assistants (Fulbright Program) went to Puncak which is a 2 hour trip from Jakarta. We stayed at a beautiful resort in the mountains for our retreat. A State Dept. official joined us and he really had some interesting stories about life in the foreign service.
I'm now back in Jakarta and leaving tomorrow for my site, Yogyakarta. I'm excited to get settled and to finally be able to do laundry!
I've definitely seen some shocking things this past week. A colleage and I were in a taxi and saw a dead man on the side of the street. He had been riding a motorcycle and was hit. I'm still pretty shaken from seeing that. Returning from the retreat we saw people without legs begging in the middle of the road. One man had no legs and had large tumors growing all over his body. Obviously we have accidents and beggars in the States, but these things here are just more intense.

Finally in Indonesia!

2007-12-02T02:41:00.000-08:00

After a few minor incidents getting here I've finally arrived. My flight from DC to LA was delayed by 2 hours so I missed my flight to Hong Kong. This actually turned out to be not so bad because the airline paid for my hotel which meant I was able to sleep in a comfy bed and take a hot bath before my 15 hour plane trip to Hong Kong. The plane ride was fine with only one amusing situation. I was leaving the restroom and a woman pushed her way in so we were both in there together. It took a few seconds to register what was going on because I had just woken up and she had limited English. It turned out that she just needed me to show her how to lock the door. I have to say that has never happened before. So I finally arrived in Jakarta after flying for 24 hours but my bags decided to take a different flight. It really was just a minor setback because they arrived late last night. The director of our program had a welcoming reception for me last night with all of the other fellows in the program. It was great to see everyone again, even though I was exhausted. Some of my first impressions of Jakarta are that it's dirty and smelly. I saw two men pushing a bus full of people across an intersection and trash piles burning here and there. Amongst the traffic are horse carts and men on bike carts selling various kinds of food. Today I really just wanted to relax a little so I decided to get a hot stone massage. For only 180,000 Rupiah ($18) I had a 90 minute massage which was wonderful! It included a few unexpected things like pulling my toes and fingers until they popped and (while I was on my stomach) bending each leg all the way back until my foot touched my bum. I really didn't think I was that flexible.