tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33328085857967536512024-02-06T20:38:23.431-08:00Palembangin'9 months in Palembang, South Sumatra in Indonesia on a FulbrightKatiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-51760402000319421902010-06-11T13:14:00.000-07:002010-06-11T13:30:27.508-07:00The Final Score<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m home now. It’s wonderful and a little sad at the same time. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My friend Jeff Laub sent me Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, about hiking the Appalachian Trail, and being home reminds me a little of Bryson’s experience when he and his friend finally decided to go home:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“‘Do you want to get a Coke?’ I said to Katz. There was a machine by the gas station door.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He considered for a moment. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Maybe later.’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was unlike Katz not to fall upon soft drinks and junk food with exuberant lust when the opportunity presented itself, but I believe I understood. There is always a measure of shock when you leave the trail and find yourself parachuted into a world of comfort and choice, but it was different this time. This time it was permanent. We were hanging up our hiking boots. From now on, there would </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">always</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> be Coke, and soft beds and showers and whatever else we wanted. There was no urgency now. It was a strangely subduing notion.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">----</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Before I ever for Indonesia, I made a list of 20 goals for myself—nothing too lofty, just things I hoped I’d accomplish over the next nine months. Of course, I made my list before I ever set foot in Indonesia. Had I known what I know now, I probably would have shaped my goals differently. But here’s the final score:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">1. Take lots of pictures.<br />Check.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">2. Learn to speak Indonesian. <br />Well, I’m not fluent. But by the end, I understood enough to communicate nearly everything I needed to say, and I could translate most of my students’ uber-dramatic facebook statuses. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">3. Eat lots of native foods, especially fruit.<br />I’m proud of this one. I fell in love with manggis and rambutan, and I tried a whole bunch of other things. Even dog. Woof.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">4. Keep up with this blog at least twice a week.<br />I came pretty close to that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">5. Read all the books I brought. <br />Check. I switched them all out when I came home at Christmas, too. Nine months ago, I was totally not prepared for the amount of time I ended up spending by myself in Indonesia.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">6. Use my new video camera.<br />I got one of those nifty Flip cameras for Christmas, and I used that a lot. Still, it’s hard to find a balance between experiencing the adventures of Indonesia and distracting yourself by constantly wanting to document everything.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">7. Find an English newspaper in Palembang.<br />Well, there just ISN’T an English newspaper in Palembang. But Raj and I did host that weekly radio program at SmartFM, so that’s something.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">8. Get my nails done.<br />Check. And tons of cream baths. And massages. Cream baths, contrary to the way they may sound, do not involve nakedness or bathtubs. It’s more like a deep hair conditioning with a neck and shoulder massage. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUuK2gWy47JSNcvBZKh8lLo9y8wLzEpAkgUMfHkEBAYQhsK_igPkF4yeMR2W_L8-CWCK7Bbx9T3bAzyc7ESNcnCM259oQMeKukR-UPdsrHNKuejz-FqgpYWkTuMmax3Kg4DCRW52G5Xs-/s1600/14541_553191817060_5903727_32626288_4336188_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHUuK2gWy47JSNcvBZKh8lLo9y8wLzEpAkgUMfHkEBAYQhsK_igPkF4yeMR2W_L8-CWCK7Bbx9T3bAzyc7ESNcnCM259oQMeKukR-UPdsrHNKuejz-FqgpYWkTuMmax3Kg4DCRW52G5Xs-/s320/14541_553191817060_5903727_32626288_4336188_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613896450572402" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">This was in Yogya. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Delightful, but it's usually a little cleaner than this.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">9. Prepare some authentic Indonesian food.<br />Well, I TRIED to make nasi uduk on my own, but that didn’t turn out to be so delicious. It might not even have been edible. But I helped my friend Yanti make pindang tulang in my house. And since this is my blog, I say that counts.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3BRE5eDmGALNbkNyg9kWwpGqTVpF8509bY3G4s8TuIctIIUZ4Xtenp5y2UbuwLgtE70Upm1eG8llwelYmYSV4OER_WCtyzYpFqtygis2RMJy2LnmuyZv-0P00tZQGCu2FmhaKR0kePFU/s1600/13558_698524189968_20714801_41085592_1363228_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_3BRE5eDmGALNbkNyg9kWwpGqTVpF8509bY3G4s8TuIctIIUZ4Xtenp5y2UbuwLgtE70Upm1eG8llwelYmYSV4OER_WCtyzYpFqtygis2RMJy2LnmuyZv-0P00tZQGCu2FmhaKR0kePFU/s320/13558_698524189968_20714801_41085592_1363228_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613892698687458" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">My attempt at nasi uduk.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">More like nasi gross.</span></div></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">10. Track down the Rafflesia flower.<br />I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">tried</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, ok?! Christine, Raj, and I trekked over to Bukittinggi, with our number one objective being to see the Rafflesia. It, of course, happened to not be blooming that weekend. Then I went to the Bogor Botanical Gardens, which apparently no longer has a Rafflesia. Rest assured, I will see that huge stinky flower someday or I will not rest.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIqahgFFjNynD4OJAABQKYg4qNi8HtNG-6Try1u08H5MOjwbRiQwMs0neIYLLBVjeigjjpXM8XFMcD9fDZVRXeLcAlmxIkiKywFJfSC06fQJpUwpeCIlNFjORZleKvodcHG2TnUqCTqqc/s1600/10853_691337177798_20714801_40832506_2812977_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIqahgFFjNynD4OJAABQKYg4qNi8HtNG-6Try1u08H5MOjwbRiQwMs0neIYLLBVjeigjjpXM8XFMcD9fDZVRXeLcAlmxIkiKywFJfSC06fQJpUwpeCIlNFjORZleKvodcHG2TnUqCTqqc/s320/10853_691337177798_20714801_40832506_2812977_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613888610711730" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">The Rafflesia bud.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">So close...</span></div></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">11. See an orangutan in its natural habitat.<br />See previous blog post. Raj and I tried to go to Borneo. Sure, I probably shouldn’t have saved that trip for the end, but they shouldn’t have cancelled all their flights, either. I did get to hold one little guy at Taman Safari.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7AOWSAs_dI0yth1xdgAixsU7oxum8sydaXhhe0uk1DUrZgRhlaJH1WxhvIiU0d3vF5pvqSP0UGLHnHNEMFLmif36f9MJXI23JYup69vZ4PpA7FOaS0hClnQXDVJzdoWJYfcoqNPkpRKa/s1600/30588_749207071068_20714801_42625496_2483014_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 203px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7AOWSAs_dI0yth1xdgAixsU7oxum8sydaXhhe0uk1DUrZgRhlaJH1WxhvIiU0d3vF5pvqSP0UGLHnHNEMFLmif36f9MJXI23JYup69vZ4PpA7FOaS0hClnQXDVJzdoWJYfcoqNPkpRKa/s320/30588_749207071068_20714801_42625496_2483014_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613875944834050" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Our hair kinda matches.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">12. Ride an elephant.<br />Check! Actually, I did it twice. The first time wasn’t so great—in Palembang, and I shared the big guy’s back with five other people. But the second time was way more fun, and Raj and I got to feed him bananas the whole time.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P9fWpyJ46H-DIGaD9qOVs1dEkPzmGmLTmBjT7yVDgy2yb5fw1LoiMHDxCh4KvyVC4coYIJkjU2RRVG2bWrGCfESKRZizXNa7uj48vKl1CIMNbRsgkh4-0Qnaqm6bF1YhzLk9h0ZMgtpw/s1600/30588_754562987768_20714801_42833160_2735884_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P9fWpyJ46H-DIGaD9qOVs1dEkPzmGmLTmBjT7yVDgy2yb5fw1LoiMHDxCh4KvyVC4coYIJkjU2RRVG2bWrGCfESKRZizXNa7uj48vKl1CIMNbRsgkh4-0Qnaqm6bF1YhzLk9h0ZMgtpw/s320/30588_754562987768_20714801_42833160_2735884_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613868536098818" /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Wheeee!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><!--StartFragment--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">13. Keep in touch with people at home.<br />I can’t imagine having done this fellowship ten years ago. While my internet access was limited, I was still able to send emails on a semi-regular basis. And I think I sent my mom about a dozen postcards throughout the year. Still, there’s nothing like </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">being</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> with the people I love again.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">14. Stay up to date on US news.<br />While my internet was reliable enough to send emails, keeping up to date on news was harder. I did a decent job, but now I’m trying to catch up on all of it. So the news… is kinda already history… hmm.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">15. Meet at least one Ball State alum living in Indonesia.<br />Check. I’m so excited about the people I met. I got to know Chuzai Diem and her husband, two BSU alumni, really well. I already miss them. And I met Gary Swisher, a man currently living in Jakarta who grew up in Bucyrus. And of course, Karen: my penpal who I met up with during her vacation in Bali.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p></p></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ofYRBWSD1nTxDQhPAFLFNFFrmrSZbfuHUcFfkaJOIDFJmwo7nZmAvlsS0D53IQ_bpsMQplSp2AytBUCr6wt6IehoLFX3FgV__64rKqZpHtgL0G8cUWxmuHz2a_mefrbWbVWYOrxMf0aa/s1600/16932_719785043048_20714801_41738923_208044_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ofYRBWSD1nTxDQhPAFLFNFFrmrSZbfuHUcFfkaJOIDFJmwo7nZmAvlsS0D53IQ_bpsMQplSp2AytBUCr6wt6IehoLFX3FgV__64rKqZpHtgL0G8cUWxmuHz2a_mefrbWbVWYOrxMf0aa/s320/16932_719785043048_20714801_41738923_208044_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613645410088882" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Yay BSU!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">16. Travel to tons of places around Indonesia.<br />Check. Let’s see: Jakarta (so many times), Bandung, Bukittinggi and Padang, Bali (twice), Yogyakarta, Depok (many times), Makassar, Medan and Lake Toba, Padang again for HODR Disaster Response, Medan again for conferences. We eliminated Komodo because the cost was just too high ($800ish just for transportation!), and I wish I’d gotten to Lombok and Borneo. But maybe I’ll just have to visit again someday.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzoceJcbusnEOeJrbhf1mWbdvF4jP8bh8rDVhS2vqykJ-bUeSyMbFEVQ2t3E-jE-dY0S2OM-_e0hPQlI3wJeEQM8TJthB7ht56H0pTkRx7TJgM2Z6Tt6vJkeHNzdYNPvj-nH81ynb9-f3/s1600/28638_757039908998_20714801_42932373_3200182_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzoceJcbusnEOeJrbhf1mWbdvF4jP8bh8rDVhS2vqykJ-bUeSyMbFEVQ2t3E-jE-dY0S2OM-_e0hPQlI3wJeEQM8TJthB7ht56H0pTkRx7TJgM2Z6Tt6vJkeHNzdYNPvj-nH81ynb9-f3/s320/28638_757039908998_20714801_42932373_3200182_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613641991234642" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Beautiful Bali</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">17. Bring back special souvenirs.<br />Check. My school gave me so many presents that I will cherish forever: my songket (the traditional Sumatran cloth woven with gold thread), batik, my kebaya, and other fabrics. I have a special tea cup set called “Pelangi Palembang” [Palembang Rainbow] and some pearls and amethysts found in Indonesia.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">18. Learn more about Islam.<br />Check. Definitely check.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">19. Get in the Columbus Dispatch Travel section.<br />Ooh… rejection. They didn’t print my picture at Borobudur with the newspaper! I tried.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdv8fXOSNKnSL3oqev5dhDwHa7H7QJgLD2CoEU1TNN9Y3lngzDDrRnNnKI1E96cUznzdjTDg3wvNyODTrwa4wmz2rB7Of2cy3LBa__B773dzk6XkSRxM7wbBa2EK3Vi2mJpU8Dicf14fzd/s1600/28638_757034285268_20714801_42932219_4741654_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdv8fXOSNKnSL3oqev5dhDwHa7H7QJgLD2CoEU1TNN9Y3lngzDDrRnNnKI1E96cUznzdjTDg3wvNyODTrwa4wmz2rB7Of2cy3LBa__B773dzk6XkSRxM7wbBa2EK3Vi2mJpU8Dicf14fzd/s320/28638_757034285268_20714801_42932219_4741654_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613635545398738" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">GRR... print this!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Ok, just kidding.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">20. Grow as a person.<br />Check. See another post coming soon.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My mid-year additions:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">21. See Komodo Dragons.<br />Oh, I just </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">had</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to add this one, didn’t I? Like I said earlier, Christine and I were planning a trip, but we decided to put our time into the Padang volunteering instead. And I’ve seen Komodos a few times at zoos so maybe all combined, that counts as one time in their natural habitat.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">22. Find somewhere to volunteer.<br />Check. I spent that week with HODR in Padang counts. I spent every Friday in Palembang at the English Library, and I hosted the radio show with Raj every Saturday.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4QtZ0Dd7jdkjdzGP0SskNDcDnDZ26eKoIJ0Q6291OHOEaCkhWKCWHE98nzEDl21Bneu4da-rGSwyCmTnz4C9b_9atVXsWQdd4zoPxWDZSDAtyZJZAx3fQMIp8shwgjbvTSGdUxvJNFx5/s1600/28831_1190626905976_1837488044_350791_6020797_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4QtZ0Dd7jdkjdzGP0SskNDcDnDZ26eKoIJ0Q6291OHOEaCkhWKCWHE98nzEDl21Bneu4da-rGSwyCmTnz4C9b_9atVXsWQdd4zoPxWDZSDAtyZJZAx3fQMIp8shwgjbvTSGdUxvJNFx5/s320/28831_1190626905976_1837488044_350791_6020797_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481613630578938642" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">English Library, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">in case you couldn't tell from all the books.</span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">23. Travel somewhere on my own. <br />Well, I guess I never took a whole trip on my own. I traveled TO many places by myself, but I always at least met up with someone. Although, in a WAY, I was pretty on my own when I started this whole trip. Hmm… maybe this one isn’t finished yet.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-65898621613943916742010-06-11T12:08:00.001-07:002010-06-11T12:16:00.559-07:00SAFARI!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Before leaving Indonesia, Raj and I really wanted to visit Borneo to see the orangutans and proboscis monkeys. We planned a trip for one of the last weekends, and (thought) we'd bought tickets. As it turned out, the airline that was supposed to fly us from Jakarta to Pangkalan Bun wasn't actually flying any planes that month. Sure, they'd told us their prices and offered to book the tickets for us, but they were shut down for a month of maintenance. Since we'd already bought our tickets to Jakarta, we spent the weekend there and stayed with our favorite ELF Maura. When you can't actually visit the animals in their natural habitats... head to the zoo!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipisJIciYn5F3nDdgRy9svYkiMGslpxP_qWlmuBwnPz3SZwTknmVlGq_RxS97cfSyotEbqAy3WlSoYfw06NfSYAw1z67xuaa9p6QrBzXVv0qoZQmPP6GJ9PdSiDVDZ4twonLV8G_I1QtUO/s1600/30588_754562858028_20714801_42833145_7159688_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipisJIciYn5F3nDdgRy9svYkiMGslpxP_qWlmuBwnPz3SZwTknmVlGq_RxS97cfSyotEbqAy3WlSoYfw06NfSYAw1z67xuaa9p6QrBzXVv0qoZQmPP6GJ9PdSiDVDZ4twonLV8G_I1QtUO/s320/30588_754562858028_20714801_42833145_7159688_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481596492453000578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRqok9u2UWIM-Bhol5ka1JVYeT01XuwgHIC_cGBqDDIj2BvENxhkn5AiZ0_e3jOD57whE9Y1cJwP1v1kHLbRIEYxQJalGYHxtz60i1KdmwNmhLCg5GaxLFT9r_oMoxgZ-2JUxwOduDfYH/s1600/30588_754562922898_20714801_42833154_5833517_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRqok9u2UWIM-Bhol5ka1JVYeT01XuwgHIC_cGBqDDIj2BvENxhkn5AiZ0_e3jOD57whE9Y1cJwP1v1kHLbRIEYxQJalGYHxtz60i1KdmwNmhLCg5GaxLFT9r_oMoxgZ-2JUxwOduDfYH/s320/30588_754562922898_20714801_42833154_5833517_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481596488176062626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I2zI54Bm030iOmfk-yp3pCZ5uUANk3YzKsrB_qrVEocFvTZOkh7E4XsGTCPNUtf6xQ9BcOAgyPgppaXWC1s-cq74w9sxIU1Y4jNOdRfmXG3T5ZhGp9jEuGApFPw4LVirlESwDwMIoQ2A/s1600/30588_754563007728_20714801_42833161_395403_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I2zI54Bm030iOmfk-yp3pCZ5uUANk3YzKsrB_qrVEocFvTZOkh7E4XsGTCPNUtf6xQ9BcOAgyPgppaXWC1s-cq74w9sxIU1Y4jNOdRfmXG3T5ZhGp9jEuGApFPw4LVirlESwDwMIoQ2A/s320/30588_754563007728_20714801_42833161_395403_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481596481176970946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVEwEGOuObeP9mFPYvDRBfxoWP9UvkK_NZ3AKbK-TThJLQmyfdKnngMJHASueRMdPcL8YfE1FWm5iYtYIkcHCC3_k8sdo9JBeLHd73BiCflgNxQedwxOH3QPMathS5yaBsTJWW4NP-MgR/s1600/30588_754562947848_20714801_42833157_1426630_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVVEwEGOuObeP9mFPYvDRBfxoWP9UvkK_NZ3AKbK-TThJLQmyfdKnngMJHASueRMdPcL8YfE1FWm5iYtYIkcHCC3_k8sdo9JBeLHd73BiCflgNxQedwxOH3QPMathS5yaBsTJWW4NP-MgR/s320/30588_754562947848_20714801_42833157_1426630_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481596476629318674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsSXKui6_Zg6T8XNjNM9e-RiUatJSSeao4Yv2soNP3haMIktTQXj0CoAskDVZLc8UQX_m4ZsUtw7U8vC9Tb79KiecVGQ677wTdTmygc8zBDcYUk5tk40-2xVk338vi2HLbLL0z9pS4q7O/s1600/30588_754563032678_20714801_42833164_2571034_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsSXKui6_Zg6T8XNjNM9e-RiUatJSSeao4Yv2soNP3haMIktTQXj0CoAskDVZLc8UQX_m4ZsUtw7U8vC9Tb79KiecVGQ677wTdTmygc8zBDcYUk5tk40-2xVk338vi2HLbLL0z9pS4q7O/s320/30588_754563032678_20714801_42833164_2571034_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481596455772541122" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There's a Komodo dragon in the middle there.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-61018744535094683662010-06-03T17:50:00.000-07:002010-06-03T17:58:33.700-07:00English Library<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The single most rewarding experience of my time in Palembang (note: Palembang specifically) was the English Library.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When I first got to Palembang, I knew no one. My school didn’t really invite anywhere on the weekends at first, so I usually spent Friday – Sunday trying to entertain myself. There are only so many times you can pay someone to drive you to the market/mall/museum for the day by yourself before you cry out for companionship.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Through my first counterpart Yana, I met Didi. He told me how he spent Friday nights at a place called the “English Library,” and he said there were other Americans there. I was skeptical, but eager for anyone—American or not—who I might be able to have a conversation with. I ended up spending every Friday night I was in Palembang at EL for “Chit Chat Time.”</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IRv93N2DuAKW496_2FDxYHP4UqNReFv3lRTz07nLnzTye1F0F_DjeVf47QqY84YKtB1n5h3mG_VWGJ_D-SoRnMA2uXVtF9mvpgKR5umVRMyaxghYugsQJ89Te7nnthVIIAi5ueZiC30u/s1600/CIMG0180.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IRv93N2DuAKW496_2FDxYHP4UqNReFv3lRTz07nLnzTye1F0F_DjeVf47QqY84YKtB1n5h3mG_VWGJ_D-SoRnMA2uXVtF9mvpgKR5umVRMyaxghYugsQJ89Te7nnthVIIAi5ueZiC30u/s320/CIMG0180.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478714942562942482" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And that’s how I met Mike and Debbie, two of the kindest people I’ve ever known.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They’ve been traveling to Indonesia their whole lives and signed up for three years here with the library when they retired.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I don’t know what I would have done without them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They’re from South Carolina, and they said I reminded them of their daughter.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I will never forget how immensely grateful I was to them for driving me home every night.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It added an extra hour and a half onto their evening, and when I thanked them, they just said, “Well, of course!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You don’t need to thank us for this; we love you!”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And sometimes the simplest thing can make such a huge difference.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I think the library saved my sanity at the beginning.<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Mike and Debbie were perfect to vent to. They love Indonesia, but they said being in Palembang was worse than anywhere else. When you’re struggling, it’s nice to hear other people are struggling, too. Debbie says she regularly checks travel web sites and bookmarks tickets home, just because it makes her feel better. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxahRjvb9hdwAboQCMLociwIi70HHyOQiHAp5KbSP5zBjIHYXDJYtUScheXGC0QKv9UOJfVio3mwg9jlQPtlgFp71rlfw7x7t3kC_nq3kP_E0Z6-rEF3EkAeB_XnAUzB4c1hxPUJNtXil/s1600/24206_730308154648_20714801_42030719_4889398_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxahRjvb9hdwAboQCMLociwIi70HHyOQiHAp5KbSP5zBjIHYXDJYtUScheXGC0QKv9UOJfVio3mwg9jlQPtlgFp71rlfw7x7t3kC_nq3kP_E0Z6-rEF3EkAeB_XnAUzB4c1hxPUJNtXil/s320/24206_730308154648_20714801_42030719_4889398_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478714940276976562" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The students who come there really want to learn English.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A lot of college students came to work on their thesis in English, and we work with a lot of new students, too.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Unlike many of my students at IGM, the EL kids were really interested in what we taught them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And we didn’t have to worry about teaching to the government test, either, so we were free to play games, tell stories, and watch movies.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9E1cD_1TqewvRG1pn7kfAH19xaH0JaT5nylRlafX6UjAEREDYnFXfPnxI5b3q9M96muyA_HBE2zOgYMvkaun8Ek2Qnbg8kfPHyC2buPzyUXqSgB2ruE0WQ4mqzRZSxUOvyENJwOUBSN8/s1600/24206_730308159638_20714801_42030720_2977902_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9E1cD_1TqewvRG1pn7kfAH19xaH0JaT5nylRlafX6UjAEREDYnFXfPnxI5b3q9M96muyA_HBE2zOgYMvkaun8Ek2Qnbg8kfPHyC2buPzyUXqSgB2ruE0WQ4mqzRZSxUOvyENJwOUBSN8/s320/24206_730308159638_20714801_42030720_2977902_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478714934881968018" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then afterwards, I’d go to dinner with Mike and Debbie. By the end of my grant, I was considered staff at the library, and I’ll miss it so much. Plus, it was shocking to me how small the community of English speakers really is in Palembang. People who are good at English know all the other people who are good at English, whether it’s through classes or friends.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-26577534982911382752010-05-24T23:37:00.000-07:002010-05-24T23:52:11.408-07:00Smart FM Radio<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Every Saturday we’re in Palembang, Raj and I do an hour-long radio show called “Smart Up your Life.” The US Embassy in Jakarta sponsors the program, and they pick a weekly topic and send us a five-minute long sketch we play on the air. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Except for the English Library (which you’ll hear about soon), this has been my favorite Palembang activity. People actually listen, and it gives them a chance to listen to native speakers talking. Instead of focusing on grammar or structure, we talk about cultural differences between Indonesia and the US. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegLrgoIYlVNnUU2AavsA1B1pJl3VW2P2ehmKeIZUFnkO7fvfT0HufTXdzWWxc3N8g7qTNF-r7IbRcJm6Wy2vOEfChEtUTgIUTAzgMF9k93MUcAcAItIUMF1ohtTcL8KMQg2t7T2fNiYwU/s1600/29188_751612500568_20714801_42709087_462734_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegLrgoIYlVNnUU2AavsA1B1pJl3VW2P2ehmKeIZUFnkO7fvfT0HufTXdzWWxc3N8g7qTNF-r7IbRcJm6Wy2vOEfChEtUTgIUTAzgMF9k93MUcAcAItIUMF1ohtTcL8KMQg2t7T2fNiYwU/s320/29188_751612500568_20714801_42709087_462734_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475094000845570178" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Testing, testing... 1, 2, 3...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We have topics like:<br />Shopping<br />Dating<br />Small Talk<br />Religion<br />Travel</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Usually, the Indonesian host asks us a few questions, and then Raj and I discuss different aspects of the main topic. Listeners can call in or text their questions during the show. And they’re very specific—How many people do most Americans kiss before they get married? Why don’t Americans like to make small talk with people on the street like Indonesians do? How important is religion in the daily life of an American?</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95OJS9QrCeDV5zMCT6CA7iLhH7xo0zCIRSSHfY5nAIMWH1Id0VK3QpU10uLoTX6-Dvol_xZ_U0htmNYDRbR9XDu9Bngy21fCxU6WbawWxMERUTfDHQPWSsjG_x76a9HLA9OBbNQW46BBM/s1600/29188_751612520528_20714801_42709088_7181332_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95OJS9QrCeDV5zMCT6CA7iLhH7xo0zCIRSSHfY5nAIMWH1Id0VK3QpU10uLoTX6-Dvol_xZ_U0htmNYDRbR9XDu9Bngy21fCxU6WbawWxMERUTfDHQPWSsjG_x76a9HLA9OBbNQW46BBM/s320/29188_751612520528_20714801_42709088_7181332_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475093998677274578" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hendra and Erna</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Luckily, Raj and I almost always agree. Sure, our audience is people who already speak at least basic English (and thus tend to be a little more open-minded), but it feels really great to actually </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">explain</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> the differences in our cultures. So often, we have to gloss over things and we don’t really get to talk about it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Are Indonesians being rude when they walk up to strangers and ask where they live? Definitely not. But neither are Americans who don’t feel comfortable answering a question like that.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m also surprised at how many cultural norms I obey in America without even thinking of it. “What do you call your mom’s sister?” In my case, Aunt Pam. “But isn’t it rude to address your elder by his or her first name?” Well, yes, but it’s ok if you put “aunt” or “uncle” in front of it. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhBSevP46iYWkkD4cc23F3fEAyTytteFp8oa9bj_gNp_CyaGgZviNhyphenhyphenv50IPoEAqnBf7pbeZCqu7fNfvlnAvNT9SaRDWN_2dRVsGI1EP2xIJMij5Z8-f9RvUXcG1GrxTC2_SwM4zenUYG/s1600/29188_751612525518_20714801_42709089_4554459_n.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhBSevP46iYWkkD4cc23F3fEAyTytteFp8oa9bj_gNp_CyaGgZviNhyphenhyphenv50IPoEAqnBf7pbeZCqu7fNfvlnAvNT9SaRDWN_2dRVsGI1EP2xIJMij5Z8-f9RvUXcG1GrxTC2_SwM4zenUYG/s320/29188_751612525518_20714801_42709089_4554459_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475093994693521250" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Here, Hendra is sporting one of the </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">sweet Smart FM t-shirts we just got.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“How well do you have to know someone before it’s ok to ask his/her salary?” Hmm… never? Raj and I agreed that we wouldn’t even ask our own parents’ salaries.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“If people are fat, why can’t we just call them fat? Why do Americans call people tall or short or thin… but not fat?” That’s very rude in America, even though it’s really normal in Indonesia.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We’re always careful to explain that we don’t think one way is better than the other, just that as we meet new people and try to learn more about the world, we have a responsibility to be sensitive to other cultures. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The show is the one time a week when Raj and I see each other—the one fluent English conversation we have with anyone in person most weeks. We get Pizza Hut and JCo doughnuts. This week we treated ourselves to a whole box of jPops as a grand finale. Yum.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U7TD17ucXZlCDLbqOAykZb71e1PDJ-rTkA757OPwGyHZiRzsYHrWT92Lw4m9CI3z8YPYQpFZvMeC8h2ZBKR3XKaaWfKNg-DocKeIqxGq3R7PGfMnscUcWjHfBv0SOkiFvcUYSJQeLFxd/s1600/29188_751619257028_20714801_42709424_4106127_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-U7TD17ucXZlCDLbqOAykZb71e1PDJ-rTkA757OPwGyHZiRzsYHrWT92Lw4m9CI3z8YPYQpFZvMeC8h2ZBKR3XKaaWfKNg-DocKeIqxGq3R7PGfMnscUcWjHfBv0SOkiFvcUYSJQeLFxd/s320/29188_751619257028_20714801_42709424_4106127_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475093989489711794" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">almost</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> finished the box.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They have awesome names for their doughnuts, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">like Alcapone and D. Berrymore.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Heavenberry is my favorite.</span></span></div></div><div><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-84556778761148378522010-05-23T20:52:00.000-07:002010-05-23T21:10:44.514-07:00Marhabah celebration<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Just five days left in Palembang, and I’m still having new experiences every day. Well, not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">every</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> day, but close.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This weekend I went to a Marhabah celebration at Rudi’s family’s house. As a reminder, Rudi is another English teacher at my school. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The marhabah is a sort of Muslim baptismal ceremony. The word literally means “welcome” in Arabic, so Rudi says it’s a sort of official “welcome to the family” event. Yenni, another teacher at my school who recently had a baby, told me about it, but I didn’t know I was going to get to see one!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Seven days after a baby is born, its parents are supposed to cut off all of its hair. Then they weigh the hair and give an appropriate amount of money to an orphanage. According to Yenni, one gram of hair = one million rupiah, or a little more than $100. So if your baby has a full head of hair, you might end up paying upwards of $400.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Technically, that’s when you’re supposed to have the ceremony, too—when the baby is a week old. But most people cut the baby’s hair off at a week and wait to have the ceremony until later. Yenni says they “get too busy.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The ceremony at Rudi’s house was a sort of double marhabah, because they were blessing two two-month old baby girls in the family. The baby’s uncle holds him or her and parades the baby around the house for the family to see. The whole time, men in the family are banging wildly on drums and someone else passes around a canister filled with small bills for people to grab and keep. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWqs5Q6MCoX3UeSzwqK-mexrMa56wUF8QfPQjFfKo5qvaXiRQ06SIoUtr8dytlGmGH7OLYzxxnI87XtfwRTgSVf8XoTOZPwN5VppwKviMyl0tJ0nuROk_zIeusQxy6Q8aLhdRwKUjGSjR/s1600/29188_751175695928_20714801_42688413_148673_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWqs5Q6MCoX3UeSzwqK-mexrMa56wUF8QfPQjFfKo5qvaXiRQ06SIoUtr8dytlGmGH7OLYzxxnI87XtfwRTgSVf8XoTOZPwN5VppwKviMyl0tJ0nuROk_zIeusQxy6Q8aLhdRwKUjGSjR/s320/29188_751175695928_20714801_42688413_148673_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474679837816417554" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Those bills are worth about $.10 each.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFRL-edDJ8VfPxbLj8xXG64m3Pvm8jXg8veVvehATtlHXtEuGBgnAx86yhZtR7PL-b9AwFaKBzhThbQlUe_yghc_wyglO8s81kE0yDPUSRh6tXMPRULu9GR5p_9pUiM9aOvWurvWFo4si/s1600/29188_751175705908_20714801_42688414_8058623_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilFRL-edDJ8VfPxbLj8xXG64m3Pvm8jXg8veVvehATtlHXtEuGBgnAx86yhZtR7PL-b9AwFaKBzhThbQlUe_yghc_wyglO8s81kE0yDPUSRh6tXMPRULu9GR5p_9pUiM9aOvWurvWFo4si/s320/29188_751175705908_20714801_42688414_8058623_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474679832213824994" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Kids were grabbing them by the handful!</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The family must also sacrifice a lamb or goat: one if the baby is a girl, and two if the baby is a boy. (Grumble grumble.) Because there were two baby girls at Rudi’s house, his family had sacrificed one goat and one lamb. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Even though the baby’s hair was cut and weighed almost nine weeks before the ceremony, the important men in the family each took a turn and snipped off some as part of the ritual. The day is also significant because it’s when the babies officially receive their names, even though they’ve been called by them since they were born.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdN7KJtIM-Ux59skY76IIK_D2F4grzGIuduyoAdRo16lf7sX0uaNrv74RPe2Iru5agGrtn8RnJ5mSYm-yEoKmkh7Wa-z4WTYBy5k0t7xPxodsWcI6QWk_MSAvhzZNR99VbJhXFzhFpaq4/s1600/29188_751175710898_20714801_42688415_8299558_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdN7KJtIM-Ux59skY76IIK_D2F4grzGIuduyoAdRo16lf7sX0uaNrv74RPe2Iru5agGrtn8RnJ5mSYm-yEoKmkh7Wa-z4WTYBy5k0t7xPxodsWcI6QWk_MSAvhzZNR99VbJhXFzhFpaq4/s320/29188_751175710898_20714801_42688415_8299558_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474679827191942066" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rudi and his niece Rina are one the right.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rina's older sister is the cutie in the dress.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_4T09N1kHWBeOtDcGtAaX1lSebbI5K1VHCEFXcOz-iBNnNRDeKT78PeQD5p8yeDsLB72lGyVJ7-NyteAvYKQO3QNhxBEeqlctIyvWJO-Z-LVwPWtfhZPnifm1caiCNexZJ3qmIgFq2Up/s1600/29188_751175715888_20714801_42688416_197970_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_4T09N1kHWBeOtDcGtAaX1lSebbI5K1VHCEFXcOz-iBNnNRDeKT78PeQD5p8yeDsLB72lGyVJ7-NyteAvYKQO3QNhxBEeqlctIyvWJO-Z-LVwPWtfhZPnifm1caiCNexZJ3qmIgFq2Up/s320/29188_751175715888_20714801_42688416_197970_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474679819060087298" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Snip snip.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rudi was so proud of his niece; it was a really special day, and I’m glad they shared it with me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-30214130226354251582010-05-22T05:19:00.000-07:002010-05-22T05:35:04.004-07:00I have my rice and eat it, too.<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">If Indonesian food and I were in a relationship, I would say that it’s not a particularly passionate one, and it didn’t even start out that way. In fact, one of us (me) is always looking for a way out, and I sample all other kinds of food when I’m in the big city. But for now, I’m stuck with this one, so I’m doing what a good significant other should—I’m focusing on the good qualities.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Indonesians say they have many regional specialties, which is true. But the more I travel, the more I’ve discovered that </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">this</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> inventive dish </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">here</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> is simply called by </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">that</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> name when you eat it </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">there</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. Know what I mean? There are exceptions, but most Indonesian food boils down to this: rice with a particular meat covered in a particular sauce. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Before I left, Mom bought me a book called </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Eat Smart in Indonesia</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">, which promised me—on the cover, no less—that I was about to “embark on a tasting adventure.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Nothing edible in the whole outdoors escapes the cooking pot,” the book begins. At first, this sounds so of-the-earth, so economical. Then you realize they mean it. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My Lonely Planet was more reserved, warning me “Palembang fare takes some getting used to.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Still, in the interest of full gastronomical disclosure, I have a confession. But if you want a measure of my emotional growth (or regression) in the past year, then you should know…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I ate a dog. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know, I know. Just months ago I mourned a bunny being served for dinner. (Although, to be fair, a dog has never been the patron animal of any super fun holiday.) But I ate one. I’m disappointed to admit it doesn’t taste very different from any other meat. It was dark, and I ordered it served in a mixture of chili sauce and its own blood. Perhaps I no longer have a soul.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RWevmysBWkxRZ2HMIIfk-cooVQDxjnflarX8KbWwbvwihtOksiLXa2uXzn-P2mEmb_ojvyQ2BpFogiEk-tdIbf8Gxgw46vp_xucJdea0vQlW2PonLB6yByuNAkwDayn7nGRWm-G9dPaY/s1600/29138_750610363858_20714801_42666972_2153182_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RWevmysBWkxRZ2HMIIfk-cooVQDxjnflarX8KbWwbvwihtOksiLXa2uXzn-P2mEmb_ojvyQ2BpFogiEk-tdIbf8Gxgw46vp_xucJdea0vQlW2PonLB6yByuNAkwDayn7nGRWm-G9dPaY/s320/29138_750610363858_20714801_42666972_2153182_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069753909923858" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Woof.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The worst part of the whole experience is psyching yourself up for the first bite and realizing you have a whole order left to go. “If you don’t eat the rest of it, the dog died in vain,” John said. Crap. I finished maybe a third of it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, that will not be appearing on the following list. Neither will those nasty pempek fish-balls. Nearly finished with my grant and with 9 months of Indo-culinary research under my belt (heh heh), I’m ready to unveil Katie’s Indonesian Food Hall of Fame:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Cinnamon [kayu manis, or “sweet wood” in Bahasa]: It literally grows in trees here, and you can buy it in three-feet-long pieces. I think if I made a list of things in the world that are purely delightful, cinnamon would be near the top. Along with people who can juggle.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJoWRrajtsInpGdpRS1q4pEYD7TdJNBvCRvBvLHsLvyM9QdTaijad6tD47v-QbtLmnrKQWsjZJ061bbovUlQN1vLLAp0NshwNvjN6xMonLHOHebk_DqKMLapfvsv9QHAoiwVs_ctUCjUV/s1600/10853_690719455718_20714801_40814024_484918_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJoWRrajtsInpGdpRS1q4pEYD7TdJNBvCRvBvLHsLvyM9QdTaijad6tD47v-QbtLmnrKQWsjZJ061bbovUlQN1vLLAp0NshwNvjN6xMonLHOHebk_DqKMLapfvsv9QHAoiwVs_ctUCjUV/s320/10853_690719455718_20714801_40814024_484918_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069750378458690" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Sweet cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Pindang Tulang: large pieces of beef still on the bone served “simmering in broth flavored with shallots, garlic, ginger, laos, turmeric, and lemon grass.” It tastes like a spicy vegetable soup, and it’s a Palembang specialty.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuASSY4R7pEQjWg5_W-ePtBiCmhQpO5VPlts_4djNe8NsjSOhLkeHyy4XvcuqmgJyWD3DzSbuiZXAvcSRJtwo66g-lrlT0gDcwl-zSY5pA7E8iiiMQs1-GB9L31Zkutdd6TyJ415Co9gr3/s1600/pindang+tulang+rdn+patah.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuASSY4R7pEQjWg5_W-ePtBiCmhQpO5VPlts_4djNe8NsjSOhLkeHyy4XvcuqmgJyWD3DzSbuiZXAvcSRJtwo66g-lrlT0gDcwl-zSY5pA7E8iiiMQs1-GB9L31Zkutdd6TyJ415Co9gr3/s320/pindang+tulang+rdn+patah.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069740252540402" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Pindang Tulang.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">(I stole this picture.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Nasi Uduk: “rice cooked in coconut milk… traditionally served with fried foods such as chicken, lamb, offal, and tofu. Individual portions of rice are served in banana leaves, topped with crispy, fried shallots”</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoism2YtfaA2nXul3oKa696I3DtdWfFGmCzHjZWQeh8TicYq8BdSLKhIB_NXaiTXhLU_nZukKq19wrbqMVMxP9YPh5GUoqB6OgA8DnxOsUfgvMaZLFs0U0J0ZmwxazuVW1vVF8-ppBZURN/s1600/nasi-uduk-indonesian-lemongrass-coconut-rice-bowl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoism2YtfaA2nXul3oKa696I3DtdWfFGmCzHjZWQeh8TicYq8BdSLKhIB_NXaiTXhLU_nZukKq19wrbqMVMxP9YPh5GUoqB6OgA8DnxOsUfgvMaZLFs0U0J0ZmwxazuVW1vVF8-ppBZURN/s320/nasi-uduk-indonesian-lemongrass-coconut-rice-bowl.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069736251146738" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Also called "fat rice."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">(I also stole this one.)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gado-Gado: “a salad of blanched or steamed vegetables topped with a sauce made with spices and ground peanuts”</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihixaR0GyZbjpLPhRH2Ped85Z2H6f0zPhPgqzfcEzDUZq3kTc1v1_1tq9QDU8vwVZvuK5WcVjxMExf_Z8zfLfGTdvKfNLgPaSvR2C1o9aD9cZXa5BzUfEvXoK2c5gEHy3SL2AcHO3-_quB/s1600/29138_750610453678_20714801_42666974_1191168_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihixaR0GyZbjpLPhRH2Ped85Z2H6f0zPhPgqzfcEzDUZq3kTc1v1_1tq9QDU8vwVZvuK5WcVjxMExf_Z8zfLfGTdvKfNLgPaSvR2C1o9aD9cZXa5BzUfEvXoK2c5gEHy3SL2AcHO3-_quB/s320/29138_750610453678_20714801_42666974_1191168_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069732650791778" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Ok, yeah. It looks kind of gross.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Tempe Goreng: (I know we have </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">tempeh</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> in the US, but I’d never had it until I came here.) fermented soybeans “fried with palm sugar and chili peppers”</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh4fCu58UJ_RcS5T41z8N_KDN5z7NaYqDglg_l1Z29_9TFzoHJpmdn7nyDzmvkm6Wx3wt0Y2Q6tS-PXZycuX9FvywFkHOaEE-vjkrTyn4N3TJw-uUtO5hftnD93I7lMpwk8OaXXOlH6Lx/s1600/tempe_goreng.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh4fCu58UJ_RcS5T41z8N_KDN5z7NaYqDglg_l1Z29_9TFzoHJpmdn7nyDzmvkm6Wx3wt0Y2Q6tS-PXZycuX9FvywFkHOaEE-vjkrTyn4N3TJw-uUtO5hftnD93I7lMpwk8OaXXOlH6Lx/s320/tempe_goreng.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069113481094930" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">(And I stole this one.)</span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sate Ayam: “chicken grilled on skewers and served with peanut sauce” (Ok, the quoting does seem like overkill, but I want to get it right.)</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-xKmrlPMrH2tP7LmSK_CUgOPGiMR8ozcSryEwRxNB03TLit5CV7rSf0FZ5qIY_C9_tkUuMUQNj0uZD3YIFF9rX52cCi981XeCTMftYEFXVcBmR4K4WaacTXTc5M5u-7QfPttzQ5Ylf8c/s1600/29138_750610473638_20714801_42666975_8276895_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-xKmrlPMrH2tP7LmSK_CUgOPGiMR8ozcSryEwRxNB03TLit5CV7rSf0FZ5qIY_C9_tkUuMUQNj0uZD3YIFF9rX52cCi981XeCTMftYEFXVcBmR4K4WaacTXTc5M5u-7QfPttzQ5Ylf8c/s320/29138_750610473638_20714801_42666975_8276895_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069112695119314" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Mmm... sate.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Es Puter: “hand-turned coconut milk sorbet” mixed with red beans and sticky black rice. It may sound gross, but I assure you, this is divinity in dairy form.</span></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVJMfH5UXleMCvXDOSF95tlTXBh3R56o0nm6r_KSRQtJ-_MuGv9X2_oetEGbwJXkH8T20c_XtIpREg3ZKY0iT_hca3SZDCNxr-0tt11WaxXdzj-0ozrta7Znr1-TLGVH_3qbx_5e6KyPZ/s1600/29138_750610493598_20714801_42666976_7469969_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVJMfH5UXleMCvXDOSF95tlTXBh3R56o0nm6r_KSRQtJ-_MuGv9X2_oetEGbwJXkH8T20c_XtIpREg3ZKY0iT_hca3SZDCNxr-0tt11WaxXdzj-0ozrta7Znr1-TLGVH_3qbx_5e6KyPZ/s320/29138_750610493598_20714801_42666976_7469969_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069108089347602" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;color:#666666;"><div style="text-align: center;">Brrr. And yum.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Manggis: From the moment my lips first touched a manggis (mangosteen in English), I knew I was in love. My whole life, I’ve wanted to eat a passionfruit. And then I did, and it was disappointing. It looks like fish eggs on the inside. But then I tastes manggis, and I realized that’s what I’d been looking for all along. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBUF7a9HrL3K2AhI6VINjNcyX-jXW7QQRJ4Bdn7uBTFpbmCEON_GHIQjxs4ctPa-yzj1bk6hZKeOiF2H5-qHtMGUYaYtVfEppOE-7Ee-K47mJjeBVlpPZg7vFoYNtHhjNPyIWZOfthD_J/s1600/13939_690365245558_20714801_40801068_3698382_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBUF7a9HrL3K2AhI6VINjNcyX-jXW7QQRJ4Bdn7uBTFpbmCEON_GHIQjxs4ctPa-yzj1bk6hZKeOiF2H5-qHtMGUYaYtVfEppOE-7Ee-K47mJjeBVlpPZg7vFoYNtHhjNPyIWZOfthD_J/s320/13939_690365245558_20714801_40801068_3698382_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069095942983666" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Raj likes them, too.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rambutan: How can you not love a fruit named for how hairy it is? Even Obama wrote in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Dreams of my Father</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> how much he loved it his first night in Jakarta: “The three of us ate quietly under a dim yellow bulb—chicken stew and rice, and then a dessert of red, hairy-skinned fruit so sweet at the center that only a stomachache could make me stop.” I hear ya, Barry.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNn-h33unjMM6vMrZTSMh6edIFMGQcIhYasTN6YGUlyZVjA7PkVqdKoL0Z8O5JlpDIiTCd6mfb3fv2Z7ipKmSizwnEd6Dsfj8ctS-P12x9_0Oz3CiKnCo62GHTTFwERtvqzj3cC2ttJrm/s1600/10853_690719460708_20714801_40814025_8114443_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNn-h33unjMM6vMrZTSMh6edIFMGQcIhYasTN6YGUlyZVjA7PkVqdKoL0Z8O5JlpDIiTCd6mfb3fv2Z7ipKmSizwnEd6Dsfj8ctS-P12x9_0Oz3CiKnCo62GHTTFwERtvqzj3cC2ttJrm/s320/10853_690719460708_20714801_40814025_8114443_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474069093948414818" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">They're like little creatures!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-13849147431814017112010-05-12T01:11:00.000-07:002010-05-12T02:16:14.696-07:00Rediscovering Bali<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A few weekends ago, I made my second trip to Bali.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Somehow, I managed to spend four days there without ever setting foot on a beach.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That wasn’t really my goal, but it ended up being just fine.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">If the purpose of a beach is to relax, then my trip certainly did that anyway.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We were aiming for more of a cultural tour of Bali—temples, markets, and just plain good food.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We spent the first two nights in Ubud in a hotel that reminded me of something like a Hindu Secret Garden, with a temple and garde</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">n behind a high wall.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXl-NC1263G-KydxgXlVMtUjWNBQJ1qPy5qYEE52inaY_q8KJ8rYEyiT0q9lCWBhoNG5SjMwpPpwI6Z2Rhl1uqCr6v9_jTc2NCXQLoyFst2WDE_GrU_358wL9Q1Qi5Ima-SmEWxiY08cuz/s1600/24526_741872968668_20714801_42414344_4316137_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXl-NC1263G-KydxgXlVMtUjWNBQJ1qPy5qYEE52inaY_q8KJ8rYEyiT0q9lCWBhoNG5SjMwpPpwI6Z2Rhl1uqCr6v9_jTc2NCXQLoyFst2WDE_GrU_358wL9Q1Qi5Ima-SmEWxiY08cuz/s320/24526_741872968668_20714801_42414344_4316137_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299913120293138" /></a><br /><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One of the coolest parts of the trip was meeting up with my penpal Karen.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Apparently, towards the beginning of my grant, what had been my most recent blog post was picked up by Google as a news story about Indonesia, and it was emailed to anyone who signed up for regular news alerts from the archipelago.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was awesome, even if I really had no idea it was happening then.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I received a lot of borderline scary emails from conservative Muslims we’ll say </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">encouraging</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> me to convert.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But I also got emails from a bunch of really cool Americans who used to visit or live in Indonesia.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And that’s how I e-met Karen.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">An American psychiatrist living in California but raised in Ohio (whoop!), Karen was going to be in Bali visiting her boyfriend, so I tried to schedule my trip to coincide with hers.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was so fun to finally meet her.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m hoping we can meet again when she visits her family for holidays in Ohio.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxGuFqha9a1mAp6GEPbL7MsTlKXZ7I7gsfOrB7oVtnFZfwcPR-aocPDwSH3ABkNHfEJGFZBprIxe75N-60QE1lX1yFKAJOESErX4jknXoReNG4bSHDPhPjEa2xkl5GS64qTTjcdOVutWr/s1600/24526_741863008628_20714801_42413635_8375773_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxGuFqha9a1mAp6GEPbL7MsTlKXZ7I7gsfOrB7oVtnFZfwcPR-aocPDwSH3ABkNHfEJGFZBprIxe75N-60QE1lX1yFKAJOESErX4jknXoReNG4bSHDPhPjEa2xkl5GS64qTTjcdOVutWr/s320/24526_741863008628_20714801_42413635_8375773_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299902521930354" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I also visited Bali with the goal of getting a bunch of souvenirs at the markets here.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I used to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">love</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> bargaining for my purchases, and I still get a little rush from it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But here in Indonesia, it really gets exhausting to bargain for </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">everything</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> you want to buy, from food to clothes to gifts to transportation.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">For example, I wanted to buy a silk batik scarf.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Aaron and Vidhi had both bought one earlier for between $4-$5.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It helps to head into battle knowing what a reasonable price is, because sometimes you really have no idea.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Here’s how the exchange (a typical one) went: (except I changed Indonesian to English and rupiah to dollars to help you make sense of it all [PUN!])</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I walk by one of a billion booths of scarves set up and touch one.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Almost immediately, a large Balinese woman is touching me and telling me I absolutely must have it, as though I could not have possible chosen a more perfect scarf in the world.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: “You are so beautiful! So beautiful! Yes, you like this.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">For you, I give a special price.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Only $22.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">[$22?! That’s almost five times what it’s worth.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now we start speaking in Indonesian.]</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: My friend paid $4 for this scarf earlier today.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: Ooh, you speak Indonesian?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ok, for you, smart, pretty girl, I give you an even more special price.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Just $12.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: No, my friend just paid $4 for this scarf.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: $8 is my final offer! I can sell it to you for no less!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: That’s ok, I understand.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Thanks anyway!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She now blocks my way with a gigantic floor-length mirror and throws the scarf around my neck to show me “how beautiful it will make me.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: Oh, you’re right! This IS a beautiful scarf! I wish you would sell it for $4.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: Ok ok ok. From you, I will just ask $6.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: I am not paying more than $4.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: I must feed my children! If I sell you the scarf for $4, I will make no profit!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have to eat! Please take pity on me!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: Ok, I don’t want to hurt your business. I will shop somewhere else.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I walk away.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: Ok, ok. $4.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: Thank you! I’ll take it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: $4.50</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: Uh, what? No.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: Ok, ok.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">$4.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And I will not be able to eat tonight.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: I’m sorry about that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Saleswoman: You want two for $4 each?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Me: Sure.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And immediately, there are no hard feelings.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She wraps the scarves up carefully, smiling at me, and she throws her arm around my shoulder and tells her friend about the great sale she just made.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Is it possible I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">still</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> got swindled? Almost definitely.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I made a stop back at Wayan’s house, too.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She’s the fortune-telling medicine woman from my first trip.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I didn’t get my fortune read, but I got some of her “magical oil,” and we took a picture for Mom.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMdDLxwiA_Y9QtJaQSUpGT_d9q4J8zx-BZJpoyNpid2Jxel3zYPr0A4iOkxqP8qqFmdVd2fWPsoH6Moz5YNmYGnOXmTjbTcCuAMoEgdZ30TTLWKR-xyT_-JlltfwGeuS0d5L5kby_Y67h/s1600/24526_741875428738_20714801_42414444_1265030_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMdDLxwiA_Y9QtJaQSUpGT_d9q4J8zx-BZJpoyNpid2Jxel3zYPr0A4iOkxqP8qqFmdVd2fWPsoH6Moz5YNmYGnOXmTjbTcCuAMoEgdZ30TTLWKR-xyT_-JlltfwGeuS0d5L5kby_Y67h/s320/24526_741875428738_20714801_42414444_1265030_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299898866284226" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">The next day we rented a car and driver and toured some Balinese temples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We started with the Pura Besakih, the largest and most important temple in Bali.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Lonely Planet got another one right: “Perched nearly 1000m up the ide of Gunung Agung is Bali’s most important temple… in fact, it is an extensive complex… Unfortunately, many people find it a deeply disappointing experience due to the avarice of numerous local characters.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The temples themselves were beautiful, but it was nearly impossible to enjoy them with all the local “guides” constantly demanding that you pay them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD5uPoR1UJILb4dXyOnhTmEs1iN9Q7ok0ttgIBpYRa4VmiXru8Bj2skJoA7zsOAsGmgcW1jF9IKTtULFyGUZXb8Lvx4NzvaLB9qghb3mug_Lq_95orP47HGySZtZqvOZVc8VFMe-TodUO/s1600/30850_557958559569_15804233_33082149_3310480_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD5uPoR1UJILb4dXyOnhTmEs1iN9Q7ok0ttgIBpYRa4VmiXru8Bj2skJoA7zsOAsGmgcW1jF9IKTtULFyGUZXb8Lvx4NzvaLB9qghb3mug_Lq_95orP47HGySZtZqvOZVc8VFMe-TodUO/s320/30850_557958559569_15804233_33082149_3310480_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299891909301682" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">More Lonely Planet wisdom:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">“Besakih’s hassles and irritations go back years and mean that many visitors now skip this important sight.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">Near the main parking area is a building labeled Tourist Information Office. Guides here may emphatically tell you that you need their services. You don’t. You may always walk among the temples. No ‘guide’ can get you into a closed temple.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">Other ‘guides’ may foist their services on you throughout your visit. There have been reports of people agreeing to a guide’s services only to be hit with a huge fee at the end. </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#006600;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#006600;">Once inside the complex, you may receive offers to ‘come pray with me.’ Visitors who seize on this unsanctioned chance to get into a forbidden temple can face demands of $5 or more.”</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Here’s what Aaron said afterwards in his blog:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 18.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#3333FF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 18.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">"Despite this Pura Besakih (aka the ‘mother temple’) was pretty interesting, once we finally got in past the ‘mandatory guides’ (they weren’t but we ended up paying a guy a little, mostly just to be left alone).</span></span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#3333FF;">At several of the temples, most of us were struck by how insincere some of the temples seemed. While it was demanded that tourists wear sarongs and sashes, there were other people throwing their cigarettes around and hawkers of all kinds in the temples. I have absolutely no qualms with wearing appropriate clothing, but when it seems like that is required mostly so that tourists have to rent a sarong, that isn’t right. This is supposed to be a holy location, but it turns into a gimmick. I don’t know how else to describe it other than to say that there was not an authentic feel, it seemed the temples were there primarily for tourists to see; though to be fair we did go to the biggest temples that tourists commonly visit."</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aY6ythOUlp90IBgZ-Ek4Ssb1KsMmeONcul-FsQvMUXapeB-ba5Xgl-pu1Z9iaZ_LBl-lpefdJqMMnP47AepwLp35VV43K_WK_4O6vT92tRAW5KRJM_lXb8YnVzZWo5vFv8y9uPfaoIh5/s1600/24526_741875438718_20714801_42414445_7124866_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aY6ythOUlp90IBgZ-Ek4Ssb1KsMmeONcul-FsQvMUXapeB-ba5Xgl-pu1Z9iaZ_LBl-lpefdJqMMnP47AepwLp35VV43K_WK_4O6vT92tRAW5KRJM_lXb8YnVzZWo5vFv8y9uPfaoIh5/s320/24526_741875438718_20714801_42414445_7124866_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299416239063170" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Author Chuck Thompson wrote, “It feels awkward to be a visitor in a place reserved for the intimate acts of strangers—like accidentally stepping into your friend’s parents’ bedroom when you were a kid.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That’s exactly how I feel when I visit mosques or temples: I know I’m allowed to be there, but I just can’t quite shake the feeling that I’m going to get caught somewhere I shouldn’t be. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Per usual, there were signs warning against entering any of the temples if you were menstruating. I, uh, wasn’t, but I wondered if I really would have stayed out if I had been. I guess it’s part of respecting another culture, but it’s a difficult rule to observe when it go so much against what I’ve been taught and believe. I wasn’t entering any of the temples to pray, and it’s hard to imagine I would have somehow comprised the sanctity of the temples by going inside anyway.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We also visited a tea and coffee plantation, where we got to sample a series of different flavors: ginger tea and coffee, lemongrass tea, Balinese coffee, and hot chocolate. It was really neat, and it didn’t cost anything at all. My favorite was the lemongrass tea, although I spotted a lot of sugar at the bottom of the cup, so that may have been why.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj3D2DFlIbbBNa2FwIzgSR69rC2WQzJdMtixJzX_0iCGHXTlShamqhpbezP3dbnCBe8QfvpKBwOAhoQrdpyAugI6WPmSfjXK7v3863zO_txOorsaBfVAa1gxqsMNat0LNgs_TqpbGgLnu/s1600/24526_741899874748_20714801_42415418_1033948_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj3D2DFlIbbBNa2FwIzgSR69rC2WQzJdMtixJzX_0iCGHXTlShamqhpbezP3dbnCBe8QfvpKBwOAhoQrdpyAugI6WPmSfjXK7v3863zO_txOorsaBfVAa1gxqsMNat0LNgs_TqpbGgLnu/s320/24526_741899874748_20714801_42415418_1033948_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299412455448274" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Gunung Kawi was the last temple we visited,and by far our favorite. Huge shrines have been cut out of the rock, and they stand more than 8m high. The area surrounding the temple was amazing, too, with rice paddies and palm trees in alternating shades of bright green.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ek40dcw2xJ40bWErtQqTmGVSmzSsjgjUXX98q2v74r13SEG1aZBeRCYZycVJshDNWq_LuZltXZuuiDIjTWAk-lDO5I1p_X0eTaJjTijDHUGJVlqwu8tCdV5ASCcACKM_dLPd8xCIX4p-/s1600/24526_741899894708_20714801_42415421_6834312_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ek40dcw2xJ40bWErtQqTmGVSmzSsjgjUXX98q2v74r13SEG1aZBeRCYZycVJshDNWq_LuZltXZuuiDIjTWAk-lDO5I1p_X0eTaJjTijDHUGJVlqwu8tCdV5ASCcACKM_dLPd8xCIX4p-/s320/24526_741899894708_20714801_42415421_6834312_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299405183616242" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCpldYW0sDyOAU_C7vSsiUPIZ2HFEIX9wyGm35WB-fX2F_xvAdczDZ5LYe-HRGkd8JNDieGWohE0ER92DqnAT31lWtwSzS4k9DTRqXyGE1m1_6dCHe54eu-QG_Dx0jfDSY9kvUU5Zy5Ob/s1600/24526_741899899698_20714801_42415422_5780944_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwCpldYW0sDyOAU_C7vSsiUPIZ2HFEIX9wyGm35WB-fX2F_xvAdczDZ5LYe-HRGkd8JNDieGWohE0ER92DqnAT31lWtwSzS4k9DTRqXyGE1m1_6dCHe54eu-QG_Dx0jfDSY9kvUU5Zy5Ob/s320/24526_741899899698_20714801_42415422_5780944_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470299401205365314" /></a><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The last night we met up with my favorite ELF Maura in Legian, who had just arrived in Bali for a conference. She was nice enough to let us crash in her hotel room, and we continued our tour of most-delicious-foods-and-drinks of Indonesia. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I love Bali. Some people think it’s too touristy, and many Indonesians almost resent that it’s often the only thing foreigners know about the country. But I think it’s just another part of Indonesia, as “real” as any other part. And it has bagels. Yum.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-74699444713336111942010-05-09T22:13:00.000-07:002010-05-09T22:35:48.795-07:00CRASH! (in Palem)BANG!<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Only three more weeks to go? Is that even possible? I have no idea how to describe the way I’m feeling, but I’m sure I’ll be trying. I’ve resolved to blog a lot over the next 21 days, because I have some more things I want to tell you about, and I don’t want to turn into one of those people who writes a blog after I get home </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">just to write a blog</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It’s a pretty bittersweet feeling to be so close to returning home. On one hand, I feel like this massive adventure—which I’ve anticipated and feared and loved—is days away from just… ending. On the other hand, some of the frustrations I’ve had over the last 8 ½ months seem to have been magnified lately. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My friend Vidhi said it well in her blog:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#336666;">maybe the smell of fresh cut grass and summer lemonade is clouding my senses. maybe the thought of running into my parents arms at the airport is making these last few weeks particularly hard. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#336666;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#336666;">there are no schedules here. my classes are constantly cancelled. teachers get paid for extra-curricular activities they never lead. men get to smoke and judge women who do. cheating in school and on spouses is expected. money that could be going into education is used to buy snacks for meetings. my school has power outages every day, but the glitzy mall Sun Plaza is always air conditioned and glamorous.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#336666;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;color:#336666;">im tired of all the stares i receive. i don't really understand why people here stare at me anyways. most indonesians think i am indonesian. im brown. i have black hair. and i dress appropriately for the culture. so why are you STILL glaring at me? if i was white, or pink, or green i would understand. im also tired of not fitting in, even when i look like i fit in...</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ok, I don’t have any glitzy malls or brown skin, but I can relate to the rest of that. And she goes on to explain how some other Americans she met at the airport were rude. The other two Americans in Palembang are really, really nice, but other than that, most expats here are notoriously unfriendly. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I think the biggest reason for my recent frustration was that Rajiv got into a motorcycle wreck.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I still say that if I could start this 9 months over, the first thing I would change would be to get an international driver’s license and rent a motorbike. My biggest complaint this year is how completely stranded I feel at times. I’m 45 minutes outside of the city, and I can’t even walk anywhere to buy dinner. Still, maybe it’s for the best that I don’t have a motorbike. A) Because I have absolutely no idea how to drive one, and B) Because my doctor friends tell me that motorcycle crashes and stabbings (many while on motorbikes) make up an overwhelming number of ER patients here.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Every Saturday we’re both in Palembang, Raj and I meet up and do a radio show at a local station through the US Embassy. [Another blog on that soon.] Then, we go to the mall, eat a delicious JCO doughnut (I swear they’re even better than Krispy Kremes), and eat dinner.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Raj rented a motorbike in February after getting his license when he went home for Christmas. So he drives himself home, and I call my buddy Ari, my ojek, to come pick me up. It’s such an important part of the week for both of us. It’s venting with someone who understands completely. The Raj dinner part, I mean. Not Ari, though he's nice.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But the last time we met, Raj got in an accident. And—get this—on the same road where my purse was stolen! (Indonesians would say there’s an evil spirit there, and they might be right.) He was turning right (with his signal on), and instead of slowing down or swerving around him, another motorbike with two men on it ran right into the back of his bike. Hard. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Raj was thrown over the front of his bike and onto the street while his bike skidded across the road. The other bike crashed, too, and it hit another bike with a couple on it. They lost control and crashed, too. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Raj is lucky he was wearing his helmet. He says after the impact, he only remembers laying in the middle of the road and seeing at least 200 cars and motorcycles drive by without stopping at all. Pieces of his bike had broken off, and he watched while someone even stole one and ran off. The two guys who caused the wreck immediately jumped on their bike and left, though Raj says pieces of their bike were laying in the road, too. His bike wouldn’t work.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He tried calling me, but of course the network was screwed up, and none of his five phone calls went through. I’m not sure what I would have done, anyway, and I think that’s another of my central frustrations: helplessness in times of need. Luckily, he was able to call a teacher at his school to come pick him up.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When my purse was stolen, I yelped and jumped around, and no one stopped to help me. There were at least 40 people just sitting on the side of the road eating from street vendors, and all of them just watched. But at least I wasn’t laying in the middle of the road. Not a single person helped him up or even stopped to see if he was ok. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The good news is he </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">is</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> ok, and a repair shop was able to fix his bike for only about $100.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m sorry this isn’t a happier post, but happier ones will follow, I assure you. I’ve been trying to think about what specifically I find so exasperating. I think it’s that my whole life right now is such an exercise in extremes. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">On one hand, I have more independence than I’ve ever had in my life: I live alone, and I decide what I do, what I eat, and where I go. And yet, on the other hand, I feel so completely dependent on other people. I have to call for rides to get food, to go shopping, to get to school, etc. I have to walk and wait and pay each week just to have drinking water. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Same as with what I packed to bring: I managed to fit nearly everything I’ve needed for nine months into two suitcases and a bookbag. I have a little microcosm of my home, and yet… I have so little with me that it all fits into two suitcases and a bookbag! (Note: this does not include souvenirs. Oh my, no. It does not.) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And, most importantly, there’s the idea of being surrounded by people all the time. People are constantly stopping by my house unannounced, asking me for help with papers, and taking pictures of me when I walk by them. And yet, I wouldn't really fit in here permanently. I’ve talked to the other Fulbrights, and I think most of them feel the same way. There are </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">so many people</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> everywhere, and yet, aside from the other ETAs, you’re the only one who’s really like you.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But I promise—barring any more robberies or crashes—this is my last negative blog. There are so many exciting things happening right now, and I’m taking picures of all them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oh, and Raj has his bike back now. But this weekend while we were eating dinner, someone stole his helmet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-9676276243179167982010-05-01T07:04:00.000-07:002010-05-01T09:33:11.391-07:00All Greek to me<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My fellow teacher Rudi and I were having some communication issues last week. He picks me up for school on his way in in the morning, and he drives me home. I have 3.5 hour breaks between classes and English Clubs sometimes, so some days I ask Rudi to take me home. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I always say, “Rudi, would you mind taking me home now?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And he was constantly getting this odd look on his face. He would pause a moment, and then say, “That would be fine.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You don’t have to!” I’d exclaim. But he would insist and say it was no trouble.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Finally, I found out what the problem was. “Katie, what do you expect me to say to that question?! It is one of the hardest things in English!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Huh? Ooh. “Do you mind…”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He said, “Do you want me to say ‘yes’ or ‘no?’ I don’t know what is the right answer!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I explained that technically “no” is the right answer to a “do you mind” question, but he could always clarify what he meant. “No, I’d be happy to.” Or “No, it’s no problem!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rudi continues to test my knowledge on a daily basis with the English questions he’s thought of since the last time I saw him. Whew—on Mondays, he usually has a full two pages. They’re typically things like this:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Why is a lunch box not always a box and a trash can not always a can?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What is the difference between got and gotten and when should I use each?<br /></span> </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Most Indonesians use these interchangeably, but not my Rudi.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Can you practice choir? </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Usually you just have choir practice.<br /></span> <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But you can practice football? </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yup.</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What is the difference between “kind of” and “sort of?”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Why is the “i” in organize and organization pronounced differently?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You know the coolest thing about Indonesian? The verbs. They have verbs for everything. They have a verb that exclusively means “to have a moustache.” They have a verb that means “to take someone’s virginity.” They have a verb that means “to cook rice by boiling it.” All just one word. I mean, three separate words. That’d be weird if all those were all the same verb. Eww.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I really have always felt that one weakness of the English language is that we don’t have a way of asking “what kind of sick are you?” Someone says, “I’m sick.” And we say… where? Is it the flu? What’s wrong? (Those last two would work, I guess.) But Indonesians just say a direct translation of “What sick?” I like that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had no idea how much a language can affect the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">way</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> people think. Do you know how many tenses we have in English? SIXTEEN! We have sixteen whole tenses! No wonder it’s hard for people. And we’re not talking Shakespeare’s English here: there are 16 common, everyday tenses for English speakers.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Indonesian has one tense. If you need to know that something happened in the past, you use context to figure it out. Obviously “I eat dinner yesterday” happened in the past, so it would be like “I ate dinner yesterday.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But Rudi was explaining how English is so hard for Indonesians (and other foreign speakers, I would assume) because they literally have to change the way they think. For example, “If I’d known you were coming yesterday, I would have gone to the store.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Here’s where I want to start <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1gfZwejPv8">singing that song</a>: If I’d knowwwwnn you were comin’ I’da baked a caaaake. Baked a caaaake.”)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Indonesians don’t have a way to say that in their language. They would break it down into two present tense sentences. “I do not know you come yesterday. I should go to store” would be a near-literal translation. Rudi said the ability to think one thought that means all of that at once is something he had to work hard to train himself to do. Isn’t that fascinating? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I really used to think that your brain was one thing unto itself, and language was just what comes out of your mouth, how to explain what you think. I guess that’s still true, but Rudi insists, and I’m starting to agree, that language can enable you to think more complex thoughts, faster. Hey, maybe there’s some uber-language out there that would force us all to go beyond English-language thinking…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Also, there are just so many more words to learn in English. I guess it’s nearly impossible to count the number of words in a language (Does dog count separately as a verb and a noun? Is hog-tied one new word or two old words joined together? Dig, dug, digging—one word in different tenses or three different words altogether? Etc.) Still, experts who know more about this sort of thing than I do estimate that the English language has somewhere around 750,000 words. An Indonesian dictionary from the ‘80s (yeah, it’s outdated, but go with it) contained 25,500 Indonesian words. So… there are a lot more words in English.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ooh, and also according to the esteemed Dr. Wikipedia, here are some English words that come from Indonesian: </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">amok (as in “to run amok”)<br />gecko<br />gong<br />gingham<br />orangutan</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yeah, ok, so those are about the only ones, but still. The others I don’t count because you would directly associate them with Indonesia or Asia, like </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">batik</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> or </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">rambutan</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">PS- When I was looking up how many words were in the English language, I also learned that you’re pretty hot stuff if you know even 20% of that ¾ million. How enthralling. And riveting. And intriguing and exceptional and captivating. Eh, I probably wouldn’t even scratch the surface.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-9866321323165877762010-04-30T20:56:00.000-07:002010-04-30T21:04:59.621-07:00Oops, my apologies.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Like most really, really smart people around the world, one of my teachers sort of lacks a certain amount of people skills. He’s fine around the other teachers and me, but he really struggles in the classroom. All right, fine, it’s Rudi. The students make fun of him constantly, calling him a “ladyboy” (and to be honest, he is pretty effeminate). Rudi doesn’t handle this very well and responds by grabbing whatever blunt object is nearest him and hitting the student on the back of the head as hard as possible. (Which, as we covered before, isn’t </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">all</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> that hard for him.) It doesn’t matter what it is—whiteboard erasers, water bottles, books. Once he found a bottle of baby powder in the back of a classroom and poured it over a student’s head in a fit of anger. Sadly, just like bullies in the US, this sort of behavior only fuels them to tease more until Rudi’s tiny 4’10” body is shaking with fury. Finally, I have to ask him to sit down at the back of the classroom. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rudi’s behavior isn’t uncommon at all, though. All of my teachers smack students when they talk out of turn or play with their Rubik’s Cubes instead of listening. After a particularly frustrating class, I came back to the teachers’ lounge and said I was having some serious trouble getting kids to pay attention. “You have to pinch them,” Sry says.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“Oh,” I responded. “I don’t really feel comfortable doing that. In America teachers never touch the students.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“I am not talking about touching them,” Sry said. “Just a little twist on their arm until it hurts them.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The thing is, it doesn’t </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">work</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. The students don’t pay attention any better after someone “twists” them. Part if it, I’m sure, is just bad behavior. For some reason, my school is known for spoiled students who can’t behave; one of the teachers is even writing her thesis on it. They think it’s probably because the students are so wealthy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After eight months here, I’m surprised at how many cultural differences still shock me. I wonder how long I’d have to live somewhere to totally adapt. It probably takes longer certain places than others, too, I’d imagine. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> For me, one of the most frustrating differences is the idea of “jam karet,” or “rubber time,” meaning that time can be stretched around to your needs. A 12 o’clock lunch can start at 2 o’clock here, and that’s completely acceptable to everyone. Likewise, someone might say they’ll stop by at 10 o’clock in the morning, and they show up at 9 o’clock because they were in the neighborhood early.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One day, when I was returning from a trip, a friend of mine said he would pick me up from the airport. I texted him (they say SMSed here) when I landed, and he said he’d be there soon. I waited. A half hour later, I called. He said he was actually just leaving his office then, and he’d be there in another half hour. It was fine; I had a book. (If you want to talk about how I’ve changed, just look at that: I was willing to wait an extra hour to save the equivalent of $2 for a ride home.) Still, 45 minutes went by, and still no friend. I called him again. He said actually he was just </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">then</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> leaving the office, and he’d be there in a half hour.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So I said thanks, but he could just meet me at my house and we’d go to dinner like we’d planned. I caught an ojek home and took a $2 loss. My friend (the boyfriend of a teacher at my school) finally showed up </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">an hour and a half later</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. I got in his car and we immediately drove to the mosque, because he hadn’t prayed yet. So I sat for another half hour, this time in the car and without my book. I asked why he didn’t just come 3 hours late and pray before picking me up, and he said he wanted to show me how important his religion is to him. Hmm, ok… point taken. Then we listened to the Koran in Arabic all the way to and from dinner. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">While I was waiting in the car, I passed the time by talking to Christine on the phone. It was now completely dark outside and there were a lot of people filing around. And I’ve been jumpy since the purse incident. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Suddenly, someone touched my shoulder. I screamed like a large rodent had just been dropped into my lap. Apparently, my friend had silently creeped over to the car window—which was rolled down about two inches—and stuck his nose in through the opening to greet me with “Hellooooo, how are youuuuuuuu.” He said it in that slightly terrifying monotone of people who have memorized words but don’t really know what they mean. So I screamed. (I was, in hindsight, perhaps already not the best version of myself that night.) </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The friend was immediately apologetic. This is another trademark of Indonesian people who mean well: unending apologies for some things they did but most things that are completely beyond their control. (Although, in this case, it was his fault.)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is common: “Miss, I am so sorry for the condition of the roads!”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“It’s fine,” I say.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">“Miss, please forgive me for this road. I am so sorry.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Apologies, in fact, are an integral part of Indonesian life. When saying a formal goodbye, for example, a person here should begin by issuing a grand blanket apology for anything they might have done to offend anyone. Similarly, they expect apologies to fix anything, too.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Teachers are paid to run English Club at my school. I nearly always do it alone though, because it’s just easier that way. But at least they’re sports and they stick around.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Once, though, during EC, I ran back to my desk in the teachers’ lounge to get something I’d forgotten and found Rudi and Sry rooting through my desk. Without shame, mind you. That week, I’d had the students write personal letters, and they were opening the sealed envelopes sitting on my desk and reading the private notes. They were also using my coveted antibacterial wipes I thought I was keeping hidden in the depths of my desk.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I was pretty upset. Not only were they going through my desk while getting paid for the job I was doing, they were using my things and reading letters my students trusted me to keep between us. Both Rudi and Sry dropped my things when they saw me and returned to their own desks. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I asked, “Why were you going through my things?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sry’s face immediately crumbled, and she nearly started to cry. “Please do not be angry with us!” she said.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rudi continued, “Yes, we did not find anything bad, anyway.” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This sort of feeling extends to many sectors of Indonesia. Once, a computer tech woman started crying because she thought I’d be mad at her for not being able to fix my internet. (This was back at the beginning of my grant, when my dreams for worldwide connectivity were young and full of hope.) I’m not sure if people here really have a crippling fear of someone being angry with them or if it’s considered polite to assume an apologetic response.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Still, I really am getting the hang of it more. I know know my part. If you go into any situation in Palembang and begin by apologizing, you’re getting somewhere. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-52061091740537949592010-04-28T20:36:00.000-07:002010-04-28T20:52:18.562-07:00Selamat Hari Kartini!<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Quick Bahasa Indonesia lesson: “Hari” means “day.” So obviously, “Hari Kartini” means “Kartini Day.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Hari ini” literally means “this day” and means “today.” This all reminds me of the sign that was hanging up in the police station where I sat for three hours after my purse was stolen in March. In an uncommon display of ornamentation, someone had painted the words, “Hari ini lebih baik dari kemarin” on the wall, which means “Today is better than yesterday.” Having just had all of my possessions ripped from my grasp, I was unable to embrace the spirit behind the sentiment. And I have to wonder how many people who walk through the doors of that police station really think that day is in fact an improvement over the day before, when they were not entering the lair of Indonesia’s Finest.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, Kartini Day celebrates an Indonesian woman who spent her short life pushing for education for women. Born in 1879, she was allowed to go to school until she was 12. After that, she was kept in her home to prepare for marriage, but she continued to teach herself. She had many Dutch pen pals and eventually begged to be allowed to teach in Jakarta. She argued against traditional religious practices (many still in place today). For example, she didn’t believe people should have to memorize the Koran without having to understand its meaning. After a few years, she was finally allowed to go to Jakarta, but she then turned the offer down because she had decided to get married and continuing living in her hometown. She hoped she and her husband would together be able to organize schools for young women, but she died at 25. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know women’s rights in Indonesia is something completely different than women’s rights in America, but there’s a sort of strange sort of oxymoronic feminism that exists in many women I’ve met here. As one of my teachers said last week, “I will complete my master’s degree and become a professor before having my arranged marriage and raising as many children as possible. I hope I have many sons.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">For some reason, one of my unattached Indonesian friends had a near life crisis and spent a week surveying women and asking, “Would you rather be divorced or an old maid?” I saw one woman shudder and say, “Both of those would be terrible.” My friend nodded solemnly.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then there’s the jilbab. During orientation, an Indonesian Fulbright scholar spoke to our group and identified herself as a Muslim feminist. Ok, I can understand that. She supports equal rights for men and women. But I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that a person can believe men and women are equal, and still believe that women should cover their heads and men should not. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know that sentiment puts me gravely in danger of sounding ignorant. I understand that wearing a jilbab is completely a choice. I understand that you can be smart and capable and independent and want to wear one. I understand that you can believe in the fair treatment of men and women and wear one. But when a person believes that women should cover their heads and men should not, that is not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">equal</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know some people say the point isn’t really to be equal or the same, and I say, good, because it’s not.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Out of the 50 or so female teachers at my school, there is only one who doesn’t cover her head. She’s Muslim, married, and, interestingly enough, teaches World Culture. I asked her why she doesn’t wear a jilbab, and she said because she doesn’t want to and her mother never did.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have another friend who refuses to wear the jilbab. She says God doesn’t care whether she covers her head or not. She says most women wear jilbabs less because of their personal relationship with God and moreso because of the way they’re treated in their community. I think that’s probably very true. Jilbabbed (verb?) women are at least initially almost always treated with more respect. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One male friend told me he would respect me more if I wore a head covering. I asked if that was true even though he knew I’m not Muslim and it would be an empty gesture, and he said yes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Were I a better (or maybe just a more bitter) woman, I might have raised my eyebrows a bit at my school’s celebration. To honor women’s rights, IGM sponsored a fashion show, a cooking contest, and a singing competition. “Things women love!” they said.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Usually, my school has an unbelievable amount of food set out for holidays. I always end up eating the equivalent of about four full meals before 10:00am. So I tried to beat them at their own game and skipped breakfast. Hari Kartini is the one day when the men have to do all the cooking. But when I got to school, there were no sweet little cake rolls. No layered coconut snacks. No strangely-jiggly florescent gelatins. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“But I thought the men were cooking today!” I exclaimed as my belly rumbled. They laughed. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Ahh, Ketty! That is a joke we tell! Men are supposed to cook, but they do not know how! So we do not have snacks on this day!” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In case you’re keeping track, the score is now Miss Ketty 3; Indonesia 1,289.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Everyone dresses up in traditional formal clothes for Kartini Day. For men, that’s dress pants and a batik-patterned shirt. For women, it’s usually a batik skirt with a kabaya for a top. Kabayas are bright and beautiful, usually incorporating a lot of lace and sequins. They can be really expensive (up to around $250 each), but the women can wear them many times. One of the teachers loaned me her mother’s kabaya. The teachers looove it when we all dress up, and it really was a lot of fun. We took somewhere around two million pictures.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDFmayBj2utKLGtEWaHfXfXyCH7zYUentiGYVYxwEM55CPrt0b9thtDb643hSRLGbaP22VJxc8cfWCDCPv-9TI7VHdW7pQDFr8rh53cAhihD4bw7NOIIWmLDF4GoFissw8alazG3ddxdl/s1600/27037_741773582838_20714801_42409967_779129_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDFmayBj2utKLGtEWaHfXfXyCH7zYUentiGYVYxwEM55CPrt0b9thtDb643hSRLGbaP22VJxc8cfWCDCPv-9TI7VHdW7pQDFr8rh53cAhihD4bw7NOIIWmLDF4GoFissw8alazG3ddxdl/s320/27037_741773582838_20714801_42409967_779129_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465399132956322146" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The fashion show was delightfully fun. Each class chose two students to represent them, and they strutted their stuff on a makeshift catwalk. The singing contest was great, too. The middle school even let student bands accompany the contestants. And the cooking contest—oh my. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The students had the contest, but all of the male teachers were supposed to prepare fried rice for all the female teachers. In an effort to throw them off, however, the female teachers purchased all the ingredients, along with about six or seven items they were not supposed to put in. The women laughed and laughed as the men stood struggling over the baskets trying to decide what to use. I laughed heartily, though I was secretly glad no one put me to the test—how should I know what to use?!</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OZ6ylxW7HnMbmrDMIET6HxZqDgvZAXvk2IKKhoZ6jYUlEtF94HUF5XDxOayvEfBlj33nLNco-0hXkqnxT0BZWhWtiQefxIxRPbFwR6lG9W7uD-eilAng82hVBysvMgLly7jXKo7ZvCHC/s1600/27037_741773592818_20714801_42409969_673722_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OZ6ylxW7HnMbmrDMIET6HxZqDgvZAXvk2IKKhoZ6jYUlEtF94HUF5XDxOayvEfBlj33nLNco-0hXkqnxT0BZWhWtiQefxIxRPbFwR6lG9W7uD-eilAng82hVBysvMgLly7jXKo7ZvCHC/s320/27037_741773592818_20714801_42409969_673722_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465399127383036434" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Since we cancelled classes (shocking, no?), the day just centered around having fun and enjoying the contests. About women’s rights, little Sry writes, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“</span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">we are kartini in new generation,,,,keep struggling womans' emancipation...”</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Also, Sry asked me yesterday if it was appropriate to say “untfloeeeeezveezeeteeng” when your period starts. (I swear my teachers are obsessed with menstruation.) So I said that phrase I’ve said so many times since arriving in Palembang, “I’m not sure I understand. Can you write that down?” Apparently her book taught her that most American women have a secret idiom code used for proclaiming the start of one’s period. “Aunt Flo is visiting.” I discouraged her from using the phrase. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I guess I feel the day was less a celebration of women’s rights and more a day to appreciate women and say, “Gosh, what would we all do in a world without ladies?” But there’s quite a bit of value in that, too. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-28866902986107446572010-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:002010-04-20T08:31:48.885-07:00Feminine hygiene<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">On any given day, I walk into school at 6:30am not having any idea what the day holds. Will students boycott and leave school because a power outage made their classroom too hot? Is it a national holiday I’ve never heard of? Will four of the five English teachers be out sick with pinkeye? That’s all happened in the last few months.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Will some company shut down the school to hock their products for an afternoon? Awesome. I think we’re all pleasantly surprised to march our way up three flights of stairs only to see a vendor stand waiting at the top. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It doesn’t matter if there’s a test scheduled for the day or not. The students cheer and the teachers glare at them until they get inside the teachers’ lounge, and then they cheer, too. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We’ve cancelled classes for shampoo, face wash, and, once, a tax rally. Normally, I’m more than happy to accept t-shirts and free products. They usually send English-speaking salespeople, too. I smile widely for pictures the company says they take for future advertisements. I won’t be the least bit surprised if someone traveling in Indonesia in another decade sends me an email saying something like, “Did you know you’re the poster child for dandruff-eliminating shampoo and conditioner in Sumatra?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Once we cancelled classes while vendors passed around a weird-looking drink only to women who claimed to be menstruating. Not understanding this was a sort of trick demonstration, I wasn’t paying attention until he came to me. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Yes, miss? Do you want this drink? Is it special time for you?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Yes, it’s…. uh… definitely a special time for me. Thank you for the drink.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And all the teachers exploded into giggles. “You are menstruating!” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Oh, eww! I didn’t know that’s what he meant!” I said. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I think my response is a pretty accurate representation of my maturity. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">If there’s one thing that’s completely a private issue in America that is definitely not here (and there are many), it’s that. Women here proclaim the arrival of their periods like visiting friends. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I cannot pray this week! I am menstruating!” It does raise a few issues of honesty and mathematics, since I know at least a handful of women who apparently menstruate half their lives. They don’t have to pray or fast when they’re on their periods, though they’re </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">supposed</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to make up the fasting days they miss.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">All of my experiences with tomato-based (not kidding), cramps-relieving energy drinks pale in comparison to the morning the feminine hygiene team waltzed into my life. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Immediately, classes were cancelled. Then we decided to have classes for the boys, since the presentations were aimed only at the girls. Then the teachers decided they didn’t want to teach the boys, so we cancelled all classes again and forced the boys to sit through hours of discussing exactly the right way to clean female genitalia and why their product was the best to use. I can only imagine what that must be like for a hundred 16-year-old boys.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I say I can only imagine because I opted out of the presentation. All of the teachers did, in fact, until they found out the company had brought in the 2008 winner of Indonesian Idol to perform. Somehow, this was not a great motivating factor for me.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I would like to point out that all of the presenters were male. Just a note. Anyway, I was happily typing emails until two of the teachers—young, a little weird—came to get me. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Miss Ketty, I think… I think you should listen to the presentation. They say it is very important for everyone to know how to clean their vagina. This is a lesson we are not taught anywhere else.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Dear GOD. I can’t even write the word without flinching, and she said this with a very straight face. She was genuinely concerned.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I said that I was fine, thank you. Since many of the other teachers were also not there and the presentation was in Indonesian, I thought it was all right that I miss out. They left.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Only to come back in five minutes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Miss Ketty, I really think that you should listen. They said everyone must know about it.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I tried another tactic. “Actually, my stomach kind of hurts.” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Oh!” she said. “Are you menstruating?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Ack! No!”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Are you pregnant with a baby?!” She started laughing. Then she said, “No, I am only telling a joke. I know you would not be the kind of girl to do that.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ooh, not even going to touch that one. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I surrendered and walked over to the presentation. All of my students were sitting inside the room, alternating between giggling and blushing. Of course, they made me sit in the front, but not before handing me a small card with a mirror on it.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“This is for looking while you clean.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oh, God! I do not do well in embarrassing situations. And the potential for an Extremely Embarrassing Moment was quickly mounting. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Someone must have been punishing me for lying about the stomachache.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Of course, because the color of my skin makes me a b-list celebrity, the announcer had to call me to the stand at the front of the room. “Did I seeeeee a buuuuuleeee?!” he shouted.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I couldn’t help but thinking that this man’s English fluency was being wasted selling a feminine cleansing product when he could be working for the embassy or something.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My students love me. I like to pretend it’s because I’m just so darn fun and motivating, but more likely, it’s because I play a lot of games and they know they won’t have a test when I’m in their classroom. So as I was forced to take the microphone in front of the whole school, they started to cheer.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He asked my name. Katie, I said.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Kehhhh-teeee! If you can answer a couple questions correctly, I’ll give you a free t-shirt.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oh, joy. I could hardly wait.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Ketty, we’re here talking about vaginas.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This was not off to a good start. I immediately turned the color of a tomato in front of more than 200 students. I also know that 80% of my students definitely couldn’t understand what this guy was saying, but I guess I can understand the word “vagina” is pretty funny on its own.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Ketty… what is this product for?” He holds up this little bottle that I don’t feel completely comfortable having in my line of vision. “Do you think it’s for cleaning… your vagina… or your knees?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Your </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">knees</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">?!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He says it “fah-HEE-nuh.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I say, “The first one.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He says, “Say it.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I say, “Say what?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He says, “Say what it cleans.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m at a crossroads. Tell the guy he’s being inappropriate and make it a big deal in front of everyone in my school or just get through it?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I swallow and say “vagina” very clearly into the microphone.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The students absolutely erupt with laughter.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I die inside and try to walk away.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The guy pulls me back.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Ok, one more question. Do you think… that when you wash your fah-HEE-nuh… it gets bigger… or it stays the same size?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This one caught me off guard. Then again, I figure it might actually be a concern for young Indonesian girls. Grin and bear it, right?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I think it stays the same size.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“What does?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oh, we’re done here. “The vagina does.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They laughed and laughed and clapped and clapped. Then we stopped the presentation and took about a billion photographs of me holding my new free t-shirt that I will never, ever wear. Then the Indonesian Idol sang a song for me. It sounded really pretty, but I have no idea what it was about, as I was still trying to get my breathing under control. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And I sincerely hope that’s the last time I ever type the word fah-hee-nuh.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_y2FLuAnw6_o5pcpjV7zK8zi8XkLYYG7Ds2_UinJwkh2ua_IY6pdjDXFuflvtbvMG1My-psqfMyFXjm-sLU4Oegb2SVpz6pCOGCUYY-w1XY4CFOeaypXA9FqmqSlLQ-GhwAAV4kwOFsV/s1600/13325_1258010615851_1397204235_30572561_4456177_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_y2FLuAnw6_o5pcpjV7zK8zi8XkLYYG7Ds2_UinJwkh2ua_IY6pdjDXFuflvtbvMG1My-psqfMyFXjm-sLU4Oegb2SVpz6pCOGCUYY-w1XY4CFOeaypXA9FqmqSlLQ-GhwAAV4kwOFsV/s320/13325_1258010615851_1397204235_30572561_4456177_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462240604063134674" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Indonesian Idol, some of the teachers, </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">and me <i>without</i> my new t-shirt</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;color:#666666;"><br /></span></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-39285145787646266242010-04-18T04:26:00.000-07:002010-04-18T04:29:40.600-07:00Gending Sriwijaya<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Uploading videos takes forever here, so please accept this 30-second clip of Septia's performance to "Gending Sriwiwaya." Thanks to Chris for shooting it for me. If you look closely, you can see my head in the left hand corner snapping pictures like she's my own child.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); white-space: pre; font-size:12px;"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o91A3KHPEYo&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o91A3KHPEYo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-34993425844635318352010-04-18T04:16:00.000-07:002010-04-18T04:35:35.541-07:00WORDS Competition<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Every year, AMINEF holds an English competition for one student from each of the ETAs’ high schools. Ideally, they hold their own competition within their schools, and then the winner gets an all-expenses paid trip to the country’s capital with their American teacher. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At our schools, we were supposed to narrow our entries down to three finalists, which was quite easy for me since I only had three entries at all. At first, I really tried recruiting students who I knew were better English speakers, but most of them dismissed me with an “If-God-wills-it-I-will-enter.” Unfortunately for me, I guess God didn’t will any of them to enter. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After a while I stopped pushing them, because I felt bad forcing them to write poems and essays knowing I would only choose one in the end. It worked out wonderfully anyway. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My winner was Septia Sastika Angelina. She sang and danced to Palembang’s traditional song “Gending Sriwijaya.” You’re allowed to sing and dance to an Indonesian song at an English competition? Well, yes. She just had to include a one-minute introduction explaining how her performance was related to the theme “The Changing World outside my Window.” </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT2Bai8y1EFs0shDOxqOz8i3owaqM5LVpXnlOZwrctts6rxVANOlUs4A53L-4KKQb-WDkDve7EhoT-RlMzaXA8SqE1009vgNFeYczXKFofacPDX0i__hlQIXINWSTEih6YQGEuNHS4Hlp/s1600/26186_738675725968_20714801_42310350_6404722_n.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT2Bai8y1EFs0shDOxqOz8i3owaqM5LVpXnlOZwrctts6rxVANOlUs4A53L-4KKQb-WDkDve7EhoT-RlMzaXA8SqE1009vgNFeYczXKFofacPDX0i__hlQIXINWSTEih6YQGEuNHS4Hlp/s320/26186_738675725968_20714801_42310350_6404722_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461436020705371714" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Septia’s introduction was beautiful, though I think it might have been overlooked a bit in the midst of all her singing and dancing. She explained how understanding a traditional dance is reflective of her changing world, because while her country and culture are always evolving, she knows how important it is to value the past. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My school—bless their hearts—which doesn’t have a scanner or functioning printer, does have an official school traditional costume and a bag of official school make-up. Septia was obviously distressed that no one would be around to put on her make-up. I offered to do it, and my teachers seemed shocked that I knew how. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was slightly offended at first. Sure, I might not always wear make-up to school, but I understand the concept of applying blush. Oh, no. Not in Indonesia, I don’t. They spread out the hundreds of pieces of make-up in front of me the day before we left, and it was about the equivalent of telling me to reassemble some giant military weapon. No way could I handle eyelash glue, facial whitener, etc.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkbMPsUsGhQF0i0NFZF6kAQRhVBl_Gq4MPKBz3RK1cJt16WqfsXgmQM78Uwdrcml2Z5Aue_H-1ptTy-E04iVFKp-iOWVDU_GDsbkp5Z-leblP3vEd68Z7ldTf6m4HwZ_Dpdhm6ig8eyu9/s1600/26186_738675735948_20714801_42310352_772375_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkbMPsUsGhQF0i0NFZF6kAQRhVBl_Gq4MPKBz3RK1cJt16WqfsXgmQM78Uwdrcml2Z5Aue_H-1ptTy-E04iVFKp-iOWVDU_GDsbkp5Z-leblP3vEd68Z7ldTf6m4HwZ_Dpdhm6ig8eyu9/s320/26186_738675735948_20714801_42310352_772375_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461436016161863650" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Septia and her devoted family </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">who arrived at 5am to get her ready in time</span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Luckily for me, Septia lives with her aunt’s family in Palembang, and her immediate family lives in Jakarta.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They wanted to come see her dressed up anyway and volunteered to do the make-up.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Whew!</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFo4IgQ5_pNgDJPWv9pbCOVQRnNbcS9i8WBwE6FPs7lqzr3fqz2YbY09TRTFKNn6UqOeXahQ8vT4RMwyCAbdQh9YLbqrkMRfHHZ98WtroMw8CXOrz4VQgsml7CcTZxexavPbvAPhWPd6I/s1600/26186_738675770878_20714801_42310356_1738805_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFo4IgQ5_pNgDJPWv9pbCOVQRnNbcS9i8WBwE6FPs7lqzr3fqz2YbY09TRTFKNn6UqOeXahQ8vT4RMwyCAbdQh9YLbqrkMRfHHZ98WtroMw8CXOrz4VQgsml7CcTZxexavPbvAPhWPd6I/s320/26186_738675770878_20714801_42310356_1738805_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461436009954870674" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These were my favorite part of the costume.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They did, however, result in her fingers often sticking together.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Miss Katie to the rescue!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Septia was so intimidated at first by all the English speakers. She’s in Level 2 at my school (out of 5), so she’s not the highest level at IGM and was worried she wouldn’t be able to keep up. I think she was even nervous at the idea of being alone with me. But as soon as our adventure began, she completely transformed and became this social creature I’d never seen at school. For many of the students, it was the first time they'd been on an airplane or visited Jakarta.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUrpNeXMRNk57bMVT-BK-RcSL6jTqZE0g1q1dRHtuf9ERMB9eOdHixO2NDbJl3uS0BTBlYJ4JnaHOz4F6taF6xFL-lzrrP3PeY_B1ASKqavkryU3DvmQgvgyaNx1cAadF-p4OIxplEfIH/s1600/26186_738686065248_20714801_42310669_4965931_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUrpNeXMRNk57bMVT-BK-RcSL6jTqZE0g1q1dRHtuf9ERMB9eOdHixO2NDbJl3uS0BTBlYJ4JnaHOz4F6taF6xFL-lzrrP3PeY_B1ASKqavkryU3DvmQgvgyaNx1cAadF-p4OIxplEfIH/s320/26186_738686065248_20714801_42310669_4965931_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461435701962594866" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">All of the students</span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We traveled with Rajiv and his student, Brigitta. The girls were so excited and had spent the weeks before talking over facebook and texting.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Septia did a wonderful job. I was like a proud parent, snapping pictures and taking video. Sadly, she didn’t win (none of the performance pieces did </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">cough cough</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">), but Brigitta won Best Use of English for her poem “Smile.”</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo154z0EI1Gnpd76oxsYy6y7VBgUaRsaojtcsnTuyIiI1yNnsVOLm7S0pnb_tZ9FN3Q5KFylrMkwDl1qBfP47SCksrPV5_ylLBoOWD0QZQM3ICJ4Kz-Z0lhD0vg-iZ46pJc3SaiBbuPQr/s1600/26186_738686045288_20714801_42310667_6232162_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAo154z0EI1Gnpd76oxsYy6y7VBgUaRsaojtcsnTuyIiI1yNnsVOLm7S0pnb_tZ9FN3Q5KFylrMkwDl1qBfP47SCksrPV5_ylLBoOWD0QZQM3ICJ4Kz-Z0lhD0vg-iZ46pJc3SaiBbuPQr/s320/26186_738686045288_20714801_42310667_6232162_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461435691137477026" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Brigitta wins!</span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I felt like the weekend was a sort of fast-forwarded commercial on child-rearing. On Friday morning, I was asking her if she was hungry or thirsty every fifteen minutes. By Saturday night, when I asked what she wanted to do with our free time, she looked at me shyly and said, “Miss, would it be ok if maybe instead I went to a movie with my new friends?” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next morning AMINEF scheduled a visit for all of us to Monas, the national monument. Septia and Brigitta were happy, but exhausted. I asked how late they’d stayed up the night before. “Miss, please do not be angry, but I did not sleep until midnight,” Septia said. I assured her that I wasn’t in the least angry. </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_IuPAWbETCCIXP63DXPRrW2ao5U_cKatl9cl6XdBI7foFqV6im_M8CWTfKlkZ4iw8itn4t91p2-psVJ_DRfk0wDi8YMUpoE1ie5lOyBzzpGYtBgY5e_fhBPMwmIFLeXEHSymegZ3Hv9Q/s1600/26186_738686120138_20714801_42310678_5717837_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_IuPAWbETCCIXP63DXPRrW2ao5U_cKatl9cl6XdBI7foFqV6im_M8CWTfKlkZ4iw8itn4t91p2-psVJ_DRfk0wDi8YMUpoE1ie5lOyBzzpGYtBgY5e_fhBPMwmIFLeXEHSymegZ3Hv9Q/s320/26186_738686120138_20714801_42310678_5717837_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461435689679067810" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Monas in the background.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Palembangers in front.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our return was smooth, but little Septia decided to skip school the Monday after we were back. On Tuesday, I asked her if she was actually ill or just really tired, and she said, “Sick and tired, Miss Ketty. Sick and tired. You teach me that.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It broke my heart as one-by-one, the teachers at school asked her if she won and she had to tell each of them no. But once we got through that, Septia was happy again. Now, though, she says, “Miss Ketty, I miss my new friends so much, and I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again.” The good news is, because we’re in Indonesia, she texts all of her favorites about a billion times a day to reminisce.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-11337511928725597162010-04-16T01:53:00.000-07:002010-04-16T02:34:25.092-07:00Sumatra Conferences: Medan<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><!--StartFragment--> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My island is Sumatra, which is physically one of Indonesia’s larger islands (and the world’s sixth largest), but definitely not the most populated. We have four ETAs: Raj and me in Palembang and John and Vidhi in Medan. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ELFs are English Language Fellows; they have master’s degrees, teach at universities, and are older than most of us, the English Teaching Assistants. Both the ELF and ETA programs are run by AMINEF, the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation. Most ETAs (and ELFs) are concentrated on the island of Java, which has Jakarta, Yogyakarta, etc. Our region’s ELF is Adam, who lives at the southern tip of the island in Bandar Lampung.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adam told us about his idea to do two collaborative workshops, one in Medan and one in Palembang, at the mid-year conference. Unfortunately, Raj had school during the first week of April, but I was off for the week because my students were taking their mid-terms. The workshop also happened to be over Easter weekend, which was nice, because it’s always more fun to be around other people who are at least familiar with the same holidays, even if they don’t celebrate it.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here’s what I learned about conferences in Indonesia: it’s nearly impossible to disappoint Indonesian teachers. At first, I was reluctant to present myself as some sort of education expert, but, honestly, we Americans bring some new ideas to the table (the desk?). </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9vmEMj15kA9pXIqLuqGuB35-V8hnbVydl5iKwhzJglJPYtRxPE_f0hJrQMTFpkiHmShOLZDTouyUk_Hu9vGaDMlktxIMvvUk5rHfLDhVd2bPvtMRpFcXuupdfK4IyaV8GEl7nTnoBm_4/s1600/26186_738006666768_20714801_42289216_6698956_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9vmEMj15kA9pXIqLuqGuB35-V8hnbVydl5iKwhzJglJPYtRxPE_f0hJrQMTFpkiHmShOLZDTouyUk_Hu9vGaDMlktxIMvvUk5rHfLDhVd2bPvtMRpFcXuupdfK4IyaV8GEl7nTnoBm_4/s320/26186_738006666768_20714801_42289216_6698956_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460663030732844178" /></a><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Indonesian schools, English is separated into four different subjects: writing, speaking, listening, and reading. It’s incredibly confusing. Whereas Americans tend to view languages as a whole, Indonesians try to segregate individual skills. In “listening” and “writing” classes, students never speak. The teacher usually writes some vocabulary words on the board and explains them. Then he or she writes some sentences the students have to complete on paper, or teachers play a tape where students have to listen and write down what they hear. But wait, you say, isn’t that writing and listening at the same time? Yeahhhh. And don’t you technically </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">have</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to listen to be able to speak? Again, yeahhhh. It’s kind of a hot topic here, actually. For the most part, younger teachers want to teach all skills at once under the larger umbrella of English in general, whereas older teachers want to keep it the same.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I remember my Spanish language classes in high school. We were constantly singing, playing games, working in partners, cooking Spanish and Mexican foods, watching movies in Spanish, and even making piñatas. (Mine was a flamingo.) It's not like that at all here.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know the education system in the United States is far from perfect, but there are a few problems here that seem particularly aggravating. The requirement to segregate skills is one; another is that the classes are </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">huge</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. I’m lucky—my school is very wealthy, and my classes usually have between 25-30 students. Some schools here, though, put up to 60 or 70 students in one class. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I understand the attractiveness of standardized testing, I really do. And to a certain point, I’m in favor of them. But here, teachers really just teach the test. My seniors, for example, took the ujian nacional (national test) back in April, and now they’re done going to school while the rest of the high school continues. Because the national test is completely writing, reading, and listening, students are never evaluated on their speaking skills, which the government </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">says</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is the most important. As a result, many schools produce students extremely capable of writing and reading in English who can hardly speak an actual word. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So the goal of our workshop was to show high school teachers some new methods for motivating students and teaching the required lessons in a way that doesn’t make the students want to stab themselves in the eye. You can teach English and still have fun. </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfohxNCdkBItEtvEP8-eN5jaD8qQ-CYw_h6cp8vshi3Bh9nVxsFIj2JbVDIE_EDhxqQaXcVMbStWoptCZ_aM6xFzTjyAS39a2sVOlGnDP_gDy73f23A6PLqwsXoG5V6J61izgAPhYFN9P/s1600/26186_738006706688_20714801_42289221_7704399_n-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfohxNCdkBItEtvEP8-eN5jaD8qQ-CYw_h6cp8vshi3Bh9nVxsFIj2JbVDIE_EDhxqQaXcVMbStWoptCZ_aM6xFzTjyAS39a2sVOlGnDP_gDy73f23A6PLqwsXoG5V6J61izgAPhYFN9P/s320/26186_738006706688_20714801_42289221_7704399_n-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460663029030835378" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vidhi, John, me, and Adam </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">with a group of teachers from Vidhi's school</span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">English has always been my favorite subject. I know it’s different when you’re learning it as a secondary language. After all, foreign languages are not my cup of tea. Or my taza de té. Or my mangkok the. Hah! Don’t tell me I don’t retain. Anyway, my favorite part was that English wasn’t like math—there’s not always a right and wrong. English is about communicating, and that’s why they teach it here. But somehow, English has become like mathematics in Indonesia. Students are truly paralyzed with the fear of making a mistake. They emotionally or intellectually check out, do the minimum to get the answers right on a test, and most are never really able to develop a passion for the language.</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the conference, Adam presented on “Large Classroom Management Techniques” and some cultural issues. Vidhi tackled “Practical Classroom Management Strategies.” John and I combined “Using English Inside and Outside of the Classroom” and “Making English Fun.” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m not sure how much the teachers retained, but I suppose it’s a positive thing any time they at least sit and think about other ways teaching. I hesitate to say better… but ok, better ways. This is my blog, right? </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We actually held two separate workshops; the first was at Vidhi’s school for about 40 teachers. The second, however, somehow spiraled out of control, and we wound up with 250 college students studying to become English teachers. It was incredibly hard to involve and engage 250 teachers, especially when most of them were just there to meet four Americans. Instead of having everyone play the games we taught, we had to use a group of students to be an example. I think they would have had trouble staying focused through 3.5 hours of any presentation, let alone one that wasn’t in their native language.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5u2FfP_sOfDwAplCdgHxtesb4ANQ9ct-icgzCG76-ojxbBv7pLQwuIVTnoP-MxVBZb7ldnHk27YC1LZaNSUO9sw-hv8ZdQjX2ZXGn5Zh-kwF9ULhTBXKATECvcOtgs2-IW-4pYo8prU0/s1600/26186_738021122798_20714801_42289933_2013185_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP5u2FfP_sOfDwAplCdgHxtesb4ANQ9ct-icgzCG76-ojxbBv7pLQwuIVTnoP-MxVBZb7ldnHk27YC1LZaNSUO9sw-hv8ZdQjX2ZXGn5Zh-kwF9ULhTBXKATECvcOtgs2-IW-4pYo8prU0/s320/26186_738021122798_20714801_42289933_2013185_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460662768405287858" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bostodoff... close enough.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We were expecting a break, but we didn’t get one, and we wound up with about an hour’s worth of extra time. Luckily, Adam saved the day by teaching them to sing “Row, Row, Row your Boat” in rounds and explaining the lyrics to the Cops theme song “Bad Boys.”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Afterwards, they gave each of us an ulos, which was really sweet and generous. Then we took about a million pictures each. I’m not exaggerating. Each of us stood and smiled for pictures for 45 minutes after the presentation. </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZcxF1hAs9-_uBPpw4kFo9CS_9Fw1a8hckmY08xEfE4Y9HsplDHLvFHyqaStPBFnMgIYq8q9KbAmpu_7Y8XGZ0eFh-1C3Rpy0UiUZ5pPDK9ZukwXUQ57YHH5FPjasFsPUg7FOGewChbYV/s1600/26186_738021137768_20714801_42289936_190574_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZcxF1hAs9-_uBPpw4kFo9CS_9Fw1a8hckmY08xEfE4Y9HsplDHLvFHyqaStPBFnMgIYq8q9KbAmpu_7Y8XGZ0eFh-1C3Rpy0UiUZ5pPDK9ZukwXUQ57YHH5FPjasFsPUg7FOGewChbYV/s320/26186_738021137768_20714801_42289936_190574_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460662766913353778" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With our new ulos-ulos</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">While I was in Medan, I also got to visit Indonesia’s second largest alligator farm. Yikes. You could pay $3 to feed a live duck to one of the gators. While I secretly hoped someone else would want to do it, I decided to draw the line between watching someone else commit a violent act toward a duck and actually stepping up to do it myself. Especially since it was Easter, and I couldn’t help but think of those cute furry little yellow chicks.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEXgSsAUau_0fYXTl68bBMtpko4-1Jkz3D22GjKb-jHjg04ho4nXzmyZdsc4n8yzv0jbGrOBkgO8k5qKlrtObtuQ5MJtRcaYOeCTzsx9heTadOgLDXsjnUvtgpVZLtXCth5Dp-4zy37N/s1600/26186_738006766568_20714801_42289230_7276402_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpEXgSsAUau_0fYXTl68bBMtpko4-1Jkz3D22GjKb-jHjg04ho4nXzmyZdsc4n8yzv0jbGrOBkgO8k5qKlrtObtuQ5MJtRcaYOeCTzsx9heTadOgLDXsjnUvtgpVZLtXCth5Dp-4zy37N/s320/26186_738006766568_20714801_42289230_7276402_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460662761553685202" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hope someone fed him a duck earlier.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuyJ0gsfnVp7oloJC-lbov9jSInmuD4JbLLSro98v0dj95ymwOBMEmqAkvEdeACLqc83iZvO6Pbg0XsXl7foM3E-kn-EXo48WpSXw9UgEfLSDsawZcvIET2fmXKYAsLH6q-Aw_t5Ef5n2/s1600/26186_738006786528_20714801_42289232_2635098_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuyJ0gsfnVp7oloJC-lbov9jSInmuD4JbLLSro98v0dj95ymwOBMEmqAkvEdeACLqc83iZvO6Pbg0XsXl7foM3E-kn-EXo48WpSXw9UgEfLSDsawZcvIET2fmXKYAsLH6q-Aw_t5Ef5n2/s320/26186_738006786528_20714801_42289232_2635098_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460662755820589762" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The sign saying you can buy a duck for about $3</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and watch while an alligator eats it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also visited John’s school, which is a Catholic private school. While my students have a huge range of abilities (and we separate by 1-5 for ability), almost all of his students come from villages and struggle a lot more with the language. But my God, those kids loved to sing. In one class alone, I think I was serenaded by 7 different groups. They begged for us to sing, and I have such a hard time saying no to a group of shouting, eager students, even if I know my voice hardly resembles that of the Americans they see on television. John and I wowed them with what I’m sure was an inspiring duet rendition of “Hotel California.” One of his students even kissed me on the cheek, which is pretty shocking in Indonesia. The class screamed for about 10 minutes before calming down. The boy said he’ll never wash his lips again, and I felt guilty about not showering that morning. </span></span></span><!--EndFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMyLeplJcg563iAVg9u3QEsHMZMvxsjD7sdGw_zy5rE9NwLFkzXJcaLExmVOZnr3yxVkNH0SMXwt2chuj1nAQDBfbb2fm3-5t5cFnGjUVE4NjCs4pkJIkdv30lA-tSIEIyGXJA7TMUo1/s1600/26186_738006716668_20714801_42289222_318261_n.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMyLeplJcg563iAVg9u3QEsHMZMvxsjD7sdGw_zy5rE9NwLFkzXJcaLExmVOZnr3yxVkNH0SMXwt2chuj1nAQDBfbb2fm3-5t5cFnGjUVE4NjCs4pkJIkdv30lA-tSIEIyGXJA7TMUo1/s320/26186_738006716668_20714801_42289222_318261_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460662748593829394" /></a></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">One other note: at John’s Catholic school, the student uniforms consist of pants for the boys, knee-length skirts for the girls, and button-up t-shirts for everyone. My poor students have to cover every inch of skin from their ankles to their wrists, and they have to wear a wool vest and a tie on top of that. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Sumatra Conferences, Palembang version is May 7. My teachers are excited already, mostly to meet new “bules.” As dear little Sry says, “I am girl for who be flirty is a must!”</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-2050625542321188852010-04-08T05:10:00.001-07:002010-04-11T23:31:37.538-07:00Extra! Extra!<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ve been MIA from my blog for a while! Fortunately, I’ve been busy traveling, which means I’ll have lots to write about in the next few days. But first, I wanted to share these articles. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">First, from a conference in Medan last week (more coming on that later). This was published in the April 4 edition of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Waspada</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">: </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdZWnKpuOGNo7NwvI4XKvhhZXLo-FO7s4lUB7_ixie0ajdeu7MxBfkTyE2HuRrNKEn5uzgCikKqdXn5yDGgoeKs034yopWg-TLnItzM21rFDyxQQ-oVDa4wyR-NvtdsVrC9rl7QEh_PlW/s1600/IMG.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdZWnKpuOGNo7NwvI4XKvhhZXLo-FO7s4lUB7_ixie0ajdeu7MxBfkTyE2HuRrNKEn5uzgCikKqdXn5yDGgoeKs034yopWg-TLnItzM21rFDyxQQ-oVDa4wyR-NvtdsVrC9rl7QEh_PlW/s320/IMG.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459093681277149890" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The newspaper in Depok printed an article about Christine a few weeks ago which included quotations and facts that were completely fabricated. It’s not anything she was upset about; it’s just funny. The story basically explained how Depok had been such a struggle at first, and then she’d fallen in love with the city and its people. Hmm.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When I returned from the conference in Medan, the teachers said there had been an article about me in the April 6 edition of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sumatera Ekspres</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. My school took the pictures weeks ago, but I thought they were just for memory’s sake. The article even includes direct quotes from me in Bahasa Indonesian! (There’s no way I said those things. But I think given the opportunity, I might have said what they printed anyway, so all’s fair.)</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-aNcE1WF8rqp38IZaTUOHouPRRekTfYt601-NZvtEGXyOYL2yEbbd7al3MUFQ5im1nerJbpqjOu90F47dEgIcc3GbBmYqtXTg9WqIolBwivdfMtbebqEPOOEx5e0mgPAQs1JU9Hhd0DY/s1600/CIMG0444.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-aNcE1WF8rqp38IZaTUOHouPRRekTfYt601-NZvtEGXyOYL2yEbbd7al3MUFQ5im1nerJbpqjOu90F47dEgIcc3GbBmYqtXTg9WqIolBwivdfMtbebqEPOOEx5e0mgPAQs1JU9Hhd0DY/s320/CIMG0444.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459093671435485442" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sadly, while IGM has official school make-up and traditional costumes, we do not have a scanner. So you’ll have to settle for a picture. I’m feeling awfully special, given all this hot-off-the-press attention.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-4238735827716165282010-04-01T03:17:00.000-07:002010-04-01T03:34:12.162-07:00Hands On Disaster Response<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Since I’m not actually certified to teach in Indonesia, that means I’m exempt from giving grades or proctoring any tests. So when my students had their national exams last week, that meant I had a week of vacation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Christine and I threw around a few ideas. Maybe we’d go to Lombok and soak up the sun on the beach there. Maybe we’d do the Bali/Flores/Komodo/Rinca circuit and drop in on the Komodo Dragons. That option ended up being pretty far out of our budget. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When Paul, another ETA, emailed us all about a volunteer opportunity his girlfriend found in Padang, we scoured the organization’s web site (HODR.org), made plenty of phone calls back and forth, and decided it would be nearly impossible to find a better use of our time. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Two devastating earthquakes hit Padang right after my arrival in Palembang. Actually, an ETA was placed there, but AMINEF had to move him after the disaster. The first earthquake (magnitude 7.6) struck just off the coast at around 10:30pm on September 30. Four hours later, a second earthquake (magnitude 6.6) struck. The government estimates that more than 250,000 families have lost a family member, a job, or their homes because of the earthquakes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And so began our journey to Padang, where we spent a week with the crew of Hands On Disaster Response. The organization is an American-run non-profit. What’s especially unique about HODR is that as long as volunteers can find their own way to and from the sites, HODR provides the rest: namely, lodging and meals. Surprisingly, this is not how most other organizations are run. It can cost thousands of dollars to volunteer on large service projects. Of course, even for HODR, the money still has to come from somewhere… so they’re either spending it on the project itself or spending some of it supporting the volunteers. But it was the perfect fit for me and for a handful of other Fulbrights who came, too. We don’t have much money, but boy do we have spare time.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkD3kX_iE8-MLhlTShZtPE9zCajdejqPAGqt427-pMG_C6sK2mb_R4vbGv6AoODX_lOHdsypQF8XHqWl1o_iUVMYCPYCHV2u_Mb5dvzvE2mnBfMpC56VwfsSQeUgQ8Go5kcu0bkSJ_jua/s1600/25176_734618731218_20714801_42170127_7616527_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkD3kX_iE8-MLhlTShZtPE9zCajdejqPAGqt427-pMG_C6sK2mb_R4vbGv6AoODX_lOHdsypQF8XHqWl1o_iUVMYCPYCHV2u_Mb5dvzvE2mnBfMpC56VwfsSQeUgQ8Go5kcu0bkSJ_jua/s320/25176_734618731218_20714801_42170127_7616527_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455112312404099154" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fulbright love (minus Erica and Paul's gf Siobhan)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kalada, Paul, Carrie, Christine, Nicole, me</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">While my intentions for the week were good, my physical strength is less than desirable. Therefore, most of us were given the most tedious sort of jobs: Christine and I spent eight hours chinking the mortar off of salvageable bricks. Apparently, it’s not something we’d do in the US, because the cost of labor to chink far outweighs the price of new bricks. But since our labor was free, we chinked away. Chank away? Chunked? </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6RZ0xeUkN6sPsSNOXgDIPY9KYiFbQD1CaU5FGksXbBBYEy1ttl8aNT8fmnGYNqITG2lsBfl0CzGd97S2iW2lSB1XqQSylCFXxjpKsLu_lsROkwzL3nHQBQcDjMQsOZJj4huuYz4snO6M/s1600/25662_559743687060_5903727_32844839_1885915_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6RZ0xeUkN6sPsSNOXgDIPY9KYiFbQD1CaU5FGksXbBBYEy1ttl8aNT8fmnGYNqITG2lsBfl0CzGd97S2iW2lSB1XqQSylCFXxjpKsLu_lsROkwzL3nHQBQcDjMQsOZJj4huuYz4snO6M/s320/25662_559743687060_5903727_32844839_1885915_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455112305743870466" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Finish one brick. Set it down. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pick up another brick. Repeat.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We spent other days hanging chain link for frame support and nailing nailing nailing away at it. One day we installed signboards at a few local schools. HODR will put posters on them instructing the students and teachers about earthquake safety precautions. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Most of HODR’s efforts focus on deconstruction and salvage (knocking down destroyed homes, pulling away the debris, and saving what they can) and building temporary shelters for the families. The shelters are supposed to be used for 2-3 years, long enough to give the families time to save up the resources to build a stronger, larger home. Not surprisingly, though, most families will live in the shelters for 10-15 years or until they aren’t habitable anymore.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-IynZj2-apw9Jn9P2pPbG4NMBUvtYrGIE6BNPWAQTGcjDFGTaQms50-P-AWVogXMeYVhVAr24OWPt0A-v54l-r6VzaK3GSF4pFVWwwmpa9uwcXHsfE0acM7d5w-H0ZBcrRCnLYc8uRg2/s1600/25176_734618661358_20714801_42170117_7542444_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-IynZj2-apw9Jn9P2pPbG4NMBUvtYrGIE6BNPWAQTGcjDFGTaQms50-P-AWVogXMeYVhVAr24OWPt0A-v54l-r6VzaK3GSF4pFVWwwmpa9uwcXHsfE0acM7d5w-H0ZBcrRCnLYc8uRg2/s320/25176_734618661358_20714801_42170117_7542444_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455112301878957794" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The shelter's frame.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Isn't that some impressive chain linkage?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><br /></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When the name of the organization starts with “Hands On,” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised when all of the activities are just that. I know cool girls love camping and big dogs and stuff, but I like cats and hotels next to beaches. We slept on the floor on sleeping bags we brought with us (and an air mattress someone donated to our cause!), ate mostly rice for meals, shared two squat toilets between 30 people, and showered with just one bucket of water each day. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQn_KYmZYblnrh6KaCWnJNfkugkYE2FbPllnKoT7V1FLve4_tRgFM2MAqRtBmQgLi9ZxtrxtmYfgHM0lAx9plQE14jqfEfQuM4Q7jt55M1i01ED_Rvot3sMZoHqNHHSFcbfgnpxVWtgqQ/s1600/25176_734618736208_20714801_42170128_5403526_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQn_KYmZYblnrh6KaCWnJNfkugkYE2FbPllnKoT7V1FLve4_tRgFM2MAqRtBmQgLi9ZxtrxtmYfgHM0lAx9plQE14jqfEfQuM4Q7jt55M1i01ED_Rvot3sMZoHqNHHSFcbfgnpxVWtgqQ/s320/25176_734618736208_20714801_42170128_5403526_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455111817461087682" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Home sweet home</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That was an experience in and of itself. You filled up one large (a relative term, I assure you) with water from a big basin of rainwater. Then you carry that to one of three shower stalls and use a smaller bucket to pour the water on yourself. My personal method was to tackle my hair first, dunking my whole head into the big bucket, shampooing and rinsing at my leisure. Then I’d use the rest of bucket’s semi-dirty water to wash my body. Until someone caught me. This place had more rules than my local mosque.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL86CbnD9m7WPjBIMW9M4udaWwMJnO_xnOVgkwUPXOr59SEwG6yk3pWLTtLrFi4OQzlnCS5MK29RNLPQUHfuS-rodjBGAqu5k_oPktm2H09xk3uQ0wmg7zqa-UgjLYgh9cr7SpI1nxvidT/s1600/25662_559743417600_5903727_32844787_5067285_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL86CbnD9m7WPjBIMW9M4udaWwMJnO_xnOVgkwUPXOr59SEwG6yk3pWLTtLrFi4OQzlnCS5MK29RNLPQUHfuS-rodjBGAqu5k_oPktm2H09xk3uQ0wmg7zqa-UgjLYgh9cr7SpI1nxvidT/s320/25662_559743417600_5903727_32844787_5067285_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455111813192247106" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The big blue ones are the rainwater basins.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pink bucket is the big bucket.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Blue bucket on the basic is the small bucket.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div></div></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Are you putting your hands into the larger bucket?” someone asked.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Uh, kinda. I’m putting my head into it,” I answered.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You’re not allowed to put your hands into the large bucket, only the small one.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“What’s the difference? It’s not safe to drink or cook with anyway, right?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Yes, but that’s the rule. Only put your hands into the small bucket.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It happened again at dinner. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I spooned some rice onto my place, took some tofu, and grabbed an egg. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Oh, are you a vegetarian?” someone asked.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“No, I’m not.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Then you shouldn’t eat the eggs.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Oh, I can eat eggs. Don’t worry.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“No, not for you. The eggs are for vegetarians. The meat is for you.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“But the meat is fish in curry, and I don’t like fish.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No dice. Apparently while it’s not ok to put your hands in the big bucket of dirty rainwater, it </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">is</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> ok to touch an egg and then put it back on the community serving plate.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRojQg_UQYPfUrpj0Me1Ke59CohV0Y4FWY4KnUtfP3FuoNV_apYYZWWeBCqFtruUbHyp3_RzxSnEiyvMH1GLp3i2JZfCnxFPlsh0bTrUxdNJxCVM20jeMBa1jqL5ndidlfYQFd2CrCDSk/s1600/25176_734618716248_20714801_42170125_396576_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRojQg_UQYPfUrpj0Me1Ke59CohV0Y4FWY4KnUtfP3FuoNV_apYYZWWeBCqFtruUbHyp3_RzxSnEiyvMH1GLp3i2JZfCnxFPlsh0bTrUxdNJxCVM20jeMBa1jqL5ndidlfYQFd2CrCDSk/s320/25176_734618716248_20714801_42170125_396576_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455111804766310322" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fed up with my meat options, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I took matters into my own hands.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div></div></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The house supports up to 30 volunteers at one time; some came for a few days, and others stayed for months. At one point during my week, there were 31 volunteers representing 7 countries. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We left that house for one of four projects each morning at 7:30am, had a lunch break during the hottest part of the day from 11:30am - 1:30pm, and we came back to the house at around 4:30pm, literally right before it started getting dark. Lights out was at 10:00pm each night. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We worked hard, we really did. And each night we’d go to sleep feeling worn out, and we’d wake up feeling even more worn out, somehow. But it felt good, too. I believe that education is the key to economic and political change in Indonesia, but it can be so frustrating to be in a classroom every day, where you can never see anything change. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Each of us is here, I truly believe, because we care about these people and we want to make a difference. But our students often forget our lessons – even the fun ones!—after only a few weeks. Daily life can be so draining when you’re facing the same issues and the same challenges over and over again. But being in Padang was different: it was physical. It was real. We wanted to help, and so we did—right there, with our hands. To steal the words from Paul’s girlfriend Siobhan, “Being this kind of tired feels good.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Visiting the school was an especially challenging experience. You can see from my pictures what the grounds were like. The earthquakes destroyed the classrooms, and all classes are taught in temporary shelters for now. It almost felt like we were mocking them to put up a sign telling them about earthquake safety. “Oh hey—I see that the recent natural disaster has rendered your building useless, and I can’t offer you any actual help in terms of rebuilding since we work on homes, but here’s a sign telling you how to protect your building in an earthquake.” But at least it’s something. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMd-jqXiaINAmrSBATX9RMn_skc6Q-r_tYiMfaa2_Fs9NZtDgYKVx4ue62ZOMtz2wQIzE4JrWQwFgRFtsf01azamWHTljiQhyphenhyphenUBFy2fEWiwkbgc-gPE0_rkcyuq_gdeDXywTuWL3LTYwXW/s1600/25176_734618776128_20714801_42170136_1213423_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMd-jqXiaINAmrSBATX9RMn_skc6Q-r_tYiMfaa2_Fs9NZtDgYKVx4ue62ZOMtz2wQIzE4JrWQwFgRFtsf01azamWHTljiQhyphenhyphenUBFy2fEWiwkbgc-gPE0_rkcyuq_gdeDXywTuWL3LTYwXW/s320/25176_734618776128_20714801_42170136_1213423_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455111799693011346" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The temporary classrooms</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div></div></span></div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKE37DNQ7L_gF5m3AR2rTykc-qfKlrMzO9Cjn66s59VT3wM9X9hN7es3m_lfIKo0A6Ke9i4KKenHt2IKO3aVG-htDQ7WAjq4wzCfgidQcsJ4pQq7t8UArlSGYuioo4mV8vs1DLIWqZvcB/s1600/25176_734618786108_20714801_42170138_1150747_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKE37DNQ7L_gF5m3AR2rTykc-qfKlrMzO9Cjn66s59VT3wM9X9hN7es3m_lfIKo0A6Ke9i4KKenHt2IKO3aVG-htDQ7WAjq4wzCfgidQcsJ4pQq7t8UArlSGYuioo4mV8vs1DLIWqZvcB/s320/25176_734618786108_20714801_42170138_1150747_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455111792478913298" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Earthquake damage to the original school</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div></div></span></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The HODR project in Indonesia is actually just a few weeks away from closing. They already have a much larger relief effort in place in Haiti, and they’re going to put more of their resources there. They’ve already been in Padang for nearly five months. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m probably naïve and definitely ignorant in terms of disaster relief, but I don’t understand how more change hasn’t happened in Padang yet. It’s been </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">six months</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> since the earthquakes. Why are the doors to the school still wide open when any can walk in and risk serious injury from a collapsing ceiling or broken glass? Why is there still broken glass </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">on</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> the floor six months later? The houses were the same way. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The response from Indonesians was frustrating at times. Many of the families we helped were supportive and friendly; they brought us coffee and snacks throughout the day. But hardly any of them actually helped. They just sat outside and watched us. We visited with them during breaks and found out that most of them had no jobs. We invited them to help, but they politely declined and just kept watching. One of the Americans in charge of the project kept asking one of the Indonesian men whose home we were building to bring him a few long logs so he could support a wall; the house the family was living in was in serious danger of collapsing, and he wanted to make sure no one would be hurt before we were finished with the new shelter. Every day, the Indonesian man would smile and say, “Yes, tomorrow. Or later today. I’ll get them sometime.” And the American became so frustrated because he was trying to help but getting hardly any response, so the options were to let it go or to push it to the point of being rude or too demanding.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The saddest part of the whole experience was knowing that most of the damages might have been avoided. If the same earthquake were to happen in a more developed part of the world, the homes wouldn’t crumble like they did in Padang. So how can we communicate that idea—that cheaper isn’t always better, that structure is more than four walls and a roof, that when you live in this part of the world you have to be aware of these risks or you endanger lives? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What’s that quotation? Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat forever? Is that? You get the point.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You communicate those ideas teaching, I suppose. Explaining. Showing. Educating. Because even though my students cannot grasp even the concept of the past perfect tense, at least maybe they’re learning that there’s more world than they thought before. I certainly am. Oh, goodness, I came full circle, didn’t I? You know what feels even better than building a house? The feeling that what you’re doing—even if it’s often frustrating and confusing and can seem endless—is most definitely a solid step in the direction of what is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">right</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-20157774378161072242010-03-17T02:41:00.001-07:002010-03-17T03:55:21.200-07:00Bumpy buses and violent volcanoes<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As Christine put it, and I'm paraphrasing a little, "This is an endless summer filled with endless bus rides." So true.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One thing I am truly failing at here is spending time at the beach. Sure, I got placed in a city with no beach around, but that's no excuse. I've been on this archipelago comprised of thousands of islands for more than six months now, and I've only been on one trip to the beach? What's wrong with me? We had to fix that.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI3m80BA_QFtXiJLacUHnzo94mnX0wsL95dNHiQGbNhNtq4l0lAAl4FM9fHdNo5c6r9Cy_EP0k_ocMh3tYgkNgm4pRKndFzMhqZ4nGG2ipUv2giOfLG_-kBxyox9DaINr990Dkh21f4Bw/s1600-h/21569_1332177817101_1010683165_1015360_590548_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUI3m80BA_QFtXiJLacUHnzo94mnX0wsL95dNHiQGbNhNtq4l0lAAl4FM9fHdNo5c6r9Cy_EP0k_ocMh3tYgkNgm4pRKndFzMhqZ4nGG2ipUv2giOfLG_-kBxyox9DaINr990Dkh21f4Bw/s320/21569_1332177817101_1010683165_1015360_590548_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552484289753634" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">Rie made this. It's a reference to the fact</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">that our "four-hour" trip took seven.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">We arrived hungry, tired, and thankful</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;">we at least made it in time for the sunset.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So Christine and I planned a trip to Carita, as close as you can get to where the terrible Krakatau Volcano erupted more than a century ago.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Few volcanoes have as explosive a place in history as Krakatau, the island that blew itself apart in 1883. Turning day into night and hurling devastating tsunamis against the shores of Java and Sumatra, Krakatau quickly became vulcanology's A-list celebrity." The volcano sent ash 80 km into the sky and the explosion was heard more than 4600 km away. "Coastal Java and Sumatra were devastated: 165 villages were destroyed and more than 36,000 people were killed." -LP</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAR4pBJlpE3n-WAbG21dVaoMFT9jN2In_U2RJTBBaucqJWb5Lfl7cKpDY6n5d6HhLpYcHDHpKObn4dbXEgDWOrcuTmHWgByazLvdRsPcQ4yDP2GmZOONJH0S9sSjoCnjznjWSRdl28bxY/s1600-h/23737_724096452948_20714801_41853947_178623_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAR4pBJlpE3n-WAbG21dVaoMFT9jN2In_U2RJTBBaucqJWb5Lfl7cKpDY6n5d6HhLpYcHDHpKObn4dbXEgDWOrcuTmHWgByazLvdRsPcQ4yDP2GmZOONJH0S9sSjoCnjznjWSRdl28bxY/s320/23737_724096452948_20714801_41853947_178623_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552478875231170" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:";color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It doesn't look so scary now, does it?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Sadly, the waves were too high on the day we planned our boat trip to the actual volcano, and our guide said it wasn't safe to go. We were disappointed, but when Indonesians are even telling you something isn't safe, I think it's usually a good idea to trust them.</span></span></span></span></p><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;"> </span></span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So instead, we spent our time on the beach. The beach was a lot dirtier than other beaches I've been to, but the prices were a lot lower there too, so I suppose you have to take the good with the bad.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We watched movies on television, tried to sunbathe through the clouds (and got burnt), and Christine and I destroyed 4 kilos of rambutan in a single day.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Christine invited two of her friends from Depok to come with us. Traveling with Rie (of 'Parental Advisory on your Knees' fame) and Anas was a very different experience from traveling with a group of Americans. In general, Indonesians don't travel except to visit family.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The most notable difference was the constant (well-meaning) warnings about our clothes. "Please, please, please," Rie would say. "Do not wear a bikini. It is inappropriate. You will get many lust stares." Lust stares? He didn't even want us to wear shorts or tank tops, though most of the Indonesians at the beach were dressed casually.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The boys speak fluent English, and sometimes it's easy to forget we're we're from different countries... that is, until the cultural differences suddenly appear. One night at dinner, we asked Rie and Anas if they had girlfriends. Rie shook his head no, but said that he'd probably get married this year. "Get married? Haha... how? You don't have a girlfriend!" we said. Arranged marriage, he said. He shrugged. He's been fixed up three times already, but he decided he wasn't old enough then. He feels old enough now.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rie insists that the greatest pleasure in life is listening to Radiohead while sitting on a beach, pretending that the crashing waves and people walking by are part of some everlasting music video. He might be right. We did a lot of that:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtAlr_Ey4ofidbddyg9ecA1j94fLbWU1HJoGI32SnNKR6ExTQSr43keNxxfZ1KzRm9C8Fr8rrjFRjX87yg8H3X3zEGVVXjIAchdVEZjXlGztu2m6L3zHErQiXPbGoIXJjRUqV9WSP2DLk/s1600-h/19840_557937975720_5903727_32782855_478886_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtAlr_Ey4ofidbddyg9ecA1j94fLbWU1HJoGI32SnNKR6ExTQSr43keNxxfZ1KzRm9C8Fr8rrjFRjX87yg8H3X3zEGVVXjIAchdVEZjXlGztu2m6L3zHErQiXPbGoIXJjRUqV9WSP2DLk/s320/19840_557937975720_5903727_32782855_478886_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552472076685522" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And of course, Anas and Rie (like almost all other Indonesians) smoke. They tell us, "Smoking makes us healthier. That's why we live so long."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"But, Indonesians don't..." Umm, ok.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It's incredible how much the atmosphere clears up when you leave the big cities. The air in Carita smelled fresh and clean, not like in Palembang or Jakarta.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4zc_7yA7CSQsGB_OYWPev6xeLvCrfc-9cnmShRmz5rpe4bF2TBKRq_drNW8iSghyf45hQpY_GR79-5TjOwnym3PmefdnIZmfJArA5iAD4F2yHj60ZLcZjd05r3SGH4zsTUcpVuEssY2b/s1600-h/19840_557938010650_5903727_32782861_1679243_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4zc_7yA7CSQsGB_OYWPev6xeLvCrfc-9cnmShRmz5rpe4bF2TBKRq_drNW8iSghyf45hQpY_GR79-5TjOwnym3PmefdnIZmfJArA5iAD4F2yHj60ZLcZjd05r3SGH4zsTUcpVuEssY2b/s320/19840_557938010650_5903727_32782861_1679243_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449552466075107890" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">But it’s impossible to understand how good the sand feels between your toes until you can understand what it takes to get there. The bus rides in Indonesia are… well, impossible to put into words. If I had to try, I’d use smelly, loud, and dangerous. But I don’t have to, because I took a video. This honking and speeding continued for a solid four hours. My favorite part is the guy who attempts to wave the other vehicles away from the front window. At one point, our bus took off the mirror of another oncoming bus, but unfortunately, I wasn’t recording then. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination: none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Note: I've been trying to blog more often during the first half of this month, because I have next week off while the seniors at my school take their national exams. So I'm heading to Padang to volunteer for a week with a group of Americans. We'll be helping to rebuild after the earthquake. I'm not bringing my computer, but I'll be back in a little over a week.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> <div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; "></span></span></span><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AWEZrlLln4k&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AWEZrlLln4k&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-28366877784395544612010-03-16T09:12:00.001-07:002010-03-16T09:20:48.064-07:00No white man of mine!<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yesterday when I came into school, there was a picture sitting face-down on my desk. It was picture of a overweight shirtless man posing strangely with some sort of electronic device.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I asked one of the teachers what it was and why it was on my desk. "Well," she said. "There is a white man in the picture, so we thought it belonged to you. Maybe it is your father? Or your boyfriend?" They seemed embarrassed. "This is not my picture, I promise! This is not my picture!" I said. They just pursed their lips and turned away. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is not my picture:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQABH5nLZYZwfgNIy92hDAZJgapMN3mtOA3sajancDc0itjMHbkTw5QiUC6CTsmecFMbra69NgNvc0CKtVhfLLkj0DLh5bKU1_KsWWAVMlJGHPG4pXgk42R85vAN80TpxqLQBnIEHVTxs7/s1600-h/Photo+9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQABH5nLZYZwfgNIy92hDAZJgapMN3mtOA3sajancDc0itjMHbkTw5QiUC6CTsmecFMbra69NgNvc0CKtVhfLLkj0DLh5bKU1_KsWWAVMlJGHPG4pXgk42R85vAN80TpxqLQBnIEHVTxs7/s320/Photo+9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449265494349754546" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br />Also, please notice the (unusually arranged, to me) map behind my desk.</span><div><br /></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-18229431323749717002010-03-13T07:15:00.000-08:002010-03-13T07:58:17.694-08:00Photo Phriends<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Remember the group I celebrated the Chinese New Year with? With the exception of Yanti, Raj, and me, they’re all professional photographers. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(This is a good time to point out the unbelievable value placed on family portraits here in Indonesia. Every single home has dozens of gigantic professional photographs hanging all over. They might sleep three to a bed in a house without so much as a sink, but they will have 4’ by 3’ portraits looking down at you from the walls.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rully, a very sweet man with a very beautiful and equally sweet wife, is the ringleader. He built an impressive photo studio above his home, and every time I’ve visited, there have been at least a handful of aspiring photographers lounging around just watching him work. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rully and Anna and “the gang,” as they call their followers, speak hardly any English. But they love to laugh and force-feed me Indonesian cookies. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They all love that I was born in the Chinese year of the tiger. While it’s just something fun to think about in America, it holds a lot more significance here. They call me, “Katie macan manis dan cantik” or “Katie sweet and pretty tiger.” Ok, yeah, I like that a lot.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The first time we were all in public together, they were appalled at how strangers shouted at me, so they taught me the Indonesian phrase that means “My God, that is absurd,” and I say it as often as possible when I’m around them. It’s a lot easier to be funny here. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now when Anna and Rully forget I can’t understand them when they talk quickly using slang, I just shake my head and say gravely, “My God, that is absurd.” And it’s also a really terrific line for all those men who shout dirty words at me in the mall. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When Rully asked if he could have a photo shoot with me as the subject, I balked at the idea. “I am not a model!” I exclaimed. He said, “Sweet tiger, you are my little model.” And if there’s a woman who can resist that, she’s a stronger woman than I. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I agreed to hang out with a big group of them and let them take pictures. His wife dressed me up like a Barbie doll and did my hair and make-up. See was horrified that my curls went limp and stringy after ten minutes in the humidity. Welcome to my world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But we had a lot of fun. If it seems awfully conceited of me to post pictures of myself on here, I'm sorry. I feel weird doing it, but I want to share my happy memories, too.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlGgoMUkeykC65io_hYoTQUlJIB5OkeamAprxeB3im0lTghUvQRhTbQCACTFj6Jq_lLj5CYU6YpZ55D6FtKh64piWUEpApj_Wh7z2ekC3xo2JxygPeFMBvYyYj5my9Cixc3nDvF_viXfj/s1600-h/ART_1868.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZlGgoMUkeykC65io_hYoTQUlJIB5OkeamAprxeB3im0lTghUvQRhTbQCACTFj6Jq_lLj5CYU6YpZ55D6FtKh64piWUEpApj_Wh7z2ekC3xo2JxygPeFMBvYyYj5my9Cixc3nDvF_viXfj/s320/ART_1868.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448145400789359714" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48nif6ZwHtCTNEqOfTCS_3yruGcAyjRuaFVQLjslHao4fwJnn7PXGUjIj3Hyl-RH0ou9zLKWrexoilq90lLKR0T2bk2miFmCtgAr2g7thS0Xb44LBsjV_-OzjFROxhqIZaxx9jRcmtNVY/s1600-h/ART_1931.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48nif6ZwHtCTNEqOfTCS_3yruGcAyjRuaFVQLjslHao4fwJnn7PXGUjIj3Hyl-RH0ou9zLKWrexoilq90lLKR0T2bk2miFmCtgAr2g7thS0Xb44LBsjV_-OzjFROxhqIZaxx9jRcmtNVY/s320/ART_1931.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448143385929354530" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIrH2kp8ru2H3NbRx1Jh5D7ZJRyc2Ozd95CcjdglAULfSI0Tnd3Jw00FrFjcQdt6bjY69Z6tLCjN_gN4ZlO3hh7qBJv5KPWPEcVGu4jCHEELD8JZb5mgTnUc_444g_1RmXztVfBxtqc5_/s1600-h/ART_2029.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIrH2kp8ru2H3NbRx1Jh5D7ZJRyc2Ozd95CcjdglAULfSI0Tnd3Jw00FrFjcQdt6bjY69Z6tLCjN_gN4ZlO3hh7qBJv5KPWPEcVGu4jCHEELD8JZb5mgTnUc_444g_1RmXztVfBxtqc5_/s320/ART_2029.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448143375007068690" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Below is the photograph that prompted Rully to say, “Katie-Tiger, you laugh ugly.” Actually, I kind of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">look</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> like a tiger:</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eTTE5SOf6Wfh7lEVZOYSeUipNGUXwKnSOVFCJrmu94j_dlTJo-aBuVogn0xec49Kj2htzCl1CQ9mP9-EdA3YYR_IH2gyNDpWpbk5unCTMj4_I-1xs-Cp91LUvGkr4SpzFJARQRoi72Xb/s1600-h/ART_1949.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-eTTE5SOf6Wfh7lEVZOYSeUipNGUXwKnSOVFCJrmu94j_dlTJo-aBuVogn0xec49Kj2htzCl1CQ9mP9-EdA3YYR_IH2gyNDpWpbk5unCTMj4_I-1xs-Cp91LUvGkr4SpzFJARQRoi72Xb/s320/ART_1949.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448143361765062802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">At least I laugh </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">hard</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Rully has asked me about five times if I'd consider being his second wife, which is totally legal here. I'm 80% sure he's kidding. His wife always smacks him. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">He and his students took hundreds of pictures. Then they let me take some pictures of them, but they wouldn’t give those to me.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdNk8EFALLREiX2jDSSH4TdCFG7ZAS3TOw4rEGsV6f55P_4hNtCSUz-YKZKpMV4lTRch1GhOdWtN2gpNKZfnGAqQcJA2_35mUIKyKsHOPk1nwx9qS-xluJKn-h9O47rl-jokQpCtl_gtV/s1600-h/ART_2233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdNk8EFALLREiX2jDSSH4TdCFG7ZAS3TOw4rEGsV6f55P_4hNtCSUz-YKZKpMV4lTRch1GhOdWtN2gpNKZfnGAqQcJA2_35mUIKyKsHOPk1nwx9qS-xluJKn-h9O47rl-jokQpCtl_gtV/s320/ART_2233.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448143352650634210" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Say cheese.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Maybe they just didn’t want me to see how much better they are at photography. We took photos until it got too dark to take them anymore. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then I stopped being KatieTigerModel and went back to JustKatie:</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WnZShA2JeDT2Fd6jncoWpYpehi-cTLjxoLE1im7DGUy4eHK8MB6yvmi76rKrPSFYB6mBhm-lnvXsDiExyaN5V-tYYY6l4GxvejvAQW0HIyGwC-cOOqJ_Cx5xURDx21ske6yRRvEoQ6J7/s1600-h/ART_2194.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WnZShA2JeDT2Fd6jncoWpYpehi-cTLjxoLE1im7DGUy4eHK8MB6yvmi76rKrPSFYB6mBhm-lnvXsDiExyaN5V-tYYY6l4GxvejvAQW0HIyGwC-cOOqJ_Cx5xURDx21ske6yRRvEoQ6J7/s320/ART_2194.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448143347442338706" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:small;">Yup, this one was candid. That's me, all right.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They posted some of the photos on their Web page, and the response was insane. In fact, some people were offering to </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">buy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> the photos and pay me to model for them, but I said I thought one day of squinting without my glasses was probably enough for a while. My God, that is absurd. But so fun.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-22696285268817237382010-03-11T06:56:00.000-08:002010-03-11T07:24:34.036-08:00Haul-ih-dies<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That title is as close as I can come to a pronunciation of “holidays” with an Australian accent. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sometimes when I’m really bored, and I mean really bored, I like to try and write out phonetic spellings. But you have to be careful with that sort of thing, because nothing screams nerd more than someone finding out you’ve been doodling “beau-SIGH-russ” in your notebook. (Woot hometown!)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But that’s not the point. This is: most of the “bule” foreigners who come to Palembang, or Indonesia for that matter, are Australian. That’s a little exciting in itself, but sadly, they don’t come equipped with kangaroos and Fosters. Is that racist? Or country-ist? Probably. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, what happens is that quite a few of those Australians accept jobs at organizations like English First, and they teach English to Indonesians. Which means those Indonesians learn to speak broken English with an Australian accent. Like koalas, it’s actually adorable.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But I work with my teachers a lot on pronunciation, and this poses a unique problem. When they ask me why I say “holiday” differently than they do, do I correct them? I try to explain that just like natives in Palembang and Jakarta speak Indonesian a little differently, English speakers have different styles in America, in Australia, and throughout Europe. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Usually, they just want to know “If I ever go to America, how would I say this?” so I correct them. As though it’s not hard enough for them to learn English, they have to wade through all the different accents all their teachers are telling them to use. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This blog title is two-fold, actually. It occurred to me that I’ve completely skipped over telling you about two of the most fun experiences I’ve had in the classroom. Christmas and Valentine’s Day.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBcbueK5d_EBqSENyHMzC3vdbnuAO99GpnZ5DaPp9IB4idcBdbBeeavHt_Oc_d2l7ksdX-hI5Qyj8v5jfWtE1TdxlxQdL5QK0nrP2QPsC_zO5ktbMUhE7QpmljtMiZExiXMyYpxfNYoxc/s1600-h/22432_713820550938_20714801_41589608_546854_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBcbueK5d_EBqSENyHMzC3vdbnuAO99GpnZ5DaPp9IB4idcBdbBeeavHt_Oc_d2l7ksdX-hI5Qyj8v5jfWtE1TdxlxQdL5QK0nrP2QPsC_zO5ktbMUhE7QpmljtMiZExiXMyYpxfNYoxc/s320/22432_713820550938_20714801_41589608_546854_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447394016028770642" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Merry Christmas from SMA LTI IGM Grade 11 Level 1!</span></span></span></div></span><div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The headmistress at my school said I was free to teach about Christmas as long as I didn’t “get into the religion stuff too much.” Well, ok. I’m not one of those Christians who says you have to be religious to celebrate Christmas. Just love cheerfulness and carolers and Santa and tiny men dressed in green? Hey, deck the halls!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Still, I didn’t think I would be doing Christmas justice if I didn’t at least mention that Christians celebrate Christmas because they believe it’s Jesus’s birthday, just like Muslims celebrate Muhammad’s birthday in February. That was it—just one sentence. My students were visibly uncomfortable with me talking about it, though, which was frustrating. I wasn’t preaching, I was just explaining WHY. Oh, well. In every class, I mentioned it, and then we moved on. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I brought back a bunch of Christmas-y things from my trip home in December, and the kids loved it. In each class, we decorated a paper tree. I gave everyone a paper cutout of Santa Claus and a candy cane. We danced and sang to the 12 Days of Christmas, and we played Christmas pictionary with the news words they’d learned. And what Christmas is complete without writing a letter to Santa?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was one of the most fun lessons I’ve taught, and the students had a lot of fun. They were truly appalled, however, with the concept of mistletoe. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Miss Ketty!,” they cried. “YOU HAVE TO KISS EVERYONE YOU WALK UNDER A DOOR WITH?!” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Well, you don’t </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">have</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to,” I explained. “It’s just for fun.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They raised their eyebrows at me.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Valentine’s Day was almost as fun. I was a little worried about the reception I’d get, especially after the Islamic Council in Palembang condemned the holiday as a “pagan, dangerous” tradition. The students, however, knew about it, and they loved it. We talked a little history, and we played a bunch of games.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The most pervasive misconception I’ve seen here is that Valentine’s Day is only for couples. “Miss Katie, how will you celebrate the holiday alone?!” I explain that Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic love, it’s also about celebrating love between friends and family. And for some of us, it’s just a good excuse to cover everything in pink hearts.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I gave all the teachers big foam hearts I’d cut out with “Happy Valentine’s Day! Love, Miss Katie” written on them and a few heart candies attached. I was especially nervous about that, but every one of them—even the religion teachers—was genuinely excited. Strangely, they thought the hearts were mousepads, and now they’re all using them next to their computers.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My students are overwhelmingly, heartbreakingly dramatic, but it leads to some of the cutest moments. Like the girl who asked, “Miss Ketty, am I allowed to ask Santa to bring me true love?” The simple answer: of course. You can ask Santa for anything.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">At Thanksgiving, I gave them pictures of a turkey that had big, empty spaces for feathers and had them write six things they were thankful for. One girl wrote, “I am thankful for my ex-boyfriend, even though he broke my heart into one million pieces and now I am broken and alone forever.” Jeez.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I said, “Maybe you could say, ‘I’m thankful that now I’m single and I can meet an even greater boy?” She politely said, “No, thank you.” But I just felt bad. “You know, we say ‘boys suck.’“</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She perked up. “Boys suck? Do boys suck in America, too?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Boys suck all over the world,” I said. “But I think that maybe boys suck the most in high school. They get a little better after this.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She smiled. She turned to her friend and said what might be my favorite words from this whole fellowship: “Ketty says boys suck, no matter what color they are.” See? Don’t tell me I’m not making a difference.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Valentine’s Day happened to be the same day as Imlek, the Chinese New Year. Chinese people in Indonesia have only been legally been allowed to celebrate the holiday for a decade or so. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Before heading out to watch the celebration in Palembang with our ultra-hip photographer friends, Raj, Yanti, and I had a Valentine’s dinner at my house. There we were: a Muslim, a Hindu, and me, having a candlelit dinner before going to celebrate the Chinese New Year on Valentine’s Day. That has to come pretty close to what this is all supposed to be about.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Chinese New Year was absolutely incredible. The cloud of incense is nearly enough to make you choke, but seeing the colors and fires and masses of people makes it worth it. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGqAiqNDH5yBdiZqMiIV5VvfXfdralp6CkDF7AM8ncFbbUl7SlHQrzwbysTQrBRLDhlKO-j5YN3g3KaMGkanN_h7ZO4SzZGlhifx0QdGkpY83DVr6tmhu3YHkgTJNf6OxPmi580Jm3QFH/s1600-h/DSCN6893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGqAiqNDH5yBdiZqMiIV5VvfXfdralp6CkDF7AM8ncFbbUl7SlHQrzwbysTQrBRLDhlKO-j5YN3g3KaMGkanN_h7ZO4SzZGlhifx0QdGkpY83DVr6tmhu3YHkgTJNf6OxPmi580Jm3QFH/s320/DSCN6893.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447392998866240290" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sadly, I don’t really know what most of them were doing when they waved the incense back and forth and walked really fast around the temples. I was with Indonesians, most of whom don’t celebrate Imlek, and I would have felt rude interrupting someone to ask. But I know this: the Chinese New Year involves paying a small amount of money for a whole lot of golden papers and sticks of incense, which you promptly set aflame. </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoBDKvqT1JptIYn1IUH8zRuza337A7GIEzVhhsBlCGd2syy4404Ra_sHx8hv6lp4wR4rVXyqatKJ_2fNqq_GaH-wO4W7sA7K_EFiQ2jjqSbIZ9A-jW_Z82u4TerTEiSdHUM23od9gcaeB/s1600-h/23737_724069367228_20714801_41853065_7053951_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoBDKvqT1JptIYn1IUH8zRuza337A7GIEzVhhsBlCGd2syy4404Ra_sHx8hv6lp4wR4rVXyqatKJ_2fNqq_GaH-wO4W7sA7K_EFiQ2jjqSbIZ9A-jW_Z82u4TerTEiSdHUM23od9gcaeB/s320/23737_724069367228_20714801_41853065_7053951_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447392987766504770" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"></span></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My flash decided to take a nap. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">People weren't really moving quite this fast.</span></span></div></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And I know that it’s very, very good luck if it rains on the eve of the holiday.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Of course, it’s rained nearly every single day here for the past five months.)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Luckily, that night was no different.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But this time, when a light rain began to fall, people cheered and danced out into the drops like they were being coated in good luck and prosperity.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">At one point, some men lit a huuuuge number of gigantic candles.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They gave off so much heat you couldn’t even stand within ten feet of them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This was the point at which Yanti turned to me and said, “Man, I’m glad my religion doesn’t do anything pointless like this.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Cough, cough.</span></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaBbUnAz621On46U6LdLTYZgSC1In_q7xoCLwwZKjL_ZhAkQDXaV85z0gObIPf8Mk-4rLz1FePaXTniraLxEUVfitLjSdC9PHNJ6Mk4x04dH4LOBw_6MhGkzmmMUaTaQHUADqtSgp2oJc/s1600-h/23737_724069327308_20714801_41853057_3535132_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaBbUnAz621On46U6LdLTYZgSC1In_q7xoCLwwZKjL_ZhAkQDXaV85z0gObIPf8Mk-4rLz1FePaXTniraLxEUVfitLjSdC9PHNJ6Mk4x04dH4LOBw_6MhGkzmmMUaTaQHUADqtSgp2oJc/s320/23737_724069327308_20714801_41853057_3535132_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447392979331390098" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">These are the gigantic candles just before they started melting my face.</span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Hanging out with the photographers was terrific, too. By virtue of their profession, they tend to look at everything in a way that is the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">most</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. The </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">most</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> beautiful scene, the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">most</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> natural moment. It’s an infectious way of thinking. I may not know much about f-stops and shutter speed, but I found myself saying to Raj, “God, just look at this.” </span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Qbc7p9nAEgVRTUO8EDgoiQUsfyR9_yAs16r3-NJCXW_Y1pkO9a0DXgU_zxq_kQ-X-5jarKEIvNfYonVLZbNkk0zotVYN-b6RpkOniVcprpe86W7HkifjJQ_emu3SorQ3MfPNOIoznu0/s1600-h/23737_724069312338_20714801_41853054_544252_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9Qbc7p9nAEgVRTUO8EDgoiQUsfyR9_yAs16r3-NJCXW_Y1pkO9a0DXgU_zxq_kQ-X-5jarKEIvNfYonVLZbNkk0zotVYN-b6RpkOniVcprpe86W7HkifjJQ_emu3SorQ3MfPNOIoznu0/s320/23737_724069312338_20714801_41853054_544252_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447392975005090242" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I can't help but love this bridge.</span></span></div></div></span></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Good-luck rain was falling, lights were on everywhere, we were dodging cheap fireworks left and right, and one of the most perfect parts of the whole night is that I was sharing it with Indonesians, for the first time standing </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">with</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> them as outsiders. My life lately has consisted of teaching Indonesian people about American customs or listening while they teach me about Indonesian customs. But for once, we were both learning.</span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FFGpn2spnZUPEiuRg7O0omnzvc_RluSgV3WAVlFPiHcRafUiN7wc08lFcIZeyu-CyNWPECh6ir-Gkc4Nc_dQAPnqoLRy9ohRG08tNDiuYdlxmYxijHzvd_12-Mcbh92fGAPy74LkjzVO/s1600-h/19446_1392469291097_1213100115_2260262_4226607_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8FFGpn2spnZUPEiuRg7O0omnzvc_RluSgV3WAVlFPiHcRafUiN7wc08lFcIZeyu-CyNWPECh6ir-Gkc4Nc_dQAPnqoLRy9ohRG08tNDiuYdlxmYxijHzvd_12-Mcbh92fGAPy74LkjzVO/s320/19446_1392469291097_1213100115_2260262_4226607_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447392964563206818" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The photographers let me draw names for the door prizes.</span></span></div></div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">2010 marks the Year of the Tiger. And you know who was born in the Year of the Tiger? Me. Rawr. I’m back in my element. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></div>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-55657904382116882392010-03-08T04:49:00.000-08:002010-03-08T04:56:12.332-08:00South Sumatra Shines<div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One morning, I woke up to a text message that said, “URGENT! EMERGENCY! HELP!” It was from Professor Chuzai, the Ball State alumni/sweet adoptive Indonesian mother of mine. It didn’t occur to me until after I had already texted back, “What happened?! How can I help you?!” that this probably wasn’t an actual emergency. I’m about the last person someone like Professor Chuzai would contact in the event of a legitimate crisis. I have no transportation, and if, for example, someone’s leg was mangled in a violent car crash, the best I could do would be to tell the doctor, “Help. My friend’s foot is sick.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It didn’t take long to figure out that this wasn’t just any old catastrophe. It was one I am uniquely equipped to handle: it was an English Emergency. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I often help Professor Chuzai edit scholarly articles for a journal she publishes. In fact, you will probably be quite impressed to learn that I am officially an esteemed (free) “editor” of LINGUA: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra, or Lingua: The Journal of Language and Literature. A few times, the Governor of the South Sumatran province (the equivalent of a US governor) has asked Chuzai to write speeches for him, and I’ve rewritten the English and punched up the phrasing a little. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This time, however, the Governor’s people had contacted Chuzai just that morning and told her she needed to have a speech written for him by the afternoon. It was a pretty standard theme, just outlining the Governor’s major programs for the three remaining years of his term. The catch, however, was that he was going to be giving this speech in front of many ambassadors to Indonesia, including the United States Ambassador. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was still in my pajamas when she arrived at my house and pulled out her laptop. (I did at least throw on a sweatshirt so as not to alarm anyone with my naked shoulders.) First, we went over her PowerPoint slides one by one. Then she showed me what she’d written of the speech. Which was less than half. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I was sort of hoping you could just write the rest,” she said.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m no speechwriter, but I’ve watched an awful lot of The West Wing lately, so I felt at least somewhat qualified. Some of the translations were really awkward. For example, the theme for the South Sumatran province for 2013 was written as “South Sumatra Bright;” it’s the final year of the Governor’s term. I suggested something more along the lines of “South Sumatra Shines.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chuzai took it to the Governor. He loved it. Ok, it was one word, and I didn’t even come up with the idea, but it’s getting printed on banners, and that is awfully cool.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I wrote the rest of the speech using the PowerPoint as a guideline. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but I have to admit, I was pretty proud of it considering I’d only had a few hours to work with. Chuzai left immediately and said she’d let me know when the speech was. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It turns out it was at 7 o’clock the next night, and Chuzai texted that the Governor “really liked the speech.” I invited Raj to come with me. He beat me to the Griya Agung Palace, and I knew I was in for an experience when I got his text as I was pulling in: “Dude, I’m pretty sure I’m not supposed to be here.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Dude, he wasn’t kidding. The place was crawling with important people. (Although we were definitely allowed to be there. It was certainly invitation-only, though.) We sat with the former Columbian Ambassador to Indonesia, at a table next to the Mexican and South African Ambassadors. Sadly, the US only sent the Deputy Ambassador, but I’ll take what I can get. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We were wined and dined before the presentations began. (Ok, not exactly </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">wined</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">… this is still a Muslim country, after all.) They served real lasagna! I had to remind myself that that’s not actually an American food. Then the speeches began, and I could hardly believe what was happening.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That PowerPoint, which seemed so small on an 11” laptop in my empty living room, was suddenly being projected onto two huge screens to a room of important people who listened and watched and nodded and clapped and took it very seriously. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When the Governor began his speech, I swear I almost fell off my chair. Perhaps my life is a little lacking in the pleasure department right now, but I think it might have been the highlight of my fellowship. I knew what he was saying! Because I had written it! Those were </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">my words</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> he was reading! </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I wrote them!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Afterwards, I got to meet the Ambassadors and the members of the Indonesian Parliament, and they were all very nice and welcoming. Chuzai introduced me to Governor Alex Noerdin as the person who had helped write his speech, and he said, “Well, Katie, we’re very lucky to have had you here.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I am </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">so happy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> that I am here,” I said. And that was absolutely the honest-to-God truth.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm0OMbRnf29prYF23Bklr0_xK_wPgAM1dBUVuUNNcczsVRiTeQNYZdP9Pahelo1bBbQkKsQut6v_ijT1hZr6BWai1BJXYlGGr4Z2z8qnnxx_dDuijkXvE13oNWiRFsARzoM8iKqvPCq1F/s1600-h/DSCN6899.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzm0OMbRnf29prYF23Bklr0_xK_wPgAM1dBUVuUNNcczsVRiTeQNYZdP9Pahelo1bBbQkKsQut6v_ijT1hZr6BWai1BJXYlGGr4Z2z8qnnxx_dDuijkXvE13oNWiRFsARzoM8iKqvPCq1F/s320/DSCN6899.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446245376109973250" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ted Osius, me, Raj</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Go Team America.</span></span></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span></span>Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-70383906673354702222010-03-05T05:39:00.001-08:002010-03-05T05:43:03.699-08:00Smile When You're Lying<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sometimes I like to imagine myself as a sort of travel writer, although admittedly one who only writes about one country and whose pieces lean toward self-centered. Fine, so they're all about me. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I read a </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">lot</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> here. I read so much I don’t want to tell you how many books I’ve finished for fear you’ll think I’m shutting myself inside my house. I’ve been knocking back a novel a day lately, so you do the math.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I just finished Chuck Thompson’s </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Smile While You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. While I get the feeling that Thompson tries really hard to be a hard-ass Anthony Bourdain sans foodtalk, I still really enjoyed his book. He claims that in all the professional travel writing he’s done, his bosses have forced him to leave the most fascinating parts of his stories on the editing room floor. So after creating and nearly killing Travelocity.com’s magazine (Have you heard of it? Nope? Exactly.) and working for years at Maxim and other assorted rags, he decided to write a book, talking about the truth behind his decades of travel. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sometimes, in writing as in life, I have to bow to the powers that be and admit that there are people who can do what I do much better than I can do it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">One issue I’ve really been wrestling with is the question of whether or not I have to love every place I visit. If I just don’t like a place, is that because I’m not trying hard enough? Am I not adventurous/spontaneous/brave enough? Thompson says no.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Like being a sports fan, one of the best things about being a traveler is complaining about the parts you don’t like—hating the Dallas Cowboys not only doesn’t make me any less a football fan, it probably makes me a more avid one. This is a concept the travel industry has never embraced.” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yeah! I can love the places I love and hate the places I hate and my feelings are only more credible because beyond all of that is the fact that I really, truly love the game—traveling, learning, exploring—so much, right? I think it’s unfair, of course only a challenge I’ve given myself, to want to fall in love with every city I see. But it’s a comforting thought to me that maybe knowing what I don’t like and being able to recognize it and defend it only reinforces what I do know and love.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">If you read a travel article, and usually most travel books, each one tends to end with a Perfect Moment. It’s that instant when the narrarator is standing with his toes in the sand, watching the sun set with his new native friends, when he suddenly realizes blah blah blah. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In fact, if you love books about traveling as much as I do, I think there’s a lot of pressure put on Perfect Moments. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“The trouble with Perfect Moments is that they never come at the end of a trip. They come somewhere in the middle. Or the beginning. As a travel writer, you get to cheat. Rearrange chronology. Take your Day Two dinner with the college kids and turn it into the last paragraph, your final hurrah. It’s fake, of course, but so is a lot of travel writing, so what’s the difference?”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am truly so happy that I made the decision to come to Indonesia this year. I don’t mean to negate that at all, but I’m not sure how to eloquently explain that all of the unbelievable joys are sewn together with the day-to-day frustrations and challenges. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Thompson taught ESL in Japan for a year right after he graduated from college. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“If a school were ever set up to teach travel writing, a year of menial work overseas would be the first required course. If nothing else, living among foreigners shows you that every society produces dreck. Nothing beats the dilettante out of a soul quite like the discovery that you can still be miserable living in an exotic and beautiful place.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am not miserable by any means. In fact, until the robbery last week, I would even venture to say that I was </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">very happy</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">. But I love that last sentence. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Thompson only briefly mentions Indonesia, calling Jakarta </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“one of the great sprawling shitholes of Asia, a reeking mess of poverty, traffic, smog, crime, corruption, and filth. Bursting with people who somehow maintain a bulletproof optimism in the face of decay, disorder, and daily tragedy, [this is a] frenetic, slum-city, where anything, from blow jobs to military coups, can happen at any time. [A city] that you love just slightly more than you loathe.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is one of the points where I disagree with Thompson, though only slightly. Within Indonesia, and especially among foreigners living here, it’s very popular to dislike Jakarta. People complain about the size, the traffic, the pollution, etc. But I love Jakarta. Honestly, it rivals the beach areas as my favorite part of Indonesia. I am frustrated by people who say they only want to see the “real” Indonesia. Big, ugly cities are much a part of the real Indonesia as ancient villages and traditional woodwork. I think I may always be drawn more to tall buildings than to sprawling pieces of land, but it was Jakarta, in the beginning, in my first trip out of Palembang, that calmed my nerves and reminded me that I was indeed still in this world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“In terms of teaching English to foreigners, Thompson says,</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> “Like most institutionalized instruction, teaching English in a foreign country is ‘easy’ because by and large the requirements and expectations are so low, but it’s also ‘hard’ because it’s nearly impossible to remain interested in the task. It’s like trying to stay intellectually engaged for an entire afternoon with someone else’s six-year-old. Then going home to a dingy apartment and wondering what the hell you’re doing wasting your life in a country where no one will ever really know you.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So he’s a little bitter. But he’s definitely more right than wrong. And he’s allowed to say bad things about his year teaching in Japan because he’s had so many unbelievably successful, enjoyable trips since then. Perhaps someday I’ll look back and say, “Oh, man. Do you remember Indonesia? Wasn’t that about the hardest year of my life?’ But for now, since this is all I have (along with one short summer in Mexico), I’m clinging to the good parts and rejoicing in the Perfect Moments I do have.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-4809022291278242502010-03-04T06:40:00.000-08:002010-03-04T06:49:00.272-08:00Recovering<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I need to preface this blog by saying that my power is out for the third straight night in a row, and I am melting.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Literally, I think my face is falling off.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am not a sweaty person.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ll be honest—some days I forget to wear deodorant in the US and I don’t even notice.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Not here.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I literally can’t even keep my glasses on my face; they keep sliding down with the sweat, and I have to wipe off the top of my nose and push them back up again.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It’s been a little over a week since My Awful Incident, and things are going relatively well.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I thought I’d give a little update.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The most frustrating part of the whole thing is that so many Indonesians want to blame me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Surely you were not holding your bag correctly.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“A good woman is never out that late at night.” (It was 8:30pm.)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You shouldn’t ride on a motorcycle downtown anyway.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Actually, I think what I interpret as insulting is another example of a cultural difference.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Don’t you hate that that keeps happening?!)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Indonesians, as most of my more understanding friends explained, need to have something to blame in instances like this.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Most Americans I told about the robbery had a similar reaction to me: Oh, god.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That really sucks.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I hope you can get your stuff back or get new stuff as soon as possible.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This is a yet-unresolved theory about Indonesians, though.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> I hope it doesn't sound rude. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But my friends even explained that you can see the same idea in many of the natural disasters or deaths that happen here.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A lot of Indonesians say things like, “Why did God do this to us?” all the time.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some good things have happened because of the robbery, though.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The sweet Ball State alumni couple (who are currently professors at the University of Swirijaya) has taken me out to eat three times in the last week alone.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And not only that, but… hold your breath… they loaned me one of their tvs!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am thrilled.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I only have about 7 channels, and they’re all in Indonesian, but I heard they broadcast an English news program at 9am every weekday.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Unfortunately, I haven’t been home at 9am on a weekday yet, but I’m looking forward to when I will be.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chuzai and Diem (the BSU couple) are unbelievably sweet and understanding.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The whole incident has really highlighted how little my school has given me compared to other ETAs, though.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They say considering how much money IGM has, it’s ridiculous how little I’ve been given.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m trying not to complain, but… well, I’m using my blog as my one free pass.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">For example, my new television just sits on the ground, because I literally have no place to put it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I asked my school for a spare desk or a stool or something, and they said they’ll check next week.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The Diems called me and said they were bringing dinner over one night, and I said that would be great, but I don’t have a table.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You don’t have a table?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Where do you eat?”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Well, honestly, either sitting at my desk or in bed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No problem, they said, we’d eat on the floor.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I didn’t know they were bringing two of their grandchildren along, either.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They asked for plates, and I had to hem and haw and say, “I actually only have three plates.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ve never needed more than two at once.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No problem, again, they said.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We’ll just eat on newspaper and assorted cartons.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The phone Yanti loaned me must have some degenerative teledisease or something, because it was constantly just shutting off.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I needed to buy a new one.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My school said they put in a request to “The Foundation” to help me buy a new phone, and they said I should hear whether or not they would be willing to help within a month, probably.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I politely said that I would just buy my phone myself and they could let me know later if they were willing to help.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But then one of the teachers at my school said she knew a guy who had a phone I could use.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She said it quietly, and it all sounded very mafia-like and dangerous.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And as it turned out, it really might have something to do with the mafia.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Or maybe just theft?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I honestly have no clue about the phone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was raining really hard, and Ida (the teacher) and I took a bus all the way into downtown Palembang, where we met her friend in an empty covered bus stop.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(Note: I had my bookbag with me, so I wore it on my front the whole way and wobbled around like an oompa loompa.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was constantly giving slitty-eyed stares to everyone who eyed it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My plan was to slash them with my keys and run like the wind if anyone tried to touch me.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So we met Ida’s friend in the bus stop, where he presented me with a brand new phone like the one I’d had stolen, even sealed in the original box!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was impressed and grateful.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I offered to pay him, but he refused and just asked that I return it to him before I leave in May.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then he lowered his voice and said not to mention where I’d gotten the phone to anyone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No problem.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ll just post the story on the internet.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oops.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Anyway, I said, “It’s not, like… stolen… is it?”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They laughed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After that, the man invited us to his home, which was just steps away from the bus stop, behind his family’s cell phone shop.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ahh, so I see.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I think he took it from his family’s business, but I guess he’s allowed to, since he owns it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I figured the least I could do was buy some minutes from them.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">His mom asked what kind of phone I used.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Uhhhh… Nokia.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This one.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I held it up.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She smiled and nodded.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This one that is exactly like the one you sell in your store! I wanted to yell.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But I don’t get a lot of easy breaks here, so I was willing to take just this one.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">After all, I’m trying to survive two weeks on less than $100.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It’s really not too hard except that I need to pay my utilities, so I’m just avoiding the bills until I hopefully get my new ATM card next week in the mail.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My GOD it is so hot in this house.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had my legs crossed but the one on top just kept getting too sweaty and sliding off.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Writing by the light of my laptop… that has some sort of romantic-meets-modern feel to it, right?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Like I said, the power has been going out like crazy lately.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’m not sure why—it rains every day, but not any more than normal.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It hasn’t been a lot hotter than normal lately, either.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yesterday I got home from school and the power was out, so I opened the door and sat inside the house, reading a book and leaning against the side of the frame.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was startled, however, when a homeless woman just walked right into my house and started grabbing at the most recent box my mom sent me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You know what was in that box?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Diet Mountain Dew.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And I think we’ve already covered how I feel about that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I tried shooing the woman out, but she was persistant.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Perhaps you’re like me before I came to Indonesia: when I thought of “homeless,” I thought of words like weak, desperate, and sad.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Some of those are close, but homeless people in Palembang are pushy.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She started grabbing my food and trying to fill her arms with as much as she could. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I thought about feeding her, but she’d come to my door once before, and my neighbor came over and steered her away, telling me never to feed her or talk to her.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Great, now she was in my house.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So I just explained that my mom would be very sad if I gave away all the food she sent me, and I miss my mom very much so that box was very important to me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She was undeterred and tried just shoving her way in.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Luckily, I was stronger, so I just sort of pushed her out the door and shut and locked it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yikes.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Never have guilt, fear, and frustration sat so close in my heart.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She even left dirt marks where she touched my skin.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had a second visitor that day, too.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was sitting at my desk when someone knocked at the door.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was pretty late, too, so I was surprised.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I opened it to find a tiny, yet admittedly beautiful, Asian woman dressed in a bright yellow outfit.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I literally had to look down to find her she was so small.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She smiled up at me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I come for you.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Uhm, excuse me?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Yes, I come for you.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Her nametag—I wouldn’t make this up—literally said HAPPY on it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">No company, just Happy.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I’m pretty sure you have the wrong house,” I said.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">As it turned out, she was from the internet company, coming to check on a connection problem I’d called about weeks ago.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then I felt really guilty for thinking she was a hooker.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Apparently all my internet equipment got struck by lightning, and they had to replace it.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It gave me a good reason to avoid paying the bill until next week, though.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So one week after what might go down as one of the worst days of my life, I’m doing ok. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have a new phone.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ve recovered most of my numbers.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have a new tv.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My cards are on their way.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I made spare house keys of my own and put a whole bunch of new locks on my door.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Maybe another week and I’ll be ready to stop sleeping with a knife next to my bed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Although if this heat continues and I can’t turn on a fan soon, I’m just going to be sleeping under my cold shower, knife or not.</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332808585796753651.post-91665217195590741212010-02-26T22:04:00.001-08:002010-02-27T06:39:09.752-08:00"Mom? They took everything."<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The flash on my digital camera hadn’t been working very well, so after Christmas Mom sent me back with one of her old cameras.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I loaned it to my Indonesian friend Yanti for a family visit she’d recently made, and I met up with her on Wednesday night to get it back.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Luckily, she’d forgotten to bring it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The night was pretty typical.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti picked me up at my house, we ate some surabi for dinner, and then we met up with some more friends at the mall.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I told her my dad was calling me at 9pm, so I needed to be home by then.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We started toward my house at 8pm, but then another friend called and wanted us to meet her at a restaurant on the way.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We decided to stop by 15 minutes.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now I see this moment as the fatal mistake. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We left the restaurant at 8:30pm, not knowing I’d been spotted and two Indonesian men were following me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Police later went back and talked to some people at the restaurant, and they all confirmed they’d seen the men watch me and leave moments after I did.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I said, “Why didn’t you tell me?!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Why didn’t you say something?!”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They said, “Everyone watches bules.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Everyone follows you.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Ok, touché.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was riding behind Yanti on her motorcycle.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ve had dozens of people warn me about thefts in Palembang, so I did what I always do: I put my purse in between our bodies on the seat, I wrapped the strap around my wrists, and I held onto it with my hands.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti and I like to sing when we ride her motorbike home at night.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now I think about those men watching us, singing and laughing.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Baby, are you down down down dooowwn…”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Apparently they were down to steal my stuff.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The other motorbike pulled up very, very close to us, but just behind Yanti’s field of vision.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The man in front drove and the one in back grabbed onto my purse with both of his hands.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I shrieked and tried pulling back.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We both yanked on it for a few seconds, but they had more strength and the element of surprise on their side.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then they sped off.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Their motorbike didn’t have a license plate on it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti saw what was happening when I started to scream.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She is a strong, independent woman, and she just collapsed when she saw what was happening.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was screaming, “FOLLOW THEM!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">FOLLOW THEM!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">EVERYTHING I OWN IS INSIDE THAT BAG!”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(I have a flair for the dramatic.)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But Yanti couldn’t even control the bike.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Thankfully, she was able to pull it to a stop before she started sobbing and screaming.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was really strange the way everything happened.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had these split-second changing emotions.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">At first when I felt the man’s hands on mine, I thought “Oh, my friends must have followed me home and they’re playing on joke on us!”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Then I realized what was happening, and I immediately thought, “Why would someone want to do something mean to me?”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was just a second, but this feeling just washed over me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Confusion.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Why would someone want to do something mean to me?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In the next second, a weird calm just took over.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chasing them now wouldn’t do any good.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My stuff was gone.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Goodbye all my cash (about $55, could have been worse). Goodbye credit cards, ID cards, digital camera, flash drive, cell phone, and keys to my house.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Goodbye cheese, soy sauce, and tomatoes I’d just bought.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Goodbye, favorite lip gloss.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Now my lips will look dull and unflattering!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I’ve been reading this set of comedy/mystery novels lately.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I couldn’t help but think about what he main character of the book would have done had she been in my place.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I should have roundhouse kicked the guy in the face!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I should have jumped off the moving bike and knocked their heads together!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was yelling in English.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Those ******* took my ******* purse!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">******* get them!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Kill them!”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I like to imagine I resembled Ricky Ricardo, shouting passionately in my native tongue.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I probably just looked like an angry, scared little girl.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The people sitting on the side of the road just watched, chewing slowly on their goat dinners.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We steered the bike to the nearest convenience store.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The security guards there confirmed that they’d seen the bike speed by holding my red-and-white striped purse.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We called our friends and they came to pick us up and drove me to the police station.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That’s when Yanti said I became “No more Miss Nice Katie.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You can just imagine how Indonesian police handled the situation.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti translated everything for me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was in no mood to decipher Indospeak.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I said, “They stole everything I have.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Everything that was in my purse is gone.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The first thing they said was, “We’ll need to see your ID.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I. don’t. have. an. ID. They. stole. everything.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Honestly, they were very nice.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They sent someone to my house with me to make sure the men didn’t know where I lived and hadn’t already broken in and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">literally</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> stolen everything I own.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They questioned the people at the restaurant where we’d stopped to chat.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But their 2.5 hours of questions were ridiculous.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Are you sure they men were on your left side?</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Or were they mayyyybe on your right side?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I’m sure they were on my left side.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You’re absolutely sure.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Yes.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“What were the exact noises you made when they tried to take your bag?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I yelled.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“We’re going to need you to reenact the situation and make the exact noises again.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sigh.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I guess it was like, ‘Ahhhhhhhhheeeeeeee!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Did you yell the word ‘help?’”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“No, I didn’t.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I just yelled.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Why didn’t you yell the word ‘help?’”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I don’t know.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">We were moving at 30 mph.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">What does it matter?” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“How many times did you pull back on your bag?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“I don’t know.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Maybe three times?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">T-i-g-a, they typed in carefully.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In Indonesia, it’s illegal not to have a religion.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">To them, it’s a line on an information sheet just like your date of birth or address.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Religion.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But it got so frustrating.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“What’s your religion, miss?”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“What does it </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">matter</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">?”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“We need to know your religion or we cannot finish this investigation.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Sigh.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> I think this was the first time 'Jesus Christ' was almost the appropriate response. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Christian.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My friends’ phones and the phones at the police station weren’t enabled to make international calls.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Thankfully, I had Christine’s number memorized because it was one number different than my old one.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She was able to give me the number for AMINEF, and she got the fun job of calling my mom and telling her what happened, which I can only imagine was a blast.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;">I tried picturing the guys who stole my stuff as having this poor, starving family somewhere on a dirt floor. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you medicine, Grandma, but I got you this cell phone and these credit cards. Maybe we can burn them for warmth." It just didn't gel. Plus Indonesia's always hot anyway.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">All in all, I’m very lucky.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I wasn’t hurt, and I know that “stuff” is replaceable.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I didn’t have a ton of money with me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti nearly crashed the bike, but she didn’t.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It would have been hard to control with me yanking on my purse behind her, too.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Apparently, I am most lucky that the criminals didn’t stab me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Oh, goody.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My surgeon friends say Palembang has more stabbing cases than any other city in Indonesia, usually averaging about six per night.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The police, too, said I was very lucky they didn’t use a knife.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I guess they usually have to send ambulances after motorbike-theft victims.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The criminals will stab the side of the person or cut their arm so they drop their bag to hold the cut.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am so thankful for the kindness of my Indonesian friends and neighbors.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They gave me food, a place to stay, loaned me money until I could get into my house, and too off work to drive more than five hours to get the spare key from the owner of the house.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">As I was finally leaving the station, one officer leaned in and said, “Can I have your phone number?”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Never mind that I didn’t have a phone any more.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Never mind that I was clearly stressed and not in the mood for a romantic connection.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Never mind that it was nearly midnight.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“No,” I said clearly.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You may </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">not</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> have my number.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was the first time I’ve ever just flat-out refused someone, and it felt sort of good.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My school was a huge disappointment.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I love teaching there, but I felt completely abandoned.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">AMINEF had my counterpart’s number, but she wasn’t in Palembang because her brother had been struck dead by lightning that morning. (?!)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She gave me another teacher’s number.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They wouldn’t go check on my house.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They didn’t offer me a place to stay.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They asked my friend to “take care of me,” and even in the morning, they didn’t offer me any food.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">nothing</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had to pay for new locks on my door and sets of spare keys.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I haven’t heard from them since the morning after the incident, and it’s now been three days.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Friday was a holiday, so school was cancelled.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">In fact, when I met with them the morning after the robbery, they were wholly unsupportive.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“You knew that this was a hard day for your counterpart.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Her brother died.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I explained that I was very sorry about Laily’s brother, but I did not </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">choose</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> to have everything stolen from me the night before.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“A woman should not be out that late at night.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">You were too far from your home.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It was 8:30pm.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My home is near the school, but it’s in the middle of nowhere.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have to travel 45 minutes into town if I ever want to eat out.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">With the exception of my school, though, everyone has been amazingly supportive.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Christine and Rajiv were on-call the whole time, making phone calls and giving me numbers to contact people.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The most frustrating part of it all, I think, was the sheer disappointment I felt about being targeted.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I know those men weren’t reflective of the people here, but damn it, I’m </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">trying</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I eat their food and I teach their children and I visit their landmarks and I tell everyone at home that these are good people.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Please don’t target me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">trying</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Stealing is a serious crime in Indonesia, but especially in Palembang.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Chuzai, the former Fulbright who studied at Ball State, recently had her entire bag stolen while she ran into a copy store near the university.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">They punched a hole in her car window and stole her laptop, cell phone, all her cash and cards, her keys, and her IDs.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My nearly-adoptive parents Mike and Debbie ran into a house to check on a sick friend for five minutes and when they came out, someone had punched a hole in </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">their</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> car window and stolen their new $800 digital camera and bag.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Even little Sry, the pseudo-swearing teacher at my school, had her cell phone ripped from her hand while she was making a phone call at the mall.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Even I’ve been a near-victim twice before.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Once Raj and I were at the mall walking, and I had my bookbag on my back.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">(This was months ago, before I learned you only walk with your bookbag on your </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">front</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">.)</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Raj was the one who noticed a man had unzipped all the compartments of my bag and was taking things out one-by-one as he walked behind us.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Luckily, Raj chased him off and he dropped everything.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Another time I was at an outdoor market not even </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">carrying</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> a purse.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had one shopping bag in my hand with a blanket in it for my bed.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">A man walking the other way put his hand through the loop mine was in and tried to wrench it from my grip.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">That time I was able to hold on, and he quickly gave up and slipped into the crowd.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Poor Yanti.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This has been really frightening for everyone.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">She keeps repeating, “This is my city!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I am Palembangese, and I am scared in my own city!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">And I was holding her cigarettes in my purse.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">This caused her a great deal of misery.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“THEY ARE SMOKING MY CIGARETTES, THOSE BASTARDS!</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">THAT WAS PRACTICALLY A NEW PACK!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">There are many things to be thankful for:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I wasn’t stabbed, and Yanti didn’t crash the bike.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Yanti had forgotten to bring my camera with her, or I would have had that in my purse as well.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I was </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">with</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Yanti and not my ojek, who speaks zero English.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I got home, thinking all of my IDs were stolen, and realized I was lazy and never transferred my US driver’s license back from my folder of important documents from my trip home in December.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Fulbright keeps my passport, so I didn’t have to worry about losing that.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">My Indonesian address wasn’t listed on any of the documents in my purse.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I have friends and neighbors who care about me and took care of me when I had absolutely nothing.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">It is truly terrifying to realize you have no way to take care of yourself: no way to contact people, no money, hardly enough ability to communicate, and no home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Christine was able to contact my mom and give her a number where she could reach me.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Mom was able to cancel my cards in time.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The robbers had my cell phone deactivated in under fifteen minutes.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">So it could have been a lot worse.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I had an emergency 100 US dollars saved in my house, and I have facebook to recover most of my lost numbers.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">But Yanti summed it up pretty well.</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">“Somewhere in this city,” she said, “those assholes are eating your cheese.”</span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">I hope they choke. </span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17137160398793607648noreply@blogger.com6