The nightlife at #1000 Taman Elok Selatan

It seems there is always some type of critter waiting to welcome me home on those nights when the sun has already set for some time. I always do a check over of the perimeter before approaching my door, and then I enter. I have come across a praying mantis, slugs on my window, hoards of chichaks (geckos), and most recently I have found a frog on the wall next to the door (how he could stay there, i don't know) and a green and yellow grasshopper. I am curious what the next thing will be!

SPH

For those of you who are curoius about the school and would like to know more about it, feel free to check out the school web site:

http://www.sph.edu/sph_edu/menu/index.php

Sunday Adventure

This past Sunday I embarked on a biking adventure with my friends Rebbecca D and Helena. We headed past a few gates and entered into the kampoons, or village area near Karawaci. Helena was the leader and took us off the beaten path...literally. Let's just say I was grateful to have a mountain bike because the path was rutted and rough, but it was great. It actually wasn't long until we passed the rice padis and entered the village area. The roads were mostly paved except we now faced the multiple speed bumps intended for motorcycles. They are actually called 'sleeping police officers' in Bahasa. Funny right? Helena warned me before that she likes to go into the kampoons to get lost and then find her way back. So, Rebbecca and I agreed to the risk and followed her past the chickens, goats, children and motorcycles along the way. I am pretty sure I have never said sore (good afternoon,pretty much pronounced sorry) so many times in a day. It seems like every person we passed, we greeted. We took lefts and rights and weaved through traffic until we came into more of the country side and arrived at the end of a road, which happened to be a fish pond. We were going to turn around, but the owners asked us to come and sit. The lady, Marie Catherine (?), actually spoke some English, and so we had a English/Basha convo going on. She brought us cokes and told us about the fishing pond and where she had come from. It wasn't until a little while into the convo that we discovered she was Catholic. Before we left we got a picture with her, and we plan on visiting again, that is, if we can find our way back. In order to ensure that we would find our way, we texted ourselves the name of the mosque nearest them. As we made our way back, we staked out a new trail and got to talk to more of the locals. It was truly refreshing to get out of the Lippo bubble and get a cultural experience. We can't wait to go back and visit again soon!

Selamat Pagi! (good morning)

I just realized this morning that I haven't written on my blog in a while. So, let me update you on the past week here in Indo.

This week was different than most because Tuesday was Independence Day. So, I had a day off on Tuesday. It was wonderful to sleep in when I normally had to get up for school! I spent the morning playing sports with the people from HMCC. HMCC is Harvest Mission Community Church. They are a church plant from Michigan. They have weekly services at SPH and lifegroups, or bible studies, on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The Church is very new, and is made up of a lot of young people. One of their main purposes for being here is to reach out the University in Lippo Village (AKA Lippo Karawaci), UPH. The sports day was great fun. We played soccer and Frisbee on teams. I was hot and tired at the end, so I jumped in the pool afterwards! The rest of my day off was spent shopping at the mall (which was insane!) and hanging out with some SPHers at a BBQ in the evening.

Wednesday, was also a different day because we had some different Independence day events at school. The first was a flag ceremony. It was very formal. All the teachers had to wear their suit jackets to the ceremony, so I got to wear my new one! They had special marches and salutes. In fact, everyone had to stand and salute in unison. It was very cool to be apart of. We also had a few hours to play traditional games with all of the students. All of the staff and students are split into four teams that have certain colors and names (from volcanoes in Indo). I am apart of the blue team, called Bromo, but I had to be a judge for the games on Wednesday. It was so much fun to watch the students and staff all having fun together in real school spirit. The rest of the day was pretty normal with staff meetings in the afternoon and lifegroup at night.

This Friday night I played games with the HMCC people and then I hit up the movie SALT with some other teachers at the movie theatre for a whopping price and 20,000 (or $2). Saturday was very relaxing during the day, and in the evening I went to a Trivia night that was a fundraiser for a charity that helps with healthcare, orphanages, and education in Indo.

Things are still going very well here. It is starting to feel very normal, which is really nice. At the same time, I am hopping that I will still notice things that are different than back home so that I remember to take pictures!! I am normally good at taking pictures, but it has been harder to remember since I have been here. I will do my best to keep posting things!

Has it really been a month

It is a month today that I have arrived in Indonesia. Part of me feels like I have been here for a very long time, and another part of me still feels like this is all so new. Another week is over, and it was so good. Like I told the Wednesday bible study, I keep expecting to have a really bad day or get completely stressed, but it hasn't happened yet. At the end of every day I am still enjoying what I am doing. I guess part of me was afraid that I would start teaching and find out that I didn't like it, but that is not the case at all!

Yesterday was a bit more of a hectic day, but it was good. I had my 7.1's for both first and second period. In humanities they were working on a project that took longer than expected, so I let them have some English time to work on it. But, we had literature circles for English, so we didn't have much time to spare. We ran out of time at the end of class, so things were a bit rushed. I gave the students an opportunity to come back to my room at break and lunch to keep working in their project. It was actually kind of fun to have the students hanging out in my room. I played some music for them (soundtracks and Disney) and they played "name that tune." It is really great to get to know the students better. In my 8th grade standard English class, that I co-teach with Amy, the students are giving speeches about themselves. It is fun to hear what they have to say about themselves.

After school yesterday, I went and did Reflexology with Amy. It lasted and hour and a half and it felt so good! It only cost $6, plus a tip. I love how affordable things are here!! After that, I went to a 3D movie and did some shopping with Janelle, my friend who also lives in my area.

Today I am going to an event where a stone artisan is selling some of his stuff. I have seen some pretty cool things that he has made. It should be a good time!

Lovely Sunday Shots

This morning I went on a bike ride to the other side of the wall that surrounds the rich area I live in. The area is dotted with rice paddies, tropical trees,and small homes. It was a beautiful ride. I especially loved seeing the 'real' Indonesia, or so I am told. Farmers were digging away at the ground, and shaking lines with cans on them so that birds would stay away from the rice. The air was also fresher and the singing from the mosque was the only thing I heard. When we got to one section of the trail, there were a lot of motorbikes buzzing past us, but that too, is just another cultural experience.

I also have a picture of the dragon fruit I bought at the grocery store yesterday. My goal is to try all of the different fruits while I am here. So, every time I shop, I buy a different one. Not many people like dragon fruit, but I found it refreshing. My nose is still congested so my sense of smell isn't working right now. Maybe I should try the fruit with clear sinuses so that I can get the full experience.

Let the rain come down...

Yesterday I experienced the biggest rainstorm in my life. It was Friday, and I was so excited to go with a bunch of people to a nice restaurant in Jakarta. As soon as I got home from school I threw my uniform in the laundry and hauled out some cute clothes for the evening. I took some extra time to fix my make-up and match my accessories. I was all ready just a little ahead of schedule, so I decided to chill for a few minutes before jumping on an ojek to meet up with the group. It was at that moment I heard the terrible sound. Drip...drip. Oh no...it can't be! I jumped up from the couch and looked out the window to find the pavement getting wet. I jumped into my heels, grabbed my bag and ran out the door. As I ran down the street towards the ojek drivers I could feel the rain was coming down harder. I called for an ojek and the guys looked at me like I was crazy. I now understand why they thought i was crazy. You see, I knew it was raining, but I figured I could beat the real downpour. One of the ojek guys could tell I wasn't joking so I hopped on his bike. About one minute into the ride I looked at my legs and the rain around and realized that it was too late, I was not going to arrive in the partially wet state I thought I was. The sky darkened, and released torrents of rain into the crazy wind. The driver dropped me off earlier than I thought. So there I was walking along the road, completely soaked and trying not to twist my ankle in my heels. What was I thinking? Heels? I did all I could to keep my feet in the slippery pleather straps. As I walked up to the gate of the meeting place (amartapura apartments)I was welcomed by a resounding "oh, miss!" from the guards. For some reason I couldn't help but smile. I looked like a wet rat with make-up running down my face. I kept walking until I reached the building and stepped out of the rain. The only part of me that was not wet was the front of my shirt because my arms, purse, and rain jacket had managed to keep parts of it dry. My jeans however, were completely wet and dripping. So much for dressing up on Friday night.

I was happy to find the other members of my group and jump into the car. Thankfully, I had called Becky when I got to the apartments and she was able to bring and extra jacket for me to keep warm. I enjoyed a 3 hour, air-conditioned car ride to Jakarta (which is usually about an hour)and had a lovely time with a group of about 20 SPHers. Let's just say that I was happy to see my bed when I came home at 1:00am. Oh ya, and the tenderloin steak and hot chocolate at the restaurant were a delight after such a crazy journey to eat out!

A Long Look at Romans

I have wanted to read the book of Romans all the way through for some time now. I was reminded of this desire when someone (I don’t remember who) mentioned that Romans is a letter from Paul to other Christians in Rome. When I receive a letter, I read the whole thing through the moment I get it. I don’t read half of it, put it down and pick it up later. It is far to exciting to stop reading it half-way through. It is the same concept with scripture. Many of the New Testament books were sent as letters, all in one compilation. So, it is a good idea, at some point, to read the entire letter in one sitting.

I decided today would be a good day to do this since I was home earlier than normal. I haven’t been feeling that well these last couple of days. It started out as a sore throat, but has now moved to nasal congestion, ear aches, and a periodic headache. Don’t get me wrong, I prayed last night that it would move from my throat to my nose so that I could speak to my students! And so, it is starting to work its way out. It hasn’t been terrible, just a nuisance. Anyways, I came home early, and decided to use the time in a good way: to study my Bible. It is always something I have put off, but I knew that at some point I just needed to sit down and do it.

As I was reading I was again struck by how nicely the chapters all flow together. I decided to keep notes on things that stuck to me, and of course, many things did. So, I am going to share my newest insights on Romans with you.

In chapter 6 Paul talks about sin not being our master, but that we would find ourselves free in God’s grace. It then states that we are slaves to what we obey. When we are slaves to obedience (to God) we receive life, but when we are slaves to our sin, we receive death. What I was struck by is that in both options we are slaves! Being a slave is hard work. Why would we even consider the reward of death when we have the option of life? Well, yes, death can be masked by many things in our lives that look attractive and that the world tells us we need. But in the end, all we truly desire is life. How awesome that Jesus can provide this option to us! When we obey our father in heaven, and turn to him, we are released from the slavery that sin holds over us. And when we accept this, we no longer live as slaves, but as servants who desire to please our master.

The other thing that stuck in my mind is the concept of redemption. We are talking about the Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Fulfillment concept in our Humanities class, and applying these ideas to our role as God’s children on earth. In one of my power points I found the picture the valley where man is on one side and God is on the other. As I read through Romans 8 (my favourite chapter of the Bible) I was reminded of this picture. It says in scripture that nothing can separate us from God. Not death, trouble, hardship, persecution, worry, height, depth, and anything you can imagine. I imagined all of these things hanging out in that valley between us and God. They are sitting there, waiting to jump on us. Then I thought of Jesus, our redeemer. The cross provides a path from one side to the other, stopping all of those things that try to separate us from God. I also couldn’t help but imagine Jesus calling me into a protective bubble that would provide a safe zone that nothing can penetrate; a zone that is filled with love, forgiveness and strength. I am so grateful to have a God that continues to remind me of his faithfulness and presence in my life.

Can I get an Amen?

Introducing... the amazing... motorcycle?

Today I left school early to go food shopping at the mall. Since I took my bike to school I also had to take my bike to the mall. This is still something I am getting used to. I don't particularly enjoying trying to maneuver my bike on roads with crazy drivers. I pulled out of the school on my way to the mall today and a motor cycle passed me. I was shocked to see five 5 gallon water bottles (the big blue ones) full of water and strapped to the back of a motorcycle. I couldn't help but start laughing, and the guy noticed. He smiled when he saw me laughing. I am not sure if he thought I was just smiling for the heck of it, or that I thought his bike looked hilarious. Another funny moment in Indo. I often find myself laughing when I bike back and forth between places. Sometimes when I pass a group of guys, they smile at me and once in a while one will say "Hello miss!" with an Indo accent. It just makes me smile and shake my head. Oh the joy of being a white female. They probably think it is crazy that I am biking and not riding an ojek or something. It makes me feel good to know that I am getting 24 more minutes of exercise a day, and saving $1 on transportation. Hey, It all adds up. I figure by the end of the year, I will have already paid my bike off! It works for me.

I just remembered now, that last week I went to the mall with some friends and I stopped by some students who asked to interview me. Apparently white people get stopped by students fairly regularly so that the students can practice their English. I think these ones followed us for a few minutes before they actually asked us. Ha, another new experience.