Success of the week: I made it to and from (by taxi) one of the big computer warehouse centers in Jakarta where I bought a new power cord. Granted, a student told me today that I should have bargained with the seller for it, but I just get inordinately proud of myself for every little victory towards being an independent person in Jakarta. My next challenge is learning more Bahasa Indonesian.

I did learn one magic word this week. My problem was that I could get on the little public transportation red vans (ongkos--I can pronounce it, but I'm not sure how it's spelled) because all you have to do is stand on the side of the road and wait for one to come by, but I couldn't get off because I didn't know how to tell the driver to stop where I wanted to be let off. This meant that I would either get off with someone else close to where I was going and walk the rest of the way, or wait until traffic slowed enough for me to jump out at an intersection. A few days ago, I figured out that you can say "ini," which means "here." I'm still amazed at how well it works.

A couple of you have asked about leaving comments. I think that all you have to do is click at the bottom of the post where it says (right now) "0 comments." A new window should pop up where you can comment to your heart's delight.

How to cross the busy street north of my apartment complex:

1. Pray.
2. Don’t bother going to an intersection; crossing in the middle of the block works.
3. If you’re American, look right first. They drive on the left side of the road here.
4. Wait for a break in the traffic, but remember that motorbikes usually go faster than cars.
5. When there’s a gap, proceed into the street. Hold your hand out, palm to the traffic and fingers up. This is Indonesian for “Please don’t hit me.”
6. In the middle of the road, cross the median by:
1. Finding an intersection with a break in the median. Watch for extra vehicles doing U-turns here.
2. Finding a little metal bridge that crosses the open gutter in the middle of the median.
7. Look left.
8. Repeat step 5.
9. Get to the other side of the road.
10. Thank God.

A word on Islam

When I came to Indonesia, I knew that it was a predominantly Muslim country, but I had heard that its Islam was "gentle." Here's what I've noticed in that vein so far:

Most women do not wear head coverings, and I haven't seen a single one wearing the full burqa.

You can find all the trashy T.V. here that you want. I haven't noticed any censorship of objectionable material, at least not on the cable channels that I receive.

There is a mosque within hearing distance of my apartment, and I occasionally hear the prayers over the loud speakers, though to date, I haven't seen anyone stop what they're doing to pray. Maybe I just need to be looking harder.

Women do go out unaccompanied. I didn't even think about this aspect of Islam until my mother asked me about it (in the context of me going out by myself). Women go out, ride motorbikes, and have jobs. I'm told that some more traditional families might require a male escort for their female members, but unaccompanied women are not unusual. I stick out for other reasons.

In other news, I found Nutella at the grocery store and an English bookstore big enough to satisfy me. I'm a happy girl.

This past Sunday, Joseph and Karla (my boss and his wife, who's my co-teacher in year 11) took me to church in the downtown part of Jakarta, which is south and east of where I live and work. It's taken me a long time to recover any of my sense of direction here, and I still get really mixed up because the streets run like a pile of spaghetti, complicated by one-way streets and streets that are blocked off.

Anyway, in Jakarta's downtown, we visited a department store which had two floors dedicated to traditional Indonesian wares. On one floor, there were paintings, wood carvings, jewelry, knick-knacks, incredible (huge!) Indonesian beetles in framed boxes, exquisite pieces of silver-smithing, and other handicrafts. The floor below it was nothing but batiks: traditional clothing for women and men and pieces of fabric with gorgeous colors, textures, and patterns. Though I've seen little flashes of beauty here, like blossoming bushes, kids playing soccer, lovely faces, and colorful pushcarts, I've mostly noticed Jakarta's dirt, poverty, and pollution. I've taken it on faith that this is a beautiful country. It was so refreshing to see the richness that Indonesia has to offer, and I'm looking forward to some more exploring.

To be fair, we also had lunch at Chili's, not exactly culturally enriching, but it tasted really good.

Patience

The word of the week, maybe the word of the year, is patience. I'm finding that I often have to set aside my American expectations for smooth, efficient speed and accept that things don't always work that way here. The traffic is a perfect example. On the way back from grocery shopping this week, my taxi driver got lost. (I was very proud of the fact that I knew where I was going when he didn't.) With a traffic jam, it took probably four times the normal time to get home. If only patience weren't so difficult to learn.

Other notable items of the week:

I found a lizard in my apartment one morning this week. I tried unsuccessfully to catch him and photograph him, but he was very speedy and very good at hiding behind my couch. My co-workers have assured me that this is fairly normal. I have to admire any lizard willing to climb three flights of stairs up to my apartment.

Stairs are kind of the story of my life right now. My apartment is on the fourth floor, and I teach mostly on the fifth floor at IPEKA. I'm pretty sure that my legs are going to be in the best shape of my life by Christmas.

In other fitness news, I attended my first ever yoga class this morning at the gym by my apartment where I have a membership. I didn't understand anything the instructor said, but by the end, I had learned a little yoga, and I think I had worked out the Bahasa words for "inhale" and "exhale."

Even when I'm feeling impatient, I can't ignore the wonderful kindness shown to me from all directions: my co-workers at IPEKA and my friends, family, and church families. I gave some devotional thoughts at a teacher fellowship meeting this week, and it was a great opportunity to reflect on how God has been good to me here. I am very grateful. Blessings on all of you.

This is the week when I've started to notice all the little things that I have to get used to. Things like:

1. My hair will always be a little on the frizzy side here.

2. The sun always goes down at 6 o'clock.

3. Cars drive on the left side of the road, so I need to make sure I'm looking the right way when I cross the street.

4. Shopping will always more difficult than I think it will be.



Actually, a lot of things turn out to be more difficult than I think they will be. Like going to the bank this week. Fortunately the woman who opened my account spoke fairly good English, but I had a terrible time trying to deposit my US dollars into the account because 1) I had fifty dollar bills instead of hundred dollar bills, and when I had exchanged them for hundred dollar bills at the money exchanger next door, 2) my hundred dollar bills didn't have the right serial number. Not all cash is equal here.



Yesterday, I had my first day of classes, so I met all of my students. I have around 115 students in grade 11, and I don't think I'm going to learn all of their names before Christmas. Fortunately, their names are mostly Western-sounding names, so pronunciation shouldn't be a problem. They call me Miss Laura (all teachers are addressed by first name here), and they seemed interested in me--I fielded a number of questions about my romantic status--, so I'm excited to jump into teaching. The first book we're reading is Animal Farm, so it should be interesting, particularly in a country where the government is often corrupt.



Favorite student comment of the day: "Miss, you look like a Barbie." Which made me laugh.



Fun fact to know and tell about Indonesia: Like many Indonesians, some of my students have only one name, and it's not always a particularly unique one (like Ryan or Kevin). This makes it really difficult to tell them apart when their only name is the same as someone else's. I am newly grateful for my three names: Laura Elizabeth Mail does not get mixed up with anyone.

I'm here!

Please congratulate me. I have successfully navigated by foot the city of Jakarta to arrive safely at the mall and its free Internet, and I did it all by myself. It helps that someone showed me how to do it two days ago, but I’m still proud of myself.

The last week has been something of a whirlwind. We got back from Michigan; I packed, slept, went to church, and left for the airport on Sunday afternoon. My travel was mercifully smooth, despite a delay in Los Angeles (thank you for your prayers). I even made a friend in Hong Kong who was also on the way to Jakarta, and I realized that traveling alone makes you hungry for conversation, so I was very grateful for company.

Since I arrived on Tuesday, I’ve been busy with preparing for the new school year. I’m teaching mostly 11^th grade and a few classes of 10^th grade. The school schedule is possibly the most complicated thing I’ve ever seen. Some days I teaching two periods out of 11 and some days I teach 8. Preparations have included PowerPoint presentations, a 5 hour worship/welcome-to-the-new-semester service, meetings with the English department, getting to know my colleagues (Joseph, Karla, Tim, Laura, Glenn, Tricia, and others), and the like. If you’re interested, you can see a picture of my school at its website: www.iics.ipeka.org. It’s just as spectacular as it looks. The facility is only a year old, and it’s gorgeous, much nicer than the school where I student taught.

One thing I love is my apartment. It’s huge! Or maybe it just feels huge after four years of college living. I have a large room that includes a kitchen, dining table, and living room, a bedroom, bathroom, balcony, utility room, and oddly enough, a maid’s bedroom and bathroom, each more like a closet than a room. I also have a phone and a phone number, so let me know if you want it. I live on the fourth floor, right across from an Indian couple who both teach physics at IPEKA, and I have a great view of...well, mostly of haze. That’s something I’m still getting used to: not seeing a blue sky.

Other interesting things I’ve seen so far: avocado drinks with chocolate, on-carts (little red vans that are the only public transportation I know of), a family of five on a motorbike, and more familiar stores and products that I expected to see (Pizza Hut and Ace Hardware among others).

I’m not entirely comfortable here yet, particularly because I don’t speak any Indonesian (I don’t even know how to say “I don’t speak Indonesian” so I’m pretty much helpless when it comes to communication), but I’m feeling like this is a place where I can be happy.

Thank you for your love and prayers.

Laura