Well, my perfect record for health in Indonesia is over, but I'm better today. Lying on my couch in the fetal position for about ten hours yesterday seemed to do the trick. Along with the crackers and juice diet. Being sick by myself was not fun at all, and I'm a wimp when I don't feel well, but I learned that I complain much less without people around to listen to my whining.
Still, I'm glad for a holiday tomorrow to have one more day to relax before the madness of school begins again. But it seems that my music video career has had a major setback. Bummer.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
In case you've heard...
Yes, there were two bombings in Jakarta today. I was not in the city when it happened, but I heard about it pretty quickly from friends more technologically connected than I am. The two hotels attacked are in Central Jakarta, not very close to where I live (West Jakarta), but reasonably close to my church.
I wasn't worried until one of the members of the foundation that governs IPEKA gathered the expatriates at the end of our retreat and told us not to worry. He also suggested that we maintain a low profile for the rest of the weekend. Wise advice, since the bombings seemed to target foreigners.
I don't really know anything more than what you can find online at this point. If you want to see what the reporting is like from Indonesia, here is the link to The Jakarta Post. One point of interest is that the bombings could be in response to the presidential election last week. It isn't official yet, but it looks like the incumbent president, a moderate Muslim who has helped Indonesia move away from its militaristic/dictatorial past, won with a sizable majority. Also, in the April elections, the more radical Islamic parties posted significant losses. Altogether, Indonesia needs your prayers, for the victims and their families, for the perpetrators, and for the people in power.
Actually the bombings are not so much occupying my attention as my digestive tract, which has rapidly turned unhappy in the last few hours. It's a bummer because it's threatening to interfere with my music video debut. A musician friend of mine has asked me to be a part of his music video, and they're filming tomorrow. But I am not. feeling. well.
I wasn't worried until one of the members of the foundation that governs IPEKA gathered the expatriates at the end of our retreat and told us not to worry. He also suggested that we maintain a low profile for the rest of the weekend. Wise advice, since the bombings seemed to target foreigners.
I don't really know anything more than what you can find online at this point. If you want to see what the reporting is like from Indonesia, here is the link to The Jakarta Post. One point of interest is that the bombings could be in response to the presidential election last week. It isn't official yet, but it looks like the incumbent president, a moderate Muslim who has helped Indonesia move away from its militaristic/dictatorial past, won with a sizable majority. Also, in the April elections, the more radical Islamic parties posted significant losses. Altogether, Indonesia needs your prayers, for the victims and their families, for the perpetrators, and for the people in power.
Actually the bombings are not so much occupying my attention as my digestive tract, which has rapidly turned unhappy in the last few hours. It's a bummer because it's threatening to interfere with my music video debut. A musician friend of mine has asked me to be a part of his music video, and they're filming tomorrow. But I am not. feeling. well.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Happy Bastille Day!
(Naturally, I am celebrating France's destruction of a prison by watching a televised parade of uniformed French people marching down the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe. It's actually kind of boring, but the band music is stirring. Goodness, my French is rusty.)
It was not really a good idea to arrive on Sunday morning and expect myself to start work on Monday bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I've actually managed fairly well. Every time I have jetlag, I feel like I'm a baby who deserves to be praised for achieving a normal sleeping pattern. To date, I've slept through the night twice without pharmaceutical intervention, and while my output at work hasn't been spectacular, I haven't fallen asleep at my desk yet.
I've actually been fairly busy orienting new teachers to Jakarta and to IPEKA. Carol is our new English teacher for year 11. (Not that the personnel changes of a high school in Indonesia are particularly interesting to you, but Karla, with whom I've worked for a year, will be teaching year 10.) So my job has been to make Carol's life a little bit easier by overwhelming her with thousands of pieces of information like:
"Put your copies here for the office boy to take down to the copy room." (Have I mentioned we have office boys? We do.)
"This is where you can buy really yummy juice drinks. My favorite is fresh orange juice mixed with vanilla frozen yogurt."
"Those buildings over there, they're called Taman Anggrek, and they're my landmark when I'm out in Jakarta and don't know exactly where I am."
"Here's the section for English materials in the teacher resource room."
"When you need medication, you don't have to have a prescription. Just go to the pharmacy and ask for whatever you need."
"I don't really understand tipping. Just give them a few thousand rupiah extra in taxis and restaurants."
"Our students' writing skills are not as strong as their oral skills in English."
I've also taken Carol and Disha, another new expatriate teacher from the elementary school, to the mall and the grocery store, navigating taxis and angkots along the way. We're still in the early days of friendship, but I think we're all going to enjoy each other's company very much.
I am, however, missing Tim. He moved back to the United States during the holiday, and with him go some excellent conversations and verbal sparring sessions.
And now, with my suitcase still not unpacked, tomorrow I'm headed to a retreat (since when is 6:00AM a godly hour to leave for a retreat?) for the next three days with the teachers and staff from all the IPEKA schools around Jakarta. I'm trying to be optimistic, but I'm expecting to be a bit bored, so I'm bringing a new cross-stitch project to get started on. Go ahead and laugh.
It was not really a good idea to arrive on Sunday morning and expect myself to start work on Monday bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I've actually managed fairly well. Every time I have jetlag, I feel like I'm a baby who deserves to be praised for achieving a normal sleeping pattern. To date, I've slept through the night twice without pharmaceutical intervention, and while my output at work hasn't been spectacular, I haven't fallen asleep at my desk yet.
I've actually been fairly busy orienting new teachers to Jakarta and to IPEKA. Carol is our new English teacher for year 11. (Not that the personnel changes of a high school in Indonesia are particularly interesting to you, but Karla, with whom I've worked for a year, will be teaching year 10.) So my job has been to make Carol's life a little bit easier by overwhelming her with thousands of pieces of information like:
"Put your copies here for the office boy to take down to the copy room." (Have I mentioned we have office boys? We do.)
"This is where you can buy really yummy juice drinks. My favorite is fresh orange juice mixed with vanilla frozen yogurt."
"Those buildings over there, they're called Taman Anggrek, and they're my landmark when I'm out in Jakarta and don't know exactly where I am."
"Here's the section for English materials in the teacher resource room."
"When you need medication, you don't have to have a prescription. Just go to the pharmacy and ask for whatever you need."
"I don't really understand tipping. Just give them a few thousand rupiah extra in taxis and restaurants."
"Our students' writing skills are not as strong as their oral skills in English."
I've also taken Carol and Disha, another new expatriate teacher from the elementary school, to the mall and the grocery store, navigating taxis and angkots along the way. We're still in the early days of friendship, but I think we're all going to enjoy each other's company very much.
I am, however, missing Tim. He moved back to the United States during the holiday, and with him go some excellent conversations and verbal sparring sessions.
And now, with my suitcase still not unpacked, tomorrow I'm headed to a retreat (since when is 6:00AM a godly hour to leave for a retreat?) for the next three days with the teachers and staff from all the IPEKA schools around Jakarta. I'm trying to be optimistic, but I'm expecting to be a bit bored, so I'm bringing a new cross-stitch project to get started on. Go ahead and laugh.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
From Singapore
This is the third time that I've had an overnight layover in Singapore in my travels to and from Jakarta. I don't like it.
That's not to say that Singapore airport isn't nice. I'm using its free wireless Internet, sitting near the koi pond, which is not far away from a butterfly garden. They have a movie theater upstairs that shows movies 24/7, "art interactive zones" where you can make your own art (I did some wood rubbings the last time I was here), and comfy sitting areas galore, including leg-massaging chairs. Right across from me is "The World's Largest 103-inch 1080p HD Plasma Display," which made me laugh. If I wanted to, I could take a shower, work out, enjoy the rooftop jacuzzi, get a haircut, or (after 6am) shop in one of dozens of designer brand stores. I even found a powder room this time, which always conjures up luxurious visions of ladies chitchatting and re-applying lipstick in 1960s era ballroom gowns while their dates get them champagne at the charity ball.
But, the layover does get lonely. And that's always the worst part of traveling for me: not having anyone to talk to. Though perhaps I got what I wanted when I sat next to an overly talkative man from San Francisco to Seoul and again from Seoul to Singapore (we just stopped briefly in Seoul, so we had the same flight number and the same seats for both flights). He was also a leaner. I will admit to being squirmy, particularly when I'm trying to find the least uncomfortable position for sleeping, so Talkative Neighbor put up the arm rest, so I could get a little more room. But when he started leaning on me (in a way that seemed a little heavy for a stranger) for his own sleeping position, I thought we needed to re-establish social boundaries, so I put the arm rest back down. Problem solved.
So in Singapore, I'll walk around a bit, check my email, finish reading my book, maybe explore some of the cool things at the airport, but mostly I'll be looking forward to getting home to life in Jakarta. In particular, I'm looking forward to meeting a new American teacher who's about my age. We've corresponded a little by email, and she seems nice, so my fingers are crossed for friendship.
Best part about my trip so far: hearing a preschooler singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" from the back of the plane.
Second best part: ice cream sandwich.
That's not to say that Singapore airport isn't nice. I'm using its free wireless Internet, sitting near the koi pond, which is not far away from a butterfly garden. They have a movie theater upstairs that shows movies 24/7, "art interactive zones" where you can make your own art (I did some wood rubbings the last time I was here), and comfy sitting areas galore, including leg-massaging chairs. Right across from me is "The World's Largest 103-inch 1080p HD Plasma Display," which made me laugh. If I wanted to, I could take a shower, work out, enjoy the rooftop jacuzzi, get a haircut, or (after 6am) shop in one of dozens of designer brand stores. I even found a powder room this time, which always conjures up luxurious visions of ladies chitchatting and re-applying lipstick in 1960s era ballroom gowns while their dates get them champagne at the charity ball.
But, the layover does get lonely. And that's always the worst part of traveling for me: not having anyone to talk to. Though perhaps I got what I wanted when I sat next to an overly talkative man from San Francisco to Seoul and again from Seoul to Singapore (we just stopped briefly in Seoul, so we had the same flight number and the same seats for both flights). He was also a leaner. I will admit to being squirmy, particularly when I'm trying to find the least uncomfortable position for sleeping, so Talkative Neighbor put up the arm rest, so I could get a little more room. But when he started leaning on me (in a way that seemed a little heavy for a stranger) for his own sleeping position, I thought we needed to re-establish social boundaries, so I put the arm rest back down. Problem solved.
So in Singapore, I'll walk around a bit, check my email, finish reading my book, maybe explore some of the cool things at the airport, but mostly I'll be looking forward to getting home to life in Jakarta. In particular, I'm looking forward to meeting a new American teacher who's about my age. We've corresponded a little by email, and she seems nice, so my fingers are crossed for friendship.
Best part about my trip so far: hearing a preschooler singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" from the back of the plane.
Second best part: ice cream sandwich.
Friday, July 10, 2009
50th Post
Here's the problem with my blogging. I start doing interesting stuff and I stop blogging. Now I'm not sure what that says about my navel-gazing tendencies or lack thereof, but it seems like there's an inverse relationship between the fun I'm having and the number of times I've posted recently.
Which means that the long silence of the last three weeks has been a really good thing for me. Actually, you might have noticed that blogging dropped off significantly after Erica arrived as there was a huge spike in fun.
The best part about having Erica there was introducing her to all my favorite things and people. She met lots of teachers (and put up with lots of teacher talk), friends from church, and people like the man who sells me phone cards and the guy I buy bakso from at school (more on bakso in a minute). She went to Monas, the national monument, Taman Safari (where she got to hold a baby orangutan, fulfilling one of the desires of her heart), and Pasa Raya, a department store with so much cool Indonesian stuff that it can overwhelm the faint of heart.
I was especially proud of converting Erica into a lover of bakso and "Bondi Rescue." Now, there is no way for me to convince anyone in writing of the superior quality of these two experiences, so don't expect to be persuaded. In fact, you can probably just add this to your files titled "Strange habits and hobbies of Laura." I'm sure there are some big ones out there.
Bakso. I avoided trying bakso for more than eight months of living in Jakarta, a classic example of judging by appearance. But the appearance of bakso is not exactly appetizing. They are a pasty grey color, their texture is a little on the rubbery side, and no one has ever been able tell me confidently what kind of meat they're made of (beef? I hope?).
However, my misgivings disappeared quickly when I found, thanks to my hosts for spring break, that these savory meatball-y things, usually served in broth with noodles, are absolutely delicious. They've become my favorite food at the school cafeteria, where the bakso man knows my "usual" now (sprouts and greens--yes please, MSG--no thank you). Even my sister, the quasi-vegetarian admitted to bakso's yumminess.
"Bondi Rescue." When I admit that one of my favorite television programs is a reality show about the lifeguards at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, I know that I'm fighting a losing battle against saving face (there's a reason that bakso gets a picture and "Bondi Rescue" doesn't). So it won't help when I say that it's not "Baywatch," and that I've learned about how to swim safely in ocean surf, and that there are some genuinely suspenseful moments like when a riptide is washing dozens of people out to sea, or there's a shark sighting, or an infestation of jellyfish, or thieves preying on tourists. Just to make myself feel better, I like to think of it as a series of modern day hero stories. And by the time Erica left, she knew exactly when "Bondi Rescue" was aired and didn't like to be interrupted when watching it. Me, I had seen all the episodes more than once, but I'm way too excited that there'll be new ones when I get back to Jakarta.
Having Erica in Jakarta was delightful. Even that time she gave me a heart attack when she wasn't answering the phone after being out in Jakarta by herself, which--of course--meant that she had been robbed, kidnapped, or killed, causing me to run frantically through a mental list of what I should do to find a lost girl who doesn't know her way around a city of 10 million people (do I call the American Embassy? the police? my parents?). When she finally got out of the shower and answered the phone, Erica was more than a little befuddled when I immediately burst into tears of relief and said "I thought you were dead!"
And it was heavenly to have her with me on the trip home. Twenty-four hours of travel feel a lot shorter when there's someone to share it.
Since we arrived I have:
Stopped in California to visit family.
Met a new baby cousin who won me over with her irresistible cuteness.
Enjoyed drinking tap water.
Unjetlagged with a little help from my faithful friend Mr. Benadryl.
Flown to Indianapolis.
Received clean bills of health from my ophthalmologist and dentist.
Eaten Chipotle.
Missed bakso.
Shivered. To my everlasting shame.
Worn layers. To avoid shivering.
Driven eight hours to northern Michigan. (I've missed driving.)
Spent a week at Cedar Campus, my personal happiest place on Earth.
"Counseled" 17-18 year olds at Cedar Campus.
Made friends with 17-18 year olds.
Learned to play Fluxx, which I recommend.
Heard the stories of my parents who just got back from a trip to Cote d'Ivoire.
Visited my grandparents.
Delighted in Grandma's homemade bread.
Missed friends in Jakarta.
NOT worried about traffic.
NOT worried about what time it is in Indiana.
Breathed clean air.
Been overwhelmed by the sheer selection at the grocery store.
Ooed and ahhed at fireworks.
Found that celebrating nationalism seemed less important this year.
Gotten caught up with some friends.
Not gotten caught up with enough friends. I'm so sorry.
Reflected on the last year.
Gotten excited to go back.
Packed a can of pumpkin for a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
That's the Cliffnotes version, which means my trip here has been mostly restful and filled with good people, good places, and good food. And in a nice way, I'm ready to go back. I leave tomorrow morning (Friday), and if all goes well, I'll be in Jakarta late Saturday night (EDT).
Which means that the long silence of the last three weeks has been a really good thing for me. Actually, you might have noticed that blogging dropped off significantly after Erica arrived as there was a huge spike in fun.
The best part about having Erica there was introducing her to all my favorite things and people. She met lots of teachers (and put up with lots of teacher talk), friends from church, and people like the man who sells me phone cards and the guy I buy bakso from at school (more on bakso in a minute). She went to Monas, the national monument, Taman Safari (where she got to hold a baby orangutan, fulfilling one of the desires of her heart), and Pasa Raya, a department store with so much cool Indonesian stuff that it can overwhelm the faint of heart.
I was especially proud of converting Erica into a lover of bakso and "Bondi Rescue." Now, there is no way for me to convince anyone in writing of the superior quality of these two experiences, so don't expect to be persuaded. In fact, you can probably just add this to your files titled "Strange habits and hobbies of Laura." I'm sure there are some big ones out there.
Bakso. I avoided trying bakso for more than eight months of living in Jakarta, a classic example of judging by appearance. But the appearance of bakso is not exactly appetizing. They are a pasty grey color, their texture is a little on the rubbery side, and no one has ever been able tell me confidently what kind of meat they're made of (beef? I hope?).
However, my misgivings disappeared quickly when I found, thanks to my hosts for spring break, that these savory meatball-y things, usually served in broth with noodles, are absolutely delicious. They've become my favorite food at the school cafeteria, where the bakso man knows my "usual" now (sprouts and greens--yes please, MSG--no thank you). Even my sister, the quasi-vegetarian admitted to bakso's yumminess.
"Bondi Rescue." When I admit that one of my favorite television programs is a reality show about the lifeguards at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, I know that I'm fighting a losing battle against saving face (there's a reason that bakso gets a picture and "Bondi Rescue" doesn't). So it won't help when I say that it's not "Baywatch," and that I've learned about how to swim safely in ocean surf, and that there are some genuinely suspenseful moments like when a riptide is washing dozens of people out to sea, or there's a shark sighting, or an infestation of jellyfish, or thieves preying on tourists. Just to make myself feel better, I like to think of it as a series of modern day hero stories. And by the time Erica left, she knew exactly when "Bondi Rescue" was aired and didn't like to be interrupted when watching it. Me, I had seen all the episodes more than once, but I'm way too excited that there'll be new ones when I get back to Jakarta.
Having Erica in Jakarta was delightful. Even that time she gave me a heart attack when she wasn't answering the phone after being out in Jakarta by herself, which--of course--meant that she had been robbed, kidnapped, or killed, causing me to run frantically through a mental list of what I should do to find a lost girl who doesn't know her way around a city of 10 million people (do I call the American Embassy? the police? my parents?). When she finally got out of the shower and answered the phone, Erica was more than a little befuddled when I immediately burst into tears of relief and said "I thought you were dead!"
And it was heavenly to have her with me on the trip home. Twenty-four hours of travel feel a lot shorter when there's someone to share it.
Since we arrived I have:
Stopped in California to visit family.
Met a new baby cousin who won me over with her irresistible cuteness.
Enjoyed drinking tap water.
Unjetlagged with a little help from my faithful friend Mr. Benadryl.
Flown to Indianapolis.
Received clean bills of health from my ophthalmologist and dentist.
Eaten Chipotle.
Missed bakso.
Shivered. To my everlasting shame.
Worn layers. To avoid shivering.
Driven eight hours to northern Michigan. (I've missed driving.)
Spent a week at Cedar Campus, my personal happiest place on Earth.
"Counseled" 17-18 year olds at Cedar Campus.
Made friends with 17-18 year olds.
Learned to play Fluxx, which I recommend.
Heard the stories of my parents who just got back from a trip to Cote d'Ivoire.
Visited my grandparents.
Delighted in Grandma's homemade bread.
Missed friends in Jakarta.
NOT worried about traffic.
NOT worried about what time it is in Indiana.
Breathed clean air.
Been overwhelmed by the sheer selection at the grocery store.
Ooed and ahhed at fireworks.
Found that celebrating nationalism seemed less important this year.
Gotten caught up with some friends.
Not gotten caught up with enough friends. I'm so sorry.
Reflected on the last year.
Gotten excited to go back.
Packed a can of pumpkin for a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
That's the Cliffnotes version, which means my trip here has been mostly restful and filled with good people, good places, and good food. And in a nice way, I'm ready to go back. I leave tomorrow morning (Friday), and if all goes well, I'll be in Jakarta late Saturday night (EDT).
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