So I'm not much of a holidays person. They are nice. But sometimes I'd rather just relax. Instead of cooking food for 50 million people, finding perfect gifts for everyone, cleaning the house obsessively because you never know when someone might drop by, and etc and etc. Because I'm lazy like that.
Therefore, I am happy to declare this Christmas officially OVER. Well... it will be over once I finish cleaning up after the impromptu Christmas dinner my friends decided to throw AT MY HOUSE last night.
I am also happy to announce that in approximately 5 hours, I will be boarding a bus to BALI! So I should arrive in that touristy tropical paradise anywhere between 23 and 32 hours from now.
Here's to hoping for 23.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!
26 December 2013
22 December 2013
THE END
I feel like I've spent the last week living out of a bag. I pack a bag, leave the house, come home for 5 minutes, quickly unpack the bag, re-pack it for the next event, and I'm off again. I've mostly just been using my house to sleep in this week - and even that way less than normal.
At this point, basically every flat surface in my home - including the floor - is covered with stuff that got dumped out of various bags and hasn't gotten put away yet. My goal is to ignore it until tomorrow.
Because Christmas break officially starts TOMORROW. I have two and a half weeks off! So I can clean my house to my heart's content. And it is coming just in time. I think I finally reached my tired limit today - at about the 9th hour of wedding photographing.
But all the craziness and tiredness and soreness and disarray are worth it to see these smiles.
At this point, basically every flat surface in my home - including the floor - is covered with stuff that got dumped out of various bags and hasn't gotten put away yet. My goal is to ignore it until tomorrow.
Because Christmas break officially starts TOMORROW. I have two and a half weeks off! So I can clean my house to my heart's content. And it is coming just in time. I think I finally reached my tired limit today - at about the 9th hour of wedding photographing.
But all the craziness and tiredness and soreness and disarray are worth it to see these smiles.
18 December 2013
Case in Point
Before you read this, you should read my last blog post, which I wrote approximately 8 minutes ago. Right after posting that, a junior came into my classroom to have the following conversation.
Student: Have you graded our exams?
Me: Yup!
Student: Can I see mine?
Me: Nope, sorry. I don't hand exams back.
Student: Oh. Well, can I know what I got?
Me: I don't remember off the top of my head, but I'll post it on Engrade (our online gradebook) before I go home today, so you can check later.
Student: OK, but what was my grade?
Me: I don't remember.
Student: Was it the worst grade in the class?
Me: Um... I don't remember.
Student: What range was it in?
Me: I don't remember.
Student: 60?
Me: Don't remember...
Student: 40?
Me: I STILL DON'T REMEMBER.
Student: *frustrated with me* Okaaaaaay. Bye.
It is a wonder I have never physically assaulted a student...
Student: Have you graded our exams?
Me: Yup!
Student: Can I see mine?
Me: Nope, sorry. I don't hand exams back.
Student: Oh. Well, can I know what I got?
Me: I don't remember off the top of my head, but I'll post it on Engrade (our online gradebook) before I go home today, so you can check later.
Student: OK, but what was my grade?
Me: I don't remember.
Student: Was it the worst grade in the class?
Me: Um... I don't remember.
Student: What range was it in?
Me: I don't remember.
Student: 60?
Me: Don't remember...
Student: 40?
Me: I STILL DON'T REMEMBER.
Student: *frustrated with me* Okaaaaaay. Bye.
It is a wonder I have never physically assaulted a student...
My, How They've Grown
If you have been reading my blog for the past few years, you might remember that 9th grade class from hell that I taught 2 years back. I wrote a lot of "woe is me" blogs regarding my experience with that class. Well, I had them again in 10th grade last year. And now I have them AGAIN in 11th grade. These things happen in small schools...
Over time, I've gotten to know the students in this class. I now know their families. I know their stories. I know their quirks. I could pick each of their handwriting out of a lineup of 100 - which is good, since they usually forget to put their name on their homework. I have come to value and appreciate and even generally LIKE them as human beings.
But lock me in a classroom with ALL of them for 90 minutes a day, and it feels like a 90 minute train wreck.
While I can see some growth and change in them over the past few years, I still often feel like I'd rather be beating my head against the wall than attempting to teach them math. Or herding cats. That sounds easier.
They took their semester final this morning. As I was monitoring them, I was thinking of the past few years. And it was with no small amount of regret that I wished I could have a better relationship with these kids. I feel like I've spent SO much time over the past few years trying to get them to do those basic fundamental things that come so easily to other classes that I haven't had time to really build a relationship with them. Things like thinking for yourself, bringing paper and a pencil to class, not throwing garbage on the floor, remembering to put your name on assignments, not speaking rudely to others, not copying homework, listening when the teacher is teaching, and not getting angry when you ask her to repeat something for the SIXTH time and she refuses to do so - these are things these high school juniors just CAN'T seem to be able to do. STILL. And I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle sometimes.
So I am more strict with this class than I am with my other classes. This class has more rules than any other class I teach. I end up being the bad guy a lot. I get more frustrated with this class than I ever have with any other class. I have almost cried in this class more than any other class. And I feel like that has hurt my chances of having as good of a relationship with them as I might have had.
But I don't know what to do about it.
I contemplated this for quite awhile as they took their final this morning.
When the final ended, all the students rushed off to their next exam. One came back though, and he handed me a candy bar and an envelope and told me to have a merry Christmas.
After he left, I opened the envelope. Inside was a letter.
"Dear Miss. I can't believe that I survived the first semester of pre-cal. Now I look forward to the remaining second semester. I just want to tell you that you are one of the greatest and most influential teachers in our school. Yes, I don't really like math and do bad in it, but it's not your fault at all. It's just that I'm better in other stuff than math. And one of the biggest reasons I was able to survive my high school math was cause of your effective teaching. You always explain everything very specifically, always teach us whether you are sick or healthy, and most of the time answer my never-ending questions. There are numerous times in class when I think to myself, 'When I become a teacher, I wanna be like Ms. P'. I'm sorry for asking you so many questions. I will try to listen more attentively in class and diligently take notes. Seriously, if someone else was my math teacher, I would have almost failed it, but I'm glad that I have such an awesome teacher like you. Have a nice Christmas break!"
Speaking of almost crying in class...
He has no idea how perfectly timed that letter was, and he'll never know what it means to me.
It means there is hope. Hope that even though I'm the bad guy, they know how much I care about them. Hope that they see that I'm trying. Hope that they know change needs to happen. Hope that I'm doing something right.
Over time, I've gotten to know the students in this class. I now know their families. I know their stories. I know their quirks. I could pick each of their handwriting out of a lineup of 100 - which is good, since they usually forget to put their name on their homework. I have come to value and appreciate and even generally LIKE them as human beings.
But lock me in a classroom with ALL of them for 90 minutes a day, and it feels like a 90 minute train wreck.
While I can see some growth and change in them over the past few years, I still often feel like I'd rather be beating my head against the wall than attempting to teach them math. Or herding cats. That sounds easier.
They took their semester final this morning. As I was monitoring them, I was thinking of the past few years. And it was with no small amount of regret that I wished I could have a better relationship with these kids. I feel like I've spent SO much time over the past few years trying to get them to do those basic fundamental things that come so easily to other classes that I haven't had time to really build a relationship with them. Things like thinking for yourself, bringing paper and a pencil to class, not throwing garbage on the floor, remembering to put your name on assignments, not speaking rudely to others, not copying homework, listening when the teacher is teaching, and not getting angry when you ask her to repeat something for the SIXTH time and she refuses to do so - these are things these high school juniors just CAN'T seem to be able to do. STILL. And I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle sometimes.
So I am more strict with this class than I am with my other classes. This class has more rules than any other class I teach. I end up being the bad guy a lot. I get more frustrated with this class than I ever have with any other class. I have almost cried in this class more than any other class. And I feel like that has hurt my chances of having as good of a relationship with them as I might have had.
But I don't know what to do about it.
I contemplated this for quite awhile as they took their final this morning.
When the final ended, all the students rushed off to their next exam. One came back though, and he handed me a candy bar and an envelope and told me to have a merry Christmas.
After he left, I opened the envelope. Inside was a letter.
"Dear Miss. I can't believe that I survived the first semester of pre-cal. Now I look forward to the remaining second semester. I just want to tell you that you are one of the greatest and most influential teachers in our school. Yes, I don't really like math and do bad in it, but it's not your fault at all. It's just that I'm better in other stuff than math. And one of the biggest reasons I was able to survive my high school math was cause of your effective teaching. You always explain everything very specifically, always teach us whether you are sick or healthy, and most of the time answer my never-ending questions. There are numerous times in class when I think to myself, 'When I become a teacher, I wanna be like Ms. P'. I'm sorry for asking you so many questions. I will try to listen more attentively in class and diligently take notes. Seriously, if someone else was my math teacher, I would have almost failed it, but I'm glad that I have such an awesome teacher like you. Have a nice Christmas break!"
Speaking of almost crying in class...
He has no idea how perfectly timed that letter was, and he'll never know what it means to me.
It means there is hope. Hope that even though I'm the bad guy, they know how much I care about them. Hope that they see that I'm trying. Hope that they know change needs to happen. Hope that I'm doing something right.
16 December 2013
There it is...
I always feel like the last month or so of every semester is a huge whirlwind of activity and vacation is a nice long time to catch my breath after that mess. But this end-of-semester has been fairly easy. In fact, I was thinking that just last week. Naturally, I jinxed myself. I think all of the craziness that should have occurred over the past month got crammed into this coming WEEK.
This week I have three days of teaching and two days of finals. So that means end of the year grading, finals prep for students, writing finals, grading finals, turning in quarter grades and final exam grades. I have three Christmas parties. I have to tutor English. I have three days to prepare and throw a bachelorette party. I have a wedding to go to on Friday. Then I have a traditional two day wedding (different from the Friday one) that I'm photographing on Saturday and Sunday. I'm also doing the flowers for that wedding. I'm hosting my church's college group on Thursday to make Christmas cookies. I need to do a test run on the Christmas cookies before then though, because I'm trying to find a recipe that doesn't have to chill for hours. I need to buy Christmas presents for people from school because after Friday, I won't see most of them again until the end of break. I need to get two packages ready for people in America that I'm going to send with my neighbor (who is going home for Christmas this Saturday). I need to get everything ready for the beginning of second semester because once break starts, I AM NOT SETTING FOOT IN THIS CLASSROOM. I need to go to the ATM so that I can give my helper her Christmas bonus this week. I also need to get two wedding gifts. Just remembered that one. Writing this all down is helpful.
Am I stressed? Not yet.
Will I be ready for break by the end of this week? GOSH, YES.
This week I have three days of teaching and two days of finals. So that means end of the year grading, finals prep for students, writing finals, grading finals, turning in quarter grades and final exam grades. I have three Christmas parties. I have to tutor English. I have three days to prepare and throw a bachelorette party. I have a wedding to go to on Friday. Then I have a traditional two day wedding (different from the Friday one) that I'm photographing on Saturday and Sunday. I'm also doing the flowers for that wedding. I'm hosting my church's college group on Thursday to make Christmas cookies. I need to do a test run on the Christmas cookies before then though, because I'm trying to find a recipe that doesn't have to chill for hours. I need to buy Christmas presents for people from school because after Friday, I won't see most of them again until the end of break. I need to get two packages ready for people in America that I'm going to send with my neighbor (who is going home for Christmas this Saturday). I need to get everything ready for the beginning of second semester because once break starts, I AM NOT SETTING FOOT IN THIS CLASSROOM. I need to go to the ATM so that I can give my helper her Christmas bonus this week. I also need to get two wedding gifts. Just remembered that one. Writing this all down is helpful.
Am I stressed? Not yet.
Will I be ready for break by the end of this week? GOSH, YES.
12 December 2013
Hemingway
I was out for coffee tonight with a student and a friend who also works at the school. My friend is not American, but he has VERY good English and is probably more well read than I am. The same goes for the student - not a native English speaker, but he is CONSTANTLY reading, and in January he'll be taking the Literature SAT 2.
Anyways, our conversation somehow suddenly turned to Hemingway earlier. I don't really remember what led up to it, but it probably doesn't matter. What is important is that I learned that while my friend is very well read, he is not very good at remembering book titles, as you shall soon see...
Student: HEMINGWAY!
Friend: Yeah, I like Hemingway. I've read some of his stuff.
Student: Like what?
Friend: I liked An Old Man in The Sea.
Me: Do you mean The Old Man and The Sea?
Friend: Yeah, that one.
Student: I didn't read that one yet.
Friend: The only other one I've read by him is Goodbye My Left Arm.
Me: Goodbye My Left Arm?
Student: Um... I don't think I know that one...?
Friend: Oh, it's something about goodbyes and arms and um.... I think there was a war and his arm got cut off or something...
Student: A Farewell to Arms?
Friend: Yes, THAT'S the one!
Me: GOODBYE MY LEFT ARM!!!!!!!
Anyways, our conversation somehow suddenly turned to Hemingway earlier. I don't really remember what led up to it, but it probably doesn't matter. What is important is that I learned that while my friend is very well read, he is not very good at remembering book titles, as you shall soon see...
Student: HEMINGWAY!
Friend: Yeah, I like Hemingway. I've read some of his stuff.
Student: Like what?
Friend: I liked An Old Man in The Sea.
Me: Do you mean The Old Man and The Sea?
Friend: Yeah, that one.
Student: I didn't read that one yet.
Friend: The only other one I've read by him is Goodbye My Left Arm.
Me: Goodbye My Left Arm?
Student: Um... I don't think I know that one...?
Friend: Oh, it's something about goodbyes and arms and um.... I think there was a war and his arm got cut off or something...
Student: A Farewell to Arms?
Friend: Yes, THAT'S the one!
Me: GOODBYE MY LEFT ARM!!!!!!!
09 December 2013
The Greatest
So I have 10th grade homeroom, which means that I have to make sure they're in dress code every morning. Dress code is pretty easy. Their options are black or khaki pants/knee length shorts and a solid colored collared shirt. I'm known as a pretty strict dress code checker... I go around the room and check every student every day. Because of that, my 10th graders show up every day perfectly in dress code. They know they'll get sent home if they don't.
School just ended for the day, and a 10th grade boy just came into my classroom to tell me, "Miss, the principal just saw me and he said my shorts are not dress code."
He was wearing white-ish khaki cargo shorts. I asked him what was wrong with them. And he kindly said, "They're too white. They're not khaki. So I can't wear them to school. The principal said. And I just wanted to let you know because I'm afraid that one day I might forget they're not allowed and I might wear them to school. And then you need to send me home if I do that because I don't want you to get in trouble for not doing your job if the principal catches me wearing these shorts again."
I have the greatest students. I didn't realize that shorts could be too white for dress code, and he totally could have gotten away with it. But he wanted to make sure I was protected and able to do my job well.
Now, I just need to remember this story the next time this student asks me something I have already explained 5 times. Or the next time I ask him to explain how to solve a math problem and he replies, "POWER AND SKILL, BABY!" Or the next time he pinches my elbow skin while I'm checking his outfit in homeroom.
"IT FEELS FUN!" Every day...
School just ended for the day, and a 10th grade boy just came into my classroom to tell me, "Miss, the principal just saw me and he said my shorts are not dress code."
He was wearing white-ish khaki cargo shorts. I asked him what was wrong with them. And he kindly said, "They're too white. They're not khaki. So I can't wear them to school. The principal said. And I just wanted to let you know because I'm afraid that one day I might forget they're not allowed and I might wear them to school. And then you need to send me home if I do that because I don't want you to get in trouble for not doing your job if the principal catches me wearing these shorts again."
I have the greatest students. I didn't realize that shorts could be too white for dress code, and he totally could have gotten away with it. But he wanted to make sure I was protected and able to do my job well.
Now, I just need to remember this story the next time this student asks me something I have already explained 5 times. Or the next time I ask him to explain how to solve a math problem and he replies, "POWER AND SKILL, BABY!" Or the next time he pinches my elbow skin while I'm checking his outfit in homeroom.
"IT FEELS FUN!" Every day...
08 December 2013
Mondays.
Sometimes I leave the house and something just doesn't feel right. I usually ask myself, "Am I wearing underwear?" Sometimes the answer is no and I have to go back home.
This morning, something felt weird. I did the mental underwear check. Everything seemed to be in place. So I came to school. It wasn't until I got here that I figured it out.
I never took my pajamas off this morning. I put my clothes on OVER my pajamas. I am wearing my pajamas UNDER my school clothes. And today is an A day - so back to back to back to back classes with no break.
It's gonna be a lumpy Monday.
This morning, something felt weird. I did the mental underwear check. Everything seemed to be in place. So I came to school. It wasn't until I got here that I figured it out.
I never took my pajamas off this morning. I put my clothes on OVER my pajamas. I am wearing my pajamas UNDER my school clothes. And today is an A day - so back to back to back to back classes with no break.
It's gonna be a lumpy Monday.
05 December 2013
Pet Peeves
I am learning that living in another country comes with two sets of pet peeves.
Obviously, you have your pet peeves about the culture you are living in. Like how people drive at night with no headlights on because they think it conserves battery. Or how time is rubber and nobody ever shows up when they say they will and you end up waiting alone for 30 minutes while everybody stares at you and wonders why a white person is sitting there alone. Or how people slurp and suck on their food - namely chicken heads - and it makes you totally lose your appetite.
The not so obvious set of pet peeves that I only just recently learned about myself involves the way people from your home country treat you. These people generally fall into a few categories.
1. People who don't realize that you can live in a real house in a real city in a third world country and not everybody lives in a tree house in the jungle and eats grubs three meals a day.
2. People who write/talk to you and ask, "So how's Indonesia?" like an entire five year experience can be summed up in one quick reply.
3. People who don't realize that Indonesia is NOT the same as America and don't understand why.
4. People who believe that I have NO CLUE what is happening in the rest of the world and speak to me condescendingly because of it.
That last one is the one that is getting me lately. I recently read the status of a young man from my hometown who complained what a terrible place America is because the human rights and civil rights of white people are being lost. At first, I was genuinely concerned that something very negative had happened to him. So I commented to ask him how exactly his rights were violated. He wrote back to say that it was nothing personal but how sad it is that American's original settlers are being treated unfairly. Feeling less sympathetic, I responded how it surely is a tragedy the way those Native Americans were/are treated. This turned into a long dialogue that mostly entailed him impatiently "explaining" to me that white people are the original Americans but now we've let so many immigrants in and treated them too kindly and white people are being overrun and this is very terrible for white people because white people are the ones who MADE the rights and Obama is the worst and what would our founding fathers think. Basically, it sounded like he believed that since white people created the rights, they should not apply to other people like immigrants and minorities and homosexuals. I challenged him on a couple points. Instead of answering, he informed me that I just don't understand because I haven't been to America for so long and if I could see firsthand, then I would obviously be on his side. The conversation ended shortly after that (and after I reminded him that if it weren't for immigrants rights, he and I wouldn't be where we are today) because I didn't have anything nice to say, so I chose not to say anything at all.
That's not the only time it has happened in recent months. A few times now, I've gotten the, "You don't understand because you're not here" speech. I don't need to be IN America to know what is happening there. I will be the first to admit that I am not always great on keeping up with world news, but it doesn't mean I am clueless as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And I'm a little bit offended when people assume that I am.
I know that the people in all 4 categories above mean well. They really do. And I get that. And all of those offences are really nothing more than pet peeves. Easy to forgive. But when they happen, it is REALLY hard not to roll my eyes.
So I'm sorry if I ever involuntarily roll my eyes at you. It probably means you are pet peeving me.
Obviously, you have your pet peeves about the culture you are living in. Like how people drive at night with no headlights on because they think it conserves battery. Or how time is rubber and nobody ever shows up when they say they will and you end up waiting alone for 30 minutes while everybody stares at you and wonders why a white person is sitting there alone. Or how people slurp and suck on their food - namely chicken heads - and it makes you totally lose your appetite.
The not so obvious set of pet peeves that I only just recently learned about myself involves the way people from your home country treat you. These people generally fall into a few categories.
1. People who don't realize that you can live in a real house in a real city in a third world country and not everybody lives in a tree house in the jungle and eats grubs three meals a day.
2. People who write/talk to you and ask, "So how's Indonesia?" like an entire five year experience can be summed up in one quick reply.
3. People who don't realize that Indonesia is NOT the same as America and don't understand why.
4. People who believe that I have NO CLUE what is happening in the rest of the world and speak to me condescendingly because of it.
That last one is the one that is getting me lately. I recently read the status of a young man from my hometown who complained what a terrible place America is because the human rights and civil rights of white people are being lost. At first, I was genuinely concerned that something very negative had happened to him. So I commented to ask him how exactly his rights were violated. He wrote back to say that it was nothing personal but how sad it is that American's original settlers are being treated unfairly. Feeling less sympathetic, I responded how it surely is a tragedy the way those Native Americans were/are treated. This turned into a long dialogue that mostly entailed him impatiently "explaining" to me that white people are the original Americans but now we've let so many immigrants in and treated them too kindly and white people are being overrun and this is very terrible for white people because white people are the ones who MADE the rights and Obama is the worst and what would our founding fathers think. Basically, it sounded like he believed that since white people created the rights, they should not apply to other people like immigrants and minorities and homosexuals. I challenged him on a couple points. Instead of answering, he informed me that I just don't understand because I haven't been to America for so long and if I could see firsthand, then I would obviously be on his side. The conversation ended shortly after that (and after I reminded him that if it weren't for immigrants rights, he and I wouldn't be where we are today) because I didn't have anything nice to say, so I chose not to say anything at all.
That's not the only time it has happened in recent months. A few times now, I've gotten the, "You don't understand because you're not here" speech. I don't need to be IN America to know what is happening there. I will be the first to admit that I am not always great on keeping up with world news, but it doesn't mean I am clueless as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And I'm a little bit offended when people assume that I am.
I know that the people in all 4 categories above mean well. They really do. And I get that. And all of those offences are really nothing more than pet peeves. Easy to forgive. But when they happen, it is REALLY hard not to roll my eyes.
So I'm sorry if I ever involuntarily roll my eyes at you. It probably means you are pet peeving me.
04 December 2013
What a weird word.
Textbook question: In an experiment, students netted butterflies, recorded the number with tags on their wings, and then released them. The students netted 48 butterflies and 3 of those had tagged wings. Predict the number of butterflies that would have tagged wings out of 100 netted.
Student: What does netting mean??
Me: Catching with nets.
Student: Who even uses that word?! This is ridiculous. Why can't they just say catched?
Student: What does netting mean??
Me: Catching with nets.
Student: Who even uses that word?! This is ridiculous. Why can't they just say catched?
01 December 2013
Giving Thanks
"Living in America must be so wonderful".
It's a simple sentence, but it always rubs me the wrong way. I don't like it when people assume that life in America is like living in some fantasy land. Life in America is not all sunshine and princesses and mansions and dreams come true.
Being a foreigner who desperately just wants to fit in, I usually try to find the similarities, not point out the differences. And so when people here make comments like that to me, I usually respond with something like, "Well, every country has its goods and its bads, just like Indonesia". Polite, but reminding them that America probably isn't the paradise that they think it is.
I was getting ready to deliver my response, but I paused. I looked at the 7th grade girl across the table from me and I could tell she was already 15,000 miles away, trying to imagine America, that magical place she only knows from the movies.
And instead, I bit my tongue.
I was supposed to be helping her with her English homework. This girl. This 13 year old girl. Whose face was smudged with dirt. Who lives in a house with dirt floors. Who goes to one of the worst middle schools in town. Who doesn't know her own father. Whose mother is a prostitute.
I decided to do Thanksgiving a little bit differently this year. I didn't have a turkey dinner. I didn't spend time with other Americans. There was no stuffing or green bean casserole or pumpkin anything. Nobody asked me what I'm thankful for.
Instead, I went to the red light district of town and taught English.
And in a ramshackle little building with holes in the roof, surrounded by 15 rambunctious, runny nosed children, I was reminded of exactly how much I have to be thankful for.
I am thankful that in every situation, I have Hope to hold onto.
I am thankful for two loving parents in my life who I know would sacrifice anything for me.
I am thankful for the friends I have in my life from all over the world who love me and pray for me and encourage me and support me.
I am thankful for the education I received that led to me being a teacher in Indonesia.
I am thankful that I have enough.
And I am thankful that I am American. Even though it might not be a Disney princess paradise world.
I watched her for a minute from across the table. She eventually looked back at me with a shy smile. I didn't know what to say to her, so I smiled back and we continued working on her homework.
Devi. Her name is Devi.
It's a simple sentence, but it always rubs me the wrong way. I don't like it when people assume that life in America is like living in some fantasy land. Life in America is not all sunshine and princesses and mansions and dreams come true.
Being a foreigner who desperately just wants to fit in, I usually try to find the similarities, not point out the differences. And so when people here make comments like that to me, I usually respond with something like, "Well, every country has its goods and its bads, just like Indonesia". Polite, but reminding them that America probably isn't the paradise that they think it is.
I was getting ready to deliver my response, but I paused. I looked at the 7th grade girl across the table from me and I could tell she was already 15,000 miles away, trying to imagine America, that magical place she only knows from the movies.
And instead, I bit my tongue.
I was supposed to be helping her with her English homework. This girl. This 13 year old girl. Whose face was smudged with dirt. Who lives in a house with dirt floors. Who goes to one of the worst middle schools in town. Who doesn't know her own father. Whose mother is a prostitute.
I decided to do Thanksgiving a little bit differently this year. I didn't have a turkey dinner. I didn't spend time with other Americans. There was no stuffing or green bean casserole or pumpkin anything. Nobody asked me what I'm thankful for.
Instead, I went to the red light district of town and taught English.
And in a ramshackle little building with holes in the roof, surrounded by 15 rambunctious, runny nosed children, I was reminded of exactly how much I have to be thankful for.
I am thankful that in every situation, I have Hope to hold onto.
I am thankful for two loving parents in my life who I know would sacrifice anything for me.
I am thankful for the friends I have in my life from all over the world who love me and pray for me and encourage me and support me.
I am thankful for the education I received that led to me being a teacher in Indonesia.
I am thankful that I have enough.
And I am thankful that I am American. Even though it might not be a Disney princess paradise world.
I watched her for a minute from across the table. She eventually looked back at me with a shy smile. I didn't know what to say to her, so I smiled back and we continued working on her homework.
Devi. Her name is Devi.
26 November 2013
Happy Teachers Day
In honor of teachers day two days ago (it's OK if you forgot to mail me a present - I forgot it was teachers day too), a dear friend of mine sent me the following SMS:
"Oh, it's teacher's day!!! Keep being awesome.. or not. They'll love you anyway!"
It made me laugh.
Good advice for teachers EVERYWHERE.
"Oh, it's teacher's day!!! Keep being awesome.. or not. They'll love you anyway!"
It made me laugh.
Good advice for teachers EVERYWHERE.
25 November 2013
The Stinky American
We had a double service at church this past Sunday because we had a guest speaker from America! So in between the two services, we had snacks and fellowship time and they also gave away a dozen books. At first, you had to answer questions correctly to win a book. Some were about the topic of the first sermon. Some were trivia about our pastor or about the guest pastor. But then they ran out of questions, so they started doing things like, "Who is wearing blue socks?" or "Who has no phone minutes on their phone?" (because all phones in Indonesia are pay-as-you-go). Each time, the person who met the requirement and ran to the front the fastest won a book.
I knew the answers to several of the questions, but I'm not much of a run-to-the-front-and-shove-other-people-out-of-the-way kind of person. I'd rather sit back and enjoy watching other people duke it out.
But then something happened. They asked, "Who came to church today without showering?" And I thought, "THIS IS IT. THIS IS MY MOMENT. MY TIME TO SHINE." And this force just came over my body. Without even realizing it, I was raising my hand and slowly standing up. And then I was running. It's like I wasn't even in command of my own body. I just sprinted. In slow motion, I think. Or at least that's how I remember it happening. I had been sitting in the front row and couldn't see behind me, but I got a minor rush of adrenaline when I grabbed my book and realized I'd gotten to the front first. I WON! I WON!
And then I turned around to show off my prize to my adoring fans. Because I'd been sitting in the front, I didn't realize until that moment - on stage in front of the whole room - that I was the only person who even got up!!! The rest of the congregation was just sitting there, looking at me in silence, heads cocked to one side as if to question why I would even admit to not showering that morning...
Indonesia may be a third world country, and Westerners may associate "third world" with "lack of cleanliness and hygiene", but I tell you what - Indonesians bathe 2-4 times a day EVERY DAY (as opposed to my 2-3 times a week). And even if they didn't, they would NEVER ADMIT IT. This is the cleanest culture I have ever lived in.
Once everyone saw me realize that I was all alone in front, the room ERUPTED in laughter. They laughed and cheered SO HARD. It was practically riotous.
Because I am the ONLY white person who attends my church... And I was the only person out of 150 that didn't shower that morning...
That's gonna be a great memory. And the book wasn't bad either!
21 November 2013
A Joke
I heard a joke recently about the recognized religions of Indonesia. For those of you who don't know, every Indonesian has what's called a KTP, which is their national ID card - like a social security card. On it you have to list your religion, and you have 6 to choose from:
1. Islam
2. Kristen
3. Katolik
4. Buddha
5. Hindu
6. Khonghucu (which I think is like Confucianism, though I'm not sure if it's the same in English)
I heard this joke in Indonesian, and I don't know how to translate all the religious terms exactly into English, but I'll do my best so that everyone can understand!
One day, a guy bought a new vehicle. He really wanted to have it blessed before he drove it (for safety, of course), but since he wasn't strictly adherent to any religion, he wasn't sure who should bless it. To be safe, he called six of his friends - one from each religion - and asked them to bless his car. His Khonghucu friend showed up first, lit some incense on the dashboard, said a prayer, and told the man his car was blessed. Then his Buddhist friend came, mounted a statue of Buddha on the dashboard, asked Buddha to protect the car and its occupants, then reassured his friend that his car was blessed. The Hindu friend came next and set a canang sari (a woven grass box full of offerings to the gods) on the hood of the car, said a prayer to Vishnu, and declared the car blessed. Next the Catholic friend came. He brought a little bottle of holy water, sprinkled it water on the roof, said 3 Hail Marys, and declared the car to be blessed. The Christian friend saw the Catholic bless the car, but he said a sprinkling wasn't enough, so he drove the car INTO a nearby river. He then declared that the car was blessed. Once the car was dried off, the Muslim friend came. By now, the other 6 friends were busy chatting and didn't see what the Muslim friend did. He came over and told them the car was now blessed. The 6 men were confused because they couldn't see that anything had been added or changed. They looked around the car, in the car, under the car, and still they couldn't see what the Muslim friend had done to bless the car. Finally they asked him, and the friend replied, "Simple. I just cut 3 inches off the exhaust pipe."
1. Islam
2. Kristen
3. Katolik
4. Buddha
5. Hindu
6. Khonghucu (which I think is like Confucianism, though I'm not sure if it's the same in English)
I heard this joke in Indonesian, and I don't know how to translate all the religious terms exactly into English, but I'll do my best so that everyone can understand!
One day, a guy bought a new vehicle. He really wanted to have it blessed before he drove it (for safety, of course), but since he wasn't strictly adherent to any religion, he wasn't sure who should bless it. To be safe, he called six of his friends - one from each religion - and asked them to bless his car. His Khonghucu friend showed up first, lit some incense on the dashboard, said a prayer, and told the man his car was blessed. Then his Buddhist friend came, mounted a statue of Buddha on the dashboard, asked Buddha to protect the car and its occupants, then reassured his friend that his car was blessed. The Hindu friend came next and set a canang sari (a woven grass box full of offerings to the gods) on the hood of the car, said a prayer to Vishnu, and declared the car blessed. Next the Catholic friend came. He brought a little bottle of holy water, sprinkled it water on the roof, said 3 Hail Marys, and declared the car to be blessed. The Christian friend saw the Catholic bless the car, but he said a sprinkling wasn't enough, so he drove the car INTO a nearby river. He then declared that the car was blessed. Once the car was dried off, the Muslim friend came. By now, the other 6 friends were busy chatting and didn't see what the Muslim friend did. He came over and told them the car was now blessed. The 6 men were confused because they couldn't see that anything had been added or changed. They looked around the car, in the car, under the car, and still they couldn't see what the Muslim friend had done to bless the car. Finally they asked him, and the friend replied, "Simple. I just cut 3 inches off the exhaust pipe."
19 November 2013
A Dream Come Half True
One time, a long time ago, someone told me that if you get malaria, your pee turns black. I don't even think this is true, but I like to imagine that it is. I have never wished to have malaria. But I have kind of wished to someday have black pee. Because wouldn't that be SO WEIRD?!
Yesterday, my wish came half true. MY PEE IS BROWN, people. Brown like iced tea. When I first noticed, my first thought was, "OHMYGOSH! I am dying of dehydration!" And I immediately drank two glasses of water. Then I thought some more, and my second thought was, "OHMYGOSH! I am dying of renal failure! That is why I have been sick for three weeks!" Then my third thought was, "GOOGLE THIS."
So I Googled "Why is my pee brown?" And I found a website that listed possible colors of pee ranging from pink to blue (?!) to black and gave reasons for why your pee could be each color. Malaria was not one of them. But it turns out, the anti-parasite medicine that I am now on day 3 of can cause your pee to turn brown.
My dream came half true. Or maybe more like three-fourths true.
Yesterday, my wish came half true. MY PEE IS BROWN, people. Brown like iced tea. When I first noticed, my first thought was, "OHMYGOSH! I am dying of dehydration!" And I immediately drank two glasses of water. Then I thought some more, and my second thought was, "OHMYGOSH! I am dying of renal failure! That is why I have been sick for three weeks!" Then my third thought was, "GOOGLE THIS."
So I Googled "Why is my pee brown?" And I found a website that listed possible colors of pee ranging from pink to blue (?!) to black and gave reasons for why your pee could be each color. Malaria was not one of them. But it turns out, the anti-parasite medicine that I am now on day 3 of can cause your pee to turn brown.
My dream came half true. Or maybe more like three-fourths true.
Um...?
One (male) student was absent from homeroom today. Another (male) student commented, "I miss Joe today. He's my buddy, physically."
I decided not to ask...
I decided not to ask...
Some Fruit
Sometimes the Bible overwhelms me. Most of the things that it says we are supposed to do or be like are things that take months - or even years - of practice and discipline to make part of our daily lives. Then there's the real kicker - be like Jesus. Who, by the way, is perfect. Yes, let me get right on that.
Yesterday, I was thinking of the Fruits of the Spirit specifically as I was walking home from school. I was kind of doing a mental checklist to see where I'm at. Here's what I've got.
Love - This is one that I've tried to make a priority this year. I want to learn to love people well. I was kind of hoping that once I had this down a little more, the others would kind of just follow. But no. That is not the case. And I don't really even think I'm doing so great at this one - and I've been working on it since January! That is depressing.
Joy - I realized recently how affected my attitude is by the situation around me. All it takes is a cloudy day to put me in a sleepy, cranky mood. But when the sun is shining, I feel happy and extroverted and I want to give everyone kisses and puppies. But that's different from joy. Joy isn't affected by external factors. It flows through you no matter what the circumstance. I don't think I have that. Not even close.
Peace - Most times I try to be peaceful. Unless someone says something straight up mean or ignorant. Then I'm not really all that peaceful...
Patience - YaaaaaaaNO. Never.
Kindness - Um. I think I am kind. Most of the time. My students might not agree with this.
Goodness - What does this even mean? How is it different from the others? Am I good? Uh... (See kindness).
Gentleness - I don't really have what you would call a gentle personality. I'm a lot sarcastic and a little too blunt. So that's probably a negative on the gentleness.
Faithfulness - Well, I've never worshipped idols, if that's what you mean. I do tend to get distracted a lot though, and I use my tiredness and the busy-ness of my day as an excuse sometimes... So I guess I would call that unfaithfulness.
Self-Control - This is probably the one I am best at. And mostly because I am super stubborn. So if I say I won't do something, I won't do it. I've got the control thing down. But there are probably situations I could use more self control in... Now if only stubbornness was on the list. Then I could check at least one off.
Clearly I have failed at every one of the Fruits. Does that make me a failure? Nope.
I will never be able to succeed at all of them. I mean, I can't consistently succeed at even one of them. Does that make me any less redeemed? Nope.
That is the beautiful thing about God. I get to this point, and I feel overwhelmed all over again. But for a different reason.
Aku dikasihi dan dipulihkan. Apa adanya.
Yesterday, I was thinking of the Fruits of the Spirit specifically as I was walking home from school. I was kind of doing a mental checklist to see where I'm at. Here's what I've got.
Love - This is one that I've tried to make a priority this year. I want to learn to love people well. I was kind of hoping that once I had this down a little more, the others would kind of just follow. But no. That is not the case. And I don't really even think I'm doing so great at this one - and I've been working on it since January! That is depressing.
Joy - I realized recently how affected my attitude is by the situation around me. All it takes is a cloudy day to put me in a sleepy, cranky mood. But when the sun is shining, I feel happy and extroverted and I want to give everyone kisses and puppies. But that's different from joy. Joy isn't affected by external factors. It flows through you no matter what the circumstance. I don't think I have that. Not even close.
Peace - Most times I try to be peaceful. Unless someone says something straight up mean or ignorant. Then I'm not really all that peaceful...
Patience - YaaaaaaaNO. Never.
Kindness - Um. I think I am kind. Most of the time. My students might not agree with this.
Goodness - What does this even mean? How is it different from the others? Am I good? Uh... (See kindness).
Gentleness - I don't really have what you would call a gentle personality. I'm a lot sarcastic and a little too blunt. So that's probably a negative on the gentleness.
Faithfulness - Well, I've never worshipped idols, if that's what you mean. I do tend to get distracted a lot though, and I use my tiredness and the busy-ness of my day as an excuse sometimes... So I guess I would call that unfaithfulness.
Self-Control - This is probably the one I am best at. And mostly because I am super stubborn. So if I say I won't do something, I won't do it. I've got the control thing down. But there are probably situations I could use more self control in... Now if only stubbornness was on the list. Then I could check at least one off.
Clearly I have failed at every one of the Fruits. Does that make me a failure? Nope.
I will never be able to succeed at all of them. I mean, I can't consistently succeed at even one of them. Does that make me any less redeemed? Nope.
That is the beautiful thing about God. I get to this point, and I feel overwhelmed all over again. But for a different reason.
Aku dikasihi dan dipulihkan. Apa adanya.
14 November 2013
There's Always One
I have this one student who reads a lot and knows lots of big, fancy words. Then he tries to use them in math class. And when he's asked to prove indirectly that neither base angle of an isosceles triangle can be a right angle, this is what he answers:
Let one assume that in an isosceles triangle, either one of the base angles is in good possibility an angle amounting to 90 degrees. In an isosceles triangle, the base angle are always by definition congruent, so both ammount to 90 degrees each, a 180 degree total with the third angle not surmounting in excellence or degradation beyond 0 degrees. This is most innacurate, as no triangle may posess an angle whose measure is 0 degrees nor is a triangle classified as such according to it's definition have only two sides. Therefore, in an isosceles triangle neither base angles may attain the ninety degrees of an right triangle.
In comparison, this is what a classmate wrote:
If an triangle is a isosceles then the base can be a right triangle a triangle is not a isosceles neither base angles can be a right angle.
Let one assume that in an isosceles triangle, either one of the base angles is in good possibility an angle amounting to 90 degrees. In an isosceles triangle, the base angle are always by definition congruent, so both ammount to 90 degrees each, a 180 degree total with the third angle not surmounting in excellence or degradation beyond 0 degrees. This is most innacurate, as no triangle may posess an angle whose measure is 0 degrees nor is a triangle classified as such according to it's definition have only two sides. Therefore, in an isosceles triangle neither base angles may attain the ninety degrees of an right triangle.
In comparison, this is what a classmate wrote:
If an triangle is a isosceles then the base can be a right triangle a triangle is not a isosceles neither base angles can be a right angle.
11 November 2013
Sieve = Thief
In Geometry, I wrote "The Sieve of Eratosthanes" and the class erupted in laughter. I asked them what was so funny and one boy in the back row shouted out, "You could write 'thief' instead of 'sieve' and Chan* would say the exact same thing!"
Obviously I needed to test out this theory, and I know that Chan is a good sport, so I turned to him and asked him to read what was on the board.
"Da seef of Ersafonies."
Then I changed sieve to thief and asked him to read it. No joke, EXACTLY THE SAME.
I gave him some candy for his troubles.
*Names have been changed to protect the sheepish.
10 November 2013
Engrish
A conversation I had in English with a cashier at a garage over the weekend.
*I approach the check-out counter where the cashier has already written out a receipt for the brake parts I got changed*
Cashier: Um... What.... is.... my name?
Me: (Look for a name tag and find none) Sorry?
Cashier: (Picks up a pen and holds it expectantly over my receipt) What is my name?
Me: (Am I supposed to guess?) Uhh...
Cashier: (Smiles expectantly at me)
Me: (Sudden realization) Oh, MY name??? (I point to myself)
Cashier: Yes. My name. (Nods excitedly and smiles) What is my name?
*I approach the check-out counter where the cashier has already written out a receipt for the brake parts I got changed*
Cashier: Um... What.... is.... my name?
Me: (Look for a name tag and find none) Sorry?
Cashier: (Picks up a pen and holds it expectantly over my receipt) What is my name?
Me: (Am I supposed to guess?) Uhh...
Cashier: (Smiles expectantly at me)
Me: (Sudden realization) Oh, MY name??? (I point to myself)
Cashier: Yes. My name. (Nods excitedly and smiles) What is my name?
07 November 2013
Sick Week
So whatever is in my stomach is not leaving. With the exception of everything I eat or drink. ALL of that is promptly leaving. I can't even take any medicine because it doesn't stay long enough to actually do anything. One Immodium is usually enough to stop everything up for 3 or 4 days (generally causing an opposite but equally as uncomfortable malady). I took three in an hour on Sunday. Didn't even make a dent. So I gave up on that.
I've mostly been trying to make sure that what I eat is as healthy as possible so that I don't get too weak and drinking lots of water and electrolytes in an attempt to stay hydrated.
I'm on this weird cycle that looks like this:
1. Eat/drink something.
2. Have severe stomach pain/cramps/nausea because there is something in my stomach.
3. Spend 10-15 minutes in the bathroom.
4. Feel great for about 20 minutes.
5. Have severe stomach pain/cramps/nausea because there is nothing in my stomach.
6. Eat/drink something.
I really thought it was food poisoning at the beginning of the week and that it would get better if I gave it time. Compared to Sunday, it has definitely slowed down in intensity. But it's clearly still not better. SOOOO I'm gonna go get a blood test after school today, just to see if anything shows up. It might be a lingering virus. It might be a parasite. Hopefully I'll know by tonight.
In the meantime, I'm just VERY thankful that I've had enough strength to be able to teach this week, even if I have to do it sitting down. I'm also thankful for good friends who doctor me up and good co-workers who take over my classes when I need to go home and lay down!
*edit* I never ended up getting bloodwork done because it was storming like crazy Friday after school, so we postponed until Saturday. But Friday evening/Saturday morning I was feeling SO much better, I decided not to bother with it!
I've mostly been trying to make sure that what I eat is as healthy as possible so that I don't get too weak and drinking lots of water and electrolytes in an attempt to stay hydrated.
I'm on this weird cycle that looks like this:
1. Eat/drink something.
2. Have severe stomach pain/cramps/nausea because there is something in my stomach.
3. Spend 10-15 minutes in the bathroom.
4. Feel great for about 20 minutes.
5. Have severe stomach pain/cramps/nausea because there is nothing in my stomach.
6. Eat/drink something.
I really thought it was food poisoning at the beginning of the week and that it would get better if I gave it time. Compared to Sunday, it has definitely slowed down in intensity. But it's clearly still not better. SOOOO I'm gonna go get a blood test after school today, just to see if anything shows up. It might be a lingering virus. It might be a parasite. Hopefully I'll know by tonight.
In the meantime, I'm just VERY thankful that I've had enough strength to be able to teach this week, even if I have to do it sitting down. I'm also thankful for good friends who doctor me up and good co-workers who take over my classes when I need to go home and lay down!
*edit* I never ended up getting bloodwork done because it was storming like crazy Friday after school, so we postponed until Saturday. But Friday evening/Saturday morning I was feeling SO much better, I decided not to bother with it!
04 November 2013
Second Sick Day Ever
Good news. I am still alive.
I drove myself to work yesterday, but only lasted 2 periods before I just needed to go home and lay down and be near my toilet for awhile.
Last night's dinner stayed put though, and I slept all night long, so I'm feeling better today. I even walked to work! It took me a little longer than usual, and though I'd say I'm only at about 80%, I am feeling MUCH better than I was over the weekend. Thankful to be back to normal activities!
I drove myself to work yesterday, but only lasted 2 periods before I just needed to go home and lay down and be near my toilet for awhile.
Last night's dinner stayed put though, and I slept all night long, so I'm feeling better today. I even walked to work! It took me a little longer than usual, and though I'd say I'm only at about 80%, I am feeling MUCH better than I was over the weekend. Thankful to be back to normal activities!
03 November 2013
01 November 2013
Parent Teacher Conferences
I never officially taught in America, but I did do half a semester of student teaching back home in Indiana, and so I ended up having to suffer the psychological torture that is known as parent teacher conferences. My teacher adviser was a great guy and did so much to train me, encourage me, and to build my confidence as a teacher. Two hours of parent teacher conferences was just about enough undo all of his work.
I remember sitting there trying to fight back tears and keep my chin up as irate parents scolded me for their child's failing grade. Irate parents who wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise about what we could do to help their child. Irate parents whose child hadn't turned in a single homework assignment that semester. Irate parents who didn't pick up the phone any of the times I had tried to call them that semester. Irate parents who refused to get their children tested for learning disabilities - even after multiple school staff recommended it. Irate parents who just wanted someone to blame.
After it was over, I went home and cried and wondered if it was too late to change my major. It was my senior year. So yeah, probably too late.
At any rate, I ended up at a small international school. The first time we had parent teacher conferences here, I braced myself. I was ready to play their blame game. But it never came. Instead, parents hugged me and told me I was making a difference and asked me lots of personal questions because they genuinely wanted to get to know me. And they told me that I am as much a part of their work as they are, because if I wasn't here doing what I do, they couldn't be here doing what they do. No matter what grade their child had, the parents who came to talk me were nothing less than caring.
I was in shock. I think that was the first time that I really realized how amazing this whole community we have here is. And it was the first time that it really clicked for me what it means to be part of The Body.
Yesterday, I had my 12th parent teacher conference. And as always (minus that first one back in Indiana), the parents were so loving and encouraging. The mother of one of my AP Calculus girls told me, "You know this isn't a required class. I actually encouraged her to drop it - she has so much on her plate as it is. But she likes you. She wants to take this class because YOU are teaching it."
That was so special to me. But what happened in the last conference of the day just about made me cry. Cry good tears.
After we discussed their child - and right as I thought the parents were getting up to leave - they suddenly asked me, "How can we pray for you?" And then they did. They held my hands and they just prayed over me. They prayed that I would have patience and health. And they prayed that I would have eyes to see my students' needs. And they prayed that I would have wisdom to meet those needs. And I forget the rest after that because I was focusing on taking deep breaths.
It's not all sunshine and ponies - I'd say that approximately twice a week I just want to throat punch everyone in sight. But days like yesterday are good reminders of how blessed I am to get to live in this country, to work at this school, to serve these families, and to be a part of this community.
Writing this has also been a good reminder that I will never ever ever be a teacher in America. You can sing that to the tune of Taylor Swift if you like. Sorry for the extra syllables.
I remember sitting there trying to fight back tears and keep my chin up as irate parents scolded me for their child's failing grade. Irate parents who wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise about what we could do to help their child. Irate parents whose child hadn't turned in a single homework assignment that semester. Irate parents who didn't pick up the phone any of the times I had tried to call them that semester. Irate parents who refused to get their children tested for learning disabilities - even after multiple school staff recommended it. Irate parents who just wanted someone to blame.
After it was over, I went home and cried and wondered if it was too late to change my major. It was my senior year. So yeah, probably too late.
At any rate, I ended up at a small international school. The first time we had parent teacher conferences here, I braced myself. I was ready to play their blame game. But it never came. Instead, parents hugged me and told me I was making a difference and asked me lots of personal questions because they genuinely wanted to get to know me. And they told me that I am as much a part of their work as they are, because if I wasn't here doing what I do, they couldn't be here doing what they do. No matter what grade their child had, the parents who came to talk me were nothing less than caring.
I was in shock. I think that was the first time that I really realized how amazing this whole community we have here is. And it was the first time that it really clicked for me what it means to be part of The Body.
Yesterday, I had my 12th parent teacher conference. And as always (minus that first one back in Indiana), the parents were so loving and encouraging. The mother of one of my AP Calculus girls told me, "You know this isn't a required class. I actually encouraged her to drop it - she has so much on her plate as it is. But she likes you. She wants to take this class because YOU are teaching it."
That was so special to me. But what happened in the last conference of the day just about made me cry. Cry good tears.
After we discussed their child - and right as I thought the parents were getting up to leave - they suddenly asked me, "How can we pray for you?" And then they did. They held my hands and they just prayed over me. They prayed that I would have patience and health. And they prayed that I would have eyes to see my students' needs. And they prayed that I would have wisdom to meet those needs. And I forget the rest after that because I was focusing on taking deep breaths.
It's not all sunshine and ponies - I'd say that approximately twice a week I just want to throat punch everyone in sight. But days like yesterday are good reminders of how blessed I am to get to live in this country, to work at this school, to serve these families, and to be a part of this community.
Writing this has also been a good reminder that I will never ever ever be a teacher in America. You can sing that to the tune of Taylor Swift if you like. Sorry for the extra syllables.
30 October 2013
Water vs. Air
I just took an online quiz in an attempt to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Because how nice would that be? Anyways, the quiz was about pumpkins. One question really stumped me.
It didn't stump me because I didn't know the answer. I did know the answer. I just couldn't figure out why it was on there twice. I read the question THREE times, and I just could NOT figure out why one answer was double. I didn't know which one to click on. Which one of the two would they consider acceptable? Was one MORE right than the other? Who even WROTE such a stupid question with two of the same answer on there?!
Because obviously, the answer is water.
But air is the Indonesian word for water.
My brain didn't even distinguish between the two different languages. I seriously thought water was on there twice.
And this is why I should not do intellectual things in the morning.
28 October 2013
Snippets
One of the guards told Ibu Sri, my helper, that he wants to marry me. My helper said to him, "And how exactly do you think you will pay for all the toilet paper she uses?!" I love that that was the first thing she thought of... (I really don't use that much. One roll lasts me 2-3 weeks.)
Some friends and I took a bus to Solo over the weekend. At one stop, some guys on the ground shouted through an open window to our driver, "Hey! You've got white people on that bus!" The driver shouted right back, "They're not white! They speak Javanese! They're Javanese!"
I have watched so much Duck Dynasty recently that I have started speaking with terrible grammar and a Southern accent.
I have an empty e-mail inbox for the first time in over a year. I feel so accomplished.
We got a new art teacher today. This is exciting for 2 reasons. The first is that we haven't had an art program for two years now, and that is really sad because we have so many students who are extremely gifted at art. I am so excited for them to finally have an instructor/mentor to help them practice their talent! The second is that this is the first single male staff member we have had in four years. This has created QUITE a buzz around here. I always feel bad for the single guy teachers because they must be so lonely without any other single guys around. And it must be awkward, you know, to think that 90% of the single girls around you are stalking you like a hungry lion.
OCD is sweeping the nation. But it's not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCD in Indonesia apparently stands for Obsessive Corbuzier's Diet. That's right, it's a diet plan. A diet plan where you give yourself a window of time in which you can eat. You can only eat during those hours, and you consume lots of water (and nothing else) outside of those hours. One girl I know can only eat from 1-6 PM. I know another guy who only eats from 2-5. SEVERAL of my friends are on this diet. I'm pretty sure it's not the healthiest way to lose weight. But I do kind of love it when one person asks another if they are OCD and the person answers "Yes".
I was late to church yesterday because of a defiant toad sitting INSIDE my front door (how did he get in?!) and an equally defiant poisonous frog claiming my rain poncho. He would NOT give it back, and when I tried to make him, he jumped onto my stomach, which made me scream and freeze. Thankfully, he did not pee on me or my rain poncho, because that is the part that is poisonous. And he eventually left. And I eventually made it to church.
Rainy season started. Bleh.
My neighbor is working on learning Indonesian. She asked me recently what the difference between hal and perkara is. I couldn't really give her a concrete example, because I'm not super sure myself. They are both used to talk about abstract things... So I asked an Indonesian friend. He said that perkara refers to negative things, bad things, or evil things. I countered him with a Bible verse. In Colossians 3, Paul says to think of things above, not the things of this earth. The Indonesian translation uses the word perkara. So I pointed out to him that the "things above" are Heavenly things, and those wouldn't be negative or evil. He came back with, "Right, perkara means bad or evil things EXCEPT for when it means good things". Haha... Him not being able to give me a good answer made me feel better about not being able to give one either.
I will be home NEXT SUMMER. I keep having dreams about it. When I'm not busy having dreams about getting lice that are actually cockroaches crawling my hair.
On our bus trip to Solo, we decided to visit the sultan's palace there. I was the only one in the group who had been there before. But last time I went, we didn't have a tour guide; this time we did. Can I just say that I love Indonesians and I LOVE learning about Indonesian history. I think I could take tours all day long. Also, all of the sultans are named Pakubuwono, so try saying that five times fast.
I FOUND DOVE CHOCOLATE IN SOLO. I bought kind of a lot. Because you never know when you'll find it again.
Today at lunch, a student told me I remind him of his grandmother. He really has a way with the ladies.
Some friends and I took a bus to Solo over the weekend. At one stop, some guys on the ground shouted through an open window to our driver, "Hey! You've got white people on that bus!" The driver shouted right back, "They're not white! They speak Javanese! They're Javanese!"
I have watched so much Duck Dynasty recently that I have started speaking with terrible grammar and a Southern accent.
I have an empty e-mail inbox for the first time in over a year. I feel so accomplished.
We got a new art teacher today. This is exciting for 2 reasons. The first is that we haven't had an art program for two years now, and that is really sad because we have so many students who are extremely gifted at art. I am so excited for them to finally have an instructor/mentor to help them practice their talent! The second is that this is the first single male staff member we have had in four years. This has created QUITE a buzz around here. I always feel bad for the single guy teachers because they must be so lonely without any other single guys around. And it must be awkward, you know, to think that 90% of the single girls around you are stalking you like a hungry lion.
OCD is sweeping the nation. But it's not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. OCD in Indonesia apparently stands for Obsessive Corbuzier's Diet. That's right, it's a diet plan. A diet plan where you give yourself a window of time in which you can eat. You can only eat during those hours, and you consume lots of water (and nothing else) outside of those hours. One girl I know can only eat from 1-6 PM. I know another guy who only eats from 2-5. SEVERAL of my friends are on this diet. I'm pretty sure it's not the healthiest way to lose weight. But I do kind of love it when one person asks another if they are OCD and the person answers "Yes".
I was late to church yesterday because of a defiant toad sitting INSIDE my front door (how did he get in?!) and an equally defiant poisonous frog claiming my rain poncho. He would NOT give it back, and when I tried to make him, he jumped onto my stomach, which made me scream and freeze. Thankfully, he did not pee on me or my rain poncho, because that is the part that is poisonous. And he eventually left. And I eventually made it to church.
Rainy season started. Bleh.
My neighbor is working on learning Indonesian. She asked me recently what the difference between hal and perkara is. I couldn't really give her a concrete example, because I'm not super sure myself. They are both used to talk about abstract things... So I asked an Indonesian friend. He said that perkara refers to negative things, bad things, or evil things. I countered him with a Bible verse. In Colossians 3, Paul says to think of things above, not the things of this earth. The Indonesian translation uses the word perkara. So I pointed out to him that the "things above" are Heavenly things, and those wouldn't be negative or evil. He came back with, "Right, perkara means bad or evil things EXCEPT for when it means good things". Haha... Him not being able to give me a good answer made me feel better about not being able to give one either.
I will be home NEXT SUMMER. I keep having dreams about it. When I'm not busy having dreams about getting lice that are actually cockroaches crawling my hair.
On our bus trip to Solo, we decided to visit the sultan's palace there. I was the only one in the group who had been there before. But last time I went, we didn't have a tour guide; this time we did. Can I just say that I love Indonesians and I LOVE learning about Indonesian history. I think I could take tours all day long. Also, all of the sultans are named Pakubuwono, so try saying that five times fast.
I FOUND DOVE CHOCOLATE IN SOLO. I bought kind of a lot. Because you never know when you'll find it again.
Today at lunch, a student told me I remind him of his grandmother. He really has a way with the ladies.
23 October 2013
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
Tonight I saw something unusual while driving. A man was jogging down the street carrying a yoke over just one shoulder. And dangling from each end of it was approximately 20 live chickens.
Today was "Fake an Injury" day at school. One student faked a larynx injury and spent the entire class talking to me by typing into his computer. I imagined I was teaching Stephen Hawking. Until he used his computer to say to me, "Good job, bro-ski".
Most people's fake injuries reminded me somehow of my brother. One kid showed up with his old cast glued onto his arm. Lots showed up with pretend stitches. Some had bandaged fingers. All injuries my brother has experienced.
One student told me she has a photo collage of me in her phone. I don't know if I should be honored or creeped out, really.
My 11th graders keep asking me personal questions in class. Partly because they are probably trying to get out of doing math. But also partly because I think they really desire relationship. They remember almost everything I tell them, though not always in the right order/context. Today, after one such question, I told them, "You know, I kind of like how into my life you are. I feel cared about." To which one boy replied, "I really like how into your life I am too!" Once again, not sure how to feel about that...
I made Jell-O for Bible study tonight. They couldn't figure out how to eat it. It was pretty funny. Then one guy's old middle school friend randomly Facebooked him and asked him where he works now. He replied, "I sell ice cubes. Online." And his friend believed him. We got the whole play by play every time a message was sent or received. It was hard to focus on the Bible.
But that's OK, because we spent a large portion of the time discussing eschatology and whether or not animals have souls (which are different from spirits).
Sunday, a Muslim friend texted me to ask what I was doing. I said I was at church. He asked what I was learning. I said I'd explain later. I saw him yesterday, and he asked again. "What did you learn at church on Sunday?" I asked if he wanted me to explain the sermon to him, and he said yes. So I told him the parable of the seeds and how some fall on rocky ground and some fall on thorny ground and some fall beside the road and some fall on good ground and take root and grow and produce good fruit. Then he asked why Jesus told that story to His disciples. And I explained that too. He thought about it for awhile, then he smiled a great smile and said, "I understand!"
I almost drove into a giant sinkhole in the middle of the main road through town tonight. I hate it when that happens.
I found a large cockroach climbing up a chair in my house earlier this week. Every time I kill a cockroach, I get like 3 or 4 tissues and wad them up so I don't feel the crunch. Then I flush the whole thing down the toilet. Just in case.
Pak Kur's father-in-law died the day that I got back from Jakarta. That made for a hectic homecoming. I now have no more Indonesian grandparents. And I feel this loss more acutely than when Pak Kur's mom died. Because his father-in-law was much younger and healthier and spoke Indonesian. I had a lot of good talks with that guy. And he was never less than kind to me. Also, I got hit on at the funeral.
It started raining this week. I hate it already.
This weekend is the big international school soccer tournament. It's being hosted this year by a school 8 hours away. So we all get a 4 day weekend! Like we didn't just have an entire week off... But hey, I'm not complaining!
I think I am obsessed with making and eating refried beans. I'm so glad I learned how to do that.
One of my good friends is moving to Australia to get his masters. He'll be gone for 3 years, and his wife and daughter will stay here. I am sad that he is leaving, because things just won't be the same. But his wife and I are already talking about taking a vacation to visit him. And I'm always up for an excuse to visit a place I've never been to before!
Those are all the short stories I can come up with for now. I really only meant to tell the first one, but then it looked lonely, and then I got carried away.
Goodnight!
Today was "Fake an Injury" day at school. One student faked a larynx injury and spent the entire class talking to me by typing into his computer. I imagined I was teaching Stephen Hawking. Until he used his computer to say to me, "Good job, bro-ski".
Most people's fake injuries reminded me somehow of my brother. One kid showed up with his old cast glued onto his arm. Lots showed up with pretend stitches. Some had bandaged fingers. All injuries my brother has experienced.
One student told me she has a photo collage of me in her phone. I don't know if I should be honored or creeped out, really.
My 11th graders keep asking me personal questions in class. Partly because they are probably trying to get out of doing math. But also partly because I think they really desire relationship. They remember almost everything I tell them, though not always in the right order/context. Today, after one such question, I told them, "You know, I kind of like how into my life you are. I feel cared about." To which one boy replied, "I really like how into your life I am too!" Once again, not sure how to feel about that...
I made Jell-O for Bible study tonight. They couldn't figure out how to eat it. It was pretty funny. Then one guy's old middle school friend randomly Facebooked him and asked him where he works now. He replied, "I sell ice cubes. Online." And his friend believed him. We got the whole play by play every time a message was sent or received. It was hard to focus on the Bible.
But that's OK, because we spent a large portion of the time discussing eschatology and whether or not animals have souls (which are different from spirits).
Sunday, a Muslim friend texted me to ask what I was doing. I said I was at church. He asked what I was learning. I said I'd explain later. I saw him yesterday, and he asked again. "What did you learn at church on Sunday?" I asked if he wanted me to explain the sermon to him, and he said yes. So I told him the parable of the seeds and how some fall on rocky ground and some fall on thorny ground and some fall beside the road and some fall on good ground and take root and grow and produce good fruit. Then he asked why Jesus told that story to His disciples. And I explained that too. He thought about it for awhile, then he smiled a great smile and said, "I understand!"
I almost drove into a giant sinkhole in the middle of the main road through town tonight. I hate it when that happens.
I found a large cockroach climbing up a chair in my house earlier this week. Every time I kill a cockroach, I get like 3 or 4 tissues and wad them up so I don't feel the crunch. Then I flush the whole thing down the toilet. Just in case.
Pak Kur's father-in-law died the day that I got back from Jakarta. That made for a hectic homecoming. I now have no more Indonesian grandparents. And I feel this loss more acutely than when Pak Kur's mom died. Because his father-in-law was much younger and healthier and spoke Indonesian. I had a lot of good talks with that guy. And he was never less than kind to me. Also, I got hit on at the funeral.
It started raining this week. I hate it already.
This weekend is the big international school soccer tournament. It's being hosted this year by a school 8 hours away. So we all get a 4 day weekend! Like we didn't just have an entire week off... But hey, I'm not complaining!
I think I am obsessed with making and eating refried beans. I'm so glad I learned how to do that.
One of my good friends is moving to Australia to get his masters. He'll be gone for 3 years, and his wife and daughter will stay here. I am sad that he is leaving, because things just won't be the same. But his wife and I are already talking about taking a vacation to visit him. And I'm always up for an excuse to visit a place I've never been to before!
Those are all the short stories I can come up with for now. I really only meant to tell the first one, but then it looked lonely, and then I got carried away.
Goodnight!
22 October 2013
Home Again
I probably should have written this post approximately a week ago, but I'm home safely from Jakarta! Pretty much all my friends wanted to do there was hang out at malls. And that was fine with me. I had Starbucks every single day (um... I am crazy about salted caramel), and we beat the heat by staying in AC! I had a free place to stay, and transportation is ridiculously cheap when you know how to work the system!
I got some treasures - like green jeans and a red cardigan and a turquoise ring and some beef jerky. TWO H&M stores opened in Jakarta a week before I went, and I was super excited about that. The prices were the same as in America, which was also extra special.
My flights were especially adventurous. The flight there got delayed several times. I didn't understand why until someone turned on the TV at our gate to watch the Indonesia-Korea soccer game hosted in Jakarta. It was monsooning there, basically. It was raining so hard that the field started to flood and the game eventually got called, much to the disappointment of the now-standing-room-only crowd that had gathered there to SCREAM at the TV. Haha... I was the only foreigner at my gate, and people kept looking at me to check my reaction, I think. Eventually the rain in Jakarta stopped, the soccer field dried, and they continued the game. Our plane took off before we were able to see the finish. But our taxi driver in Jakarta told us that Indonesian won 3-2. In case you cared to know...
My flight back was also interesting. I forgot to ask for a window seat when I checked in and ended up sitting in between two other ladies. One was a kindly grandmother traveling to see her youngest daughter's graduation and one was a college student. They both talked to me pretty much the whole way home. The grandmother turned out to be Dutch (I actually thought she was Chinese...), but she spoke to me in Indonesian, because she knew it better than English. Her husband was Indonesian, but he died 20 years ago. They had 4 children, and since they were born and raised in Indonesia, she chose to stay here with them rather than move back to Holland. She invited me to come to stay at her house (in one of the ritzier parts of Jakarta) next time I'm in town.
The college student at first just wanted to practice her English. She was originally from Jakarta but was studying at a university in Semarang. She had gone home for the long weekend (Tuesday was a holiday, so almost everyone had Monday off as well) and was returning to school. Shortly before we landed, she turned to me and said, "You have such a nice personality. I feel comfortable to talk to you." That made me happy. We exchanged Facebook names, and we've chatted a couple of times since being back.
At any rate, it was a pretty uneventful trip in the best way possible! Gosh, I love vacations...
I got some treasures - like green jeans and a red cardigan and a turquoise ring and some beef jerky. TWO H&M stores opened in Jakarta a week before I went, and I was super excited about that. The prices were the same as in America, which was also extra special.
My flights were especially adventurous. The flight there got delayed several times. I didn't understand why until someone turned on the TV at our gate to watch the Indonesia-Korea soccer game hosted in Jakarta. It was monsooning there, basically. It was raining so hard that the field started to flood and the game eventually got called, much to the disappointment of the now-standing-room-only crowd that had gathered there to SCREAM at the TV. Haha... I was the only foreigner at my gate, and people kept looking at me to check my reaction, I think. Eventually the rain in Jakarta stopped, the soccer field dried, and they continued the game. Our plane took off before we were able to see the finish. But our taxi driver in Jakarta told us that Indonesian won 3-2. In case you cared to know...
My flight back was also interesting. I forgot to ask for a window seat when I checked in and ended up sitting in between two other ladies. One was a kindly grandmother traveling to see her youngest daughter's graduation and one was a college student. They both talked to me pretty much the whole way home. The grandmother turned out to be Dutch (I actually thought she was Chinese...), but she spoke to me in Indonesian, because she knew it better than English. Her husband was Indonesian, but he died 20 years ago. They had 4 children, and since they were born and raised in Indonesia, she chose to stay here with them rather than move back to Holland. She invited me to come to stay at her house (in one of the ritzier parts of Jakarta) next time I'm in town.
The college student at first just wanted to practice her English. She was originally from Jakarta but was studying at a university in Semarang. She had gone home for the long weekend (Tuesday was a holiday, so almost everyone had Monday off as well) and was returning to school. Shortly before we landed, she turned to me and said, "You have such a nice personality. I feel comfortable to talk to you." That made me happy. We exchanged Facebook names, and we've chatted a couple of times since being back.
At any rate, it was a pretty uneventful trip in the best way possible! Gosh, I love vacations...
10 October 2013
Success
I DID IT! Fall Break has officially started, which means that Quarter 1 of this school year is officially finished, and I AM STILL HEALTHY! Man, it feels GOOD.
Quarter grades are already submitted, and I'm headed to Jakarta with some friends tomorrow to spend some time in the big city. They opened an H&M there LAST WEEK, and besides seeing good friends and having amazing food, that is probably what I am most excited about. I am also excited to be able to buy things like walnuts and pecans and Doritos and Easy Mac and American candies and American sized clothing and so much other good stuff that I can't get here. I haven't bought my return ticket yet, so I don't know when I'll be back - probably Wednesday or Thursday. So... Have a nice week!!
Quarter grades are already submitted, and I'm headed to Jakarta with some friends tomorrow to spend some time in the big city. They opened an H&M there LAST WEEK, and besides seeing good friends and having amazing food, that is probably what I am most excited about. I am also excited to be able to buy things like walnuts and pecans and Doritos and Easy Mac and American candies and American sized clothing and so much other good stuff that I can't get here. I haven't bought my return ticket yet, so I don't know when I'll be back - probably Wednesday or Thursday. So... Have a nice week!!
08 October 2013
Unjinxing My Jinxes
I realized something over the weekend. And I almost wrote about it. But then I thought if I wrote it, I would jinx it. So I didn't write it. But then I thought that maybe if, in my writing, I acknowledged that I might be jinxing it, it would counteract the jinx. Unjinx the jinx. Right?*
So here it is: If I can manage to stay healthy for just THREE more days, I will have gone an entire QUARTER without being sick a single time!!!
A few things.
1. Teachers are sick all the time because they are exposed to sooooo many germs. Let's face it - kids aren't really known for washing their hands regularly. Teachers overseas are even more susceptible because of all the foreign bacteria and germs our immune systems have never encountered before. Sometimes I feel like my body encounters these new germs and mistakes them for friends and invites them in for tea.
2. I was beginning to think my body had just rejected Indonesia altogether. I have had SO many different illnesses and ailments since moving here - allergies, kidney infections, weeks of diarrhea, burns, severe food poisoning, parasites, the flu, insomnia, terrifying nightmares, migraines, dehydration, gum infections, random fevers, and bedbugs, just to name a few. ALL things I never had in America (with the exception of the flu, which I contracted roughly once every 5 years in America, compared to the four times I got it in one quarter here a few years back).
3. The most noteworthy part - this is the longest I have gone in FOUR YEARS without being sick! I have been sick at least once a month - sometimes two or three times, or sometimes with multiple ailments at the same time - for the past four years. This being healthy thing is really amazing, and I'm kind of loving it! Can I get an alhamdulillah?
*I'm not superstitious. But I am a little stitious.
So here it is: If I can manage to stay healthy for just THREE more days, I will have gone an entire QUARTER without being sick a single time!!!
A few things.
1. Teachers are sick all the time because they are exposed to sooooo many germs. Let's face it - kids aren't really known for washing their hands regularly. Teachers overseas are even more susceptible because of all the foreign bacteria and germs our immune systems have never encountered before. Sometimes I feel like my body encounters these new germs and mistakes them for friends and invites them in for tea.
2. I was beginning to think my body had just rejected Indonesia altogether. I have had SO many different illnesses and ailments since moving here - allergies, kidney infections, weeks of diarrhea, burns, severe food poisoning, parasites, the flu, insomnia, terrifying nightmares, migraines, dehydration, gum infections, random fevers, and bedbugs, just to name a few. ALL things I never had in America (with the exception of the flu, which I contracted roughly once every 5 years in America, compared to the four times I got it in one quarter here a few years back).
3. The most noteworthy part - this is the longest I have gone in FOUR YEARS without being sick! I have been sick at least once a month - sometimes two or three times, or sometimes with multiple ailments at the same time - for the past four years. This being healthy thing is really amazing, and I'm kind of loving it! Can I get an alhamdulillah?
*I'm not superstitious. But I am a little stitious.
06 October 2013
Oh, Melanie
Melanie just left. I am sad. But remembering the following conversation that we had late last night while watching "The Fox" on Youtube is making me smile.
Melanie: This video has almost one million views!
Me: Wow...
Melanie. Ninety-one thousand.
Me: Mel.
Melanie: What?
Me: Ninety-one thousand isn't really close to a million.
Melanie: What? Isn't a hundred thousand a million?
Me: No. A hundred thousand is a hundred thousand. A thousand thousand is a million.
Melanie: No... Wait. What?
Me: THEY LET YOU DO THE ACCOUNTING?!
Melanie: YES! But the commas! Wait. Here. It says nine one comma eight eight one comma seven oh four.
Me: MELANIE!
Melanie: WHATTTTT?
Me: *staring at her*
Melanie: Oh wait. This says ninety-one million, doesn't it?
Melanie: This video has almost one million views!
Me: Wow...
Melanie. Ninety-one thousand.
Me: Mel.
Melanie: What?
Me: Ninety-one thousand isn't really close to a million.
Melanie: What? Isn't a hundred thousand a million?
Me: No. A hundred thousand is a hundred thousand. A thousand thousand is a million.
Melanie: No... Wait. What?
Me: THEY LET YOU DO THE ACCOUNTING?!
Melanie: YES! But the commas! Wait. Here. It says nine one comma eight eight one comma seven oh four.
Me: MELANIE!
Melanie: WHATTTTT?
Me: *staring at her*
Melanie: Oh wait. This says ninety-one million, doesn't it?
03 October 2013
It's Friday, Friday
Every week without fail, Friday rolls around. And every week, I think to myself, "How did another week slip by so quickly?!" Time flies when you're having fun. And also when you stay busy, I guess. Dad would also say that time's fun when you're having flies. But I'm not having any, don't worry.
30 September 2013
Punkins
Now that I've decided that fall is my most missed season, I'm obsessed with pumpkin. But you can't buy it in a can here. So I drove up the mountain until I found a lady selling pumpkins by the road. I bought just one. It was green. It looked funny. But all the orange ones were teeny tiny. So I put a giant pumpkin on my motorbike and drove it back down the mountain.
And I took my green leprous pumpkin and I made it into pumpkin puree. Two quarts and seven pints of pumpkin puree. It was a little more than I was bargaining for, and I'm getting annoyed with how all these jars of pumpkin are hogging the space in my fridge AND freezer.
Since they are taking up lots of valuable space, I've been trying to use them up fast. So far I've made pumpkin vanilla muffins, pumpkin bread, olive oil and sea salt roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin snicker doodles, and several pumpkin spice lattes for various people.
I've only used two and a half pints.
Maybe I will start feeding it to my cats. Do cats like pumpkin?
In other culinary news, I have also taught myself how to make refried beans from SCRATCH. And tortilla chips. But then I ran out of tortilla chips and I was too lazy to make any more. So I finished off my bowl of refried beans with a spoon. Then I ate a papaya. Because fun fact - papaya counters the gaseous effect of other foods.
AND I made two jars of maple syrup. But not REAL maple syrup. Obviously. Sadly. But it's pretty good anyways.
If the cats don't like the pumpkin, maybe I'll put some maple syrup on it. Because who wouldn’t like that?
24 September 2013
Cray Pays (Or: How You Know Someone Reads A Lot but Maybe Doesn't Get Out Much)
Me: What are you eating? Looks good.
Student: Oh, I'm just having some cray pays.
Me: Some WHAT now?
Student: Cray pays.
Me: *looking dubiously at his plate* Do you mean crepes?
Student: I suppose so, but for some reason, I've always been more of a fan of the original French pronunciation. Cray-pays.
Me: I'm pretty sure the French also say crepe.
Student: I don't think so.
Student: Oh, I'm just having some cray pays.
Me: Some WHAT now?
Student: Cray pays.
Me: *looking dubiously at his plate* Do you mean crepes?
Student: I suppose so, but for some reason, I've always been more of a fan of the original French pronunciation. Cray-pays.
Me: I'm pretty sure the French also say crepe.
Student: I don't think so.
22 September 2013
Kenya
Those of you who know me well know that I lived briefly in Kenya before moving to Indonesia. And even more than that, you know how much of my heart I left there. When something happens that hurts Kenya, it hurts me.
Saturday, al-Shabaab militants - the same Somalian Muslim extremist group that kidnapped my former co-worker, Jess, and held her hostage in the desert for 3 months - stormed a mall in Nairobi and basically barricaded themselves in Nakumatt, a supermarket that I frequently shopped at while living there. So far, 68 civilians are dead - many of them children since the mall had been hosting a children's day - and nobody knows how many people they are still holding in the mall. We're in day 3 of the siege now.
I got news yesterday that 2 families from the school I worked at in Kenya were trapped inside the mall. I got news today that they are all out. Two students were wounded and one parent was killed.
I don't personally know those families, but I think how profoundly a death in our community would affect us here, and my heart breaks for my old school. When you live overseas in a small international community, you become a support network for one another - a lot like extended family.
I have friends, Kenyan and American both, who are teaching at two different schools there, and members of both schools have been affected directly by this situation. When kids ask questions in hard times like these, I know that I don't have the answers. So my heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, to the families still waiting to hear, bracing themselves for the worst, and also to those who now have the arduous task of helping hundreds of young ones process all of the whys that go along with any tragedy.
Please pray with me for Kenya.
Saturday, al-Shabaab militants - the same Somalian Muslim extremist group that kidnapped my former co-worker, Jess, and held her hostage in the desert for 3 months - stormed a mall in Nairobi and basically barricaded themselves in Nakumatt, a supermarket that I frequently shopped at while living there. So far, 68 civilians are dead - many of them children since the mall had been hosting a children's day - and nobody knows how many people they are still holding in the mall. We're in day 3 of the siege now.
I got news yesterday that 2 families from the school I worked at in Kenya were trapped inside the mall. I got news today that they are all out. Two students were wounded and one parent was killed.
I don't personally know those families, but I think how profoundly a death in our community would affect us here, and my heart breaks for my old school. When you live overseas in a small international community, you become a support network for one another - a lot like extended family.
I have friends, Kenyan and American both, who are teaching at two different schools there, and members of both schools have been affected directly by this situation. When kids ask questions in hard times like these, I know that I don't have the answers. So my heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, to the families still waiting to hear, bracing themselves for the worst, and also to those who now have the arduous task of helping hundreds of young ones process all of the whys that go along with any tragedy.
Please pray with me for Kenya.
Home
I may not have painted a single wall in my tiny apartment, but I have hung a few decorations, and every time I put up a picture or re-arrange the furniture, or buy a new dish for my kitchen, I start to feel like my house is becoming more like a home. It only took me 5 years…
I haven’t posted pictures of my place for so long, so I decided to do that today! I tried to take wide enough pictures that you can kind of stay oriented in each one as I move through the place and get a feel for what is where in relation to what. Hopefully it’s not that hard. My entire place consists of around 400 square feet (the exact same size as my classroom!) divided into three rooms – a bedroom, a bathroom, and one long room that serves as a kitchen/dining area and a living room. Here is the general layout.
I drew it perfectly to scale! 1 cm = 30 cm. I only know that because each of my floor tiles is 30 cm x 30 cm. Handy, no?
Soooo… Tour time! When you come in the front door, this is what you see.
I used to live almost entirely in my bedroom, but lately, I’ve made this little corner into my living area.
I put on a show or a movie and I sit on the couch and work on schooooooool. That is what has consumed many of my at-home hours the past several weeks.
Behind the front door is where I hide my jackets and cardigans and shoes and helmets and umbrellas and rain boots! It is dark behind the door and geckos like to crawl around in there. Sometimes I put a jacket on and a gecko falls out the sleeve. Not my favorite thing, but at least they keep the cockroaches from getting in there!
The couch used to be up against the wall in the corner, but I pulled it out a few weeks ago and decided I liked it like that. It kind of divides the room up into 2 more distinct spaces. I have cooking/eating space, and I have couch/TV space.
Looking the other way, you have the kitchen!
I still don’t know who put all those baskets on top of my cupboards. But I’ve never moved them. I really probably should someday. Because I’ve also never cleaned them. I’m sure they’ve got a nice layer of grime by now.
My stove and water dispenser are to the right of the sink.
And then my table is to the right of THAT, kind of in the middle of the room. The front door is just barely out of the picture on the right hand side.
Opposite the table is the doorway into the rest of the apartment.
To the left leads into my bedroom. Take the right, and you’ll end up in the bathroom.
Immediately to your left when you enter my bedroom is this wall.
The wall my massive desk occupies is straight ahead when you enter my room, so a 90 degree clockwise turn from the picture above. It was hard to take overlapping pictures in my bedroom because it is awkwardly shaped and very full!
My craft shelf (to the left of my desk) could use some organization…
Opposite the desk is the rest of my room. The door into my room is to the right of my lemari (wardrobe).
Oh, hai, cat.
A parting view.
Down the hall.
Opposite ends of the bathroom. Not a whole lot to see here.
Everyone should make good use of their time by keeping a book by the toilet, I say!
So that was the entire tour! Not a whole lot to see, I know… So here are a bunch more shots I took today of random stuff in my apartment.
The end.
PS – If you ever want a REAL tour of my house, I’d be more than thrilled to show you around! ; )
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