At Home - At Last

So it's officially been a month and 18 days since I've been in this great country of islands called Indonesia. I can't believe I've been here this long! It seems like I just got here yesterday. However, I look back on the last month and a half and realized I have accomplished a lot.

I feel as if I am settled in and filled with an overabundant amount of content. For the first time in years I feel like I am "home". Ever since I left for college four years back, I always used to find myself in limbo (not really feeling settled anywhere). However, I couldn't get off this kick of letting go of the idea of "home" being in the house that I lived in with my family for the better half of my life.

However, since I have come here, I have been able to get into a really tight social network with the teachers and students that I work with, moved into my new home, and have become established in a church. All of these have played a huge factor in getting settled and finding a place that I can call home.

I am so thrilled that God put it on my heart to teach overseas, especially here in Indonesia. It has been an experience like no other and has also provided a sense of "home-ness" which I was seemingly lacking.

Quite Courageous

Students today are a little more ambitious and courageous when it comes to communicating with their teachers outside of class (in terms of non-academics). I was working through 3 separate dancercise routines (yes, I do dancercise - which by the way I found the most amazing routines on youtube) and I was skyped by one of my students and also facebook chatted by 3 others (all grade 6 students).

They love talking to their teacher. I guess I must have done something right :P. They talk about things going on in their home life, problems they are having with friends and classmates, and just casual conversations. I love talking with my students. They are quite comical and bring an overwhelming simplicity to what can be a complex day.

I think about when I was their age. I wouldn't be caught dead talking to my teachers outside of school. Even if I crossed paths with them in the super market, I felt as if I would disintegrate right on the spot. Poof - and I'd be gone. I have to admit, I enjoy the open communication waves. I feel like the more I allow my students to communicate with me, especially outside of the classroom, the more they trust me.

Sure there's a line between being buddy/buddy and teacher, but I have seemed to find a happy medium that caters to both ends of the spectrum. I am not one of their peers and I recognize this, but time and time again, when there's trouble or problems, who is the first person they come and talk to? Me. I am so thankful that my students find it in them to trust and confide in me. In doing this, our classroom dynamics seem to have blossomed into something spectacular and the Grade 6 is no longer a "class" but a family. There is nothing better than that.

Book Buddies

Today was the first day of a new tradition between the Grade 8 students and the Grade 3 students. We met this morning in the PYP library and spent an hour reading to one another. Students chose many different books, from illustrated books to graphic novels to chapter books. The grade 8 students really took initiative in leading my students and helping them pronounce difficult words. My kids loved that students from higher grades actually took the time to hang out with them and just read.

This will become a monthly happening between the two grades, although I know that my students persistently asked for it to happen more often. It was nice for me as a teacher to hear them read and be able to evaluate their fluency and accuracy when reading, but also to see the interaction of different kids in different classrooms.

To finish our reading session, we read a Big Book called "Rock-a-Doodle-Doo." It was super cute and quite entertaining. Despite the fact that the illustrations and story was childish and simplistic, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the store (I heard Grade 8 kids laugh more than my kids - perhaps because there's more comprehension in terms of making inferences).

I'm so glad that my kids enjoyed that. It was a nice change of pace for them, but also for me.

Have You Heard Of Blueberry Menthol Oreos?

Me either (at least until I came here). The "politically correct" term for this flavor is Ice Cream. Could have fooled me, I was thinking that POC (piece of crap) would be a more deserving title. Sadly the people at Nabisco didn't agree with me. I guess I'll settle for Blueberry Menthol Oreos.

In all seriousness, this is what these Oreos taste like. I looked on the ingredients, and from what I could make out of it all (since it was in Bahasa), both Blueberry flavoring and menthol WAS indeed added to these cookies. Even if I was still in doubt, the creamy center was a vibrant blueish-purple. It looks like a Willy Wonka Flop!

From one professional taste-tester (me) to another (you readers), avoid this flavor. It will only cause glands to swell or rupture and tummys to bubble or gurgle - or worse (that may or may not be true - I will not confirm or deny that).

To the POC "ice cream" Blueberry Menthol Oreo - You actually call yourself a cookie?!?!

Only in Indonesia :)

It's Christmas (Shopping) Time Again!

Who goes Christmas shopping in August? You got it ...ME! Today I went into Jakarta and commenced my holiday shopping. I figure if I do little bits at a time, I will be less stressed as it closer for me to journey home for "the most wonderful time of the year."

My friend Mandy and I went to Pasa Raya and explored an entire floor of hand made crafts. I felt like Lewis and Clark did on their excursion across America. Every which way I turned there was a new thing to see and gawk over. Everything is so intricate and cultural. It is a definite eye opener to the different types of people and places in Indonesia.

I know that in recent decades (ha, I sound like I've been around a lot longer than 22 years) Christmas has become a time of ritzy, razzle-dazzle materialism. However I like to think of gift giving as an invitation to view an alternative snap shot of life. There is more to this world than what's right outside your neighborhood. Some people, perhaps even in my own family, may never get to experience the beauty and culture of Indonesia. Thus birthing my thought: "Why not bring a little Indonesia to them?"

Although gifts always seem to bring a little tinge of joy - we must never forget the best gift that we were given years ago: the gift of God's son, Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we are cleansed from our sins, forgiven, and redeemed. God is so awesome!

Restoring Honor Rally - A Leap in the Right Direction

Last night (which was Saturday morning for most of you readers in the States), I was able to witness one of the most earth shattering rallies ever held (kudos to facebook for allowing live ustream so that Americans all over the world could be a part of this). Glenn Beck held a rally, delivering a message to Americans that it is time to restore America's honor.

I want to share a few things that Beck talked about in his rally because they really struck a chord with me last night. The three basic things that are needed in restoring honor are "faith - hope - and charity". We have all of these pieces already - we just need to put them all together and make them active in our life.

We, as Christians, need to go to "God Bootcamp" so that we can straighten our lives out so that we can help other people and guide them to safety and to Jesus Christ. It is up to us to stand against the tide and defend our values and principles. Sure, we do not all agree on everything (especially when it comes to fundamentals) but we are united by our values and principles.

Man makes a difference. What is it that our founding fathers have that we don't? They are just like us. They just did the hard thing. They stood for their beliefs and relied on God and His grade. It doesn't matter where we are right now (as a country - seemingly divided), it doesn't matter where we have been; what does matter is what we are doing today that can make a difference. Tomorrow may never come, but today we can make a difference by restoring honor and bringing back God.

I pray that this rally will not be a weekend event that everyone gets a "high" from, my hope is that this rally ignites a spark throughout America and that change will come so that honor and faith will be restored. Pray that we will learn and grow from our mistakes so that we can return our country to what it was in the beginning: a country founded on God and Biblical principles.

Surprises Around Every Corner

The last few days in English have been difficult to establish a foundational understanding for writing (watered-down) research papers in Grade 3 (as the IBO standards require). Perhaps it was my choice in activities and directions or perhaps it was the students lack of understanding - although I think it was a little of each. Friday morning during English, these ideas that I have been talking about all week finally seemed to click with my students.

I was overwhelmed with excitement. I was getting to the point where I didn't even know how to reteach this because I had tried to come in at many different angles. The understanding started with a few students and was more contagious than California wildfires. The entire class seemed to finally get this and once one student was done, they teamed up with another. Next week we are writing our final drafts and I am excited to see the outcome of these papers. I know that they will be fantastic!

While this was all taking place, I busted out some new music for the kids to listen to. Every day we switch music. Usually we listen to instrumental and movie scores and swap it up with some praise and worship music. However, Friday I decided to bust out some ABBA. I was shocked that my kids knew every song. Not only that but they were belting out every line while they worked. It was so funny and adorable. One of my kids asked why I didn't play this before. I'm not quite sure why I haven't, but they definitely seemed continuously motivated while listening to ABBA. I'll definitely integrate that into Grade 3's weekly playlist. Who would have thought that music could be such a motivational factor?!

Creative Uniqueness

My Grade 6 kids are amazing. They are talented, hilarious, and very intuitive. I see them and I just smile because I know that the next time we're in class together we'll have a blast.

I have initiated this quieting mechanism in my Grade 6 class. They all slap their thighs continuously and when everyone does it, we can end it with a big "woo!!!". They think it's quite fun to do (because they always do it). Today in chapel, they were announcing the "Spotter Award" (the award that Grade 3 will never win - see post below) and all the Grade 6 kids started doing it and looking at me. I turned red and was slightly embarrassed but it was cute. I had to cut it off with a "woo" and then of course the chorus of "woos" echoed shortly after.

After chapel I walked my Grade 3 kids back to class before lunch commenced. All of my Grade 6 students were in a mob around the otherside of the courtyard balcony. I heard whispering and then a "1, 2, 3". In that moment a loud "Hi Ms. Marie" drowned the silence and even broke the sound barrier. They waved and waved with smiles and laughs.

When I taught English later that afternoon, we read the picture book "Pirate School". If you haven't read it - you definitely should. It's rip roaring hilarious! The kids and I could barely get through each page without laughing to the point of crying. After the story we review the plot and then made a "mock book report" to prepare the students for future book report writing. They are very creative and I cannot wait to see the final results of their real book reports.

Trouble Brews in Grade 3 :P

Teaching grade 3 can be so frustrating that it's comical. Compared to kids in the States, they are very well behaved and dedicated to their studies. However, my grade 3 students are full of crazy pills lately! We were told that our class were "perfect angels" - in the most sincere sense. Whoever said that was full of crap.

We just hired a new Mandarin teacher and she came to our class for the first time yesterday. She doesn't have much of an identifiable means of classroom management, but I'm sure after visiting my class, she'll quickly work on that. While she was teaching the other day in my room (both Budi and I have to sit in and basically keep the peace), she turned her back to the students and began writing on the board. Momentarily, all of the boys got up and began wrestling! What the junk! It was as if someone linked their brains all together and flipped the "on" switch. I ended up having to raise my voice and tell them that if they tried it again, they'd all be in for recess. It didn't happen again. As the kids settled down and started listening to the new Mandarin teacher, Budi and I laughed.

The newest rage in Grade 3 is sliding on the linoleum floor. Students will be roaming around or handing things in, and instead of walking back to their seat, they slide (as if they're sliding into 3rd base). And while we're talking about new developments, one of my students just discovered that he can make farting noises with his hand and armpit. Randomly during free time, you'll see boys pull up their shirts and attempt to make this noise. It's like a choir of obnoxious air bursts. However, I cannot help but laughing. I sit at my desk thinking, "so this is what Mrs. Koster (my 3rd grade teacher) had to put up with." *Side note - my class was infamous for this kind of junk*

Today in chapel, Budi and I came to the realization that our Grade 3 class will never win the "Spotter Award" for best chapel behavior. The spotter award goes to the class that is well behaved (which includes not talking to their neighbors, not being overly antsy, and not having to pull students aside or moving them to sit by the teacher). Yep, my class and grade 2 rule the roost when it comes to poor chapel behavior. Okay, okay, so I'm not proud of it. We work on it with our students on a daily basis, but I have to admit, some of the riff raff that goes on between grade 2 and 3 is hilarious. I mean seriously, who takes off a shoe and slams it against someone's head? Even when we're singing and doing motions, things get out of control. We sang this song "I love Jesus" - and it talks about how his love is deep down in our hearts. Each time we sang the word "deep", we were suppose to crouch down. What do my boys do? They flop on the floor like fish out of water. At least that only happened once. I did my "snap of death" (which basically includes a snap and a threatening "you best be quiet" look. You'd think my "snap of death" would instill some fear and good behavior in them during chapel. Haha, yeah right! They just find other trouble.

Okay, so I don't want to portray my Grade 3 kids as bad kids - they are just rambunctious. They like to have fun, however the line between fun and chaotic mayhem seem to be blurry to most of them. However, we have achieved success in terms of working quietly in the classroom when it comes to doing assignments and silent reading. I put on a mix of classical music and movie scores. The kids love it and always ask to listen to it so that they can "focus". They seem to calm down and unwind while both listening and working. What a huge improvement!

It's a Good Morning, Especially Since it's not Monday!

The more Mondays that come and go, the more I loathe them. Although, if I think about it, if we make Mondays a permanent part of the weekend, I'd probably hate Tuesdays.
However, coming into school on a Tuesday morning is much more enjoyable. I waltz into school with a smile on my face and ready to talk to anyone I remotely cross paths with.

However, even though today is ultimately a good day, I can't help but thinking how "not bad" Monday actually was. Yesterday my grade 3 students excelled in the introductory material regarding research paper writing. They worked diligently on lots of their mapped note-taking and found lots of great information.

Also, we are starting our Unit of Inquiry - which is similar to Social Studies and important life topics. The first unit is about different needs and wants that we have as children, but also in the community that we are involved in. The game of charades helped us identify some of our basic wants and needs. It was an epic battle between the girls and the boys. After the grueling battle, it was a tie - and no tie-breaker seemed to do the job.

Mondays are also the day for play practice. That was fine, but the monsoon that followed was almost the end of me. I was wearing sunglasses and a poncho. My poncho was covering one eye, my sunglasses were wet and murky, and the road was a construction pit. I made it home alive, ready to throw myself on the ground because I was on solid (dry) ground. But it's a good think I have Leona - she's a beast!

Since I'm short on groceries and payday is tomorrow, my friend Mandy invited me over for grilled cheese sandwiches. They were mighty tasty. In Indonesia, like I've mentioned before, it's custom to have chocolate and cheese (seriously - this is such a weird combination). We decided to uphold this and have grilled cheese and chocolate. I have to report that the taste was like an all out brawl in my mouth. The flavors compete for "best taste" and end up melding together to make an even more sensational taste. Really - you readers need to try it.

Okay, so why do I hate Mondays when they're not so terrible? I have no idea - ask me on Monday and I'm sure I'll have a clearer answer. After all, it is Tuesday, a much happier day of the week. Don't remind me of Monday or I'll find my nerves starting to twitch.

A Word of Advice to All Water Boilers

If you are a facebook stalker - and you know who you are - you have managed to read my latest status:

"RIP my faithful kettle. A thousand apologies for leaving you unattended and letting you evaporate what little water was inside and melting you to the point of implosion. You will not be forgotten! PS - this didn't have to happen if you just whistled when you were done with your job."

To be honest - I never knew a tea kettle could melt, let alone implode. I thought that these hunks of metal were supposed to be indestructible. WRONG!

I'm mildly annoyed too, because I realized my water dispenser (which we need to have because the water is from healthy - unless you want to die) graciously hands out oodles of piping hot water. This whole disaster could have been prevented if I would have known the dispenser dished out hot water!

Anyway, take my advice: *WARNING, WARNING*


1: Do not leave your kettle unattended.

2: If your kettle doesn't whistle to signal it's completion - throw it out.

3: Do not fill your kettle under 1/4 full - your water WILL evaporate and then your kettle WILL implode.

4: If your kettle does implode, remove it carefully from the burner as quickly as possible (word to the wise - use pot holders).

A Lazy Weekend

I woke up this morning sweating and gasping for breath. I had the world's scariest dream that someone was trying to kill me. It was more graphic and terrifying than that - but I'll spare you all the details. Seriously though, not the way anyone wants to wake up.

My goal this weekend was to lay low and not leave the house (by the way - that was an epic fail - but I'll get to that later). I skyped with my mom. Gotta say skype is one of the best inventions next to air conditioning. I love that I can talk to her (or any of my family) and see her beautiful face.

By 11 o'clock, I had come to the conclusion that I was withering away precious moments of my weekend by not doing a single blooming thing. I decided to get motivated. This included hopping into my pajamas, putting in the Sound of Music, and grading my Grade 6 papers. I tell you what - nothing can get more repetitive and boring than grading comprehension questions from the novel study I'm doing in class. It was a good thing that I was watching a movie because I would have cashed out.

By 2 o'clock my inner self was crawling out of my skin and telling me that I had to leave the house and go ride Leona. I had a debate with myself about breaking out of the house (talk about schizo). Well the inner self won and I made an escape with Leona. I went to school and did some lesson planning and then went driving around Sentul. I found some beautiful places (if I didn't have Leona - I'd probably never see them). I totally looked like a tourist. I drove really slow (on the left side mind you) and stopped frequently to take pictures with my Sony camera. If my brother, Robbie was with me - he would have a hernia. He already hates the fact that I take so many pictures.

I came home to an empty house, nearly keeling over from the smell (side note - our house is getting repainted and it smells like licorice, alcohol, and floor cleaner - nothing like the typical paint smell). All the windows and doors are shut and there's absolutely zero ventilation. This is just a nice example of how Indonesia works differently than other countries. You say drive on the right, they say drive on the left. You say a dvd player that plays all movies, they say a dvd player that plays only pirated and VCD (video compact disc) movies. You say paint the house and ventilate it, they say paint the house and keep the windows and doors shut. Well if anyone ever wanted to get high - they could take one step in my house and pass out. It's overwhelming.

Anyway, I'm not complaining, it's actually quite comical. I am trying to air out the house before the rain comes. Lately it has been raining every day (nonstop) from 5 o'clock on through a good chunk of the night. It's a good thing Leona likes to drive nice in the rain - or I'd be stranded.

So thankful for this lazy weekend.I hope all you readers have a relaxing weekend! Love to all! (PS - enjoy the pics - an extensive looksee at Sentul)


A View of SPH-Sentul City from the main drag. Beautiful!!


Pretty side roads that decorate the distant looming mountain.


In the back of Taman Sukura neighbor hood. Who would have thought that front yard views could be so pretty? - Not me, that's for sure! A little jealous :P


Taman Sukura take two - note the multi-leveled farm land and rushing river.


The golf course right outside of my neighborhood. If I golfed, I'd want to go here!


One of my favorite houses in the neighborhood. It has character.


My other favorite house. It's truly unique!

A Whirlwind of "Unnecessary" Fretting

If you want to see the world's worst teachers in action, you should have come to my classroom in the last two days. With all of the activities that took place this week, the kids are antsy and itching for the weekend. Pak Budi's son is in the hospital, so he is sleeping at the hospital (and not getting much sleep). I myself have been struggling as well. I talked with my mom a few days back and found out that my grandma has breast cancer. I have been a crying mess the last few days - which basically amounts to being tired, short fused, and a missing sense of humor.

With the events of these last few days, I have been stressed and been a slave to the "frownie brownie" pessimistic outlook. It reminds me of something that happened to me during the first semester of my senior year of college. I was stressed and overwhelmed with my brother being in Afghanistan, my education classes, and about where I would be teaching the next school year (at this point I hadn't even heard of SPH).

I was walking on the bike trail, right behind the Dordt College. It was still excruciatingly hot out (the summer wasn't ready to go into hibernation quite yet). I was about half way through my walk and sweating up a rainstorm. I had already downed the bottle of water I brought with me and I was dying for more. My throat was on fire (haha - random thoughts of Twilight come to mind when I think about this sensation).

Anyway, out of the corner of my eye I saw a picnic table and a water cooler. Now I have walked this path I don't know how many times and this is the first time I ever saw it. With my fingers crossed and my throat crying for some relief, I opened the cooler. There was a pile of ice and just below that was a whole case of cold water.

I grabbed a water bottle and began to drink, hoping that this would ignite the fire in me to complete my walk. About halfway through it I noticed something wrapped around the bottle. I was looking at it (still drinking and cross-eyed) and nearly walked off the path and into a ditch. After getting my balance, I stopped and took a look-see. There was a Bible verse that was taped on the water bottle.

James 1: 2-3: “When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”

The verse struck a chord with me, it was just the kind of encouragement I was needing. Sure, I needed the water, and it was temporary satisfaction (isn't it always when you're thirsty?). However the verse stuck with me and helped me lay my troubles and trials to God.

This afternoon as I was grading papers, I remembered this story and this verse and again it brought encouragement to me. It also helped me to stop dwelling on all my troubles and distractions and give them over to God. After all - he's in control. What do we have to worry about? Nothing!

Please keep Budi's son in your prayers, as well as my Grandma. Thanks for all your support and prayers! Love to all of you!

Indonesia Day and PYP Chapel

Yesterday, as some of you may know, was Independence Day here in Indonesia. We had a holiday, which was nice because I know I definitely needed some R&R after the field trip. However, I think I got too much R&R because I never went to sleep last night. I saw every hour pass by without so much as a yawn or a heavy laden eye. It was aggravating and when the alarm went off - I wanted to rip my teeth out and throw them against the concrete wall. Haha - okay that's maybe a little bit over-dramatized, but it was difficult getting out of bed in the morning (even though I never fell asleep).

However, I managed to roll out of bed and get dressed in a flurry. I even managed to get out of the house with Leona before my roommate and neighbor left for school (which is a first). Chaos erupted soon after I got there. I had to meet with the costume tailor and put on my East Nusa Tenggara-Timor traditional costume. At first I just had a bright pink blouse on and felt like a half-chewed piece of bubble gum. Every few minutes I got a new addition, a skirt, sash, waistline belt, jewelry, and a headpiece. It was an interesting combo to say the least.

I dashed into my classroom just as the final bell rang. I got my (handsome/beautiful) kids all ready for the day and started practicing our routine. They did so wonderful! They remembered all the moves and got really into it. From there we had free time so we took some pictures and had a nice lengthy recess break.

The performance was a success. Each class did fantastic. Everyone worked so hard and achieved such great things! I have to say, my two favorite performances(aside from my class' of course), were Grade 4 and the after school program. Everyone was creative and stuck close to their country's roots (whether it was through dance, song, instrumentation, or poems).

After our performance we had a grade level potluck and had a smörgåsbord of food to choose from. Awesome food! Yum, yum!

The rest of the school day was left for reading and relaxation. The kids definitely deserved it. They left and then the staff was given a half hour before professional development. Every Wednesday we have PD and then staff chapel.

This week PYP was in charge of chapel and we decided to do sporting events for a change of pace. Teachers could choose from swimming, archery, basketball, badminton, aerobics, music time, or how to make iMovies. I chose archery. To describe my ability in this sport it would be - horribly inadequate. However, with PYP girls and a camera - we know how to make a disastrous sport into a good time. (Okay - it was really only disastrous for me - everyone else was really good at it).

Laughter is definitely the key to a successful and relaxing year in PYP. My advice to all you readers is to take a step back in your life and try to lose some of the seriousness and add some laughter. The outlook on life is so much more refreshing that way!

Indonesia Day and PYP Chapel Pictures

The beauties in pink - Dini and I before the start of the school day!


Some of my Grade 6 girls - they are all truly amazing and talented girls!


Some of my Grade 3 Girls and I sporting off our East Nusa Tenggara and Bali costumes.


Class Picture (Minus Pak Budi) - We have trouble taking a completely normal picture!!


It's a huge event when someone pulls out a camera in PYP - brace yourself because half the staff (or more) might want to randomly jump into the picture!


The start of our PYP Chapel - learning how to shoot a bow and arrow.


And so playtime commences! Gotta love PYP teachers-they know how to have all the fun!

Who Knew Field Trips Could Be So Exhausting!

This morning I woke up and moaned and groaned (like every other Monday morning). I despise mornings, but Monday mornings are always the pits. Yes, I love my job and I love teaching the kids here, but saying goodbye to the weekend always seems to punch me in the face right around 5:05 when my first alarm rings. Of course 7 snoozes later, I'm finally up and gearing up to start the day.

However, today was field trip day to Cinangneng (a small village that has plenty of interactive activities for students). After splitting up the kids into mixed grade groups we had an opening prayer in the atrium. Let me just say that I don't think I ever sweat so much in 10 minutes (even more so than when I went down to Michigan Avenue to see the Blackhawks Parade). I was convinced that I was going to melt.

After getting on the buses and driving for about an hour, we made it to Cinangneng. Everything was in Bahasa, so it was nice to have a co-chaperone, Pak Rinto (the PYP music teacher). He translated everything, and when he was busy one of my kids helped me. I had a mixed group of 2 - Grade 3 kids, 2 - Grade 4 kids, 3 - Grade 5 kids, and 2 - Grade 6 kids. It was an amazing group (very dramatic and spastic I might add - I think this may partially be my doing - who knows).

My group took a tour through the village. We saw how Sony camera bags and Honda motorbike jackets were made (by hand and in sewing rooms). We trekked through different fields on a long narrow strip about the width of a balance beam. There was a lot of screeching and laughing that came from my group. Our philosphy was that if you fall - you're on your own, but if one of the teachers fall, they're taking people with them. Haha. There were a lot of laughs about that.

The irrigations surrounded each field. The water was dirty and garbage filled, and I prayed that I wouldn't fall into it. Occasionally there were makeshift bridges made out of a piece of wood, metal paneling, or even tied bamboo. The first one was really difficult for me (since I was the first one to cross). I was so nervous that I was going to fall or slip or drop right through. After I crossed it, I shouted "I'm Alive! I Survived!!). Well all my kids thought this was hilarious, so each time we crossed one, there was always a dramatic event and a chorus of "I survived!!" Much of the time was spent in laughter, but I must say that there was a lot of team building and cheering going on.

We came across some freshly picked rice that was drying. I had to be taught how to open the "kernals" to get the individual grains (kudos to Henry for showing me how to do that). What a process, and all for a single grain of rice! My goodness.

Just as we were about to leave the village to go back into the activity area, everyone was given the opportunity to plant rice. I saw a lot of my Grade 6 girls lingering by the murky, muddy water, unsure if they wanted to go in and get dirty. Of course, being me, I definitely wanted in. So I convinced them that if I, their teacher, went in, they should go in. This was a win-win situation for everyone. The water was like mushy clay that was about mid-calf high. You have to bend down, stick the rice plants in and proceed to plant another (and another) behind it every few inches. I can't imagine having to do that on a daily basis. Many of the teachers followed my lead into the mud-pit to plant rice (after all, if one of their own is in there, they better set the same example).

The best part of the whole day came next. We were to wade through the rushing river. None of the teachers volunteered to do this with the kids, except me (which I ultimately dragged Rinto into it). I was in line next to one of my Grade 3 students, Samuel. Now Samuel is such a gentle soul who's not afraid of anything. However, he was terrified of crossing the river. Most of the time he held my hand and clung to me. He wanted to go back (and the truth be told, I wanted to as well because my feet hurt from all the jagged rock on the river bed). However, we encouraged each other the entire way, even after we both fell into the river twice. At the end, we were able to wash off and climb all over a water buffalo who was partying on the far river bank. How cool is that! (I kept singing the Veggie Tales song "Everybody's Got a Water Buffalo").

Thankfully after lunch we had shower time (good thing we all brought extra clothes). Lunch was amazing (as most all Indonesian meals are).

The rest of the afternoon (although I was pooped after the morning adventure) was spent learning how to Sudanese Dance, play traditional instruments, make ginger drinks and coconut leaf-rice powder snacks, make puppets out of leaves and stems, and paint hats. About a half hour before we left, some of the photographers that joined us on our all day escapade reprieved us (temporarily) from duty and we sprawled out and relaxed in the shade.

The afternoon drive back was long and rainy, but it was nice to bask in the AC and snooze (apparently all the other students and teachers thought this was a good idea as well). What a great adventure! I loved every minute of it, even though now I have a headache the size of Texas, a roasty-toasty tomato colored face, and eyes that are so heavy that they need tape to keep from falling shut.

Pictures and Video from Cinangneng

The kids are ready to hit the road and start this excellent adventure!


Crossing a sketchy bridges-at least this one's legit (until Rinto cracked it-haha :P)


Rice! So much work just to get one simple little grain!


Mid-calf deep in mud, clay, and rocks - ready to plant rice! What an experience!


Cleaning off from the muddy river walk and who should we come across but a weary water buffalo - which brings the infamous song back in my mind - "Oh everybody's got a water buffalo" (To the writer of this Veggie Tales silly song - you're a genius!)



The kids playing traditional instruments

Meet Leona

Today I woke up with ants in my pants (not literally, but it could definitely happen in Indo). It was a day for the books, I got my motorbike. I waited all morning, and finally the Honda delivery men pulled up into the driveway.

The moment the engine roared to life I felt as if my insides were in my outsides and my outsides were my insides. After a crash course on how to operate my new Honda Scoopy, I drove off and saw parts of my neighborhood that I never knew existed. It's so beautiful.

I think I have officially mastered driving on the left side of the road, although there were a few times that I veered into oncoming traffic and nearly saw death. I didn't mean to leave the neighborhood, but I went too far and ended up on the main street. I screamed and sweat bullets as I left the neighborhood. Good news is - I'm still alive!!

Anyway, I drove around and went exploring through the town. Tomorrow I'm going on a picture tour of the town to show you more of the one and only (and beautiful) Sentul City.

Enjoy the pics!!



Leona - My New [Pink] Honda Scoopy! This is the start of newfound freedom!!



Wearing a helmet saves your life - even if you look like a complete fool wearing it!



Partying (or posing) in the street with Leona - not my idea (really)



Pushing Leona up the steep driveway incline - way over dramatized...



Some friends (Mandy on the left, Lis on the right) who were excited to meet Leona!

And Now I Know...

I teach Grade 6 and Grade 3 differently. I have found that with the older grades I can be a little bit more free, spastic, and hyper (in a controlled way). Budi asked me the other day why all of the Grade 6 kids end up in the classroom during break or free time. The conversation somehow transitioned into the different ways I present myself and teach with the different age levels.

Basically the main difference is that I'm my crazy self in a whole other dimension in Grade 6 where as in Grade 3 I'm a little more calm and consoling. That really is the main difference. I do have to say though, I think I laugh more when I'm teaching more than my Grade 6 kids do (and let me tell you - they howl in laughter).

Each day we try new ways to quiet us down (instead of the boring counting down from 3-2-1). One day we slap our knees and go "Wooooo". One day we do the wave around the room. Another day we freeze and make a funny face.

I don't know what's so funny half the time, but usually it's stemmed from one of my off the wall comments or actions. However, I have found that by making the class fun and enjoyable, the kids are more engaged.

I was reading through the kids' journals the other day and one of the entries really stuck with me. I usually don't read through them, I just check if they're done. However, I decided to page through a few of them. It said "Every time I come into class with Ms. Marie, I can't help but smile. I'm never quite sure what crazy, insane thing she is going to do, but it always makes me laugh. I never knew English class could be so funny and enjoyable. I feel like I've learned more in 3 weeks than I could ever imagine." How awesome is that? I guess I'm doing something right.

Now to be truthful, I do give my students in Grade 6 a lot of homework. This weekend I have about 20 pounds of grading to do, but they are so talented and creative. I love reading the things that they write. They bring their imagination to reality. They work extremely hard, but I try to make their assignments and class time fun so that they will not be burdened by what homework they have.

In class we have just finished our final drafts of "Letters to Our Future Self". I played the son "Letter to Me" by Brad Paisley, as an intro to this assignment. Although this song is more a letter to his past self, it really hit a chord with the students and they wrote magnificent letters. Though these letters will end up in their PYP portfolio, I'm going to keep a copy of them and send it to them when they're in Grade 12. I was taught this through another teacher, and even if I am not at SPH when they are in Grade 12, I can send it to them. Honestly, if you were in Grade 12 and you randomly received a letter from yourself from Grade 6, how cool would that be? You would definitely be able to see how far you've come and how you've changed. That is ultimately the goal in this assignment.

Okay, so I've babbled enough in this post. However, to close this, I have to say that I LOVE MY JOB! There is no other job in the world that could compare to this. I think I'd get too bored and monotonous. God - thanks for helping me become a teacher - even though I swore I'd never become one.

Playing Drill Sergeant Paid Off

Budi and I's classroom was the topic of much laughter and discussion throughout the day. Yesterday we had our kids incessantly practicing our dance routine. Most all of the teachers watched us during class changing periods. As I think about yesterday, I do have to laugh. The kids were troopers, but Budi and I were not going to let our kids be epic failures for Indonesia Day Celebration.

At the beginning of the day I had to teach Grade 6 English, which is always a blast. I had told them in casual conversation that Grade 3 needed some encouragement because our dance was being built up from ruins.

Dress rehearsal was at 9:30 (which undoubtedly messed up the schedule for the entire day). Budi and I were so nervous. You have to understand - I'm the new teacher, and he hasn't taught in a classroom for 3 years, and as much as this "is not a competition of the classes" - it really is. We gave our Grade 3 students a pep talk and crossed our fingers.

The music commenced and I went in the back of the gym (while they were on stage) and danced to the music, so they could have a visual. This song is definitely an aerobic routine. I'm sweating and getting really into it, and all my kids are doing fabulous. They have smiles on their faces and are all in sync (it has definitely come a long ways since Monday).

All of the sudden, mid-song, there is a burst of cheering and applause. I was beaming because I thought it was for my kids (which they do deserve and I am still glowing with pride right now). Oh no, the upper grades of the PYP start hooting and hollaring because I'm doing the dance (not just half-hearted - but full fledged). Oh how embarrassing.

I was still drenched in focus in my dance when Budi reminded me that we had to grab the kids off the stage. We both sprinted across the gym to get our kids. They walked off the stage with beaming smiles. I got so many hugs and high fives from my kids. They were so proud of themselves, but I still think I was prouder. The other PYP kids gave them a great applause and cheer.

I will hopefully take pictures and a video on Wednesday so that you too can be proud of my kiddies. Much love to you all!

What? You Can't Speak English or Bahasa? We're in Serious Trouble!

The title of this blog is the understatement of the year. Budi, my teaching partner, told me that although the school is not technically allowed to accept a non-English and non-Bahasa speaking student, we were graced with not one but two students. The icing on the cake is that these two students don't even speak the same language.

You have to understand something about our classroom. I'm not usually forgetful natured, but when I teach with someone else I tend to adapt to their whole teaching mentality (slightly, not absolutely). So guess who unwillingly adopted forgetful teaching genes (I'll give you two guesses but you'll only need one). Anyway aside from the forgetfulness that we both seem to have, we are both spastic and everything turns into a comical disaster (okay, again, not everything - our kids are doing great in their academics - but if you take the academics out of it, you get a clearer picture).

With all that said to you all, we get the first new student today. He is Korean. He uses motions and gives glares. Budi and I are mind boggled and just nod or try to follow him on a treasure hunt to uncover clues of what he's trying to say. We don't even know his name. He won't tell anyone his name. We even had a Korean translator and he refuses to talk to him.

All of my kids keep asking me, "Ms. Marie - what's his name? What do we call him?" If my students thought I knew every answer in the world, they were sure let down today. So since no one knew his name, everyone referred to him as "the new kid".

Throughout the entire day we tried to team up with him and try to understand and it got progressively worse. I had to leave to go to the bank around 2pm, since the banks in Indonesia are only open 9 - 3, Monday thru Friday (much thanks for Budi for taking my recess duty). When I came back, Budi told me a funny story.

One of my students came running up to Budi and they were mortified. They said "Pak Budi, Pak Budi, the new kid said 'shut up'!!"

Budi smiled and his eyes almost popped out. He screamed "Yes! He spoke his first English words!"

The grade three student was appalled. The student said "Pak Budi, it's a bad word."

Well Budi was so embarrassed but he turned straight faced and said "You're right. I'll talk to him right away." (turns out one of the other students taught him shut up - but it was definitely an event worth celebrating, even if it wasn't the best of word choices).

We survived - that's what counts. It's such a blessing to be team teaching with Budi. We definitely seem to compliment each other really well. Bring on Monday!

Just Call Me Drill Sergeant

I will not confirm or deny that my Grade 3 kids wished death on me today...but yes they probably did.

Next week is Indonesia week at SPH. Tuesday is Indonesia Independence Day and Wednesday we have an all PYP (elementary) school program representing different islands or territories of Indonesia. As I have said before, my class has East Nusa Tenggara. Note to self - choose Bali next time (there is definitely more information on Bali).

As part of this program, each grade has to learn a song or dance or language tid-bits to present to the other grades and parents. Our class decided to do dance. To be honest, coordination is not their strong hold. However, today Budi and I decided that we were going to slave away and practice, practice, practice. We learned how to line up and get into proper formation in the courtyard atrium. We did this same thing over 20 times and the kids were sweating and whiny.

We gave them a break to cool off before going to PE-nonsport (dance, handbells, etc). After PE-nonsport, chapel, and lunch, Budi and I cracked the whip again. We broke the dance down into pieces and we did it over and over again. It was like doing aerobics class. Even we were sweating with the kids.

We cooled down and did "post-exercise" stretches with thanks to Richard Simmons who has faithfully taught me how to cool down after dancercise tapes (talk about old school - even for me). Budi thought it was hilarious, but it definitely calmed the kids down.

What a productive day. Tomorrow starts another intensive instruction. Hopefully my kids still love me by program day.

And So Ramadan Begins

Today started off like any normal day. I woke up late (which has been becoming a habit) - by 6:05 I roll out of bed and jump in and out of the shower before getting dressed and putting my makeup on. The worst part of the morning is drying my hair with an Indo hair-dryer. There is absolutely no power and with my hair being so thick, it takes forever.

I grabbed a ride with my neighbor. It was then when I started staring out of the window on the way to school that I realized something was different. The roadside stands were closed or even MIA. Blinds in restaurants and plazas were pulled down, and handfuls of people look weary and tired.

Today was the first day of Ramadan. With Indonesia being the world's largest Muslim country, it's very evident that Ramadan has commenced. Fasting begins at 4 am and goes until 7 pm. Muslims around the town and country fast from food and drink, and as a tolerant foreigner you are required to not eat or drink in public (unless in shaded areas and restaurants where people cannot see you). Even in my classroom, it is disrespectful to my Muslim students if I even drink coffee or sip on my water bottle.

For some of you that find it surprising that I have Muslim students, I must remind you that I have many students with many different faith background. Yes, SPH is deemed a Christian school - and it is probably one of the strongest, passionate Christian schools I have ever come across. However, being in a Muslim country, SPH has an understanding that students come from different faith backgrounds. However, as teachers, we have a mission right on our front steps - and it is to our students. How great is that?!

Anyway, it will be interesting how the next few weeks unfold. Every day is an adventure.

In a Cape and an Ugly Dress

The day was a long day. It was one of those days that would never end and was in some desperate need for some comic relief and yet never stumbled upon any. Anyway, I found a means of letting loose my inner child (ha!). As I was rummaging around in the teacher's drama room I came across the world's best halloween costume. Since the campus was deserted (minus Mandy who was next door) I stripped down and jumped into this gaudy royal blue dress that had red and yellow checked pockets (one on the chest and one on mid-thigh). I danced around the empty classroom and felt incomplete. That is when my eyes discovered the missing link to the beautiful costume. I found a blood red cape lined in gold ribbon. I've always wanted a cape - and so I was stoked.

I ran around the campus wearing my dress and cape. I came across lots of swooping bats, some humor-impaired students, and even managed few laughs out of the remaining staff that was left on campus (mostly Mandy and the security guards).

Anyway - how did I get to this low point in my day (haha - it was actually a high point for me). My grade 3 kids have been slaving away at some dance that represents our island, East Nusa Tenggara. They can't tell their right from their left and transitional movements. Oh my - it was so horrible that Budi and I laughed out of frustration. We taped a practice round and we are giving up some of our lessons to work overtime with the kids. That basically was the big divet in the day.

After school I started working on the middle and high school production. Mandy and I were supposed to direct A Christmas Carol. We had our last day of try-outs and we realized that we couldn't do A Christmas Carol because we don't have enough boys. So on a whim we changed it to A Little Princess. Everyone is very excited about it. Life for the next few weeks will be chaoticly insane - and once it settles down, it will probably just be simply insane.

Mandy and I left for Bellanova at 7pm for dinner and read over the script. After dinner and grocery shopping, I finally made it home. Now I'm struggling to stay awake, and watching my favorite show: The Vampire Diaries. Kudos to Indo for getting VD early.

Love and miss you all!

Sunday Night Blues Are Here Tonight!

Sunday nights are the worst nights. Mostly because they drag on forever with lingering thoughts of Monday morning. It's not that I hate starting a new week of school - each school day is a new adventure - but it's a goodbye to the weekend. Bittersweet is the best way to describe it.

I caught a ride to Bogor Church today with my neighbor, Jared. Usually his entire family (Becky and Kara Grace) go - but they were both sick. I have been going to Bogor church since I first arrived here, and I really like it. It's different than my home church. There are about 12 - 20 members and it's more traditional. Usually I wouldn't even consider going to a church like this, but it's a great church and very welcoming.

The church service started at 11 and ended a little after noon. Jared and I drove back and then I made the best Sunday lunch ever (I've made it a weekly tradition) - grilled cheese sandwich with ketchup.

I was just about to start working on some school work when I decided to go over to my friend, Mandy's house and watch Mulan. I got a lot of work done while I was watching the movie, but immediately after it was finished, I had to dash home because it was starting to rain. It wasn't a heavy monsoon, a consistent blanket of tears from the sky - the kind of rain that would last all night. Luckily I made it home before the worst of it came.

Well that's about it. I am waiting to talk to my family on skype - just an hour longer before I wake them up from a nice Saturday night's sleep. Until then I have no idea what I'll do. Hope all of you readers have a great day. Until next time...

A Lost Sense of Time

I'm sitting here, just about to get ready for bed (Saturday night) and I think, where the heck did the time go? Life keeps coming full speed ahead, whether I'm ready or not. I guess that's good - busyness keeps me out of trouble.

This week was insane (I feel like insanity is becoming the new norm) considering the lack of teaching I did. In a week and a few days is Independence Day (from the Dutch ironically) and so we've been working on our island presentation. For those of you just tuning in - the island Grade 3 is studying is a chain of 550 islands called East Nusa Tenggara. Where is it located? Good question - Budi and I aren't entirely sure - but once we find out, I'll report back to you.

We have successfully gathered more information about ENT aside from it being the home of the man eating crocodile (after 3 weeks of intensive research). To be honest I think I put more time and effort into researching this than any paper in college (not that I was a slacker in college - there is just no information on these islands!!).

Our room is slowly getting dominated by posters and decorations, and dance moves that go with our island song. With getting this all ready - I have to pull back on my teaching.

Somehow amidst all that, it got to be Friday. Leanne and I had to go to Lippo Village (the main campus of SPH in Tangerang - just outside of Jakarta) for the remainder of our training. The training was very repetitive of what I learned in college and prepped for during orientation. There were about 25 teachers - all of them in their 30's and 40's except four of us. The four of us "kids" had a blast. I brought a "fun bag" as I was told to prepare for a long day. In my purse I brought crayons, chocolate, five-ink-click pens, a Bahasa phrase book, and a camera. It is suffice to say we made the training quite enjoyable.

Instead of the usual 1 1/2 hours back to Sentul (2 hours if hitting traffic) - it took us nearly four hours to get back. We got hit by a monsoon and rush-hour traffic. Talk about bad luck! When I got home I went next door to attempt to watch a movie with the neighbors and made it about 15 minutes before I decided that I had to go to bed. After all, I was going Jakarta-bound in the morning (aka this morning) to go shopping.

The morning came as a challenge. Even getting up at 5 am every morning everyday for the past 3 weeks - I still hate mornings. I didn't shower because I knew I'd sweat (Jakarta is about 7 degrees celsius warmer than here - which is drastic once you step foot into the outside). After putzing around and doing absolutely nothing but whining to myself about how I hate mornings (yes - I do talk to myself - I won't deny it), I caught an ojek to Plaza Niaga bus station.

Sitting on the bus station bench, I was rocking out to some Drop Kick Murphy's and Theory of a Deadman. There were about a dozen of men sitting at the bus station, and they recognized the songs I was listening to (oddly enough). It's interesting how Indonesians can't speak English but they know every song that is out on the radio waves. The music isn't in Indonesian, it's in English. However no one here knows what the words or meaning means - and so when people randomly drop the f-bomb or some other obscene words - it's shocking to me - but to them, they have no idea of what they just said.

Anyway, I got on the bus and met Dini. We talked the whole entire way to Jakarta. We had coffee and breakfast before going shopping. My main thing that I needed to buy was a book on Vietnam (as I will be travelling there in November for holiday with one of my teacher friends, Febri). From there we went crazy - I got three scarves and a ton of movies/tv seasons. (Rachel - I brought every season of one tree hill - even season 7).

After that we met up with another teacher, Putri, who is doing her masters downtown. We walked around in the department stores and then went to go see Killers (the romantic comedy with Katherine Hiegel and Ashton Kutcher). It was intense but absolutely hilarious.

An hour long taxi ride home was what closed up the day. Wow. I am so thankful I finished all my lesson planning mid-week because I would have absolutely no time this weekend to do it (haha - too much fun!).

Hope that all of you readers have a great weekend!

The First Monday of the Second Week

Today was difficult to get out of bed this morning. It wasn't because I had the Monday morning blues, I just didn't feel so well. Aches, pains, and much, much worse (I'll spare the details). To be honest, it probably was my own fault. I left the AC on 16, which is in the 50 degree temperature range.

I was brave though (something I'm not too good at). I went to school with a smile on my face even though I could barely see out of my puffy eyes. I got some pick-me-up meds from the campus nurse (how lucky we are to have one) and drank plenty of water. I felt better, but nothing close to 100%.

During lunch I was walking with the dead. I felt as if the world around me had come to a halt and everything moved in slow motion. I drank a smoothy with the PE teacher, Febri, and she said that during lunch lots of teachers go to the library or the health center to take a cat nap. What a genius idea! I went to the library, because I knew it was quiet there. Instead of chairs everywhere, many of the people use over-stuffed floor pillows - which definitely helped the comfort level. There were a few teachers and a number of my Grade 6 students that were cashed out. It didn't take long for me to doze off. Ten minutes later (after my nap), I got a second wind (which I really needed).

I finished my teaching and then worked on my Holes novel study (we're starting it in Grade 6 tomorrow! - yay!).

3:30 couldn't come any faster today. I was glad the day was over. The day itself wasn't too bad, but I was so glad to head home and finish all my school work before hitting the sack in the next few hours.

Thats it from this end. Love to all!

Fish Spa

Do you yearn for silky smooth legs? Then the fish spa is right for you!
Trained flesh sucking fish maul your legs and munch off the dead skin on your legs. Within an hour of this spa treatment - your legs will be softer than a baby's bottom. No joke!


My friend Dini who refused to go into the Fish Spa. Guess it kind of freaked her out!


The flesh sucking fishies - aren't they cute?!

Best place to go in Bellanova - you can definitely count on that!!