You Know You're In Indonesia When...

I know many of you will probably never make it to Indonesia in your lifetime. Since I know this is the case for many of my readers, I would like to give you a taste of the intricacies of life in this country. Brace yourself...you may be in for a real surprise.

• Indonesia embraces 5 main religions, however it is a predominantly Muslim country.
  
  
• A mosque's call to prayer is 4-5 times a day, you're lucky if you live far enough away to not get woken by one.
  
  
• Christian communities are not allowed to build their own churches, they must be use an already vacant space.
  
  
• Rupiah is the currency used in this country. Despite the falling of the US dollar, 10,000 rupiah is equivalent to $1.20.
  
  
• There is no such thing as joint bank accounts.
  
  
• The cost of living is significantly lower here, and yet you hear complaints about things being too expensive.
  
  
• When Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for 300 years, the traffic yielded as it does in the States. However when the British came in for a meager 15 years, traffic flowed in the opposite direction and has continued to stay that way.
  
  
• There are no regulations on car emissions.
  
  
• Ojeks (motorcycle taxis which can squish up to a family of 5) and Ancauts (public minivans which can crush up to 25 people inside) are the main source of public transport.
  
  
• Driving on the shoulder is perfectly acceptable.
  
  
• If the police pull you over, you are left with no choice than to bribe them.
  
  
• When a car accident happens, the bigger car is always at fault no matter what the circumstance.
  
  
• No one gets out of the way of ambulances because typically they only transport dead people.
  
  
• Fruits, vegetables, drinks, and dollar store-like trinkets are sold at every major intersection.
  
  
• Monkeys dancing with broken doll faces is normal street entertainment.
  
  
• For every and any job, there is a uniform. There is no such thing as free-dress.
  
  
• Drivers, Maids, Gardeners, and Nannies play a vital role in most families.
  
  
• Squatee potties and spray hoses are common for most public bathroom: no tissue provided.
  
  
• Tap water is not sanitary, you must either boil it or get a water dispenser.
  
  
• The only hot water provided is for the shower.
  
  
• Despite the fact that you may live alone, there are usually dozens of geckos running across the floor, walls, and ceilings at any given time.
  
  
• It is not uncommon to have a snake, scorpion, or cockroach sneak in under the doorways during a rainstorm.
  
  
• Rain comes down nearly every day.
  
  
• There are 2 seasons in Indonesia: Rainy and Dry. The rainy season provides a steady rain for endless hours every day, the dry season provides a once over heavy rain every few days.
  
  
• Bogor (the next town over) is the Lightning STRIKE-DOWN capital of the world.
  
  
• Doctors offices open at 4pm and close at 9pm, rather than in the morning.
  
  
• Rice is served for all meals of the day.
  
  
• Milk comes in 2 forms: non-refrigerated (which tastes like breast milk) and refrigerated (western 2% milk).
  
  
• Pork is considered unclean to Muslims so most stores do not sell it, most maids will not cook with it.
  
  
• If you find a hair in your food, simply just pull it out and continue eating. There is no complaining or returning of food.
  
  
• There are forks and spoons, but no knives.
  
  
• Many desserts contain cubed jelly.
  
  
• Sausage and most preserved meat is orange.
  
  
• Piracy in entertainment is a huge money maker, you are more likely to find a pirated dvd than a legal one. It's hard to tell the difference when watching them.
  
  
• Spa treatment is not a luxury, it is a necessity. You would think so too if most every means of being pampered was under 8 dollars.
  
  
• 90% of Indonesia's population resides in Jakarta and the island of Bali.
  
  
• The number 4 is an unlucky number. Most buildings are no taller than 3 stories, and if they are, they simply skip over any number that contains the number 4. For instance if you see floor 39 the following floor will be 50.
  
  
• Never trust a hairdresser. You say one inch, they cut four (or more).
  
  
• Staring and pointing at white people is something that most everyone does. You might even find yourself doing it too when you see a white person. (If you're like me, you get territorial - forgetting that you too are white - when you see other white people.)
  
  
• Being white is movie star status, prepare yourself for engaging in countless picture.
  
  
• Racism is very much alive amongst the distinct classes of Indonesians.
  
  
• The sun rises at 6 a.m. and sets at 6 p.m.
  
  
• An average daily temperature is 85 - 90 degrees.
  
  
• After spending 3+ months in Indonesian's tropical climate, your blood is thinned out. If the temperature falls below 80 degrees, you will probably end up breaking out long sleeved shirts and sweatshirts.
  
  
• Bahasa Indonesia is the easiest language to learn. There are almost no grammar rules and everything is phonetic.
  
  
• Basic Bahasa Indonesian skills are helpful, but if all else fails - hand motions communicate most everything else.

I hope you've gained a whole new education about Indonesia. It took me several months to accumulate this list. I'm sure after spending another year here, the list will grow.

Until next time...

Lessons Learned As a Teacher

The end of the school year marks my 11 month placement here. It’s surprising that I’ve gotten this far already. It seems like just yesterday when I left my home to head to O’Hare airport. My mom and my brother, Brad drove me first to my grandparents house to say goodbye to them. As I was about to leave, my dad surprised me to say one last goodbye. He had rushed home from work to make sure he could get one last hug until Christmas. I lost control of my emotions, the first of many on this trek across the world.

Then it was off to the airport. I was trying to be brave the entire ride, coming up with petty conversation to distract us from the inevitable. As we reached the final oasis and got some Starbucks, I fell apart. The end was near – the time where I knew I wouldn’t be able to see my family every day, or even come home on surprise weekend escapades. I would be a world away, submerged in a completely different culture. I hugged them both, and by this time both my mom and I were crying. It was a cry of both sadness and excitement.

Despite the fact that I am very much in love with my job and this country, I can’t help but cry thinking of these last sad moments before my life changed. Bittersweet emotions doused with excitement are emotions that one cannot experience unless it actually happens to you.

I thank God for my family who has supported me from the very beginning and continue to do so even now. Even though there was a lot of unknowns of what was about to come, we all knew this was God’s calling for me.

I’ve learned a lot about being a teacher. I know that this will help me in the future, wherever I may end up. These are just a few lessons I’ve learned:

-Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness if you do so!

-It is important to find a way to grade efficiently, effectively, and quickly.

-Be nice to the secretaries and office people, it will benefit in times of need.

-Preparing lessons a week in advance is less stressful and provides more free time on the weekends.

-Despite being prepared for lessons in advance, some of the best lessons are spur of the moment.

-Some lessons just don’t work. Quitting in the middle of one is better than to make them more confused.

-Novel studies are more difficult than they appear. Don’t even get me started on multiple novel studies at one time.

-Bulletin boards are overrated, especially when you have 12 of them.

-A clean classroom is hard to keep up, especially when you have some creative geniuses.

-One student may change the dynamics of an entire class – when that student is absent a change in atmosphere is inevitable (and sometimes celebratory) .

-Kids are more apt to choose the internet over books, it is important to maintain a balance.

-Youtube is very helpful in lessons, so why it’s banned from classroom networks is beyond me.

-Teachers get antsier for holidays than kids.

-If there is no follow-up – it is not a priority.

-Making mistakes are inevitable, especially slip-ups of the tongue.

-Kids say the darnest things (I’ve kept a running record) – you need to think quick on your feet or the lesson will crumble.

I’m sure there are many other things I’m forgetting, but these are a few things I will never forget. Stay tuned for the next installment of lessons learned: You Know You’re In Indonesia When…

When It Rains, It Pours

Yes, that statement is so true in multiple contexts. The most obvious: the weather. However, that's not what I'm talking about in this particular blog.

With only a few short weeks left of school, our campus has been plagued by a virus so bad that it's wiped out fistfuls of teachers at a time. At first this went around the student body, and after it successfully sickened many students, it hit the teachers and administration like a tsunami wave.

I, sadly, have fallen victim to this miserable sickness. For the past four days I have been subjected to high temperatures, a wicked cough, and all the gross-unnecessary-details that come with it. It's times like these where I desperately wish I was not a half a world away from my wonderful mother. She has always taken such good care of my whiny self whenever I fall ill.

I'm not the bravest person on the face of the planet. Some may disagree, and if you are, you are severely mistaken. I get weepy and whiny, and seem to lose all particles of common sense and reality. I'm sure my mother would rather do other things than to cater to my beck and call - but she truly has a tender heart and always finds soothing ways to make me feel better. I only hope that when my (future) children grow sick, I can be as kind and warm-hearted as my mother. After all, she is the expert.

Well that's about it of my senseless rambling - pray that this virus passes soon. Only a few weeks left of school and I want them to go out with a bang!

Overexertion is Overrated

This past week was Grade 6 exhibition and was by far one of the most demanding weeks of school for me. It was not stressful by any means, but it required an overabundant amount of participation, time, and preparation. I spent more time outside of my class than in my class. I know that Budi and my kids really missed me because of my absence. It's truly been hard trying to balance grade 6 exhibition with my grade 3 class. I'm not quite sure if the whole set-up is ideal, in fact it isn't: it's impractical. However, there's no changing what's already been planned out.

I worked with the kids setting up their exhibition displays in the gymnasium. Some kids were easier to work with than others. It took a creative eye to set up each display so to uphold strategic eye-catching appeal. When that was done, the performances were practiced over and over again. Each group had a skit, dance, song, or poem that they had to deliver to the audience. My job was to keep the kids on task backstage, and it proved to be more demanding than I expected. Although it sounds rather easy, and it was, it proceeded to take any ounce of energy away from me.

I spent lots of extra time at school and lost a lot of sleep, due to the fact that I was wound up and on a continuous wheel pondering the "what ifs."

By Friday I felt like a walking zombie, looking to steal any spark of zeal that was gifted in my direction. My body felt like mush, my eyes were puffed and protested staying open, and a slow crawl towards sickness was upon me.

When all was said and done, I came home with a fever and a nasty cough. I slept through most of the weekend, and when I wasn't doing that I was in bed watching movies.

Since March, I feel as if I have not been the competent teacher I once was because of all the many commitments that have been demanded of me. Yes, I understand that I will always have committees and commitments, but I've come to realize that our school is on a "strained" budget (one similar to an adult that has Macy's taste on a Walmart budget) and understaffed. This being said, I find that throughout the year everyone seems to feel overwhelmed by this, like I have this week.

As the end of the school year approaches, I can't help but think of the movie "Freaky Friday" - where Jake sneaks Anna into the Teacher's Lounge to fix her test. Anna is worried about getting caught, but Jake says something to the point of "Don't worry, they're fried. They won't even notice you." Then you proceed to see all these teachers suffering from exhaustion, lack of brain stimulation, and much more. I definitely see some similarities of this scene and my co-workers. A summer break is much needed to refresh and renew strength and sanity.

Counting down the days...13 school days to be exact....

Until next time....

Pure Relaxation

Today was Becky’s birthday. Becky is my neighbor and the oldest expat female. Although she is still in her thirties – she is like the momma of our group. She takes care of us when we are sick or injured, bakes amazing treats for us every week, and engages in conversation with us at all hours of the day. She is amazing and we are so lucky to have her and her family in our lives.

The expat girls arranged a surprise getaway to Jakarta and spend the day in the spa. We picked her up early in the morning and made our way to the city. The trip was long due to construction. The thing about living in Indonesia is that there is only one way to get somewhere. There are no back roads, and when there’s construction or traffic, you are stuck in gridlock without any means of escape.

After an hour and a half we made it to the spa, which happened to be tucked away in a residential area. Each of us chose our own customized treatment and started our morning and afternoon of being pampered. I ended up getting a cream bath (which is a hair moisturizer with aloe, scalp massage, and back massage all wrapped up into one amazing package) and then got a pedicure.

I felt truly relaxed and stress free. The first time since I got back from holiday in Bali. You’d think that after a nice vacation, I would be refreshed. Yes, I was refreshed but the energy was sucked out of me almost immediately – and continues to wither away with each day that passes. There is so much to accomplish before the end of the school year that it’s harder to look past each day, let alone each hour. I am not complaining, but it is overwhelming and difficult to see the end.

Anyway – I came home feeling like I was floating on a cloud. All the knots in my back were gone, calluses on my feet were no longer visible, and my hair smelled of exotic flowers and aloe vera. This proved to be much motivation to me and I ended up getting more school work done in one hour than I have for days.

I am thankful for these days that he gives me to unwind. There needs to be a balance of sanity and – well – practically everything else in life. Sometimes I don’t take the time to find a healthy balance and end up driving myself off the deep end. These things seem to rejuvenate me and push me forward, I definitely need to do them more often.

Terrible, Awful, No-Good, Very Bad Day

Ever have one of those days that you just woke up on the WAY wrong side of the bed? Yes, Friday was one of those days for me. Everyone that crossed my path or made eye contact with me was on my list. I honestly had no reason for my piss poor attitude.

My mother has always told me to choose joy, and this was one of those days that I openly bashed down that option. I just didn’t want to. Yes, it was bad decision making on my part, but sometimes I just have to ride my bad attitude out. I definitely wasn’t the lone wolf in choosing to opt out of a joyous day. It seemed as if a looming rain cloud was suffocating the staff and teachers. Nearly everyone was ready to take on a boxing match with everyone. This definitely proves that misery thrives on company.

My impatience and lack of tolerance got the best of me in the afternoon. One of my students was obnoxious, scaling to a whole new realm of annoying. He was throwing kids’ shoes in the rafters, running around like a mad man, and terrorizing the music teacher. We tried talking to him, having him stay in for break time, and a number of other mechanisms. Nothing worked. Halfway through the class I had him sit under my desk. Still, he was laughing and screeching and thrashing his legs out from under the desk.

I looked at him and asked him to stop and he refused. Then I made a deal with the classroom management devil. I crossed over to the dark side and did something that was against all my teaching beliefs. I bribed him with candy (despite his bad behavior) with candy if he would be quiet. For an hour I passed him candy and was able to get peace – FINALLY. Budi laughed and admitted he’d do the same thing if he had candy. The kids was driving everyone bonkers.

As I write this and look back on Friday, I realize my poor judgment (even despite the laughter that consumes me as I think of all the funny misfortunate things that occurred in the classroom that day). I would be lying if I said that I wish I could take that day back. Yes, it was not the best day I’ve ever been through, but I learned that an attitude like that can be miserable and cause uncontrollable mayhem in the classroom. Every day is a learning experience – and this particular day I learned a lot.

Grade 3 Chapel

With the play being over, I thought my life would slow down a little bit. Not. A. Chance. With Monday being the day for all teachers to attend the funeral of our school’s founder, Grade 3 was given a day and a half to prepare for their grade-level chapel.

The students worked really hard, as did we. Budi and I blocked out a number of our classes to focus on this. Although Budi tries to help, I ultimately have to be in charge of the chapel because I am in charge of Biblical Studies in our classroom.

The day of the chapel came and my students were revved up about it. I had no doubt in my mind that they pull it off. Our theme was the armor of God, and the kids had some of the cutest skits that demonstrated the meaning of pieces of armor. Then it came to the sermon. Yes, it was yours truly that was in charge of delivering it.

Now, I have to admit I was a bit nervous because my Easter program sermon was not the best thing that I ever did. However, I had an interactive story that students had to opening participate and cheer in. They were enthusiastic and eating out of the palm of my hand. Then I reviewed each piece of armor and dressed the part in an outrageous manner. My helmet – my motorbike helmet; my breastplate – a piece of poster board; my shield – a collaboration of construction paper; my sword – a light saber; and my sandals – my dilapidated bath shoes.

I walked around and explained each – the students thought it was hilarious and were so enthralled. It was the most fun I’ve ever had. Out of all the chapels Grade 3 has been in charge of, this by far was one of my favorites. It ran smoothly and the kids were so attentive and well behaved. With each day that passes, I feel like I can a mind full of new knowledge and experience.

A Surprising Turn to Success

Yes, it's me and I'm still alive. I feel like I've become a stranger on this blog in recent weeks (and perhaps even months).

After coming back from a very relaxing holiday, I was faced with dread of the upcoming drama that hung over my head like a brewing storm cloud. I dreaded stepping foot onto campus on Tuesday because the future of the drama looked pretty dang bleak. The kids were not in sync with their lines, they were MIA on random occasions. All I wanted to do was quit.

Tuesday's practice drove me over the edge. It was a lucky thing that there wasn't a cliff nearby - I might have been so far delusional enough to plunge. In the words of my father (who refuses to even think of the idea of being in a home when he's older), "Hello, my name is Cliff. Cliff-Jumper." I came home in tears and a haze of negativity. I cried myself to sleep and came to school the next day with puffy eyes and a headache.

The final dress rehearsal lasted 5 hours and went fantastic. It was as if a light bulb flickered on in their brains and everything kicked into gear as it should have been. I left school feeling more positive about the final performance than I have for the past 3 months.

I got to school early and set up the sound system, prepped the costumes, and anxiously waited my little actors and actresses to arrive for preparation.

As I ran around backstage during the performance, I have to admit I felt a surge of energy and happiness flow through my veins. I never expected to feel like this, especially with the recent history of feelings of failure that consumed me. The performance went on without a hitch. The kids were spectacular! They did their best, and their best was even better than what I expected.

After the curtain closed and much applause, I was praised by parents, teachers, and students alike. They doted on it, saying it was the best performance they had ever seen by PYP. Rave reviews keep swinging my way and have caused me to re-think my thoughts on "never doing after school drama again."

I'm so happy that it turned out to be a success, but I would be lying if I told you that I wished after school drama was still happening. It is a great accomplishment, but I definitely am enjoying the break that it's provided to me. However, that does not mean that I am eagerly anticipating next year's performance. There will be a lot of changes, but I think it will all for the better.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. It's been a bumpy road to the final end game, but it was well worth it.