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?!