Bali Vacay

Stress was something that dominated the weeks leading up spring break. I was thrilled the moment school let out last Friday. I spent the evening packing and watching movies before heading out on my week long vacation in Bali. Yes, Bali again. However, this time to a different section - one less populated and touristy.

My neighbors: Jared, Becky, and their daughter Cara Grace were my travel buddies. We left just before noon and made it to the airport a little later than expected. We almost got kicked off our flight for being five whopping minutes late for check-in.

The flight was short, just an hour and a half. We got picked up by the hotel driver and traveled another two hours north to a small town called Amed. It was pitch black when we arrived - which is a lot different than towns like Legion and Kuta, where I spent my last holiday.

I went straight to bed, which was a good thing because the glaring sunrise happened at 4 am. It was so bright that it would wake even the dead. As much as I didn't want to get up that early, it was definitely beautiful. And apart from that, I was able to actually see the gorgeous hotel grounds.

The hotel was very quaint, only five bungalows, an infinity pool, access to a black sand beach, and a small restaurant perched over the ocean. All of the grounds are terraced and decorated with hindu statues. It was everything you'd think an island paradise should be.

I must say the week was very uneventful for the most part. Every day was routine - breakfast, swimming in the pool, nap, lunch, snorkeling or swimming, another nap, and dinner. There was no sense of time or urgency and it was everything I needed.

The only thing that put a little dent in my peaceful week was the motorbike accident I was in. I was riding with my friend Josh into town, to get some fresh fruit, and we hit a patch of sand and gravel the wrong way and went flying. I lost vision for 10 minutes (which was terrifying), scraped up my legs and arms, and had 4 huge gashes: one on my knee and the rest on my forearm/elbow. It was a blessing to have Josh there because the whole ordeal was terrifying.

However, as scary as the accident was, the locals were so helpful in getting a doctor and supplying me with water and a bed to lie down on. The doctor was just as painful as the accident. She gave me a shot of anesthesia for my leg and didn't wait for it to settle in before beginning to stitch me up. I felt every bit of pain I wasn't supposed to, screaming "sakit, sakit" - which means "pain, pain." So instead of waiting, she gave me another shot before continuing.

Anyway, after the stitches and clean up, the hotel manager (who graciously drove out to pick us up) brought us back. I spent the rest of the day in bed and watching Al Jazeera, the Arab news base.

I contemplated hitching an early flight home, but then I realized I would be sulking in my bed and decided that there was as good as anywhere to heal and rest up. It was a good decision. I was able to soak my wounds in the salt water ocean, swim, and see the most awe-striking sunrises I've ever seen in my life.

The rest of the week was relaxing, which consequently included a trip to Kuta for shopping (of course). The plane was delayed a bit, which was fine because I could grab some free internet and catch up on my emails. However, when we arrived in Jakarta we were in for a never road trip back home. Normally it would take an hour and a half to get home. We were stuck in the car for five freaking hours with a whiny six year old complaining about everything under the moon.

When I finally got home, I hopped in bed and crashed. With a few blips aside from the trip, I definitely think it was a thoroughly enjoyable vacation. I am looking forward to the next trip to Bali in June. Although it is about 2 months away, time seems to fly by here in Indonesia.

Until next time...much love and Happy Easter!

Knowing the Right Buttons to Push

After spending just over three quarters with my grade 3 students, I have learned to love them as my own children. I know each of their strengths and weaknesses, their sense of humor, and their character traits. It pains me to know that I only have a few short weeks left with them.

One of my student-teacher mentors always told me that a new teacher will never forget their first class. That is definitely true in this case. There is so much uniqueness and chaos that is woven through this particular class that I have come to admire spending time with them each day.

Today was one of those days that I know I'll look back on and laugh at in the future.

Like I said, I have come to learn my students, and in retrospect, my students have come to learn me. They specifically have learned exactly what buttons to push before I am one step from pulling my hair out and two steps away from bashing my head against the wall. As annoying as it can be at the time, it definitely brings a huge smile to my face as I think about it moments later.

Today in library I was grading tests while my kids were reading silently around the room. Silence, pure silence - it was almost too good to be true. And then an explosion of sound occurred; but not just any sound, the sound of one of my naughtiest boys belting out the song that I hate most in this world. What song is that? "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith - if you've never heard it, you should definitely look it up. The song is so annoying and gets stuck in your head like a fatal airborne disease.

Anyway, one of the girls in my class told Braven that I hate that song, and apparently he wanted confirmation. Randomly he stood up and dropped his book, belting out the song and pelvic thrusting like he was the son of Elvis. I dropped all my tests and covered my ears, screeching and breaking the rule of silence that should be instilled in the library. With Braven instigating chaos, the majority of my kids joined in and closed in around me, dancing and singing. Without the consent of my body, I began riveting with pain. Yes, pain. This song distresses me so much that I lose an incredible amount of pain tolerance.

The librarian just looked at me and my dancing students, and laughed. He knows by now that silence is something that simply cannot be attained by my class. Although, secretly I think he likes it because our presence tends to be more entertaining than the cinema.

By the time I got back to my classroom I was crabby. Yes, a simple, endless song definitely got the best of me. I then declared that "Ms. Marie was on holiday and her twin was going to be the teacher for the next three days." Spur of the moment I made a new alias: Loretta Einstein Van Kuiken aka Ms. Einstein. I made all my kids call me that and apparently the name stuck for three hours beyond that. They asked me all different kinds of questions and were totally roped in. Apparently Ms. Einstein was stricter and more non-negotiable than Ms. Marie.

Then the best part came around. As it was time to go home, Andrew came up to pray. He folded his hands and began. Just before he said 'amen' - he added "And please help Ms. Einstein turn back into Ms. Marie - we miss her already." Suffice it to say, there was no 'amen', but rather an outburst of laughter from both the students and teachers. Oh, it was priceless!

After all the kids yelled their goodbyes to Pak Budi and Ms. Einstein, I headed down to the drama room, only hear my students telling their nannies about their new teacher. They definitely thought it was epic.

I've learned to harness my irritability (perhaps after a minor outburst) into something that shifts the focus into something enjoyable and even humorous. Its not the easiest thing to do, but it definitely provides some of the best stories for everyone to reflect on.

Time Withers Away

It's been quite a while since I last updated my blog. To be honest I could think of a million excuses of why I didn't update it, life has just been so busy that time seems to just wither away like dust in the wind.

Most of my days are spent at school (obviously) but my after school activities have been severely increased. After school drama has dominated my life from the hours of 3 - 7. By the time I get home all I want to do is absolutely nothing, and that would be lovely if that was the case.

Aside from this quarter, I have been on top of my lesson plans and grading. However, ever since the drama progressed, my motivation to be ahead of the game has dwindled down. So once evening strikes and I actually get home, I am grading and doing lesson plans - which is a totally new and foreign concept that is not my favorite thing to do. Ever since college I have been an overly-ambitious lesson planner, and having my lesson plans be put off till a few days before makes me absolutely crazy. I'd rather be ahead of the game, rather than come face to face with each day's lesson.

I'd like to say I cannot wait for the drama to be done so I can get back into my routine, but I have to admit that a change of pace is always good. I guess it's a contradictory lifestyle filled with both pros and cons.

I feel like the past few weeks have been nothing but a blur but adventure hides around every corner. I wish I could recount all the little things that made my life so enjoyable, despite the fact that they may be petty. So to sum everything up in my spare time I visited some friends (in the late hours of the evening, seeing my schedule is rather inflexible these days), got a new kitten called Sassy (who is the cutest and whiniest kitten I've ever came across), and watched a record amount of movies (to keep me trucking along in my grading and lesson planning). Yes, it doesn't sound so exciting, but it was truly relaxing.

As the days roll on, I realize how quickly life passes before your eyes. You blink and nearly a month passed by, blink again and maybe a year. In recent weeks, I've really learned to appreciate all that God has given me and not to take it for granted. It is this life that we have such a short time (although some days may seem eternal compared to others) and never truly know when we will pass on into eternity. Everyday is full of blessing, you just need to keep your eyes open to see them.

Days Withering Away

As Easter approaches, so my drama nears. It's always a little intimidating whenever a performance comes closer. The jitters and nerves start to settle in, and I begin to wonder if it will all turn out right. It always does, but the last few weeks always seem to get the best of me.

Today we did our audio recording for the performance. I tell you what, to record 34 kids in a studio is more work than it actually sounds. If perfection actually existed, it would have been so beneficial to have it present today. However, each kid was dedicated to their recording and we got done a little farther behind schedule, but at least we got it done.

The kids were wiped by the time we ended but so excited that we made a great stride of progress. We only have 2 weeks of practice, and I hope everything falls into place before too long. I'll keep you posted!

Till next time!

A Prequel to a Nearing Holiday

The first week back to school proved to be a challenge and yet rewarding, however once the weekend hit, I was ready for a relaxing but fun-filled weekend. For the past few months I had been organizing a girls weekend in Jakarta and this particular weekend happened to fall on a weekend when I needed it most.

Saturday morning I met up with some friends downtown Jakarta. We roamed through Kemang, which is a modern artsy sector of Jakarta. We got some coffee and went to several neat places including a pottery shop, bamboo nativity house, and a handicraft store. I managed to get some Christmas shopping done and even grabbed some fun things for my house.

Around dinner time we headed to our hotel, which happened to be one of the nicest 4-star hotels in the area. The four of us were assigned to a two bedroom suite with a balcony overlooking the skyline and a rooftop pool to lounge in after the city closes down for the evening.

After an amazing dinner, the four of us swam in the pool and enjoyed a cool breeze. We called it an early night and laid in bed watching the new rendition of Hawaii 5-0 (occasionally switching back to a happy show so we wouldn't be scared).

I fell asleep peacefully and thoroughly enjoyed my sleep until I was awoken by the mosque calling. I have to say, I am truly lucky to be living in Sentul where I live far enough away from the mosque that I do not need to hear it.

The morning allowed us to happily indulge in one of the finest buffet breakfast I've ever had. The best part was that it was predominantly Westernized so the norm of having rice was out of the question.

We went to church and from there the weekend dwindled down faster than the blink of an eye. I got home feeling so relaxed and yet also incredibly tired. Just as I was about to relax, I got a surprise visit by a snake that was creeping in the corner of my basement. I did some fierce sign language charades to rely this information to my Indonesian neighbor and eventually got through to him that I needed assistance. He graciously killed my snake and removed it from the remote vicinity of my house.

Aside from a few very minor blips in the weekend, I have to admit it was just what I needed after being laid up for a week and then struggling for a week to get back on my feet.

Laughter Through the Struggles

This week has been excruciating for me and it's only Tuesday! The first week back to the job is always hard to adjust. However, I have found it even more difficult to do so when it includes crutches, a tightly wrapped leg, and pain meds.

SPH is a tiered 7-level campus with the absence of an elevator. Being on floor three has never been a problem until now. By the time I make it up one flight of steps, I'm ready for a nap. Then, when I'm lucky enough to get to my classroom, my leg is throbbing and I'm ready to throw in the towel and collapse for a long night's sleep under my desk. So far, you've gained a glimpse of how the first half hour of my day unfolds.

If you're assuming that a long, treacherous journey to my classroom takes most of my minimal energy away from me, you'd be assuming right. Thankfully I have a bit of time to recover and mentally prepare myself for the kids. In this time of preparation, it sometimes is hard to see how the positives outweigh the negatives of being at school. Yet, everything seems to come into a focused perspective when the kids enter the classroom and shower me with enthusiastic 'good mornings'. From there on out, jokes and laughter seem to assist me to surf through the day.

The jokes and laughter come easily due to the fact that I am on a handful of prescribed from my accident. I've been keeping a strict schedule on when to take it, but the schedule means diddley squat to the side-effects. Most times I am teaching when the side-effects come in swinging like a blunt force trauma. I wish I had a recorder for all to hear the crazy things that have slipped out of my mouth these past few days. The kids (in both grade 3 and grade 6) were baffled at first, but are eager to hear what their crazy teacher might say next.

So far, this story has been one of epic proportions in my classroom:

As I was doing a uniform check (since administration has been urging us to do so more often), one of my kids walked up the stairs with his shirt untucked. Shazam! Size-effects ensued, I yell, "Hey, you know better! Tuck in your sh*t!" Whoopsie, my bad.

And instead of going to tattle to someone that Ms. Marie said a bad word, he yells back with a toothy grin, "Okay, Ms. Marie. I'll tuck in my sh*t! Did you hear that everyone? Ms. Marie wants me to tuck in my sh*t!"

Now you tell me, readers, how could you possibly punish a kid for saying that when their teacher made the initial slip-up (due to a drug-induced haze...and yes, I do like being a little melodramatic, thanks for wondering). Of course this sparked giggles amongst passing middle school students, and all I wanted to do was slap myself upside the head.

That was the first of many laughs this first week has provided. Then we get to grade 6. Recently we have been studying World War 2 (the setting behind the scenes in the The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). Today we were talking how to create war obituaries (as we are creating a large scale WW2 newspaper). I told my kids that they needed to practice writing obituaries, so they had to create one for themselves. The guidelines were simple, it had to be truthful to a "T", except for the cause of death.

Immediately one of the girls shouted, "Yes! I've always wanted to commit suicide and live!"

I mean, come on! Who says something like that? And instead of trying to level with the girl, what happens? I burst out into laughter (I may or may not have provided a shower of saliva to the front row of students) and fall into a desk. Suffice it to say the rest of the lesson was a failure from there on out.

Yes, I have had pain these past few days, and I've hit an emotional rock bottom. Yet I come to school and I find solace and joy in my kids. Despite the fact that I may be a walking zombie with a temporarily unpredictable mouth, I can't imagine another day away from them. They always bring a wave of refreshment to me. I am so blessed to have them in my life, even on days when they make me want to pull out my hair.

Thankful

This past week I've been laid up on the couch from my motorbike accident. I've spent countless hours watching movies and catching up on emails. You'd think that after being off four days for sun-poisoning, I'd find something a little bit more productive while sprawled on the couch.

Bravery has never been my stronghold - never has, probably never will be. So while I was on the couch, I got a bad case of the "what-ifs." When my mind wanders, it wanders to the world's worst scenarios EVER. After several melt-downs, I finally got control of my emotions and thoughts and swept my worries under the rug.

Tonight (Friday), just a little more than a week after my accident, I went for a follow-up checkup with Dr. Daniel. Good news is - my knee is healing properly and I won't have to have surgery. The circulation is normal and swelling is going down. However, there is something needs to be monitored closely for the next week. My lower ribcage area has broken tissue and some mild abnormal hemorrhaging. It causes some fierce pain when I am laying down, hiccuping, laughing, and breathing deep. Until next week I'll be on steroids and new pain meds. Hopefully after next week, I will be completely medically cleared by the doctor.

Until then, I can return to school as long as I used at least one crutch and sit down for the majority of the day. It will be nice to see everyone at school again. On Thursday, Budi and a few specialist teachers brought my class over to come visit. It was so refreshing to talk with them and just listen to how their week has been. I have truly loved getting to know each and every one of them these past months. Each one of them brings a special blessing to my life.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! Until next time...