Here’s some highlights from the past few weeks:
Went to Jogjakarta with family, specifically my ibu and bapak, and forty other people, which included ibu's colleagues and their families. Jogja is cool! I'd love to go back... next time maybe without strangers/ibu's friends talking crap about Americans in Javanese (little did he know I understood every single word... and responded to him in Javanese)
Went to Sarangan Lake for a friend's birthday, it was beautiful, and coming from my site that is entirely flat and over 100 degree every day, it was a dream.
Rainy season started slowly creeping up (I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but climate change effects the country more and more every year, and the rainy season, which usually starts in October or November, still hasn’t fully started)
Kept on keeping on with LES and our end of the semester party is planned for next week... nothing more exciting then thinking of Indonesian kids' reactions to trying pb&j's and mac n cheese.
Had the last classes of the semester
Went to Malang in a spur of the moment decision to hangout with friends. If you know me, you know I'm not the most spontaneous person... and I prefer to have things planned out 2-4 weeks beforehand, preferably. Booked a train ticket three days before leaving and spent some much-needed time with friends.
Hosted English Day with my students at the local elementary school and I am so, so proud of them. Each group of 4-5 English students taught one English topic to three classes over the course of 2 hours, using games and techniques that we use in our own classes. They were so enthusiastic, motivating and great with the kids!
Hosted some officials from Jakarta and the provincial government, it was stressful, but a cool experience.
Went to swear-in and met Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen. Jody Olsen, head-honcho and head of the entire agency of Peace Corps, visited Indonesia last week, which was awesome! Saw her at the swear-in ceremony for the new group of volunteers (ID13), who are currently en route to their permanent sites for the next two years.
Remembered why I am here, who I am here for, and who and what are most important in my life.
A couple weeks ago, my sister, Danielle, was asked to participate in an online Peace Corps panel for friends and family. After that panel, I thought a lot about what information I am giving back to folks back home, and what information about my experience folks are retaining and telling to others. So, to repeat some of the major information you may have forgotten:
I am teaching English in Indonesia. My site is in Nganjuk, East Java. I lived in Kediri, East Java for the first three months in country as part of the pre-service training. After those three months, I moved about 1.5 hours northeast to my permanent site. I live on the island of Java, which is the most populated island in Indonesia. This country has over 17,000 islands and Java is just one of them. I live about 2-3 hours from a major city, called Surabaya, which is also the capitol city of the province I live in, which is East Java. At this point, you would open up a new tab on your internet browser, go onto google maps, and search “Nganjuk, East Java”. If you’re worried about if I can get my shopping in or not, or if I have access to stores, you’re not asking the right questions.
I live with a host family. There’s my host parents, and I have two host siblings, a host-brother in law, and a host-nephew. I am the only child that is currently living at home. We use a squat toilet and do bucket baths, and it is literally fine. Like, bathing and going to the bathroom are probably the very least of my worries at this point in time.
I feel very safe at site. In fact, I feel safer in Indonesia than I did in the United States. I have gotten sick in Indonesia, but I’ve also gotten more sick in the United States. I have much better health care here than at home. Majority of East Java practices Islam, but I’ve gone to church several times during service, and have built a community with fellow church-goers. Service is two years long, and I am set to close service in December of 2020. I have a strong Peace Corps support system, and healthy-ish coping mechanisms for when I have hard days. I exercise, I do yoga, I listen to music, I journal, I talk to friends who listen. When it gets especially hard, like when there are days I just want to pack up and go home (and trust me, there’s been those days) there’s counseling services by Peace Corps, and an entire network of peers trained to support volunteers. The last few months have been especially hard, and that’s natural for volunteers… this is called the mid-service slump. This is when you would refer back to this post. And a slump it has been. Please, don't feel bad for me. It took a punch-in-the-face, eye-opening moment for me to realize how much I love service, Indonesia, my students, and my community here, and I don’t want to just throw everything away. I’m here for me and my community. I’ve been doing really well at site, especially in the last week, have been sleeping well, workin’ on my fitness, and feelin’ real great as I work my way out of the slump. As the folks over here say, Alhamdulillah.
If you're a friend or family member from back home, you’ve probably been reading this blog since its inception, over one year ago. Right now, and I mean right now, take a second to think about what you’ve learned about Indonesia in the past year. Not about my experience, or how I am, but about the country, its culture, and its people. Think of at least one thing you’ve learned about Indonesia, and, here’s your homework, write what you’ve learned in the comments section below. Hopefully people still don't think I'm in India...
Next week I am welcoming my *FIRST* visitors form the States, so I will be busy fulfilling my role as gracious host for my two best friends. Sampai jumpa!