Idul Fitri

Today is Idul Fitri, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. For the last 30 days, devout cousins have been neither eating nor drinking during daylight hours. Each evening, after the sun sets, they "buka puasa", or open the fast, and eat for the first time in 12 hours. Wow!! I can't even imagine! By the end of this month, most cousins are pretty tired and weak; their bodies have a lot of adjusting to do! To celebrate, they all return to the area where they are from to spend time with their family and to ask forgiveness for anything they may have done over the last year. Again, wow!

What this means for me is... NO SCHOOL!! We actually take the whole week off, so I'm am living in luxury right now- sleeping in, watching tv on laptops, reading, etc. It's been lovely. There has, of course, been some schoolwork as well, and I'll be working in my classroom later this week, but oh well. A break is a break!! Even though we've only been in school for two weeks, I was definitely ready for a break! I hoping to do some changing and revamping in my classroom before the kiddos come back next week. We'll see how that goes :-)

The weather so far has been really nice. Pretty warm, but nothing like dry season usually is!! We had rain here in Kota Baru last night for the first time since I've been here; a very short foretaste of what rainy season will be like.

For all my teacher friends, I hope your school years have begun well!! I'd love to hear all about your classes :-)

10 Reasons Why I Love Indonesia

1. With only 6 degrees separating one from the equator, one tans really quickly. I already have Chaco tan lines.
2. Living in a very modest country means never having to shave above ones knees. Like, ever...
3. One word: motorbike.
4. Not having to have any kind of special license necessary to drive above-mentioned motorbike. Oh yeah...
5. The fruit. Did I mention the incredible abundance of strange and wonderful fruit that's available? It's mind-blowing.
6. The money is BEAUTIFUL! Also, each denomination is a different color, making identification really easy. And, it's just pretty. (Seriously, Google it...)
7. The sun rises and sets almost exactly 12 hours apart. This makes living on a schedule (and having to get up early for school) much more bearable. It also makes one really tired by 7:30pm
8. Indonesia recognizes 5 major religions (Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Catholicism [yes, they separate the two]). Each religion gets 5 holidays a year, meaning LOTS of days off of school. Fantastic :-)
9. One can do almost anything at an ATM, including paying for bills and buying more minutes for your handphone. One trip...
10. If you want something, and you can't find it anywhere to buy, you can have it made. Like, anything...

I love this country.

Selamat Hari Libur

Well, I promised my sister that I would update today because it's a holiday and I didn't have school (Happy Indonesian Independence Day, by the way...). I have thus far survived two days of school- as a teacher!! It stills seems strange every once in a while to realize that I actually have my OWN CLASS... and my OWN CLASSROOM... even my own grade! Every time I think about it, a goofy smile appears on my face. Because I love it, and sometimes, I can't believe it's actually happened.

I have 11 students- 3 Indonesians, 3 Americans, and 5 Koreans. 7 boys and 4 girls (yes, we're a little uneven... I keep hoping for another girl or two). 3 are brand-new to the school (not counting me), and 3 are staff kids. Together, we comprise the second grade of Bandung Alliance International School.

The last two days have been spent getting to know each other and the rules and expectations of the class. So far, there haven't been too many bumps, but it always a little tough getting back into school mode (for the teachers and the students!). My kids are really sweet, though, and VERY smart. They're already keeping me on my toes, and it's only day 3!!

My favorite part of the day, though, is definitely the ride to and from school. I LOVE my motorbike!! I don't know why everyone doesn't drive a motorbike or motorcycle... It's so amazing!! I love feeling like I'm flying down the road, and the freedom that ready transportation gives me. It's a big deal in a country that relies on public transportation to get almost anywhere!

One Week

So I've been in Indonesia for one week, as of yesterday around 1pm Indo time. While many things have been familiar, thanks to student teaching, there has been so many new and different things. The biggest challenges have been thinking long-term, especially when setting up housekeeping and such. Our house is GORGEOUS, and we've had a lot of fun putting it together. Right now, only one bathroom has a water heater, so that's been interesting... I'm alternating between cold showers and mildly heated ones depending on my mood.

Next week I begin setting up my classroom for school. Students and parents will be by next Friday, so things are supposed to be shaping up by then. Yikes!! It's pretty overwhelming, but my principal is awesome and has said that she'll help me if I need it. New teacher orientation ends this week, and all staff orientation begins on Monday. From here on out, it's sink or swim!!

The last really exciting news is that I've learned to drive my motorbike!! I only had one MILD accident (essentially, I fell over and pulled the bike on top of me... I was going MAYBE 5 kph and was having trouble braking). I have a lovely war wound on my elbow and a large bruise on my leg, but I LOVE riding!! It's so amazing! I even took a passenger yesterday- big step!

Thanks so much to all who have prayed... it's the only reason I've still alive and sane!