A fellow PCV, Russel, came to visit me the other day. We were talking about the emotions that we were experiencing at that particular moment. I told him that I was glad to start school again, I was a little bored, and I'm a little lonely. I want to date again, but it's slim pickings here in Indonesia where hardly anyone speaks English and where my Bahasa Indonesia need serious improvement. I also explained to him how the New Year turned me into a New Person. I just feel more confident with myself and my life here. I feel like I finally have a full grip on finding happiness in Peace Corps. He told me that he was excited to start school, ready to move houses, and he's making a lot of new friends. So many emotions packed into one conversation!
And then Russel said something that just shook me (in a good way). He said, "My Peace Corps recruiter said that you never feel more alive than you do in the Peace Corps."
What? What the heck does that mean? My life in the States was not worth living? No, of course that's not what Russel's recruiter meant. She meant that the emotional ups and downs of Peace Corps are incredibly strong. The highs are really high. It feels like you're in love and skipping through rice fields and holding hands with children while seriously tripping on some sort of illegal drug. And then the lows are really low, like your heart has been broken into a million pieces, everyone is annoying you, you're on your period, and on top of that a pigeon crapped on your head. That's honestly what the Peace Corps ups and downs feel like, and they're great!
I thought back to my first few months in Peace Corps. I cried when my friend Lindsey and I separated. I laughed so hard when my host brother tripped and fell while running towards me. I felt warmth throughout my body when my ibu told me I looked beautiful in my new dress. I feel a calm sensation every week when I join my counterpart for prayer at the mosque.
I even made a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer cry yesterday (in a good way, I promise). I told her how much she has grown, how well she is doing, and how strong she is. I gave her concrete examples of her progress here in the Peace Corps and I literally made her cry. It was such a beautiful moment to share! I even made my oldest sister cry a few months ago by telling her what a great older sister she is. I'm packed with emotions and I'm spreading it everywhere. So watch out, world.
I can't explain the emotional trip I've been on the last 10 months, but I can assure you that it's an incredible feeling. Even the lows let me know that I'm alive and well. The lows leave me feeling hopeful because I know an extremely happy moment is yet to come.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
My Secondary Project
Every Peace Corps Volunteer is required to complete a secondary project. Secondary projects allow volunteers to let their imaginations and dreams run wild. In Indonesia, one volunteer created an international marathon on Mount Bromo as a secondary project. All the proceeds from the marathon go to local schools. Other projects around the Peace Corps globe include building libraries, clinics, homeless shelters, baseball/soccer fields...etc.
Naturally my type A personality and my creative side have been freaking out about this secondary project since Day 1. I've been stressing about how I can leave my mark in my village. Should I work on an environmental project? Should I teach the village how to recycle? Should I work on nutrition? Should I create a homeless shelter? How will it be sustainable? Do they even need this? Do they care?
The entire time I've been at site, I've been looking around for opportunities to make my community better. However, I was looking inward. I kept asking myself questions about my secondary project. I was just so lost. I even tried creating an Environment Club at my school. I was hoping that I could encourage my students to become passionate about cleaning up the local beaches and recycling. I printed a ton of resources and announced to the school that any interested students should meet me for Environment Club after school. I eagerly waited for students to pile into the classroom, but soon I found myself standing in the classroom alone. Students peeked their heads in to say hello and then sped home on their motorcycles. I was so disappointed. I had no idea how to energize the students on this subject matter. I officially gave up on creating the Environment Club. I went home and told myself, "Kruti, your secondary project will happen. Just wait."
About 5 weeks after the failure of the Environment Club, Peace Corps Indonesia emailed each volunteer inviting volunteers to apply for to a 3 days workshop. The workshop would educate volunteers and their Indonesian counterpart on how to implement a secondary projects. The workshop promised to teach us how to write grants/proposals, how to make our project sustainable, and how to plan our budget. I read this email while sitting in the teachers' lounge at my school. I was so excited for this workshop until it dawned on me that I don't even have a secondary project to work on.
I immediately turned around in my chair and asked my counterpart, Ibu Mujiati (Bunda), if there was anything that she thought the village or school needed. She said, "Yes. I think we need HIV/AIDs education." I told her about the workshop and she became incredibly excited. She went ON AND ON about creating an educational camp for students and spreading the knowledge of HIV/AIDs prevention techniques throughout Panggul. She got so excited that she took me straight to the local clinic to talk to doctors and nurses about HIV/AIDs prevention.
I followed her around the clinic and wondered, "What the.....? Where did HIV/AIDs come from!?" I had no idea that it was even an issue in my village. I know a lot of Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa do a lot of HIV/AIDs prevention work, but I don't think any volunteer in Indonesia has done any work on it. I seriously thought it wasn't even a big deal in Indonesia. However, I did some research and I found out that United National Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS) declared HIV/AIDs to be an epidemic in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia has the fastest growing rate of HIV/AIDs cases in all of Southeast Asia. Bunda was so excited to hear that I was interested in helping her educate locals on the dangers of this virus.
I was dumbfounded for about 3 days. This ENTIRE time I was searching through my village looking for opportunities to make a difference. However, I didn't do the most simple type of research: asking around. I didn't bother to ask any local what they thought the village needed. I was in my own head working out what I thought they needed. No wonder the Environment Club failed. It was only important to me, the random American outsider.
Bunda and I applied for the Peace Corps workshop and got in. We just finished the 3 days training session and received wonderful reviews on our project idea. This post is mostly about how the idea of my secondary project fell into my lap, so I will write about the project itself at a later date.
The message I think every Peace Corps Volunteer should know is this: If you want to make a difference, ask.
Naturally my type A personality and my creative side have been freaking out about this secondary project since Day 1. I've been stressing about how I can leave my mark in my village. Should I work on an environmental project? Should I teach the village how to recycle? Should I work on nutrition? Should I create a homeless shelter? How will it be sustainable? Do they even need this? Do they care?
The entire time I've been at site, I've been looking around for opportunities to make my community better. However, I was looking inward. I kept asking myself questions about my secondary project. I was just so lost. I even tried creating an Environment Club at my school. I was hoping that I could encourage my students to become passionate about cleaning up the local beaches and recycling. I printed a ton of resources and announced to the school that any interested students should meet me for Environment Club after school. I eagerly waited for students to pile into the classroom, but soon I found myself standing in the classroom alone. Students peeked their heads in to say hello and then sped home on their motorcycles. I was so disappointed. I had no idea how to energize the students on this subject matter. I officially gave up on creating the Environment Club. I went home and told myself, "Kruti, your secondary project will happen. Just wait."
About 5 weeks after the failure of the Environment Club, Peace Corps Indonesia emailed each volunteer inviting volunteers to apply for to a 3 days workshop. The workshop would educate volunteers and their Indonesian counterpart on how to implement a secondary projects. The workshop promised to teach us how to write grants/proposals, how to make our project sustainable, and how to plan our budget. I read this email while sitting in the teachers' lounge at my school. I was so excited for this workshop until it dawned on me that I don't even have a secondary project to work on.
I immediately turned around in my chair and asked my counterpart, Ibu Mujiati (Bunda), if there was anything that she thought the village or school needed. She said, "Yes. I think we need HIV/AIDs education." I told her about the workshop and she became incredibly excited. She went ON AND ON about creating an educational camp for students and spreading the knowledge of HIV/AIDs prevention techniques throughout Panggul. She got so excited that she took me straight to the local clinic to talk to doctors and nurses about HIV/AIDs prevention.
I followed her around the clinic and wondered, "What the.....? Where did HIV/AIDs come from!?" I had no idea that it was even an issue in my village. I know a lot of Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa do a lot of HIV/AIDs prevention work, but I don't think any volunteer in Indonesia has done any work on it. I seriously thought it wasn't even a big deal in Indonesia. However, I did some research and I found out that United National Programme on HIV/AIDs (UNAIDS) declared HIV/AIDs to be an epidemic in Indonesia. In fact, Indonesia has the fastest growing rate of HIV/AIDs cases in all of Southeast Asia. Bunda was so excited to hear that I was interested in helping her educate locals on the dangers of this virus.
I was dumbfounded for about 3 days. This ENTIRE time I was searching through my village looking for opportunities to make a difference. However, I didn't do the most simple type of research: asking around. I didn't bother to ask any local what they thought the village needed. I was in my own head working out what I thought they needed. No wonder the Environment Club failed. It was only important to me, the random American outsider.
 |
| Bunda and I presenting our project proposal to Peace Corps staff/volunteers/counterparts |
Bunda and I applied for the Peace Corps workshop and got in. We just finished the 3 days training session and received wonderful reviews on our project idea. This post is mostly about how the idea of my secondary project fell into my lap, so I will write about the project itself at a later date.
The message I think every Peace Corps Volunteer should know is this: If you want to make a difference, ask.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Salamat New Years
New Years is typically a time for reflection. Obviously I participated in the age old tradition of looking back at the year that is being left behind. I wrote in my journal, I reread my old blog posts, and oh...I listened to all of Taylor Swift's 2014 hit songs. So what was my takeaway from 2014? It can be summed up in two words:
LIFESTYLE CHANGE
At the beginning of 2014, I lived in my parents home in Connecticut. I listened to the radio while driving to work, I updated my Facebook account on my iphone, I did laundry every 2 weeks because I had enough clothes to last me that long....my life was completely different from what it is now.
Everyday I have to make decisions that you normally wouldn't think I'd have to make. Here's a list of comparisons I've made from my daily life in America versus my daily life in Indonesia.
Laundry:
In America:
1) Put dirty clothes in washer.
2) Go do something fun.
2) Put clothes in dyer.
4) Go do something fun.
5)Hang clothes in closet.
6) Repeat 2 weeks later
Estimated time: 20 minutes worth of work
In Indonesia:
1) Soak clothes in a bucket of water to get the dirt off.
2) Fill another bucket with water, put soap in.
3) Let clothes soak for 20 minutes in soapy water.
4) Hand wash every single items of clothing.
5) Get angry when one of my items of clothing leaks color (yes, this happens EVERY time. No, I haven't learned my lesson yet).
6) Put clothes in bucket with fresh water.
7) Rinse each item of clothing until soap is out
8) Take each item of clothing and ring it dry (if you don't do this, the bucket of clothes will be too heavy to carry outside)
9) Put big clothing items (skirts, shirts, pants) on the line in front of the house
10) Put little clothing items (underwear, socks) on the line on top the roof
11) Wait a day.
12) Iron clothes because my host mom yells at me to do so
13) Repeat every 3 days
Estimated time: 2.5-3 hours worth of work
Note: I have to set aside an entire morning to do laundry. I cannot do it in the evening because the clothes will ONLY dry underneath the sun. The climate is too moist for the clothes to dry during any other time of the day.
Using the Internet:
In America:
1) Pull phone out of pocket
In Indonesia:
1) Walk 5 minutes to school
2) Log onto the wifi if available
3) If wifi is not working at school, bike 3 miles to the closest internet cafe.
Note: If the rain is heavy, the entire village will be out of internet.
Exercise:
In America:
1) Put on shorts and a t shirt
2) Go to gym
3) Wait for available treadmill
In Indonesia:
1) Estimate the time of rainfall
2) Time the work out. I cannot run between 10am-2pm. The weather is too hot.
3) If it is not raining, then I will wear pants (yes, pants in 90 degree weather) and t shirt
Bath Time:
In America: Shower power
In Indonesia: Brace myself for cold bucket bath
Taking a Day Trip:
In America: Drive to my destination. Have fun along the way
In Indonesia:
1) Pack nausea medication
2) Hop in van full of locals
3) Answer the locals' questions. Introduce myself. Explain to them why I live in a village in Indonesia
4) Take nausea medicine while driving on the windy roads on the mountain range
5) Get to the main bus station that is 2 hours away
6) Take another bus to the next city
7) Spend a night in a hotel
8) Reverse the trip while making sure to get back to the main bus station before 4pm. The vans from the bus station to my village stop at 4pm.
As you can see, my daily life in Indonesia has changed drastically. Every time I want to leave my village, I ask myself, "Is it even worth it?" It is sometimes such a hassle to leave the house, even for internet access. I broke my iphone, yet I do not want to buy another one. When I want to listen to music, I actually sit down and enjoy each song as it plays from my laptop. I am not as distracted anymore. When I take long bus rides, I don't listen to music or play games. I look out the window, make conversation with the people sitting next to me, and enjoy the scenery.
Oddly enough, I have enjoyed the adjustment. I find that living without certain amenities has made me appreciate time more. I realize how precious time is because it takes me an incredibly long time to do one task. Without a doubt, this lifestyle change has helped me grow as a person.
I've also changed on the inside. I realized I've become more a listener than a talker. I handle situations more calmly. I got rid of Facebook (well, I have an Indonesian account so my students can contact me, but no one from America). I got rid of my iphone. I enjoy today rather than plan ahead for the future. My hair is growing back. In fact, I have cute bangs again. I'm stopping my eye twitch (those who know me know of my OCD eye twitch. I'm finally doing something about it. YAY!) 2014 has been a year full of change. I'm excited for all the new adventures coming up in 2015.
Happy New Year, everyone!
4) Take nausea medicine while driving on the windy roads on the mountain range
5) Get to the main bus station that is 2 hours away
6) Take another bus to the next city
7) Spend a night in a hotel
8) Reverse the trip while making sure to get back to the main bus station before 4pm. The vans from the bus station to my village stop at 4pm.
As you can see, my daily life in Indonesia has changed drastically. Every time I want to leave my village, I ask myself, "Is it even worth it?" It is sometimes such a hassle to leave the house, even for internet access. I broke my iphone, yet I do not want to buy another one. When I want to listen to music, I actually sit down and enjoy each song as it plays from my laptop. I am not as distracted anymore. When I take long bus rides, I don't listen to music or play games. I look out the window, make conversation with the people sitting next to me, and enjoy the scenery.
Oddly enough, I have enjoyed the adjustment. I find that living without certain amenities has made me appreciate time more. I realize how precious time is because it takes me an incredibly long time to do one task. Without a doubt, this lifestyle change has helped me grow as a person.
I've also changed on the inside. I realized I've become more a listener than a talker. I handle situations more calmly. I got rid of Facebook (well, I have an Indonesian account so my students can contact me, but no one from America). I got rid of my iphone. I enjoy today rather than plan ahead for the future. My hair is growing back. In fact, I have cute bangs again. I'm stopping my eye twitch (those who know me know of my OCD eye twitch. I'm finally doing something about it. YAY!) 2014 has been a year full of change. I'm excited for all the new adventures coming up in 2015.
Happy New Year, everyone!
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