Dormant

It’s hard to find new topics to write about for my blog. Indonesia hasn’t lost its appeal; I’m still in love with my life here. Rather, I have become accustomed to the aspects of Indonesia that I used to find amazing. At a certain point, Peace Corps life becomes mundane. The things that intrigue people back home are just biasa (normal) to me.

A year ago, I would gush over every little cultural difference I encountered. I’d write about it in my diary. I’d call my friends and compare experiences. I even bragged to fellow PCVs about pooping my pants (it’s a Peace Corps badge of honor to poop your pants). Everything was new and exciting. But now, life is just…life.

If the power runs out from yet another rain storm, I pick up a candle and a good book. I bathe with cold water every morning and every evening without flinching. When I want to spend time with fellow PCVs, I sit on an 8 hour bus ride to Surabaya with minimal complaint. If a man tries to bring a goat or chicken onto the bus, I simply scoot over to give the man some room.

The wanderlust in me is not dead; it’s just dormant. I have become comfortable in my environment and I have no reason to leave any time soon. When I leave Panggul,I find myself getting anxious if I am away for a while. I want to go back to my desa/my school/my house and return to my daily activities. I feel out of place traveling for too long. In fact, people in my village comment if I am absent for a few days.

“Why weren’t you at prayer last week, miss?”

“Why didn’t you come to class?”

“When will you come back, kakak Kruti?”

People miss me and I miss them. I am no longer a stranger in a strange land. I’m a local. Here, I have a home.

This is my biasa position: on my front porch, reading a book, eating soto ayam, and drinking Indonesian black coffee in my PJ's. Come join! 

My Murid, Lesta

Last June, the Peace Corps told me I would be teaching at SMA 1 Panggul for the next 2 years of my life. I entered school a little nervous and very confused. I didn't know anyone, but I recieved a lot of attention. Teachers hurried to shake my hands. Students giggled and pointed at me. Some were brave enough to say, "Hello, Miss!" However, most students ran away from me in groups. In this culture, it's common for people to shyly cluster together. They firmly believe in the "strength in numbers" mentality.

However, one student stood out from the giggly, shy crowd. Her name is Pusvita Lestari, but her friends call her Lesta. Lesta marched up to me, shook my hand, and offered to show me around Panggul. Later that same week, I was riding my bike down to Konan Beach with her. I thought she was going to be quiet and let me do all the talking. Oh no. That's not Lesta's style. She talked my ear off....in English. In. Nearly. Perfect. English. 

Her English speaking skills astonished me. At 15 years old, her knowledge of the English language is advanced and almost equal to my mother's (my mother has lived in the US for 30 years). She told me fun facts about Panggul. She introduced me to some of her friends. She even told me an old Javanese legend called Queen of the South Sea. I had such a fun day with her. 

Throughout the year, she has helped me integrate into the school community. If I taught alone, she translated for me. If I had questions about the scheduele, she fed me the answers. If there was chaos in the classroom, she helped maintain control. She was like my little helper!

 

 

Last Thursday, Lesta entered her third English speaking competition. She was one of 45 students who competed. Each student had 7 minutes to tell a story (I'm sure you're doing the math and realizing how long I sat through this competition. It was a long day, that's all I have to say). Lesta chose to recite "The Legend of Dang Gedunai." This story explains why fishermen never go to sea when the current is strong. This is the exact text that she translated herself:

Once upon a time in Riau, there was a stubborn kid named Dang Gedunai. He lived with his mother. But he never made her happy. 

"Mom, I want to go to the river. I want to go fishing," said Dang Gedunai.

"It's cloudy outisde. Rain will soon fall. Why don't you just stay at home?"

As always, Dang Gedunai ignored her. He then went to the river. It was very cloudy when he arrived at the river side. Soon it was drizzling but Dang Gedunai was still busy fishing. Later rain fell down heavily. Dang Gedunai finally gave up. However right before he left, he saw something shining in the river. 

It was a very big egg. Carefull, Dang Gedunai brought the egg home. His mother was surprised to see him brought a big egg. 

"What egg is that? Where di you find it?" 
"In the river, Mom."
"Be careful with the eff. You have to return it," replied his mother.

As always, he ignored his mother's advice. He planned to boil the egg and ate it. In the morning, his mother was ready to go to the paddy field. Again, she advised him to put the egg back to the river. Dang Gedunai did not say anything. 

When his mother left the house, he immediately boiled the egg. When it was cookied, he ate it. It was so delicious. He was so full then he fell a sleep. He had a dream. A giant dragon came to him.

"You stole my egg. For the punishment, you will become a dragon!" Dang Gedunai woke up. He felt very thristy. Later his mother went home. 
"What happened?"
"I don't know. Suddenly I feel very thirsty. My throat is very hot."

His mother then gave him a glass of water. It's not enough. He drank another glass, then another glass, then another glass until there was not any water in the house. His mother asked him to go to the pond. Dang Gedunai drank all the water until the pond was dried. But it was not enough. Then they went to the river. Again it was not enough. Dang Gedunai knew his dream would come true. He would become a dragon. 

"Mom, please forgive me. I ignored you. I ate the egg. It was a dragon's egg. I will change as a dragon. I cannot live with you anymore. I will live in the sea. If you see big waves in the sea, that means I'm eating. But if the waves are calmed, then I'm sleeping," said Dang Gedunai. 

His mother cried. Then slowly Dang Gedunai left her. His mother ten told the villagers not to go to the sea when the waves were big. Her son was eating. Until now fisherman do not want to go fishing in the sea when the waves are big. They know the dragon is eating. They just wait until the dragon is finished eating and the waves are calmed. 

Lesta performed this speech with incredible passion. The judges were clearly impressed with her talent, which is exactly why she won first place! On May 29th, Lesta is entering another English speaking contest. She will be performing "The Legend of Dang Gedunai" and "The Legend of Bloody Mary." I will help her practice over the next 2 weeks and I have confidence that she can win another trophy!

WOMEN! And stuff

April 21 marked my second Hari Katini (or Kartini Day) in Indonesia. Hari Kartini is a day to celebrate Raden Ayu Kartini who is known today as Indonesia's prominent feminist figure. My home girl Kartini was born on April 21, 1879, into a royal Javanese family with an intellectual background. Her family only allowed her to attend school until the age of 12 (typical for Indonesian women at the time). However, Kartini continued to educate herself. She was passionate about empowering women with regards to freedom, autonomy, and legal equality. She married in November 1903 to a man who already had 3 wives. Lucky for her, Kartini's husband understood her wishes and allowed her to build a school for women. Kartini later passed away a few days after giving birth to her only son in 1904. OH! And fun fact: Homeslice Tini was a vegetarian. You go, girl.

 Here's a photo of her:

My school didn't want to celebrate Kartini Day on Tuesday, so we postponed festivities until Saturday. We basically had a 6 hour long talent competition. Additionally, students and staff members dressed up in traditional Indonesian clothing. I got jazzed up in a Kebaya and even got my hair and make up did. I wish I had a picture to show you, but sadly I do not.

During Hari Kartini festivities, I thought about women's rights in Indonesia. Of course there is plenty of work to be done here, but I'm an optomist. I like looking at the positives! So, here's a list of aspects of women's issues in Indonesia that have surprised me:

1) Wearing a hijab at my school is an option, not a requirment. I teach at a public high school (SMA), but some of my female students chose not to cover their hair. Of course majority of my students still want to wear the hijab, but that is a personal preference. Madrasahs, which are Islamic high schools, require females to wear head scarves.

2) There's no glass ceiling here. That's right, America. Take notes. Men and women receive equal pay if they have the same job and have been working for the same amount of time. BOOM.

3) The Indonesian government encourages women to get married after the age of 20. I went to a wedding last week. Guess how old the bride was? 26.

4) DUA ANAK CICUP. Sorry, that must have just sounded like random sounds to you, but they mean things here. DAC is the national family planning slogan. It literally translates into "Two children are enough." Many Indonesian families have only one or two children. After that, women AND men line up at their local Puskesmas to get sterilized. My host mom had her tubes tied and my CP's husband got a vasectomy. Boo yeah to small families!

5) Females are stereotyped to be better students. I'm not the biggest fan of this because that means my male students think it's cool to slack off.

6) Majority of my students are females. YUP. About 70% of my kids are girls. Apparently the male students tend to drop out. I haven't seen much of this, but maybe they drop out before high school? Idk. If anyone else has an answer, lemme know iya?

7) More women are becoming midwives. Midwives are trained to deliver babies and inform women when/if they need to head to the emergency room. My fellow PCV and dear friend Cait knows more about this. I'll let her speak on this subject matter. Here's the link to her brilliant blog A Prairie State of Mind- The Feminst I Live With

Like I said before, there's a lot of women's issues that I disagree with here. However, I don't want to mention them in my blog because I'm afraid of offending anyone in my village. Plus, America could use some work in the feminism department, so who am I to judge?

Bunda the Beast

This week I will be training the new group of volunteers on a session called "Understanding Your Work Partner." I'm teaching 65 new trainees how to muddle their way through the confusing jungles of Indonesian culture.

When I was a trainee, Indonesians were often depicted as lazy, consistently late, and irresponsible. We were told that  our Indonesian counterparts may not show up to class every day or that they will show up late. Lesson planning with our fellow teachers would be a near-impossible task. Implementing secondary projects would be easy-peasy until suddenly the plan falls through for some inexplicable reason.

Naturally all of this information terrified me when I was first introduced to my counterpart, Bunda. I was immediately irritated by anything she did. I assumed the worst although I knew her intentions were good. I anticipated being overwhelmed by the culture and therefore I allowed my emotions to become heightened. If Bunda came to my house, I thought she was overbearing. If she fixed my shirt, I thought she was too touchy. If she told me how to eat something, I thought she was trying to force feed me. Everything she did triggered a negative reaction because I thought that our cultural differences were going to be a brick wall that could not be demolished. I stubbornly asserted my American independence and individualism

After a few weeks working with her, I decided to finally let my guard down. I thought about what a day in the life of Bunda must feel like. So I imagined this scenario:

I am a teacher in the United States. A foreigner comes to my school to help me in the classroom. This foreigner thinks they have better ideas. They believe they know how to act appropriately in America because they went through a brief training somewhere in New York. When this foreigner starts working, they impolitely comment on my dress and physical appearance. They claim that this is normal in their culture, but do not understand how it is rude in America. They insist that we pray before class despite the fact that U.S. public schools do not require a prayer session. Lastly, this foreigner complains about the food. She looks at her plate with disgust and frequently skips meals. After a few days, this foreigner retreats to her home and spends the weekend in her room. I have been trying my best to make her understand my culture. I have gone above and beyond to try to make her happy, yet she still wants to do things her way. 

After I attempted to walk two moons in Bunda's shoes, I lightened up. Cultural differences were emphasized during my 2.5 months of Peace Corps training. We discussed how students must pray before the start of class. We learned that finishing your breakfast is more important than starting on time. We tried to understand why the locals think being tired is a legitimate reason to excuse yourself from an activity. Learning these differences were important to help me not make a complete fool of myself in my village. However, these differences have not hindered me from completing my Peace Corps mission as I once believed they would.

Yes, things work a slower here. Yes, my counterpart must finish chatting with her friends despite the fact that class has started. Yes, we lesson plan 20 minutes before class rather than a week ahead. These aspects of Indonesian culture can be frustrating to the efficient and timely American.

However, the spark that connects Bunda and me is stronger than culture. Our chemistry as work partners is rooted in a desire to understand each other, to treat each other with kindness and respect. She openly tells me what is culturally appropriate. It is my responsibility to either follow her advice or explain why I do not want to adhere to those cultural norms. For instance, she has played with my hair many times this last year trying to tame the mop that is on my head. She wants me to look professional at school so that students will respect me. I happily adhere to her hair style suggestions because I accept her as my cultural liason. I don't always follow her instructions, but I understand that she is only trying to help me assimilate.

It is not only my openness that has allowed our relationship to flourish. I wholeheartedly commend Bunda for exhibiting patience and understanding with me. My most precious moment with my counterpart occured within the first few days of coming to my village. She accidentally saw my tattoo  of a tree while I was getting fitted for a school uniform. In Indoneisa, women are not allowed to have tattoos or any type of body art. In fact, painting nails is forbidden for religious reasons. A fiery fear of judgment engulfed me when I realized Bunda had spotted my inked shoulder. I assumed she would immediately judge me and gossip to the school staff about my tattoo.

I turned to her and said, "I have a tattoo. I'm sorry, but I hope you do not judge me."
She smiled back, "Do not worry. These are our cultural differences. This is what we learn from each other."

She then proceded to ask me questions. Did the tattoo hurt? When did you get it? Will you get another one? Why did you get a tree? She promised me she wouldn't tell anyone. I showed my host mother my tattoo 3 months later, and she was utterly shocked. She had no clue about my tattoo despite the fact that I lived under her roof for a few months. Bunda had kept her promise after all. There are many people in this village who are still unaware of my secret tree.

Working with Bunda has made me realize that kindness and understanding are stronger than culture. It's our personalities and our values that keep us going through this Peace Corps roller coaster ride. I want the new group of volunteers to understand that working in a new culture is nothing to be afraid of. It can be a struggle, but it does not have to hinder your ability to react with kindness and understanding. Culture is not an unbreakable barrier. It's an obstacle that two people can overcome when approached with openness and understanding.

My wonderful counterpart, Bunda, and me at a Peace Corps conference January 2015

The One Year Mark

It's official. I've been in the Peace Corps for a solid year. March 15 marks the anniversary of the day I left New York City and slowly made my way to Indonesia. Like most Peace Corps Volunteers, I have changed. I've grown more confident. I've become a better friend. I've become a stronger family member. I am equally happy being single and in a relationship. I can communicate and work effectively with people that are different from me. Oh, and I've learned to enjoy TSwift's music. That, by far, is probably the biggest change to be quite honest.

But I'm not the only one changing. My world has flipped upside down and so has the world that I left behind. My family is moving in all sorts of good directions and I've been witnessing it through Skype.  Sister #1 is moving to a new house in Connecticut and leaving her urban days behind. Sister #2 is living in Boston and has added a few more stamps into her passport. Sister #3 has a new apartment and boyfriend. My brother-in-law got a new job. My parents have a new flat in India that is waiting for me when I visit in November. And oh! I have 2 new family members that I haven't officially met yet. Here's a picture of them below!

Avi (the big one) is Sister #3's boyfriend and Ari (the little one) is Sister #1's new baby. Yes, Ari and Avi are actually the names of my 2 new family members. I can't make this shit up.

It's strange to think that I have additional family members. I will go home and shake hands with two new Patels. This past year, they were successfully integrating themselves into my family while I was busy successfully integrating into my Indonesian community. What a thought.

Obviously I've learned a lot in my year in the Peace Corps. Here's four great lessons I've learned so far:

1) I will not perish if there is no toilet paper: My biggest fear before I came here was not having access to toilet paper. I thought I could buy some and sneak it into my house. I wanted to be this TP ninja that could get away without touching her poop for 2 years. Nope. I was forced to face my biggest fear. And I got used to it. I proudly wipe my butt with my left hand and then wash my hand with soap and water. And you know what? It's not that bad. Think about it this way: if you get poop on your hands, are you going to wipe it off with TP or with soap and water?


2) Bald is beautiful: The night before I left America, I gathered some Peace Corps Volunteers in a hotel room in San Fransisco and went V-For-Vendetta-Natalie-Portman on their asses, A fellow volunteer, Anna Lee, helped me shave my head. Before this, I always assumed my hair was my best feature. It was long, thick, silky Indian hair. Of coruse I loved it! Shaving it made me redefine what beauty and feminism means to me. I won't shave my head in the near future, but if I could go back in time I would do it all over again!

PCVs Kirby and Stephanie watch me cut the first chunk of hair. Anna Lee is on the far right waiting with the clippers

3) The only constant is constant change: The photo I shared in this blog says it alone. I left for 12 months and gained 2 family members. People move. People graduate. People have babies. People break up. People marry. People join the Peace Corps and leave for 2 years. Learn to embrace changes and roll with the punches.

4) It's okay to not be ok: This is one idea I have struggled with in the past. I used to think, "Why should I be sad when I have so much to be grateful for?" Well, sometimes life SUCKS. You have a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, and sometimes a bad year. It happens to everyone. I used to judge people when they reacted negatively to a situation. But now I'm bigger than that. I try my best to treat people with kindess when they are going through a rough time. I'm not always patient and kind, but I try my best. I'm learning how to treat others well.

The Move

I moved out of my house yesterday. It's not that I wasn't comfortable there. Actually, I was very comfortable. I lived in a clean house. The bathroom and kitchen were huge. The house was always spotless. The neighbors were friendly. My family had goats in the back. I simply wanted to move to get another experience.

I thought this would cause drama between my old host family and my new host family. To my surprise, it didn't. My regional manager from Peace Corps, Wawan, came to inspect my new house and to speak with both host families. When he talked to my old family, they kept insisting that I was family. They told me multiple times that I am welcome into their house whenever I wanted. My host mom also invited me to contnue playing volleyball with her every evening. I couldn't sleep well on my last night in her house. I knew I would miss them.

But I don't miss them too much simply because I live 0.5 kilometers away. I moved into a house that it right across the street from my school. I moved there because my counterpart, Bunda, is very close with the family that lives there. I have spent a lot of time with this family and I thought it'd be an intereting experience to be able to live in 2 different households during my 24 months in Panggul.

A little about my new famly:
Host dad: He's the gardener at my school. He's a very calm, humble man. Today I found out that his sister is the next door neighbor at my old house. When I took a look at him today, I realized they had similar features. I had no idea they were related (and I've known both of them for about 10 months).

Host mom: She owns a toko (small store) in front of our house. She sells candy, oil, gum, coffee, and fruit. She's also very humble and friendly.

Diah: She is my host sister. She is a senior at my school. She is currently waiting for college acceptance letters.

Nova: She is a boarder at the house. She is another student at my high school. Her parents pay for her to stay at the house so that it will be easy for her to go to school. She typically goes home on the weekends to visit her family.

I already feel very at home here. I have known the family since the first day at my site. I still have to unpack, so there's not much else to report. 

The Things I Do

Integrating into my village was a difficult task at first. I didn't know what clubs to join or if I should create my own. I didn't know whom I should trust. I was overwhelmed and a little lost. But I've found several activities that keep me busy throughout my weeks at site. These activities have helped me meet new people and form new friendships. I am still slowly integrating and expanding my social network. I was relatively shy at first (who wouldn't be when they are moving across the globe and spit out into a village!?), but now I feel like I have a few circles of people that I can hang out with. Here's a list of things I do inside and outside of my village:

Group Activities:
1) PKK: I don't know what it stands for, but it's essentially a club for older women. My host mom is the leader of our village's PKK, so I go with her to every meeting. The group meets typically once a month. We sing songs, talk about the new events going on in the village, and share any issues that we think are important. During our first meeting, my host mom encouraged all the other women to walk everywhere instead of taking their motorcycles. She used me as a leading example since I go for evening walks up the mountain.

2) Volleyball: Some people in my village play volleyball or soccer near the elementary school every day at 4pm. I don't enjoy playing sports, so I mostly go for a good laugh and to get laughed at. It's a fun time, minus all the bruises on my arms.

3) Guru-Guru Aerobics: The female teachers at my school hire an aerobics instructor to come to school every Mondays and Fridays. We use the media room at the school and close the doors, which means I'm allowed to wear shorts and a tank top for this sweaty work out.

4) Prayer Group: My counterpart takes me with her to pray every Sunday night at 7pm. The prayer group changes houses each week. The location of the prayer group rotates between the houses of the prayer group members. We read a part of the Qur'an every week and then enjoy some tea, coffee, and snacks. We read the same script every week, which means I'm slowly starting  to memorize a tiny bit of the Qur'an! Side note: I am required to wear a  hijab for this event.

5) Go to School: DUH! That's what I'm here for! That's what my visa claims I do. I teach! However, class frequently gets shortened or cancelled. I still go to school, though. I say hello to all of the teachers and students. During my first semester here, I was glued to my computer. I was so overwhelmed by what was going on around me that I would show up to school, open up my laptop, and not talk to anyone. This semester is a whole lot better. I feel very comfortable at school and I joke around with the teachers and students. In fact, today I got bored at school so I went into a random classroom and taught the students how to play 7 Up. I may not always be teaching them English, but just spending time with the teachers and students easily turns into a party.

Things I like to do Alone:

1) Go to the beach: I can't swim in the water because the current is too strong. However, I like to sit on the beach, crack open a good book, and sip coconut milk straight from the coconut. It only costs me 60 cents for the coconut, but I usually stay there for hours

2) Hike up the mountain: I've tried to get students to join me on this hike, but everyone always complains that its too hot or too difficult. I will get a group together next semester, Ishallah (if it is God's will)

3) Yoga: Locals are interested when I tell them I do yoga in my room, but I'm not anywhere close to being an instructor. I want to learn more about yoga before I go ahead and include people in this activity. However, I do plan on holding a yoga seminar at my school.

4) Writing: I write frequently about my experience and about my revelations about life (I have MANY revelations here). I also write in my blog, but of course you already knew that.

5) Read: I LOVE reading here. I have been flying through books. Right now I'm on my sixteenth book since I've arrive at site. I'm reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (my sister's favorite book). My goal is to finish 75 books before I depart from Indonesia in June 2016. Wish me luck and please give me any good suggestions!

Things I'm Involved with in the Peace Corps:

1) Alternate Warden: An alternate warden means that I am responsible for the whereabouts of the other volunteers in my area in case of an emergency. I act as a messenger to the Peace Corps to let them know if each volunteer is safe. We had a drill last month which ran very smoothly. I hope there is never any real emergency, but you never know when living in the Ring of Fire!

2) Resource Volunteer: A resource volunteer is a volunteer who helps with training the new incoming volunteers. I'm so excited to meet the incoming group! Get ready, ID9, just a few more days until your arrival!

3)  Host Country Hero Conference: I applied for Host Country Hero not knowing what the heck it was. It turns out that I will be on a panel with Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts from Benin and Georgia. We will be video chatting with students in Washington D.C. to celebrate Peace Corps Week (the anniversary of JFK issuing an executive order to establish the Peace Corps).

4) World Wise Schools: I partnered up with a teacher from my high school (go Wheeler!). Our students have been writing letter back and forth. We also sent videos to each other letting our students learn about different cultures. It's been a rewarding exchange and I hope to carry the pen pals into the upcoming year. 

That pretty much sums up what I do and think about in the Peace Corps. I feel very involved in my school (more than I did last semester) and I feel like I'm meeting a lot of interesting people in my area. I also feel very honored to be selected to help train the income group of volunteers. I'm really excited for their arrival! Additionally, I'm still thinking about my HIV/AIDs project. However, this project is losing a bit of steam. Not to worry, my counterpart and I will keep it going! I have faith.