One Month Down!

Why hello there, faithful followers!

I've said this before, but I'll say it again- thank-you all SO much for the words of encouragement that follow my blog posts. The day after I post something, I always get such uplifting, supportive emails or comments, and I am truly SO grateful for them. Thank-you!

This past week has been my favourite of my SALT experience so far. I explained a few days ago what a typical day looks like, but as we've learned more of the language, and as we have been encouraged to become more independent (praise be!), I've started to become a bit more confident and adventuresome.

In the afternoons last week, I most often returned to the MCC office to take advantage of the internet availability. Thursday nights are dinner/games nights, so on Thursday, us YALTers met at the office and then headed to a warung for nasi goreng padas (spicy fried rice- delicious, though my lips and nose still turn the most vibrant shade of red in response to the spiciness, which makes Native Indonesians doubt me when I say that I truly do like spicy food). We sat on mats at the Pancasila (the hub of the city, with a big grassy area), and enjoyed some entertainment along with our food (that entertainment being a group of teenage boys playing a ukulele and singing "you are my best friend, you are my brother, let's get together..." in hopes of connecting with us English speakers, and making a few extra bucks).

On Fridays, all of the MCC staff gets together for a meal, hosted at different long term MCCers' homes. This past Friday we went to Brandon and Danielle's after language lessons, and enjoyed some food and a chance to catch up with the other MCCers. After lunch, a few of us went to Karen and Major's to watch a movie and to eat as many of Karen's homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as we could cram into our stomachs. (I suffered a "sakit perut"- sick stomach- as a result).

On Saturday, Laura and I decided that it was time we really sought out independence, so at 11:30, we headed out for a day of learning and adventure. We had high hopes for our day, and successfully made it to 12:30 before heading on over to KFC for some North American cuisine, and a break from being the targets of staring eyes and pointing fingers. On a side note, I asked Karen about this, and she said that Indonesians don't think it rude to stare and point. She said she's talked to Indonesians about it, and they are not taught that it is rude to do that because it really isn't considered rude. It's another cultural difference that I've discovered since arriving here.

After lunch, feeling the need to compensate for the western food, we headed to "The Cafe" (the name sounded promising) for milkshakes. I ordered a peanut butter chocolate shake, and quickly learned that you can indeed make a milk-less milkshake (water-based), and that peanut butter has the ability to curdle... It was not the highlight of my eating experiences in Indonesia.

I made the effort to enjoy my peanut butter watershake, but couldn't stomach more than a few sips.

We spent the afternoon learning the bus system, taking four of the sixteen bus routes in Salatiga. This was another learning opportunity for us. The buses cost rp. 2000 for a ride (about 25 cents), and they stop where you want them to. In order to get off the bus, you say "kiri" (left), and the bus pulls over. The nice thing about that is that you get exactly where you want to be- no walking! We also discovered that the bus pulls over for pretty much everyone walking by, and often backtracks down the road if the driver thinks he saw someone who may want a ride. The bus also doesn't do a loop- it has an end point, and turns around at that point. This sounded ridiculous to me at first, but then Major explained that there is often not a road available to create a loop, so the options are to not have a bus route to certain locations, or to turn around. I've learned how important it is to ask questions and avoid making assumptions about anything I encounter. We were told in the first week that there is a logical reason for most things people do here, just as there is a logical reason for most things we do in Canada, but sometimes that logic isn't apparent.

In the evening, Laura, Jason, and I met a group at Bu Rini's, the place with the beautiful view that I posted a picture of in my last post, and headed on a biking historical tour of Salatiga. We learned that Salatiga was at one point considered the most beautiful city in Central Java, and I believe it- it's surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, and there are many historical buildings. The tour was led by our language teacher, which was convenient because he could translate for us. We met back at Bu Rini's for dinner, music, and some independent films. It was a beautiful evening, and we got the chance to hang out with some really awesome people.

Enjoying snacks after our bike hike around Salatiga, with new friends

Church was at 6 AM on Sunday morning, and I went straight back to bed afterward to rest up for our afternoon hike up a mountain, which was described (entirely accurately) to me as walking up a set of stairs for two hours straight. I'll be honest, I thought I was going to die on that mountain. My legs seized, my vision blurred, and I was near puking at least twice. But I MADE IT! I made it ALL the way to the top of the mountain! Nevermind that the promised view of nine other mountain tops was obstructed by heavy clouds... I felt amazing! Below is a picture of said mountain. Don't be deceived by the photo, which makes it look like a glorified hill... It was intense!

That hill behind me is deceivingly difficult to climb! But I did it!

See? Proof!

 We returned from our hike satisfied and exhausted, and I fell asleep around 8:30. My way of living has changed so dramatically in the last month. At home, I love staying up late and waking up late. Here, I'll look at the clock and be like, 9 PM already!? Time to hit the hay! I only have to get up at 7AM, but I find that between two 30 minute bike rides and hours of constant thinking and translating in my mind, as well as an evening playing with (really adorable) three and five year old boys, I am more than ready for bed by 9:00.

We started this week off the same as last week, with language lessons all morning. This week we get three lunches provided by MCC. Today was because two people were here from MCC Akron. Tomorrow is because the leaders from the synods of the Mennonite churches in Indonesia are here. Friday is the usual MCC lunch. Tonight I was invited to play badminton with a group of people at the university, so I think that's what I'll be doing this evening. We'll see what the rest of the week holds!

Thinking of all of you in Canada and around the world! Have a great day!

Love,
Ellery