Well, orientation is finished, and this morning I woke up back in my room in Semarang. The last week of orientation and language training was filled with a mix of sadness at the thought of being separated from those I've grown so close to over the last two months, and excitement at the thought of finally beginning our official positions. The other day, Jason brought up the fact that our entire world in Indonesia is the part of this year that no one else really knows about; Everyone at home really only knows about our official placements. It's exciting to be starting that!
This week we went on a couple of class trips, one to a peanut factory (After the boat factory, I was more prepared when Putut used the word "factory" this time), and one to "Frame", a really awesome coffee shop/open mic place. The peanut factory makes all sorts of peanut/sesame treats, and we got to try out the different tasks involved in creating them, which gave us a new appreciation for them (each treat is hand-measured, hand-cut, and hand-wrapped!). I love getting opportunities like this, to see the work that goes into something- it always makes you appreciate something so much more. The coffee shop sold coffee made from any bean you wanted. There were beans from so many islands in Indonesia! It was a really awesome way to end our language training.
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| Learning how to package peanut snacks! I did one in the time that lady did 6... and she still had to help me. |
Much to my shock and awe, I was physically capable of biking again on Thursday, after taking a few days off to recover from that mountain climb. I made sure to really enjoy my last ride down the hill, with the mountain in the background. I came to really really love the bike ride to and from school, and I hope to get opportunities to bike in Semarang, and again when I visit Salatiga.
On Thursday evening, Pak Lilik planned a photo shoot (a colour-coordinated one!) in the rice fields and the convent gardens. It was a really fun evening (though if you asked Peter, he would disagree- his face in many of the pictures is a testament to that), and the pictures turned out just beautifully, thanks to Pak Lilik's awesome photography skills!
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| I felt SO loved. |
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| Host family in Salatiga! Steven, Pak Lilik, Peter, and Ibu Christin |
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| I cannot take credit for the photo, but I was lucky enough to take in this view in person. The picture doesn't do it justice |
Yesterday was quite a busy day! I got up early to pack, and was ready with time to spare (a rare occurrence for me), and accompanied Pak Lilik to the office. We spent a bit of time there before picking up Laura and bringing her to her new home at the school she'll be helping at in Kopeng. She came back with us to drop us off, and Mike, Nicole, Nancy, Laura, and I all got one final opportunity to spend some time together before Mike and Nancy flew to their placements. We went out for sate, and then dropped off Nicole. After dropping off Nicole, we dropped off my luggage and then went to the mall to kill some time before heading to the airport. The mall had a Starbucks in it. I am not a fan of Starbucks in Canada, but it's amazing how one clings to the familiar when a lot of familiarity is gone. I eagerly ordered a drink, but felt absolutely shocked when I saw the price- rp. 30,500! (about $3.50). It may not seem astronomical, but in Indonesia, I can get a big plate of nasi goreng ayam (chicken fried rice) and es jeruk (an orange drink) for rp. 10,000. That drink cost me more than three dinners! I decided that Starbucks is going to be a very rare treat this year- it's so difficult to justify that price when I know how far that money can go.
We headed to the airport from the mall, and sent Mike and Nancy on their way. We won't be seeing them again until our team retreat in March, and it was tough to say good-bye to them! It'll be awesome to hear of their adventures though, and I'm hoping that we'll get to keep in touch throughout the year. Pak Lilik drove me back to my host family after the sendoff, and I spent the evening unpacking and settling back into my place here in Semarang. I was welcomed back warmly, and I found myself to be quite excited to be back here.
This morning at 8AM, I met with people at the church to discuss my schedule for the year. I have not just one, but two desks at the church as I am fulfilling roles in both the school and the church for the year. I received such a friendly welcome there too, and I realized that this year is going to be absolutely AWESOME. I was amazed at how much Bahasa Indonesia I could understand, and was complimented on my language capabilities (not that they're amazing, but it was better than I thought!). My responsibilities this year vary quite a bit- I will be teaching, helping in Sunday school, helping with the Compassion program (which I'm sure I'll know more about once I get started), and a few other things here and there. I know that the year won't be without its challenges, but I think that it's really going to be a lot of fun! It will certainly be busy and diverse, which is exactly what I like.
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| One of my desks! I got a nice little welcome note! |
I'm not sure what the rest of this weekend looks like, but I start my position on Monday, and so I'm just enjoying the down time I have right now. I'm looking forward to getting a better grasp on what my weeks will look like, and once I know that, I'll fill you all in!
I hope you're all enjoying what I've heard has been beautiful weather at home! (And for those of you serving with SALT, I also hope that the weather has been manageable for you!)
Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Ellery
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