It's December!!

Selamat Pagi! (I'm using the Bahasa Indonesia for you, Dad! I hope you're practicing!)

It was a shock to me when I looked at the Calendar the other day to discover that it's December! This weather- consistently in the high 20's/low 30's- has, in a weird way, made time seem to go so much faster here. I keep waiting for the cold to hit, but it's looking like that won't happen! I also keep forgetting that those of you back in North America are not stuck in perpetual summer as I keep thinking. (Since I left in August, my vision of home is still warmth). I was reminded of the winter weather this morning. Andrew kindly got up before 7AM for a skype chat, and I could see out his window that it was still pitch black outside! Here, I am woken up around 5:30 to sunlight shining in my eyes. It's so crazy how things can be SO different just by sticking a few (thousand) miles in between.

Well, another week has flown by yet again! Like every week, there were definitely some highlights and lower points. Every week, the lower points become fewer and farther between, and last for less and less time. That is a real blessing.

I came home from the hospital around 3:00 on Monday, in time to celebrate the 70th birthday of a church member/pastor. Upon my arrival at the church, I realized that this was not your average ladies group/ men's bible study potluck gathering of sorts... No, the cake at the front of the church (one of those fake ones like they have at weddings here, where people "cut it" with a sword) and the massive tents set up in the parking lot alluded to a celebration of grandeur. This proved to be the case, as the church filled with people ("only 350" instead of the expected 500, because of the rain), all dressed up, ready to wish the birthday boy all the best. And nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a two and a half hour service in that person's honour... speeches, solos, cake-cutting, photos, more solos, more speeches, a couple sermonettes, some prayers, a few more solos.... and all filmed for future viewing pleasure! I'm sure that the guest of honour felt very appreciated and loved.

After the service, there was a truly beautiful buffet dinner at the church. Noodles, black pepper beef, soup, and coconut ice (not ice cream, ice), were among the featured foods. We sat or stood, and ate our food. I got the chance to meet some interesting people in that time, as people here are always super friendly and make every effort to make me feel welcome. I even received a cake (an edible one) from someone, which I am still working through. The party wound up around 9PM, and everyone went home with party favours in hand (a little notebook with the birthday boy's name inscribed on each page).

Tuesday was a day of new experiences too! TK was in the morning, as per usual. After TK, I was invited to join Jason's youth group at midday karaoke! Karaoke is HUGE here, with karaoke chains (such as "Happy Puppy Family Karaoke") in greater abundance than fast food chains. Midday karaoke sounds strange, but it is half price for a room on Monday-Friday, from 10AM-6PM. I met Jason's youth group there at 3:00, and we were given a room to ourselves for 2 hours (at the cost of 80 cents per person per hour). We sang a whole variety of special songs, and dined on the Indonesian equivalent of pub food (deep fried mushrooms, and udang goreng mayonnaise), and just had a ton of fun! In the evening, my host parents took me out to find a present for a gift exchange that took place this Friday. My host mom also bought whole wheat bread for me, which was a first here, and a VERY appreciated treat!

Wednesday (the first of my two consistently jam-packed days of the week) was TK, followed by teaching PPA, followed by teaching at the Gloria Patri Learning Centre, followed by dinner out. I decided to ditch the classroom learning in favour of games at PPA, and this was a HUGE hit. "Duck Duck Goose", and "What Time is it, Mr. Wolf" were immensely enjoyed by the 4 and 5 year olds (as well as myself, and the bystanders who were observing.) While I was teaching at Gloria Patri, the head of the learning centre invited us to come to her warung for dinner, so we headed there after class. The food was DELICIOUS- a special kind of soto that is more commonly found in Jakarta than in Semarang, and a particularly tasty fried rice. The owner invited us back again, and I would go back in a second! It was one of my favourite meals here so far.

Thursday turned out to be absolutely awesome. I was at the TK in the morning, and was done there around 10AM, as is the norm on Thursdays. I had two hours free between then and when I had to be at Ichthus FM, so I took the opportunity to go for a bike ride. I became one with the traffic as I headed toward "Lunpia Strip", a stretch of warungs that sell only lunpia (a type of delicious spring roll). I didn't buy any, but I now know where it is when I want it! One minor downfall was that I headed down a one-way street, and since I didn't want to leave that street (for fear of getting lost), I had no choice but to head back up it, against traffic. It's nice to be in a place where the rules of the road are a tad more lenient... From there, I headed to the Java Mall, and bought myself a donut and sat in the cafe and just people-watched for awhile. I left the mall, and biked past the goat market, and then back home. I was absolutely dripping with sweat when I got back, but it was SO much fun to get out and see the city a bit. I came back to find spaghetti awaiting me- someone from church had heard that I like it, so she made it for me, and Pak Har picked it up from her house. It was absolutely delicious, and such a thoughtful gesture. Things like that make me realize how much I am cared for here.

The person that usually hosts "Relaxing Afternoon" was away on Thursday, and two girls took his place. I had met them before, and they have tons of energy and are super fun, so we had a great two hours together! I was picked up at 3:00 to head to PPA, and Debora (a former IVEPer, who has become a good friend) joined this time, as I had requested a meeting with the coordinator of PPA. Things have been a bit confusing up until now as to what is expected or desired of me, and I thought that perhaps it might help to have someone who speaks Bahasa Indonesia and English come along to help translate. Sometimes, people here are better at being more "direct" through a third party too, and Debora was extremely helpful in helping us sort out a schedule that makes sense. She also helped me with the activities that I had planned for that day, and it turned out to be one of my favourite times at PPA. The kids there are a really wonderful group of kids, and with a little extra help, everything flows really smoothly. Debora took me out to McDonalds afterward, which was such a nice treat! We chatted for awhile, and we made plans to spend a weekend together (along with Laura) on the 10th/11th of December. I'm SO looking forward to that! In the evening, Ibu Vonny and I headed to church for angklong lessons. We've now nearly perfected "Angels We Have Heard on High", and will be performing it at some point. (This instrument is different from the one I described in the last blog. I am still not invited to perform that one with the group...)

Friday morning was a shortened TK, followed by a staff Christmas party! We sang, and lit candles, and listened to a small sermon, before beginning the gift exchange. A gift exchange here (at least at the Sola Gratia church) is much different than at home. We wrapped the gifts in newspaper rather than gift wrap, so that no one could know which gift was from who. The gifts are numbered, and then people draw numbers. The person takes the gift with the matching number. I was quite pleased with the plate and three glasses that I acquired (which I opened at home- the gifts are not opened in front of other people). We had lunch together (satay, perkedel, and tempe), and then I came home to begin some long-overdue chores (including washing 28 pairs of underwear by hand... I left the laundry a bit longer than I should have). My evening was a quiet one, and I must admit, I enjoyed the down time. I got to bed before 10, and slept over 8 hours, which is a rare and wonderful treat!

Today I taught TK in the morning. I gave tests to the poor kiddies, and was a bit disappointed with the outcome (a third of them failed, and one of them started to cry, which tells me that my teaching methods may need to be revamped). I'm supposed to give them a grade on their English, which made me realize how little we've done, how little has stuck, and how much more creative thinking I'm going to have to start doing. I'm looking forward to Christmas break as a time to really sit down and take the time to figure out some teaching methods that might work better. If any of you reading this have ever taught kindergarten or ESL, your input is MUCH appreciated!

This afternoon is looking to be a quiet one, with a potential little jaunt to the Java Mall again to check out the potential of buying a stove-top oven. I think there is youth tonight, and I am long overdue to attend. This is my first quiet weekend in over a month, and while I have enjoyed the busyness, I am also excited for the relaxation.

Thinking of you all back at home, as the Christmas season is in full swing!
Enjoy the cold and snow- Christmas feels more like Christmas when it's cold and snowy!

Lots of love,
Ellery