Happy New Year, Everyone!!
It's funny to think that all of you in North America are still in 2011. As Laura said, it's really time for you all to get with the times... "2011 is SO last year." ;)
This morning was a bittersweet one, as I said good-bye to my family, who are heading back to Canada (in Austin's case) and to China to spend some time with our family there. Dad was here for nearly three full weeks, and Mom and Austin for just one week, but it felt like more while we were in it. Now, however, the time seemed to have just flown by, and I wish they could stick out the next... 7 months with me! So that's the bitter part- that they had to leave. The sweet part is that the trip to the airport meant a stop at McDonald's! (My aim for 2012 is to look at the positive- there it is for ya.)
No, by FAR the sweetest part of my family having visited is that now they know. Everything I have been describing makes complete sense to them now. Before they came, all of what they knew of my experience came from my blog, from emails, and from phone and skype chats. Until now, I thought that I was doing a pretty good job at painting an accurate picture for those of you who take the time to keep up with my blog. I realize now just how TINY a glimpse I am able to give you. I can post pictures and provide explanations, but to truly understand it, you'd have to hop on a plane and come see for yourself. (I strongly encourage this- I'm here until July, friends!)
Descriptions and pictures can provide a foundation from which we can create an image for ourselves of what a certain situation or place must be like. The trouble is that we only know what we know, and so we try to fit the descriptions we read and the pictures that we see, into the only world that is familiar to us, whatever that may be. One day, while I was talking about my (beautiful, PERFECT) hometown of NOTL, I learned that the people I was talking to were picturing a village. It makes sense that they came to that conclusion- I told them that I was in a small town, and the closest thing to that here is a village. I knew exactly what they were picturing because I know what a village here is like, but I couldn't really do anything to change their image- no amount of pictures or description could create the accurate picture in their head because my world in Canada is non-existent here. Conversely, before arriving here, Dad asked me to describe Semarang. I explained it as best as I could, and then finally Dad said, "Oh, so kind of like Hamilton?" I replied, "kind of", knowing that I wouldn't be able to explain it any more accurately in a way that he could understand. (Now I know you're all DYING to come see me here, eh?). Semarang is like Hamilton in the sense that it is an industrial city (not a tourist city) and that it's also a port city. However, when Dad arrived, he said, "This is NOTHING like Hamilton!"
The incredible thing about travel is that just one day in a new place opens our eyes more than all of the books and pictures we could ever get our hands on. Books and pictures can teach facts and provide awesome information and stories, but they cannot convey the sensations, the feelings, and the overall vibe of a place. Being here puts faces to faceless stories, builds empathy and respect, and is a rare opportunity to gain an understanding that would otherwise be impossible to gain. I feel more and more privileged to have not just that one day, but an entire year to learn, simply by being here.
Despite the knowledge that our time together had to come to an end, we had an incredible little getaway just the four of us, to Jogjakarta (also spelled Yogyakarta, and often abbreviated to Jogja). Jogja is one of the two most popular tourist destinations on Java (the other being Solo, a city that I can safely say is NOT among my top 10 favourite places, for a number of circumstances that were beyond the city's control). We first spent a day in Salatiga, visiting Karen and Major and then heading to Pak Lilik and Ibu Christin's for an incredible homemade lunch. That night, we went on a hike, and then Ibu Christin made homemade pizza, which I enjoyed perhaps a little too thoroughly (I think I ate 5 pieces). Pak Lilik's sister had kindly allowed us to use her home for the night, which is right across the street from Pak Lilik's, and we woke up in the morning ready to head out on our day of touring with Pak Lilik, Ibu Christin, Peter, and Steven.
Now I must say, if there were an award for the most ambitious sight-seers in the world, Indonesians would claim gold. Karen and Major were telling us that during their day in Jogja with their Indonesian friends, they went to four beaches. Four. In one day. While that was not exactly our scenario, we managed to pack into the day:
-a horseback ride through the Gedong Songo Temples (the first and likely last time that I will see my Dad on a horse. He's not a fan of them to begin with due to a trail ride gone-awry way back in his youth, and go figure, Dad was the one to get stuck with the fat trail guide who was too tired to keep up with his horse, and left Dad alone to fend for himself.)
-a lunch buffet (Indonesian buffets are quite unique. This was by far the best one I had)
-Borobudur Temple (The number one tourist attraction in Indonesia, and was also featured on The Amazing Race back in October.) This place is INCREDIBLE! I was also able to use my Bahasa Indonesia in a wildly satisfying way on our way back to the car after seeing the temple. The walk back from the temple requires going by dozens of vendors, where people are trying to sell souvenirs. One boy, presumably used to using his little English to butter up the Western tourists, came up to me holding some item for sale, and said in the sweetest voice, "Oh Miss, where you from?" I responded (in Bahasa Indonesia) with a smile, "I'm from Canada, and I can speak Bahasa Indonesia, and I don't want anything, thank you." He was absolutely shocked and left me immediately.
-A trip to a silver store. Pak Lilik has connections here, and was able to get us incredible discounts.
-Dinner at a restaurant where you choose your own fish, and eat off of banana leaves instead of plates.
In that whole time, Peter never complained once (he's 6 years old), and Steven had only two minor breakdowns (he's 3). The stamina was astounding!
We got to our hotel, and were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. We had low expectations based on the responses of others when we said where we were staying, but it FAR exceeded them. The hotel, called Rumah Palagan, is tucked away on a quiet little street with nothing but delicious restaurants surrounding it. Hotel rooms here are usually just for two people, so we got two rooms. We had been expecting a double bed in each room, but instead found that there were two twin beds in our room, and a king in mom and dad's. There was hot water (I cannot emphasize enough what a luxury this is) and A/C, and the gardens were extensive and beautiful. There was a gorgeous pool that we spent two of our three days sitting around (much to the shock and dismay of all of the Indonesian friends, who, as I previously alluded to, view vacation as a time to see and do as much as possible), and the staff went out of their way to make things as amazing as they possibly could for us (to the point where one of the staff offered to take me on his motorbike to an ATM when I found out that there wasn't one close by). We spent one day at a beach (just like those pictures of Indonesian beaches) and spent that same evening exploring Malioboro (the main souvenir strip). A friend of MCC's, Pak Ronny (who did all of the arranging for us, right down to providing us snacks and drinks for our bus ride home), took us to an incredible restaurant one night (where, in the attached store, I found Campbell's soup!!!), and our family went out for what may have been the best meal of my life, the third night. It was a perfectly blissful vacation, full of the rest and relaxation that I needed.
New Year's Eve was spent at church, where we were treated to a record-breaking church service (time-wise), and a potluck to follow. It was probably the most unique New Years Eves I've had. We watched the fireworks from out the back window, which were going off from at least a half dozen different places up the mountain. We counted down twice because we thought we missed it the first time, and headed to bed shortly thereafter.
And now here we are, at the beginning (or almost at the beginning) of a brand new year, full of potential and opportunities! Wishing all of you all the best with any New Years resolutions you may have (special prizes to those who make it to February), and I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with you throughout the coming weeks!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Lots of love,
Ellery
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
A Week With the Fam
Salamat Natal- Merry Christmas!
It is just so weird to think of today as Christmas day. I have never before celebrated in shorts and a t-shirt, eating a seafood lunch under a thatched-roof pergola overlooking the ocean. The turkey and mashed potatoes were replaced with shrimp and grilled fish, and the traditional "faspa" dinner was replaced with sate ayam (chicken satay), and homemade lychee ice cream. I also went out on a whim and tried the stomach lining and heart of goat, which was a one-time experience (though not so much because of the taste as because of the concept.) I found out that these parts of the animal (the parts we throw away in North America) are the most expensive treats. I wonder if there's a market in exporting animal innards?
The last week has gone by in the blink of an eye, with two trips to Salatiga (one of them a two-day endeavor), an overnight with the YALTers, the safe and healthy arrival of my mom and sister, Christmas practices, and little jaunts here, there, and everywhere, thanks to my incredible host family.
Monday was our first trip to Salatiga, and Dad LOVED it. Laura joined us for the day, which was just awesome, and Major and Karen took us out for lunch to Cosmo Cafe, where we often went during language study. We tried to wait out the torrents of rain that had begun while we were eating, but ended up having to catch a bus in the downpour, which left us soaking wet, but substantially cooler! It was Dad's first time taking the bus and angkota, and I think he found it pretty interesting. We had to cross the really busy street near my house in order to get home, and Dad said that when he crosses the streets here, he feels like he's in a game of Pacman, darting around between the vehicles. I'm impressed at his level of trust in me!
On Tuesday, Dad and I went shopping to Hypermart for ingredients to cook with on Wednesday. Tuesday night was the Women's Committee Christmas Program, where we played angklong. I won't even try to sugarcoat it- it just plain did not go well. We were thrown off by the beat and some people thought we were starting and others did not, and the poor guy who has been teaching us was standing in the balcony, frantically motioning the "cut!" sign, but without luck until halfway through the "song" (if one could call it that), since people did not realize that he was up there. Round two was slightly more successful, but our second performance (which was supposed to happen tonight) was cut from the Christmas Day program for one reason or another... It was all worth it though, because we were fed an incredible dinner of sate ayam and lontong, served in a banana leaf, as well as a drink with coconut and jelly in it. It was delicious!
On Wednesday afternoon, Lweendo, Riki, and Jason arrived from the Jepara/Kudus area. We had planned for them and Laura (who arrived later, around 10PM) to spend the night, and then all of us were driven to Salatiga on Thursday morning for the MCC Christmas party. We put the ingredients that Dad and I had bought, to good use that night, and made penne with chicken and peppers, and garlic bread. We even bought real parmesan cheese! The meal was SO much fun to prepare, with everyone- even my host mom- pitching in to help make it, and the result was (in my opinion) well worth the cost and time that went into making the food. Laura arrived later, and we stayed up until almost 2AM talking. It was an absolutely phenomenal night.
We headed off to Salatiga around 9 on Thursday morning, and were there by 10:30. We spent an AWESOME day together, decorating cookies, eating, and just hanging out with the MCC crew. By dinner time, there were 37 of us together, and we ate incredible homemade lasagna and bread, veggies, salads, sushi, cookies, fudge, and homemade cinnamon buns with maple frosting. It felt as close as possible to a family Christmas gathering, complete with a (very competitive) gift exchange, in which Dad was stolen from three times! I wound up with soap from Sacred Mark, which is an MCC-sponsored project in Bangladesh that provides an alternative employment opportunity for women who were formerly involved in prostitution. I was very happy with my gift. We spent the night at Karen and Major's, and then headed home in the late morning, arriving back here around 2:00. Riki and Laura left from my house around then, and Dad and I cleaned up and got ready for... MOM AND AUSTIN!!!
We were at the airport by 5:40 on Friday night, and they arrived at 6:20. It was so awesome to see them here, safe and sound and equally as jet-lagged as my dad had been upon arrival. We did a replay of the night dad arrived, stopping for supper at one of my favourite places (even sitting at the same table!) and then heading home to unpack. The unpacking experience may have been the highlight of my family's visit here so far (sorry, fam!)- it was as though they packed up a piece of Canada, and stuffed it into their suitcase for me. I wound up with snack foods to last me until after I return home, all of the books I asked for, a loaf of homemade brown bread, a block of cheddar cheese (that stuff is almost like gold here), every kind of chocolate under the Canadian sun, Christmas gifts from friends and family, souvenirs, and- this may be the best part- 14 boxes of Kraft Dinner!! I don't know how they did it, but somehow all of it managed to make it here. I think I truly was the happiest person in the world that night (and I continue to be!).
Saturday began with a practice for the service that night (I was to sing a solo, and then my whole family would be singing Silent Night). The practice was followed by a trip to the Mosque, where Dad and I had gone last week. I cannot remember if I blogged about this, but the Mosque is the biggest in Semarang, and I cannot explain accurately the magnitude of this place. I think the most amazing part to me is the 6 GIANT umbrellas (they look like mammoth columns) that open up like a flower to provide shade and shelter from the rain, to people who worship outside the mosque. There is also a huge look-out tower that provides an incredible view of the Mosque below, as well as right across Semarang. It is really cool to get a birds-eye view of the city I am living in (it's PACKED), and the mountains and the sea. I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time. We stopped by Ichthus FM after that, so that mom and Austin could see where I co-host the radio show. Then we came home for lunch before heading out on another endeavor to the mall, where we found some beautiful batik products. In the evening, we headed to church for the Christmas eve service. It was beautiful, with everyone holding candles (real ones, not those electronic ones), and with a very calm and peaceful air about the church. The solo (Oh Holy Night) and Silent Night went well, and we experienced the wonder of a homemade "snow" machine that doused us in little styrofoam balls as we sang. We were treated out to a delicious supper in celebration of both Christmas and my host parents' 22nd wedding anniversary, which was a beautiful end to the day.
We awoke this morning around 8:30 and did a small family gift exchange while munching on grandma's homemade cookies. We got ready leisurely and then ate a late breakfast that was laid out by my host mom, and included mango, my favourite fruit in the world! We chatted for a long time after breakfast, and then ended up with only a short amount of time between our late breakfast and lunch, which we enjoyed at a beautiful place about half an hour away from my house here. We spent the late afternoon getting ready for the 5PM Christmas celebration service- and a celebration it was! The costumes and dance routines (particularly the choreographed break-dance to Justin Bieber) and singing were jaw-dropping. I found that the service FLEW by, and it blew any Christmas spectacle I've ever seen, right out of the water! We ended Christmas day with dinner at the church, and then came home exhausted.
Tomorrow we head to Salatiga for the day, and then on to Jogjakarta. I am sure that it will be a nice break for everyone, and a great time to just relax!
Thank-you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas, and a wonderful Holiday!
Lots of love,
Ellery
It is just so weird to think of today as Christmas day. I have never before celebrated in shorts and a t-shirt, eating a seafood lunch under a thatched-roof pergola overlooking the ocean. The turkey and mashed potatoes were replaced with shrimp and grilled fish, and the traditional "faspa" dinner was replaced with sate ayam (chicken satay), and homemade lychee ice cream. I also went out on a whim and tried the stomach lining and heart of goat, which was a one-time experience (though not so much because of the taste as because of the concept.) I found out that these parts of the animal (the parts we throw away in North America) are the most expensive treats. I wonder if there's a market in exporting animal innards?
The last week has gone by in the blink of an eye, with two trips to Salatiga (one of them a two-day endeavor), an overnight with the YALTers, the safe and healthy arrival of my mom and sister, Christmas practices, and little jaunts here, there, and everywhere, thanks to my incredible host family.
Monday was our first trip to Salatiga, and Dad LOVED it. Laura joined us for the day, which was just awesome, and Major and Karen took us out for lunch to Cosmo Cafe, where we often went during language study. We tried to wait out the torrents of rain that had begun while we were eating, but ended up having to catch a bus in the downpour, which left us soaking wet, but substantially cooler! It was Dad's first time taking the bus and angkota, and I think he found it pretty interesting. We had to cross the really busy street near my house in order to get home, and Dad said that when he crosses the streets here, he feels like he's in a game of Pacman, darting around between the vehicles. I'm impressed at his level of trust in me!
On Tuesday, Dad and I went shopping to Hypermart for ingredients to cook with on Wednesday. Tuesday night was the Women's Committee Christmas Program, where we played angklong. I won't even try to sugarcoat it- it just plain did not go well. We were thrown off by the beat and some people thought we were starting and others did not, and the poor guy who has been teaching us was standing in the balcony, frantically motioning the "cut!" sign, but without luck until halfway through the "song" (if one could call it that), since people did not realize that he was up there. Round two was slightly more successful, but our second performance (which was supposed to happen tonight) was cut from the Christmas Day program for one reason or another... It was all worth it though, because we were fed an incredible dinner of sate ayam and lontong, served in a banana leaf, as well as a drink with coconut and jelly in it. It was delicious!
On Wednesday afternoon, Lweendo, Riki, and Jason arrived from the Jepara/Kudus area. We had planned for them and Laura (who arrived later, around 10PM) to spend the night, and then all of us were driven to Salatiga on Thursday morning for the MCC Christmas party. We put the ingredients that Dad and I had bought, to good use that night, and made penne with chicken and peppers, and garlic bread. We even bought real parmesan cheese! The meal was SO much fun to prepare, with everyone- even my host mom- pitching in to help make it, and the result was (in my opinion) well worth the cost and time that went into making the food. Laura arrived later, and we stayed up until almost 2AM talking. It was an absolutely phenomenal night.
We headed off to Salatiga around 9 on Thursday morning, and were there by 10:30. We spent an AWESOME day together, decorating cookies, eating, and just hanging out with the MCC crew. By dinner time, there were 37 of us together, and we ate incredible homemade lasagna and bread, veggies, salads, sushi, cookies, fudge, and homemade cinnamon buns with maple frosting. It felt as close as possible to a family Christmas gathering, complete with a (very competitive) gift exchange, in which Dad was stolen from three times! I wound up with soap from Sacred Mark, which is an MCC-sponsored project in Bangladesh that provides an alternative employment opportunity for women who were formerly involved in prostitution. I was very happy with my gift. We spent the night at Karen and Major's, and then headed home in the late morning, arriving back here around 2:00. Riki and Laura left from my house around then, and Dad and I cleaned up and got ready for... MOM AND AUSTIN!!!
We were at the airport by 5:40 on Friday night, and they arrived at 6:20. It was so awesome to see them here, safe and sound and equally as jet-lagged as my dad had been upon arrival. We did a replay of the night dad arrived, stopping for supper at one of my favourite places (even sitting at the same table!) and then heading home to unpack. The unpacking experience may have been the highlight of my family's visit here so far (sorry, fam!)- it was as though they packed up a piece of Canada, and stuffed it into their suitcase for me. I wound up with snack foods to last me until after I return home, all of the books I asked for, a loaf of homemade brown bread, a block of cheddar cheese (that stuff is almost like gold here), every kind of chocolate under the Canadian sun, Christmas gifts from friends and family, souvenirs, and- this may be the best part- 14 boxes of Kraft Dinner!! I don't know how they did it, but somehow all of it managed to make it here. I think I truly was the happiest person in the world that night (and I continue to be!).
Saturday began with a practice for the service that night (I was to sing a solo, and then my whole family would be singing Silent Night). The practice was followed by a trip to the Mosque, where Dad and I had gone last week. I cannot remember if I blogged about this, but the Mosque is the biggest in Semarang, and I cannot explain accurately the magnitude of this place. I think the most amazing part to me is the 6 GIANT umbrellas (they look like mammoth columns) that open up like a flower to provide shade and shelter from the rain, to people who worship outside the mosque. There is also a huge look-out tower that provides an incredible view of the Mosque below, as well as right across Semarang. It is really cool to get a birds-eye view of the city I am living in (it's PACKED), and the mountains and the sea. I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time. We stopped by Ichthus FM after that, so that mom and Austin could see where I co-host the radio show. Then we came home for lunch before heading out on another endeavor to the mall, where we found some beautiful batik products. In the evening, we headed to church for the Christmas eve service. It was beautiful, with everyone holding candles (real ones, not those electronic ones), and with a very calm and peaceful air about the church. The solo (Oh Holy Night) and Silent Night went well, and we experienced the wonder of a homemade "snow" machine that doused us in little styrofoam balls as we sang. We were treated out to a delicious supper in celebration of both Christmas and my host parents' 22nd wedding anniversary, which was a beautiful end to the day.
We awoke this morning around 8:30 and did a small family gift exchange while munching on grandma's homemade cookies. We got ready leisurely and then ate a late breakfast that was laid out by my host mom, and included mango, my favourite fruit in the world! We chatted for a long time after breakfast, and then ended up with only a short amount of time between our late breakfast and lunch, which we enjoyed at a beautiful place about half an hour away from my house here. We spent the late afternoon getting ready for the 5PM Christmas celebration service- and a celebration it was! The costumes and dance routines (particularly the choreographed break-dance to Justin Bieber) and singing were jaw-dropping. I found that the service FLEW by, and it blew any Christmas spectacle I've ever seen, right out of the water! We ended Christmas day with dinner at the church, and then came home exhausted.
Tomorrow we head to Salatiga for the day, and then on to Jogjakarta. I am sure that it will be a nice break for everyone, and a great time to just relax!
Thank-you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas, and a wonderful Holiday!
Lots of love,
Ellery
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Pros and Cons of My Father's Visit
Hellooo there, my lovely friends and family!
So turns out having my dad here isn't all sunshine and roses. It's close, let me assure you- having someone who speaks my language, who allows me the opportunity to show off my new language capabilities, and whose fresh excitement renews my own passion for what I am doing here, is the biggest blessing I could receive right now. However, there is a trade-off... My dad has always dressed and acted young for his age (keeping up with music, movies, etc. etc.), and I am now realizing (from the astounding number of people who have, upon seeing Dad, remarked, "oh! Masih mudah!"-"Still young!") just how youthful he still looks. So youthful, in fact, that during dad's church presentation today (we're stretching ALL of dad's comfort zones here- public speaking is NOT his thing), when he mentioned that he was Ellery's father, there was an audible "ohhhh" that echoed throughout the church. Then a little old lady behind me leaned over and said, "I thought he was your husband." Nice. Well, it probably goes without saying that Dad cannot stop talking about how wonderful the people here are. I'm looking forward to my mom's arrival with a new found anticipation. Perhaps once they see my (also very young-looking and current) mother, they'll see that that match looks much more appropriate.
Well, the days have been jam-PACKED with one awesome and exciting activity after another. They've gone slow, and yet flown by all at the same time. One awesome bonus of having my dad here is that I get all the special treatment of a guest, without feeling like a guest! We've done some things that I haven't yet had the opportunity to do, and the excitement that my dad has for everything, is so contagious! I'll start back where I left off, on Thursday.
Dad got his first opportunity to speak on the radio on Thursday, and took over "Relaxing Afternoon" with my co-host, Chris. He was SO nervous at first, but relaxed after he realized that it's pretty easy and there's no one looking at you (and, unlike my first time on-air, he was not forced to do some impromptu karaoke whilst playing a keyboard). Chris and him had a great conversation, and I think it was a nice chance for Dad to get to truly communicate with a local- I'm being reminded of the immense challenge that the first two and a half months here were, in trying to communicate and not having the vocabulary to do so.
From Ichthus FM, we went to Sedung Guwo, the rural location of PPA. We played games, and the leaders bought us each mango juice, and we enjoyed some food that the mothers there cooked for the kids. I didn't realize how much the people there truly care about me until I saw how they were treating my dad. I get the same treatment all the time, but have been blind to the incredible generosity and love that they pour out on me. It's Christmas break now, but after the break, I think I'm going to go back with a fresh attitude, and a new perspective on a lot of things here, especially PPA.
On Thursday evening, I had my angklong lesson ("Angels We Have Heard On High" hasn't taken off as rapidly as we had originally hoped, and practices have become more frequent and more lengthy), and following that, my host parents took us out for a beautiful dinner. We ate sitting on the ground, and were joined by a stray cat, who kindly ate the chicken head that had arrived at our table (they serve the WHOLE chicken here) so that it wouldn't go to was. We headed to bed after the movie was done, exhausted from a busy day.
Friday was the only opportunity we've had so far to sleep in, and Dad knocked on my door to wake me up at around 8:45. We got ready for the day at a leisurely pace, and then set out just before 10 on our first independent adventure to (wait for it!) the Java Mall!! For once though, we took the time to take a bunch of pictures on our walk to the corner, and back from the mall. I now have photo documentation of the things that I see every day! It is funny how ordinary things have become. Us human beings have an amazing ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances at relatively rapid speeds (though it doesn't feel so rapid when you're in the midst of it), and one downside to that is that we lose the sense of awe that we may have originally felt. Our sense of appreciation for the small things in life is dulled with time. I am really trying to see this whole experience through fresh eyes again, and gain that sense of awe and excitement back- that's how life should be, right?
Our Java Mall adventure included a long tour through Hypermart, which is the Indonesian version of Walmart. It was my first time just wandering through slowly, and it was SO interesting to wander through the food section in particular, and see just how many unique and unheard of products there were to be found. We also found things like McCain potato wedges (made in New Brunswick) and Royal Gala apples (imported from California), which added to the fun of it!
We were back from the mall in time for a short break before heading back to Sedung Guwo for PPA again. Friday was handicrafts day, and I made a stocking (sewed it together and stuffed it and everything!) while my dad visited with some people there, and ate purple cassava chips. It was one of the most laid-back and fun PPA days yet! After PPA, there was a cell group Christmas celebration at someone's home in the same area. My host family, my dad, and I all headed out there to sing songs and listen to a sermon. The cool thing about cell groups is that they invite Muslim neighbours to join in their meetings, which is a really awesome way to build bridges and relationships with those of another religion. The location was pretty unique (halfway through the service, there was a loud screeching noise, and then two enormous rats jumped out of the gutter), but it was just such a humbling and beautiful evening. We enjoyed dinner with the pastor and his wife after the service, and then headed home to bed.
On Saturday morning, Dad and I headed back to the TK because we were told that the parents wanted to wish us a Merry Christmas. It turned out that they had bought us a gift- both my dad and I received Batik shirts from TK-B and playgroup! They are BEAUTIFUL, and dad's fits absolutely perfectly, so he wore it to church today.
After our drop-in at the TK (the last one for the holidays- I found myself feeling a bit sad!), Ibu Linda and Pak Heri picked us up to go to the traditional market. IT. WAS. AWESOME. I had NO idea that such a cool place existed in Semarang. The market is filled with EVERYTHING- meat, vegetables, fruit, local snacks, clothing, glasses, kitchen supplies, art, wholesale products, shoes, bags... and the place was not even crowded with people! We wandered around for quite some time, and I bet that we still didn't see half of it. Ibu Linda bought us some snacks and some mangoes. I got called beautiful by more people than ever before (which almost makes up for the minor confusion at church this morning...), and took pictures with so many people! I hope to go back many times before the end of the year. What a cool experience! After the market, Pak Heri and Ibu Linda took us out for Mie Titee, which is a type of sweet garlic soup with noodles and pork. It was absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed it at a warung that is in a pretty quiet and tree-filled part of the city, near the ocean. They took us home after that, and gave my dad a shirt as a parting gift, which was an incredibly kind gesture.
We spent the afternoon taking a much-needed break (it has been non-stop since dad got here), and then headed to youth for the Christmas service. We all sat on mats in the sanctuary, and listened to the service and sang songs by candlelight, which was a really beautiful experience. We were asked to say something, and I wish I could have more adequately expressed my gratitude to the people at church for the inclusiveness, patience, and love that they have expressed to me since my arrival. My dad did a much better job at that than I did. There was nasi goreng and soto to be had after the service, so we ate that before heading home. At home, an inevitable experience finally happened- Dad tried durian. We got the cameras out, and counted to three, and watched his reaction. It is safe to say that he does NOT like durian. I also got roped into trying it again (I was assured that this one was more delicious than the last one, but found this to be a complete lie). The pastor of my church said that it's the fruit that smells like hell but tastes like heaven. I'd argue that there's nothing heavenly about it at all, and would revise that saying to state that the durian fruit both smells AND tastes like hell. But that's just my opinion- many people here LOVE it!
Dad took a break in the evening, and I headed to the mall with my host mom and host sister for the midnight sale! We just window-shopped, but it was really fun! I got interviewed by some girls from the university there, and they took my picture. I wonder if I'll ever see where that ends up!
This morning was church, where Dad stood up and introduced himself. I won't go over the traumatic details of that experience again. We stuck around after church for a snack (jelly and coconut milk- it has a special name, but I forget it), and then came home to get ready for my FIRST trip to a real beach!!
We all headed out to Jepara, which is a city about 2 hours away, close to where Lweendo and Riki are living this year. The beach was CRAZY busy, and we spent the time there just taking some pictures (locals wanted to get pictures with us too) and looking around in a relatively quiet area. From there, we headed to a warung that had been recommended to Pak Har and Ibu Vonny by several people. It was RIGHT on the ocean, and the seafood that the warung served is caught fresh there every day. (In fact today, they were unable to offer shrimp because the weather hadn't been conducive to catching shrimp!) We were not let down- it may have been the most delicious food I've eaten in Indonesia. We ate three different types of grilled fish, two different types of calamari, rice, and Es Jeruk. We shared the fish with some stray cats, who seemed quite grateful for the extra bit of food.
After that incredible lunch, we headed to another beach that was more similar to the marina in Semarang in that there wasn't any sand, but there was still lots to do and see. We drank coconut milk right from the coconut, and ate fresh cut fruit from the fruit vendor. We looked around for a little while, and then headed back to Semarang. We showed dad two more of the malls here (Ibu Vonny needed to pick up some things), and got back around 10 tonight.
The plan is to head to Salatiga tomorrow and spend the morning and early afternoon with Laura, and popping by MCC. I have an angklong practice that I have to be home for in the early evening, and then who knows? This week has been SUCH an adventure for both my dad and I, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next few days hold!
Thanks for reading! Have an AWESOME day!!
Love,
Ellery
So turns out having my dad here isn't all sunshine and roses. It's close, let me assure you- having someone who speaks my language, who allows me the opportunity to show off my new language capabilities, and whose fresh excitement renews my own passion for what I am doing here, is the biggest blessing I could receive right now. However, there is a trade-off... My dad has always dressed and acted young for his age (keeping up with music, movies, etc. etc.), and I am now realizing (from the astounding number of people who have, upon seeing Dad, remarked, "oh! Masih mudah!"-"Still young!") just how youthful he still looks. So youthful, in fact, that during dad's church presentation today (we're stretching ALL of dad's comfort zones here- public speaking is NOT his thing), when he mentioned that he was Ellery's father, there was an audible "ohhhh" that echoed throughout the church. Then a little old lady behind me leaned over and said, "I thought he was your husband." Nice. Well, it probably goes without saying that Dad cannot stop talking about how wonderful the people here are. I'm looking forward to my mom's arrival with a new found anticipation. Perhaps once they see my (also very young-looking and current) mother, they'll see that that match looks much more appropriate.
Well, the days have been jam-PACKED with one awesome and exciting activity after another. They've gone slow, and yet flown by all at the same time. One awesome bonus of having my dad here is that I get all the special treatment of a guest, without feeling like a guest! We've done some things that I haven't yet had the opportunity to do, and the excitement that my dad has for everything, is so contagious! I'll start back where I left off, on Thursday.
Dad got his first opportunity to speak on the radio on Thursday, and took over "Relaxing Afternoon" with my co-host, Chris. He was SO nervous at first, but relaxed after he realized that it's pretty easy and there's no one looking at you (and, unlike my first time on-air, he was not forced to do some impromptu karaoke whilst playing a keyboard). Chris and him had a great conversation, and I think it was a nice chance for Dad to get to truly communicate with a local- I'm being reminded of the immense challenge that the first two and a half months here were, in trying to communicate and not having the vocabulary to do so.
From Ichthus FM, we went to Sedung Guwo, the rural location of PPA. We played games, and the leaders bought us each mango juice, and we enjoyed some food that the mothers there cooked for the kids. I didn't realize how much the people there truly care about me until I saw how they were treating my dad. I get the same treatment all the time, but have been blind to the incredible generosity and love that they pour out on me. It's Christmas break now, but after the break, I think I'm going to go back with a fresh attitude, and a new perspective on a lot of things here, especially PPA.
On Thursday evening, I had my angklong lesson ("Angels We Have Heard On High" hasn't taken off as rapidly as we had originally hoped, and practices have become more frequent and more lengthy), and following that, my host parents took us out for a beautiful dinner. We ate sitting on the ground, and were joined by a stray cat, who kindly ate the chicken head that had arrived at our table (they serve the WHOLE chicken here) so that it wouldn't go to was. We headed to bed after the movie was done, exhausted from a busy day.
Friday was the only opportunity we've had so far to sleep in, and Dad knocked on my door to wake me up at around 8:45. We got ready for the day at a leisurely pace, and then set out just before 10 on our first independent adventure to (wait for it!) the Java Mall!! For once though, we took the time to take a bunch of pictures on our walk to the corner, and back from the mall. I now have photo documentation of the things that I see every day! It is funny how ordinary things have become. Us human beings have an amazing ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances at relatively rapid speeds (though it doesn't feel so rapid when you're in the midst of it), and one downside to that is that we lose the sense of awe that we may have originally felt. Our sense of appreciation for the small things in life is dulled with time. I am really trying to see this whole experience through fresh eyes again, and gain that sense of awe and excitement back- that's how life should be, right?
Our Java Mall adventure included a long tour through Hypermart, which is the Indonesian version of Walmart. It was my first time just wandering through slowly, and it was SO interesting to wander through the food section in particular, and see just how many unique and unheard of products there were to be found. We also found things like McCain potato wedges (made in New Brunswick) and Royal Gala apples (imported from California), which added to the fun of it!
We were back from the mall in time for a short break before heading back to Sedung Guwo for PPA again. Friday was handicrafts day, and I made a stocking (sewed it together and stuffed it and everything!) while my dad visited with some people there, and ate purple cassava chips. It was one of the most laid-back and fun PPA days yet! After PPA, there was a cell group Christmas celebration at someone's home in the same area. My host family, my dad, and I all headed out there to sing songs and listen to a sermon. The cool thing about cell groups is that they invite Muslim neighbours to join in their meetings, which is a really awesome way to build bridges and relationships with those of another religion. The location was pretty unique (halfway through the service, there was a loud screeching noise, and then two enormous rats jumped out of the gutter), but it was just such a humbling and beautiful evening. We enjoyed dinner with the pastor and his wife after the service, and then headed home to bed.
On Saturday morning, Dad and I headed back to the TK because we were told that the parents wanted to wish us a Merry Christmas. It turned out that they had bought us a gift- both my dad and I received Batik shirts from TK-B and playgroup! They are BEAUTIFUL, and dad's fits absolutely perfectly, so he wore it to church today.
After our drop-in at the TK (the last one for the holidays- I found myself feeling a bit sad!), Ibu Linda and Pak Heri picked us up to go to the traditional market. IT. WAS. AWESOME. I had NO idea that such a cool place existed in Semarang. The market is filled with EVERYTHING- meat, vegetables, fruit, local snacks, clothing, glasses, kitchen supplies, art, wholesale products, shoes, bags... and the place was not even crowded with people! We wandered around for quite some time, and I bet that we still didn't see half of it. Ibu Linda bought us some snacks and some mangoes. I got called beautiful by more people than ever before (which almost makes up for the minor confusion at church this morning...), and took pictures with so many people! I hope to go back many times before the end of the year. What a cool experience! After the market, Pak Heri and Ibu Linda took us out for Mie Titee, which is a type of sweet garlic soup with noodles and pork. It was absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed it at a warung that is in a pretty quiet and tree-filled part of the city, near the ocean. They took us home after that, and gave my dad a shirt as a parting gift, which was an incredibly kind gesture.
We spent the afternoon taking a much-needed break (it has been non-stop since dad got here), and then headed to youth for the Christmas service. We all sat on mats in the sanctuary, and listened to the service and sang songs by candlelight, which was a really beautiful experience. We were asked to say something, and I wish I could have more adequately expressed my gratitude to the people at church for the inclusiveness, patience, and love that they have expressed to me since my arrival. My dad did a much better job at that than I did. There was nasi goreng and soto to be had after the service, so we ate that before heading home. At home, an inevitable experience finally happened- Dad tried durian. We got the cameras out, and counted to three, and watched his reaction. It is safe to say that he does NOT like durian. I also got roped into trying it again (I was assured that this one was more delicious than the last one, but found this to be a complete lie). The pastor of my church said that it's the fruit that smells like hell but tastes like heaven. I'd argue that there's nothing heavenly about it at all, and would revise that saying to state that the durian fruit both smells AND tastes like hell. But that's just my opinion- many people here LOVE it!
Dad took a break in the evening, and I headed to the mall with my host mom and host sister for the midnight sale! We just window-shopped, but it was really fun! I got interviewed by some girls from the university there, and they took my picture. I wonder if I'll ever see where that ends up!
This morning was church, where Dad stood up and introduced himself. I won't go over the traumatic details of that experience again. We stuck around after church for a snack (jelly and coconut milk- it has a special name, but I forget it), and then came home to get ready for my FIRST trip to a real beach!!
We all headed out to Jepara, which is a city about 2 hours away, close to where Lweendo and Riki are living this year. The beach was CRAZY busy, and we spent the time there just taking some pictures (locals wanted to get pictures with us too) and looking around in a relatively quiet area. From there, we headed to a warung that had been recommended to Pak Har and Ibu Vonny by several people. It was RIGHT on the ocean, and the seafood that the warung served is caught fresh there every day. (In fact today, they were unable to offer shrimp because the weather hadn't been conducive to catching shrimp!) We were not let down- it may have been the most delicious food I've eaten in Indonesia. We ate three different types of grilled fish, two different types of calamari, rice, and Es Jeruk. We shared the fish with some stray cats, who seemed quite grateful for the extra bit of food.
After that incredible lunch, we headed to another beach that was more similar to the marina in Semarang in that there wasn't any sand, but there was still lots to do and see. We drank coconut milk right from the coconut, and ate fresh cut fruit from the fruit vendor. We looked around for a little while, and then headed back to Semarang. We showed dad two more of the malls here (Ibu Vonny needed to pick up some things), and got back around 10 tonight.
The plan is to head to Salatiga tomorrow and spend the morning and early afternoon with Laura, and popping by MCC. I have an angklong practice that I have to be home for in the early evening, and then who knows? This week has been SUCH an adventure for both my dad and I, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next few days hold!
Thanks for reading! Have an AWESOME day!!
Love,
Ellery
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Dad's Arrival!
Hello Hello!
I know two posts so close together is an uncommon occurrence for me, but given the excitement of the last two days, I figured it would be wise to write before I forget everything!
I wrote my last blog post on Monday, the day before my dad arrived. I think that Tuesday was the longest day of my life. It was like the minute hand of the clock had to be coaxed forward every 60 seconds! TK dragged by, and then the hours in the afternoon were filled with make-work projects in order to keep me busy. Finally, after the cleaning, laundry, and showering were done, we headed off to the airport, at around 5:15. My dad's flight was scheduled to land at 6:05PM. He had called from Jakarta in the afternoon to let me know that his visa went through, so I knew that he had made it that far at least, without any major glitches. (In fact the only "glitch" was that he forgot to hand my mom his winter coat in the airport in Toronto, and ended up having to lug it halfway across the world to a country where he'll never need a sweater, let alone a winter coat).
We arrived at the airport at about 5:40, and grabbed a drink at a little restaurant, but I was too excited to finish mine. I couldn't see the gate from the little restaurant, and finally- despite my host parents' insistence that I was too early- I excused myself and squeezed in as close as I could to the front of the gate. Now let me just say that there were a TON of people praying for safe and smooth travels for my dad, and those prayers were more than answered- he arrived five minutes EARLY, healthy (though a bit delirious) and excited! I saw him the second he walked through the gate, and the tears of joy flowed freely!
After our joyful reunion, my host parents took us out for supper to KB, one of my favourite restaurants, for a delicious dinner. We had chicken and rice and (my favourite) udang goreng mayonnaise! Everything was "enak sekali" (very delicious), and Dad seemed to enjoy it. We came back to the house after that, and Dad was introduced to my home in Indonesia. We had set up a spare bedroom for him, and he commented on the beautiful paint colour choices and professional-looking paint job (even in his sleep-deprived state, he still noticed these things). After a MUCH needed shower and change of clothes, he went straight to work unpacking everything. Half the suitcase was filled with things for me and other people here! I'm stocked up on cookies, chocolate (thanks to my grandmas), lipton soup, pringles, Kraft Dinner (though I can NEVER have too much- Mom, don't take out any that you might have planned on bringing!), and so many other treats! Austin even sent along a chocolate calendar! I'm excited to be 13 days behind on it- I think I have no choice but to eat them ALL at the same time so that I can get caught up... There's a burden I'll gladly bear! ;) Dad went to bed around 10, and I had a nice skype chat with my grandparents before heading to be myself.
Dad had asked me to wake him up at 6AM on Wednesday morning so that he had time to get ready for the (SUPER busy) day that was ahead. However, when I knocked on the door (bleary-eyed, since I usually don't get up until 6:30), he was showered, dressed, and ready to go! He had been up since 3AM! That jet lag is a brutal thing. We headed down for breakfast just before 6:30. Ibu Vonny had set out fresh bread, tea, and coffee, and Dad got his first real taste of the Indonesian heat. I didn't see it, but he said that sweat was dripping from his wrists- at 6:30AM! Once breakfast was finished, we headed over to the TK. I didn't realize how used to the traffic I've become until I saw my Dad's reaction to it- "This is inSANE! I'm glad I didn't know about this until now!" was his response. (And it was actually a slower day, as we had beat the school rush). Nevertheless, we made it safely to the TK, and Dad was introduced to the TK staff, who welcomed him warmly.
I had been asked to teach TK-B for an hour and a half on Wednesday morning, and I filled that time with a slideshow of pictures from Canada at Christmas, as well as a Christmas ornament craft. It was timed out PERFECTLY, and the kids seemed to love it, which I was absolutely thrilled about! The kids weren't the least bit afraid of Dad (one of them even noticed a bit of chest hair at the top of my Dad's shirt, and didn't shy away from sticking his hand right down the shirt, in curiosity!), and I was SO happy that Dad could see the kids that I am spending this year with.
After class ended, we checked out the synod grounds, and Dad was introduced to many people who work for the church (including a special meeting with our church pastor). We spent some time making Christmas labels after that, and then headed home a bit early, as the teachers are in the midst of end-of-term paperwork, which is something that I cannot help with very well.We had a typical lunch with my host family, and I was impressed at Dad's willingness to try so many new things. We had only an hour and a half for a break, and both of us used it to the fullest, sleeping the whole time!
PPA was at 3:00, and I showed the same pictures and did a similar craft to the one I did that morning in TK. We played some "Sunny, Sunny, Cloudy" (a more educational version of "Duck, Duck, Goose") and then headed back home in time to be picked up by Ibu Linda for a FULL evening. Wednesday nights is usually the night that I teach at the Gloria Patri Learning Centre, and we popped by there first, but only for a few minutes- we had a Christmas concert to get to! Dad had brought Hershey's chocolates for all the kids, and they loved them! We talked for a bit about Dad's favourite foods, hobbies, sports, etc. in Canada, before heading to a MASSIVE Christmas concert. There were about 6000 people there. Three sermons were given (back-to-back... normal Indonesian length), as well as a presentation by the mayor, and 2 mini concerts by some semi-famous Christian singers in Indonesia. The program was long (over three hours, though we knocked 45 minutes off at the beginning because we were late), but the music and dance at the end was worth it- just incredibly professionally done!
The concert ended just after 9PM, and since we had not had dinner yet, we headed out to a Chinese restaurant for chicken, tofu, shrimp, soup, broccoli, and rice. We didn't end up getting home until after 11PM. Dad said that at one point, he fell asleep with his eyes open (a first for him), but it was good to have a busy day. I think it's better to be thrown right into things than to have time for long naps and lots of breaks- it takes longer for your body to adjust that way, I think.
We were up again this morning at 6AM, and back to the TK for our Christmas concert. It went well! I had asked for pencils for the kids from Canada, and mom and dad one-upped it and brought candy canes too, so we gave those out to all of the kids as a Christmas gift from Canada. Today was the last day of TK for the holidays, and it ended early again. I'm done until mid-January! We're now in the 2-hour break that I have on Thursdays, between TK and Ichthus FM. After that is PPA, and then my weekly Angklong lesson. Tonight should be done a little earlier, so hopefully we can get a nice long sleep in. We also have nothing to wake up for in the morning, so I'm hoping that Dad's jet lag will be almost cleared up by tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers! We'll need them again next week, as my mom and my sister make the trek over to meet us!
Thanks for reading! Have a great day!
Love,
Ellery
I know two posts so close together is an uncommon occurrence for me, but given the excitement of the last two days, I figured it would be wise to write before I forget everything!
I wrote my last blog post on Monday, the day before my dad arrived. I think that Tuesday was the longest day of my life. It was like the minute hand of the clock had to be coaxed forward every 60 seconds! TK dragged by, and then the hours in the afternoon were filled with make-work projects in order to keep me busy. Finally, after the cleaning, laundry, and showering were done, we headed off to the airport, at around 5:15. My dad's flight was scheduled to land at 6:05PM. He had called from Jakarta in the afternoon to let me know that his visa went through, so I knew that he had made it that far at least, without any major glitches. (In fact the only "glitch" was that he forgot to hand my mom his winter coat in the airport in Toronto, and ended up having to lug it halfway across the world to a country where he'll never need a sweater, let alone a winter coat).
We arrived at the airport at about 5:40, and grabbed a drink at a little restaurant, but I was too excited to finish mine. I couldn't see the gate from the little restaurant, and finally- despite my host parents' insistence that I was too early- I excused myself and squeezed in as close as I could to the front of the gate. Now let me just say that there were a TON of people praying for safe and smooth travels for my dad, and those prayers were more than answered- he arrived five minutes EARLY, healthy (though a bit delirious) and excited! I saw him the second he walked through the gate, and the tears of joy flowed freely!
After our joyful reunion, my host parents took us out for supper to KB, one of my favourite restaurants, for a delicious dinner. We had chicken and rice and (my favourite) udang goreng mayonnaise! Everything was "enak sekali" (very delicious), and Dad seemed to enjoy it. We came back to the house after that, and Dad was introduced to my home in Indonesia. We had set up a spare bedroom for him, and he commented on the beautiful paint colour choices and professional-looking paint job (even in his sleep-deprived state, he still noticed these things). After a MUCH needed shower and change of clothes, he went straight to work unpacking everything. Half the suitcase was filled with things for me and other people here! I'm stocked up on cookies, chocolate (thanks to my grandmas), lipton soup, pringles, Kraft Dinner (though I can NEVER have too much- Mom, don't take out any that you might have planned on bringing!), and so many other treats! Austin even sent along a chocolate calendar! I'm excited to be 13 days behind on it- I think I have no choice but to eat them ALL at the same time so that I can get caught up... There's a burden I'll gladly bear! ;) Dad went to bed around 10, and I had a nice skype chat with my grandparents before heading to be myself.
Dad had asked me to wake him up at 6AM on Wednesday morning so that he had time to get ready for the (SUPER busy) day that was ahead. However, when I knocked on the door (bleary-eyed, since I usually don't get up until 6:30), he was showered, dressed, and ready to go! He had been up since 3AM! That jet lag is a brutal thing. We headed down for breakfast just before 6:30. Ibu Vonny had set out fresh bread, tea, and coffee, and Dad got his first real taste of the Indonesian heat. I didn't see it, but he said that sweat was dripping from his wrists- at 6:30AM! Once breakfast was finished, we headed over to the TK. I didn't realize how used to the traffic I've become until I saw my Dad's reaction to it- "This is inSANE! I'm glad I didn't know about this until now!" was his response. (And it was actually a slower day, as we had beat the school rush). Nevertheless, we made it safely to the TK, and Dad was introduced to the TK staff, who welcomed him warmly.
I had been asked to teach TK-B for an hour and a half on Wednesday morning, and I filled that time with a slideshow of pictures from Canada at Christmas, as well as a Christmas ornament craft. It was timed out PERFECTLY, and the kids seemed to love it, which I was absolutely thrilled about! The kids weren't the least bit afraid of Dad (one of them even noticed a bit of chest hair at the top of my Dad's shirt, and didn't shy away from sticking his hand right down the shirt, in curiosity!), and I was SO happy that Dad could see the kids that I am spending this year with.
After class ended, we checked out the synod grounds, and Dad was introduced to many people who work for the church (including a special meeting with our church pastor). We spent some time making Christmas labels after that, and then headed home a bit early, as the teachers are in the midst of end-of-term paperwork, which is something that I cannot help with very well.We had a typical lunch with my host family, and I was impressed at Dad's willingness to try so many new things. We had only an hour and a half for a break, and both of us used it to the fullest, sleeping the whole time!
PPA was at 3:00, and I showed the same pictures and did a similar craft to the one I did that morning in TK. We played some "Sunny, Sunny, Cloudy" (a more educational version of "Duck, Duck, Goose") and then headed back home in time to be picked up by Ibu Linda for a FULL evening. Wednesday nights is usually the night that I teach at the Gloria Patri Learning Centre, and we popped by there first, but only for a few minutes- we had a Christmas concert to get to! Dad had brought Hershey's chocolates for all the kids, and they loved them! We talked for a bit about Dad's favourite foods, hobbies, sports, etc. in Canada, before heading to a MASSIVE Christmas concert. There were about 6000 people there. Three sermons were given (back-to-back... normal Indonesian length), as well as a presentation by the mayor, and 2 mini concerts by some semi-famous Christian singers in Indonesia. The program was long (over three hours, though we knocked 45 minutes off at the beginning because we were late), but the music and dance at the end was worth it- just incredibly professionally done!
The concert ended just after 9PM, and since we had not had dinner yet, we headed out to a Chinese restaurant for chicken, tofu, shrimp, soup, broccoli, and rice. We didn't end up getting home until after 11PM. Dad said that at one point, he fell asleep with his eyes open (a first for him), but it was good to have a busy day. I think it's better to be thrown right into things than to have time for long naps and lots of breaks- it takes longer for your body to adjust that way, I think.
We were up again this morning at 6AM, and back to the TK for our Christmas concert. It went well! I had asked for pencils for the kids from Canada, and mom and dad one-upped it and brought candy canes too, so we gave those out to all of the kids as a Christmas gift from Canada. Today was the last day of TK for the holidays, and it ended early again. I'm done until mid-January! We're now in the 2-hour break that I have on Thursdays, between TK and Ichthus FM. After that is PPA, and then my weekly Angklong lesson. Tonight should be done a little earlier, so hopefully we can get a nice long sleep in. We also have nothing to wake up for in the morning, so I'm hoping that Dad's jet lag will be almost cleared up by tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers! We'll need them again next week, as my mom and my sister make the trek over to meet us!
Thanks for reading! Have a great day!
Love,
Ellery
Monday, December 12, 2011
An Exciting Time
Selamat Sore, Everyone!
I have been saying these past few weeks that the time has been flying by, but this week has dragged at a glacial pace that has made me seriously doubt that time actually moves at the same speed all the time. As I was looking over my last blog post, I realized that at the top of the post, it said "Tuesday" and yet I referred to Wednesday as "today." Sorry if that threw you off! I try hard to write so that it makes sense to those living in a different time zone, but sometimes those things slip by me!
Anyways, I left off on Wednesday, which, as I previously mentioned, was a busy day, filled with TK, PPA, and Gloria Patri Learning Centre. I continued my lessons about weather that I have been teaching my PPA kids. I was semi-successful in turning "rindy" into "rainy" and "windy" again- some kids caught on faster than others in a game of "rainy, rainy, windy" ("duck, duck, goose" with different words). My next challenge is to get the TK-A class to learn the appropriate time to say "Good Morning." They've picked it up from me saying it to them every morning, and eagerly use it every chance they get. This includes when I leave the room and when I enter the room at a time that is not morning.
Thursday was another busy day- TK, Ichthus FM, PPA, and Angklong practise. On Friday, for some reason or another, I woke up feeling less than fantastic. In typical Penner fashion, I told myself, "It's all in your head, and you'll feel better if you get up and out" and so off I went to TK. When I got home, I decided that whether or not it was in my head, I would be taking an "istirahat" (break) for the afternoon. This proved to be a good call, because at about 3PM- the time that I would have been at PPA- my non-puking streak came to an end (though I'd say 4 months in a foreign country without getting sick once is a pretty good streak). Details spared, it was not the most pleasant experience, and made me quite homesick on top of feeling physically ill (there's really no place one would rather be than home when they're feeling ill). Another challenge of being sick here is a cultural difference in how to care for the sick. The number one thing that people here push (very strongly) when you have a stomach ache is food. This has consistently been the method of choice in every single case of illness that I have seen here. When one of my friends was sick, she was brought burgers and KFC. (I would guess that these food choices were attempts at making her feel at home, with familiar foods, and the gesture is a very thoughtful one.) When another friend was in the hospital, I can't even count the number of times I heard the word "makan" (eat). I think I can say that I gave the method a fair shot, but after the mashed potato consumption led to the only (violent) vomit session I had, I decided to go back to my own way of resting and just drinking tons of water. I am curious as to weather people here really find that eating makes them feel better? It could well be that this tactic works for those who have used it since they were young. I think we always lean toward what is most familiar when we are sick.
I woke up on Saturday morning still feeling a bit iffy, but I was bound and determined that I would be well; Debora and her friend Utami had invited us (Laura and I) to spend the weekend at Utami's house, making Western food, playing games, and just hanging out. Laura and I met them at the Synod office at 1PM, and the four of us headed to the mall to shop for groceries. It was my first time going out to buy Western ingredients with an Indonesian, and it was one of those cool opportunities to learn about each other. Utami was absolutely baffled as to what we could possibly be making with cream, cheese, pasta, chicken, veggies, and spices, saying over and over, "I'm just so curious about what this could possibly be!" She was horrified when she learned that breakfast would be muffins and strawberries. ("No rice?" she asked.) I told her that this is how I feel every time I go shopping for Indonesian ingredients. I'm often confused about what things are, and what is going with what, and how to eat this or that. I also realized that the people I spend time with on a regular basis (namely my host parents) grant me a lot of grace and patience in the food department. They patiently explain what everything is, and just laugh when I find I don't like it. They've also adapted their habits to meet some of my comfort levels when it comes to food. That's a really huge blessing.
After eating lunch at Pizza Hut, we brought all of the ingredients home and, after a nice break, we began preparing the food. Cooking in the kitchen there reminded me of the game we used to play at camp where we had to close our eyes, pick a random utensil, and use only that utensil to eat a meal. You had to be creative and adaptive. In this case, we had one burner, 2 pots, and a wok. We had decided that we would be making pasta with chicken and peppers in a cream sauce, as well as mashed potatoes (which, surprisingly, still appealed to me despite Friday's little episode). We planned in advance how we would prepare everything, and then set out to put our plan into action. There were a few stumbling blocks that we came upon, namely the discovery that the cheese (or rather, cheese product) we bought wouldn't melt at any temperature, and that a slip of a hand led to all of our noodles winding up down the drain. Despite these minor mishaps, 2 hours and 45 minutes later, we sat down to a dinner of garlic mashed potatoes and penne in cream sauce with chicken and red peppers- all piping hot- made from ONE element. I felt like a professional. Debor and Utami liked the meal (it was Utami's first time trying Western food) and their reaction was worth the challenge of buying the ingredients (and that WAS a challenge!) and cooking the food.
Cooking here, I've discovered, requires a lot of flexibility and adaptation. Parmesan cheese was nowhere to be found, and even anything other than cheese product cost over $10 CAN, so cheese product was substituted for the real thing. A brand of non-refrigerated Indonesian milk was subbed in for half-and-half, and yellow peppers were subbed in for green peppers. It was so interesting to me that the most common ingredients in Canada were so difficult to find in the biggest grocery store in Semarang. Debora said she felt the same way in America when she would try to cook Indonesian food. She had to substitute peanut butter to make peanut sauce (they use much more legit ingredients for their peanut sauce here), and she mentioned that someone she knew could only find a particular ingredient in a pet food store in America! It reminded me yet again of the concept of "normal." My tendency is to think that my way is "normal", and is therefore the best. My shopping endeavor- where my way proved to be the much more difficult and foreign way- reminded me that there really is no such thing as "normal."
We had plans to go to a church that played traditional Javanese music, going out for lunch, and then to a popular tourist attraction in Semarang (the House of 1000 Doors) but I woke up feeling pretty lousy again, and so we ended up ordering food in, and spending the day playing Dutch Blitz and just resting. It was probably the most relaxing day I've had in Indonesia, and I cannot thank Utami and Debora enough for their invitation and their flexibility in changing plans around. It was exactly what I needed.
Laura slept over last night, and then we headed to Salatiga this morning by bus. I only stayed long enough to have lunch with Karen and Major, and swing by the office, but it was one of my best visits yet to Salatiga. An absolutely amazing Christmas package arrived from my grandparents, containing Christmas cookies, Christmas ornaments, Kraft Dinner, and a beautiful card. I shared the cookies with the very grateful MCC staff (though I did end up hoarding a lot of them!). A letter from Andrew was also awaiting me, as well as a Christmas card from MCC Ontario. I felt very loved today especially!
As I wrote this blog (and for hours and hours after I post it) my dad has been flying from Toronto, getting closer and closer to Semarang! If all goes according to plan, he should be arriving tomorrow evening around dinner time. I don't think I've ever anticipated something with such a mix of worry and excitement (really! You may think that I would have felt that way in August when I came here, but at that point, I was in denial!!), and I have been praying nonstop for safe, smooth, and healthy travels. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Hope to post again soon! Thinking especially of you SALTers, IVEPers, and YAMENers, who are likely now well into Christmas festivities and planning. I hope that you're all doing ok despite the challenge that being away from home at Christmas can be!
Lots of love,
Ellery
I have been saying these past few weeks that the time has been flying by, but this week has dragged at a glacial pace that has made me seriously doubt that time actually moves at the same speed all the time. As I was looking over my last blog post, I realized that at the top of the post, it said "Tuesday" and yet I referred to Wednesday as "today." Sorry if that threw you off! I try hard to write so that it makes sense to those living in a different time zone, but sometimes those things slip by me!
Anyways, I left off on Wednesday, which, as I previously mentioned, was a busy day, filled with TK, PPA, and Gloria Patri Learning Centre. I continued my lessons about weather that I have been teaching my PPA kids. I was semi-successful in turning "rindy" into "rainy" and "windy" again- some kids caught on faster than others in a game of "rainy, rainy, windy" ("duck, duck, goose" with different words). My next challenge is to get the TK-A class to learn the appropriate time to say "Good Morning." They've picked it up from me saying it to them every morning, and eagerly use it every chance they get. This includes when I leave the room and when I enter the room at a time that is not morning.
Thursday was another busy day- TK, Ichthus FM, PPA, and Angklong practise. On Friday, for some reason or another, I woke up feeling less than fantastic. In typical Penner fashion, I told myself, "It's all in your head, and you'll feel better if you get up and out" and so off I went to TK. When I got home, I decided that whether or not it was in my head, I would be taking an "istirahat" (break) for the afternoon. This proved to be a good call, because at about 3PM- the time that I would have been at PPA- my non-puking streak came to an end (though I'd say 4 months in a foreign country without getting sick once is a pretty good streak). Details spared, it was not the most pleasant experience, and made me quite homesick on top of feeling physically ill (there's really no place one would rather be than home when they're feeling ill). Another challenge of being sick here is a cultural difference in how to care for the sick. The number one thing that people here push (very strongly) when you have a stomach ache is food. This has consistently been the method of choice in every single case of illness that I have seen here. When one of my friends was sick, she was brought burgers and KFC. (I would guess that these food choices were attempts at making her feel at home, with familiar foods, and the gesture is a very thoughtful one.) When another friend was in the hospital, I can't even count the number of times I heard the word "makan" (eat). I think I can say that I gave the method a fair shot, but after the mashed potato consumption led to the only (violent) vomit session I had, I decided to go back to my own way of resting and just drinking tons of water. I am curious as to weather people here really find that eating makes them feel better? It could well be that this tactic works for those who have used it since they were young. I think we always lean toward what is most familiar when we are sick.
I woke up on Saturday morning still feeling a bit iffy, but I was bound and determined that I would be well; Debora and her friend Utami had invited us (Laura and I) to spend the weekend at Utami's house, making Western food, playing games, and just hanging out. Laura and I met them at the Synod office at 1PM, and the four of us headed to the mall to shop for groceries. It was my first time going out to buy Western ingredients with an Indonesian, and it was one of those cool opportunities to learn about each other. Utami was absolutely baffled as to what we could possibly be making with cream, cheese, pasta, chicken, veggies, and spices, saying over and over, "I'm just so curious about what this could possibly be!" She was horrified when she learned that breakfast would be muffins and strawberries. ("No rice?" she asked.) I told her that this is how I feel every time I go shopping for Indonesian ingredients. I'm often confused about what things are, and what is going with what, and how to eat this or that. I also realized that the people I spend time with on a regular basis (namely my host parents) grant me a lot of grace and patience in the food department. They patiently explain what everything is, and just laugh when I find I don't like it. They've also adapted their habits to meet some of my comfort levels when it comes to food. That's a really huge blessing.
After eating lunch at Pizza Hut, we brought all of the ingredients home and, after a nice break, we began preparing the food. Cooking in the kitchen there reminded me of the game we used to play at camp where we had to close our eyes, pick a random utensil, and use only that utensil to eat a meal. You had to be creative and adaptive. In this case, we had one burner, 2 pots, and a wok. We had decided that we would be making pasta with chicken and peppers in a cream sauce, as well as mashed potatoes (which, surprisingly, still appealed to me despite Friday's little episode). We planned in advance how we would prepare everything, and then set out to put our plan into action. There were a few stumbling blocks that we came upon, namely the discovery that the cheese (or rather, cheese product) we bought wouldn't melt at any temperature, and that a slip of a hand led to all of our noodles winding up down the drain. Despite these minor mishaps, 2 hours and 45 minutes later, we sat down to a dinner of garlic mashed potatoes and penne in cream sauce with chicken and red peppers- all piping hot- made from ONE element. I felt like a professional. Debor and Utami liked the meal (it was Utami's first time trying Western food) and their reaction was worth the challenge of buying the ingredients (and that WAS a challenge!) and cooking the food.
Cooking here, I've discovered, requires a lot of flexibility and adaptation. Parmesan cheese was nowhere to be found, and even anything other than cheese product cost over $10 CAN, so cheese product was substituted for the real thing. A brand of non-refrigerated Indonesian milk was subbed in for half-and-half, and yellow peppers were subbed in for green peppers. It was so interesting to me that the most common ingredients in Canada were so difficult to find in the biggest grocery store in Semarang. Debora said she felt the same way in America when she would try to cook Indonesian food. She had to substitute peanut butter to make peanut sauce (they use much more legit ingredients for their peanut sauce here), and she mentioned that someone she knew could only find a particular ingredient in a pet food store in America! It reminded me yet again of the concept of "normal." My tendency is to think that my way is "normal", and is therefore the best. My shopping endeavor- where my way proved to be the much more difficult and foreign way- reminded me that there really is no such thing as "normal."
We had plans to go to a church that played traditional Javanese music, going out for lunch, and then to a popular tourist attraction in Semarang (the House of 1000 Doors) but I woke up feeling pretty lousy again, and so we ended up ordering food in, and spending the day playing Dutch Blitz and just resting. It was probably the most relaxing day I've had in Indonesia, and I cannot thank Utami and Debora enough for their invitation and their flexibility in changing plans around. It was exactly what I needed.
Laura slept over last night, and then we headed to Salatiga this morning by bus. I only stayed long enough to have lunch with Karen and Major, and swing by the office, but it was one of my best visits yet to Salatiga. An absolutely amazing Christmas package arrived from my grandparents, containing Christmas cookies, Christmas ornaments, Kraft Dinner, and a beautiful card. I shared the cookies with the very grateful MCC staff (though I did end up hoarding a lot of them!). A letter from Andrew was also awaiting me, as well as a Christmas card from MCC Ontario. I felt very loved today especially!
As I wrote this blog (and for hours and hours after I post it) my dad has been flying from Toronto, getting closer and closer to Semarang! If all goes according to plan, he should be arriving tomorrow evening around dinner time. I don't think I've ever anticipated something with such a mix of worry and excitement (really! You may think that I would have felt that way in August when I came here, but at that point, I was in denial!!), and I have been praying nonstop for safe, smooth, and healthy travels. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated.
Hope to post again soon! Thinking especially of you SALTers, IVEPers, and YAMENers, who are likely now well into Christmas festivities and planning. I hope that you're all doing ok despite the challenge that being away from home at Christmas can be!
Lots of love,
Ellery
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Selamat Siang!
Just a little update from my neck of the woods!
My last blog post went up on Saturday, and since then, the days have continued to fly by! I wound up having more plans on the weekend than I was expecting. I did go to youth on Saturday night. While I did not grasp too much of what was going on (youth is usually a service of some sort, and despite the improvement in language skills, I still cannot- and may never- follow the speed and vocabulary of a sermon), it was good to be there after having missed quite a few.
My host sister, Valen, had to go back to Salatiga on Sunday (instead of Monday, as she usually does) and since I was so free this weekend, I decided to take advantage of the free ride in that direction, and wound up spending the night with Laura in Kopeng. Kopeng is about 20 minutes outside of Salatiga, and is up in the mountains. It's nice and cool and rural, which is a refreshing change from the hot, busy, city. I REALLY miss having green space, and there's lots of it in Kopeng (at the sacrifice of conveniences like stores and food variety- everything has its upside and downside, right?), so I enjoyed just sitting outside and breathing in some fresh air. Before that though, Laura's supervisor (Pak Yusup) and his girlfriend treated us to dinner at a wonderful little restaurant in Salatiga. The restaurant, called Cosy Cafe, is the same one that Jason and Mike went to in the first week or two of us arriving in Indonesia. They didn't have very positive things to say about it at that time, but Laura and I LOVED it. I'm not sure if that speaks to simply a better experience than the boys, or to the fact that my standards have been knocked down a few pegs.
There was live music at the Cosy Cafe and, as always, we were asked if we'd like to sing. Laura and I usually politely decline, but we decided to seize the opportunity this time, and had a fun time singing "Oh Holy Night" (practice for my big Christmas solo at church here!) and attempting to follow the pianist (who we blame entirely for anything that sounded less than beautiful during our time in the spotlight).
Laura and I ended up staying up late, just chatting, and then sleeping in (or attempting to) on Monday morning. We decorated her room with the Christmas decorations that her aunt had sent her, before heading down to Salatiga. What was supposed to be just a quick pop-in at the office, turned into a 3-hour visit. It was nice to catch up with the folks at MCC. I miss them quite a bit!
Nicole, who had spent the night at Karen and Major's, joined us at the office, and then the three of us went out for lunch to Kafeole. It was POURING rain, but the restaurant has these cute little huts with leak-proof roofs, and we were able to enjoy our meal outdoors. (Though the poor servers had to run back and forth in the rain. I felt bad about that.)
After lunch, we headed to Dan and Jeanne's to play with their puppy, Hoffman, and borrow some DVDs. We ended up taking a nap in their living room, which was all decorated for Christmas. It was the most "at home" Christmas feeling I've had here so far.
Nicole and I took the bus back together as far as Ungaran, and then I continued on to Semarang. I employed my tactic of bartering before getting on the angkota, and this proved to be a wise move. It was a bit more than the cheapest I've ever paid, but for the first time, there was absolutely NO hassle when I got off the angkota. It was worth the extra 10 cents just for that.
While it's no Christmas season in Canada, I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit here, as classrooms are being decorated, Christmas songs are being practiced (I'm playing the music for the TK Christmas performance, and we've been faithfully practicing Away in A Manger for over a month now), and Christmas concerts are starting up. Something that I find interesting here is that the Christmas videos here all include snow. I have also been told that there will be fake snow at the Christmas performance at church. We made snowmen as a craft in TK the other day too, and most of the Christmas songs here are the same (snow-filled) ones as the ones at home. I'm interested to know why there would be a focus on snow during Christmas, in a place where there is NEVER snow. Is it Western culture weaseling its way into Indonesia? Is it simply a dream for many, just as we might fantasize about palm trees and warmth in the cold months? I'm very curious.
Monday night was the first of what sounds like many Christmas concerts for the month. This one teetered on the brink of 2 hours and 45 minutes (but it DID include a handbell choir, which almost made up for it...). These services are excellent reminders of the cultural differences in time value, and are also reminders of the importance of learning to slooooow down and just take things as they come. That is a repetitive lesson for my impatient, hyperactive, always busy self. Who knows? Maybe by the time I come home again, I'll think an hour is too short!
Tuesday was TK, and then at 3:00, I headed to the PPA "rural" location for a games afternoon. This consisted primarily of a donut-eating contest, which was a treat to observe! The donuts were delicious! The evening was a quiet one that just passed by without anything remarkable happening. I watched "Driving Miss Daisy", which has won all sorts of awards. I cannot say I was overly impressed by it!
Today is my first of the busy day stretch, with TK in the morning, PPA (Sola Gratia) in the afternoon, and Gloria Patri Learning Centre in the evening. We have been learning about weather in PPA, but the words "rainy" and "windy" have both been coming out as "rindy", so I'm attempting to correct that today, through an extensive series of games and songs. We'll see how that goes!
Have a great day!
Love,
Ellery
Just a little update from my neck of the woods!
My last blog post went up on Saturday, and since then, the days have continued to fly by! I wound up having more plans on the weekend than I was expecting. I did go to youth on Saturday night. While I did not grasp too much of what was going on (youth is usually a service of some sort, and despite the improvement in language skills, I still cannot- and may never- follow the speed and vocabulary of a sermon), it was good to be there after having missed quite a few.
My host sister, Valen, had to go back to Salatiga on Sunday (instead of Monday, as she usually does) and since I was so free this weekend, I decided to take advantage of the free ride in that direction, and wound up spending the night with Laura in Kopeng. Kopeng is about 20 minutes outside of Salatiga, and is up in the mountains. It's nice and cool and rural, which is a refreshing change from the hot, busy, city. I REALLY miss having green space, and there's lots of it in Kopeng (at the sacrifice of conveniences like stores and food variety- everything has its upside and downside, right?), so I enjoyed just sitting outside and breathing in some fresh air. Before that though, Laura's supervisor (Pak Yusup) and his girlfriend treated us to dinner at a wonderful little restaurant in Salatiga. The restaurant, called Cosy Cafe, is the same one that Jason and Mike went to in the first week or two of us arriving in Indonesia. They didn't have very positive things to say about it at that time, but Laura and I LOVED it. I'm not sure if that speaks to simply a better experience than the boys, or to the fact that my standards have been knocked down a few pegs.
There was live music at the Cosy Cafe and, as always, we were asked if we'd like to sing. Laura and I usually politely decline, but we decided to seize the opportunity this time, and had a fun time singing "Oh Holy Night" (practice for my big Christmas solo at church here!) and attempting to follow the pianist (who we blame entirely for anything that sounded less than beautiful during our time in the spotlight).
Laura and I ended up staying up late, just chatting, and then sleeping in (or attempting to) on Monday morning. We decorated her room with the Christmas decorations that her aunt had sent her, before heading down to Salatiga. What was supposed to be just a quick pop-in at the office, turned into a 3-hour visit. It was nice to catch up with the folks at MCC. I miss them quite a bit!
Nicole, who had spent the night at Karen and Major's, joined us at the office, and then the three of us went out for lunch to Kafeole. It was POURING rain, but the restaurant has these cute little huts with leak-proof roofs, and we were able to enjoy our meal outdoors. (Though the poor servers had to run back and forth in the rain. I felt bad about that.)
After lunch, we headed to Dan and Jeanne's to play with their puppy, Hoffman, and borrow some DVDs. We ended up taking a nap in their living room, which was all decorated for Christmas. It was the most "at home" Christmas feeling I've had here so far.
Nicole and I took the bus back together as far as Ungaran, and then I continued on to Semarang. I employed my tactic of bartering before getting on the angkota, and this proved to be a wise move. It was a bit more than the cheapest I've ever paid, but for the first time, there was absolutely NO hassle when I got off the angkota. It was worth the extra 10 cents just for that.
While it's no Christmas season in Canada, I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit here, as classrooms are being decorated, Christmas songs are being practiced (I'm playing the music for the TK Christmas performance, and we've been faithfully practicing Away in A Manger for over a month now), and Christmas concerts are starting up. Something that I find interesting here is that the Christmas videos here all include snow. I have also been told that there will be fake snow at the Christmas performance at church. We made snowmen as a craft in TK the other day too, and most of the Christmas songs here are the same (snow-filled) ones as the ones at home. I'm interested to know why there would be a focus on snow during Christmas, in a place where there is NEVER snow. Is it Western culture weaseling its way into Indonesia? Is it simply a dream for many, just as we might fantasize about palm trees and warmth in the cold months? I'm very curious.
Monday night was the first of what sounds like many Christmas concerts for the month. This one teetered on the brink of 2 hours and 45 minutes (but it DID include a handbell choir, which almost made up for it...). These services are excellent reminders of the cultural differences in time value, and are also reminders of the importance of learning to slooooow down and just take things as they come. That is a repetitive lesson for my impatient, hyperactive, always busy self. Who knows? Maybe by the time I come home again, I'll think an hour is too short!
Tuesday was TK, and then at 3:00, I headed to the PPA "rural" location for a games afternoon. This consisted primarily of a donut-eating contest, which was a treat to observe! The donuts were delicious! The evening was a quiet one that just passed by without anything remarkable happening. I watched "Driving Miss Daisy", which has won all sorts of awards. I cannot say I was overly impressed by it!
Today is my first of the busy day stretch, with TK in the morning, PPA (Sola Gratia) in the afternoon, and Gloria Patri Learning Centre in the evening. We have been learning about weather in PPA, but the words "rainy" and "windy" have both been coming out as "rindy", so I'm attempting to correct that today, through an extensive series of games and songs. We'll see how that goes!
Have a great day!
Love,
Ellery
Friday, December 2, 2011
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
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
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