The End of TK...

Good Morning!

It is with a bit of a heavy heart (and a tear or two glistening on my cheek) that I announce that the primary component of my official assignment here in Indonesia has reached its end. Yesterday, I said good-bye to 61 of the most respectful, patient, and unconditionally loving little people I've ever met. We celebrated the end of the year with a Kung Fu Panda 2 and banana pancake party that was truly cross-cultural, as we used a Western pancake recipe, and topped the pancakes off with Gula Jawa sauce, a Javanese sugar sauce. It felt a bit surreal to say good-bye to my kiddies, and I can't really wrap my mind around the fact that I will likely never again see those kids, who were my greatest source of joy this year, and who provided me with so many smiles, laughs, and opportunities for learning and growing. My kiddies taught me more than I could have ever hoped to teach them, particularly about being patient (they have way more patience than I do), about being content (they're way more content than I am), and about just seeing the joy in the little things (like a sticker). I'm thankful beyond thankful that those kids were put into my life here, and they will be missed above all else when I am home and reflecting upon my life here.

Banana pancakes with my TK kiddies. These kids made my year!

 The last two weeks have been a bit nuts, as we were preparing for the TK-B Graduation ceremony last Saturday, and then for the TK end-of-the-year party, which happened yesterday. Kenang-kenangan (keepsakes/souvenirs/momentos) are a big part of the Indonesian tradition, and I have already been given so much from so many people; the generosity has really been overwhelming. On the flip side, there is not only a hope for, but an expectation, for me to provide the same for people here. That has been equally overwhelming, though for different reason, and the preparation for that consumed almost every free minute of my days for the last little while (and severely cut into my sleep, which has made these last few weeks quite exhausting). What could I possibly have been doing to consume so much time, you ask? Well, I wanted to do something unique and memorable for my kiddies, something that represented this year in a special way. It also had to be something affordable, since anything I did for 1 person had to replicated 60 more times. Finally an idea came to me- flag cookies! I decided I would bake sugar cookies for all of the kids, cut them into rectangles, and ice them to look like the Indonesian flag and the Canadian flag (two cookies for every kid). I thought it would kind of be a cool cultural thing, it would be unique, and it would reflect the immense amount of love that I feel for those kiddies.As it turns out, more love (and a drop or two of stress) went into those cookies than I ever thought possible. About 5 days of love, to be exact. I learned that sugar cookie dough melts at an alarmingly rapid speed here in this climate, so I could only rip off small bits at a time, keeping the rest in the freezer, and then quickly roll and cut before the dough melted into a gooey mess. I also went through a shocking quantity of flour, trying to un-stick the dough every time I rolled it. Then we'd carve the maple leaf into them prior to baking (all credit for that goes to my friends Debora, Anna, and Laura), and then pop 'em in the oven, 8 or 9 at a time. And then there was the icing process! I wanted to make hard icing, so that I could put the cookies into baggies, and package them all pretty (complete with homemade name tags, a hand-written note, and a picture of me on the back). Corn syrup was nowhere to be found, however, so we (Laura and I) decided to make our own. In the process, we created a lovely thick caramel candy- so hard, in fact, that we couldn't even bite it, let alone mix it into the icing like corn syrup. We fixed that little blunder, and then soldiered forth with icing 122 cookies (which was also no easy task). Anyways, so the cookie baking/icing/bagging expedition was a drawn out one, and I questioned whether it was even going to be worth it in the end. I got my answer this morning, when one of the parents came in (a parent of one of my favourite kiddies in the TK). She said that her son (Yusuf is his name) woke up this morning, and suddenly remembered that I am leaving. She said he started crying, and was looking around for the picture of me that I had stuck to the back of the cookie bags. She said he held it close to his heart after that. That alone was worth all the stress and tension of the cookie-making ordeal. Another student came up to me and asked when I'd be able to make those again for her. She really liked them! So in the end, it was all worth it, and I'm glad I did it.

The end result of my cookie baking endeavour! (With many MANY thanks to those who helped me get these done!)

In addition to the TK kids, the list of people who are anticipating at least a little something from me includes the staff at church and at the TK, the staff at PPA, the youth group, and about 150 PPA kids. I head to Salatiga on Monday to continue the cookie baking excitement. ;) While I have been a bit(?) overwhelmed with trying to come up with ideas of how to show my appreciation to such a large number of people (which is a challenge, as it is entirely impossible to repay people here for all of their help and kindness this year), there is an incredible blessing in that. I am realizing just how many people's lives I got to be involved in this year, and how well-received I have been by those people. This year has certainly looked quite different than how I anticipated it to look, and sometimes I feel a deep sense of frustration and disappointment that my wildly idealistic visions for this year weren't met. I've felt like I haven't learned what I was so hoping to learn, and haven't accomplished what I was expecting to accomplish. The tangible reminder in the form of a mega list of all the people I need to thank, shows me that while this year may not have been what I was expecting it to be, it was still undoubtedly a worthwhile year. I learned from all of these people that I interacted with, in ways that were entirely unanticipated. These interactions have provided me with a LOT to think about and consider; my preconceived notions have been shattered, and my views of overseas mission, of service, and of new cultures has been dramatically altered. While these learning experiences have often been confusing, frustrating, and challenging, I think that ultimately I can only respond with gratitude for the opportunity to have had these experiences. When I get back home and have a chance to reflect upon this year, I hope to gain a clearer and clearer vision of how this year shaped me. For now however, I shall continue to bake my cookies by the dozen, and try to maintain as stress-free an attitude as I possibly can!

Between all the baking and gift giving and receiving, a notable event that occurred in the last few weeks was the TK-B Graduation Ceremony! Kindergarten graduations here certainly put our kindergarten graduation ceremonies at home to shame. (Do they even celebrate that accomplishment in Canada?) My kiddies were decked out in robes and graduation hats, and the teachers worked all week to make tubes (is there an official word for that?) for their little graduation certificates. Makeup artists and hairdressers came in early last Saturday morning, and all of the kids (boys included) were made over in preparation for the big event. This was another opportunity for me to experience the differences between what we hold as standards of beauty. I got up early that morning, put on my makeup (which includes powder that makes my skin a little darker), and headed to school. About an hour later, I was being doused in whitening foundation and powder; white skin is as highly regarded as beautiful as tanned skin is in our culture (perhaps even more so here). They also did my hair in an inexplicable hairdo that only pictures can capture. I'll suffice to say that it took over an hour to un-tease it (we were halfway to dreadlocks, she teased the bottom layers so much) and to wash out the half bottle of hairspray used to hold my hair in place. I was also dressed in a kebaya, a traditional Javanese outfit for formal occasions. (Well, half a kebaya, as the skirt part was not intended for my Western figure.)

That hairstyle was a feat of humanity. The shirt I'm wearing is a kebaya, traditional Javanese clothing

The Graduating Class!

 I played the music for the ceremony, and was presented with a beautiful gift (a batik shirt, a batik dress, and a batik bag, along with two batik maps) as a thank-you from the TK. I gave a little thank-you speech as well, and presented them with a small gift too. Afterwards, the kids all changed into costumes and put on a play/dance/musical show of sorts. It was about as high quality as you could expect from 3-5 year olds, but the adorableness of it outweighed the lack of coordination. Overall, it was a really great little production, and I was really glad to be able to be involved in this little memorable moment of these kids' lives.
Other than that, the last days and weeks have held a pre-wedding dinner and the accompanying wedding the next day, some trips to different batik stores to search for some good things to take back with me, and a whoooole bunch of trips to the picture developing store and the baking supply store. It's been busy busy busy, and I'm glad that this weekend is a bit slower. It'll be nice to have a break. This afternoon is just housekeeping, with youth happening tonight. Tomorrow is church and then a free afternoon, and then I head to Salatiga on Monday morning.

My schedule is really filling up for these last few weeks in Semarang, as people are kindly offering to take me out on special little adventures, or inviting me to join in pre-planned outings and events. It's going to be a busy finale to the year!

I hope you're all keeping well. Those of you in the Niagara area who are going to the Strawberry Festival, eat something delicious for me!! ;)

Have a great weekend!
Love,
Ellery

A Wonderful Weekend with Beautiful Friends!

Good Morning or Afternoon or Evening to you, wherever you're reading this from!

First and foremost, I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom! I hate missing birthdays at home, but I'm thinking lots about you today, and I hope that you have a wonderful birthday! I love you!!

Secondly, I just wanted to ease the minds of those of you who were concerned about my whole being sick thing last week. I am feeling 100% restored this week, and whatever the virus was, it is gone now. Thanks for your concern and for your prayers! (Those prayers could now be transferred along to my host dad, who seems to have caught whatever I had, and is in the same flu-ish boat as I was last week.)

I think that my swift healing was due largely in part to an absolutely wonderful weekend with a few of my amazing YALT friends. After posting on Saturday, I headed off to the Java Mall to meet Nancy, Nicole, and Laura, who had planned on spending the weekend at my house. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch together, and then did some shopping and iced tea drinking, and lots and lots and lots of chatting. We went to youth on Saturday evening, and my host mom made rendang, one of my favourite Indonesian foods, for dinner that night. Rendang, as I have mentioned before, has been ranked the world's most delicious food, and whether that is true or not, it was certainly unanimously declared a delicious dish by all those who had not yet tried it. Making rendang from scratch requires hours and hours and all sorts of fancy spices and leaves that I've never heard of, but thankfully, the ingredients also come in instant form, and the taste is still pretty awesome. I plan on bringing a whole bunch of packets back, and introducing as many of you as I can to the world's most delicious food. ;)

We watched a movie on Saturday evening, and partway through, some of us were really craving some ice cream. Knowing that my host parents sometimes have some, we went downstairs and asked whether there was any ice cream to be had. We were in luck! There was a little bit left, as well as an ice cream bar that we decided to share. We thanked my host mom, and headed back upstairs. About 10 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see my host mom standing there with a plate of ice cream bars. She had had them bought specially for us, as she felt that one ice cream bar was not enough. It was a small gesture that showed a lot of love, and I'm smiling right now as I think about the smile on her face as she handed us the plate of ice cream bars. I'm a blessed woman to live with this family!

There was no church on Sunday morning as there was to be a special evening service featuring "The Singing Pastor" from Jakarta. (I don't think that this is his official title, but it's fitting nonetheless.) The lack of church gave us a chance to sleep in, and then we ventured forth once again into the shopping world. Some of the girls had a mission to fulfill this weekend, finding oleh-oleh (souvenirs) to bring home, and so we focused our time on getting some of those gifts purchased. Nancy and Nicole left shortly after lunch, and Laura and I stuck around my place until it was time for the evening worship service. "The Singing Pastor" from Jakarta certainly lived up to his reputation. We were treated to a solid hour/hour and a half "sermon" that could truly be dubbed a one-man musical (complete with a sales pitch at the end, for his CDs, being sold for half price tonight only!!). There are some life experiences that I just couldn't have encountered had I not done this year in the Indo. "The Singing Pastor" from Jakarta falls under that category. While I'm thinking of those life experiences, I'm reminded of one that happened a few weeks ago. Laura was coming to meet me for the weekend, and we decided to meet at- wait for it- the mall! She had texted me to tell me she arrived, and I texted her back saying that I was on the second floor. I then waited by the railing on the second floor so that I could see down to the first floor and spot her as soon as she came into view. I did a quick scan, and finally found her near the base of the escalator, chatting with an Indonesian girl. The girl had her cell phone out, and Laura walked away with a piece of paper in hand. When Laura came up the escalator to meet me, she held out that piece of paper with a name and a phone number on it. "Here, this is for you", she said. I took it and recognized neither the name nor the number. I laughed, thinking it was a joke (since people often give us their numbers here, and so we often have pieces of paper like this), but Laura said that this girl knew me. In fact, the girl had spotted Laura, called to her, and asked Laura if she knew "this girl." She then showed Laura a picture that she had of me on her cell phone. By some strange fluke, this girl had snagged a friend of mine when she snagged Laura (this perhaps sheds some light on how few white people there are here), and Laura thought that I must know who this girl is. I still have no clue who that girl is, or how she got my picture. And yet when Laura told me the story, neither of us were too terribly fazed by it. Just another random experience in the Indo...

We had sate ayam with lontong for dinner on Sunday night, which is one of my favourite meals. My host mom said that I cannot be scared to eat lots, because I need to eat as much as I can of the foods I like before I head back to the crazy place where banana leaves are a difficult (impossible?) find, and most herbs and spices are dried and bottled. It's true that my beloved "Canadian" food cannot even begin to compare to Indonesian food in terms of spices. Our food is really quite bland by comparison to foods here, with ingredient lists that would probably scare even the most qualified Canadian cooks. I happily obliged last night, and ate an unfathomable amount of chicken satay and lontong, and then curled up in a ball for a good night's sleep.

I stayed in Semarang today rather than head to Salatiga as I normally would on a Monday. Laura wanted to pick some things up at a local craft supply store, and I wanted to get some pictures developed. Laura headed back to Kopeng after lunch, and now here I am! This upcoming week looks to be completely "normal", with this being the last week of regular TK classes. TK still continues next week, but the classes are shortened, and they end on Thursday. This upcoming Saturday, the kiddies graduate, and I am playing the music for their graduation performance. I'll need to practice for that this week. PPA and Ichthus FM still continue like normal this week, and will do so right up until I leave. I'm glad that those activities will still be continuing. I'm always happiest when I have lots to do.

This past week provided me with a lot of time to think (and think and think), and I was able to get my course schedule nailed down (I think) for next year. I was also overcome this week by the thought of how close I am to the end of my undergraduate career, and in turn, the end of a journey that has been clearly marked out and relatively easy to navigate up until this point. In fact, I am realizing that in my mind, this year abroad, which I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember, was sort of the mental roadblock that stood between me and "THE FUTURE", a place of complete unknowns and so very very many potential paths to travel. It was a really overwhelming revelation this week that this time a year from now, I'll be done my undergraduate degree and in a place of needing to make some bigger decisions. While there is great excitement in the endless opportunities, I also find myself more at a loss than ever as to what I'd like to do, and what my next moves are going to be. (I can already hear the voices telling me to surrender it to God, and just relax, and in the meantime, make the most of the time I have left here in the Indo. I will respond to that with an "I'm trying, but it's hard!!") I'd appreciate prayers both for better discernment of what my future is intended to hold, as well as for patience (I ALWAYS need prayers for patience!!) and a sense of contentment, knowing that everything will work out exactly as it is intended to.

Sending lots of love your way!
Have a great day!

Ellery

The Good-Byes Begin

Selamat Siang, Keluarga dan Teman-Teman! (Hello, Family and Friends!)

It seems I blinked and missed the month of May! I awoke yesterday morning to be greeted by the first day of my last full month here in the Indo. This is both a cause for both excitement, as I anticipate many reunions with family and friends (and food!) from home, and also for sadness, as I prepare to say good-bye to the family and friends (and food!) that have become so special to me here. This past week, we have been receiving emails about end-of-the-year stuff, and we have the date confirmed that we will be heading back to Salatiga for a group "disorientation" (July 12th), so I'm now really feeling in this weird limbo stage, as things wrap up here, but as going home still seems too far away to be believable.

The good-byes started this week on Wednesday, as we held our last Gloria Patri Learning Centre session. Rather than teaching, we held a going-away party, with Indonesian food (mie ayam, or a type of chicken noodle soup) as the main course, and Canadian food (homemade banana chocolate chip muffins and sugar cookies) for dessert. Debora and Ibu Linda came over on Tuesday night to help prepare for this, and we ended up baking together from 4PM until almost 10PM. It was a fun evening! We made a whole bunch of icing in different colours, and thought that the kids may like to decorate their own sugar cookies. This proved a HUGE hit, and was a first for many kids there. Their excitement was contagious, and I was so happy to see them with such big smiles on their faces. On top of that, the kids all signed a "Thank-You" card for me, which was really special. Then one of the people who coordinate the learning centre presented me with a thank-you card, along with a gift (a beautiful batik bag), and kue bandung, one of my favourite Indonesian desserts. It was a really special evening, and while it was sad to say good-bye, I was so happy to leave on such a high note.

I went to Salatiga as per usual on Monday, and met Laura for the day. We tried a new place for lunch, called "Biztro", having wanted to go there for a long time as it is the place that Ibu Rini (Pak Lilik and Ibu Christin's helper) used to work. It was a really cute place, and would have been perfect had it not been for a slightly over-eager waiter who took a liking to me, and made valiant efforts to woo me, but lacked a few key social skills, which wound up being deal-breakers. (ie: I'm not really into guys who wait outside the bathroom stall for me to emerge so that, while I'm washing my hands, they can remind me- for the third or fourth time- to give them a call). I never knew I was such a catch until I came to Indonesia, and without putting in even a tiny bit of effort! All that's required to maintain such status is to continue to wake up in the morning with white skin. This is something that still boggles my mind.

After lunch, Laura and I took a nice long walk from Biztro to a little store we like, and halfway through that walk, I started feeling a bit sub-par. This feeling continued as I headed home, and into that evening, and then persisted through the rest of the week. It started with a mild fever (which is long gone), and I am covered in little red dots today, which I have been told is something to do with the virus escaping through the skin, and I will be better as soon as the dots clear up (well, worsen first, and then clear up). Being ill in Indonesia presents a whole onslaught of cultural differences, and opens up opportunities for much learning, as well as practice in negotiation and compromising skills. I've tried all sorts of new herbal drinks and medications this week, and spent a rather immense amount of time in bed. They suggested that I go home early from TK on Tuesday, and then I missed Wednesday, and when the dots broke out, they sent me home again today. It's been nice having a lay-low week, but at the same time, I go a little crazy with too much down time, and I was not overly thrilled to be sent home today. (At home, my family employs a "take an advil if you must, and soldier forth with your day" approach to illness, and I think there's something to be said for the whole mind-over-matter philosophy.) Nicole, Nancy, and Laura are coming down today, and I am really looking forward to getting up and out, and hanging out with my beautiful YALT friends.

Well, it's a short post from me today!
I hope you all have a great day!

Love,
Ellery

More Adventures from Semarang!

Hello, my dear and faithful (or perhaps first-time) blog followers!

I was reminded of the need to blog when I was at dinner this evening, and spotted some less-than-common dishes. These included little silver fish, dried, fried, and eaten whole, as well as fish eggs, still in their "sac" (and in fact, extracted from the fish by my host mother herself, who made the exciting discovery of the "bonus" food when she was cutting up the fish for another dish, and discovered it to be a female mom-to-be). I laughed out loud at the sight of the little silver guys staring up at me from the plate, looking like they were just playing dead, and could at any moment start flopping around again. Somehow, I just don't envision such a dish to turn up on the dinner table at my home in Canada. (I'll have you know that I did indeed consume one of these fish, from tail to head, leaving nothing behind.)

This week was so jam-packed with activities and adventures, that I really should have posted halfway through the week in order to preserve all the memories, and yet could not find the time to do so! This week has likely been one of my favourites here in the Indo, save for a traumatic little encounter with a massively large insect, the details of which I have definitely not forgotten. But I'll get to that later...

Tuesday began as a Tuesday typically does, with TK in the morning. This week we've spent a lot of time upstairs in the church sanctuary, trying to get the TK-B kiddies ready for their graduation ceremony (coming up on June 9th). They are singing some songs, and I have been asked to accompany, which of course, I am honoured to do. The only glitches in this plan have been that, for one, the music for the songs was nowhere to be found, and for another, the kiddies have been practicing without accompaniment thus far, and have in turn, formed some very bad habits, both rhythmically and vocally. Several times this week, one of the teachers has bravely and patiently sung the songs to me over and over again while I've fiddled around on the keyboard, trying to get the notes right (and desperately wishing that I could remember something- ANYTHING- from all those music theory lessons I've taken over the years). We got the songs nailed down by Saturday, but we're now stuck with matching the kiddies to the keyboard, and I'm guessing that we'll be holding more than a few practices between now and June 9th, to sort out that little situation.

On Tuesday evening, my principal picked me up again, around 6PM, and took me to Simpang Lima, the unofficial centre of the city. Two massive "tents" (built out of metal, much more sturdy than the plastic ones) had been set up there, and were filled with batiks and foods from all over Indonesia. Batik, as I have mentioned before, is the name of the traditional pattern found on fabric here. There isn't just one pattern- in fact, there are thousands and thousands- but you can tell by looking at a fabric, whether it is batik or not. It is traditionally made by drawing a pattern on cloth, tracing it in wax, and dying the material. Batik fabric ranges vastly in price, depending on whether the pattern is hand drawn (VERY expensive) or stamped, what kind of material it is printed on, and how many colours (indicating the number of waxing-dyeing processes) can be found on the batik. (If you're interested, check them out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik). At this expo (which reminded me very much of those stalls that are set up in the huge buildings at the Exhibition grounds in Toronto), there were batiks from all different cities. I learned that Semarang has their own assortment of batik patterns, and many fabrics are printed with images of landmarks, leaves, and birds, that are unique to, or originated from, Semarang. My principal is one of the kindest and most patient women I know, and we walked around for a long time, with her explaining the different batiks to me. She did the same thing in the food tent, and of course, we had to stop and try some foods as well. A new one for me was "jus ubi ungu", which is a thick sweet purple juice, made from cassava. It was absolutely delicious!

Batik Material (left, done by hand; right, using a stamp)

 The Tuesday night endeavours were going so well that I actually got a little lump in my throat at the thought of leaving Indonesia... until The Incident. The Incident occurred- or rather, began- on the back of Bu Yanti's motorbike. She was taking me on a little ride around the city before dropping me off at home after our evening at the batik/food tents. All was going smoothly, and I was enjoying the (relatively) cool air as we zoomed along on the motorbike, when all of a sudden I felt something massive hit me in the chest. I prayed to the heavens above that it was a stone, but when I felt the light little pinch as the thing settled in for the long haul, I knew it was something living. I tried to brush it off (while trying to cause as little commotion as possible, as Bu Yanti was busily explaining the landmarks to me, oblivious to my situation), but when I felt it go down my shirt, I got a little more frantic. How big was it? Was it poisonous?! Still, I maintained enough composure to keep the situation from Bu Yanti, and thankfully the thing (which, might I add, I could not see, since my enormous hard-core helmet prevents me from seeing anywhere but straight ahead) crawled back out. I gave a few more frantic swipes, and at last rid myself of the thing. Except that I didn't. Somehow, it caught the wind, and not but two seconds later, I felt those little pincers on my lower back, as the thing made a new home for itself. Not wanting to touch it directly, I shook my shirt violently, and squealed a bit (causing Bu Yanti to ask what was going on, to which I responded "nothing", and she resumed her verbal tour of the city, which I had completely stopped paying attention to by that point- sorry Bu Yanti!). Finally, after a few more minutes of the most self-controlled bug removal process I could manage, I thought I'd lost it for good, and enjoyed what was left of the motorbike ride. At home, I stopped downstairs to chat with my host parents for awhile, and then came up to my room. I did a few more things, and then thought that I was really overdue for a shower, and proceeded to prepare for such things. It was then, as I was lifting my shirt over my head, that I heard a very significant thump on the floor behind me. I turned, and there, on the floor, lay one of the biggest, ugliest bugs I have seen in my life. To give you an idea of the horror of this moment, I'll boldly and honestly say that I would have rather it been a cockroach. At least a cockroach would have been familiar. This thing was long, with pincers on the front, and a hard top shell. I think it was brown, but I cannot remember because the moments that ensued were panic for both me and said bug, as we both frantically ran around, trying to escape each other (with one of us- I won't say who- muttering a stream of words that are not blog-appropriate). The plan in my mind was to trap it, and then summon my brave host parents to do the deed of killing it. I underestimated the critter though, because by the time I had my plan formulated, it had done a frenzied lap around my bathroom floor, and then hurled itself down my drain (lifting- literally lifting- the drain cover in the process). Needless to say, my anticipated shower was marred, and every trip to the bathroom since then has been a procedure of whipping open the bathroom door, jumping back, scanning the floor, walls, and ceilings, and then tentatively entering, keeping a pair of sturdy shoes nearby, in case the unwelcome visitor has plotted a sneak attack. The recovery process is going to be a slow-go, I think. I'm on the mend though, don't worry. ;)

Wednesday was busy busy busy, from morning to night, with the usual activities, including my new English "tutoring" session with a girl from church. She's my age, and in school to become a lawyer. It's been really fun to spend an hour and a half with her on Wednesday afternoons, just chatting. This past Wednesday, the whole church staff decided to make our session into an English worship song sing-a-long, and it was such an entertaining time! For PPA, running low on ideas, I decided to give the kids an animal sticker each, handed them a piece of paper, and told them to draw a home for their new animal sticker friend. This proved much more successful and fun than I was anticipating (the Indonesian kids I know are quite passionate about their colouring), and the end results were so cute that I selfishly collected all the sheets to bring back with me to Canada. I want to stick them on my wall!

Wednesday night was the second last Gloria Patri Learning Centre evening, and we had a fun class, before heading to Bu Langlang's warung for dinner. I've eaten at this warung before (and I think I've mentioned it in past blog posts- the owner is from the church, and she has the biggest smile in the world, and is just unbelievably kind), and we were not disappointed. Bu Langlang had even gotten Kue Bandung prepared for me, because she knows it's my favourite. (At least I think that's what happened- she never said anything, but it was ready and waiting for us, and in my favourite flavour to boot). I've been invited to learn how to cook with her, an invitation that I wholeheartedly accepted since her food is so delicious. From dinner, Debora and I headed to Simpang Lima to see if that Batik Expo was still going, but it had shut down, so we headed on home on her motorbike (I with one hand on my chest, to prevent another little incident like the one on Tuesday).

Thursday was again a busy day, and made even busier (but more fun) by another batik endeavour with Bu Yanti and Bu Christin, another teacher. We went to a Batik store specializing specifically in Semarang Batik, and the owner there has offered me a free batik lesson. I've taken some batik lessons before, but this lady uses the electric wax machine (modern stuff!!) and I have only used the fire-lit wax, so this is bound to be a fun little adventure. I think I'm going sometime in June to learn alongside her- for free!! The kindness of people here is really overwhelming.

At PPA, we discussed plans for an upcoming end-of-the-year party, to take place on June 21 and 22 (two parties for two different groups of kids). The staff there are so excited about this, and I am too! We have all sorts of ideas for decorating, for food, and for games. We've decided to make a pinata too, which will be new for many of them. Speaking of parties, something that I have long been meaning to mention is my encounter with a boy who had never celebrated his birthday before. It was at the Gloria Patri centre, and Bu Linda brought a cake in for him. We all sang him Happy Birthday, and there were candles and everything. He's a really quiet boy, about 14 or 15 years old, and he just looked completely overwhelmed that people would bring him a cake and sing for him. It was a really special moment for me to witness, and one that sticks in my mind as a reminder of how much I take for granted, and how important it is to really appreciate those things that seem so little, like a birthday cake on my birthday. (So thank-you Mom and both Grandmas, for always making me a birthday cake. And mom, I won't be so picky about the shape anymore ;).)

Friday began on a not-so-positive note, for no other reason than I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and for reasons I don't know, I could not muster up any positive energy for the vast majority of the day. It improved at PPA, when the kids went around in a circle and each told me something that they will remember about me when I leave (the focus on my departure is increasing by the day!). I was particularly touched by those who said that they will remember me for making them feel comfortable and at ease. I think that sometimes people here are intimidated by the presence of a bule like myself, and I am overjoyed that I can go home knowing that I have not left people here with that impression (or at least not my PPA kids anyways).

I was anticipating a bit of a break yesterday as this week has been so busy, but the day ended up filling up from beginning to end. I gave my TK-B kiddies their tests that I have been preparing this week. I'm responsible for giving them their English grades, and it's really tough to grade kindergarten aged kids. I made the tests really really easy, and promised each of them a sticker once the tests were done, and this saved me from dealing with tears, as I encountered when I gave them their tests last term. Giving out the stickers ended up being one of the highlights of my week. My TK kiddies have not been overindulged to the point of taking for granted the value of a high quality sticker, and it took me forever to get the stickers passed out, as each one of them carefully considered their options, and then equally as carefully, peeled the sticker from the sticker sheet. 

Silly little guys!

I may be a bit biased, but I think these kids are the most awesome kids in the world.

Just hangin'! ;)

I joined the play group for their dance competition/promotion for the school, which took place in a large department store. In the afternoon, after a delicious lunch of mashed potatoes and broccoli casserole (prepared lovingly by my host mom), we headed off to Kudus to drop off Nanek (my host grandma) at Ibu Vonny's sister's house. Nanek's sibling, who lives in Surabaya (about 6 hours away) is ill, so Nanek has gone there to spend some time at the hospital. My host father, who is originally from Kudus and is a food expert, brought us to one of his favourite places for some traditional Kudus food, and then picked up about a half dozen other dishes to bring home and eat there. I added cow lungs to my list of new foods, as well as soto kerbau (buffalo soup), and a few other little treats. I'm trying to cram as many new foods in me as I can! Saturday night was youth, and then a dinner of all the Kudus foods.

Today was a Sunday as typical as Sundays can be, and tomorrow is looking to be a typical Monday in Salatiga. I'm anticipating this week to be filled with music practices, preparation for an end-of-the-year party for Gloria Patri, prep for the PPA parties, and prep for the TK-A tests that I will be giving on Friday (along with more stickers).

Phew, what a post! Thanks for sticking with me!
Have an awesome day!

Lots of love,
Ellery

Ascension Day Break!

Good Morning!!

Happy long weekend Monday to my Canadian friends and family! I hope you've had a chance, or will have a chance, to catch some fireworks and other May Long Weekend festivities! To those of you in the Niagara region, I do hope that someone attended the Virgil Stampede, and rode the Zipper on my behalf. (Austin? I leave that job in your hands.)

As I was riding the bus today, I watched a woman walk by with a curved machete in hand. In my mind, I transported that same woman onto good ol' Mississauga Street in my hometown in Canada, and pictured her walking towards the plaza with her machete in tow. For some reason, I just don't think that machete would go over very well. It made me chuckle a little to contemplate yet again, how different our perceptions of "normal" are. Woman with a machete? Nothing weird about that! Chickens hanging in bunches from the back of a motorcycle? No problem! Buses that keep moving as you get on and off? Of course! A white woman walking down the street? Ooooo, everyone stop and stare, because that is weird.

I got away with a pretty easy week this past week, what with the five day holiday, beginning last Thursday. I was at school from Monday through Wednesday, engaging in my typical weekly routine. Gloria Patri was canceled on Wednesday, but my host sister invited me to join her and her friends to see a movie and grab dinner, so I was glad to be able to do that.

Thursday morning was church, an Ascension Day service. For some reason, Ascension Day is a national holiday (here in a primarily Muslim country... I feel as though we're being gypped over there in Canada), and is also a cause for (another) church service. We headed there at the usual time of 7:30 AM, and were there until about 10:30. From church, my host family and I headed off to Kudus, stopping for some oleh-oleh (food-based souvenirs) for those we were going to visit. Oleh-oleh is a BIG DEAL here, something I learned the hard way upon my return from my week in Gili Trawangan. Rather than being asked how the trip was, many people asked me, "Di mana oleh-oleh?" (Where are the souvenirs?) I hadn't really brought anything back for people, aside from my host family, and that left a lot (a LOT) of people quite disappointed. I've been closely observing the oleh-oleh tradition over the past few weeks, and have noticed that every single time someone goes to another city, even just for an afternoon, they bring back oleh-oleh for others, even those they aren't necessarily closely connected with. I guess that was expected of me, and by many people (even those I don't know all that well), since I'm well-known by a lot of people here. Awkward as it was, it was certainly a very tangible learning experience in cultural differences and expectations! Anyways, from the oleh-oleh store, we headed to Kudus, where we spent time with both Pak Har's and Ibu Vonny's families. My host father, the master orchestrator of surprises and get-togethers, worked hard to make it possible for me to see Jason during our visit. While it didn't happen exactly as anticipated, Jason and I wound up seeing each other by fluke, as we both ended up at the same restaurant in the mountains outside the city of Kudus, for lunch. What the odds of that were, I'm not sure. Why it didn't surprise me in the slightest, is also a mystery to me.

On Friday, I was picked up by my principal at 8AM to do some "jalan-jalan"ing (sightseeing) around Semarang. She had heard that I had not yet been to Lawang Sewu, and since that is just about the only tourist site here in Semarang (unless you count the Paragon Mall, which really actually is quite something), she felt it necessary that I see it before I leave. For those of you interested in history (thinking of you, Grandpa, Uncle Vic, and Andrew), Lawang Sewu (Javanese for "Thousand Doors", named because the number of doors within the complex total more than one thousand) was built for use by the Dutch in the early 1900's, as part of their railway system. It was taken over by the Japanese in 1942, and the basement of one of the buildings was turned into a prison, where several people were executed. The Dutch took it back during the Battle of Semarang in 1945, and the Indonesian Army claimed it after the war, where it was later returned to the national railway company. (Thank you, Wikipedia!) It is only in the last few years that the place has become a tourist attraction, though many are too scared to visit it based upon rumours of it being haunted (such rumours being perpetuated by the top-quality Indo horror film entitled Lawang Sewu: Kuntilanak's Vengeance). Anyways, we toured this new-found tourist site, which is still undergoing massive restoration efforts, and then headed over to the oldest church in Semarang, conveniently located in the part of the city called "Old Semarang City." The church is another remnant of the days of the Dutch, and it features a beautiful old pipe organ, and original stained glass windows. Here, however, I found myself to be more of a tourist attraction than the church, as people stopped me several times for pictures, and for an interview (both common occurrences). From the church, we made our way to the nearby Pasar Johar, whose claim to fame is that it was once the biggest market in Southeast Asia. I believe it too- the place is HUGE! I've been there once before, but saw none of the same places this time that I saw last time. Pasar Johar is about as traditional as markets come, with narrow maze-like passageways, surprise staircases, and just about every item for sale that a person could possibly think of. The one thing it lacks- and this is key- is people. Pasar Johar has been declining in popularity, as the younger generation is favouring clean, air conditioned malls and supermarkets over the traditional market. It kind of makes me sad to think of all of these local vendors who must really struggle to make a living as their stalls receive less and less customers. They can offer lower prices, but they cannot offer the modern comforts, and it seems that people are willing to pay the extra cost to shop with ease. I can understand why the shift is taking place- in fact, I'm a part of the shift that's taking place- but it's too bad that so many people lack the business they once had. After the market (where my principal bought some ikan asin, or salty fish), we headed out for Gulai Kepala Ikan, essentially fish head soup. I admit that I was quite leery of this little delicacy, but remembering the promise I made myself to say yes to new opportunities, I selected one of the varieties, and sipped my iced tea whilst nervously anticipating the arrival of said soup. Within 10 minutes, I found myself staring at what was indeed the head of some sort of fish, floating in a red broth with chiles and leaves. I took my first tentative spoonful, my principal eying me from across the table. Thoughts on the fish head soup? Absolutely delicious. It may even make the Top 5 List of Favourite Indo Foods. It was just awesome! I've had quite a bit of experience with picking fish meat right from the bone, so this really wasn't all that different, except that this fish still had the scales on it (it took forever to eat, since half the experience is pulling scales out of your mouth), and rather than picking the meat off the body, I was picking it out of the skull. I figured I'd go all the way, and ate the lips and eye too, which I'm sorry to say was rather anticlimactic- just more small pieces of meat. It was a great suggestion on part of my principal, and I was glad to add that on to my list of new experiences here in the Indo.

Riki came over late on Friday afternoon, just as I was finishing a MUCH-needed room cleaning. She slept over on Friday night, and on Saturday morning, we headed to Salatiga. I had arranged to spend the weekend at Pak Lilik and Ibu Christin's place, and so, after eating lunch with those who were in Salatiga, I headed to my former host family's house for the night. We had rendang for dinner, another one of my favourite Indo foods, and then I played with the boys until bed time. I opted out of church on Sunday morning (a much needed break- church here is nothing like church at home, and I have to say, I'm getting a bit drained), and woke up late to Pak Lilik frying pancakes for breakfast. Talk about a pleasant Sunday morning!! After breakfast, I went over to Dan and Jeanne's, where I met Riki, Nicole, Nancy, and Laura- all the girls except for Lweendo were in Salatiga for the weekend! We had just the most relaxing day ever, hanging out together in the huge closed-in porch, and then beginning the endeavour that had brought us all together in the first place- roll kuchen! For my non-Mennonite friends, roll kuchen is a Russian Menno food. It's probably the most basic of all the Mennonite foods I know, as it is simply fried dough. Simple as it is, however, the debates in the kitchen over how to prepare, fry, and serve the roll kuchen, would have made anyone think that roll kuchen is a vastly complex dish. Some of us used baking powder in our recipes, some didn't. Some used cream, some used oil. Some grew up with the fancy, twisted roll kuchen. Others grew up with the simple slit in the middle. Some remember them being small, some remember them big. Some of us eat them with watermelon, others had never heard of this tradition (shame on you, Riki!!! ;) ). Some of us have grown up eating roll kuchen as a side dish/in addition to meat. Others thought that this was preposterous. Some of us have eaten them topped with jam, others with sugar, and others with syrup. When it came down to it, we made a recipe with oil and baking powder, prepared both shapes, and opted for a meatless meal, but included LOTS of watermelon, and toppings to satisfy everyone's traditions. We slightly overestimated the quantity we'd need, and quintupled the recipe, leaving us with three extra platters that required inviting back-up consumers to plow through them. They were nothing like my Grandma's roll kuchen (think more along the lines of a thin, fried biscuit), but the first-time consumers (such as Paul, who introduced them to his friends as "strauss-heiffen", remembering that they were called something German-sounding, but forgetting the real name) were none-the-wiser, and everyone really enjoyed them. Sushant and Priti even came from Solo to attend the gathering. It really felt like a Sunday evening at home, with good friends and good food, and a beautiful home to enjoy it in.

With Bu Yanti, my principal, at Lawang Sewu (House of One Thousand Doors)

Surrounded by all kinds of "Ikan Asin" (Salty Fish) at Pasar Johar, the local traditional market

And in keeping with the fish theme, here we have the Gulai Kepala Ikan- Fish Head Soup

Today was another cooking/baking day for me, as Ibu Rini (Pak Lilik and Ibu Christin's helper) and Ibu Christin taught me how to make an awesome pizza dough and delicious pizza sauce. Ibu Rini used to work in a bistro, and picked up some tricks along the way. She's confident in her cooking skills, and she has every right to be- she's a phenomenal cook. Nancy joined me, and together we learned the secrets to a delicious pizza sauce (that also works as a spaghetti sauce), and an incredible pizza dough (that can also be used to make buns!). It was a fun morning, and I'm excited to tuck a few more recipes under my belt- soon I'll be cooking for myself and for roommates again! I stopped in at the office for a little while after lunch, where I found a letter waiting for me, which always makes my day! I hung out with Laura and Nancy for a bit, and we chatted about the upcoming baby shower that we'll be throwing for Karen and Major (not a surprise shower), which was fun to talk about! I said good-bye to Dan and Jeanne, who will be going back to the States for their home leave, beginning next week. They won't be back again until after us YALTers have all headed back home ourselves. We've been lucky to serve under their leadership, and I've learned a lot from Dan and Jeanne over these last nine months. I wish them a very restful and rejuvenating home leave!


I headed back to Semarang, arriving just after 5PM, and am now back here in my room. Tonight consists of prep for classes, as tomorrow marks the beginning of one of the last "normal" weeks here in the Indo. The Gloria Patri Learning Centre ends on May 30th, and the TK school year comes to a close on June 15th. I watched all my TK-B kiddies get their "grad" photos taken (complete with little robes and graduation hats- I've never seen anything as cute as that!!), and a tear came to my eye as I thought of hugging them all good-bye on their last day. They're an awesome group of kiddies, and I'll really miss them when they graduate.

Anyways, I'll let you get back to enjoying this holiday Monday! Have a great day, everyone!!
Lots of love,
Ellery

The Wedding

Good Morning!

I hope that this morning finds you happy, healthy, and in the celebrating spirit, because... it's Mother's Day! Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! (And a special little shout-out to my own mom and grandmas, with whom I wish I could be today!)

Well I think this week officially wins for the longest week ever here in the Indo. It just draaaaagged by, and it seemed that it would never come to an end. But alas it did, as all weeks do, and here I am on Sunday afternoon, hanging out in the spare room with Laura, typing this post to you, my dear friends and family. (I think that sentence holds the most commas I've ever used in a single sentence. And I even omitted 2!) I think that a contributing factor to this seemingly endless week was that I went in to TK on Monday, rather than embark on my weekly adventure to Salatiga. I'm doing the same tomorrow (one of the teachers is absent), but the school week is only three days next week, and then there's a holiday from Thursday to Sunday. I'm making up for two missed Mondays in Salatiga by spending next weekend at Pak Lilik and Ibu Christin's place, learning to cook some delicious foods, and just hanging out with my little "brothers." I miss those little guys!

This week also felt extremely busy, much more so than usual. There was my normal schedule, of course, consisting of TK, radio, and PPA. On Wednesday night however, I was invited to the 13th birthday party of the daughter of a friend of Pak Har's, who is also an active member in my church here. In all honesty, it took me until Wednesday morning to decide if I was going, and I had to remind myself of the commitment I made at the beginning of the year to say "yes" to every opportunity that presents itself (a commitment that I have at times kicked myself for making, as it has landed me in some less-than-exciting situations. The fishing birthday for one, or the seminar on cervical cancer in Bahasa Indonesia, for another). I was finally told that I was going, and with a mix of relief that the decision had been made, and resentment that the power to choose was ripped from my hands, I headed off to the party at 5PM on Wednesday night. The party turned out to be a dinner for the girl, at a local Chinese restaurant. 43 guests turned out for the event, including teachers, friends, and some family. There was a huge meal, and the birthday girl walked out with 4 grocery bags and one (costo-sized) garbage bag full of gifts. The mom had invited me to sleep over that night, but I turned down that part of the invitation, as TK started early the next morning.

On Friday night, I attended a pre-wedding dinner for Ibu Vonny's cousin, at another local restaurant. The invitations to the wedding, which was yesterday (Saturday) were presented in a wooden box, and carved out of the box itself. When I saw those, I knew that it wouldn't be an ordinary wedding. The dinner on Friday night was also a hint of what was to come, with seven courses being presented at the dinner. Ibu Vonny's extended family were super warm and welcoming, and the ones I talked to seemed to love me (more in the "what a cute little child" way, but I'll take what I can get). I acquired a new "Oma", who laughed and echoed whatever I said in Bahasa Indonesia, and invited me to sleep over at her place sometime soon. (I'm really banking up the sleepover invites!) My host family seemed extra proud of me, telling everyone how I loved Indonesian foods, how I could really handle spice well, and how I am already fluent in the language (the three most important things to people here ;) ). It was certainly an ego-boosting event, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

On Saturday, I had a free late morning and early afternoon, which I used to indulge in some pleasure reading (Harry Potter!), and then in the evening was the wedding. We arrived just shortly before six, and as I got out of the van, I noticed the "Congratulations" signs, and knew right away that all of my suspicions about the quality of this wedding were about to be confirmed. "Congratulations" signs are my way of explaining this massive (MASSIVE) signs from businesses or companies that know the couple and want to wish them well. Some weddings have none, some have 5 or 10. This one must have had about 70. We stepped inside the entrance to the hall, and my host family passed their envelope to the attendants (money is nearly always the means of gift-giving here), which they inserted into one of the seven boxes lined up. These were no ordinary boxes though. The boxes were at the base of fish tanks, and the money was shoved through a tube in the centre of these fish tanks, into the box below. That out of the way, we headed into the auditorium, stopping to take some pictures with the giant fake flower-covered peacocks in the front entrance. We walked under fake ivy with hundreds of lit lanterns, and then into the absolutely enormous auditorium. Seriously, it was so big that the rooms off the sides had big screen TVs in them so that they could see the events of the wedding from their seats. The entire hall was decked out in drapery and flowers and hanging paper flowers and peacocks. There was seating for nearly 2000 people, and it was filled. There was a raised catwalk lighted by six candelabras, leading to the main stage. The main stage was nearly concert-sized, which seemed necessary, because the sweeping staircase up to the mammoth fake cake (perched in a little gazebo about 15 feet off the ground) would have looked a bit squished on a smaller stage. Weddings here are typically filled with "entertainment" (most often a terrible MC and a guy with an electric keyboard) from beginning to end, and this was no exception. However, the electric keyboard was replaced by a white baby grand piano, and the couple had added violins, percussion, and woodwinds to round it out. The MCs were just as typical as always, but the entertainment, which included Indonesian Idol runner-up (flown in from Jakarta), was a bit atypical, to say the least. The eight course meal (also traditional of Chinese weddings) was catered by one of the most upscale restaurants in Semarang, and included shark's fin soup (animal lovers, please don't judge me- it was served right to me, and one really cannot get out of eating things here. Trust me!), steak, and roasted duck. The waiters did a little show with the appetizers prior to beginning the meal. Other features of the wedding include two bubble machines, a fog machine, and eight of those giant sparkler things that go off at big concerts, spewing pretty fire. I could go on and on about little details here and there, but I will conclude the wedding description just by stating that it was by FAR the most over-the-top wedding I have ever seen, and it was a truly memorable experience.

While I have not outright said it, I don't think it's all that difficult, through reading my blog, to pick up on the lifestyle that I have found myself living here in Indonesia. The topics of affluence and status and their roles in my life here are ones that I have wanted to broach since my fifth day in this country, when I got my first glimpse into what my life outside of Salatiga would look like.This year in Indonesia has certainly taken a different path than I was envisioning, and has landed me in circumstances that I never could have anticipated when I signed up to do this experience. I have, many times, attempted a blog post on it, but have either erased the content or left it unposted, as the final products have not accurately explained what I have wanted to say. I still am unable to describe things or answer the questions that run through my mind, and rather than attempting that here, where my words could cause unintended offense or confusion, I've decided that this area is one that can be better unpacked and examined once I am removed from it, and can reflect upon it. There is a lot I'd like to say about this topic, but I feel like my blog is not the appropriate place to do so. Anyways, I just wanted to add this in here as a small explanation for anyone who has followed my blogs and been confused about the content and how it can be reconciled with with the goals and values of SALT, and as an acknowledgement that, while I am nothing but grateful to my host parents and to my host community for all they do for me, I too am filled with conflicting emotions and a lot of confusion surrounding particular elements of my lifestyle here.

With that, I leave you to enjoy what I hope is an absolutely beautiful day!

Once again, Happy Mother's Day!
Love,
Ellery

The Ordinary Beginnings of an Ordinary Week

Good Morning!

In typical Ellery fashion, I am in the "post frequently" phase of one of my "post-nothing-and-then-post-frequently" cycles. I thought that, in addition to a little update on the last few days, I'd use this post to write out some things that I have been reflecting upon, particularly pertaining to my purpose for being here this year. Forgive me for any off-course ramblings that may result. :)

I forgot to mention in my last post one of the little ways that God was at work in my life here on Friday. I woke up feeling rather blue, facing my first day "alone" again after 19 days of the company of other SALTers and Andrew. While I thought I did a good job of covering up my feelings at school, the teachers were not fooled (though they were kind enough to not say anything about it in the moment). 9:30 is always break time at school, and as I was sitting down for the half an hour "istirahat", my phone beeped. I checked it to find a text from Riki, saying that she was in my host dad's store at the moment, as her host family was buying a new computer. Riki! From a village three hours away! What were the odds of that? I didn't ask questions, but fairly ran home to find Riki in the shop. Within five minutes, we rearranged both of our schedules to accommodate an impromptu lunch date, and then Riki joined me at the TK for the rest of the morning. It was at this point that the teachers mentioned how I had seemed quite depressed in the morning, but was looking much happier now. I felt a little bad about that (that the company of my host community couldn't perk me up the same way that a fellow SALTer could), but it is in those "low" moments that I really need someone with whom I can easily talk to (because speaking in a language other than one's native tongue requires a lot of extra concentration), and who understands where I'm coming from. Riki gave me some positive affirmation after watching me teach a lesson, and then we were off to have lunch together. Even though she had to leave around 3, having Riki here for those few hours made such a difference in my mood. It was one time when the Indonesian randomness of life just happened to work in our favour! I think the good Lord above knew what I needed, and sent Riki my way to fulfill that need. It definitely salvaged the day for me.

On Saturday morning, after teaching a quick lesson to TK-B (we're in the midst of an animal unit, and learned about cats on Saturday), I headed off on another Outbound adventure with my play group. This is the fourth trip of this nature that I have taken between Easter weekend and now, between TK, PPA, and youth. This time, we went to an adventure park that had a "ropes"activity, a playground, a petting zoo, paddle boat rides, and a splash pad. We spent the morning going through the activities (or more accurately, standing under the scrawny palm trees while the three year olds endured the heat) , following it up with lunch at the park, before heading back to the church. A particular highlight of this little endeavour was when the animal guy threw corn for the caged pigeons to consume, and they all flocked at once, swooping dangerously close to my face in their mad dash for food. Fun times indeed.

That Friday get-together with Riki was followed up by yet another impromptu visit on Saturday afternoon, from none other than my dear Laura. Some people from her school had a revival to attend at the Holy Stadium in Semarang, and they offered to drop her off at my house while that was going on. We hung out for awhile, and then headed over to church for youth, before coming back and eating dinner at my place. Laura left around 9, and I was able to chat with Andrew for the first time since he left, making Saturday a really great day overall!

Sunday morning was church as usual (I think the pastor had banked up some passion after a somewhat subdued service last week, and we were all the beneficiaries of that), and then it was out for lunch to celebrate Pak Har's birthday. Now if there is one thing I can tell you about my host dad, it is that he knows and loves his foods. We don't always see eye-to-eye when describing a food as "enak" ("delicious"), but when it comes to eating out, he usually hits the nail right on the head, and the result has been some pretty phenomenal meals here in Semarang. Sunday was no exception, and I found myself seated in a Chinese restaurant (my host family is Ethnic Chinese), with a spread of shrimp, beef, soup, and- the highlight of the meal- Peking duck, before me. I've never tried Peking duck before, but it was absolutely delicious. In fact the whole meal was phenomenal- there wasn't a thing that I didn't enjoy. (Much unlike an experience a few weeks ago where I was taken out for "Padang", a type of restaurant that serves a small plate of a whoooole bunch- 23 to be exact- different dishes, and has you pay for the ones you eat, while the others are served to another table. These dishes are served at the typical room temperature, and items range from goat stomach to intestines to some sort of hoof, and everything in between. I liked precisely one of the 23 dishes.) After Pak Har's birthday lunch, we stopped by the Chinese Traditional Market, which smelled very much like raw warm chicken meat (likely because there was raw warm chicken meat for sale). Many people at the market were excited by the sighting of a bule, and I was able to take a whole bunch of pictures as a result. From the market, we headed off for the weekly trip to the mall, then to the bookstore, and then back home again. We laid low for the afternoon and evening, and I was wildly unproductive with my time.

This morning I went to the TK rather than to Salatiga, as I normally would on a Monday, since I took last Thursday morning off to see Andrew off. Mondays are the kiddies' dance classes, and that is always a real treat to watch. I also learned how to cook a really delicious dessert/soup/beverage that Bu Intan has made several times this year, and that I really enjoy. I'm curious to see if I'll be able to find all of the ingredients for it back in Canada. If I can, I've found my substitute for hot chocolate and tea this winter! It's funny, before coming to Indonesia, and even in my first few months in the Indo, I thought that Canada doesn't lack anything, food-wise. Of course, I was coming at it from a Western food search perspective. Now, as I am trying to get my hands on some of my favourite Indonesian recipes, I find myself thinking, "man, I don't think I'm going to be able to get my hands on banana leaves or coconut jellies or "nangka" very easily." Even if I can find the ingredients, I have a feeling that they'll be rather costly. I cannot envision paying a lot for banana leaves, which are used here indispensably, found in even the cheapest dishes, and used to wrap food-to-go.

This afternoon consisted of a failed attempt to tackle the mess that is my room, and some searching online for Indonesian restaurants in Kitchener. The one that got good reviews costs $60-100 per person! I am going to have to make the most of this 2 months, food-wise especially...

Have a great day!
Love,
Ellery