It's time for another update! I've been pretty busy the past couple weeks, which is good. I can't complain. A few weekends ago I met up with some other SALTers and we went to the beach in Jepara on the northern coast of Central Java. Despite our wish for a weekend of relaxation, there were some frustrations as we got ripped off by locals who offered transportation, a group of (noisy) highschool students there at the same time - which inevitably called for photo shoots with the foreigners, and not as much sunshine as we had hoped for. Despite some of these minor discomforts it was nice to be there and get away from the usual routines we have started to become accustomed to.
A couple weekends ago I had the opportunity to speak ("teach" as they called it) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Kartosura --it's a Muslim University in case you didn't catch that in the name -- I was supposed to talk about education in Canada... I did what I could in the few days I had to prepare with limited computer access, and tried my best to answer their questions that mostly had to do with Elementary school and High school curriculum, classes, etc. . The students were actually completing their Master's in education and most of them are principals and teachers already. It made me feel pretty silly being there as an inexperienced, recent International Development Studies graduate. Ah well, it was a good experience. I "taught" 2 sessions - one Friday night and another the next morning - 2 and 3 hours long, respectively. At the end, we ran out of things to talk about (they had no more questions thankfully, and I had nothing else to say about what I know little about) so I showed them pictures of Canada, highlights of scenery and tourist attractions, and answered their questions. And they insisted I sing O Canada for them, so I also got to sing the national anthem. They were just like high school students, whipping their phones and cameras out and taking pictures with me before they left...it was pretty great.
Last week there was a visitor in town from the US who is a youth pastor at a JKI (one of the Indonesian Mennonite Church synods) church in Los Angeles -- apparently there are a lot of Indonesians in LA. So I got to accompany her around Central Java as she visited several other churches, went to Solo, Borobudur, Jogja, ate out at nice restaurants and common warungs (where we tried Swike - FROG....tastes just like chicken), visited a coffee plantation, malls, ate famous Bandungan tofu and soy milk, and even spent one night at a spa/hotel. It was a nice chance for me to jelan-jelan (go around) and see some sights too.
The students have finished their end of term tests and are now practicing for the Christmas celebration which is on Saturday. I get to be an angel and lead the grade one kids around on stage as they wave palm branches...haha they can barely even line up right, it should be funny. I'm also playing some piano when they sing Ding Dong Merrily on High. It's my big debut! haha. Next week the MCC Christmas get-together is happening in Salatiga which will be nice. We always look forward to getting together and eating haha, we are Mennonite after all! I've found from talking to different people that Christmas in Indonesia is much more focused on the celebration of Jesus' Birth (what it should be) rather than a family holiday. I do miss many aspects of the Christmas celebration that I'm used to, but being here is helping me to think a lot more about what we are celebrating...and how commercialized and secular the season has become. So even though I miss home and what I'm accustomed to as Christmas, I can't deny that it is good to be here and experience a different kind of Christmas celebrating.
Christmas day will entail an early wakeup (Sunrise- which might be 4:30 or so) for the city celebration - all the churches come together for one joint service in the middle of town. Following that, there is a service at the church I attend - complete with choir, orchestra, drama, etc. and probably food. I don't think there are family get-togethers, which is why the few days around Christmas are packed with church activities. The day after Christmas is a Sunday right?? Soo probably more Christmas celebrating at church that day too.
I think that brings us pretty much up to date.
Sorry for the delay on updating... it's rainy season now, so I don't make it to internet as often. When it rains, it pourrrs! ahaha And people say it's cold...they don't know cold! That's what I tell them. "Ini tidak dingin...CANADA dingin sekali" ...they have no concept of anything below 20 degrees celsius!
Until next post! Thanks for reading:)
Last week there was a visitor in town from the US who is a youth pastor at a JKI (one of the Indonesian Mennonite Church synods) church in Los Angeles -- apparently there are a lot of Indonesians in LA. So I got to accompany her around Central Java as she visited several other churches, went to Solo, Borobudur, Jogja, ate out at nice restaurants and common warungs (where we tried Swike - FROG....tastes just like chicken), visited a coffee plantation, malls, ate famous Bandungan tofu and soy milk, and even spent one night at a spa/hotel. It was a nice chance for me to jelan-jelan (go around) and see some sights too.
The students have finished their end of term tests and are now practicing for the Christmas celebration which is on Saturday. I get to be an angel and lead the grade one kids around on stage as they wave palm branches...haha they can barely even line up right, it should be funny. I'm also playing some piano when they sing Ding Dong Merrily on High. It's my big debut! haha. Next week the MCC Christmas get-together is happening in Salatiga which will be nice. We always look forward to getting together and eating haha, we are Mennonite after all! I've found from talking to different people that Christmas in Indonesia is much more focused on the celebration of Jesus' Birth (what it should be) rather than a family holiday. I do miss many aspects of the Christmas celebration that I'm used to, but being here is helping me to think a lot more about what we are celebrating...and how commercialized and secular the season has become. So even though I miss home and what I'm accustomed to as Christmas, I can't deny that it is good to be here and experience a different kind of Christmas celebrating.
Christmas day will entail an early wakeup (Sunrise- which might be 4:30 or so) for the city celebration - all the churches come together for one joint service in the middle of town. Following that, there is a service at the church I attend - complete with choir, orchestra, drama, etc. and probably food. I don't think there are family get-togethers, which is why the few days around Christmas are packed with church activities. The day after Christmas is a Sunday right?? Soo probably more Christmas celebrating at church that day too.
I think that brings us pretty much up to date.
Sorry for the delay on updating... it's rainy season now, so I don't make it to internet as often. When it rains, it pourrrs! ahaha And people say it's cold...they don't know cold! That's what I tell them. "Ini tidak dingin...CANADA dingin sekali" ...they have no concept of anything below 20 degrees celsius!
Until next post! Thanks for reading:)
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