October has arrived

Two weeks of teaching in Indonesia are officially down in the history books. I often wake up and wonder if I'm actually here or if this all just a dream. It's hard to believe that October is already upon us. There are a few things that have made me somewhat nostalgic while welcoming the new month. For one, I was unable to see our Beloved Britney make her comeback on Glee Tuesday night. It made my Wednesday morning a little rough. While attempting to listen diligently to my students speak about the most important person in their lives, I couldn't help but wonder whether or not Britney was singing one of her old classics like Baby One More Time or keeping it current with something like 3. I wondered whether or not you could see her hair extensions or if she sang a duet with Mr. Scheuster. My biggest concern really, was whether or not she did well and that the writers paid enough homage to her. These things are important, you know? And how about those San Francisco Giants? What a run! It's painful not having the option to even watch the highlights on ESPN. Come playoff time, I'll be putting myself up in an international hotel for a few nights where I can watch the games, no doubt.

Classes went well this week. My students are young and bright-eyed and eager for more. I can't help but giggle when they remind me their names. Seksi and Titis were partners the other day and I couldn't help but add Mala (bad, in Spanish) to their group, more for my own entertainment than anything else. For two days in a row, every student that walked through my classroom door had done their homework, which is unheard of, really. I mean, when was the last time a teacher collected completed assignments from every single student in the classroom, even if they were absent the week prior? Amazing, really. They blew my mind.

The University campus is an older one. There is a new one being built that will be ready for us to move into by January. Everyone is looking forward to the move, as it is located on a hill above the city among all kinds of greenery and on a lot of acreage. It's beautiful, really. Monday afternoon we celebrated the completion of the Humanities building and traveled to the new school together as a department for a what I thought would be a small gathering. When I walked in however, there were people everywhere, all wearing their finest Batik. Yikes. I looked down and realized that I was wearing a sweaty pair of navy blue pants on which I had spilled yogurt earlier. God. Of course. I spotted a familiar English teacher who waved and motioned for me to join them. Thank God. She introduced me to her peers and explained that this was a very typical celebration here in Indonesia. Once a new building is complete, you bless it before you use it. The blessing is a party consisting of prayers, food, music and then more food. Everyone was speaking Bahasa Indonesia so all I could really offer was a smile and lots of nodding. Once the ceremony began we all took our seats on the floor and sat and listened to each speaker. Twenty minutes later and not a single word understood, I hear my name spoken into the microphone. Crap! The woman next to me nudged my arm and whispered to stand up. Ummmm, okay. Next thing I know the gentleman with the microphone is asking me to sing Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone. Pardon me? I politely declined, then was asked again. "No thank you", I said. "I'm really sorry ". Cricket... Cricket... I looked back at the gentleman and apologized again, then took my seat, ears on fire and heart pumping. The woman a few people down offered to sing and belted out a rousing rendition of the first few lines, then gave up because she didn't know the rest of the words. I felt bad. Really, really bad. Soon thereafter the food portion of the celebration began, something that I am much better at participating in than singing. Everyone was handing me something different to try. I happily accepted, and soon found myself unable to balance the plethora of delights in my two hands. In one word I can describe this part of the afternoon: Delicious. "Oh, Miss Noreen, have some more". Never one to turn down seconds I ate until the party was over. We had rice, vegetables, chicken soup, coconut juice, fresh papaya. The only minor consequence came the next morning, when everyone in the office was giggling, explaining that they had yet to see someone eat so much. Really? REALLY? How little they know me...

I'll end this post with an explanation of something that I mentioned earlier. I asked my Upper Intermediate Speaking students to come to class this week prepared to talk about the most important and influential person in their lives. They did a fantastic job. One student spoke about Raphael Nadal and explained what an inspiration he was to her and her aspiration to work in the world of fitness. Another student spoke about Johnny Depp and how he aspires to be an international actor solely because of Depp's work. However, as we went around the room the common theme was that of family. I heard student after student describe their mothers and fathers as the most important and influential people in their lives. They spoke so highly of the role of their parents and with such passion. One young girl was brought to tears as she described her father and the sacrifices he has made for his family. It was a moving morning. We all learned a little something new about one another in that classroom. For the first time I didn't care that there was sweat dripping down my back. I was exactly where I wanted to be. And when it was my turn? I followed suit and shared with my students my Mom and Dad, who are by far the most important and inspiring people that I know. Love you both.

I'll post some pictures when the Internet isn't so slow.

Les mando besitos.

Be well.

Noreen