To Poop, or Not To Poop...

A few students playing some music on campus

Today marks October 24. It was a little over two months ago that I embarked on this journey. What a whirlwind it has been! I have just completed week 5 at the University and am up to my ears in student essays and scholarship recommendation letters. I adore these kids, though. There's something about their willingness and sincere appreciation that helps me realize why I chose the path I did. Over the past three weeks I have been the Keynote speaker at a National Seminar (I know right? Really?), been on television twice (I'm channeling my inner Jennifer Aniston) and hiked to the top of one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Do I get homesick from time to time? Of course. Do I feel lonely every once in a while? Most definitely. But this time, more than any other, I feel good about what I'm doing. I feel like I'm making progress as a human, as an educator, and even as a leader. Alright, enough sappy stuff...

Friends on top of Gunung Merbabu

Have you ever been told specifically not to poop? I imagine not. I mean, it's not something that would normally be forbidden. For someone like me, this is similar to telling a child not to take a cookie from the cookie jar. Once you tell them no, they immediately grab! When you tell me not to poop, my stomach automatically does a reverse flip and sends me flying to the nearest facility. Keep reading. An explanation will follow. I was lucky enough to meet some amazing people over the last few weeks and two weekends ago was invited on a camping trip. I was over the moon with excitement for so many different reasons. I was getting out of the busy city and into nature with an incredible group of people who have taken me under their wings. On top of that, we were hiking! It's always nice to exercise outside of the gym (Although the Spin instructor had me at hello... What is it about them?). We left early Saturday morning and split up into three different cars. In my car on the way to the mountain it was my friend Ina who explained the four basic rules to the mountain, which were established over time in order to preserve its sacred value. 1) No Curse Words. Well, shit. 2) No Complaining. Okay. I've worked for Nike Tennis long enough to be able to follow this one well. 3) No Sex. Ha! Who in the world am I gonna break this rule with? One of the mountain goats? I'm not quite desperate enough for bestiality... at least not yet... 4) No Pooping. Oh, dear God. Turn around and take me home. I can't go! At the sound of this my morning coffee and corn flakes immediately lit up... and they already wanted out. I kept my sudden urge to myself and simply said a little prayer to the Poop God and asked that he hike with me that weekend... for the sake of the sacred mountain.

The view from the summit of Merbabu

We left base camp around 11 am Saturday morning and set out on a 5 hour climb up. We had an amazing group of porters with us who did a fantastic job of paving the way, finding the drinkable mountain water, acting as our security and transporting most of our equipment up the mountain, all the while smoking Marlboro Reds. Their stamina is unmatched. The climb was grueling, but very worth it. The views were breathtaking, the company great and the fresh air a relief. We reached our camp site around 4pm and set up shop. Ina had warned me that the weather would be cool. I figured that cool in Indonesia though, was maybe jeans and a sweatshirt. By 5 pm I was bundled up by the fire wearing two pairs of pants, four pairs of socks, a t-shirt, sweatshirt, jacket and a pair of gloves. We barbequed sausages that night and sat around the fire as Phil played the ukulele and everyone took their turn singing harmony. I could have sat there forever. My friend Vero and I shared a tent together and slept on and off for a few hours that night, struggling to keep warm and finding a comfortable position on the ground. By 5 am we were back up and drinking hot chocolate (I would have enjoyed some coffee but was fearful of rule 4. So far the Poop God had worked in my favor.). We left the campsite around 6 am in pursuit of the summit. An hour later we were enjoying the remarkable views from the top of Gunung Merbabu, something I'd never in a million years thought I'd be doing. It was the perfect way to spend a weekend. We returned to our campsite, enjoyed some breakfast, then began our descent.

Ina and I enjoying a little rest

Our incredible porters who carried this load all the way up

The view from our camp site

I also had the opportunity to (finally) take in some of the sites and sounds of Semarang. Although I live here, it's been hard to find the time and opportunities to really explore. Friends Wulan and Lestari, along with Pak Muntholib, the favorite of the university drivers, picked me up last Sunday morning for a day of sight-seeing. We traveled around the entire city, visiting a Chinese Temple (wait, aren't I in Indonesia???), Masjid Agung, the largest mosque in all of Central Java, an outdoor fish market, a coconut juice hut and a Hindu Temple above the city that overlooks all of Semarang. It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday and learn a little more about the city.

Masjid Agung

The inside of Masjid Agung

The view from the tower above Masjid Agung

Another view from the tower

The center of Semarang

A young coconut, being prepared for consumption

An outdoor fish market

These poor goats. They're about to be sold and turned into someone's dinner. I miss Fred.

Another somewhat exciting piece of this journey has been my participation on RELAX. I was asked by the RELO office in Jakarta to take part in a television program here in Central Java. Every Thursday the local television station airs an English Debate program designed for high school and university students to come and debate about an assigned topic. Topics have included sending Indonesians abroad to work, giving money to homeless people on the street, and giving condoms to "sex workers". I sit on stage and offer feedback and comments to each side, mostly praising them for their efforts. After commercial breaks, each school has a musical act who performs. Students come out and either sing a song or perform a choreographed dance. My first Thursday (in the picture above) I had the pleasure of listening to a young girl sing Right Here Waiting For You by Richard Marx. Okay, really? Do they not know my history with that song? Every time I hear it I get misty eyed and think back to my very first slow dance... at Nike Tennis Camp with a boy named Brian. My second Thursday there I was treated to a rendition of Bryan Adams' I'd Die for You from the movie Robin Hood. I could barely control the emotion. Angie, it took every muscle in my soul not to tear up and run off the stage for the nearest phone to call home to you. Jeezhus! After taping is over there is always a mad frenzy from each school to have their picture taken with me. It makes me giggle, really.

There I am, center stage on local television. So funny!

Other highlights include my amazing co-workers and friends, who keep the table in the office stocked with food and snacks. I've made some great friends from all over the world who I look forward to getting to know better. I take my vitamins everyday, get to the gym at least 5 times a week (partially because I'm in love with the Spin Instructor, but that's a different story) and have successfully tried all kinds of different Indonesian dishes.

Some great friends and co-workers, Pak Abu, Pak Arida, and Ibu Cristine
One of the many amazing dishes that Ibu Cristine brought for us all to enjoy
New friends, Janine from New Zealand and Beth from Ohio

On that note, I am off to dance around my little house, all alone, in celebration of the Giant's JUST clinching their spot in the World Series. I am so grateful that European ESPN is airing the games... Giant's, baby! GIANTS! Hummmmm baby!

Until next post...

Be well.

Noreen