Doing a little good

On our way to Sleman

The ladies (waiting for the guys during Friday prayer)
Me and my little buddies

I have always been a firm believer that teaching and learning go hand in hand. I am constantly reminded that I am capable of learning just as much from my students as they are from me. From my students at Napa High who taught me what the "Thizz Face" (don't ask) was, to my students in Spain who taught me Spanish jokes, it is a part of teaching that I love. My friend and co-worker Arido and I decided a few weeks ago that we wanted to take a group of our students down to a refugee camp that is home to over 60 children who have been displaced by the eruption of Mount Merapi. At this particular refugee camp, the residents live in a village that is located closest to the peak of the volcano. Because of this, their entire village has been destroyed and these families are literally left with nothing. Two kids that we met lost both of their parents to the devastating volcano. Arido and I worked for two weeks on this project, organizing the logistics, gathering our students, planning activities, etc. When we set out on Friday morning we had planned to meet about 55 kids between the ages of 7-12. I couldn't wait to get there! Upon arrival however, we quickly learned that there had been a slight misunderstanding. Instead of being greeted by the ages we anticipated, we walked into a room full of 55+ kids, ages 3-7... Okay... Quick thinking! Teachers are taught from day 1 that part of their job is to adapt. Indeed. However, I found myself in a situation where I couldn't communicate to these children who had never taken any English in school. Nothing that we had prepared was age-appropriate. The books that we brought were far too advanced. Heck, the lunch that we brought was far too advanced! A brief gathering with my student volunteers calmed my nerves and I watched as my students effortlessly slid into the roles of mentors.

Dini and her group

Lunch time!
Waiting patiently for their goodies!

An impromptu sing-a-long

It was the amazing Dini and the inspiring Galih who came to the rescue. I watched and listened as these amazing students took complete control and started the afternoon off with children's songs in Bahasa Indonesia. The kids loved it! As the day progressed, we were able to teach the kids The Hokey Pokey, greetings and goodbyes in English, colors, names of foods and how to write their names. There was a group of young boys who loved touching my "white skin" and "long nose". I taught them the hand signals for I love you, Rock on (or Metal, as they liked to call it) and Hang Loose. By the end of our time they were saying, "I love you" to their peers, the coordinators of the camp and to all of us. They loved my camera and tried relentlessly to take as many pictures as possible.

Aan teaching some colors!

Fajar and friends
The beautiful Galih
Pica teaching some writing

Too cute...
Games, games and more games!

Fanny and her little cuties
This little guy LOVED Fajar
He couldn't get enough! This picture captures the day perfectly... Fun for everyone!

DAY 2
Love...

We returned the following Friday to a smaller village, Tlatar, only 14 km from Mount Merapi. This village was hit just as hard, and they are just now beginning the endless process of rebuilding. Because our fist trip was such a success we had more interest from the University students. There were 17 student volunteers this time, along with myself, Arido and Arido's friend, Andi. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the coordinators of the after school program that was started after the eruption. They explained that they are trying to offer a safe haven for the kids of the village; a place to come and get help with homework and visit with friends. They were so excited and grateful for our visit. Fifty kids were waiting patiently in a small room. When we walked in, we brought smiles to every one of those little faces. We played Scrabble, used picture flashcards, played Monopoly, made origami and practiced greetings and goodbyes, all in English! My students did amazing work that day, and I couldn't have been more proud. To be honest, it's been hard for me to put into words how great these two Fridays were for me. They were, by far, the best two days that I've had in Indonesia thus far. I hope my pictures paint a better description of our time with some incredible kids.

Lunch stop!
There were so many of us, we spilled onto the ground!

Dini surrounded by a lot of love!

Danang, working the crowd!
Dhani and his little friends doing some crafts!
Origami-making!
An impromptu sing-a-long quickly turned into "Battle of the Choirs".
Love...

Through these two Friday trips I realized even more just how powerful a group of young adults can be. They impacted not only the lives of those kids, but mine too.

Lastly, if you would like to help with the rebuilding process, do not hesitate to contact me. I would be happy to put you in touch with the right people. I will be traveling down to Tlatar again after the first of the year and look forward to spending more time with those kids.

Busy, busy, busy!

I's been ages since I've updated my Blog. I hardly know where to begin. The end of October and beginning of November have proved busy on the island of Java. As you know, Indonesia has seen it's share of natural disasters of late. It's not often that you live in a country who sees an earthquake, a tsunami and a volcanic eruption all on the same day. Top that off with a Jakarta 10k race (I have to throw that one in there), a trip to Bandung for a national conference, a World Series Win, the U.S. Marine Ball, a severe bacterial infection, a visit from President Obama and a trip down to deliver supplies to the refugees displaced by Mount Merapi and you're up to speed with the latest and greatest here in Semarang! Now, let me digress...

My friend Jackie and I started our trip over to Bandung with a 10k in Jakarta. It was hot, humid and ridiculously crowded but we had a blast doing it! Dodging bicycles and buses couldn't stop us, we ran for our lives! Later that afternoon we left for Bandung where we met the other Fellows for a 2 and a half day conference. We gave presentations, ate good food, laughed a lot, danced to cover songs with University students and ... What else did we do? ... Wait, what am I forgetting? ... There was something else... Oh, right! THE GIANTS WON THE WORLD SERIES! I can't lie, this was the highlight of my conference. Knowing what a super fan I am, my boss gave me and a coworker that morning off. The two of us celebrated by dancing around a hotel room, cheering like small children. It. Was. Incredible.

The next few days were a whirlwind. We left Bandung for Jakarta on Thursday. That evening was spent last minute shopping for the U.S. Marine Ball. Yes, you heard right. The U.S. Marine Ball. I didn't know that word was actually used outside of the story of Cinderella. Come Friday morning though, we were set to break bread later that night with the members of the U.S. military stationed here in Indonesia, as well as employees of the Embassy and Consulate. There are only 9 Marines in total stationed here in Jakarta. My odds weren't too good with them, as two turned out to be women. Grumble... Well, perhaps one of the Navy will wisk me away... Not the case... It was me and the ladies that night, holding down our table. It turned out okay, though. Jackie makes the best salsa partner anyway.

This is as fancy as Michaela and I have been since August. The humidity has taken it's toll on my hair.

Two days later a parasite got me. Awesome. I woke up the morning that I was scheduled to return home to Semarang and learned quickly that there would be no traveling that day. The doctor diagnosed it as a severe bacterial infection. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that a bathroom was needed in plain sight at all times. I had to take 4 different prescriptions to tame the beast and was advised not to travel for 3-4 days. Great. No, really. GREAT. This bug could not have come at a better time. President Obama was scheduled to fly in on Tuesday. My friend Jackie, who is teaching at the Police Language Academy in Jakarta, was invited to bring her students to his speech at The University of Indonesia on Wednesday morning and she was kind enough to extend the invitation to me. Um, yes please!

The Obama ticket

I have dreamed of seeing President Obama speak for some time now. The man has taken a beating recently in the U.S. I know that. It does not change the amount of respect I have for him as a leader, as a man, as an American. I am proud to call him my President and only hope that he is given more of a chance to prove himself to the American people. Watching him speak brought tears to my eyes. The way he controls the room with his voice and with his words is indescribable. He exudes a calm confidence that I imagine most of us aspire to. I was on the edge of my seat. His words that morning were moving, not just for the Americans in the room, but for Indonesians, too. That Wednesday will be one of the most memorable days of my life.

There he is. What an incredible speaker.

The backdrop at The University of Indonesia

Me, Jackie and Jonthon, surrounded by some amazing Indonesian Special Forces.

So excited!!!

Not much can top seeing President Obama speak. My return to Semarang went smoothly, and I quickly returned to the classroom and my eager students. Last weekend I was invited by my friend Arido to travel down towards Mount Merapi to deliver some supplies that were collected for the victims that were displaced by the volcano. Myself, Eddy, Hartono, Heri, Andy and Arido piled into a 1969 Jeep last Sunday morning and set out with gas stoves, rice, clothing, noodles, diapers, toothpaste and tooth brushes (I am my Mother's daughter), etc. The sights were humbling, to say the least. Entire communities are covered in gray ash. You must wear a mask at all times. The air is hot and difficult to breathe. The refugee camps are crowded. And I mean crowded. The inhabitants are getting restless and anxiously awaiting approval to return to their homes. Some have even returned to their homes without permission from the government. They are just tired of being away from home. Who can blame them, really? Arido and I will be taking a group of University students down to one camp this Friday for "English Day". We will play language games with the kids and more than anything, just try and take their minds off of the fact that they are displaced and temporarily homeless. I'll post pictures of our event as soon as I get them on my computer.

Ash covered rooftops

A river of ash

Just gray and green, everywhere

It was as if we were driving through a black and white movie.

A red stop light and a green motorbike were the only colors on the street.

When it rains, the ash turns into mud. It's a disaster.

My fearless leaders and the 1969 Jeep

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