Field Trip with SMKN 6

This past Tuesday I was invited to accompany some of the tenth grade SMKN 6 students on a field trip to several museums. The students are studying tourism so it was not only a fun outing but a chance for them to check out some sites that tourists from other countries may frequent when visiting Jogja. The first stop was a sort of science and history museum for people of all ages. It had a dinosaur exhibit, batik exhibit, gamelan exhibit, and several other exhibits about famous physicists and other scientists.

All of the exhibit explanations were in Indonesian, but I was able to catch on to some things and Bu Sari helped explain other things to me : )     Below, some SMK 6 students check out how a helicopter works.

Everytime I turned around I was asked to take pictures with the students, but I didn't mind at all! They are all super friendly and I am happy that they use English to ask me and to converse with me outside of class. Several students from other schools even asked to take a picture with me at the museums as well.

                Note my new Batik dress... everyone wears Batik here and Jogja is a great place to find just about any kind of Batik object you could imagine!

The museum also included a section about Indonesia's natural resources with emphasis on oil supplies. Also there were areas where students could interactively see how an airplane flies or read about other common vehicles in Indonesia, such as the motorbikes that many people own. Motorbikes are a relatively "Green" and cheap alternative to cars and the majority of people, from students to teachers, ride motorbikes to school.

The second museum we visited was a history museum that included displays of momentous events throughout Indonesia's history. It was pretty dark in this museum so I did not take many pictures, but I thought this old typewriter was pretty sweet. Dedicated to Brett and Christian:

The school field trip was a lot of fun. It is nice to interact with students outside of the classroom, even though they are technically still in class they seem more willing to try out their English and it is very motivating for me! It is certainly a challenge to get the students to talk inside of the classroom so I truly value experiences like these that are both informative for both sides and also create a more easy-going atmosphere for language exchange.   

For those of you who don't know, Yogyakarta is always incredibly warm so I am usually tired and sweaty at the end of the day. The picture above is a few children enjoying the warm weather outside the musem in a fountain.

Though getting the students to talk is always a challenge, especially inside the classroom, I am really motivated after outings such as this. Everyone honestly is incredibly nice and respectful and it makes me feel comfortable, safe, and at home. Jogja and it's people are making me feel very lucky!

Bird Market

The other day, Brett, Evan and I visited to Jogja Bird Market. The Bird Market is a giant outdoor market where you can purchase pets such as dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, and just about any type of bird or reptile you can think of. I really was wishing I would have had a hornithologist with me at the time because the Indonesians there could only give me common local names of the birds in Bahasa Indonesia or Javanese, so I couldn't exactly infer which species was wich. There were several parrot species, doves, pigeons, finches, and even several owl species (which I somehow missed, but Brett saw). And I do know a parakeet when I see one:

The birds were everywhere in cages, some larger roosters or pigeons were also just wandering around. There was a place to buy cages and tanks for all the creatures you could buy, along with some tank and cage furnishings. I did not realize birds were so popular in Indonesia as pets, but I have noticed many in cages often hanging outside on porches and also chickens and roosters wandering around my own neighborhood. Muslims generally do not come into contact with dogs, so cats, birds, and even reptiles are common pets instead.

Once again, I can't be sure of the species but the picture below is some type of Woodpecker. Sometimes the birds were stacked several in a cage and other times just one, but they all were fairly cheap to purchase, at least by US standards.

As can be seen in the photo below, pigeons are often fitted with a type of whistle on their tails. I think they are used as messenger pigeons, or sometimes just as pets, and the whistles make noise while they fly so they can be located. Many male pigeons were more than happy to hang around outside the cages without restraint, eager to peck at females and try to court them even through wooden cage bars.

As I mentioned, I was also surprised to see many reptiles in the market. Below: the biggest python I've ever seen! There were several species of turtles, tortoises, lizards and geckos as well as snakes.

 All of the species sold at the market are legal and not endangered as the market is controlled by the city of Yogyakarta. It was interesting to have the chance to see all of these species and really get a feel for the biodiversity of the area, but I still find it depressing to see any type of animal in a cage. Needless to say, I almost went home with three kittens and a dog, but was able to restrain myself. This time, anyway.

First Day at SMKN 6 and Exploring Jogja

Today was my first day at my new school, SMKN 6. SMKN 6 is a vocational school in Yogyakarta where I will be teaching English for the next 8 months! The students at this vocational school are grades 10-12 and they are studying tourism, hotel management, clothing manufacturing, and restaurant management to name a few things. The students had just returned from their 17 day break for Ramadan and a traditional ceremony was held where all shook hands to forgive one another and start anew. I shook over 1,500 students hands, not to mention 120 faculty and staff members' hands on Saturday in a similar ceremony. I felt so welcome!

I was super anxious, however, when the headmaster introduced me to the entire school and I gave my best introduction in Bahasa Indonesia. I just said my name, where I was from, that Michigan is cold and Jogja is very hot in comparison, and that I was happy to meet with them all. Also that they are all beautiful, which they are. Ibu Yiyis mentioned that my bahasa effort was valiant and that the students should show equal enthusiasm when we practice English. Everyone seemed to have a smile on their face and waved, said hello, and nice to meet you at the ceremony and in the halls. We arranged a (tentative) schedule for my classes, spoke with some teachers and faculty, and toured the school. This week I will observe the English classes being taught and starting next week I get to start lesson planning with teachers and arranging speaking activities with the students. Super exciting!

Afterwards, Ibu Yiyis (my amazing counterpart teacher), and I went House Hunting. I am still securing a place to live for the next 8 months so we checked on a place and evaluated another option. Once house business was taken care of, we drove around Jogja for the afternoon on her motor bike and visited the Sultan's Palace, a museum, and the Sultan's Water Palace.

Yogyakarta is actually a special Province within Indonesia. It is the only location with a Sultan. Kraton, or the Sultan's Palace, was constructed after several hundred years of being under Dutch rule.

After the Sultan's Palace, Bu Yiyis and I headed to a museum where antique carriages that were used around Yogyakarta and elsewhere in Indonesia can be found. Some carriages are still used. The first picture below is the Garuda Carriage, or Royal Eagle carriage. You can notice the crown on top and its elegant gold detail. This carriage is used to celebrate the new Sultan and ceremonially bring him into the palace. The second carriage below is the carriage for the deceased. It literally is a carriage version of a hurse and carries the Sultan's body to the Royal Cemetery, covered in Jasmine flowers.

The Sultan's Water Palace was extremely interesting. It is separated into several swimming pools. One is private for the Sultan and another is for beautiful young women to bathe in while the Sultan watches and selects one to join him in his private pool, then in his room. I am told it is no longer in use.

There was a very impressive Batik store at the Sultan's Water Palace. Batik is a traditional style of clothing that is extremely popular throughout Indonesia, especially in Jogja. It is made tediously by hand with many dyes using designs and patterns made of wax. Apparently, "Foto Dilarang ," means "Photos Prohibited."  Before my attention was drawn to this I captured a few images of some Batik artwork.

More to come later! I miss everyone at home tons, thank you all for the comments, you always make my day!

Idul Fitri / Lebaran

Due to a slight time crunch and a major case of procrastination, this next entry will be short but I will try to make it informative.

The Fulbright Crew arrived in Indonesia during the month of Ramadan, marked by the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. Ramadan is a month long period where Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations during the day light hours. Usually this means they will eat breakfast at 3-4am and then not eat or drink anything, even water, again until 6pm or at dusk. This month long period of fasting is intended to be a spiritual experience for Muslims, teaching them patience, humility, and also sacrifice in the name of God. Also during the month of Ramadan there is strong emphasis on purifying oneself not only through self-restraint but also through performing good deeds. For more information on Ramadan, see the Wiki page at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan

One day during Ramadan, many members of the Fulbright crew decided to fast for a day to get a feel for what it must be like. Of course we can only empathize so much with this spiritual journey that is not our own, but I think the deed was done with good intentions. The hotel we where we were staying gave us a boxed lunch everyday, so we gave up the lunch and fasted from dawn to dusk. The hotel passed out our lunches to us at about 5:30pm, only a half hour before the daily fast could be broken. Several ETAs then collected all the lunched and passed them out to homeless, disabled, or less fortunate people around Bandung. Also in the spirit of providing to all, workers will recieve a bonus to bring home to their families and almost all stores will have enormous sales with very low prices so that nearly everyone can afford to bring something home to their family.

Idul Fitri or Lebaran marks the end of Ramadan. There is a mass exodus from cities as everyone heads back to their native villages and cities to be with their families .(See http://bataviase.co.id/node/366902 for more info)         A feast among family members is usually held and after eating neighbors visit neighbors, asking for forgiveness for any wrong doings or harm they may have bestowed upon others. People face each other with praying hands and gently touch fingertips, bow, then touch their fingers to their own heart. The Indonesian saying goes "Mohon maaf lahir batin," meaning "Please forgive me, physical and spiritual," or for any harm done inside or out. As we all witnessed in Bandung, Idul Fitri is quite the celebration. There are fireworks nearly all night long as well as prayer nearly all night long the evening before the fast is broken. Below is the link to a picture website illustrating the variety and range of people observing this holiday:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/ramadan_2010.html?s_campaign=8315

Observing Ramadan and Idul Fitri was an extremely informative and interesting experience for me personally whose value cannot rightly be expressed in words. The most relevant part of this holiday for me was not necessarily the holiday itself, but the awareness it brought of the coexistence of many religions and cultures in Indonesia. Our Catholic instructors gave traditional gifts to those celebrating Ramadan, and our Muslim teachers do the same for them during Christian holidays. There really is no level of religious intolerance that I have observed; everyone seems quite content with and eager to talk and learn about an other's religious ideals, free from judgement.

Mock Wedding

Please forgive this semi culturally insensitive post, but it is only insensitive towards my own American culture thus I can only lament it so much. The story goes something like this....

One fine evening, a friend and fellow ETA decided to have a dinner party. This was not be any ordinary dinner party, but an extraordinary mock wedding ceremony, forever to be infamously known as the Hick Wedding. The theme was Flashy & Trashy and everyone was assigned roles. We drew the roles randomly and blindly from two bags, one for female roles and one for male roles, and also chose an adjective/adverb from another bag. Of course the deal was that if you chose to participated you could be flexible and creative with your designated roles and descriptive words, but you must remain in character all night. The participants also made a small donation to the party planner (another random role drawn from the bag) for the provision of some decorations along with a (liquid) diet. Now, your imagination may already be reeling with what such characters were created, so allow me to satiate your curiousity by illustrating some examples:
                               A (limping) 3rd cousin of the Groom
                               An (overly- excited) Sorority Sister Bridesmaid
                               A (hypochondriac) Aunt of the Bride
                               A Fellow Frat Brother of the Groom (with aspirations of becomming a famous Rapper)
                               A female (lesbian) Priest

                               A (morbid) Best Man

Just to name a few...

 Due to adverse weather condtions the Wedding Ceremony followed by the Reception could not take place outside, but the Hotel was most accommodating and provided us with the Grand Ballroom to host this fittingly elegant event. All of the ETAs were in attendance as well as several other onlookers and spectators. The night included fabulous costumes, an awesome DJ, spectacular event-planning coordination, and even an Acapella Group known as The Peltzman Effect, whose debut performance can be viewed via the link provided below. They did an incredible job of incorporating the Indonesian Epidemic known as "Beiber Fever" with several other classic, heart-touching love songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAbQEsU_CQs                                     

The Wedding Ceremony went rather smoothly, aside from a minor objection from the ex-boyfriend of the Bride and a few outbursts from belligerant relatives. The reception and celabratory follow up were equally enjoyable. Most people stayed and danced for some time or chatted with kin/lovers and savored the taste of the local brew.

Overall, the Hick Wedding was an epic event for all in attendance. It's glory will forever be immortalized only in our memories, the stale aroma of Bintang in the ballroom, the melodic tunes of The Peltzman Effect, and red lipstick stains that just won't seem to wash out...

                         

                              

Bandung & Weekend Trip to Cipanas

Some of the ETA crew, being as lively as they are, decided to go on a hike our first weekend in Bandung. We went to a nearby town called Cipanas, which means hot springs, and rented a hotel that had bathrooms reminiscent of Roman bathhouses into which they channeled the mineral water from the volcanic hot springs. In the evening we ate some wonderful Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) and Gado Gado (a dish with spicy peanut sauce) at a few little food vendors lining the main street running through town. The town was actually quite small and the people were extremely friendly and we made small talk with a few people in broken English and Bahasa. We also met a local tour guide, Babi, within the first few minutes that we arrived in town (a group of 28 Americans usually attracts such things). About half of the crew including myself struck up a deal with Babi to take us to the stratovolcano Pampandayan the following morning and the other half stuck to the original plan of climbing the more local volcano, Gunter. Then a few ETAs watched a badmitton game and  went to the public hot springs to chat with people while the others and I headed back to the hotel and lived the Roman bathhouse life to the fullest, cramming several people into each tub and just chatting for a while. The next day we split into two groups; half to Gunter and half to Pampandayan. We traveled via a series of vans and as the first picture illustrates, the trip was extremely scenic and beautiful. We were surrounded in farmland (mainly rice) with mountains in the distance and various shops and houses dotting the sides of the roads (Picture 1). When we arrived at the road that would lead us to the BASE of the mountain, Babi warned us that is was about a three hour hike to even get there, then possibly another three hours up the Volcano. Of course we did not heed this warning and started on our way. The walk was beautiful and the people were incredibly friendly. When the local children caught sight of so many foreigners they ran out of their houses yelling "Hello! Hello! How are you?!" The trend seemed to be that the children knew or were learning more English than the older members of the community and as the picture below illustrates, they were pretty happy to be able to practice with native speakers.

After a while of hiking and sweating profusely, a friendly woman with very good English asked us where we were going. When we said up to the Volcano she responded with "Excuse me, can I ask.....WHY?" She warned us that we had a way to go and we told her Babi was meeting us there. About 5 minutes later the same woman came riding up the narrow road on the back of her husband's motorbike to inform us that Babi and her son were coming with a truck to give us a ride. We were very thankful to pack 16 people into a black mini-truck, not unlike the one my dad owns, and cruise up to the base of Pampandayan (see picture below).

The Pampadayan Volcano was righteous. According to our guide, it last erupted in 2002 and no one was killed but the entire village below was destroyed. The group walked along the area where the pyroclastic flow and mudslides went through. The rocks left behind have a composition similar to pumice and make the terrain look like Mars instead of anything on Earth. The picture below is of the fumaroles encrusted in sulfur (yellow) along the Volcano. Fumaroles are openings in the Earth's crust that emit steam and gas, in the form of sulfur dioxide in this case, and most of the water boils off before it reaches the surface but they are still quite hot. I put my hand over one a little too closely to figure that out.

We all put our bandanas or shirts over our mouths because not only does sulfur dioxide smell like eggs but it burns the throat when inhaled.

The water running off of the Volcano in streams contained a lot of iron and some streams were colored based on the composition of chemicals they contained. The ones we saw were dark blue and milky white. 

At the acme of our hike we reached a small crater lake and took a swim. The water was super cold but felt amazing after the hike that took a couple of hours.

On the hike back down we could see the damage of the 2002 eruption in the scalded trees and barren landscape, although some small plants with thick cuticles and various ferns were already starting to flourish.

I have hiked volcanoes before in Ecuador but never one quite like the Pamandayan in Indonesia. Treading across a path of destruction that is both formidable and at the same time incredibly beautiful is a humble reminder of how insignificant and trivial our lives can become at the mercy of our earth's natural processes.