Birthday celebrations and final post from Indonesia

It is April 16, my birthday and my last full day in Indonesia. The English Department of Satya Wacana Christian University consisting of approximately 30 faculty, staff and families (see photo) went on an outing to a coffee plantation in recognition of the end of the semester and my farewell. It just happened to be my birthday which was a delightful way to celebrate. We drove by van from the university to a train station where we toured a train museum, and rode the train to the coffee plantation through beautiful rice and fishing farms (see photo) for a decadent lunch. The faculty surprised me with cake (see photo) and meaningful words and gifts. In the evening, Dan and Jeanne treated me to birthday dinner in a lovely garden setting (with dessert adorned by a "happy birthday" trinket and tea-lite as the candle, thanks to Jeanne) and engaging, thought-provoking conversation, as always. The day was beautiful in all ways – blue sky, no rain during the outing, laughter, friendship, eating and relaxation. I have been deeply blessed by this group of people (see photo). They welcomed me with open arms in January and continued to include me in their work of preparing English teachers, a work I am called to do. I hope we can continue to share in each other’s lives, albeit across an ocean or two.

I have mixed emotions leaving Indonesia. Most of all I am eager to see family and friends, yet there is much sadness in leaving newly formed relationships. Indonesia is a beautiful country with beautiful people and culture.

I leave Salatiga to begin my journey home on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. (on April 16, 11:00 p.m. state-side). From door-to-door I anticipate a 45-hour journey, arriving at 455 Monte Vista Drive in the early evening Monday. As expected this past week has included much reflection about my three months in Indonesia. Now, I know only a little of how my life has been impacted. I will continue to process my experiences over the months and years ahead. Perhaps next year when I turn 50, my Indonesia experiences will hold deeper meaning than I know today. I do know that I am grateful for the opportunity to live and work in Salatiga for the past three months. If given the opportunity to plan this same sabbatical again, I would choose the same experience.

Thank you to our family and friends who prayed us through these past three months and who shared in the excitement of our stories. Our lives are indeed enriched by the relationships we have with people around the world. God is good, all the time.

More pictures

The swimming pool at our hotel, a lovely place to sit and read, which we did with pleasure!







One of the very bold monkeys resident in the Monkey Sanctuary. There are apparently 3 tribes in the sanctuary, and they are very defensive of their respective territories.







We visited the Elephant Cave, a Balinese place of worship dating from the 11th century. There were temple ruins here as well.




These ornate pillars were on the grounds of a traditional Hindu family compound. Within the compound were multiple buildings of single function, either kitchen or bed room, etc., and a large area dedicated to shrines.







A view of the temple at Borobodur. A photo cannot do justice to the size of the temple or the intricacy of the stone carving. Unfortunately, over the years the temple has been vandalized and many of the statues are missing head or arms.

Some photos from Bali

A view of the beach in front of Hotel Sanur Beach, where we stayed.


Just one of many beautiful flowers to be found as we walked along the beachfront.








Outrigger boats that are used for fishing. I'm not sure if they were also for rental to tourists, but for sure they were not rented to us!








At the silverworks we visited, intricate filigreeing was done by hand. We could only imagine the patience it required to make some of the beautiful works we saw.

Bali

I referenced our vacation in Bali. We came to Indonesia with no plans to visit Bali, but so many people recommended that we go, that we finally gave in to peer pressure. At least some of our hesitation was a reluctance to such a stereotypically tourist activity. Now we are listing Bali as one of our favorite places in the world! We avoided the highly tourist-developed area of Kuta, and stayed at the almost-as-highly-developed Sanur Beach. It is just not the party area that Kuta is.

Some general impressions...

The staff of the hotel we stayed at were exceptionally customer oriented, very pleasant and accommodating. The pool was as nice as any we had ever seen, the ocean was a gorgeous blue (when the sun was shining), the Hindu influence in Bali makes for some wonderful art and architecture, and it was very nice to eat some western-style food again.

Highlights for Cathy included our day trip to Ubud to see different artist communities, especially the silver work and wood carving. The Monkey Sanctuary was also nice, we could have spent more time there as much for the forest setting as for the monkeys. Just sitting by the pool reading and relaxing was also a very welcomed change for Cathy.

For Ross, the highlight was undoubtedly the chance to do an introductory scuba dive. After a brief classroom session and a quick "practice" session in the hotel pool, Ross got to go out by the reef and dive in about 10 meters of water. While this area is not prime diving area, it was still amazing...Ross would be happy to talk at length about this, so be careful to avoid bringing it up!

On the way home from Bali, we spent a weekend in Jogjakarta, buying souvenirs, sight-seeing, and being accosted by very aggressive vendors and becak (bicycles with a two-seat bench on front) drivers. On Sunday we made a stop by Borobodur, a Bhuddist temple which is a UNESCO historical site. This is truly an amazing structure, and well worth the price of admission. We also stopped by a silverworks, where Cathy found some beautiful jewelry.

From Borobodur, our driver brought us home and took us past Mt. Merapi, the volcano that erupted last November. We had really hoped to see the volcano, but because of rainy season, the clouds were so low that the mountain was completely hidden. Oh well...

When we arrived at our home we had one more surprise. We looked out the back window and noted with horror that all of the beautiful foliage in flower bed along the back of our yard was gone. Karen and Major Treadway, the residents of the house, were to be returning in a week, so I wondered if perhaps they had requested that the beds be cleared so they could re-plant. We checked with our pembantu (house-help), Ibu Tatik, and she told us a story! She had been out in the back yard when she discovered a snake up among the vines on the wall. Based on her description and a search of the internet, it seems that a green tree viper had slithered into the yard. Ibu Tatik said that she used a pole to pin the snake down and then chopped it's head off. These snakes are quite dangerous, and Ibu Tatik was quite demonstrative about how this happened. She then proceeded to remove anything that might be considered habitat for green tree vipers, in case this specimen had a buddy who was thinking of joining the neighborhood. We were a) glad that we had been gone while this excitement happened, and b) sad to think of the disappointment of Major and Karen when they returned home to find their tropical retreat obliterated.

Photos will follow.

Once again it has been a long time since we posted something on our blog. Much has happened since the last post. For me (Ross), some of the highlights have been conversations with MCC partner agency staff, and connections they have facilitated. One day in Solo, I visited two different Islamic Pesantrens (schools). At the one, which I visited with two professors from Germany, we fielded questions from about 40 or 50 of the students. They were interested in how Muslims live and are treated in Germany and the US. I hope I made it clear that I was not an expert in this area, and that the experience of Muslims in the US varies widely. Most gratifying was the opportunity to talk with 2 young women after the group disbanded.
They asked questions and I could give them information that was different from some of what they had heard. I also confirmed that some in the US are full of hate toward Muslims, including some Christians. I offered my apologies for that.

On this same trip, we visited a radio/tv station that is run by a hard-line Islamic group, Hizbullah. This is a group that has in the past been quite militant. Now they work with an MCC partner agency, having been convinced that this was a good thing to do as they saw these Christians providing material aid to people after the earthquake in Jogjakarta in 2006. Hizbullah noted that aid was given with no consideration for whether the recipient was Christian or Muslim. They ended providing escorts to ensure that the aid could get through to where it was needed. Since then they have continued to work with the partner agency, including participating in peace training. The leader said that now they realize that dialogue is the best way to resolve conflict, and view violence as the last resort. It was my impression that this is a group that is moving on the spectrum away from violence toward peace-building.

Pictured here are some of the guns that were mounted on a hallway wall just around the corner from where we were waiting in the station. Perhaps my favorite souvenir thus far is a calendar I received from this group. The group leader said that many people, when they hear of Hizzbullah, react with fear. He said that this puzzles him. The calendar, which pictures 3 men holding assault rifles with their faces covered, might be a clue as to the reaction.

Just to confess, not all of our time has been hard work and being “suffering servants”. We also spent a week in Bali recently. This was a wonderful time of relaxing, reading, checking out the culture of Bali, and for me, doing an introductory scuba dive. Bali has become a favorite place, even if we may never get there again.

My time in Indonesia is almost finished. I leave in just 3 days. If I could, I would stay longer, but I also am ready to re-connect with people in Virginia. Cathy will be here for another 3 weeks.

The past few weeks....

We found this lizard friend on a poinsettia plant on our front porch. S/he had a very long tail, measuring approximately 10” in length from head to tail.

This past weekend we attended the wedding reception of the daughter of a faculty member in the Faculty of Language and Literature. The bride and groom are in the single photo. In the lower photo “Pak” is on the left with his wife; the bride and groom are on the right. As you can see, the attire was gorgeous and elaborate. The food spread was equally elaborate with more dishes than we could sample! The reception included two sittings in order to accommodate hundreds of guests.

My office mates in the Faculty of Language and Literature at the wedding reception. The woman on the right is a visiting professor from Australia.

Visiting a SALTer, Leanne (the daughter of Ross’ cousin from Ontario), in the home of her host family in Ungaran.

A dance presentation at a Valentine’s Day celebration by a group of 3^rd grade girls at a Mennonite elementary school in Ungaran.

Cathy during a workshop presentation, Beginning Teacher Development: Living the Emotions of Teaching, to approximately 170 Micro Teaching and Teaching Practicum students at the university.

A beautiful flower found along our walk to the university.

A trip to Kudus

Some photos to go with the post Cathy did early. These are from our trip to Solo on Saturday.


This is a shot of the batik factory that we visited.






While most of the batik was being hand-applied, this man was using a stamp to apply the wax to the fabric. This is a much faster way of producing the finished product.



This is one of the women who were working at hand painting the batik. Actually, she is painting on a wax mixture, a very time-consuming process. After this process the cloth is dipped in dye to color the parts not covered in wax.

On Friday, Feb. 11 I made a quick trip to Kudus, a city about a 2 hour drive from Salatiga. While there, I met with two SALT participants. I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to speak with them about their experience thus far in the MCC program. Not surprisingly, both have struggled some and were able to identify areas that have been difficult, and both were able to also share some of the things that they have really enjoyed about their experience. I won’t share about what they talked about, but I appreciated their honesty. I hope that I can have the opportunity to meet with others in the SALT program while I am here, in part to learn more of the experience so that I can promote a realistic view of what a year in another culture might entail as I speak with young adults in the US, and in part to offer counsel and growth to these young adults who are currently working to make sense of the experiences they are having. One of the SALTers is actually the daughter of my cousin, so I have even more interest in speaking with her.
All of the SALT participants are leaving Indonesia on Wednesday for two days as they go through the process of renewing their visas for the final portion of their stay in the country.

A bonus event during my trip to Kudus was the opportunity to have lunch with Pak Charles, a retired pastor, former president of the GKMI Synod, and former president of Mennonite World Conference. This is a man who has spent his life working in the church. He was elected as president of MWC at the age of 39. When we got to his home, he was out visiting someone. He has made a conscious decision not to have a cell phone (perhaps the only person in Indonesia to make this decision?) so my MCC driver and I waited and chatted until Pak Charles returned home. (As an aside, “Pak” is a term of respect, perhaps like “Mr” in English) We had a very nice conversation so I did not mind the wait. When Pak Charles came home, I immediately like him. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and a very sharp mind! I found out that he is hoping to lead a discussion group with local Mennonite pastors on the book “The Naked Anabaptist”. We played a bit of the “Mennonite Game” and made a few connections, but couldn’t come up with a way that we were related! My hope is that I will have further opportunity to meet with him in the future.

Finally, yesterday I got to sit in on a meeting between MCC and someone from the GKMI synod and someone from the Indonesia Mennonite Diakonal Services (the equivalent of MDS in North America). It was fascinating to hear of the work that IMDS has been doing with the many natural disasters Indonesia has experienced in the past half year - flooding, eruptions, tsunami. Especially impressive was the web of connections with other faith groups and NGO’s which greatly expanded the ability of IMDS to respond. This post is long enough, so I will say no more about this meeting.

A Typical Day/Week in the Life of Cathy

I thought it might be interesting to report about my average day and some observations as I go through the day.

4:00 a.m. The day begins with a brief moment of wakefulness to hear the Muslim call to prayer. I quickly drift back to sleep – a change from our earliest days here.

6:30 a.m. The alarms sounds as a reminder to awake since the school music at 6:15 has already aroused us. We wake up very late compared to many Indonesians who would already be at work or school by 7:00 a.m. We have to maintain our sabbatical rest! We prepare for the day which includes a breakfast of oatmeal in some form (cooked hot or in granola), toast, fruit and coffee.

8:00 a.m. Our pembantu (house help) arrives. She begins with laundry, then prepares our food for lunch (if we are home) and supper – usually the same food. She sweeps our white tile floors daily, irons clothing that has dried on the line from the day or previous day, and works in the yard as time allows. After breakfast Ross and I read and respond to email and other communications that have arrived overnight. Our daily morning work involves reading, writing, preparing for university classes or workshops.

Between 9:00 and 11:00 I typically walk to the university. The 20-minute walk follows a busy street lined with hexagonal-shaped paving stones, many uprooted by large tree trunks. I enjoy the walk although I usually arrive at the university sweat-drenched. Few rooms are air-conditioned, at least not the areas I frequent. I share a small classroom-size office with two faculty and a dosen (lecturer) from Australia who arrived a week or so before me.

Mondays .…. I participate in the elementary education Micro Teaching class. Each week two students present 30-minute lessons on elementary content to their peers, a class of 29 students. Lessons are taught in English to prepare students for possible teaching in English classrooms but the majority of their coursework is taught in Indonesian. For many (all?) students, English is at least their second language. My role is to provide feedback on content, pedagogy, and English skills, immediately following each lesson. As you might imagine, feedback from an English-speaking professor is intimidating. Last week the professor also gave feedback. I’m not sure if he will attend weekly or if the class will be my responsibility. The professor typically meets with each student to review his/her lesson plan prior to the micro teaching. I receive the lesson just before the student teaches. As I provided feedback this past week, I was very conscious of the rate in which I speak and chose vocabulary that I hoped students understood. I have not been able to ascertain the expectations of teaching at this level of student development so I proceeded the first week with a reflective teaching model. The professor seemed satisfied and indicated that a fresh look is helpful to the students. Interestingly, I found myself giving similar feedback to these students as I give to EMU students, for example:
• When instructing students to complete a task, monitor students to ensure follow-through of the task.
• When asking questions, pause (ie. use wait time), to give students time to think and formulate an answer.
• When soliciting answers from students, monitor who is called upon to ensure that varied students have opportunity to answer questions.
• When forming groups in class, consider the number of students assigned per group so all students can be involved in completing the assigned task.
I had to be careful not to overwhelm students with language and quantity of feedback. As the course progresses, I hope to deepen both of these elements. Lessons taught by beginning teachers to their peers may have similarities across cultures. I make this assertion lightly as I will in no way be an expert on Indonesian education, even at the close of my term. It would certainly be an interesting study to examine the issues faced by beginning teachers in various cultures. So far, I can only muse and continue learning from my experiences here.

Tuesdays ….. last week I visited two classes, Curriculum and Material Development in the Faculty of Language and Literature, and Elementary Science Methods in the Faculty of Education. The science class includes the same students as the Micro Teaching class. I joined a group of students in their discussion assignment and learned about organization of language syllabi, a subject not in my area of expertise although quite interesting for someone with a PhD in curriculum! ☺ (I realize that not all
readers of this blog would be so interested in this topic!) In the science course I observed a group presenting a lesson on magnetic forces. Again, this lesson is taught in English. The professor-in-charge focuses on content knowledge with students, and often reverts to Indonesian, while a teaching assistant focuses on the English content. It is indeed challenging for students to translate Indonesian science concepts to English (repulsion, attraction, etc.).
Starting this next week I will spend a few Tuesdays at Mountainview International Christian School observing and providing feedback to teachers wishing to improve their teaching effectiveness. I look forward to these conversations with teachers as professional development, particularly of beginning teachers, is of great interest to me.

Wednesdays ….. Ross and I have a 100-minute Indonesian lesson. This week we were joined by Sarah, a resident of Goshen, Virginia (near Lexington), believe it or not. From the Presbyterian church, Sarah and her husband, Malcolm, have returned to Indonesia for the same amount of time as us. Malcolm is teaching theology at the university and Sarah assists theology students with English skills. We have only had two language classes so far but are learning some essentials to help us on the streets: greetings for the four time periods of the day, alphabet, counting, days of the week, months, basic shopping questions, etc. Albeit overwhelming, we are able to use words here and there that help us communicate with our pembantu and on the streets. Also on Wednesdays I attend the weekly faculty meetings/workshops of the Language and Literature department. So far, the topics of discussion have included a process for appointing a new faculty dean, thesis procedures, action research, preparing for an upcoming international conference – all topics that could be on the table with the same vigor at EMU! I enjoy participating in cross-cultural parallels of this nature.

Thursdays ….. Ross and I again participate in language class.

Thursday afternoons and Fridays ….. I reserve for workshop preparation, reading, and writing. Last week I interviewed a recipient of MCC’s Global Family Scholarship Program and wrote an article for an MCC publication. I hope to visit more P-12 schools but I need to establish those connections first.

6:00 p.m. We eat supper, wash dishes, and spend the evening in reading, emails, etc.

9:00 p.m. Bedtime! We are typically exhausted and cannot function humanly much longer.

Yesterday Ross and I went on an “excursion” to Solo (also called Surakarta) with 8 other participants from the Indonesian language classes. Much like EMU, UKSW has an intensive language program. Twice yearly they go on cultural trips outside Salatiga. We visited the palaces of the two kings in Solo, kingships divided by a railroad track. The kings have no ruling authority, they are simply figureheads. We also toured a batik museum and factory and were allowed into the work area of women (we saw one man) applying the various techniques of batik production: hand waxing, coloring, dipping to remove wax, printing, etc. We browsed the shops of batik-tailors, an overwhelming experience when confronted with shop owners all promoting their goods.

As I write this blog, we are sitting on our front patio drinking tea and watching the rainfal. We worshipped at the Siloam Mennonite Church at 6:00 a.m. today followed by breakfast of “soto ayam,” a rice and chicken soup, in a local restaurant. We arrived home at 8:30 a.m. to enjoy a relaxing Sunday.

After Two Weeks

It is a beautiful Monday afternoon in Salatiga as I sit down to update our blog. The Super Bowl ended not too long ago. Cathy and I listened to the second half on our computers. Actually, I only listened to the third quarter as I then left to walk to Mountainview International Christian School (MICS).

Over the weekend Cathy and I did some exploring of our neighbourhood. We walked by the school and community center that back on to our home. We hear the school children on a regular basis beginning at about 6:30 each morning. And 15 minutes prior to that we hear music piped over the PA system. So while I have been setting an alarm, I don’t think it is really necessary so far. On the bright side, we are certainly adjusting to the call to prayer which we hear at about 4 a.m. If we don’t sleep through it, at least we are not awake for long with it.

In our walking around town this weekend, we noted that very often it is cloudy and difficult to see any distance. This was highlighted for us on Saturday as we walked down a street and suddenly noticed that we could see Mount Merbabu, which looms over the town but has been largely invisible during our time here so far.

In general, our routines are developing, and we note that we really do not have an evening life. By 9:00 we are looking to shut down and sleep. That gives us enough rest, even with the early morning interruptions. Our breakfasts for the first two weeks have been oatmeal. While I like oatmeal, I do have my limits.

So...I am very pleased to say that we figured out how to use our stove-top oven, and we whipped up a batch of granola. I think we'll try a different recipe the next time, but now we at least have choice at the beginning of the day!

I have been doing a lot of reading during the days, having finished Lawrence Yoder’s book on the history of the GKMI church (The Muria Mennonite church, one of three Mennonite Synods or Conferences in Indonesia). I am currently re-reading Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline. Today I met with someone (Scott) at MICS to talk about working with Third Culture Kids (TCKs). My interest in this stems from contact with two families who moved back to Harrisonburg from overseas missions. The children in these families all dealt with transitions that were new to me. I often felt frustrated with my inability to be more helpful in these transitions, so I am hoping to learn more. Certainly with EMU, EMS (both the school and the seminary) and with VMM located in Harrisonburg, there are multiple opportunities for ministry with TCKs. I plan to sit in on a class at MCIS where Scott works with seniors on current issues, and where he focuses on transitions.

While my involvements here in Salatiga are slow in developing, Cathy’s are not. She has a full schedule at Satya Wacana Christian University, and is working to be intentional about how she limits her involvements. She does seem to be energized by what she is doing. But that’s her story to tell.

The beginning of routines

We have been in Indonesia for 12 days and today marked the first day of feeling like a routine is beginning. Last week we were oriented by MCC and Satya Wacana Christian University personnel. I met with folks from the Faculty of Language and Literature and the Faculty of Education to explore options of how I might be involved in both programs. Later this week Ross and I meet with administrators from Mountainview International Christian School to explore their professional development interests (and third-culture kids awareness for Ross). I have been given office space in the Faculty of Language and Literature, the department hosting my visit, and will spend the majority of my time there. I will attend their weekly two-hour department meetings and provide workshops to faculty and students during some of these scheduled meetings. So far I am scheduled for a seminar on beginning teacher development and emotions of teaching to 180 third-year students! Other seminars will be planned as needs of both departments are identified. I plan to visit classes on Micro Teaching, Curriculum and Material Development, and Elementary Science Methods to learn more about the teacher education program and the curriculum and instructional approaches of both programs. The Micro Teaching class, a course offered in both programs, requires 30-minute teaching presentations by each student throughout the semester. In the Education program, I will participate in one section of Micro Teaching by observing student presentations and giving feedback to students. I also hope to visit the university’s K-12 lab school and local schools, and participate in discussions with English teachers in Salatiga. MCC has requested that I do some writing on “education as peacebuilding” so I am exploring possibilities. I am pleased with my schedule and the opportunities for involvement at the university. The university has given me a great deal of flexibility to select activities that suit my schedule and interests and have encouraged me not to over-commit. Seminar presentations fall in line with my interests so they should be very enjoyable. Although there are various options, I can pick and choose as interests and time allow. It feels like a good balance.

One of the most exciting opportunities is that the university is providing basic Indonesian language classes to Ross and me for a total of 20 hours over a 5-week period through the university’s Language and Teaching Center. We are learning a few words already and are eager to learn more through formal instruction. Friday evening we enjoyed a performance by the graduating language students that included demonstrations of batik, dance, food preparation, karate, and music, concluded by a buffet of delicious Indonesian cuisine.

So far I have chosen the 20-minute walk to the university rather than riding a bus. Initially I wanted to acquaint myself with the route on foot prior to signaling to the bus driver where I wanted off. Now I simply enjoy the walk. It is easy to get caught in the afternoon rain so I carry an umbrella and rain poncho should I encounter a downpour typical during this rainy season.

On a personal note, we are finding “home” in a new culture with new routines. Daily we are wakened around 4:00 a.m. by the Muslim call to prayer. At first we found this call disruptive to our sleep but more recently we find ourselves falling back to sleep more quickly. By 6:15 a.m., music plays through a local school’s PA system and is shortly followed by the loud activity of a school playground. Some university classes begin at 7:00 a.m. but faculty have told me not to include the early classes in my schedule. Perhaps it is because everyone is still sleepy! We have significantly adjusted our schedule by going to bed around 9:00 p.m. because we are getting up earlier.

From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily, a “pembantu” (helper) comes to our house to assist with cooking, shopping, cleaning, laundry, ironing, and yard work. Without her, we would not survive! She cooks delicious meals, including scrumptious fresh fruit beverages, and irons nearly everything to keep us looking presentable in public. Her English vocabulary is limited, as is our Indonesian vocabulary(!), yet we manage to communicate successfully about our basic needs and show our appreciation for her good work even when common language doesn’t exist.

We have been welcomed with much warmth in Indonesia, as promised by U.S. friends who know Indonesians. MCC’s reputation and strong relationship with Satya Wacana Christian University precedes us and has paved the road for our work here. We are well cared for indeed.

~ Cathy