1. The Artwork
Indonesia is overflowing with artwork--from city-sponsored statues to graffiti. These works make Indonesia an extremely colorful and photogenic country
2. The Scenery
Every day, I wake up to beautiful mountains, dotted with red roofs and chiseled with rice paddies. At dawn and dusk everything turns a pinky-orange color that enhances the pastel-painted houses and black-and-white-checkered curbs. At night, Bandung lights up like a bowl full of fireflies.
3. The Indonesian Attitude
Indonesia has a very relaxed, upbeat, friendly attitude. If someone on the street offers help they genuinely want to help you. Instead of saying "yes" or "no" people say "already" and "not yet." It's a welcome change from American pessimism, especially in an area like Detroit.
4. J. Co
The Donut shop from heaven. Nowhere in the US have I tasted donuts as good as these fluffy, creamy ones with shiny liquid frosting. If you ever go to southeast Asia, I highly reccomend trying a donut or two.
5. Motorcycles
At first, I saw these as scary oppertunities to get buried in a foreign country, but now I see them as a fast, fun, fuel-efficient alternative to cars. Unfortunately, motorcycles just aren't as practical in the US where cars don't know how to handle having them around.
6. The Weather
85 degrees year-round, need I say more?
7. The Opportunities
Indonesia is the new land of opportunity. It's got a rapidly growing economy and the place just stinks of hope (and durian). For a native English speaker, it is incredibly easy to get a job, and for a tourist or resident, its an easy place to have fun.
8. The Malls
At the risk of sounding like a mall-rat in front of friends who have heard my rants about malls, I'd like to say I will genuinely miss the malls here. US malls are out of my price range, and have food courts that specialize in giving you food poisoning.Their only redeeming quality is the massage chairs in Brookstone. Malls in Indonesia, however, are more like streets taken inside. Most of them have little independent stores specializing in cool Korean clothing for less than 10 dollars per piece. They also have food courts worth skipping school to sample! Many a day I have left school craving a Belgian Waffle (or J. Co) from Bandung Indah Plaza. Last, There seems to be a different mall for each type of person: Paris Van Java for rich people, Bandung Electronic center for techies, Ciwalk for outdoors people, Bandung Trade Center for cheap, fashionable people, and Yogya Lucky Square for homesick Exchange Students from Detroit looking for a place in Indonesia as deserted as their hometown.
9. Indomie
Think Instant noodles are gross? I did too...until I tried Indomie. From beggars to Presiden Yudhoyono, everyone loves this snack that costs 15 cents a pack. They come several different flavors, all delicious. Good enough that I once ate a pack so fast it went up my nose.
10. Frozen Yogurt
By now you can tell I like food, but you might ask why I will miss something I can get in the US? Because Indonesian Frozen Yogurt is different--heavily fermented and sour. It's a refreshing break from sweet ice cream.
11. The Animals
Stray cats, geckos, monkeys, bats, frogs...it's great to live in an area with so many easy-to-catch animals that don't bite much. Each stray cat has its own personality, each gecko and frog has a funny story attached, and monkeys and bats are just cool :)
12. The Prices
Lunch: 50 cents
Clothing: <20 dollars
Phone bill: 2.50 dollars a month
All the fun you can get from shopping, eating and calling friends: priceless
The Friends
There are a lot of people here I will miss. You know who you are. I may not be able to take them home, but I will definitely take home all the memories I made with them :) (yes very cheesy)
Showing posts with label Bandung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bandung. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sundanese Weddings
A small, quiet wedding is not something known to Indonesians. Weddings are a packed, glittering, and colorful. In Sunda, West Java, The Bride dresses in a Kebaya (a tight sheer-shirt covered in appliqués), and an elaborate headdress made of jewels. Everyone in the wedding party wears a batik sarungs. The Bride and groom walk out under an umbrella and sit at the front along with their parents. The parents then feed their children as a the last act as parents before they give up their children to their spouses. Next, an old, wise man leads the ceremony, and out comes a procession of fairies, peacocks, and warriors to help the new couple. The ceremony ends with photographs and the reception starts with guests lining up to thank and shake hands with the bride, groom and parents.
Sometimes, Western elements are added to the ceremony: the bride tosses a bouquet, a band plays "Fly me to the Moon" and of course there is a big, white wedding cake. At one ceremony, I was one of these western additions. One of my friends and his family were hired as the entertainment and they invited me along. When I arrived, I was shuffled into the dressing room where women in peacock and fairy costumes dressed me in a kebaya and the wedding singer did my hair. A little while later, I found myself sitting on a small stage singing in Sundanese. Some how they had convinced a girl known for her off-key, incomplete rendition of "the Star-spangled Banner" to sing in a language she knew 5 phrases in.
Later, the actual ceremony began. Our old, wise man was about 13 years old, yet his bent-over, wide stance and arm behind his back made him a believeable 70. By the end of the ceremony, I found my self getting a photo with the whole wedding party.
Sometimes, Western elements are added to the ceremony: the bride tosses a bouquet, a band plays "Fly me to the Moon" and of course there is a big, white wedding cake. At one ceremony, I was one of these western additions. One of my friends and his family were hired as the entertainment and they invited me along. When I arrived, I was shuffled into the dressing room where women in peacock and fairy costumes dressed me in a kebaya and the wedding singer did my hair. A little while later, I found myself sitting on a small stage singing in Sundanese. Some how they had convinced a girl known for her off-key, incomplete rendition of "the Star-spangled Banner" to sing in a language she knew 5 phrases in.
Later, the actual ceremony began. Our old, wise man was about 13 years old, yet his bent-over, wide stance and arm behind his back made him a believeable 70. By the end of the ceremony, I found my self getting a photo with the whole wedding party.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Eliza Gets Lost: the Remake
When I first arrived in Indonesia, the thought of getting lost scared the crap out of me.... especially the thought of getting lost in a big crowded city where I not only didn't know the language, but didn't even know how to cross the street without getting hit by a car. Now the sensation is at worst, annoyance, and at best, adventure.This Tuesday I, once again, took the wrong Angkot.
School ended early that day for one reason or another, and left me with three hours to spare before my driver could pick me up. Impatient, I took on a mission: get home on my own--by Angkot! While I knew the route to my old house down to each pot hole in the torn-up roads of Antapani neighborhood, I had yet to take Angkot to my new house. For the most part, I'd traded the bumps and heat of the Angkot clown-cars for comfort and conversation of my new host family's air-conditioned SUV manned by our driver, Pak Anto. I'd learned the route from Ricarda's family a few weeks before when we planned to visit my neighborhood (long story short we didn't really feel like taking Angkot, so when we found a free taxi we took the opportunity)--take the cream-colored Antapani-Ciroyom Angkot until you hit Istana Plaza (one of Bandung's many malls), then get on to the light-blue Stasion Sarijadi.
Everything goes as planned with Antapani--I get on, ride until I see a Sarijadi angkot, then yell "KIRI!!!" to stop it....except I didn't stop at Istana Plaza. Instead I stop at a fork in the road not knowing that some of the Sarijadi Angkots are going one way, and some are going the other. Inadvertently, I take the wrong direction. I end up in a strange neighborhood with a traditional-style market. On one side, I see people crowding to buy fruit, toys and t-shirts, on the other side I see one of the weirder things I've seen since I've lived in Indonesia: A wall of hair...or rather, hair extensions. The last time I'd seen a site like that was in an equally scary and crowded discount store in Texas.
Eventually, I make it to the Angkot station where I see at least 40 parked buses and at least 10 gawking Indonesians. I guess bules don't make to the Angkot station very often haha. There I changed buses to one going the right direction, where after 15 minutes, I found myself at my original intersection going the right direction. For 4000 Rupiah (approx. 40 cents), it was an adventure.
School ended early that day for one reason or another, and left me with three hours to spare before my driver could pick me up. Impatient, I took on a mission: get home on my own--by Angkot! While I knew the route to my old house down to each pot hole in the torn-up roads of Antapani neighborhood, I had yet to take Angkot to my new house. For the most part, I'd traded the bumps and heat of the Angkot clown-cars for comfort and conversation of my new host family's air-conditioned SUV manned by our driver, Pak Anto. I'd learned the route from Ricarda's family a few weeks before when we planned to visit my neighborhood (long story short we didn't really feel like taking Angkot, so when we found a free taxi we took the opportunity)--take the cream-colored Antapani-Ciroyom Angkot until you hit Istana Plaza (one of Bandung's many malls), then get on to the light-blue Stasion Sarijadi.
Everything goes as planned with Antapani--I get on, ride until I see a Sarijadi angkot, then yell "KIRI!!!" to stop it....except I didn't stop at Istana Plaza. Instead I stop at a fork in the road not knowing that some of the Sarijadi Angkots are going one way, and some are going the other. Inadvertently, I take the wrong direction. I end up in a strange neighborhood with a traditional-style market. On one side, I see people crowding to buy fruit, toys and t-shirts, on the other side I see one of the weirder things I've seen since I've lived in Indonesia: A wall of hair...or rather, hair extensions. The last time I'd seen a site like that was in an equally scary and crowded discount store in Texas.
Eventually, I make it to the Angkot station where I see at least 40 parked buses and at least 10 gawking Indonesians. I guess bules don't make to the Angkot station very often haha. There I changed buses to one going the right direction, where after 15 minutes, I found myself at my original intersection going the right direction. For 4000 Rupiah (approx. 40 cents), it was an adventure.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Annoying Questions
I know its been a very long time since I last posted, so I thought I'd start off with a funny post about the most annoying questions Indonesians ask.
1. Can I take a photo with you?
If you are white and live in Indonesia, you hear this a lot. Indonesians love to take photos. Indonesians love to interact with exotic, white foreigners. Naturally Indonesians want combine these two loves by documenting every close encounter of the Bule kind with their cameras. Imagine all the harassment of celebrity without all that pesky fame. Some days you just feel like pretending you don't speak English or Indonesian. Next time I think I will try "je ne comprend pas."
2. Where have you been in Bandung?
This question is annoyingly open-ended. I've lived in Indonesia for other six months, do they really expect me to rattle off every place I've been? Usually I just answer banyak tempat (many places) or say I've been to Tangkuban Perahu (Bandung's nearest active volcano, one of the main tourist attractions) and all of Bandung's many malls.
3. What is your favorite food in Indonesia?/What Indonesian food have you tried?
The main reason I find these questions annoying is just because I hear them whenever I meet someone knew and in every interview. It doesn't matter what setting or occasion, someone will ask that. Its usually the third question an Indonesian asks you when you meet them (right after "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been here?"). The latter question especially bothers me because its also extremely open-ended and even a little insulting: after 6 months do they assume I've only had enough Indonesian food to put on short list? I eat it everyday >:(
4. How about.....?
I've discovered a big flaw in the way Indonesians are taught English: Teachers don't distinguish that "how about...." is a follow up question and not a leading one. As a result, I'm stuck puzzling the meanings of like "How about the USA?" or "How about your mother?" HELP ME! WHAT ABOUT THEM?! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!
5. Why do like Indonesia?
Indonesians are generally up-beat, optimistic people, but occasionally you'll get a pessimistic one. These are the people who ask me this rare follow up question to "why did you choose to come to Indonesia?" There is a lot to love about this country and its frustrating to have to explain it all to someone who has experienced it all their life. Indonesia may be crowded, dirty and smelly (and a bit corrupt), but its still beautiful, has great weather, tons to do, and low crime. I wish I could say the same for Detroit...
6. Aren't you afraid of terrorists?
Ugh. Just ugh. This question, along with its buddy, "What do you think of Muslims in Indonesia," just pisses me off (sorry, that's very unprofessional for me to say). The reason Indonesians ask is because the Indian movie, My Name is Khan, is very popular here. Its a good movie, but causes some problems for an Indonesian audience made up mostly of people who haven't lived the US. Indonesians often ask me if the US is "really like My Name is Khan" and I think thats where they get the stereotype that Americans are anti-muslim. Anyway, NOT ALL AMERICANS HATE MUSLIMS! I will admit there are a few who do, but they represent a small segment of Americans, not the majority. I'd also just like to say that thinking all/most Americans hate Muslims because a small portion do is just as bad as thinking that all Muslims are terrorists because a small portion of them are.
7. Are you going to Church on Sunday?
I'm not Christian. I'm not Muslim. I'm not atheist. I'm agnostic. This one is not so much annoying as it is awkward and confusing. Indonesia is a deeply religious country, and to many Indonesians, not having a religion is just not in their paradigm*. Usually this question leads to a frustrating, broken conversation about how I don't pray, I'm not looking for a religion and neither believe in a God nor believe God doesn't exist. I just don't have the vocabulary yet to explain these things in my second language.
8. Are there beggars in the US?
Unfortunately, the US does not have all the answers and its not the pristine country its sometimes made out to be. There are people just as poor in the US as the beggars of Indonesia. I guess the only reason this question bothers me is because it shows how much Indonesians put the US on a pedestal. I wish they could see the US in a more realistic light.
9. Do you have a boyfriend?
You know this question doesn't lead anywhere nice. One of the "joys" of being a white girl in Indonesia is this question on a twice-weekly basis.
Do you have a boyfriend in Indonesia?
*facepalms* Why should this matter? I have a boyfriend and even though he lives in the US, I refuse to cheat on him in Indonesia.
Anyway. After my rant, I figure I should lighten the mood a little with some a question I wish more people would ask:
What is your favorite word in Indonesian?
Instead of the open-ended "What do you know in Bahasa," I'd love to hear this alternative.. My favorite word means "butterflies." The word for "butterfly" (singular) in Indonesian is kupu-kupu. The way you pluralize words in Indonesian is to repeat them. Can you see where this is going? The word for "butterflies" (plural) is Kupu-kupu-kupu-kupu. can you say that word 5 times without loosing count?
*Sometimes when I tell people I don't have a religion they ask me "then how do you pray?"
1. Can I take a photo with you?
If you are white and live in Indonesia, you hear this a lot. Indonesians love to take photos. Indonesians love to interact with exotic, white foreigners. Naturally Indonesians want combine these two loves by documenting every close encounter of the Bule kind with their cameras. Imagine all the harassment of celebrity without all that pesky fame. Some days you just feel like pretending you don't speak English or Indonesian. Next time I think I will try "je ne comprend pas."
2. Where have you been in Bandung?
This question is annoyingly open-ended. I've lived in Indonesia for other six months, do they really expect me to rattle off every place I've been? Usually I just answer banyak tempat (many places) or say I've been to Tangkuban Perahu (Bandung's nearest active volcano, one of the main tourist attractions) and all of Bandung's many malls.
3. What is your favorite food in Indonesia?/What Indonesian food have you tried?
The main reason I find these questions annoying is just because I hear them whenever I meet someone knew and in every interview. It doesn't matter what setting or occasion, someone will ask that. Its usually the third question an Indonesian asks you when you meet them (right after "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been here?"). The latter question especially bothers me because its also extremely open-ended and even a little insulting: after 6 months do they assume I've only had enough Indonesian food to put on short list? I eat it everyday >:(
4. How about.....?
I've discovered a big flaw in the way Indonesians are taught English: Teachers don't distinguish that "how about...." is a follow up question and not a leading one. As a result, I'm stuck puzzling the meanings of like "How about the USA?" or "How about your mother?" HELP ME! WHAT ABOUT THEM?! I REALLY DON'T KNOW!
5. Why do like Indonesia?
Indonesians are generally up-beat, optimistic people, but occasionally you'll get a pessimistic one. These are the people who ask me this rare follow up question to "why did you choose to come to Indonesia?" There is a lot to love about this country and its frustrating to have to explain it all to someone who has experienced it all their life. Indonesia may be crowded, dirty and smelly (and a bit corrupt), but its still beautiful, has great weather, tons to do, and low crime. I wish I could say the same for Detroit...
6. Aren't you afraid of terrorists?
Ugh. Just ugh. This question, along with its buddy, "What do you think of Muslims in Indonesia," just pisses me off (sorry, that's very unprofessional for me to say). The reason Indonesians ask is because the Indian movie, My Name is Khan, is very popular here. Its a good movie, but causes some problems for an Indonesian audience made up mostly of people who haven't lived the US. Indonesians often ask me if the US is "really like My Name is Khan" and I think thats where they get the stereotype that Americans are anti-muslim. Anyway, NOT ALL AMERICANS HATE MUSLIMS! I will admit there are a few who do, but they represent a small segment of Americans, not the majority. I'd also just like to say that thinking all/most Americans hate Muslims because a small portion do is just as bad as thinking that all Muslims are terrorists because a small portion of them are.
7. Are you going to Church on Sunday?
I'm not Christian. I'm not Muslim. I'm not atheist. I'm agnostic. This one is not so much annoying as it is awkward and confusing. Indonesia is a deeply religious country, and to many Indonesians, not having a religion is just not in their paradigm*. Usually this question leads to a frustrating, broken conversation about how I don't pray, I'm not looking for a religion and neither believe in a God nor believe God doesn't exist. I just don't have the vocabulary yet to explain these things in my second language.
8. Are there beggars in the US?
Unfortunately, the US does not have all the answers and its not the pristine country its sometimes made out to be. There are people just as poor in the US as the beggars of Indonesia. I guess the only reason this question bothers me is because it shows how much Indonesians put the US on a pedestal. I wish they could see the US in a more realistic light.
9. Do you have a boyfriend?
You know this question doesn't lead anywhere nice. One of the "joys" of being a white girl in Indonesia is this question on a twice-weekly basis.
Do you have a boyfriend in Indonesia?
*facepalms* Why should this matter? I have a boyfriend and even though he lives in the US, I refuse to cheat on him in Indonesia.
Anyway. After my rant, I figure I should lighten the mood a little with some a question I wish more people would ask:
What is your favorite word in Indonesian?
Instead of the open-ended "What do you know in Bahasa," I'd love to hear this alternative.. My favorite word means "butterflies." The word for "butterfly" (singular) in Indonesian is kupu-kupu. The way you pluralize words in Indonesian is to repeat them. Can you see where this is going? The word for "butterflies" (plural) is Kupu-kupu-kupu-kupu. can you say that word 5 times without loosing count?
*Sometimes when I tell people I don't have a religion they ask me "then how do you pray?"
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
American Christmas--The Indonesian Way
I've never been the biggest fan of Christmas: I liked the presents, the cookies, the seasonal chocolate and the clay-mation specials from the 1960's. Other than that, Christmas traditions just turn me into a Hum Bug: sparkling snow reminds me of the unbearable cold and dangerous driving; my neighbors’ elaborate light displays scream ‘tacky fire-hazard’ not ‘whimsical beauty’; Starbucks’ covers of traditional Christmas songs (that start playing around Halloween) put me in more of a fighting spirit than a buying spirit; and due to a few unwanted and unexpected visits from the town Santa Clause as a Child, Santa scares me a little bit*. Last year, you would have heard the Kink’s satirical “Father Christmas” blasting as you drove by my undecorated, tree-less house on Christmas morning.
Foolish me, I thought I could escape all that in Indonesia. Java may be overwhelmingly Muslim, but its malls subscribe to a religion of shopping. As soon as the "Christmas Season" started, (thank god it doesn't start until December here) I heard cheesy Christmas music in every grocery store, lights and wreaths popped up in every mall, I even saw a few cardboard Santas in the factory outlets. Some of you may think Bandung does this to attract Christian tourists...except Bandung doesn't get much foreign tourism. This all seemed to be for the less-than-10% of the population that is Christian, and maybe even to get a few Muslims to buy stuff anyway.
Unfortunately, I put up with all the things I hated about Christmas (except the snow of course), but this year I missed out on the things I really liked. I shipped my presents, but missed the excitement of their reveal. I had no oven to bake cookies or pie. I didn't even watch my '60s Christmas Specials (until my boyfriend sent them to me in January. Thanks Troy!)! My Christmas festivities included sleeping until 3 pm, then watching movies all day.
AFS threw a Christmas party complete with dinner and a chicken-shaped hat. It was pretty fun, but not enough to make up for my poor planning and distance. Future exchange students: If you want a Christmas like you have at home, I suggest you plan it before you come. Even if you are a bit of a scrooge like me, just bring a few little things from home to share with your host country. It’s better that way.
*I never believed in Santa, but I still visited the town Santa each year. I never really enjoyed sitting on some strange mans lap, so this particular year I decided not to see him. Santa had different ideas. I was eating at a restaurant across the street from his seasonal hut when Santa went on break. Of Course, he spots the cute little girl across the street and decides to pay her a special visit. My family watched as he crossed the street, entered the restaurant and made me tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I think I told him I wanted metal detector, but what I really wanted for Christmas was not to be stalked by Santa. Oh well.
Foolish me, I thought I could escape all that in Indonesia. Java may be overwhelmingly Muslim, but its malls subscribe to a religion of shopping. As soon as the "Christmas Season" started, (thank god it doesn't start until December here) I heard cheesy Christmas music in every grocery store, lights and wreaths popped up in every mall, I even saw a few cardboard Santas in the factory outlets. Some of you may think Bandung does this to attract Christian tourists...except Bandung doesn't get much foreign tourism. This all seemed to be for the less-than-10% of the population that is Christian, and maybe even to get a few Muslims to buy stuff anyway.
Unfortunately, I put up with all the things I hated about Christmas (except the snow of course), but this year I missed out on the things I really liked. I shipped my presents, but missed the excitement of their reveal. I had no oven to bake cookies or pie. I didn't even watch my '60s Christmas Specials (until my boyfriend sent them to me in January. Thanks Troy!)! My Christmas festivities included sleeping until 3 pm, then watching movies all day.
AFS threw a Christmas party complete with dinner and a chicken-shaped hat. It was pretty fun, but not enough to make up for my poor planning and distance. Future exchange students: If you want a Christmas like you have at home, I suggest you plan it before you come. Even if you are a bit of a scrooge like me, just bring a few little things from home to share with your host country. It’s better that way.
*I never believed in Santa, but I still visited the town Santa each year. I never really enjoyed sitting on some strange mans lap, so this particular year I decided not to see him. Santa had different ideas. I was eating at a restaurant across the street from his seasonal hut when Santa went on break. Of Course, he spots the cute little girl across the street and decides to pay her a special visit. My family watched as he crossed the street, entered the restaurant and made me tell him what I wanted for Christmas. I think I told him I wanted metal detector, but what I really wanted for Christmas was not to be stalked by Santa. Oh well.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Indonesian Halloween
Halloween is a North American thing. The countries that love it the most all seem to be the US, Canada, and Mexico. Indonesia is not one of them. The only traces of Halloween were a display of Halloween-themed shirts,and an advertisement for a costume party in Jakarta. Anyway, on the the 30th and 31st I had some non-Halloween-related plans. I wanted to go to a Festival celebrating Bali. I went to both the auditions, and the real show, where I saw a costume cooler any mascot costume I have even seen. He came out wearing a mask and dancing the traditional way with shaking hands, but midway through the show he started doing the moon walk. That night I made it my goal (which is yet unfulfilled) to wear that costume because it was just so cool. Anyway, let me get back to my Halloween story.
So I had just come back to ITB after the Bali festival auditions with Agung, and we were planning on seeing the Sherina concert. when I mention that Halloween is tomorrow and that I miss wearing the costumes. Agung points out that there are lots of costumes with his Southern Sulawesi culture club. So we end up turning around and heading into the tiny room for Unit South Sulawesi. Agung picks me out a shiny red shirt with golden embellishments, two golden cuff-bracelets (unfortunately we couldn't find two cuff bracelets that matched), and an uncomfortable statue-of-liberty-type golden crown. He then pulls out a red shirt with a flat-topped hat that is apparently "slavewear". Now remember how Indonesians don't celebrate Halloween? Well, that meant that we were the only ones wearing costumes. We decided to go to a restaurant in Upper Dago (which is at a higher elevation and is beautiful at night since you can look down at all the lights in Bandung). We were being quite crazy and to fit that crazy mood, we cranked up the craziest music on the radio: Radio Dangdut (Dangdut is sort of a cheesy-type of Indonesian pop music with lots of Arabic and Indian influence). When we stopped at a convenience store to buy candy and drinks, I got many more stares than normal. People must have been thinking, "LOOK! a bule! She must be crazy, she's wearing Indonesian clothes!" I just smiled, and laughed with Agung about the situation. At the restaurant, I was able to get mashed potatoes for the first time since I moved here. On the way home I ended up screaming "hello" out the window to all passers-by. While I wasn't able to do any of these things on Halloween, I ended up getting my costume fix for the year on the 30th.
So I had just come back to ITB after the Bali festival auditions with Agung, and we were planning on seeing the Sherina concert. when I mention that Halloween is tomorrow and that I miss wearing the costumes. Agung points out that there are lots of costumes with his Southern Sulawesi culture club. So we end up turning around and heading into the tiny room for Unit South Sulawesi. Agung picks me out a shiny red shirt with golden embellishments, two golden cuff-bracelets (unfortunately we couldn't find two cuff bracelets that matched), and an uncomfortable statue-of-liberty-type golden crown. He then pulls out a red shirt with a flat-topped hat that is apparently "slavewear". Now remember how Indonesians don't celebrate Halloween? Well, that meant that we were the only ones wearing costumes. We decided to go to a restaurant in Upper Dago (which is at a higher elevation and is beautiful at night since you can look down at all the lights in Bandung). We were being quite crazy and to fit that crazy mood, we cranked up the craziest music on the radio: Radio Dangdut (Dangdut is sort of a cheesy-type of Indonesian pop music with lots of Arabic and Indian influence). When we stopped at a convenience store to buy candy and drinks, I got many more stares than normal. People must have been thinking, "LOOK! a bule! She must be crazy, she's wearing Indonesian clothes!" I just smiled, and laughed with Agung about the situation. At the restaurant, I was able to get mashed potatoes for the first time since I moved here. On the way home I ended up screaming "hello" out the window to all passers-by. While I wasn't able to do any of these things on Halloween, I ended up getting my costume fix for the year on the 30th.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Parijs van Java
Given that I have been in Bandung for over two months already and have not yet done so, I will explain a little bit about my Indonesian home town. Located in the Mountains in West Java, Bandung is described by Indonesians as “cold.” Cold, mind you, means a high of about 85° F (28° C) year-round, Instead of Jakarta's 90° F (32° C). Inland, Bandung is an area with no beaches, but a relatively (key word: relatively) low chance of floods, and almost no tsunamis. They say if you live anywhere on Java you live close to an active volcano, and Bandung is no exception. I live close to Tangkuban Perahu which translates into “the upside down boat” and, you guessed it, looks like an upside down boat. Don't worry, while its active, it's not as active as you'd think, and I'm still at a pretty low risk of volcanic eruption, but recently, we've been getting volcanic ash, a toxically fun gift from Mount Merapi's eruption in Central Java. Basically, Bandung is no one-tornado-warning-a-year Michigan, but for someone living on the Ring of Fire, it's pretty dang safe....I feel a Johnny Cash song coming on, how about you? haha.
Enough about eminent doom in Bandung, let me describe life here: Bandung is a strange cross between Seattle, Los Angeles and Boston. Seattle, because it rains A LOT; Los angeles, because of its sprawl and general pedestrian-unfriendly nature; and Boston, because it is the nation's most famous college town. When I googled Bandung's universitas and sekolah tinggi (university and college), I got 10 results, the most famous of which is ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), which I have mentioned in previous posts. As a result, Bandung has many shops and activities that cater to the economically-deprived college student including book stores, outlet malls, pasta shops, and places where you can buy paper-thin steaks for about $2 or $3. The best part, however, are the festivals every weekend! Usually, there is something going on at Sabuga, ITB's multipurpose building, and if not, some other school has got something to do. Its a great place for an exchange student because I can meet a lot of former exchange students now in college, and I'm not limited to my high school's extracurriculars! Bandung is also home to the military base of the Siliwangi Tigers, which happens to be right next to my school. If you walk anywhere away from school, you are bound to find statues of tigers in scary positions and soldiers in heroic ones.
Bandung also has a rich history, much of which I don't know, haha. I'm sure some of my Indonesian friends will end up helping me out in the comment section though. Bandung was built by the Dutch, who felt Jakarta was just too hot. It was then Nicknamed Parijs Van Java, or Paris of Java, for its beauty, cool temperature, resort-feel and overall European-ness. Nowadays, it still seems a little European, but it has clearly become like every other Java-sprawl: dirty, crowded, and full of motorcycles. It's still quite beautiful, but it takes a little more time to notice. People from Jakarta still come to visit on weekends, which only clogs traffic more. It was also home to the Asia-Africa confrence, a conference that united non-aligned (plus a few aligned ones haha) countries during the cold war. Another fun fact: the first Indonesian president, Sukarno, went to ITB. Hmmm...thats enough history for today.
The only things that I can complain about in Bandung are the traffic and pollution. I have previously described the frequent traffic jams, and the real-life game of Frogger that is crossing the street, but another annoying thing is the lack of a grid system. Jl. Cihampelas is one way and turns into dr. Setiabudi, which ends up with another branch called Jl. Cipaganti. Jl. Siliwangi is somewhere in there too haha. Its a nightmare to navigate on your own and you are not always sure the Angkot you are taking will go the same path the way home. The pollution is also a bit of an issue, although its hardly something unique to Bandung. Foreigners and locals alike develop a cough. One friend tells me that he had a cough throughout his life that magically dissappeared when he lived in Wisconsin for a year (gotta love that Dairy-air ;) ). Sure enough, it came back when he returned to Indonesia.
Enough about eminent doom in Bandung, let me describe life here: Bandung is a strange cross between Seattle, Los Angeles and Boston. Seattle, because it rains A LOT; Los angeles, because of its sprawl and general pedestrian-unfriendly nature; and Boston, because it is the nation's most famous college town. When I googled Bandung's universitas and sekolah tinggi (university and college), I got 10 results, the most famous of which is ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), which I have mentioned in previous posts. As a result, Bandung has many shops and activities that cater to the economically-deprived college student including book stores, outlet malls, pasta shops, and places where you can buy paper-thin steaks for about $2 or $3. The best part, however, are the festivals every weekend! Usually, there is something going on at Sabuga, ITB's multipurpose building, and if not, some other school has got something to do. Its a great place for an exchange student because I can meet a lot of former exchange students now in college, and I'm not limited to my high school's extracurriculars! Bandung is also home to the military base of the Siliwangi Tigers, which happens to be right next to my school. If you walk anywhere away from school, you are bound to find statues of tigers in scary positions and soldiers in heroic ones.
Bandung also has a rich history, much of which I don't know, haha. I'm sure some of my Indonesian friends will end up helping me out in the comment section though. Bandung was built by the Dutch, who felt Jakarta was just too hot. It was then Nicknamed Parijs Van Java, or Paris of Java, for its beauty, cool temperature, resort-feel and overall European-ness. Nowadays, it still seems a little European, but it has clearly become like every other Java-sprawl: dirty, crowded, and full of motorcycles. It's still quite beautiful, but it takes a little more time to notice. People from Jakarta still come to visit on weekends, which only clogs traffic more. It was also home to the Asia-Africa confrence, a conference that united non-aligned (plus a few aligned ones haha) countries during the cold war. Another fun fact: the first Indonesian president, Sukarno, went to ITB. Hmmm...thats enough history for today.
The only things that I can complain about in Bandung are the traffic and pollution. I have previously described the frequent traffic jams, and the real-life game of Frogger that is crossing the street, but another annoying thing is the lack of a grid system. Jl. Cihampelas is one way and turns into dr. Setiabudi, which ends up with another branch called Jl. Cipaganti. Jl. Siliwangi is somewhere in there too haha. Its a nightmare to navigate on your own and you are not always sure the Angkot you are taking will go the same path the way home. The pollution is also a bit of an issue, although its hardly something unique to Bandung. Foreigners and locals alike develop a cough. One friend tells me that he had a cough throughout his life that magically dissappeared when he lived in Wisconsin for a year (gotta love that Dairy-air ;) ). Sure enough, it came back when he returned to Indonesia.
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Quest for the Camera
As you may know from previous blogs, I have been searching for a working camera for a since I discovered the distortion problem with my Kodak camera. I'd searched the web to find I couldn't use a credit card, most cameras were cheaper in the US and didn't ship to Indonesia, and many other problems. So about two months later I ended up going with a friend to buy one once and for all. I've changed my mind as to what kind of camera I want from a point and shoot to a DSLR because they seem to be more reasonably-priced here. I cut a deal with my parents to sell it once I came back to the states, and I was ready. I left at 1:00 PM for a store that is famously cheap and good. I thought it would be an in-and-out trip. WRONG! I got to the store, a little hole in the wall with white walls and cameras everywhere, and as it turns out you can't buy Canon cameras for under $400 and they were out of the best alternative, the Sony α230. We hopped in a car and drove to another photography store, this one was more of a studio that also sold cameras. What do you know, they were out at that store too. As were many of the other stores we visited in the local electronics mall. Finally we found one that sold my camera, it worked, I couldn't wait...that is until the salesman found out his machine didn't work with foreign credit cards. Back to square one.
At lunch we figured it out—Sanya would use her credit card and I would pay her back in cash once my parents put more in my account. I am now an Alpharian. On my way home, I hugged my camera tight as I rode on the Angkot. I don't know what I would have done if my camera had gotten lost, stolen or broken on my first day. The next day, I had a few more problems...I'd taken a lot of photos, none of which wanted to upload to my computer. Oh crap, not another faulty camera! I thought. I'd been plagued with two already, and I did not want to go back to the stress that was the Bandung Electronics Mall. Negotiating sales involving hundreds of dollars is not easy in a foreign language, even if you have a translator. I tried a card reader...no luck. Finally, I rebooted the computer and got it! Soon I will upload some photos I have taken with it to my blog.
At lunch we figured it out—Sanya would use her credit card and I would pay her back in cash once my parents put more in my account. I am now an Alpharian. On my way home, I hugged my camera tight as I rode on the Angkot. I don't know what I would have done if my camera had gotten lost, stolen or broken on my first day. The next day, I had a few more problems...I'd taken a lot of photos, none of which wanted to upload to my computer. Oh crap, not another faulty camera! I thought. I'd been plagued with two already, and I did not want to go back to the stress that was the Bandung Electronics Mall. Negotiating sales involving hundreds of dollars is not easy in a foreign language, even if you have a translator. I tried a card reader...no luck. Finally, I rebooted the computer and got it! Soon I will upload some photos I have taken with it to my blog.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Gym Class: or as I like to call it Public Humiliation
Since I started school here, I've been forced to participate in the torture known as Indonesian Gym Class. Gym Class has always been known for its ability to make its students into fools, but some think Indonesian gym class takes it a step further. It's set up like your elementary school gym class: once a week, in a small gym or field, group stretches, etc. (I haven't had to climb a rope yet though haha). We start off doing high impact "jerk" stretches (the kind you were taught not to do in your American, 1990s, high school PE textbook) Then we move on to some sort of aerobic activity...usually involving running in some embarrassing fashion while little kids from outside the gym watch. Next we do either something relating to volleyball or gymnastics. When you screw up, you not only carry the shame of screwing up, but you also do 5 push ups--the funny-looking girl-push ups that hurt your knees. All in all, gym class makes me want to curse most days, and on the few days I am good at what I do, it still manages to make my back and neck sore. Like Elementary School, you also have to take a fitness test once in a while. I had to do this on my first gym class. I failed miserably. Hmm, If you have anymore questions about gym class let me know.
Pasar Seni ITB
I'm not too sure why I haven't done a blog post on this yet, because it happened a few weeks ago. But here we go: Pasar seni--the Art Market is an event at a local college that happens one every 4 or 5 years (I heard people say both 4 years and 5 years so I'm not sure which one it is. Unfortunately, I don't have a ton to say about it. First, even though I called ahead very early, I came late because of traffic jams that not even a motorcycle could weave through. When I got there, I realized it was nearly impossible to get to the other end of campus where I was supposed to meet my friend. I ended up squeezing through parades, winding through a maze of tents, running up off-limits areas and hoping the security guards didn't notice. Finally, I met up with a friend, Agung and I got to see the fair. Hhhmm I saw a giant tower of bikes, many parades and everything from traditional art to modern day photography. Then came the heat and the crowds. That day I downed about 3 bottles of liquids and When I sat down, I noticed the soles of my shoes had melted through! Then came the search for new shoes. Agung and I had to squeeze through thick crowds to get to shoe stalls and we had no luck for about an hour or so. The one thing I can say PCEP (my American High School) taught me was how to move through crowds. I was able to fall through to the other side a lot faster than others in the mob. The great thing was that Indonesians actually move a little to let you through. It wasn't like at PCEP where to get through, you had to suffer hundreds of shoulders bumping against yours as you got to the other side. There isn't much else to say other than I finally found my shoes and the heat made me so tired I had to go home early. It was a pretty fun day, but made for a pretty boring blog entry haha.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Theft! in Bandung
It was Thursday, which meant gym class, which meant changing into a different uniform and leaving the normal one in the classroom with the rest of our stuff. Before I left, I placed my backpack and badminton racquet next to my table and slipped the old, worn cell phone my host family had given me into the breast pocket of my uniform that sat folded on my desk. As I left, I remembered to slip my wallet into my pocket. Bandung may be safe, but I'm not taking chances with my money and ID cards.
Later, while I am in gym class, a classmate, Lidya, hurriedly drops off her backpack since she is running late. When you are late to gym class, you have to do extra exercises.
We get back to gym class and I check the clock. Ugh, still broken. I reach for my cell phone to check the time and its not there. I check in my backpack, around the desk, after all I am prone to loose things—still not there. People start asking me what I am looking for and I tell them “I can't find my cell phone, I thought I left it in my pocket. Students look shocked and start rifling through their bags. Lidya can't find her wallet or her cell phone either. Now everyone whispers about theft and how surprising it is, they all thought SMAN 3 was safe!
Theft in Indonesian high schools is not as common as in high schools in the US, and as a result, they are treated differently. When school officials heard we had things stolen from our room, even though the total value was probably less than $100 USD, math class was cancelled, and school officials asked us questions. That day and the next, almost every teacher and many students apologized for the theft. I actually found the situation kind of funny, because I never expected that horrible phone would ever be stolen, after all, the LCD screen was a little broken and it was not a nice phone in any sense.
Later, my Indonesian teacher gets a text message from my phone saying “I need help, please send more pulsas (the equivalent of minutes for US phones)”...except it was in texting-bahasa, something a newbie exchange student would not know yet. Proof it had been stolen.
I eventually bought a new phone and Lidya got her wallet back (the thief had taken the money and thrown the rest in the trash) so I guess we are back to normal now. Oh well. haha.
Later, while I am in gym class, a classmate, Lidya, hurriedly drops off her backpack since she is running late. When you are late to gym class, you have to do extra exercises.
We get back to gym class and I check the clock. Ugh, still broken. I reach for my cell phone to check the time and its not there. I check in my backpack, around the desk, after all I am prone to loose things—still not there. People start asking me what I am looking for and I tell them “I can't find my cell phone, I thought I left it in my pocket. Students look shocked and start rifling through their bags. Lidya can't find her wallet or her cell phone either. Now everyone whispers about theft and how surprising it is, they all thought SMAN 3 was safe!
Theft in Indonesian high schools is not as common as in high schools in the US, and as a result, they are treated differently. When school officials heard we had things stolen from our room, even though the total value was probably less than $100 USD, math class was cancelled, and school officials asked us questions. That day and the next, almost every teacher and many students apologized for the theft. I actually found the situation kind of funny, because I never expected that horrible phone would ever be stolen, after all, the LCD screen was a little broken and it was not a nice phone in any sense.
Later, my Indonesian teacher gets a text message from my phone saying “I need help, please send more pulsas (the equivalent of minutes for US phones)”...except it was in texting-bahasa, something a newbie exchange student would not know yet. Proof it had been stolen.
I eventually bought a new phone and Lidya got her wallet back (the thief had taken the money and thrown the rest in the trash) so I guess we are back to normal now. Oh well. haha.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Types of Angkot Drivers
Now that I have gained quite a bit of experience with indonesia's own public transit system(angkutan kota), I have noticed some peculiar things about the people who drive them.
1. The Musicians: These are angkot drivers who honk every few seconds. i'm not sure if they are impatient, want to attract riders, or just like to toot their own horn (pardon the pun)
2. The Mafia Escapees: These drivers drive as if they were given cement shoes, but some how managed to go on with life. Every time they stop or start you feel as if you are going to fall on to the person next to you.
3. The Racers: These drivers are in such a hurry to get to the end of the route, that you sometimes miss your stop. If not, when you say "kiri" to stop them they overshoot your stop buy a lot
4. The Chimneys: As you sit next to these drivers you find chain smoking is their on-the-road hobby, not necessarily bad drivers, but I try to avoid sitting next to them.
5. The mothers: These are my favorite. These guys look out for the little white girl traveling alone in Indonesia at night. Usually, they are kind of chatty, which helps me practice my bahasa.
6. The Deaf Ones: These are the ones that don't stop unless you scream "kiri" multiple times. Very frustrating.
Indonesians: if you have anything more to add go ahead :)
1. The Musicians: These are angkot drivers who honk every few seconds. i'm not sure if they are impatient, want to attract riders, or just like to toot their own horn (pardon the pun)
2. The Mafia Escapees: These drivers drive as if they were given cement shoes, but some how managed to go on with life. Every time they stop or start you feel as if you are going to fall on to the person next to you.
3. The Racers: These drivers are in such a hurry to get to the end of the route, that you sometimes miss your stop. If not, when you say "kiri" to stop them they overshoot your stop buy a lot
4. The Chimneys: As you sit next to these drivers you find chain smoking is their on-the-road hobby, not necessarily bad drivers, but I try to avoid sitting next to them.
5. The mothers: These are my favorite. These guys look out for the little white girl traveling alone in Indonesia at night. Usually, they are kind of chatty, which helps me practice my bahasa.
6. The Deaf Ones: These are the ones that don't stop unless you scream "kiri" multiple times. Very frustrating.
Indonesians: if you have anything more to add go ahead :)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Eliza Gets Lost: The Sequel
My oh my. Yesterday certainly was something. If you don't already know this about me, I love to crochet, so much so that while crocheting at school yesterday, I ran out of yarn. So, I planned a trip to a cafe (Reading Lights) that sells yarn and, in general, has a relaxing atmosphere. At school, I consulted my Angkot-expert friends as to correct route to take. This happened to be the place I got lost trying to get to before by angkot, so I was extra viligilant and even had some schoolmates tell the angkot driver where I was going. Guess what? I still got lost haha. This time I wasn't as far away though, so I just retraced my steps, asked people for the street I was looking for, and I found it. That did me no good because Reading Lights turns out to be closed on Mondays. You can imagine after a 3 or 4 block walk, a sweaty angkot ride, and hours of school, did not want to find out that instead of collapsing into a cushy couch with a drink and a ball of yarn, I had to take another sweaty angkot back to somewhere I knew. None the less, I took a trip to McDonalds (not my favorite place, but I knew where it was haha) and met Ricarda after I ordered two huge pieces of chicken, fries, an ice cream sundae, and a Teh Botol (this means bottled tea, and ironically came in a box that day haha). We ended up taking ojek to a local mall, bought maps, found out 30 minute massages cost about $2 and ate at J. Co (OMG, I LOOOVE THAT PLACE). However, if our way back was a movie, it would be named “Eliza Gets Lost the Sequal: Eliza and Ricarda Get Lost together.” We decide to take the Angkot back to Ricarda's house first, then send me on my angkot. We climb on Ricarda's white angkot and ride for about a half an hour until I think this is taking way too long, this can't be a very direct route. I tell Ricarda and she assures me, it just takes a long time to get to her house from the mall. About ten or twenty minutes later I start seeing landmarks on my route home. “um, Ricarda, I think we're on the wrong angkot because we're closer to my house now than yours.” I tell her. “Oh my god are you sure?! We must have taken the wrong direction!” Ricarda replies. We stop the bus and start walking hoping to find an Ojeg station. It was a good thing that we got lost on this bus and not another because it was already dark and while we eventually found someone who directed Ricarda to the right place, I didn't need directions, since I was close enough I could just hop on my regular bus. On the way home I chatted with another SMAN 3 student almost entirely in Bahasa Indonesia, I was quite proud haha.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Eliza Miller's Week Off
This week has been so fun haha. I didn't go to school because SMAN 3 had exams, so I've been hanging out instead. Tuesday, I went to a traditional mask painting workshop at ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) as part of a big Art Festival hosted there on 10, 10, 10. Each of us used traditional colors to paint a plain, fiber glass, dancing mask (the real ones are made out of wood) complete with a flap to bite down on in the back (that is how these masks are held on your face). Unfortunately, there was a mix-up with sand paper so we had difficulty smoothing the mask before painting and there also seemed to be a shortage of white paint. Oh well, I think my mask still turned out nice :).I can't remember which character I got, but once I find out, I will post it in a comment. After that, I met up with AFS volunteers who showed Ricarda and me around the art campus. It made me really wish I was in college haha. Such a stimulating atmosphere, I think I will take some classes there when my Bahasa Indonesia gets better. Dina, one of the volunteers showed me to a place where I could buy yarn and I've been crocheting ever since! Last, I went to Bosccha Observatory, which isn't usually open to public, but that day it was. We went up a hill on an old Vespa that kept stalling, but I was able to see Bandung at night from above, something I wish everyone could see: Bandung lights up, and its like looks at stars from above.
On Wednesday, I decided to join Ricarda and Dina because I had nothing better to do. My host Brother, Dhimas, dropped me off at McDonald's to meet them. McDonald's here is a bit different than the ones in the US: in the us the food is greasy and tasteless and you're likely to get hard or soggy fries with a meal, but in Indonesia, the food is much crispier and comes with a side of rice rolled into a patty, and covered in paper like a burger. Why? McDonald's retains their American prices in Indonesia, which buys only low-quality meat in the US, but in the land of the $.50 USD lunches, means they can afford the best. Overall, I think a Mcdonald's meal is a perfect example of cultural diffusion: Indonesians get American culture through food and American culture changes (adds rice and Teh Botol) for Asia.
And now what you've all been waiting for: Eliza Gets Lost on Angkot!!!!
Anyway, Dina ended up having to cancel, so she suggested I meet another AFS volunteer at the place I bought yarn the day before, gave me directions by Angkot. Unfortunately the place was a little hidden and I missed my stop!! I ended up on the train tracks crossing busy street near a University I'd never heard of. I'd gone so far out, The Angkot I needed didn't go the other way! So I waited at the University until a Taxi came. I finally got to the shop 45 minutes late! Not much else happened that day except that I ended up really late to my Bahasa Indonesia lesson.
Yesterday, I met Ricarda and our Indonesian teacher for lunch at a steak shop. Remember that thick, juicy steak you got for your birthday? Not in Indonesia! The steaks here are cheap, but only a few milimeters thick. I was still hungry after that, so I ordered a burger. Also not like the US haha. It wasn't a sandwich, it was a patty fried in oil with some veggies on the side. After that strange and piggish meal Ricarda and I watched Public Enemies at my house....I have to admit, it was a little disappointing, not to mention all the non-American actors with accent-problems, but no one cares what I think about American movies haha. The thing you should know about movies here is that they are all pirated. Recently, I bought 5 movies for $3, all of which came in a nice cellophane wrapper and needed to be scanned at the video store first to see if there were any problems haha.
Today, I met exchange-student-hopefuls at Telkomsel (an Indonesian phone service that sponsors a two week trip to Australia). Ricarda and I gave our advice on being an exchange student as well as Interviewed a student and helped a little in the selection process. I hope to hear how it goes, although I wish it were me that I could go to Australia! Haha.
Sorry I think my blog posts are starting to get boring...I will have some more interesting ones up soon, just let me know what you want to hear about :)
On Wednesday, I decided to join Ricarda and Dina because I had nothing better to do. My host Brother, Dhimas, dropped me off at McDonald's to meet them. McDonald's here is a bit different than the ones in the US: in the us the food is greasy and tasteless and you're likely to get hard or soggy fries with a meal, but in Indonesia, the food is much crispier and comes with a side of rice rolled into a patty, and covered in paper like a burger. Why? McDonald's retains their American prices in Indonesia, which buys only low-quality meat in the US, but in the land of the $.50 USD lunches, means they can afford the best. Overall, I think a Mcdonald's meal is a perfect example of cultural diffusion: Indonesians get American culture through food and American culture changes (adds rice and Teh Botol) for Asia.
And now what you've all been waiting for: Eliza Gets Lost on Angkot!!!!
Anyway, Dina ended up having to cancel, so she suggested I meet another AFS volunteer at the place I bought yarn the day before, gave me directions by Angkot. Unfortunately the place was a little hidden and I missed my stop!! I ended up on the train tracks crossing busy street near a University I'd never heard of. I'd gone so far out, The Angkot I needed didn't go the other way! So I waited at the University until a Taxi came. I finally got to the shop 45 minutes late! Not much else happened that day except that I ended up really late to my Bahasa Indonesia lesson.
Yesterday, I met Ricarda and our Indonesian teacher for lunch at a steak shop. Remember that thick, juicy steak you got for your birthday? Not in Indonesia! The steaks here are cheap, but only a few milimeters thick. I was still hungry after that, so I ordered a burger. Also not like the US haha. It wasn't a sandwich, it was a patty fried in oil with some veggies on the side. After that strange and piggish meal Ricarda and I watched Public Enemies at my house....I have to admit, it was a little disappointing, not to mention all the non-American actors with accent-problems, but no one cares what I think about American movies haha. The thing you should know about movies here is that they are all pirated. Recently, I bought 5 movies for $3, all of which came in a nice cellophane wrapper and needed to be scanned at the video store first to see if there were any problems haha.
Today, I met exchange-student-hopefuls at Telkomsel (an Indonesian phone service that sponsors a two week trip to Australia). Ricarda and I gave our advice on being an exchange student as well as Interviewed a student and helped a little in the selection process. I hope to hear how it goes, although I wish it were me that I could go to Australia! Haha.
Sorry I think my blog posts are starting to get boring...I will have some more interesting ones up soon, just let me know what you want to hear about :)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Once, I went to school very tired and I didn't want to do work, then I remembered that was everyday of my 5 years of high school
Well I think now that I have been to school for 7 days I should talk about my school in Indonesia. I go to SMAN 3 Bandung (Public Senior High School 3 in Bandung. pronounced es-em-ah TEE-guh). Its located in Old Bandung in a building built by the Dutch, which it shares with a different high school, SMAN 5 Bandung. Everyday, Students put on (in my oppinion) ugly and uncomfortable uniforms consisting on a white collared shirt embroidered with your name and school, and an ankle length bluish skirt (bluish pants for boys). Recently, I got my skirt caught in the door of the Ankot on the way home from school. By the time I got off, it was wet from puddles the ankot had driven through. On fridays, you where a shirt patterned with your schools batik. Hopefully, I will be able to post some photos of this. I've been told this is the best high school in Bandung and that if you want to study, you go to SMAN 3 and if you want to have fun, you go to SMAN 5. Getting into high school in Indonesia is more like getting into college in the US: you get into high school based on the grades you had in middle school, not based on where you live. This means I have a long way to drive to school everyday haha. As classes start, the school plays a little western folk tune. I kind of wonder if the school realizes what they are playing since fiercely anti-alcohol SMAN 3 plays “Little Brown jug” on a daily basis. Also, instead of going from one teachers class to another, you stay put on wildly uncomfortable wooden chairs (I've been taking a cushion to school to sit on) and the teachers come to you! Sounds nice since there is less walking, but it means you can't really choose your classes beyond picking a major in science or social studies. I'm majoring in Social studies at our schools only tiny 11th grade social studies class.
Now I'd like to introduce you to the controversy; the reason why my class is so much smaller than all the others: If you major in Science in high school, you can major in whatever you want in college, but if you major in Social Studies, you can only major in a field of Social Studies in college. As a result, students have to take tests to get into a pure science class, and if they fail, they are placed in social science. Also, students are encouraged by parents and teachers to take science even if their interest is in social studies, and those who taking social science anyway are labeled as slackers. This was strange to me coming from PCEP, where most of our best teachers are in social studies, and it seems a lot of kids are pushed the other direction. This school system was set up by the Dutch and my schoolmates postulate that it was to keep Indonesians from fully understanding government, making them less politically powerful and easy to govern. If you haven't already figured this out, the reason my class is so small and that it is the only social studies class in the 11th grade is because SMAN 3 has a reputation to uphold. Not only are the parents of students at SMAN 3 more likely to push their kids into Science, but the school does as well, because the more engineers from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB for short. Its the Indonesian equivalent of MIT), the better the reputation of the school. At this point, I drew a parallel: I remembered how Mrs. Caldwell, my 10th grade bio teacher, used to tell us she was preparing us to get into the University of Michigan and our school counselors telling us the school requirements were based on those to get into the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. It seems Indonesia is in a frustrating educational position that many students want to change. Good luck to them!
I'll end on a good note telling you about some of features of my school. Our school has really good, cheap, food which you seem to be allowed to eat in class. SMAN 3 has a very nice cafeteria, and (to the annoyance of 3's students) students from SMAN 5 will come to each there causing it to get a little crowded (but not PCEP crowded haha). My school also has two fountains, a garden, and wifi so I find it very pretty to go there. I'm liking my teachers, although I have no idea what most of them are saying, except my German teacher who teaches part of her lesson in English (I think because English is closer to German) and my civics teacher who I think made her lesson partly in English for me.hmm...if theres anything else you'd like to know about my school, shoot me a comment.
Now I'd like to introduce you to the controversy; the reason why my class is so much smaller than all the others: If you major in Science in high school, you can major in whatever you want in college, but if you major in Social Studies, you can only major in a field of Social Studies in college. As a result, students have to take tests to get into a pure science class, and if they fail, they are placed in social science. Also, students are encouraged by parents and teachers to take science even if their interest is in social studies, and those who taking social science anyway are labeled as slackers. This was strange to me coming from PCEP, where most of our best teachers are in social studies, and it seems a lot of kids are pushed the other direction. This school system was set up by the Dutch and my schoolmates postulate that it was to keep Indonesians from fully understanding government, making them less politically powerful and easy to govern. If you haven't already figured this out, the reason my class is so small and that it is the only social studies class in the 11th grade is because SMAN 3 has a reputation to uphold. Not only are the parents of students at SMAN 3 more likely to push their kids into Science, but the school does as well, because the more engineers from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB for short. Its the Indonesian equivalent of MIT), the better the reputation of the school. At this point, I drew a parallel: I remembered how Mrs. Caldwell, my 10th grade bio teacher, used to tell us she was preparing us to get into the University of Michigan and our school counselors telling us the school requirements were based on those to get into the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. It seems Indonesia is in a frustrating educational position that many students want to change. Good luck to them!
I'll end on a good note telling you about some of features of my school. Our school has really good, cheap, food which you seem to be allowed to eat in class. SMAN 3 has a very nice cafeteria, and (to the annoyance of 3's students) students from SMAN 5 will come to each there causing it to get a little crowded (but not PCEP crowded haha). My school also has two fountains, a garden, and wifi so I find it very pretty to go there. I'm liking my teachers, although I have no idea what most of them are saying, except my German teacher who teaches part of her lesson in English (I think because English is closer to German) and my civics teacher who I think made her lesson partly in English for me.hmm...if theres anything else you'd like to know about my school, shoot me a comment.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Settling Down in Bandung
Since my last blog post (which I originally wrote about a week before I posted it haha), some things have changed: I've started school, registered for my KITAS card (resident alien card), went to a couple fast-breaking parties, met the other exchange student in Bandung, rode Angkot (public transit) and Ojeg/Ojek (motor cycle taxi), met with a representative from the US Embassy, said good bye to Dhimas' (my host brother) host family, etc.
Early on, I rode Angkot and Ojeg after shopping with my host sister at a few of Bandung's factory outlets. Angkot are small, multicolored (but usually green) vans with benches. They are MUCH smaller than subways, light-rail, or buses in the US. In fact, they are made to seat about ten people (in reality you can squeeze about sixteen people in one) and make you feel as if you've been packed tightly in a suitcase. Soon, I hope I can ride Angkot on my own so I can have a little more freedom to move around Bandung :). Ojeg is terrifying for someone new to motorcycles and Indonesian traffic: the driver swerves to avoid cars, hits bumps that make feel as if you are slipping off, and makes quick turns on wet pavement. Not my idea of safe, but if it will take me from point A to point B, I think it's worth it.
I also met Ricarda, the exchange student from Germany, recently. She goes to SMAN 5, a high school that shares a building with my school, SMAN 3. we met at the oh-so-entertaining Immigration Office, although her visit there was a lot smoother than mine (as it turns out, I was missing my Departure Card which meant yet another visit to Bandung's scenic Immigration before I could get fingerprinted and photographed).
As for the the fast-breaking parties, I've been to two--both of which were a little overwhelming. The first one, for AFS, was also kind of a welcoming party for Ricarda and me....which meant public speaking!! Ah! As nervous as I was speaking about myself (part of which was in Bahasa Indonesia) in front of the returnees (former exchange students) and volunteers, all went well. I guess it pays off to always keep a few American gifts (rubber animal bracelets, some Burts Bee's chapstick and t-shirts with american slogans) on hand to throw out too the crowd haha. The other fast-breaking event was at my school. It was my first time visiting my school and I was able to meet some of my future classmates and make some more friends. Later on, I encountered another strange cultural difference: a group of high school students leave the crowd at night, go through a kind of seedy-looking alley and enter a dimly-lit room. Are they...
A. Doing something illegal
B. Selling something illegal
C. Buying something illegal
D. Praying
If you answered “D” you would be correct. As it turns out the dimly-lit room is a musholla (prayer house), something you can find all over the city including Mcdonald's. I found this funny since I can imagine a American parent seeing something like this and starting up a neighborhood watch program.
Now, I officially attend the prestigious SMAN 3, major in social sciences, and wear an oh-so-stylish uniform that consists of a blue-grey, floor-length skirt and a white, long sleeve shirt with a name patch, “SMAN 3” and the iconic OSIS patch seen on all Indonesian school uniforms. Indonesians don't have moving classes, so monday through friday I sit in the same classroom with sixteen other social science majors and struggle to understand some of what the teachers are saying. I take classes like computer programming, German, Bahasa Indonesia, Sundanese (the local language here in Bandung), and music. I'm not so keen on music so far because it means the other students get to hear my oh-so-lovely singing voice. Right now, I am on break for Idul Fitri (the celebration after Ramadhan), so I don't get to go back to school until mid-september.
The home-sickness is getting much better, although every once in a while a painful memory pops up. Otherwise, life is pretty ordinary in Bandung. I hope I can make more friends and ultimately visit more fun places. Anyway, that's it for now, hope this wasn't too long for you.
Early on, I rode Angkot and Ojeg after shopping with my host sister at a few of Bandung's factory outlets. Angkot are small, multicolored (but usually green) vans with benches. They are MUCH smaller than subways, light-rail, or buses in the US. In fact, they are made to seat about ten people (in reality you can squeeze about sixteen people in one) and make you feel as if you've been packed tightly in a suitcase. Soon, I hope I can ride Angkot on my own so I can have a little more freedom to move around Bandung :). Ojeg is terrifying for someone new to motorcycles and Indonesian traffic: the driver swerves to avoid cars, hits bumps that make feel as if you are slipping off, and makes quick turns on wet pavement. Not my idea of safe, but if it will take me from point A to point B, I think it's worth it.
I also met Ricarda, the exchange student from Germany, recently. She goes to SMAN 5, a high school that shares a building with my school, SMAN 3. we met at the oh-so-entertaining Immigration Office, although her visit there was a lot smoother than mine (as it turns out, I was missing my Departure Card which meant yet another visit to Bandung's scenic Immigration before I could get fingerprinted and photographed).
As for the the fast-breaking parties, I've been to two--both of which were a little overwhelming. The first one, for AFS, was also kind of a welcoming party for Ricarda and me....which meant public speaking!! Ah! As nervous as I was speaking about myself (part of which was in Bahasa Indonesia) in front of the returnees (former exchange students) and volunteers, all went well. I guess it pays off to always keep a few American gifts (rubber animal bracelets, some Burts Bee's chapstick and t-shirts with american slogans) on hand to throw out too the crowd haha. The other fast-breaking event was at my school. It was my first time visiting my school and I was able to meet some of my future classmates and make some more friends. Later on, I encountered another strange cultural difference: a group of high school students leave the crowd at night, go through a kind of seedy-looking alley and enter a dimly-lit room. Are they...
A. Doing something illegal
B. Selling something illegal
C. Buying something illegal
D. Praying
If you answered “D” you would be correct. As it turns out the dimly-lit room is a musholla (prayer house), something you can find all over the city including Mcdonald's. I found this funny since I can imagine a American parent seeing something like this and starting up a neighborhood watch program.
Now, I officially attend the prestigious SMAN 3, major in social sciences, and wear an oh-so-stylish uniform that consists of a blue-grey, floor-length skirt and a white, long sleeve shirt with a name patch, “SMAN 3” and the iconic OSIS patch seen on all Indonesian school uniforms. Indonesians don't have moving classes, so monday through friday I sit in the same classroom with sixteen other social science majors and struggle to understand some of what the teachers are saying. I take classes like computer programming, German, Bahasa Indonesia, Sundanese (the local language here in Bandung), and music. I'm not so keen on music so far because it means the other students get to hear my oh-so-lovely singing voice. Right now, I am on break for Idul Fitri (the celebration after Ramadhan), so I don't get to go back to school until mid-september.
The home-sickness is getting much better, although every once in a while a painful memory pops up. Otherwise, life is pretty ordinary in Bandung. I hope I can make more friends and ultimately visit more fun places. Anyway, that's it for now, hope this wasn't too long for you.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
First Days In indonesia
Hey, so welcome to the first entry of my blog. I was thinking about making a video blog, but it seems my camera isn't working all too well....hopefully I'll get that taken care of so I can take pictures and what not. Anyway, This is my first week in Indonesia. Earlier this week I flew into Jakarta via Taipei and Kuala Lumpur (or Lumpy Koala as dad calls it). While I was still technically in the US, I had my first taste of the Asia I've come to know in the Los Angeles Airport: all around me people were speaking in languages I couldn't understand, and after waiting a while, I realized I was one of only a few non-asians waiting in the terminal. My flight ended up being extremely long, including an unexpected three hour wait in Taipei, complete with Harajuku girls and public showers. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a shower because I forgot to bring a towel in my carry-on. I should have listened to Ford Prefect's advice: Never forget your Towel! I saw an entertainingly cheesy safety video on Malaysia Airlines: It had a stewardess dressed in traditional Malaysian clothes. The actress must have been speaking Bahasa Melayu, but to make the video more international, her voice was dubbed over with over thickly-accented British English . Malaysia Airlines may have cheesy videos, but it is that it has GREAT FOOD!!! With every flight (even short ones like Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta) they give you Malaysian TV-dinners that are quite good. It's a welcome change from paying three dollars for a "fun-sized" box of Pringles on US Airways.
Eventually, I made it to Jakarta...my back hurt, I was overwhelmed and I accidentally paid for an uneeded visa on arrival which I then had to get refunded. On the way out, the customs officials were all crowded around (apparently talking about me). "Do you have a boyfriend?" One asked me, "because if you don't, he thinks your pretty, and needs a girlfriend." Great. My first day in the country and I get hit on. Finally, I grabbed my bags and squeezed into the van that would take me to the Bina Antarbudaya (the Indonesian AFS affiliate) office. As the driver whipped her way through traffic, I kept thinking “Wow, Indonesia is a lot like Mexico!” The buildings, the plants, the heat, the people and the way they dressed, even the language reminded me of Mexico. Obviously, there were plenty of differences, like the jilbabs (Islamic head scarves) you see many women wearing on the street, and the traffic--traffic here is so heavy that Jakartans have to learn an aggressive, near-accident-enducing driving-style. Did I mention they don't wear seat belts either? After that ride, it was clear why AFS students are not allowed to drive and have extensive health insurance.
At the office, I was shown how to shower the Indonesian way...by filling a a bucket with water and pouring it over yourself. It's a bit bracing, but I think I should get used to it, especially since my host family has hot water (Bandung has a reputation for being "cold"). That night, I was invited to a fast-breaking celebration, which was a bit overwhelming since many people wanted to talk to me, and most of the time I didn't know what to do, since I have a pretty poor command of Bahasa Indonesia at this point. I ended up at a mall after sleeping through the ride back from the party. It was fairly similar to the ones in the US except much bigger. However, we left fairly early because I was dozing off while sitting up at a restaurant. As we left, the power went out--something that apparently has never happened to the Indonesian volunteers before.
A day later my host family and my host brother's former host family (he went to the Netherlands and his host family was visiting at that point). We went to a Padang restaurant and I promptly fell asleep once we got home in Bandung.
I'm starting to notice cultural differences, one of which is dry vs. wet clean: In the USA, people like to be dry, dry is clean. We try to keep our bathrooms as dry as possible, we wipe our hands with napkins and use toilet paper. In Indonesia, wet is clean. You'll find sinks and finger bowls at restaurants to clean your hands, bathrooms are always wet, and toilets have bidets, hoses or buckets to clean yourself off. Another cultural difference is waking time. Indonesians wake up early, especially now, during Ramadan. Prayers are recited over megaphone at the local mosques make it hard to stay asleep in the wee hours of the morning.
I am worried about a few things: that it will be hard for me to learn Bahasa Indonesia since most people in my host family speak English and they are very busy during the week, leaving me with a lot of alone time. Because of this, I am also a little worried about getting homesick, or rather, boyfriend-sick. Every time I end up with time to think to myself, I end up thinking about my boyfriend, Macsen, and how I won't be able to see him for a year. I get more upset over this than over missing my family because I always know my family will be there when I get back. I will end up spending time with them throughout my life even if I don't see them now. I am worried Macsen will not always be in my life and that this year will cause us to grow apart. I have the same concerns about many of my great friends that I have made in the US. I will end on light note: my mom has just made some delicious fries for me to eat :).
Eventually, I made it to Jakarta...my back hurt, I was overwhelmed and I accidentally paid for an uneeded visa on arrival which I then had to get refunded. On the way out, the customs officials were all crowded around (apparently talking about me). "Do you have a boyfriend?" One asked me, "because if you don't, he thinks your pretty, and needs a girlfriend." Great. My first day in the country and I get hit on. Finally, I grabbed my bags and squeezed into the van that would take me to the Bina Antarbudaya (the Indonesian AFS affiliate) office. As the driver whipped her way through traffic, I kept thinking “Wow, Indonesia is a lot like Mexico!” The buildings, the plants, the heat, the people and the way they dressed, even the language reminded me of Mexico. Obviously, there were plenty of differences, like the jilbabs (Islamic head scarves) you see many women wearing on the street, and the traffic--traffic here is so heavy that Jakartans have to learn an aggressive, near-accident-enducing driving-style. Did I mention they don't wear seat belts either? After that ride, it was clear why AFS students are not allowed to drive and have extensive health insurance.
At the office, I was shown how to shower the Indonesian way...by filling a a bucket with water and pouring it over yourself. It's a bit bracing, but I think I should get used to it, especially since my host family has hot water (Bandung has a reputation for being "cold"). That night, I was invited to a fast-breaking celebration, which was a bit overwhelming since many people wanted to talk to me, and most of the time I didn't know what to do, since I have a pretty poor command of Bahasa Indonesia at this point. I ended up at a mall after sleeping through the ride back from the party. It was fairly similar to the ones in the US except much bigger. However, we left fairly early because I was dozing off while sitting up at a restaurant. As we left, the power went out--something that apparently has never happened to the Indonesian volunteers before.
A day later my host family and my host brother's former host family (he went to the Netherlands and his host family was visiting at that point). We went to a Padang restaurant and I promptly fell asleep once we got home in Bandung.
I'm starting to notice cultural differences, one of which is dry vs. wet clean: In the USA, people like to be dry, dry is clean. We try to keep our bathrooms as dry as possible, we wipe our hands with napkins and use toilet paper. In Indonesia, wet is clean. You'll find sinks and finger bowls at restaurants to clean your hands, bathrooms are always wet, and toilets have bidets, hoses or buckets to clean yourself off. Another cultural difference is waking time. Indonesians wake up early, especially now, during Ramadan. Prayers are recited over megaphone at the local mosques make it hard to stay asleep in the wee hours of the morning.
I am worried about a few things: that it will be hard for me to learn Bahasa Indonesia since most people in my host family speak English and they are very busy during the week, leaving me with a lot of alone time. Because of this, I am also a little worried about getting homesick, or rather, boyfriend-sick. Every time I end up with time to think to myself, I end up thinking about my boyfriend, Macsen, and how I won't be able to see him for a year. I get more upset over this than over missing my family because I always know my family will be there when I get back. I will end up spending time with them throughout my life even if I don't see them now. I am worried Macsen will not always be in my life and that this year will cause us to grow apart. I have the same concerns about many of my great friends that I have made in the US. I will end on light note: my mom has just made some delicious fries for me to eat :).
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