Embracing Java

Wednesday was packed with activity. After our Indonesian class, we headed for a hotel that gave a lecture on making batik. We then made our own t-shirt design, and tried out batik. We made handkerchiefs. Batik is a lot harder than it looks. The wax is hot and pours out of the pen very fast. But... I LOVE IT! I am switching my art project in Bali to Batik. I am also still taking a jewelry making class.

my design turning blue

We then headed back to Godean village for dinner and dance class with our families. We have to perform on Saturday at our going away party in front of a lot of people. Java dance is very fun, but we look ridiculous. Don't worry, the performance will most likely be recorded...

When I returned home Kindi was drawing in the coloring book I bought him. He played with it for about 4 hours. I also saw him draw on four or five of the house walls... Maybe that is why he didn't have crayons before?

Earlier in the week, Markie bought a guitar from the market. I asked Nysa (cousin) if she could give us a couple of pointers and she said Wednesday was good for her! Nysa surprised us by inviting over a couple of her guitar playing friends. Family friend and Novan's English teacher joined the party with her sister as well as my mom, Kindi, Markie, Alex, and another neighbor. We played American and Indonesian songs and sang along. They helped us with our Indonesian and I we tried to help Novan with his English. 

We then asked Nysa and her friends if they could help us with the presentation we were preparing for the next day. It is on religion in America. They agreed and asked several questions beginning with... Indonesia has 5 religions, but America only has 1. We were stunned. They thought everyone in America was Christians. Their next question was what do Americans think of Muslims after the terrorist attacks. They were very pleased when we explained that Americans are not anti-Islam and that it is only a small group of ignorant Americans that group all Muslims with the terrorists. 

We continued to talk about religion and the differences in America. Later in the night, a neighbor asked me what i knew about Islam. He asked me to compare it with Christianity. I was terrified I would make a wrong assumption or comparison. However, he seemed pleased when I stated I thought of Muslims as peaceful people and that I could recall how Islam began. He continued to quiz me for the remainder of the evening on my knowledge on Islam and my pronunciation of Indonesian words. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Java. I feel as though I have known my Muslim family for years. They have helped me learn everything about their lifestyle and religion. I am grateful that God placed me with such a loving family that has been understanding of my Christian beliefs. We embraced our differences and formed a bond on a mutual understanding of love and a belief in God. 

Dah-Dah (bye bye) for now. 

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

Java

My Java Family:

My mom's name is Endah and my dad's name is Sigit. The grandmother's name is Sadiyat. 

My 6 year old brother's name is Kindi. Kindi loves soccer and to run around the house. He is still shy around me, but I can always hear him throughout the house. He has posters of his favorite soccer team from Barcelona on his walls. 

Novan is my 15 year old brother. He is usually at school or hanging out with his friends. He is a typical teenager. He can speak some English  and plays the guitar.

Nisa is a cousin of Novan and Kindi, but she lives with the family. She attends college at a local university and is 22 years old. She found me on facebook and twitter within 24 hours of my arrival. She can also speak some English and has helped me adapt to Java. 

My house in Java is cozy and welcoming. In the past days we have attended a lot of class. Saturday night we attended a village party involving karaoke. They then woke us up at 5 am on Sunday morning to take a walk around the village. It was 3 kilometers and lead us to the communal graveyard that holds hundreds of victims from the eruption a couple of years ago. Several gravestones read Mr X or Mrs X because the bodies were too deformed to identify. We appreciated the village opening up to us and showing us where their loved ones are buried. 

At every event in the village there have been prizes. The prices are generally kitchen tools, containers, water bottles, or glass bowls. Half of the time the children win the prizes and end up giving them to their parents. My number was drawn at the walk and I won a glass bowl.  The Dean of UGM then lead us around the village to visit a dagger maker, weavers, and purse makers. We got to experience first hand the life of an artist. That afternoon we were also supposed to attend a dance show, but I accidentally fell asleep and missed the show. I slept through the night for a total of 14 hours. 

On Monday we visited a Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School). The 3000 students remain at school for 24 hours a day. They wake up at 3:30 am to begin studying the Quran and go to sleep at 10pm every night. The boys were shy but the girls loved showing us around their campus and taking pictures with us. 

Missing my cat Charlie at home, I found a cat laying on the gravestone of the founder. I picked the cat up and held her for about 20 minutes. The students couldn't understand why I liked cats and why I wasn't afraid. The cat seemed sick and possibly pregnant. She purred in my lap and cried when I left. I hope the students will pet her now that I showed them she is nice. I tried to take her with me, but (lucky for you mom and Charlie), no one would loan me a bag. 

On Tuesday we had class followed by a lecture on Christianity in Indonesian. The speaker asked if we thought Indonesia was religious. He stated:

“You are not religious just because you are raised in a religion... You are religious if it affects your life... Do you see your neighbors as your brothers and sisters? If no, then you are not religious.”

We then visited a Catholic Church in Java. It was beautiful. They had the typical Javanese Gamelan and beautiful green architecture. A temple also rested on church grounds. 

Tuesday night, we went to the Ramayan Ballet. It was awesome to hear the live music and the story. We all loved the costumes. The Ballet only sat about 1000 people so every seat had a great view. 

Today we are making batik shirts. 

We will only be in Java for 4 more days and then we are headed back to Bali.  

Dah-Dah (bye bye) for now. 

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

Adventures in Java

Java

Day 3 

Today we had class and then visited the market and mall. We purchased clothes, shoes, purses, wallets, and souvenirs ranging from 1 dollar to about 10 dollars after bargaining of course. The mall had 5 stories full of Western and Indonesian stores. The mall also contained a Dunkin Dougnuts and KFC! The mall was so large that a couple stores had more than one shop on different floors. 

Day 4 and 5

We visited the Buddhist Temple Borobudur. It was huge and very interesting to see the architecture. Although Java is mostly Muslim, Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and is visited by people of all religions. It was built in the 9th century and has recently gone through a lot of restoration. 

About to climb Borobudur Temple

At the top of Borobudur

Borobudur Buddhist Temple

We also moved into our homestay families in Java. We will stay with them for 10 days. My family consists of a mother and father, grandmother, niece, and two younger brothers. One brother is 15 and can speak some English. My youngest brother is 6 and hides from me. However, when I go into my room, he runs up and down the halls screaming and playing soccer. My room is in the middle of the house. It is very different from Bali. In Java the houses are connected unlike Bali consisting of many different buildings on the complex. 

My bathroom has a toilet with toilet paper! Success. Unfortunately, I have to take bucket baths again. I can do it! 

The mother picked me up from the director's home wearing her hijab. However, Friday morning she woke me up and did her house work without the hijab. It is interesting that she is the only female in the family that wears a hijab. The grand mother and niece do not wear one. So far living with a Muslim family is not any different from a Hindu family. Both are very loving, both love to laugh, both have lots of food, and both have moms that love taking care of me. 

Tonight (Friday) we are spending a lot of time with our families. 

This weekend we are exploring Java. All of our home stay houses are within walking distance.  Tomorrow night one family is having a party. They told us to expect live music and karaoke. We are all very excited. 

Dah-Dah (bye bye) for now. 

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

Orientation in Java

Day 1 of Java:

We attended a lecture on Buddhism at the local University in Indonesia. The professor gave a 45 minute talk and expected us to know everything. Luckily I have had a Religions of the World class at Wofford and was able to follow along easily and form questions. It was interesting that he described things in Sanscript but we were very confused. 

He had several interesting quotes including, "We are all very different but we believe in the power of love"

We then had a lecture on etiquette in Java. In Bali, it is rude to point, or look into someones eyes for longer than a second. You also learn to not touch people of the opposite sex or the hair of someone you are not close with. You must always shake or hand things with the right hand because the left is considered dirty and is used to wipe after using the restroom. (Indonesians do not use toilet paper). 

Indonesian "family" includes father+mother+children+grandparents+grandchildren+nephew+niece+cousins. It includes everyone. The professor said if she has late lectures, its okay. she knows her children will be taken care of. They live n the same compound. They share houses, responsibilities, and food. It is a lot like the Strickland Family. Living on land next to each other and sharing everything. I must say the Strickland compound is much bigger than the houses they live in. 

In Java we are spending the first 3 days in a hotel. This is not a Hyatt but a hotel with small beds, a fuzzy tv, and a toilet. I opted for the extra mattress on the ground because the comforters on the beds had lots of stains. I can tell I have already changed a lot. My standards are very different. For example, I am not comfortable in the hotel... But I can deal with the unworking air conditioning, crack in the door, and holes in the walls. It is a typical Java hotel. The floor is considered a wet floor because it doesn't separate the shower and toilet but all the water goes on the ground into a drain. 

Day 2

We arrived at the University, practiced our Bahasa Indonesian and then met in a large room to have a forum with other students in Java. The topic was American and Indonesian Youth Culture, Politics, Religion, Immigration, Education, Public Health Care, and the Environment. We sat in front of professors, graduate and undergraduate students, and reporters and presented our topics. Mine was Immigration and Tourism. After our talks we had a question and answer period. 

I believe the forum allowed for some understanding between all of the students. 

Since Java is largely Muslim, we were questioned on the view of Muslims in America since 9/11. I stressed the overall acceptance of Muslims in America and the unfortunate misunderstanding of relating terrorists to all Muslims. They appreciated our honesty and were interested in our personal opinions on our government practices in America. For the most part, we all remained unbiased and pointed out positive and negatives about many parts of the United States. 

We then had lunch where we were interviewed again and mingled with local students for several hours. They were very interested in our lives, America, and our interest in Indonesia. 

We have another forum next week on religion. After spending several weeks with a Hindu family and an upcoming week with our Muslim homestay families, it is interesting to observe the acceptance of religion in Indonesia. 

Indonesian Professors at the Forum

Ad discussing the upcoming Forums

We meet our families THURSDAY and visit the market and mall today!!

Dah-Dah (bye bye) for now. 

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

I am 21!

Sunday night, things went downhill... After a walk around Bedulu, my host mother asked if I wanted to try Sate Ayam or a form of chicken sold by street vendors. Feeling adventurous I agreed. The Ayam was delicious. However, my stomach became very sick. 

After visiting the doctor a couple days later it is possible I have a form of food poisoning or that the spices simply did not agree with my body. 

Regardless, the trip continues. On Monday we began our art projects. I took a jewelry making class and have almost completed a ring. I am to return sometime this week. 

On Tuesday we visited a mask maker and he showed us how the wood masks are carved and sculpted. We also visited a puppet maker. He told stories and how you must change your voice. 

Finally we visited our Academic Director, Bu Ary's home. She took another student and myself to the doctor. 

Wednesday was an exciting day. We took a trip to the Neka art museum. I now want to take a painting class while in Bali as part of my art project. After the museum we changed clothes and attended a Hindu cremation processional to the cemetery. It was elaborate and different from anything I had ever seen. 

example of Art at the Neka museum

cremation procession

Friday was the beginning of a great Birthday weekend. I received a scarf, card, and cake from the SIT staff. The card was signed by everyone including the students. After class, all students (except one sick student) went into Ubud for a Mexican lunch and then had a massage of their choice. I had a full body 1 hour long aromatherapy massage and then a pedicure. The total price was under $20 for the two combined. I spent the evening with my host family. 

Saturday morning we met at the center at 9am and drove 1 hour to the town Sanur. We stayed in a small nice hotel and celebrated my birthday. We spent the afternoon on the beach and by the pool. That evening we started at an organic lounge that had two live singers. We made our way around the town visiting 3 more lounges with live bands. It was a great night. Sanur is in no way a party town. However it is a tourist town attracting older, mostly Australian couples. We met some great people. One couple gave us their business card and offered a place to stay if we decided to visit Australia. At every lounge Happy Birthday was sung for me. In Bali it is a tradition to line up and shake the hand of whomevers Birthday it is. I shook a lot of hands. We all enjoyed the night and I even attempted to teach some of the northerners how to shag.  BTW apparently I have a great accent... According to an Australian couple. 

We also spoke with many of the artists that sang at the lounges. I spoke with one singer from Jakarta for a long time. I asked about her religious affiliation (assuming she was Muslim or Hindu) but she is a Christian. She has invited us to church in Bali when we return from Java. Several of the students have agreed to go with me. That is an experience I look forward to! 

The next day we returned to Bedulu. My family had a birthday celebration and I had another cake! My home stay father had a baker at the hotel he works at make a fancy cake for me. My little sisters wanted to pretend it was their birthday after mine so we relit the candles. 

Adik Putu digging into the cake

partially eaten cake

For the next two weeks we will be in Java. (another island in Indonesia) I will be living with a Muslim family and attending lectures at the local university. We are even responsible for preparing a presentation for a cross cultural discussion with local students. My topic is the social relationship Americans have with tourists and immigrants in America. Since all most of what these students know is based on the movies, it is important to represent America well. Although we think the movies are unrealistic, I did base everything I knew about Bali before coming on Eat, Pray, Love... 

Dah-Dah

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

First free Weekend

This was our first free weekend in our home stays. Friday we took a tour of Bedulu and visited the temples and monuments. 

In the afternoon we visited a purification temple. We stuck our heads under several water spouts that were meant to prevent bad dreams and demons. I felt very clean afterwards.

I then spent the remainder of the night with my family relaxing on the porch, practicing Indonesian, and listening to music. 

Saturday morning we took a trip to the beach. It was a black sand beach that was extremely hot. We burnt our feet on the sand and our bodies in the sun. No more black sand beaches. 

Saturday night my family took me to dinner at an Indonesian style KFC. It was interesting. They have tea in bottles here!!! It is called teh bottles. It isn't as good as my mommas tea, but who can complain. 

 Sunday morning I slept in and then painted my little sisters nails. Monica, another student brought her little sister over to paint hers also. We played with their new chickens, pulled out coloring books that I brought from America, and before you knew it the entire neighborhood was at our play date. When the coloring books grew old, my sisters pulled out a puzzle that I purchased at the dollar store and all of the children had fun putting together the animal puzzle. 

Monica with her little sister (Rati, age 5) and my two sisters (Putu, age 6 and Kadek, age 4)

Neighborhood children joining in the fun

Spongebob drawing

working on the puzzle

In Bali American students are celebrities. The locals love to take pictures of and with us. They especially love taking pictures when we are in traditional Balinese attire. It is funny but a little much when they line up to have a chance to take a picture. We are famous.

Laundry: I DON"T HAVE TO DO IT! next to the program center is a laundry mat that washes and irons our clothing for about 5 dollars for a big stack of clothing.

Dishes: I finally convinced my mom to allow me to wash my own dishes. I feel rude leaving them on the table so she agrees sometimes to let me rinse them in the sink. I had to remind her we are considered Keluarga (family).

My family gets better everyday. My Bapak wore a Wofford t-shirt today that I brought for him. My little sisters now call me Kak Shelly, or in other words (big sis Shelly). My mother is always quizing me and teaching me new words and my grandfather loves to bring me new fruits to try. 

This week we are visiting our academic director's village, celebrating my birthday, and preparing for our trip to Java.

Dah-Dah (bye bye) for now. 

Lots of love, Kak Shelly

Balinese Homestay

We moved to Bedulu on Wednesday and into our homestays. Our families were chosen with us and are all within walking distance to the program center. My family consists of a mom and dad, his father, and then a four year old and six year old girl. The little girls were shy at first, but now they always want to sit on my lap, hold my hand, or play in my room. They have already gone through all of my pictures on my computer, explored my closet, and discovered my camera. My parents are awesome. I am their ninth student and they are very helpful in learning Bahasa Indonesian. They both can understand some english and it is very helpful when I am questioning the food. For their names... I honestly can't remember them. My highlight of the day was when asked where I stayed I could answer... Pak Made Roja. That is my grandfather. I call my mother Ibu, my father Bapak, and I just smile at the little girls.

my little sisters in my room

my room

Lucky for me, in one of their bathrooms they have a toilet (with toilet paper) and a shower (cold water of course). My room has a big fan, a tv, a big bed, desk, tables, laundry hamper, and multiple lights.

Last night they took me to the night market. It looked like a version of an American taste of the town meets the streets. The night market is every night and anyone can go there for dinner or to enjoy the company of others. They also sell fish at the night market.

I am very fortunate to have an amazing family in Tri Delta, Murrells Inlet (across US), and Bali. I love you all.

Orientation

We finally have internet! We have been staying at Puri Agun Karangasem which is a palace in Karangasem. It is beautiful and huge. The palace is composed of many buildings and covers more land than Wofford campus. 80 people live on the palace grounds and they are all members of the same family. There is not currently a king. The owner also owns the water palace that we visited.

 The Water Palace

During orientation i shared my room with a girl named Alex. She attends Beloit in Chicago. It was her first time out of the country and she is amazed by the palm trees. Our room as two hard beds, a drying rack, two side tables, and one outlet. The outlet is used mainly for the fan. Our door doesnt close all of theway and the windows are only screen. The bathroom is considered a wet room. It is constantly wet. The squatty potty has ridges where you place your feet. There is a big basin where the water flows in and you poor water on yourself with the bucket. We are expected to "shower" twice a day because it is so hot. 

Squatty Potty

Orientation Room

We have been studying Bahasa Indonesian for about 5 hours a day, discussing the many cultural differences, and interacting with local Balinese. I struggle with not pointing and I know I will forget hugging is not normal. 

Unfortunately, my body does not agree with the food in Bali. I have been eating mostly white rice and fruits. I do live the fried bananas though. They are amazing. 

We have visited several markets and purchased our Pakian Adat which is typical temple attire. Bargaining is expected. I purchased my Pakian Adat for 280000 Rp. or about 28 dollars. The most expensive part is the top. 

One day we were taken to a village and literally dropped off. We were stranded for an hour at a Wayang (convenience store) and expected to practice our Bahasa Indonesian. Luckily i found children in the village I was stranded in. I also befriended a woman who helped me with my Bahasa Indonesian and introduced me to her family. She showed me around the village. The children loved being photographed. Unfortunately I was not careful with my money and 10000 Rp were stolen out of my purse. Translation... 1 dollar. (I hope the little boy at least spends it on something good. like ice cream.)

Village of Drop off

We also visited a public swimming pool. It had a gravel ground and slimy sides. Fish were also swimming in the pool. The children swam in their underwear, but we swam in shorts and a tank top to be respectful. 

On our last day in the Palace we dressed in our Pakian Adat and set out to climb a mountain to the temple at the top. It was an hour drive followed by a mile walk uphill and then a two hour hike upstairs. I didn't think I was going to make it. My legs trembled the entire way down. About halfway down the mountain the monkeys swarmed our group. They wanted our food. One monkey sat on a post where I was supposed to walk and when I tried to scare him away, he jumped towards me. I swang my bag at him and he held on. He tried several more times to jump at me but my bag protected me. Eventually our guide scared him away with a stick. The hike up the mountain was a one time thing. I am glad we made it, but I don't have to do it again.

As a treat we spent the afternoon at the beach. Most of the group was dehydrated and needed the break from studying. We enjoyed some coconut milk and relaxing on the locals beach. 

I have already realized how friendly the Balinese people are. They adore talking to us and want us to help them with their English. Some of them even ask to take pictures with them. We instantly gain respect when we tell  them we are "mahasiswa" (students). They are then very forgiving of our ill pronunciations. 

Now to describe the program itself. The SIT staff is absolutely amazing.  Bu Ary is our Academic Director. She rubbed a special cream on my stomach when I was sick and gave me a hug when I felt bad (even though it is against her culture). She is from the village of Tabanan and tells us about her love of fried bugs all of the time. She also has a pet monkey that a student bought last semester and she then adopted. 

Mira is the assistant academic director. She is hilarious. Mira went and purchased me vitamin C drinks and tablets when I had a cold. She helps Bu Ary and looks after all of us girls. 

De de, Yudi, and Arie are the language teachers. They are all very understanding. De de and Arie are both 25, but Yudi is older and has several children. 

There are more members on the SIT staff that we have not met yet. They are always laughing and after only a week already care about our wellbeing and safety.