Peace Corps Week Challenge: I'm Happy

I’m a little late with this, but I still thought it was worth writing about. For the Peace Corps Week Challenge, Peace Corps Volunteers were asked to share with Americans what they wish Americans knew about their host country. My camera is broken and I don’t have reliable internet often enough to share my experiences through twitter, Instagram or facebook. Instead I often keep to myself, rarely talk to any other volunteers for the exception of a few and it’s not because I don’t want to- it’s simply because my life in Indonesia feels complete. I wish Americans knew how happy I actually am in my village on the island of Java. I was reading through my latest blog posts and the past months have not been the happiest posts: depression during IST, moving home stays, transitioning to a new principal, flooding and to top it all off dengue. Dear reader, I’m sorry if you read through my trials and tribulations and actually felt my “suffering”. The thing is I have never felt like I was suffering through my service and even through depression and the like I was still happy to be in Indonesia and still contemplating extending a third year. Sometimes, I hear myself speak when I teach and I realize just how much I have integrated or scarily become Indonesian. It’s gotten to the point where strangers who meet me are convinced I’m Indonesian- I’m sure being “hitam manis” helps. If you have dark skin then most Indonesians will call you hitam manis, black and sweet. I speak so much Bahasa Indonesia and teach 95% of my classes in Bahasa Indonesia that Peace Corps’ feedback from my first report was to speak more English. Anyways, all this aside, I thought I’d share some of my favorite things to do on a daily basis in my village.

This semester I have a new counterpart and at first I was worried but it turned out to be a blessing. All of my tenth grade classes for the exception of one now had a new teacher for the next semester. The students were beyond confused as was she, since she went from teaching elementary school to vocational high school. I love my students but if they don’t respect you- they will terrorize you or more obviously just not come to class. I used this as an opportunity to FINALLY implement some classroom management since I would be the “senior teacher”. The first meeting with myself and their new English teacher, we made all the students sit in a circle and create their rules for their classroom. I explained to them, why we were sitting in a circle and the difference between adults and children is that with children you tell them what the rules are but adults are given choices and able to make decisions. They chose to be adults and the semester was off to a solid start. The next week, each class had their rules laminated and posted in their classroom. Aside from classroom management, there’s no LKS this semester- which is a horribly incorrect but cheap workbook. I created the topics for the semester and created a rhythm for the first month that my counterpart could then follow. Instead of spending 2 hours of class explaining grammar rules which has happened in the past. We now spend class time efficiently with more student centered learning. The students’ English has improved remarkably as the lessons have been covered using writing, reading, speaking and listening. I created a grading system we then apply to the government standard way of grading and the students have one-on-one notebook checks once a month to make sure that they have the material needed to study and are up to date with class. It’s also an opportunity to check in with them about their life, their absences, ask them why they skipped class and show them their progress. This has probably been the most effective thing all semester, because it shows students that we care and that we are being consistent in our commitment to their success in the class. My favorite is when I see the students who were so difficult transform into my best achieving students, the second they realize they are capable of achieving there’s no turning back .All they needed was that first sense of hope. I think I gravitate towards those students because I’m like them myself. If I don’t feel like my teachers are invested in me then I don’t care much for their class but it’s also if I’m struggling with a subject and I finally do well then I stick with it.

My English Club is waning this semester with Grade 11 gone and Grade 12 busy with prep for their national exams. But it’s been a wonderful opportunity to focus on my tenth graders. I have a small group from Multimedia that attends every week and their progress alone makes me happy. After all, it’s about the quality not about the quantity. In addition to English Club, my dengue episode has made my Dance Club completely self-sufficient. They create all their own routines and choreography, they are responsible for their costumes and I’m their cheerleader and coach- I’m just there to make sure that their routines look good, that everyone is dancing in unison and that their moves are tight.

When I’m not teaching or busy with extracurricular activities at school, I’m busy doing other stuff. Among my favorite things to do are buy groceries and cook American food. Every night right after I make dinner, I scream for my Mimi (Aunt) who lives next door and run over with some food for her to try. She tried pasta with a cream sauce and she nearly threw up so ever since she always approaches my cooking with caution (my pasta with cream sauce was delicious, Indonesians just don’t do well with dairy products). Since, she has loved my spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, fried eggplant, and vegetable fajitas.

After I returned from the hospital, I was itching to finally paint my room. I waited a week after I was healthier and re-painted my room. Before my re-decorating, I had spent the past 3 months sharing my ceiling with 8 spiders and living out of my suitcases with two desks and bed as furniture. I got sick of waiting and finally asked my school when I would get a closet and a fan- since I had spent 8 out of my 10 months of service at the time without a fan. I finally felt like I was living in my room instead of it being a temporary hide-out and felt more at home with my wall collaged with familiar faces of friends and family. Your homestay and feeling settled is so important in your service.

At school, I’m close with a few teachers and staff. The school security guard, Meng Idi (Uncle Idi), and I have a special high five because I created a “Club” where we are Co-Presidents. It’s called Club Wong Edan, which is Javanese for mentally insane people or crazy people. I’m convinced that the two of us are the most fun because we spend all day goofing off and laughing. He reminds me a lot of my dad. We have one initiated member of our club, the head of the multimedia department. When I’m not causing chaos in the canteen, I go hang out at the Toko Material (hardware store) and kid around with the people who work there. The family who owns the store feels like my own family. The actual ‘mentally insane’ people are also there sometimes, so my street cred is growing amongst the homeless population.

My ten minute bike ride home usually turns into an hour because I “mampir” or stop every few meters to visit with a family or hang out at the food carts. My favorite food carts that I frequent are the Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice) stand closest to the newly built Indomaret (since there are 5 different nasi goring stands within walking distance of each other), the Ayam Bakar (Grilled/’BBQ’ Chicken) stand, the woman who sells mie ayam (indonesian chicken noodle soup) in front of the village office and the two guys who sell gorengan (fried snacks) and practice their English with me. Although I never hang out at the Martabak stand, my most current addiction is martabak manis, the closest way I can explain it is making a pancake stuffed with chocolate and peanuts. I am obsessed with it. I actually want one right now.

To top all my strange daily activities off, I do something more normal like working out. But in my village, it’s not that common since everyone burns most of their calories in the rice paddies when they’re farming. When I go running, I usually stop a few times on the way back to talk with a few neighbors along the way or the group of old men hanging out on every corner. I get asked the same questions every time but the important thing is that they know I’m still here. When I’m not running I’m working out in front of my house or at the gym and twice a week I attend Mahatma. Mahatma is a sport specific to Indonesia and Malaysia. It’s abbreviated from “Maju Sehat Bersama” or “Being Healthy Together” the best way I can explain it is spirituality similar to yoga but actions or exercises that are reminiscent of martial arts. What makes Mahatma so worthwhile is it’s something I do with my host family.

These are just some of the reasons why I’m happy in Indonesia, that’s what I wish Americans knew. I wish they understood how simple and loving it is in my Indonesian village.