Appreciation

Over the last few years I have learned more about appreciation and things I have taken for granted.

Hot water & showers- I grew up taking showers with hot water and for me it was just a given. When I moved to Malaysia I rented a room with bathroom in a boarding house and it did not come with hot water. I took cold showers for the first few months and it was so hard. Even though later in the day supposedly the sun would warm the water, since most people’s water tanks were on top of the house, the water was never warm. Plus, for many years now I have taken a shower in the morning, to help wake myself up and so that I am clean for the day. Taking a freezing cold shower each morning was hard. I was eventually able to convince my landlord to let me buy and install a hot water heater at least for the shower. Even though I am currently back in the US, I am still super grateful every morning for a hot shower. Besides hot water, I am grateful that I can take a shower. There were a couple times in Malaysia and once in Indonesia where I did not have water at all. In Malaysia I kept a plastic garbage can full of water (I bought it just for that purpose) so that I could at least take a scoop bath for the day. The one time in Indonesia I was able to go to the club where I worked out and used their locker room there.  When I went on the school’s week camping trip I was able to take a shower every day. It was cold water, but for a week it was doable because I was at least able to clean myself from all of our daily activities.  I thought that once I returned to the US that I would never be in a situation where I could not take a shower, but not longer after I moved into my current apartment I was. There were some issues with my shower and in the attempt to fix the shower the maintenance man did not read the directions. So, I was left without the ability to take a shower. The good news is that I was able to wash myself in the sink, but it just doesn’t quite do the job of a shower and since I was starting a new job, it wasn’t exactly how I imagined showing up to work. No one seemed to be the wiser though. Obviously I have never had to go weeks or months without a shower, but I know from just these few times how grateful I am that I can shower and be clean every day. I know that many people can’t and I am sure there are people out there that would gladly take a shower, even a cold one, so that they can be clean.

My own vehicle- Not long before I was supposed to get my learner’s permit I saw a horrific accident and thought I would never drive, but my parents made me learn anyway. After I turned 16 and had a license I was responsible for getting myself to my activities. I was very much used to that freedom when I moved to Malaysia and no longer had a vehicle at my disposal. My first year there I rode the school bus to school with the students because I lived in what was considered a small town in Asia (but a large city by US standards) and cabs were rare and difficult to get ahold of. Where once I had ridden a bus and thought it was normal, it was hard to go back to riding a bus and being on the bus driver’s schedule. Many times the bus driver was late and I had to wait and wait. Sometimes the bus driver didn’t show up at all and then I had to walk to school and I would be left arriving at school dripping sweat., not exactly how I wanted to start my day. If I wanted to do anything socially I had to rely on someone else to pick me up and then take me back. There was a small group of expats and only one other woman worked. So, if there was any social event the other ladies would not feel obligated to go home at a decent time since they didn’t have to get up the next morning for work. The second year I was able to find a lady and hired her to take me to and from work. That worked a little better. Still didn’t help much with things socially. Sometimes I would call for a cab and there would be all sorts of excuses like that isn’t too far, just walk (but it was too far to walk) or it is raining, so just walk. In Indonesia I had a vehicle again and I was very grateful not to have to rely on others to get me to or from work. Also, my social life was much more active and I could run errands whenever was convenient for me. There were also tons of cabs everywhere, so if there was a place that I couldn’t drive to myself it was very easy to get a cab. I was always willing to give rides to others who didn’t have a vehicle because I knew how it was to not have a vehicle. Towards the end of my time there my vehicle was in the shop for a week and I had to rely on a cab company. It wasn’t one I had used before and there were good most morning, but in the afternoons they would never come to pick me up. The last morning of that week they told me they had no cabs and that they weren’t going to have any available anytime soon. The good news is that I was able to get another cab, so that I could get to work. Back in the US, I have a vehicle again and I am so glad to have one. I am grateful for the freedom it brings me to run errands when I need to and get to work on time and leave work when I am done and not when someone else is ready to leave.

A home- Back when I was 28, my dad built me a custom built house. It was something that I had hoped that he would do for me someday, but I had no idea that it would work out so soon in my life. I enjoyed my home very much and thought I would live there for a very long time, but my life path changed and I went off to pursue my dream of teaching overseas. When I lived in Malaysia I rent a room with a bathroom in a boarding house. It was about the size of a dorm room and the landlord was pretty strict. I had to be quiet at all times and couldn’t have any company over. I went between sitting on my bed, to the computer chair to the little rattan chair beside the bed. I wasn’t allowed to cook, but I was able to have fridge and microwave, so I could make a few simple things like bowls of vegetables and sandwiches. (All of the other residents had vehicles and were single men, so they were used to eating all of their meals out.)  I also wasn’t allowed to come down to the kitchen if they had company or eat in my room, so sometimes that made the weekends very long when I was so hungry waiting for the company to leave. Many times I wished that I was back in the US in my nice, comfortable home. Although, I was grateful that I at least had a roof over my head because I know that some people don’t. In Indonesia I was in a townhouse that was brand new. It was much better than my room. It did have some problems with leaking when rainy season started and that made it kind of hard to constantly be cleaning up all the puddles. There were also some issues that it had like toilets that leaked and showers that leaked. It was hard to be patient because I was there an entire year and except for the first three months there, I had those problems the whole time and they got worse as time went on since they weren’t dealt with by the people who were supposed to take care of them. Now I am in an apartment complex. Part of me feels like I am back in college because of noisy neighbors, a tiny kitchen and having to use a laundry room to do laundry. I am grateful in both the house in Indonesia and now here that I have the ability to cook and bake again. Neither of them may have the kitchen I had in my home, but having a kitchen I can use is pretty nice. One of things I love to do and use as a stress reliever is to cook and bake. Not being able to do that for the two years in Malaysia was tough. It was hard to eat pretty much the same thing every meal for two years. All of these have taught me that even though I am grateful for a roof over my head that I should have appreciated my home even more. I am not doing my goals in the order I thought I would and I may never have a home again, but at least I got to live in it for a year.

Climate- I knew from my times visiting my grandparents in Minnesota and a trip to Wisconsin once that I wasn’t really a fan of humidity. I was told that the climate in Malaysia was much better and that I really wouldn’t mind the humidity. I didn’t like the heat and humidity the three years I was overseas. I disliked sweating and smelling every day. I didn’t like wearing wet clothes. Also, it took a long time for them to dry. I have sensitive skin and I had even more problems over there with the constant sweating.  Now that I am back in the US I appreciate the dry climate even better. Even though it was hot this summer it is now going to fall and things are getting colder. The other morning I was able to go for a very invigorating walk and breathe all that fresh air. I like being able to be active and really having to be active before I sweat, not just standing still. I also like the fact that I smell better because I don’t sweat all the time. I know that some people don’t like the cold, but I love it. I love wearing sweaters, slippers, hats, scarves and gloves. Being able to cuddle under tons of blankets to sleep. I didn’t sleep as well on top of the one bottom sheet over there as I do here under a couple of blankets. It is also nice to not have to run the a/c at night when I am sleeping. I could look out the window in Malaysia or Indonesia and think that it looked beautiful out, but when I went outside it never was. Here I can look out the window and think it is beautiful outside and when I actually go outside it really is beautiful. I like that I can also open the windows and get fresh air that isn’t hot and stuffy.

I am not saying that the US is better than Malaysia or Indonesia. There were lots of things that were great over there too. Over there I was able to do much more traveling around the countries that I lived in and to other countries that I wanted to see because things were so inexpensive and it was easy. Since I am back in the US I have realized that there were some things that I didn’t appreciate as much at the time when I was over there. I accepted a job and now I know some things I didn’t at the time I accepted the job. One of them is that I was able to live pretty comfortably money wise on my salary in both countries and have money to do some traveling.  Now I am in a position where I am barely able to make ends meet. So far I have been able to pay each bill and not have any debt, but I can see how if I get my haircut or do social things that it would be easy to do. I love to travel and there are several awesome places in the state that I live in that I would love to see, but right now all traveling is out. I always thought that with a college degree that I would never be in a position that I was living paycheck to paycheck just trying to take care of the essential bills. I can see how easy it can be for people to go into debt. Another thing I took for granted was planning time. I have always had at least 60 minutes of planning time, but in overseas sometimes I would have two hours total during the day so that I didn’t have much work that I had to take home or many days that I had to stay super late. At my current job I have about 30 minutes while my students go to specials, if I don’t have meetings. So, almost every day I stay late. I can see if I didn’t have to stay late or take work home I could get a part-time job to help make some extra money. Definitely thinking about getting a summer job to help make extra money for next year, so I can breathe a little more.

I have more I have been thinking about, but this is quite a long post, so I will quit there for now.

Bali

Sanur beach behind hotel 

I have been putting off going to Bali for a variety of reasons, but decided I better go soon so that I didn't put it off too long and never go. Especially since I am living in Indonesia and it is so close. It is less than an hour flight from where I live and it would be silly to not go while I am so close.

Temple at hotel 

We had Thursday and Friday off May 9 and 10, 2013. Thursday was a religious holiday and Friday was mid-term break. I went with a few friends and one of my friend's birthday was that Saturday. They moved our flight to 6:00 a.m. on Thursday morning so I had to leave my house by 4 a.m. to get to the airport in time.  I have never flown to any other places in Indonesia so it was interesting. The flight didn't actually leave at 6. We went through the boarding gate and then walked down these steps and outside and had to wait for a bus to come get us and drive us to the airplane. We had booked our tickets through a travel agent instead of the internet and their English was very limited. (I would have preferred the internet, but one of the other people wanted to do it this way.) So, I thought we had booked seats at the front, but we had to sit in the second to last row from the back. The back is my least favorite place to get sit because I get sick easily at the back of planes and I didn't feel that good having gotten up at 2:30 in the morning.

ARMA

Luckily the flight was very smooth and I felt fine when we landed. We also didn't crash which was good, because the day we had booked our flights a plane and overshot the runway and crashed into the ocean. We stayed in Sanur. We got to the hotel and only my room was ready because it was like 8:30 a.m. and check in wasn't actually until 2 p.m.We dropped everything off in my room and my roommate decided to take a nap while the rest of us went to get some food to eat.

After getting some food I went back to take a nap while others went to swim or take a nap. I slept for about an hour and then went up and down the beach looking at the different stalls and buying some gifts to take back with me. Once I got back my roommmate was finally up from sleeping so we walked down the beach for dinner while the other three people went to dinner. (There had been a bit of a problem between two of the people, so we had to split up most of the time.) My roommate and I walked quite a ways down the beach at at at Minami and had Sushi. After that we looked at some of the shops. I bought postcards to send to people. Then we went and sat on the beach. I like to sit on the beach at night to look at the stars and clouds and listen to the waves. We sat out for quite awhile and then we went back to the room. I went looking for ice cream while my roommate when to bed.

Friday morning we got up and three of us went to Ubud for the day while the other two went to the water park. First we went to ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art)  musuem and resort. The art did not really appeal to me ( a few pieces were ok), but I loved the buildings and the grounds. It was very beautiful there. After we had lunch there we went to the Monkey forest. I think monkeys are cute, but the people weren't very nice to the monkeys and I definitely didn't want them to climb on me or take any of my stuff.

Charlie

 Luckily they left me alone. After that we walked to the center of town and looked at as many shops as we could. We spent lots of time going back and forth because we would see something but want to think about it and then walk back if we decided we wanted to buy it. We didn't get very far up the street. We went to dinner at the Three Monkeys restaurant. Before we got to the restaurant we stopped by this Inn that has a fruit bat that lives there. His name is Charlie. My friend had stayed at that place before and had seen him. Supposedly he has something wrong with him, but he seems content to live there and people don't bother him. He does leave to go hunting and to fly but always comes back. At the Three Monkeys restaurant, I had an interesting pizza. It was caramelized onions, blue cheese and dried figs. It was ok, but I am glad I tried it. After dinner we walked to this one spot to watch Legong dancing, but they didn't have a show that night, so we backtracked to the Palace in the center and watched it there. It was really good and I really enjoyed it. After that we headed back to Sanur. There was lots more that I would have liked to have done in Ubud, but there was just not enough time. After we got back my roommate and I went back and sat on the beach. I stayed out much later than she did.

On Saturday morning I got up early while my roommate slept and joined the other people to travel to a jewelry store that had nice silver jewelry. We were there for a couple hours. After that we went back to our hotel. My roommate was still sleeping, so I joined one of the other ladies for lunch as it was her birthday. We walked back down to Minami and had sushi again. I tried Sake for the first time. After that we kept walking down the beach. Apparently there are some hotels that let women go topless on the beach. Then we walked back into town and stopped at some shops my friend had seen before but had been closed. On our way back to the hotel there were all these people dressed in white and lots of them were sitting on the beach. Obviously there was some sort of ceremony going on so we stayed for awhile and watch. My roommate got up during that time and went back to Minami to read while I got ready for dinner. We all went to dinner together as it was my one friend's birthday. We went to an Italian restaurant, Massimo for dinner. It was very, very good. There were between 5 and 10 other birthdays that night. They kept turning off the lights to bring out cakes and sing happy birthday. My friend didn't want that so we didn't do it. After we got back I wanted to sit out on the beach one last time but it was too crowded and noisy.

On Sunday I basically got up and got ready, packing my bags while my roommate slept. We didn't all fly down together so my roommate's flight wasn't until later. They had moved the rest of our flights up from 5:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. After I finished packing I wrote my postcards and then went and sat out on the beach. We had to take two different cabs as we wouldn't all fit in one. So, I left with two of my friends and then my roommate and my other friend took another cab shortly after us.

So, overall it was a nice trip and I am glad I did it.

Rhymes of Mel

There once was a girl named Mel
She liked exploring quite well
One day she decided to stay longer overseas
so she moved to Malaysia with ease

The culture was very different from her own
and it was hard to be all alone
She met lots of great people
who she found to be her equal

She learned lots of new things
and to her old way of thinking she no longer clings
She took the opportunity to travel to new places
and all the new is what she embraces

Even though she left Malaysia
she wanted to continue to live in Asia
The next stop on her journey was Indonesia
she hopes to always remember this time and never develop amnesia

When she returns home she hopes people will see
that she is a new Melanie
She has lots of wonderful things to share
and hopes her friends and family will care

She is glad that she was given this chance
to experience more of the world than just a quick glance
She plans to never go back to her old ways
no matter what happens during the rest of her days

Chopsticks and My Favorite Part of the Day

Chopsticks

California roll (front) 

Last Sunday April 21st I went with a friend to Sushi Hana my first time really having sushi. I tried a California roll once but I don't know that it was really sushi, a friend made it.  So, this time I had real sushi. I know that some people are surprised that I have lived here for almost three years and haven't had sushi. There was one place in the town I lived in Malaysia that had sushi. It was owned by the parents of one of our students. For a period of time we tried it at school (as we didn't have a cafeteria we had food brought in). I was worried about getting food poisoning though as I didn't know how long the food would be sitting out  before it reached school. Also, at some time in the past I read and article about people getting food poisoning and other I think, maybe salmonella or something from sushi and read that it was bad to eat raw fish. Plus, I grew up way inland in the US and so fresh fish was rare and frozen fish was expensive. I did grow up fishing in Minnesota when I visited my grandparents but we only caught little sunfish, and I don't remember that I ever really liked the taste.

Chicken Teriyaki

 I am very picky about how fish tastes. If it is what I consider fishy I won't eat it. There was one restaurant in the town I lived in Malaysia that had really fresh fish and it was great. Other restaurants I tried in Malaysia still had that fishy flavor. Anyway back to Sushi Hana.

pan fried dumplings

We went there and I got the California roll, Chicken Teriyaki roll and also pan fried dumplings. I also tried one of my friend's smoked salmon rolls and pickled ginger. I liked everything that I tried. My friend also showed me how to use chopsticks. I have tried using chopsticks many times before but never got it. Well, I don't know if how she does it is slightly different or not, but I was finally able to use chopsticks. I know it is a little thing but I was really happy that I finally was able to use chopsticks. I need to buy some and continue to use them when I eat at home so that I don't lose the ability to use them. 

My Favorite Part of the Day in Indonesia

My favorite part of the day in Indonesia is in the morning on the way to work. Where I live in Indonesia there are security guards at the entrance of every neighborhood. They are also at the entrance of many businesses. I have to go through three sets of security guards stations on the way to work. The first is as I am exiting my neighborhood. The second is actually a road block that they make most people go around. Since the sign is in Indonesian I don’t know why the road is blocked. It is blocked from 10p.m. to 8a.m. The last is the entrance to work. The reason I love this part of my day is because it starts the day off with a smile.  Whenever I see the guards I always smile really big and wave enthusiastically. They all respond in kind. Sometimes when they see my vehicle they will all gather and then I will have around 10 Indonesian men smiling and waving enthusiastically to me. I always roll down my window and call out “Selamat Pagi” . Another thing I like is that they are not reserved in telling me I am beautiful.  I don’t hear it all the time but I do hear it at least once a week. Not that I never heard in back in the US but I hear it way more here. It is also nice because I consider Asian people very beautiful and it is nice to hear that to some of them I am also beautiful in my own way.
I think it also makes me feel good because when I lived in Malaysia I was not able to exercise as I didn't have access to a gym and it was super hot and humid outside. Plus, I didn't really like the people that followed me in their vehicles when I was walking around the neighborhood.


 So, I didn't have much to do and put on weight. Since I have lived in Indonesia I have access to a club with a gym that is super close to my house. The club also has a pool and I love, love to swim. I have been swimming almost every day. That is my favorite thing about Indonesia is that I can swim outside 365 days a year if I want to do that. So, I have lost lots of weight and am in better shape than I was in Malaysia. In the US even though for the last several years news, media, people have been talking about that we need to not all be skinny people and that different sizes are beautiful, etc. there is still lots pressure to be skinny and look a certain way. There maybe that pressure in other countries, but as an outsider I don't feel that pressure. Sure, it is hard for me to find clothes that fit or are long enough, but it doesn't bother me like it did when I first moved overseas. I have also gotten more use to people staring at me when I am out and about. I hate being the center of attention and like to blend in the background, but I realize I stick out and it is part of living in Asia. I think I am more comfortable since people have told me that I am beautiful that they are not staring at me because I am ugly, but they think I am beautiful in my own way.

Loss

Loss happens in everyone's life. It is an inevitable part of life and no one is exempt from it. My paternal grandma passed away my first year of teaching. It was hard because even though I was out to see her that Christmas I felt guilty that I was so far away. My paternal grandpa died when I was one, but I have been very close to my other three grandparents. Family has always been more important to me than friends because they have always been there for me and they love me no matter what. My grandparents have never done anything to hurt me. I have never fought with my grandparents. I love my parents and brother and they are also just as important, but I will say that we have fought about things, but we did live together 24/7 for years. I was around my grandparents though a fair amount, so I had plenty of opportunity to fight with them, but I never did. When I went to college I was only a thirty minute drive from my paternal grandma and some weeks I would see her four or five times in that week. Except for two summers I had never lived more than two hours from her and I saw her as much as I wanted, which was often. Anyway, I saw her Christmas 2006 and she was happy to see that I had finally become a teacher. She was hoping to see me get married and have children, but I told her I wasn't ready for that yet. She missed my grandpa a great deal. I told her that it was ok to go and be with him. Her last sibling passed away in February. She did good until May and then it was a quick end. Just over the course of one week. She died on my best friend's birthday, May 5th. I also had to chaperone prom, so it is not something I will forget. I had a feeling when I woke up that morning that my Dad would call me with the news, and just an hour later that is what happened. Even though I was a two day drive away, luckily I was able to get a flight and be back for the whole week. That was very important to me to be there with my family and for my Dad.


Fast forward to 2013. February 10th (Indonesian time) I was with some friends on a quick Chinese New Year trip to Yogjakarta when I got the news that my grandpa hadn't felt well and went to the hospital. He had a heart attack but they were slow in diagnosing it, so by the time they did there was way too much damage. Over the next couple of weeks they found that surgery was not possible and medicine didn't help. I was able to talk to him a few times on the phone. Now that I am in Indonesia it is way too far to go back and too expensive. I looked at flights and it was $7,000 for 36 hours there and 36 hours back with the ability to take five days off. Tuesday March 5th (Indonesian time) I woke up with the feeling that once again I would be receiving the news that the end had come. When I was at school I got an e-mail that I had mail. One being a letter from my grandparents. I love letters and I look forward to them. It was a Valentine's Day card from my grandparents. The last one from the two of them. In it they said they were so excited to see me this coming summer and hear all about my adventures. I had promised to come for a visit last summer but when I took my new job there was only two weeks in between the two jobs and definitely not enough time to go for a visit and move to a new country. So, I had to change my promise to visiting them this coming summer (so it has been 3 years since I last saw them). A few hours after that my grandpa was gone. I know they are proud of me and supported me in my dream of being a teacher and teaching overseas for a few years. It has been hard since then. I know it is hard for everyone when they lose a love one. I do struggle with being away from my family right now and missing out on the funeral and internment. Of being there for my Mom and being surrounded by love. Luckily there is Facebook and so my family created a closed group where they have shared pictures with me of the two services. I am not much of a hugger but would love a hug from my parents. One of the teachers in the primary part of my school did organize a bouquet of flowers, including purple roses (my favorite and she didn't know that). That means a lot to me. I am not sure if it is a cultural thing or just the people that I am around, but here there is very little sharing of personal lives. If the one friend hadn't been with me on the trip when I first got the news about my grandpa and wondered why I looked so sad (the day he died) and asked and then passed it on to others, no one would have known. Very few people know.

I know that life goes on. Just looking at the bouquet of flowers I was given I can see that. While most of the flowers are withering and dying two flowers are just blooming. I am sure the day my grandpa died that others were born into this world. I know the pain will lessen as time goes on. I also think about the fact that one day I will be in my Mom's shoes and she and my Dad will be the ones to pass away, but I hope that is not for years to come. It seems more real the older I get. I will say that I was lucky that I have been so close to my three grandparents and they have all lived to ripe old ages. They have all seen me grow to be an adult. I have lots and lots of memories of them. There is that saying most people know that "it is better to have love and lost than to have never loved at all". I remember at one point when I was younger I disagreed with that statement, but now I realize that it is true because it would make a very lonely life indeed if I never loved anyone.

Chinese New Year 2013

Shop at Kasongan

On Saturday February 10^th 2013 two friends, the young son and pembantu of one friend, and I went to Jogjakarta for our three day weekend over Chinese New Year. We rode the train both directions. It took about 5 hours. On the way to Jogja we left at 7:30a.m. We had to catch a cab starting at 6:15a.m. We all live in different neighborhoods. We got executive class. I am not sure if there are different companies, but in talking with some of the locals and seeing their pictures it did not seem as if ours was executive. We stopped at several towns to pick up or let off passengers. Also, we had vendors come and sell food products when we were stopped at the different towns. The ride was pretty bumpy. Also, there was a toilet and it was open to the ground, so basically anything that went in there went straight onto the ground in the tracks. When we got to Jogjakarta we met up with the friends of the pembantu that were going to drive us around. They took us to the hotel that one of the ladies had booked and we decided it was not the right place. Not in good condition and not in a good location. I had a hotel that a friend recommended the Bladok Loesman. We really liked it but it did not have cable tv for the son. I knew we needed a pool but not cable tv. We spent two hours looking at hotels. We ended up staying at the Malioboro Inn just down the street from the Bladok Loesman. After we had picked out the hotel we had lunch at the Bladok Loesman restaurant. Then, we had the driver and friend drive us to Kasongan (tempat kerajinana gerabah), the pottery and handicraft/woven road. The street was just filled with all sorts of incredible shops. Many of the shops had great things but I don’t have any where to put them. One of them had an awesome fountain that I really liked but I wouldn’t be able take it with me someday when I move. Our next stop was Kota gede (tempat kerajinan perak) and Tom’s Silver shop. They had lots of beautiful silver jewelry and other items made out of silver. We thought about stopping at Gerega Ganjuran (a church) but we were very tired so we went back to the Bladok for dinner. We looked at a few other restaurants but they all were very quiet and the other two were nervous about eating in a place with so few customers. After that we went to bed.

Borobudur temple

 On Sunday we got up pretty early again. First we went to Boroburdur (Buddhist) temple. Most pictures that I have seen only take pictures of the top, so it wasn’t what I expected but incredible. The only drawback was there were at least a thousand students there. It wasn’t that I minded the students being there, but every few steps I was stopped by a group asking to practice their English and to take their pictures with me. At first they wanted individual pictures. Eventually I had to tell them I would only do one group picture. I told them that I was willing to do one picture but that I wanted to enjoy Borobudur and was spending so much time answering questions and taking pictures. My friends were also asked but not as much as I was. Once we got to the bottom and were leaving I was flocked by men wanting to sell me souvenirs. I remember looking up at one point and my friends were already way past them. On the way to the next stop we went by Mendut. We didn't stop but I did take a picture.

Borobudur

 Next we went to Sendangsono Ziarah Maria. I was told it was close to Borobudur but it took us two hours to get there. If we would have gone straight from Jogjakarta it would have only been an hour. We had all agreed on it but one friend decided that it was taking too long and wanted to turn around.  Plus, we couldn’t find it any of our books. My other friend said that we should just stick it out since it is what I had picked and we were going to her choice after.  The driver knew the general area but had to stop a couple times for directions. This place was way off the beaten path. We had to keep going up and up a hill. We eventually got to the church. They were doing some performance next door to the church under a roofed area. We went in and looked at the church and then we got back in the vehicle and drove to the pilgrimage site. It was another two kilometers. Then we had to walk up this path that was lined with carts full of rosaries, candles, bottles for the water, etc. Finally, we arrived at the building. Next to it was a Virgin Mary statue that had people lighting candles, placing flowers, and praying in front of it. I had read there was a stream that had holy water, so I wanted to get some for my friend that had recommended I came to this place. There were so many different little buildings and stairs everywhere. I saw one place that had a pump and then walked up a flight and there was a graveyard and more stairs but I came back. There was a bridge that we crossed and down below were all these faucets but we had already filled up the bottle up at the pump so wasn’t sure what those were for. I didn’t get much time to enjoy it because the other friend was waiting since she hadn’t wanted to come up after it took so long.

Prambanan

After that we drove two hours to Prambanan, a Hindu temple. Right across from the entrance was a beautiful mosque that we stopped by, but didn’t go in. So for Chinese New Year I saw a Buddhist temple, Catholic pilgrimage site, Hindu temple and Mosque. After that we went back to Bladok Loeseman for dinner. They didn’t want to go anywhere else. I kind of wanted to try the Jogja specialty, Gudeg,  but was tired, so it was ok.

Underground Mosque

On Monday morning we split up. One friend went back to the Pottery street to by some items. My other friend and I went to Kraton (Sultan’spalace). We rode in a becak. We had a hard time fitting both of us. Some are very small. I noticed that they have motorcycles, becaks, horse drawn carriages, and vehicles on the street. It had a couple large buildings, but other than a few pictures in the main building and one building with all these different statues of people there really wasn’t much to see. After that I wanted to see Taman Sari (the water castle). This guy that worked at the palace told us that Taman Sari was closed until noon for renonvations. He told us not to go the Batik shops in the area because they were like the mob and all of their items were really expensive. We were told instead to go to the Government Batik place where the batik was inexpensive. 

Taman Sari

We thanked him and decided to choose another place on my list. As we were coming out becak (baycheck) drivers pointed us the way to the water castle. One man took us down this small alley. I finally got him to leave us and let us find our own way. It was a long roundabout journey because no one would point us in the direct way because they wanted us to stop at their shops and by stuff. At one point there were these arches that looked like they might be the entrance but the sign pointed to the left. So we started walking to the left and then we were pointed down another alley. My friend didn’t feel comfortable following men down alleys. We kept going to the left but then we ran into a whole group that told us we were going the long way around and to go back to the alley. So we went down the alley and the guy caught up with us and passed us. We tried to let him get way ahead of us but he kept stopping telling us we should believe him. We told him it wasn’t that we didn’t believe him we just didn’t want him to lead us. He led us up by people’s houses and above some roofs.  

Taman Sari

 We found the ruins of the Taman Sari and saw the arches that were the entrance to the place. We went down and there were some buildings that had been pointed out. One led us to an underground Mosque, but it didn’t look like a Mosque. It was a circular building. We went down another one and when I came up I had put my hat back on. It was a low stone arch and I thought I was clear but I smacked my head really hard. After that we were done looking at this place. It was ok, but we were tired of guys trying to lead us here and there. Looking at the pictures as I write this post. It doesn't look nearly as nice as on the internet. So we walked back to the hotel and stopped in a few shops. We ate at the Bladok Loesman one last time. Then we took cabs to the train station. The train ride back seemed so much longer. The door on our compartment was broken so most of the time it was left open and it was so noisy.

6 months in Indonesia

Pool at  Ciputra club

I have now lived in Indonesia for 6 months. I decided since this is my second country overseas instead of blogging about all the little differences I have noticed I would just summarize and put into one post.  I have also made some comparisons between Malaysia and Indonesia.

School-  In Malaysia I taught at a school, using American curriculum, of 70 students (the 2nd year I was there-55 the first) from grades 7-12 with students from 20 different countries. The whole school was only 5 rooms and the second year I was there they brought in a portable building. Although, they are working on building a bigger school with the rapid increase of students. We increased to 9 teachers by the middle of my second year. Plus, the Director of Studies who also taught part time, two secretaries, the owner, a housekeeper and a bus driver. In Indonesia the school is an IB World School using the International Baccalaureate curriculum with PYP, MYP, and DP. They also have the Indonesian program. The school has three buildings and goes from toddler all the way up to year 12 and has 1,100 students total. Most of the students are from Indonesia with a handful of International students. There are about 70 staff members in just the high school alone.

Angkor Wat

Housing accommodations- In Malaysia I was just in a boarding house that was pretty restrictive. No cooking, or people over. I got permission my second year there to do laundry on Saturday.  The first year I had to take my laundry to friend's houses or a dobi (where they do the laundry). There were more rules, but that will give the reader a base for my comparison. In Indonesia I have a house. It is 3 bedrooms and three bathrooms. It is close to the size of my home that I had been living in before I moved overseas. I have a small front and back yard. There is also a washing machine that I can use any time I need to use it. I have a nice, little kitchen that I can with both stove and oven. I also bout a microwave, so I can pretty much cook or bake anything that I can find ingredients for (more on that later). I have a kitchen table and living room so I can have people over, I haven't yet as I have been busy getting settled.

Floating village in Cambodia

Transportation- In Malaysia I used an occasional taxi as they didn't have as many and were harder to get them to pick me up. I had people give me rides most of the time. I also had a lady I hired the second year to drive me to work and back and the occasional errand if I scheduled ahead of time. In Indonesia I have my own vehicle. I can drive myself to and from work, to the Super Mall (which is the end of my comfort zone) and other places around where I live. It is also super easy to get a taxi so when I need to go somewhere on the other side of town it is easy to get a taxi there and back.

In Seoul

Social- This is a larger school that I am working in so there are more employees. In Malaysia my school had two expats. The other expat had lived in Malaysia for 20 some years and was married to a local lady with a family. I did hang out quite a bit with the local teachers. They are all wonderful people and created some amazing experiences and memories for me by all that they invite me to do to learn about Malaysia. There were some other expat families in the town I lived in but most of the women did not work, so many of the activities were done during the day. In Indonesia there are about 15 other expats that work at my school. Plus, just across the field is another International school and not too far down the road is a third International school. I am also still trying to get to know the locals and do things with them. This is a much bigger city so there are more places to eat, movie theaters, malls, shops, etc.

In Seoul

Technology- In Malaysia I had a USB modem that I just plugged into my computer and could use anywhere around town. I was able to pay my monthly bill online with my bank account. In Indonesia I tried a portable wifi but the connection never seemed very good. Plus, it just used a cell phone sim card and I constantly had to run to the nearest mall to top it up. I recently got Internet through the telephone line and wifi. It does seem to work much better.

In Malaysia I didn't have cable television. In Indonesia I have satellite tv.
In Malaysia I had one sim card. I could put three different RM amounts on my phone using the Internet and my bank account and I could use talk for several hours to my parents back home before I had to top up on the Internet. In Indonesia I have a sim card and I have to go to the closest super market or mall and have them top it up or get them to give me a scratch card to put money on my sim card. I have learned to always carry a spare one. I have tried calling back home and will go through a whole Rp100.00 card in 10 minutes. So now I try to use Skype.

Seoul Tower

Help- In Malaysia since I just had a room and bathroom I did all the cleaning myself and once a month the servants would come in for an inspection and clean to make sure everything was up to snuff. In Indonesia, I recently got a pembantu or helper. It was a big adjustment for me. I resisted it for the first six months as it was not something I wanted to do. But as time has gone on I can see how having one can be helpful especially with the language barrier. The lady that I got speaks pretty good English. She is more knowledgeable than I am about where to get things done or how to do things. I think it will make things easier for me and take less time to do certain things. I also learned today how grateful she is to have a job and be making money. So, I am glad I revised my thinking. I still try to make things easy and not create a huge mess for her to clean up or anything like that.

Karanggongso beach

Weather- In Malaysia it was hot and humid all the time. During monsoon season it would rain for days at a time, all day long. In Indonesia it is hotter than Malaysia all the time. Probably because this city is not on the coast. It is not as humid all the time, but during rainy season it is just as humid. It does not rain as much. I might rain for 20 minutes to a couple hours and be done until the next day or the day after. This breeds more mosquitoes instead of getting rid of them.  I definitely get way more bites here. I am trying everything anyone is recommending to keep from getting bit but so far nothing has stopped them. I am worried that at some point I will get dengue, but in the meantime I am still trying to get them to quit biting me.

campsite at Karanggongso beach

Other- For the second time in my life I went camping. The last time I was two years old and it was in the mountains. This time I was on the beach at Karanggongso with students and other teachers for a total of around 70 people. It was an adventure.

I traveled to both Cambodia and South Korea on my two breaks earlier in August and October, respectively.

I went on a tour of East Java that included a botanical garden, tea plantation, Kaliandra and a temple. It was a great way to see some of the other amazing sites outside of the city. I am looking forward to another one this spring. 

I went to my first Sweet 17 birthday party and was amazed. It felt almost like I was on the MTV's show " My Super Sweet 16" only it was in Indonesian.

On East Java Tour

Every break from August 2011- October 2012 I traveled. I loved to travel and I want to make the most of living close to all these countries that I have always wanted to visit. For my Christmas break December 20, 2012- January 14, 2013 but nothing worked out. So for the first time in my life I spent Christmas and New Year's alone without my family. It was tough and I chose not to celebrate them, so I hope that I am not in that position again, but I survived. I didn't do much but relax, sleep, watch movies, read, and run errands. Sometimes it was boring but I had lots of things to think about and it gave me the time to do that.

At Kaliandra

Less people speak English here and more things things are written in Indonesian. It is more challenging in Indonesia to buy things, order at restaurants, etc. Most people in Malaysia spoke English and most things were in English, so it was much easier to buy things, get around and get things done.

At Kaliandra

Both Indonesians and Malaysian are a really wonderful group of people. I am truly glad that I have had the opportunity to live overseas for however long it lasts. I think it has made me a better person. I feel like I was open minded before I moved overseas, but I feel that I am even more open minded now. Media does not always portray the positive aspects of people and places, so I am glad I have seen and experienced many wonderful things and met many wonderful people in both countries.

Majapahit Hotel and Spa

This is from walking back to the Spa

I have been to the spa at the Majapahit Hotel three times and once to Sarkies restaraunt. I have to say it is my favorite place in Surabaya. I would like to go there more often, but with traffic it is almost an hour's journey.  I have gone for three spa packages. I have done the Eastern Princesss, once and the Chinese Empress, twice. I thought their prices were great and the experiences, wonderful. The Eastern Princess took four hours. I started with a facial, followed by a massage, steam bath, scrub, bath in a mixture of herbs, and then a smoke treatment.  I had never had a smoke treatment before, so I didn't know what to expect. The smoke was placed under me but I was wearing some clothing, not knowing that I was supposed to, so I don't think it really achieved its purpose. I felt wonderful after it was all done.

Another view walking back to Spa

The Chinese Empress Ritual is 2 and a half hours. It consists of feet washing, a massage, and a facial. It is not elaborate as the first one, but definitely still more than meets my requirements and I feel amazing after I am done. I am not sure how many rooms they have total, but I have been in three different rooms. I have been in small room for a facial. I was in a large room with a bathtub, shower, steamer (not sure proper name), and massage bed. This last time since I was by myself there was no switching of rooms. I was in a medium room with a tub, massage table, shower, and steamer. The two larger rooms are very nicely decorated and feel very calming.

Indigo restaurant

I have eaten at both Sarkies and Indigo. I went to Sarkies on a non-spa trip. There was a small group of us and we had dim sum. I really enjoyed the dim sum. After my latest Chinese Empress spa I decided that I wanted to eat at the hotel. I wasn't sure about trying to do dim sum for one person though, so I walked around on the main floor and discovered Indigo. Indigo has more Western food. What drew me in was their Chef salad, but then I ended up eating their club sandwich. I wanted both, but the waitress said the salad was large and I asked which one she recommended and she recommended the sandwich. The sandwich was good. They also had lamb on the menu, so I am hoping next time I go I will do a afternoon appointment and then eat dinner there. One thing I have noticed is that the hotel, spa and restaurants are never busy. The first three times I was there it was on a Saturday. This last time it was a Wednesday. My work has the week off, but I know that most people are probably back to work. I don't mind the quietness at all, it is just an observation.

The Pool

They do offer other things at this hotel, but these are the ones that I have personally experienced and recommend.