Indonesia

Merry Christmas from Jakarta!  

Even here, stores are able to make a killing on profits via Christmas.

 What's this under the tree?  And could it be a gift for me?

It is.  It is!  It is a gift just for me.  But seriously - I'm trying not too be too cynical, but perhaps Christmas is a bit too commercial.  If you're reading this and you have the privilege of spending time with your family for the holidays, please appreciate that more than the gifts under the tree. 

But back to the gift under the tree, because it's soooo exciting!  

(Sorry for the sideways photos yar.  No editing on the computer at this hotel.)  

Look its just the right size.  It's the perfect fit, just like this outdoor fitting room - set up outside the store with all the extra merchandise for the Christmas season.

Brightly colored flowers in Jakarta.  

I like flowers.

 

And so does Greg. 

And there's coffee too. "Like duh," - we're traveling in Java after all. 

 This was a nice slow-drip filter coffee with creamy sweet milk - could have been condensed milk - at the bottom of the cup.  Stir it up, and enjoy!  It was not too sweet because the coffee here is hugely strong.

There are more options for beer in Indonesia too.  This one is a meal in and of it's self, which I enjoyed while in Bandung.

Then, on to Yogyakarta. 

 Just 40 minutes away from our hotel is Borobudur, which was built in the 9th century as a Buddhist temple.

I say it was a temple because just 1 hour after opening, it is crawling with hundreds of visitors - both groups of local Indonesian school children and tourists like myself.

 Crawaling with people.  

 So overwhelming.

After being approached dozens of times and asked, "Hello mister.  Photo please?"  It was difficult to tell what captured people's interest better, this painstakingly crafted monument OR the "other"/someone different than your self.  Thankfully, this monument is well preserved and taken care of.  It will outlast all of the people   who visited it.  Very intriguing though, a once in a lifetime experience to walk among the relief  panels depicting the story of life and cycle of karma and to peer into the stupas to see the calmly posed Buddhas.  

Tomorrow we're bound for Bromo, located on the east side of Java.  It will take 11 hours we're told... if nothing goes wrong on the way there.  Beyond thaty, I'm hoping to explore some more volcanoes and stay at a coffee plantation/guest house upon the fertile, Ijen Plateau.  If all goes accordingly, I'll be able tour the plantation, purchase some beans and possibly try some Kopi Luwak.   

Here is a stop-motion short movie one of my students made for his digital media class.  Pretty fun to watch and remember playing Mario Cart with my siblings, neighbour kids, or whoever else wanted to play.

Bajaj Pulsar (FAIL*)

*added after I checked to see what this post looked like on my lap-top and found the photos did not load correctly...

Sorry for the delay in providing this proof of my bike, I was waiting for some filthy rich, mindless bimbo  to offer me 5 million dollars to provide the proof... Guess he's too busy crying about the election.



Anyway, this is the 180cc beast I've been riding around on the last month or so.  On one ride, I found a fake book store about 10 kilometers away from school.  Later I found out it was the set of a Bollywood film.  Two weeks ago I was the unofficial go-fer in Woodstock's fall production, Macbeth.  Other times I'm more selfish and just ride up to char dukan to sit in the sun and enjoy a paratha and coffee (it's great, there is one store owner who serves a strong cup of - the real deal/not "just add water"- coffee.  Nice!

Mo' motorcycle! And winter travels preview

Here is another photo of the bike.  Whoever is under the impression that the iPad is the greatest thing since bread, well that person is wrong.  It is currently not allowing me to upload photos.

If anyone was expecting a photo of me driving the bike, well, sorry to disappoint.  I strive to be safe guy on the bike.  Photoing while riding is not safe, definitely.

And for winter, I'm excited to try some fresh, bold, refreshing coffee in Java, then Thailand for New Year's, and then back to India for a few weeks in the South.  Stay tuned for photos and all.

Football, Science and H.H. The Dalai (rhymes with Mumbai) Lama

Football* 

    The girls football team won the indoor tournament at Woodstock, there are some slightly out of focus pictures on my facebook page.  We pretty much dominated the 5 15-minute matches we played.  Plus the trophy was the biggest I've ever touched - (because I merely stood next to the Stanley Cup in Toronto last winter - I didn't want to mess with the guard/major-hockey-fan-eh protecting it)  Last Saturday we tied our match in Rajpur against Unison School (technically, we lost in the second round of penalty kicks - but who goes to penalties in a friendly match anyway?)  One more match tomorrow, which could be the end of our season I guess.  For the record, a two match season is as lame as Hanson Field, the triangular, mostly-gravel field upon which we practice.  So it goes.  We've got some great athletes on the team.

*I've pretty much converted 100% to using the term "football" as opposed to the American term.  It's just logical I suppose.  However, I did re-charge my American spirit just yesterday by placing my absentee ballot in the mail.  "Obama, No, and No".  God bless America (but first, bless the Indian Post please :)

Fear the Scorpions

    I recently found the second scorpion slowly crawling across my bedroom floor.  I put the scorpion in a big jar.  Then, remembering a large spider living in my living room, about the circumference of a coffee mug with legs fully spread, I placed them in the jar together.
  Well, some students and I patiently watched and waited for hours (what better way to spend a Friday night?)  Unfortunately, there are better things to do on a Friday evening.  The scorpion and spider did not entertain us with a full-on battle royal; instead they did nothing.
    Anyway, every time I need to walk to the bathroom at night now, I apprehensively sit up and slowly lower my feet to the ground to find my slippers - hoping I don't find the scorpion's mother or something worse.  I am equally paranoid of this angry scorpion-mother when I brush my teeth - what's creeping, crawling in the space below my kitchen sink... As I do these routine tasks, my heart rate increases dramatically in fear.
    The two scorpion scares here remind me of some posts from Amanda De Castillo in Guatemala.  And if that courageous missionary-mother is scared, you know a scorpion is something to be respected and feared.     But, as there were certainly some scary creatures in Guatemala while I was visiting on a mission trip in 2010, I also remember the beautiful flowers and trees in Padre Horacio's garden.  Similarly, along with the snakes, scorpions, and creepy crawlies here, there are the colorful flowers on the mountainside.  Really nice colors, yar.

Dalai Lama Visit

    As a now-enlightened American, and I use the term loosely, I think I have the pronunciation right when I say, "Dalai" rhymes with "Mumbai".  I only bring this up because we who tend to mispronounce proved an easy target for some friendly teasing around campus in the weeks leading up to His Holiness' visit.  Follow this link for an interesting general summary of his visit.  Read on for my brief thoughts on his impact upon the boys and myself. 
    The Dalai Lama inspired a positive response from most the boys; evident the evening following his visit.  Some were surprised at how candid, and even silly, he was.  When asked about the major problems and human crises of our time, his approach was simple - have compassion for your neighbors and don't place value in the material "stuff" of this world.  That is what I recall at least.  One of my students commented that what he said are all the things we're told to do as kids but often fail to do as adults.  I think there is some truth in that.
    One practical and simple take-a-way I got from his talk was from his views on sleeping.  He is a pro-sleep guy.  And me, well, it took some convincing, but my vote is now aligned with His Holiness'.  I have never enjoyed a regular sleep schedule, or sleeping in and of itself.  What a waste of time, right!  But I think in most circumstances that's the wrong approach.  I am going to loath sleep less now.  Maybe I'll be less cranky when it's 45 minutes after lights-out and the boys are out of their rooms being noisy, obnoxious, and ... being boys.

Birthday Wishes 

    To my little bro Derek, 21 years today.  If you can help it Derek, please don't buy a really shitty beer for your first legally purchased drink.  My recommendation would be the Happy Gnome or Muddy Pig, maybe hit up Paisano's first for some pizza.  Or, closer to campus, maybe you should get a local brew with some quirky pizza's at Pizza Luce.  Oh, and you know, I was perusing some reviews on Beer Advocate the other day when I noticed that the Town Hall Brewery, also close to campus, has garnered great reviews for its IPA with an equally good name.  Yup, the last idea is the best I can offer, I just had to warm up and get my mind back to the twin cities.  And of course Derek, the drinks are on me, I'll pay you back when you visit.
    Greg Miller, co-worker and travel-buddy, your birthday was memorable - goodbye 20s, hello "old" :) Oh, my.  I should probably get going now, I have to shower and get ready for a student's birthday party - Dinner at Highlands (Rokeby Manor) for the entire senior class tonight. 

Wow, busy week.  In the next half hour I'll be heading down to Rajpur for the Senior School Religious Education Retreat.  The theme is on life with a disability in India - I'm curious and excited to learn more about that.  There is also a service day involved - you can never go wrong trying to L-O-V-E your neighbor (I'm talkin' platonic love/agape-love here of course).
And speaking of love - One thousand splendid thanks to those friends and family back home who have sent their love in the form of coffee beans.  Just received some MN roasted beans from Jay and Rose, and Mom and Dad sent a belated birthday package earlier this month. 
And speaking of my wonderful and generous parents - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!  I hope to get you a video message by Sept 1st, but patience please if its a few days late.  These two high school sweethearts have nurtured and supported a perfect family over the years (I guess "decades" describes it better).  What an example of a committed and genuinely happy relationship.  Miss you both, LOL or love of love.
 

 

Well, other than the internet connection being really crappy in my new apartment, the semester is off to a terrific start.  Because why Devan?  (the following list is in no particular order, but does create a facade of organization and precision - don't be fooled - its neither).

1. As of last week, I have a Hindi tutor.  He is a local from Mussoorie who is an amicable, but knowledgeable, teacher.  I also go to class in my kitchen, so my commute to and from lessons is about 1 minute (round trip).  Hopefully I can stick with it and become more than the typical "white tourist" anywhere outside Woodstock.

2. The health center sent down some antibiotics after a throat swab test on Wednesday.  Life is a lot easier when I'm not miserably sick.  But I didn't suffer all that much because a student of mine shared the first season of Arrested Development with me (Of course he shared it legally).

3. Football/Soccer at Woodstock is pretty important*.  Ex A. There is a tournament/fundraiser, Goal-a-thon!, going this weekend, where dozens of teams compete and raise money for a local charity.  Exciting. As there is no decent pitch/field here, we play in the gym with 5-a-side.  I played on the staff team tonight.  We lost - but it was fun.  But not as fun as (Ex B.) The Woodstock Senior School Boys team being undefeated so far this season.  The last two Fridays I've enjoyed my afternoons off-duty by traveling with the team for their matches/games in the 11th annual Om Prakash Tournament.  They won the first in regular match play, the second in a suspenseful shootout.  Great stuff, all the best to them tomorrow at the semi-finals!
*Understatement of the post. It is also worth mentioning that this particular understatement is a big understatement relative to my extra-blog-post understatements as well.  

4. In the last week, I've been referred to as "Coach D" at least once.  Why?  Because I am one of the coaches for the Woodstock Senior School Girls Football Team now.  They needed a coach and I'm excited to get the season going for some 25 girls - wait, another girl said she was unable to make the tryouts last Mon/Tues but is still interested in playing - 26 it is then.  The more the merrier, because thankfully, there are other staff willing to help manage this large but determined group.

5. I work with the seniors now.  Great stuff, this class.  As I've been with these boys nearly two years now, it is more fun and meaningful to continue dorm-parenting them.  Oh-note to self-one student is interested in MIT and maybe he should email Emily about life in/near Boston.  Only down side to working with the señors is less time to spend with the other boys, which sucks!  At least I'm going help facilitate a "birds & the bees/drugs-are-bad-mmkay-kids" talk with them next month.  God I wish this stupid line didn't have to hang awkwardly below Mr. Garrison.


6. Some people from the states travel across the world to get a chance to be in the presence of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama.  Next month, probably before "The Talk" with the seniors, I'll go up to school as I do 3-5 times a week, sit down in the gym like I would for any all-school event, and listen to His Holiness.  "So, like OMG! right? i'm totes going to try and get his autograph :)"  But seriously, but not too serious because look at that face, I'm thrilled at the opportunity not only for myself, but for Woodstock.  I'm excited to see what ideas and/or thoughts he imparts upon the students and community as a whole.      

Finished my last shift of the week 3 or 4 hours ago.  Exhausted, I locked the door behind me as I walked through the dark, sat down on the couch.  Allowing a few thoughts to flash across my mind, as the stars likely do behind the clouded, monsoon sky, I resolve to enjoy a beer.  I move the small can from refrigerator to the freezer for 10 minutes because I like my lagers cool and then find a mug.  Impulsively check my email and facebook... mesmerized time-warp until the alarm sounds to notify me I'll never get those moments of life back and I should remove the beer before it explodes because its slightly alcohol deficient.  Wait, don't I like music more than beer.

Once while in Bhutan last month I zoned out my travel buddies for few songs by Gaslight Anthem (it was only a few songs, I dearly love them).  "Damn," thought I, "That single '45' is catchy and well written."  Satisfied with checking out this release, I searched Wikipedia for the track list, cued up the internet radios, plugged my Sennheisers into the jack and away we went.

...

I honestly enjoyed at least 94% of the songs.  I think there was one backup vocal part which seemed a little hokey.  I thought to write down some thoughts.  But at ten to 3am, I'm throwing in the towel.

I'm going to briefly acknowledge the dearth of posts in the last few months.
Moving on.

The inspiration to post, has also kept me awake in bed the last hour.  Just before starting this, I was happy to re-read a previous post when I was happy and enjoying life at Woodstock.  This point is striking tonight not because my feelings have changed, but because they're the same.

I'll stick the brevity thing ("Dude", not "El Duderino") and just say:

• I'm from the US and of European descent.
• I'm happy to be working in India.
• Each day I encounter many people with ethnicities and nationalities and backgrounds different from my own - and I love that.

Tomorrow at check-in I'll stand in front of the students on my floor; a group composed of grade 10s and 11s from India, Canada, Korea, USA, Burma/Myanmar, Nepal, Germany Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, Switzerland, ... and I think that is all - I'll stand in front of them and share something similar to the sentiment above.  Hopefully they understand.  Hopefully if they should ever google my name they would not find anything I've written offensive to them, offensive to their national/ethnic identity and  offensive to who they at their core-being.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7Og9Gc_KY