31. Agustus 2012

The closing of another day in Salatiga!
Two weeks in Indonesia and what can I tell you? I’d love to say that we are pretty much locals now, but that would be lying. “Foreigners” still suit the YALT team better. However, I will say this for us: we are living in typical Indonesian homes; kami bisa mengerti dan bicara sedikit bahasa Indonesia (we can understand and speak a little bit of Indonesian); nasi goreng (delicious fried rice) is our new favourite food and handling city traffic on bicycles? No problem!
One week ago I moved into the home of an MCC staff member. Bapak (father/Mr.) and Ibu (mother/Mrs.) live in a lovely, 2-bedroom home on the outskirts of Salatiga with their two boys, aged 3 and 7. They have so much energy! I have inadequate experience with children (believe it or not) and even more with brothers but they seem to like me! Lovingly called Kak Lisi (Kakak being older sibling) from the start, they treat me as their own. Ibu is great and I enjoy learning and listening as I try to speak more Indonesian with her. I am very happy to be living here for 6 weeks!

 My bedroom

My home!

Me and one of my little brothers, hanging out with my camera

I had a wonderful birthday! 25. Agustus, the first full day with my family, was spent mostly outside of the city. Driving out of Salatiga was the best gift, as I got to see rural Indonesia for the first time. I was in a state of awe and silent excitement as we passed rice fields, palm tree forests, brick homes of all sizes and colours and village markets teeming with fruits I haven’t even heard of! Because our destination was too full of other holiday tourists, we had lunch and then walked around a Catholic church garden. The air was clear up there on the mountainside and Merbabu stood tall across the valley. I will be hiking that mountain in the upcoming weeks, I can’t wait! I received roses from my family, a wonderful card from the other YALTers and staff and many messages from home and abroad. Thank you all! :)
On Monday we started language training at a small school downtown. Indonesian is not a very difficult language; I am especially thankful that my pronunciation is aided by being able to speak German. They are so similar that way! There is a lot to memorize and that is the hard part. Our vocabulary is still so small. During breaks we walk around the area and try different warungs (food stalls). I think I’m at the point now where, if I get lost, I can find my way in a relatively short period of time. As a class, we took an angkota (minibus) and today we walked around town, using our language skills to buy things. Not many people speak English on a regular basis but thankfully most understand hand gestures!

 The language school (sorry it's sideways...)

More words? And oh, there are no verb tenses?

A typical Indonesian day is different than I am used to but I am enjoying it a lot! Families wake up between 5:30 and 6:30 to get their children to school at 7:00. The mandi pagi (morning wash) is taken now, via bucket and dipper. Our language class starts at 8:00. An hour lunch break is around noon and many people eat out as food is very cheap everywhere. Most things are actually quite cheap from a North American perspective but we’ve been learning to look at it in the Indonesian context. School ends at 1:00 and work ends between 4:00 and 5:00, which means time for mandi sore! The evening wash is quite refreshing and gets one ready for the short evening, as it starts getting dark around 6:00. Dinner is eaten afterwards and then it’s time to relax (or, in my case, run around in circles chasing little boys, toy cars and flying stuffed animals). Bedtime is between 8:00 and 10:00. By this time, I’ve sweated as much as I could (average temperature is 25 degrees with 70-90 % humidity during the day), my brain is full of a new language and I am ready for bed!
Our main mode of transportation around town is the trustworthy bicycle! On Monday we were set to go with helmets and waiver forms headed by “In case of death…” (Just kidding. These were filled out before leaving home). I ride with two other SALTers that live close by and the ride to the language school takes about 25 minutes, the MCC office being a halfway point. It’s mostly uphill on the way there and I can happily say that I’ve made most hills! I’m just super slow on them and my legs turn to jelly for the next 30 minutes… The best part of our journeys through town is the traffic. The left-handed driving is almost normal now but drivers are all over the road! Honking doesn’t mean “Hey, friend!” like it does in Canada. Rather, it’s “I’m passing you”, “I’m bigger than you” or “Get out of my way!” It’s a little nerve-wracking to manoeuver around motorbikes and cars and arrive at school without getting hit, but it’s a challenge! And I’ve enjoyed it :) By the end of 6 weeks, we will be so fit and have thighs that almost make it to speed-skater standards. I wish.

My motor helmet, for when I ride on the back with someone. This is so much fun too!

This is what the next 5 weeks will look like! I trust that God will take care of us all. We have been relatively healthy (save for a few cases), safe on the roads and are all enjoying our homes. We are increasingly independent as we find our way around Salatiga, in preparation for 10 months of living alone in cities around Java and Papua. I still love coming together with the MCC staff and learning more about their lives and work in Indonesia. It makes me think of my purpose for being here and what brought me here. While this year is about SALT and my CBC internship, it’s really about God and his mission. I am a small part in his plan that has been taking place for thousands of years, but wow what a privilege! To use the gifts and skills that he has given me for his glory and his name is awesome. Shalom, shalom… The world is thirsting for shalom and justice and grace and right relationship and I hope that, if anything, I can be an ambassador of this beautiful picture, wherever I am.
Thank you for reading the ramblings of a [cautiously] intrepid Canadian in Salatiga, a striving servant of the LORD. Thank you also for your prayers and thoughts! Selamat sore!
Lisi