Bali in a Nutshell...

I just got back from a little vacation in Bali. It is really an incredibly beautiful place and unique in Indonesia because it's the only island in the archipelago where the majority of the population is Hindu (95% of Balinese) It was such a different world from where I am...it was interesting to see how stongly the majority religion influences the culture and lifestyle. I only spent 10 days there, but I could have easily spent a month traveling around...lots of places to see and things to do.

We got to see some of the countryside on a mountain biking tour. This is a terraced rice field we passed on our way...

Women taking offerings to the temple:

We also stopped at an organic farm in the mountains. Friendly gentleman roasting coffee:

Cocoa, light of my life, fire of my loins! Our guide lets us try some raw beans picked fresh from the tree:

Sunrise on top of a live volcano (Mt.Batur). We were cursing ourselves during the 4 a.m. hike to the top, but it was definitely worth it in the end......check out that sunrise!

Steam leaking up from the ground on the way back down the volcano:

Mother and child at a monkey sanctuary:

Monkey rules:

I ran into some friends who I worked with in Japan...here Blair shows the inspiration for his hairstyle:

Heather and Blair get serenaded by a drag queen in Seminyak (Blair obviously still in high spirits from his own private lap dance moments before...)

Engaging in less ambitious pursuits in Ubud:

Blessings from Tanah Lot, a Hindu temple:

Sunset at Tanah Lot

Open Letter to the Middle-Aged Woman at the Supermarket

Dear Madam,

I respectfully ask that you please stop following me around the supermarket. I fully understand that the opportunity to observe an actual white person in the wild is rare indeed, and I do admire your tenacity given the various tacitcal manoeuvers I have made in an attempt to disengage you over the course of the last 10 minutes. However you might be able to extrapolate, from the scowl on my face and my resistance to making eye contact with you, that today I am in no mood to facilitate cross-cultural understanding here in the instant noodle aisle. Any other day would find me more than willing to enter into thoughtful discourse regarding my striking similarity to Barbie, but this morning I have already: thwarted an attempted kidnapping via public transportation by jumping out of a moving vehicle, almost been hit by a large, swerving construction vehicle whose driver wanted to convey his enlightening message at close range ("Hey mister! Where you going?"), gotten a razor sharp piece of coconut shell lodged in the bottom of my flip-flop, and harassed by a moto driver who felt compelled to ride next to me for half a kilometer "practicing English."

I wholeheartedly hope that you are not left with a negative impression of my people. We are generally a happy-go-lucky, friendly sort who delight in and encourage foreigners to repeatedly ask questions such as "Why aren't you married yet?" and "Don't you ever want to get married?" And I will make this solemn promise to you, dear Middle-Aged Woman at the Supermarket, that I will be open for any and all questioning during my next visit. As you can see, since we are now at the check-out counter and you are standing close enough behind me that I can feel your breath on the back of my neck, I am indeed buying bread. May you take solace in this small token of stereotype confirmation, and may you take your newfound knowledge back to family and friends (along with the secret picture you took of me on your cell phone), and may you always look back in fond remembrance of today, the day you saw the white girl in the supermarket.

Sincerely,
MKM

simple pleasures

I came home from work yesterday and what did I find? My wonderful cleaning lady, Andra, had picked a fresh papaya from a tree in my backyard, cut it up, and artfully arranged it on plate for me (yes, I have a cleaning lady. It's very normal to have house help lest you think I've gone all bourgeois since coming here. Fear not, I shall stay unchanged and remain true to my bohemian ways!) Seismic upheaval be damned! The cornucopia of tropical fruit that surrounds me is worth the risk...

Welcome to the Jungle

Well, it’s the end of my 4th week in Indonesia, and one thing is for sure, my time here so far is definitely not lacking in excitement! It seems that there is so much to tell already, I’m not even sure where to begin. I guess I’ll start with the latest earthquake drama…

After living in Japan for 2 years, I had a false sense of confidence in my earthquake preparedness skills. But what I experienced last Wednesday was nothing like the little window rattlers I had felt before in Japan. I guess to preface this I should explain some of the fundamental differences in architecture between Japan and Indonesia. In Japan, nothing is accomplished without weeks and months of meetings, committee deliberation, and the accompanying mounds of useless paperwork. Everything is precisely planned and all possible variables are anticipated and contingencies based on these variables are also planned down to the last, minute detail. This includes planning for earthquakes, so most modern buildings and roads are constructed to withstand all sorts of seismic activity. My apartment seemed to be made of rubber, so that when earthquakes happened, the entire building would sway back and forth as if suspended in a safety bubble of Japanese ingenuity.

But that was Japan…a wealthy and highly developed country…and this is Indonesia, where the majority of the houses and buildings (especially in my part of the city) seem to be comprised of any and all materials that happened to be available at the time of construction. Shacks made with equal parts brick, wood scraps, and corrugated metal sheets line the roads. They house everything from restaurants to roadside equivalents of convenience stores to people to mechanic shops to mosques. The more “sturdy” buildings are usually made of brick and crumbling chunks of plaster, covered by ancient layers of flaking paint…all of which, by the way, is surrounded by the most stunning natural environment imaginable.

Anyway, now that you have a mental picture…so last Wednesday evening I was at home when the earthquake happened. Like I said, I am used to the earthquakes in Japan, which in my experience have seemed more of a shallow and quick, intense shaking. However here it was different…it seemed deeper, like a slow waving intense motion and I could hear the earth and rock grinding under my feet. While it was happening, there was silence except for the sound of the earth shaking and walls cracking. It lasted about 2 minutes, and then it was total chaos and human noise for about the next 2 days.

At the time, none of my neighbors were home, so I wasn’t quite sure what I should do. Two security guards from my housing complex ran up to my house and started excitedly yelling things at me in Indonesian…unfortunately, that being only my 3rd week in the country, my vocabulary was limited to things like “delicious” and “my name is…” and “that’s spicy!” (phrases such as “run for your life, a tsunami is coming” apparently aren’t covered until chapter 5 of my Teach Yourself Indonesian book) Anyway, through hand gestures and a few key words, I figured out that I was supposed to get out of my house immediately and go across the road to my University, which is situated on higher ground than my house. I grabbed my laptop and ran up to the main road where it was complete and total insanity. Screaming people had run out of their houses and lined the roads, while cars and motorcycles flew past honking their horns. Hysterical mothers were desperately trying to shove 5, 6, sometimes even 7 crying children onto motorcycles to get them to safety.

I got to the University and joined a growing crowd of other evacuees where we stood at the top of the hill looking out towards the beach, all of us keeping watch for giant waves coming in across the water. Cell phone service was out as well as the electricity, which was OK until the sun went down. In the dark people seemed more desperate and scared, and any little sudden movement by one group of people set off a wave of panic. Hundreds of us had been standing around for about an hour, maybe two, with no communication from city officials as to what was happening. At one point, the entire crowd started to freak out and everyone started yelling and running uphill into the trees…until this point I wasn’t too scared, but in the dark with a surging crowd of people screaming and running and me not being able to ask what was happening, I started to freak a little bit. Luckily, three law students took pity on me and used what little English they could remember from their required 2 semesters to explain what was happening. We walked up to a safer area on campus and I was finally able to get in touch with my friend to come pick me up.

I ended up staying at my friend’s uncle’s house, which was located in a safer part of the city with higher elevation. Because of the aftershocks and tsunami warnings, I ended up staying there for 2 days just to be safe. My friend’s cousins were so excited to have a real, live foreigner at their house (never mind the huge earthquake that had just destroyed half the province!) The entire next afternoon I was on display for neighbors and various other relatives. They all clamored around taking pictures with me, and groups of children from the neighborhood would come by at various times during the day to talk with me and take more pictures (apparently there was a rumor going around that “Miss Universe” was staying at the house down the street, so they all had to come out and take a look). Nobody really spoke English, and as I mentioned before, my Indonesian is pretty limited, but I had my two-way dictionary and my text book, so we all took turns looking up words and random phrases in order to communicate…it actually turned out to be quite effective, and their English and my Indonesian were much improved by the end of the day.

The beginning of Ramadan (a Muslim holiday when people fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days) also coincided with the earthquake, so I was able to take part in the first night of “breaking the fast” (called “babuka puasa” in Indonesian). Since Muslims can’t eat or drink during the day, at night there are celebrations of big meals shared with family and neighbors, and everyone goes out into the streets to shoot fireworks.

I have been able to move back into my house, even though there are still aftershocks (I’ve felt kind of dizzy for the last week or so…I’m not ever sure if the ground is moving or it’s all in my head). Overall I am so amazed by the concern for my safety and the hospitality everyone has shown me during all this excitement. I can't say enough how awsome the people are here...more to come on that later...

Here's a shot of some earthquake damage at my university. This building got the worst of the damage...luckily the damage to my office isn't as bad.

My neighborhood fan club...

Sunset at one of Bengkulu's beaches (and yes, the sunsets are always this incredible)

Parting Shots

In a few days I'll be leaving for my next adventure in Asia, but before I go I thought I should give one last parting look back at my time in Japan. I actually sat down and wrote a long blog entry about all the things I would miss and all the things I learned...but after re-reading it, I just decided to delete it all. So instead of trying to write a bunch of sentimental, introspective (and most likely confusing) garbage, I'm posting some pictures...less is more, desu ne?

This is Kenrokuen in Kanazawa (supposedly one of the 3 most beautiful gardens in all of Japan). During the winter, the trees are tied to prevent the branches from breaking under the weight of the snow.

Young protesters at a Peace march in our city.

Fire and Violence festival in Ishikawa...super intoxicated men bashing a portable shrine, lighting it on fire, and throwing it in the river? Best damn festival in all of Japan if you ask me...


Nagashi soumen at a restaurant in Kanazawa - water runs through the bamboo while you try to catch and eat noodles that rush down the slide...of the plethora of "Japanese interactive eating" events, this one ranks in my top 3

Dinner with friends...all-you-can-eat (tabehodai), all-you-can-drink (nomihodai)

Crazy boys from Nonoichi Jr. High

Crazy girls from Nonoichi Jr. High

At my final going away party thrown by my teachers...they we so excited to show off the big banner they made me...then of course, after drinking for 2 hours at dinner, they insisted on bringing the banner out in the middle of the street yelling "bonzai!" over and over

The walk home today...

Today I walked home from school. A little girl went past me on a scooter. The sight of me startled her so much she fell off her scooter in the middle of the road.

Also during the walk home, a gang of elementary school students ran for a 1/2 mile to catch up with me. No wonder they ran...they had a very important message for me: "Hello. How are you? I'm fine, thanks. Do you like sports?"


Here are some shots of Japanese elementary school students, just so you can get a visual...

They all wear the same yellow hats while walking to school:

They all carry the same backpacks (red for girls, black for boys)

Cameron!

I may have mentioned this before, but in Japan the school year ends in March and begins after spring break in April. Since I have two schools that I teach at, alternating between the two every other month, this month was the first time I had taught the new 1st grade (equal to 6th grade back home) students.

I always love teaching the first class with the new students. They are so enthusiatstic and excited about English class that it is difficult at times for them to contain the excitement. Such was the case last week...

Schools in Japan are organized a bit different than they are at home. Students have a homeroom class, and instead of moving from room to room for each subject, they stay in the room and the teachers rotate every period. The grades are also seperated according to grade level, so the entire first grade classrooms are on the 3rd floor, 2nd grade on the second floor, and 3rd grade on the first floor. Anyway, the point is that many of the 1st grade students don't have much opportunity to interact with me outside of class since they are on the top floor.

So...last week, as I said, was the first time teaching this new group of 1st graders. As I also mentioned, the students at this age are usually bursting from the excitement of having class with a foreigner. So excited, in fact, that last week's classes got a little out of control. When I went up to their floor for class, I was immediately mobbed and subsequently surrounded by about 20 students. Some of them wanted to try out any and all previously learned English, others just wanted to get a closer look (maybe some smelling going on, too), and there were a sea of little hands grabbing and clawing their way through the mass just trying to touch me. The excitement of the students was so intense that I was literally backed into a corner and another teacher had to come rescue me and pull me out of the crowd!

Cultural Note: In Japan, there are many big Hollywood celebs that do commercials here. Meg Ryan hawks instant coffee, Tommy Lee Jones sells canned drinks, and Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz do commercials for cell phones. Anyway, for some reason, people here have decided that I look like Cameron Diaz (??) Either that or Meg Ryan...my guess is that both these women are blonde and blue eyed...but that's pretty much where the similarity ends, in my opinion.

Anyway, the 1st grade students have now all agreed that I look like Cameron Diaz. During the middle of my classes, the students would becomed so moved by this realization that they felt the need to shout "Cameron! Cameron!" to me in the middle of class. And if one student was thusly moved to testify, well...then a chorus of "Cameron!" would erupt and it would take several minutes for the class to get calmed down and quiet again (this happened on multiple occasions in several different classes)

So I'll let you be the judge...

Here's Cameron...

and here's me.

Bittersweet Good-byes

So lately I've been reflecting on my time here in Japan. As my tour-of-English-duty draws to a close, I have started an informal list of things I will miss about Japan. Thus far, the list mainly consists of arbitrary, superficial things. For example, Japanese bento (pre-made lunch boxes), convenience stores/vending machines on every corner, frogs croaking in the rice paddys at night, different Hello Kitty charms for every major city....and the list goes on...

However one thing that I will gladly say goodbye to (and, in fact, will rejoice at never having to lay eyes on again) is the haunting sight of the tanuki lingering in dark doorways of restuarants and bars here in Japan. These tanuki, at once both pervasive and elusive...one never knows when one will be confronted by the rat-like snout, those souless eyes, those giant....testicles....

Anyway, before I continue, here's a bit more explanation about the tanuki:


TANUKI:
Magical Racoon-like Dog with Shape-Shifting Powers; Modern-Day God of Gluttony, Boozing, and Restaurateurs

Tanuki appear often in Japanese folklore as shape-shifters with supernatural powers and mischievous tendencies. Tanuki statues are found everywhere around Japan, especially outside restaurants and bars, where the Tanuki beckons drinkers and diners to enter. The beckoning Tanuki is most often depicted with a big round tummy, gigantic testicles, a flask of sake, a promissory note, and a straw hat.

There are countless tales about the mischievous Tanuki. The Tanuki can transform into any living or inanimate shape, but in legend it often assumes the form of a monk or a tea kettle to play tricks on people. Tanuki is most often shown playing tricks on hunters and woodsmen. They can cast powerful illusions -- they can turn leaves into fake money or horse excrement into a delicious-looking dinner. The Tanuki is said to love Japanese sake (rice wine), and is often depicted with a sake bottle in one hand (usually purchased with fake money made from leaves) and a promissory note in the other (a bill it never pays).

A curious and defining characteristic of Tanuki is its gigantic testes. According to some legends, the testicles / scrotum can be stretched to the size of eight tatami mats. Others point to the word Senjojiki (the space of 1,000 tatami mats) as an indication of the Tanuki's testes size. Called Kin-tama (Golden Balls) in Japanese, the testes are supposedly symbols of good luck rather than overt sexual symbols (the Japanese are more tolerant of low humor than most Western nations). In the movie Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko, the Tanuki stretches out its scrotum as a parachute in a desperate suicide attack. In other Tanuki folklore, the Tanuki uses the testes as an impromptu drum, beating out the "ponpoko" sound.

The tanuki in all his glory:

A line of tanuki in front of a restaurant

My brother-in-law, Dave, worshipping at the shrine of Tanuki.

It's really quite hideous (however I should apologize to all acutal tanuki out there. Having never seen a real one in nature, my only experience with the tanuki is the statues...in reality they could be quite cute....but I'm guessing probably not...) Another curiosity regarding the tanuki is the amazement and enthusiastic interest in them from most men who visit Japan.

Well...maybe it isn't such a curiosity...a gluttonous, drunken raccoon dog with giant testicles? What's not to love?

St. Patrick's Day in Japan

So how do the Japanese celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Karaoke, of course...and watching all the foreigners get intoxicated. I actually think karaoke should become a part of all holidays, both at home and abroad...mutal understanding through song...I like the sound of that...
Have you ever wondered what Snoop Dog's lyrics look like in Japanese? Well wonder no more...

Birthday dinner...

Sayonara

Last month I had to say good-bye to my graduating students at one of my schools. It was actually quite sad...I think I enjoyed teaching this group of students the best out of both my schools and all my other classes. Anyway, as a little keepsake, I had the students write about their dreams for the future, then typed them all and put the compositions together in a little booklet for each student. We also took class pictures for the booklet (see below). Anyway, as a little surprise, all the students wrote me a little "good-bye" letter and at the end of our last class each student presented his/her letter and said a short speech in English. So in honor of my cute soon-to-be high school students, here are their pics and a few of my favorite letters:

This student, Kento, sings in a gospel choir (don't ask me how or why). He said his English has really improved because of it...he certainly has some interesting word choices. His favorite gospel song? "We are the World".

I'm pretty sure telling someone that he/she has a "small face" is a compliment here...

See if you can guess what song this was "borrowed" from...

This student's #1 dream for the future: "My dream is to visit Katie's house."

This is from Miki-san, who came to my desk everyday after lunch to chat and help me with my Japanese homework.