Home- Wrapping up the Blog

Hi there!!

So I am back and trying to get my sleeping clock back to to USA time!!  So as you know this trip was also part of a class and I also received a scholarship as well. So I wanted to included my reflection for my class in this blog and the power-point that I have do for the scholarship.  After that I will no longer post on this blog because the trip is over!!! The travel bug has hit and I am already looking for my next trip.  Thanks for all of your support and following the blog.

Here are even more photos!!

Last School Visit

On our last school visit, they rolled out the red carpet. We visited 115 Junior High. When we arrived at the school the students were in two rows you know like when they announce the starting line up at basketball game, well it was like that. All 9 of us stepped out the van and walk and waved as the students played the drums and saluted us, once we got to the end of the line they placed on us these scarves from North Sumatra on the east side if the Java Island.  They were very pretty and were all in different colors.  They told us that they mean may God bless you always. We were all like wow!!!  Then we were led into the Principal office where we were given some snacks, water and coffee.

We were divided into what classrooms we were going to visit.  We were not prepared to teach a class not one bit!! The teachers were handing off dry eraser marker like we know what we were doing!!  I was like really; I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing and how long I am going to be doing it! So we asked them what they knew about America and what did they want to know about America.  They looked at us like we had 3 heads. We later figured out that the students were not used to being asked questions, they are used to the banking model of teaching, where the teacher deposits information into the students the student then goes off and makes meaning on their own rather than  challenging the  teacher and having a dialogue back and forth, that is seen as disrespectful. Well we then played a game of Heads down 7-up- LOL!!!!!!! They loved it and really got into it and so did the teacher he was laughing and tossing his head back.

Once we were done there we were lead to the multipurpose room where the other teachers were and the students preformed a traditional welcome dance. We also got a couple of songs from their choir that really look like they should be on Glee they were good!! We gave our presentation of Iowa State University.  There was a lot of questions about scholarships and information about how to study in the US.  At every school we went to we were asked about scholarships for study and how to study in America.  They gave a presentation of their school accomplishments. Then we ate lunch.  It was really a nice day!!

The van that we have been riding in, we refer to the Golden Chariot, the van broke down while we were in Jakarta at the Junior High School.   The day before we heard noise that sounded like a fan belt but we blew it off and got stuck in Jakarta! The junior high Principal Ms. Maria gave us her personal driver and the school van to take us back to Cikarang. Just as we were about to leave 6 pizzas from pizza hut was deliver to the van!!! This really made our day and the trip.  The cup of hostility was over flowing and we were very appreciative.We got back in just enough time to freshen up and head over to Mr. Johns for our farewell BBQ at his home.

This was in a bathroom that I was in!!

Check out theses side burns!!

An observation of Regulation

Here are some observations that I have made as I have travel around Indonesia.  Mind you it works for Indonesia and Indonesians. I have grown appreciative of my time here in Indonesia.

1. Car Exhaust- We see people wearing mask as they drive and the air pollution here is the worst.
2. Amount of people allowed to ride on the motorcycle- we see whole families and the family pet on some of these bikes, it looks like a circus act.
3. Speed limit- I have not seen one sign that indicate the minimum or maximum speed limit, sometimes it looks like the Autobahn in Germany.
4. Amount of people allowed to ride on the back of the truck- Once again there was like a whole soccer team on the back cheering because I guess they won.
5. Litter- it is everywhere here it looks like multicolored snow as we drive throughout Indonesia.
6. Driving on the shoulder- here it is viewed as another lane here and free for everyone to use.
7. Street Food Vendors- every 5 feet there is someone selling some type of food that is made in their home or on their street vendor trolley/wagon. I saw someone with a cast iron pot over some burning coals with food inside cooking it in his wagon. They we saw this guy with 2 water dispensers tied to the front of his basket with rows of ice lemon tea packets dangling from basket. Anyone can sell what they want where they want to.
8. No smoking in public places- I was in Starbucks and located on the table was a sign that said no smoking but at several tables there were people smoking and they had ash trays that were given to them.  

Interacting with the locals

So we visited the Monas, by the way my camera battery died so no pictures until the group shares with each other, so any way the Monas is the National Monument of Indonesia, it looks a lot like the Washington Monument in DC and when you walk all the way to the end, where the plaque is that explains in Indonesia what you are looking at, it looks like the national mall reflection pool. 

As we were exploring the monument we were approached by several street vendors to buy everything from whistles that sound like a crying distressed baby, sunglasses, flying hand kites, and handmade note cards. We posed for the picture in front of the monument, and you know that everyone wants one with their camera so Mr. John our tour guide had an arm full of cameras but we had several other people taking our photos, they were the street photo vendors, they had travel printer and were able to print out the picture by the time Mr. John took our picture will all the cameras then they tried to under bid each other so we would buy it! You cannot knock the hustle it is in the DNA of Indonesia. 

We visited the National museum at about 4:10pm and it closes at 5pm, so we rushed in and tried to see everything we could in 50 minutes. The museum was nice but packed with everything from the entire country, at one point there were 17,000 islands but with global warming and the water levels rising they have lost some island and it is down to about 14, 000.  We have been on the Island of Java, the other island have a travel time that is too long for us with our short trip.  Bali is the most touristy island, I will have to come back to see that one. 

We went to dinner at this place called Eastern Promise, it had food from all over, I had some Chicken Tikka Masala. It was soooo good and I know I that I am going to pay for it in the morning with a visit to bathroom but I don’t care!  I and the other African Americans finally interacted with someone who looks like us, I was like HEY!!! Scott is his name, he is a broker from the UK he was here on Holiday (Vacation is what the WE call it). We did the usually chit chat, then more of his friends came over to be nosy.  There will Stacy and Todd, whom they said they call Barak Obama caused he looked like him; I was like not really but ok. They were like yes is does, Todd put on your glasses; I was like every black man that wears glasses does not look like to Barak Obama!!!  They changed the subject to the fact that we have not had  hot water since we have been in Indonesia, they laughed at us and was like where are you staying  a village, we were like yes!!!!!!!!!  The food and drinks was good, I was able to have my regular drink Easy Living (combination of fruit juices on the rocks) over in Indonesia, that made me miss Ames and Café B, 2 days to go till I am home!