Pengalaman

That means "experience". When something happens here, we say, "You had a pengalaman." Today, I had two pengalamans (yes, we pluralize words in our 2nd language--it's called "campur" or "mix"--mixing of the 2 languages). Ok, now that you are all thoroughly confused, I will write about my pengalamans today.

Today, I had the privilege of returning to the village I have written about before. It was so good to see the smiling faces of the kids, read books to them, help them read books to me, teach them some English words that they wanted to know, and just touch them and talk with them. One little girl held my hand as we walked down the road. Another girl seemed so sad so I kept asking her things like, "Why aren't you smiling? Are you tired? Are you sad?" Eventually she warmed up to me and smiled and allowed me to help her read a book :) Ok, that whole paragraph was bonus. Sorry! Now for the real reason I'm blogging...

While we were letting the kids look at the books and pick which books they wanted to borrow, there was a little boy, probably 3 or 4 years old, with the cutest toothless smile. He kept touching me and wanting to be near me every time he passed by me. At one point, he was playing in a pile of dirt near where we were sitting. I asked him what he was building with the dirt, and his answer shocked and saddened me. He replied, "A grave." A grave. Wow. Totally took me aback. I can't imagine a life at 3 or 4 years old where playing in the dirt consisted of making a grave, of all things. Did I even know what a grave was at that age? No towers or houses or bike ramps like children normally think to build. A grave. This child has experienced more sickness and death in his short lifetime than I have in 24 years, I'm pretty sure. Someone in his village is always sick or dying. Today, we found out that a young mom there with 5 kids under the age of 12 (one being a baby) just passed away. And the leader of the village was in the hospital. The reality of poverty struck me again today. The simplest sicknesses can result in something as serious as death because of lack of education, lack of medicine, lack of money, lack of sanitary conditions.

From the village, we went to the hospital to visit the leader of the village. I had met this man last time I visited the village, and he was sick then too. But when I saw him today, the only word that came to mind was "death". This man looked horrible. I could see every bone in his body. He barely had enough energy to keep his eyes open, much less have much of a conversation with us. He was hooked up to an IV that was barely dripping. He's waiting from someone with his blood type to donate blood, and the doctor still doesn't know what's wrong with him. I kept watching for his stomach to rise and fall to make sure he was still breathing.

Let me describe the hospital to you. I've been in 2 other hospitals here before this one, but they are the nicest ones in the city. This one is a public hospital. Very different. As my friend with me said, it's more like a mall. There were so many people, everywhere we turned, whole families just camping out with their mats, food, bags, toys, etc. It was crazy. Loud. Crowded. When we walked in the building this man was staying in, it smelled. Not anywhere close to clean. Entering his room, I noticed 5 other patients in the same room, and beds for 8 people. Every patient had family there, so the room was filled with probably 15 people in addition to the patients. Mind you, this was not visiting hours. The family members were taking care of the patients like the nurses are supposed to, moving IV's and other tubes, lifting them in and out of bed, bringing them food, etc. I had heard about the state of hospitals here, but to see it firsthand was shocking for me. While we were there, sellers kept coming in and out of the rooms trying to get people to buy cakes, toys, other food, etc. Adding noise. Adding germs. All I could smell was bowel movements. My friend asked me when we left if I could smell that, and she said she had to try really hard to not throw up. The whole time we were there, I didn't see one doctor or one nurse. So so so different from any hospital I've been to in the states, yet I know that this is what most people in the world experience, if they're lucky enough to even receive medical care.

Sorry, I didn't end up taking any pictures today. Lots of mental pictures from today that will probably remain in my mind for a long time. One positive picture...I left the village seeing 2 little girls with their backs to me, huddled around a table reading their books that we lent them :) YAY!!

Cold

This marks the 3rd time I've been cold...today. No, it wasn't cold here today--not even close. Just means I've lived here long enough for my blood to turn to water, I'm pretty convinced. Does not bode well for returning to snow-filled winters!

Multi-Cultural Day :)

Last Saturday, my roommate, closest national friend, and I went to an Indian man's house to learn how to cook Indian food! Um, yes please!! Bring on the curry! Here are some pictures:

Fresh fish and veggies from the market

All the yummy fresh spices: ginger, garlic, & turmeric

Hard at work...well, some of us ;)

Tika and me :)

Part of the feast--complete with fresh pineapple!

Curry chicken started...smelled AMAZING!

The makings of sambal: roasted tomato, a lot of chiles, garlic, and shallots

The best part of the day wasn't even the Indian food (however delicious it was!). The best part of the day was being and cooking together with one Indian man, three Filipino women, two Indonesians from completely different backgrounds, and us two Americans. What a fun multi-cultural day!

Was Wishing...

...I had this tonight...

...an American-sized kleenex. The whole 2-square-toilet paper-sized kleenex just doesn't go far, ya know? At least it's more than 1 ply ;) [that was for all you Ellen fans out there who are now quoting that entire scene either in your heads...or out loud...and probly laughing to yourself....and now you're quoting the elevator scene and thinking about what funny thing you could say next time...you're welcome, that was all bonus]. ANYWAY, wishin for some big kleenex for this cold of mine. That's all. Sometimes, bigger really is better.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday, I had my first motorcycle lesson. It was so fun! I was really nervous, to be honest, especially about staying balanced, but it was actually really easy. I think going 4wheeling so much helped me a lot. I just turned the triple speed bumps in my path into logs/trees that I'm used to driving over in my quad. Thanks for all the lessons and experience, Dad :) Haven't driven on busy streets yet...not even close, but I'll get there :)

Today, we went to the local fair. Many similarities and also many differences. There were booths, cotton candy, popcorn, paintings, even a ferris wheel. There were also cultural buildings that showcased the specific cultural foods, art, fabrics, dances, etc. of each part of our province. It was really fun to see such rich culture :) One difference--I've never been famous or had random people take my picture at any fair in the states. At one point, I told my roommate, "If one more person takes a picture of me without asking, I'm gonna..." Not sure what I was gonna do, but it made me mad. Not a very good attitude to have, but sometimes a girl gets tired of being stared at and yelled at and taken her picture taken by total strangers just cuz of the color of her skin, ya know?! All in all, though, a very fun evening with my friends :)

In the Land of Toilet Paper, Soap, and Paper Towels

I just got home from a land that had all of the above in every restroom I went to! Now, that sounds like a very small thing, but really, it was shocking...in a good way! Here are some pictures :)

Bellamy and me

Celebrating Bellamy's bday with Lizzie and Megan :)

Asher...trying to hold up the volcano??

Sirsak (green fruit)--one of my favs--and marquisa (orange)

MOUNTAINS!!!! made this CA heart happy :)

View from our hotel room--can't beat that!

When the tide went out, it went OUT!

Clouds--one of my favorite parts of creation in this part of the world

Reminded me of the Nor Cal coast with all the rocks

Asher and Brenden

Hope you enjoyed some pictures from the first 2 legs of my vacation. It was an amazing time with family and also of meeting new friends. And all the scenery I got to enjoy from volcanoes to mountains to beach was a like a breath of fresh air from the busy, dirty city I spend every day in. And, I got to enjoy toilet paper, soap, and paper towels for a week and a half :) What else can a girl ask for?!

Music Play

Last week, we had a music play day at a preschool behind my house that I've been working at every other week. It was so much fun playing with 3-6 year olds all morning :) They learned the Hokey Pokey--definitely the favorite--Itsy Bitsy Spider, I'm a Little Teapot, and others. A family visiting from the states juggled for them too! They were so impressed.

So grateful for the opportunity to be with kids! I've been able to hang out with the teachers a lot this past semester and am hoping to continue that when school starts again. They're such sweet women!! And these kids--adorable :)

End of the Semester Party

Last night we had our end of the semester party. We had so much fun! I love my students and am reminded how much I love them every time I hang out with them! I'm not ready to say goodbye to them for the summer :( Many of them have to do an internship away from the city for the summer. Hopefully, we'll still be able to hang out when they get back, whether or not they're in my classes next semester.

Anyway, last night...

We taught them how to play Mafia, and they actually got into creating stories, accusations, defenses, etc., which I didn't know if they would! So fun! One of my students, who was the mafia, told the townspeople that she can't even bear to hurt an animal much less a person (and that totally fits her personality!)--so hilarious!

We also did a photo scavenger hunt, making them run upstairs and downstairs and outside and inside for 15 pictures. Pretty sure that's the most exercise many of them have had since any PE class in high school! lol. They were gasping for air and dripping sweat when they were finished! It was great :)

Also just enjoyed lots of fun conversations with my students. I love them! I know I already said that, but I do! They gave me some sweet letters and a gift specific to our province...it was so sweet! I'm going to miss them a lot. Ok, enough rambling about how much I love my students :)

Sorry, I forgot my camera, so you'll have to wait on pictures from last night till I get them from my roommate.

There Should be a Law

against bringing durian to the workplace. I'm just sayin.

I'm Wondering...

...how time slips away so quickly! I just looked at the clock and it's almost 11 already! Where do the evenings go?! I ask myself this every night and have yet to find an answer. If anyone else has one for me, I'd much appreciate your words of wisdom ;)

Seriously, before this last year (thanks to someone whose name I'm not going to mention, but you know who you are), 11pm was on the late side of a normal bedtime for me. If I hit the hay much past 11, it was rare, and I hated life in the morning. Now, however, I'm rejoicing if I get to bed by 11--like it's still in the PM time frame, and that makes me happy! What?! What's happened to me?!

You might be asking, well, then, do you sleep later in the morning? Maybe that's why you don't go to sleep till late. The answer--Oh no! Still get up early! Have no fear--not THAT much of me has changed!

My consolation? Chai awaits me in the morning...no matter what time that morning might come :)

In My Humble Opinion...

these...

should not be built with these...

...but right now, unfortunately, they are.

It's durian season, and everywhere I went today, I saw pyramids of durian on the sides of the streets for sale. That means the streets reek of durian. I'm not sure how to describe the scent of durian, but it's awful. Like I held my breath every time I walked by one of those elaborate triangular structures today and hoped that by the time I exhaled and inhaled again, I wouldn't be able to smell it anymore. That worked...most of the time.

At one point in the angkot today, I smelled the following combination of smells: car exhaust, durian, rotten fruit peels that had been out in the tropical sun all day, and cigarette smoke. Good thing I'm not sick to my stomach today! lol. Hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of the smells of the tropics of Asia :)

A Window into Driving

This is not my blog or my country, but this post is hilariously true, so I thought I'd share a window into driving in SE Asia. Enjoy :) Oh, and I'm about to start learning how to drive a moto, so look forward to more blogs of my own about driving experiences!


http://lifeinthai.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/driving-in-thailand/

Another Day, Another Look

Today, the first person I saw outside of my own house looked at me like this:

(Ignore the words written over the photo...yes I "borrowed" this from google images.) Seriously, though, a guy drove by me in his car and literally stared at me with his jaw dropped and a shocked look on his face. I wanted to say, "Yes, sir, we do exist. It's not just some fabricated myth that Hollywood made up. There are in fact white people in this world!" But of course, I only said that to myself...and laughed out loud to myself as I kept walking, wondering what he was saying to the person on the other end of the cell phone he was talking on while staring at me while driving. Chances are, if both of your hands are needed for something, your brain should be in on it too, just sayin.

Oh, and today, I tried tofu pudding. Interesting.

Haven't Posted in Awhile

So here are some random thoughts and pictures.

We killed (and when I say "we", I mean my roommate!) the largest cockroach we've seen--on her bed. Gross!

MSG...I hate it. Every time I eat it, I get increasingly sicker :\ Unfortunately, there's virtually no way to avoid it, it seems.

Got some fun packages for my birthday...here's one of the things we've really enjoyed :)

We had some students over a couple weekends ago for a cookie decorating, popcorn eating, movie extravaganza! Believe it or not, 8 girls polished off 50 cookies without my roomie and my help!

We stumbled upon a new coffee shop on our way to one of my student's weddings :) So, we were a little dressed up...who cares?! And, you can all be proud--this drink had coffee in it, and I actually liked it! I mean, it was cold and wet, and I live on the equator, and that outfit I'm wearing...pretty much the hottest most uncomfortable thing I've ever owned! lol. At least I only have to wear it for a couple hours at a time!

Today I bought jeruk bali and veggies that resemble brussel sprouts, so I'm very excited :) Here's a picture of a jeruk bali. It's pretty much a gigantic (think size of junior basketball) grapefruit but way juicier and way sweeter! So yummy :)

Welp, hope you enjoyed my random splatterings of the last few weeks!

Musings of a Girl who Lives in SE Asia

• Today I got asked if I was from China or Holland. Like those were the only 2 options given. Do I look either Chinese or Dutch?!
• Today I once again got asked if I wanted to marry someone (this time, a guy in the public transportation vehicle)
• Today I told a friend a story of how not eco-friendly we are here (aka how much plastic is used). She told me to blog about it, so here goes: The other day I bought face wash at the store. Now apparently face wash is a valuable item here because it's practically locked up like cigarettes and alcohol are in the states. So, you tell the lady standing by the face wash that you want it, she takes it, writes a receipt (note use of paper) and gives the receipt to you which you then take up to the cashier and pay with the rest of your groceries. You then take the stamped receipt to the information desk where they have already placed your face wash in cellophane, which perfectly fits the container of face wash. You had them the receipt, and they place the cellophaned face wash in yet another plastic bag, also the same size as the face wash. You then place this doubly-plasticked face wash in your larger plastic grocery bag that you already have full of groceries, resulting in triple protection--cuz you never know what could happen to face wash!
• Today I spent 2 hours at the travel agent buying plane tickets because the 10 people that called while I was arranging my tickets got their tickets booked first while I waited to continue being helped.
• Today I enjoyed boba...oh how I love it!
• Today I got to hang out with some junior high kids and help them with English :)
• Today my roommate told me that a cockroach was sitting in her retainer case. Can we say DISGUSTING?!
• Today I found a gecko in a dirty mixing bowl in the sink. It looked dead and didn't move when I moved the bowl, but when I came back later, it was gone. The mystery of the missing cicak.
• Today I walked with an umbrella in the sun cuz I'm told that's what you do here. Why was I the only one doing that?
• Today I mused about the fact that every time I feel a tickle on my skin, I automatically assume it's an ant, not a piece of hair or anything else, an ant. Maybe cuz that's this happens oh 20x a day. My roommate and I wondered the other day how long it'll take us when we move back to the states to NOT think that that tickle is an ant.
• Today I'm grateful to be here and be able to laugh at all the above things :)

Sometimes I Forget....

...that I look different than everyone else around me.

I had a moment like that today in the mall. I suddenly noticed EVERYONE around me staring at me and my two other white friends. At first, I was like, "Why is everyone staring at us?!" And then I remembered, "Oh ya, I'm in SE Asia and look different from everyone else!" We're kind of a novelty here because not many foreigners come through our city. Most days I'm VERY aware of that fact, but today, I just forgot. Maybe that's another sign that this is home now--I see those around me as no different from myself so I expect them to see me the same way. Or maybe it's because I was a sick hermit in my room all day yesterday so I forgot I was in another country. I choose to think the former is true :)

Trip to the Waterfall

The clouds have become one of my favorite things about living here

This is a durian tree--no comment necessary

Keeping ourselves occupied while the others were "lost"

Green and mountain! Same mountain we hiked before where I made some friends with leeches

Lynette and me

Crazy friends :)

Waterfall!!!

Reminded me of the waterfall in Honduras--shout out to my Honduras team :)

Isn't that amazing?!

Cave to the left of the waterfall--dad I thought of you and all the mine shafts we've found together

Tika and Valerie being crazy!

Today was amazing, enjoying nature with friends. Seeing Him all around me like that was so refreshing, just like being at home 4wheeling or hiking in the mountains--some of the best places I enjoy time with Him. I'm excited to be able to come here alone another day (when I can drive a motorcycle) and just be. Good day :)