Tag: travel

Tangerang: Obama, Shopping Malls, and Breaking Laws in Supermarkets

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

After two
days of briefings on education and culture of Indonesia, we were ready to leave
Jakarta and head to our respective host schools. The 11 TGC fellows are split among six
different locations all over Indonesia, none of us really knowing exactly what
we would encounter once we left the comfort of our large group and the Jakarta
hotel.

As the host
teachers began arriving to pick us up, it felt a bit like the end of camp as we
packed our bags and headed in different directions, each promising to keep in
touch. There was some comfort in being
together, and I found myself nervous about heading off with unknown people in a
car in the middle of Indonesia!
Fortunately, my teaching partner Amy and I share a love of adventure and
daring, and we took a deep breath, said goodbye, and headed for our first stop,
Barack Obama’s elementary school.

The statue
that welcomes visitors was once in a nearby park, but the Indonesians, fiercely
loyal to their culture, felt it didn’t represent their entire country and moved
it to his elementary school.

Because it was
Sunday, we had arranged special entrance to the school grounds. What delighted us as we walked the campus’
brightly colored, Dutch inspired buildings were the many inspirational signs
hanging from each hallway. Two of my personal favorites were hanging above the English rooms. It continues to impress me just how eager Indonesians are to learn English, and although many signs, menus, and directions use our language, if we look just beneath the surface there isn’t a collective use of or understanding of English among the general population.

After a 45-minute
car trip at impressive speeds, the host teacher graciously unloaded at Hotel
Sandika and escorted us directly into the adjacent shopping mall. I’m sure we garnered many stares as we
giggled with excitement and wonder at the bounty before us!

We spent
nearly an hour enraptured by the bookstore – sort of a cross between Borders,
Office Max and Target; we happily searched for useful items for our upcoming teaching
assignment, as well as a few children’s bilingual Indonesian/English books. I
love the interesting translations of titles and the different types of fashion
magazines!

I always find it fascinating to visit grocery stores when I travel – even when I cannot read the product names, I’m so curious about what people buy on a daily basis. Is this what I would eat for breakfast if I lived here?

I’ve never seen such a variety of mangoes!

We
immediately began snapping photos of the unusual fruits, vegetables and….eels? Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bucket
of squirming creatures; a squeal erupted, and was immediately confronted by the
uniformed security guard and told to stop taking photos. Who knew I would break the law in a grocery
store?

We left a
bit disappointed that beer is unavailable in the grocery store here, but
satisfied with our snacks and exhausted from the over stimuli. Although Tangerang appears to be more Chinese
Buddhist than Muslim, the fact that it is Ramadan hasn’t escaped us – the broadcast
prayers in the background above the continually piped in Kenny G
tunes are a constant reminder.

Today I had
to muster up a different kind of courage – it wasn’t the
in-the-pen-with-a-Komodo-dragon type, but that inner courage that comes from
having to do that which is outside my comfort zone. As we whizzed down the Jakarta freeway with
complete strangers, I had to pause and remind myself of where I was in the
universe, and that we would be ok. It
wasn’t a trembling kind of fear of imminent danger, but that spinning kind of
unstable, feet lifting off the ground, I’m-not-in-Kansas-anymore feeling I only get when I’m far, far away from what I know best.

At times, I felt much more at ease here than I should; surrounded
by Wendy’s, Starbucks, Baskin Robbins and Celebrity Fitness makes me feel like
I’m back in California. But when my
innocence gets me reprimanded, and I cannot speak the language, I’m reminded
that my culture needs to take the backseat for a while.

Thank goodness
for my teaching buddy. I’m so glad I’m not alone. Now, where did I
leave those ruby slippers?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Jakarta: Starting Out

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

Arriving in Jakarta was really exciting – after three flights and countless hours of layovers and sitting upright, I was ready to explore. The Indonesian language is difficult to decipher, so I followed the crowd to get bags, exchange money, and find our guide, Lilia.

I had heard about the infamous Jakarta traffic, and prepared for the 36 km, nearly two hour drive from the airport to the hotel. Indonesia is 14 hours ahead of California, so we essentially missed Wednesday and arrived on Thursday.

After an interesting breakfast – Indonesians eat rice at every meal, as well as meats and seafood – even for breakfast – we headed off to our guide’s public school – SMP 49 in east Jakarta.

As we drove into the school, we were greeted by students hanging over the railings and the teachers and administrator in the parking lot. We were surprised to learn that it was a school holiday for the start of Ramadan, yet the students and teachers came to school anyways just to meet us. They made us feel like celebrities as we exited our bus!

We began with a faculty meeting to discuss global education and get to know each other. It was interesting that the principal began and ended the meeting with prayers.

We spent the next hour working in classrooms. To our surprise, the English teacher wanted us to teach his students, so we launched into a discussion about our schools, families, and culture of America. Notice the uniforms in this 8th grade English classroom – especially the sneakers! My partner, Amy, is from Chico, California, and we had prepared a Prezi on her iPad which really came in handy

The classrooms were sparsely decorated and moderately air conditioned. Students here test into the school, so they are considered high-achieving. They are extremely fluent in English, although some are reluctant to speak. It was interesting to me that a student leader rose when we entered, then asked the rest of the class to do the same. They greeted us, said a prayer, then took their seats.They are fascinated with American teens, and really loved hearing about our own kids and students. They said they love Twitter and American movies!

Everywhere we went and everything we did they documented with video and photos – the teachers are so eager to learn about what American classrooms are like and how we teach. I was impressed with the emphasis on behavior and respect, as evidenced by signs all around the school.

I was touched by how delighted the school was with our visit, and how honored and respected they made us feel. I really think that these students and teachers have so much in common with us in the US – they want to learn, improve and have great hope for their futures. We left with happy hearts and new connections to help us learn to be better global citizens.

Jennifer Wolfe

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Friday Photo: Surprises

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

I’ve spent a little over 24 hours in Indonesia, and have been surprised during many of them. So many of the people speak English, and as we’ve been driving around the city I’ve been amazed at the number of signs and billboards advertising American products and companies.

In the 8th grade classroom today I was surprised when the students stood and greeted us, clad int heir formal school uniforms (including black Converse) when we walked to the door.

I was equally shocked when they began the class with a prayer and then told me how much they like Facebook and Twitter.

And even though I’ve experienced California traffic, nothing can compare to what I’ve seen in Jakarta. While we plan our commutes and trips according to peak traffic hours, in Jakarta there is always bumper to motorbike traffic. Looking out my window now, at 10 p.m., I see tail and headlights in a steady stream. Amazingly, the cars are in great condition and don’t look like they ever run into each other, and adults hold babies on their laps as they whiz by on their motorcycle.

I’m just soaking it all in, trying to understand the people, the customs and what is important to them. And despite all the surprises of the last 24 hours, I’m starting to see that underneath it all we’re really all not that different.

For more on my Indonesian adventure, click over to travels with mamawolfe!

Jennifer Wolfe

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That’s Enough For One Day

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

There’s nothing like travel to give a reality check on how spoiled I am.

I live in a big house with a comfy bed with more than one pillow. I don’t have to sleep twisted into some contorted position in order to stay on my side of the armrest, and my pillow doesn’t have to wrap around my neck.

I can walk to the refrigerator or pantry whenever I want to and drink clean water and eat a healthy snack. I don’t have to remember to use bottled water to brush my teeth or ring a bell when I need to eat (ok, that actually is kind of cool for a change).

I can ride my bike to work, to the grocery store, or just about any place I need to go in my hometown. If I drive, it’s usually a quick trip. I don’t have to ride in a shuttle bus through traffic that would put LA to shame, wondering how eight lanes of cars and motorbikes will fit into a space wide enough for two.

After 29 hours of travel, I’m grateful for all these things that I often take for granted. As nice as the people all are, I think 8,693 miles is enough for today.

Jennifer Wolfe

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Jumping Off

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Jennifer Wolfe

Adventures are often the bittersweet variety to me. The planning, preparation and anticipation
gives way to the sudden reality that life as I know it is about to change,
leaving me in that in between place of contained excitement and sheer sadness
over what I’m leaving behind.

That may sound silly to some – who wouldn’t want to take off
on the first leg of an international adventure? Many would have had their bags packed for
days, counting down the hours and moments until departure with a nomadic
exuberance.

Others might understand the trepidation, the baby steps it
takes to jump off into the unknown with only a carryon bag and a laptop to
remind you of home.

Perhaps this nervousness held me back from packing until the
very last second, and maybe it kept me from revving up my batteries as I
counted down the days. There is a
difference between loneliness and being alone, and I’m not used to either. Sixteen years of caring for other little
spirits, twenty-seven of having one always by my side, and suddenly, sitting in
this tiny plane heading towards an unknown land, I feel it.

This is the jumping off point. There is no looking back, only forward. This is the quiet time to reflect, rest, and reason. There is plenty to keep me occupied – I’m
really not alone at all.

Jennifer Wolfe

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