Just keep swimming... and eating

what a weekend. I have been at site for almost a week and a half now, and each day brings more comfort and joy...comfort and joy (xmas pun intended). Seriously, each day I am able to meet more people, and explore new places in my new town and experience all things Indonesia.

In this post, I will attempt to tell you about my new family. They are just wonderful. I have 4 siblings. One older brother, two younger sisters, and a younger brother as well. The ages range from 10-28. Three of my sibs live at home and one is at University in a nearby city, but she comes home on the weekends. My younger brother actually goes to the school I will be teaching at which will be fun when there is homework to assign. I have enjoyed observing the daily routines and learning a bit more about each of them every day. My Ibu's family runs our block and on a single street there are maybe 6 of her aunts and uncles. There are constantly people of all ages in and out of our house which has helped me feel at home a bit more. It is endearing because whenever I meet a new aunt or cousin, they tell me in English, "big family, many people," to which I can reply, "me too," (@jordan family). My Ibu and I speak only Indonesian to each other but she has expressed her interest in learning English and so each day we go over a few words. So far we have covered household items and activities and food, i.e. the important things.

What I really want to tell you all about was this weekend. On Saturday it was my aunts birthday. So as all large families do, everyone came into town to celebrate. Around 6pm last night, we all went to the mosque down the street, and by down the street I mean maybe a stones throw away, to do what I wasn't sure. Many things are still lost in translation. When we walked into the mosque, everyone in the family began to pray which was lead by my Bapak. Picture 20 people or so in a line all praying together. It was extremely powerful and I felt in awe having the opportunity to watch. After, we sang Happy Birthday, or the Indonesian variation, we proceeded to watch all of the 2nd generation feed their parents cake. Following the cake came the feast. And my feast, I truly mean feast. What would an Indonesian feast be without rice. I am not sure how to accurately quantify rice to make you all think it was a lot, but trust me, it was a lot. I'm talkin rice and chicken (feet, brains, lungs), more shrimp than you could possibly imagine (Situbondo is known for seafood due to the proximity to the ocean) and veggies and fruit (every family brought fruit from their own trees), and krupuk (Indonesian crackers often made using sand instead of oil, and eaten with every meal). After dinner, we all talked. For hours. People started to fall asleep in the mosque. This is another part of the night that reminded me of home. From my experience, everywhere in the world, chit chat exists. Here we say, "mengebrol." In Bahasa Madura (which my family speaks), it is "acaca." It reminded me of Christmas Eve's past, and gatherings at Mita's house. Towards the end of the night, one of my cousins (who happens to be a teacher at my school) suggested that Sunday morning we all wake up the next morning and jalan-jalan to the beach. SO, you bet we woke up at 6am to get there.

This morning we woke up at 6 because the plan was to leave for the beach at 7am. However, rubber time or jam karet, is very real here. This concept has definitely changed my perspective as a whole. Back in the States, I was very much always on time, and here I am still on time, but time is not always on time..if that makes sense. However, the more I am immersed in this concept of time, the more I understand it from different angles. Spending time with family and friends, and enjoying every bit of every situation are part of jam karet. Traffic, weather, other people will all exist regardless if you are on time or not so might as well take your time. Also, it is always unbelievably hot so its almost impossible to move quickly without sweating immensely. Anyway, we ended up leaving closer to 8.

We got to the beach, and due to the modest dress here in Indonesia, everyone is fully clothed. Swimming in leggings and a t-shirt is an adjustment, but the warm salty ocean is a treat. Regardless of the beachside attire, the activities are mostly the same. Everyone swimming, and taking rides on the many outriggers. I have been trying to swim in the ocean since I arrived in Indonesia and three months later, I can say I have! It was absolutely amazing. Well, rant over, I am really grateful for this weekend. An opportunity to build relationships with those who will be closest to me. Sharing knowledge and cultural experiences with new friends. It was overwhelming, but also very fulfilling and I am excited for the next two years!

love always,

Sarah