the two ts

I might as well stop apologizing for never posting in a timely manner, and just own the fact that blogging is harder and less of a priority than I thought. Also, shout out to the real bloggers out there, I admire your punctuality and respect your craft.

Since my last post, in June (?), I have mostly been doing the two Ts: teaching and traveling, duh. Both of which deserve attention in this blog post so keep reading. The only other big news is I have officially been living in Indonesia for a year and this means I will be on my way back home in 14 months (yes, I will continue to talk about it like people talk about the age of their newborns). Soo, I guess this post just serves as a little reflection.

First, I am still teaching! We started a new semester in July. The Indonesian school system does not get the luxury of a summer break and when I told my students about ours, they all decided they were moving. New semester, new classes, and I am teaching almost 100% new students which so far has been great. They are new high schoolers, so everything is still new to them and they aren’t “too cool for school,” yet. I see them 1x a week but I teach one junior class that I am able to see 2x and what a difference that makes. I know the students better; they don’t forget everything they learned the week before, and there is just more of an overall groove. I finally feel comfortable both at my school and in my role as a teacher. Maybe that comes from understanding the system I am working in or recognizing realistic expectations, who really knows. But I can say that it also comes from pushing myself and looking back to see how I have struggled, learned (read: cried), but continued to push. (another s/o to my fellow volunteers, I couldn’t have done any of this without ya).

Other school-ish updates: My English Club is almost officially penpal-ing with my alma mater, Charter School of Morgan Hill; Go Cheetahs! I think this will be an incredible opportunity to both practice English skills and learn about each other’s cultures. Stay tuned for updates. The basketball team is still balling and we have about 20 students every week, including 6 girls because the Future is indeed female. Every day at school from 7-3:30pm, the students call me “Miss Sarah,” but from 4-5pm on Thursdays, I am, “Coach.” It’s awesome! Additionally, I have participated in 2 outside of school related activities with other volunteers. One of which was “American Diversity and Culture Day.” Hosted by my fellow PCV Kayla, a few of us gathered for a day of presentations and discussions with university students. We talked about food and holidays, how to apply to universities in the US, and slang vocabulary words in English. I also joined a beach clean up with a few other PCVs, hosted by PCV Ziyad. While it is always great to see my friends and be on the beach, it was mostly sad. We spend hours picking up diapers, tooth brushes, needles, flip flops. You name it, it was there. AND we barely made a dent.

*insert PSA here* There are no excuses, we need to do better. We know better. Those reading this have the privilege to do better. Let’s take care of Mother Earth, she deserves it and we NEED it.

some of my fellow PCVs

AND NOW THE UPDATES YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, the second T: traveling.

How do I even begin talking about this? INDONESIA IS SO BEAUTIFUL, SO DIVERSE IN SAID BEAUTY AND EVEN HARDER TO PUT INTO WORDS. Since my last post, I have been to Bali and Lombok. Both of these are different islands than where I live and therefore, very different cultures. Different languages, religions, food, and personalities. Because I have spent so much time in East Java, and in my specific community, I experienced sort of a mini-culture shock. For example, in Bali, the majority of the people are Hindu. Instead of mosques, there are temples, incense, and the most beautiful cows I have ever seen (they are sacred).

I spent 10 days in Bali with other volunteers and it was wonderful, but Bali has a lot going on. While this is not a travel blog, I will recommend that when you go to Bali to stay in a few places for a longer period of time instead of trying to do all of Bali at one time. My favorite place was Uluwatu and the surrounding beaches. I recently returned from Lombok, which is an island near Bali. I spent 5 days on 2 even tinier islands known to travelers as, “The Gilis.” We spent 3 days in Gili Trawangan and 2 days in Gili Air. Talk about paradise, I mean I can’t even talk about how beautiful this place is. The best part, is no motor vehicles. Everyone is on bicycles and things are being transported via horseback. We swam, and drank and ATE PESTO (haven’t had this in over a year) and swam some more. I will definitely be going back for the pesto if for nothing else. It has been absolutely amazing to travel around Indonesia to see new places and meet new people. The best way to describe my time traveling is through the photos, so check that out under the photos tab.

As always, ask questions if you have them. I always want to talk because I am an ENFJ. Thx for reading!

xo Sarah

What I’m reading: I’ll Be Gone Before Dark by Michelle McNamara. About the Golden State Killer, its creepy and real and exciting.

What I’m listening to: Maggie Rogers, do it you won’t be disappointed.

What I’m watching: I just finished The Politician on Netflix (bigtime recommend), am in the middle of the new season of American Horror Story (there’s clearly a Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk theme here), and thanks to some peer pressuring volunteers, I am once again committed to Grey’s Anatomy.