Permanent Site: Rapid Reactions to the Sorting Hat (Plus Recent Photos)

Two days ago, 30ish Indo trainees stood atop the auditorium steps of Universitas Muhammadiyah, shifting in agitation as Pak Miftah whimsically pronounced each man’s fate for the next two years. Pak leisurely called out each volunteer, announcing his or her permanent site. When trainees stepped down to receive their handouts, PC staff did an excellent job applauding everyone and generally making it impossible to tell who might have a more difficult road ahead of him/her than others.

Next, volunteers slow-jogged it over to a massive map of Java’s many regencies that staff had chalked out on the brick below. It felt like playing The Price Is Right. Shouts of joy erupted from the East as some found themselves a stone’s throw from Bali. However, a few, peripheral areas remained uncomfortably quiet as others loped into corners a bit more remote and isolated than they’d hoped.

Me? I’ll be living on the western border of East Java and Central Java in Ngawi regency. Overall, I’m feeling pretty good, but awkwardly ignorant. When I asked staffmembers, “so, what can you tell me about western Ngawi,” I generally got awkward pauses followed by “I think it’s very hilly” or “it’s nice there.” I get the impression that my village is relatively rural and unknown, and the Lonely Planet: Indonesia backs me up; there’s not a sentence to be found about my regional capital (Ngawi) much less my closest town (a manageable 4kms away).

However, I am pretty excited by some of my information packet’s details. Once I get to site, it looks like I’ll be living with an older couple and their two grandsons. Judging by his picture, my new bapak strongly resembles Mr. Miyagi of Karate Kid fame, so I imagine he’s pretty competent in his work: farming and handyman(ning?). The family home also looks modest by PC Indo standards, a definite plus (PC Indo homes are generally comfortable, if not palatial). But the biggest bonus might be that I’ll be teaching at the smallest school of any trainee. Some volunteers will be working at schools with 1,000 students and with class sizes of 45+ each. On the other hand, only 300 students attend my madrasah, and class sizes should average only about 25 per session.

And some photos from the past two weeks…

Sipping coffee outside Pemakasan, Madura, on a visit to Scott’s site (blue shirt and beard).

One of the happier shots from an English camp that proved to be a traumatic learning experience. The four of us had planned to accommodate about twenty campers; however, this elementary school’s principal had other plans. Final estimate: 90-100+ little ones.

Somewhere down a bumpy road in Madura, there’s a magical place where fire has been springing from the ground for the past ten years. Locals like to cook their dinners here; hopefully, whatever flammable gas this is rising to the earth's crust isn't dangerous.

Overloaded motorbikes are standard and should not cause concern. Overloaded motorbikes driven by elementary school students are only slightly less common and should be treated with caution.

Jilbab display at a traditional market in Malang