The August Catch-all Post

I usually write on a single topic, thinking it's better to do one thing well than many things "meh". However, singling out just one experience from seven days of interactions also has its disadvantages. Most notably, many experiences must be left undocumented. And as a result, this blog probably hasn't given the clearest portrayal of Indo life that it can. That's why I feel justified writing a catch-all post to capture some of those experiences that haven't yet made it onto the web. So here are some of those notes in bulletted stream-of-consciousness: I...

• Can literally walk outside--if the season's right-- and--pick these fruits from the front yard: jackfruit, mango, hairy fruit, banana, kelengkeng (translation?), durian, coconut, snakeskin fruit, and (I think) mangosteen.
• Witnessed the confusing economics of globalization firsthand. My family went to market and brought home red delicious apples boldly stamped with "product of U.S.A." stickers. This is ridiculous. First, red delicious apples just aren't that delicious. Second, Indonesian farmers produce plenty of their own apples.
• Realized it has only rained twice in the last 10 weeks. How do the paddies stay so green in the dry season when Java's dry climate mirrors a southern summer?
• Had my first experience with price-gouging taxi drivers. Everyone is tired during Ramadhan. That's probably why when I was on the way home from visiting a friend's site the other week, my bus driver simply decided to stop halfway because he was tired and wanted to go home. Unsurprisingly, the taxi drivers in that town knew I wasn't in a good bargaining position to get home.
• Became an avid cat hater. Three weeks ago, our rabbits had five new bunnies. A week and a half later, we had none thanks to the elusive Monster cat that prowls the compound at night.
• Cooked some mean chocolate chip, banana pancakes for the family.
• Am getting more involved in helping cook dinner at home. Last night's job: pecel (rice and greens under a spicy peanut sauce).
• Calculated that if I had a nickel for every pound of rice I'll eat in Indonesia, I'd have $37.20 according to the U.N.
• Took in another Pyonyang-styled mass ceremony held at my district's parade field to celebrate Indonesian Independence Day this week. In hindsight I'm a little disappointed. After flipping through newspapers and hearing about other volunteers' experiences, it semes my district is one of the rare few who didn't stage a triumphant re-enactment battle against the intruding Dutch (often with real guns and fires).
• Realized that my Indonesian father suffers from either insomnia or something close to it, which is pretty sad considering how hard he must work to support the family farm.
• Met a new family member. My cousin's mother does housework for a family in Hong Kong, and receives home-leave for three weeks once every two years.
• Enjoyed breaking fast with students, teachers, and family members. It seems that just about every night during the week, a different organization provides free dinners for those observing Ramadhan.
• Saw a student faint at our weekly assembly. *Immediately* a second student fell into a terrible seizure that led to hospitalization. Administrators and students superstitiously attributed the seizures to "bad spirits".
  
• Realized just how big my family really is. My Indonesian father says 319 people showed up to an annual reunion just a few months ago.
• Self-diagnosed some ringworm and dominated said ringworm with my medical kit.
• Unexpectedly found out classes have been cancelled for three weeks after none of my students showed up to English class Monday morning.

(1) Breaking daily fast with those family members living closest to the compound. That's my Indonesian father standing on the right. My cousin Abid is sitting in the red shirt.

(2) Our madrassah's "health brigade". At the Indpenendence Day event, these guys had their hands full tending to people who--already weakened from fastened--either felt too sick or plain fainted under the sun.

(3) In a country where neither certain preferential categories nor their accompanying phobias aren't part of the public consciousness, man-to-man affection is common.

(4) Pak Seni proudly showing off some jackfruit.

* Note: In my last post, I wrote that Ramadhan signified the month-long period in which Muhammad received his revelations from God., but that information is incorrect. More accurately, Ramadhan signifies the beginning of a revelatory period that lasted about two decades.