Perhaps it’s time to update my blog because I feel an obligation to my seven readers. I am going to list a bunch of FAQ’s that I am asked by a number of people and then answer them as best as I can while trying not to sound like a complete douchebag. Here we go:
Q: How’s Indonesia?
A: Great!
Q: Who are you teaching and how old are your students?
A: I actually teach a number of different ages. The school I work for works with students from five years old and up. At the moment I have two classes of students who are between seven and ten, one where the students are 12, two where they are between 14 and 20 and one class where the students are between 16 and 45 where we solely focus on conversational English.
Q: Do you enjoy teaching?
A: I really do. I occasionally learn a new thing or two myself and have been shocked by the politeness of my students. It is a bit odd being called Sir and Mr., all the time but it’s hard to complain. I have had to almost force my older students to just call me Tony. Most of the time kids are kids and they can get on your nerves one second and be cute as heck the next. However I usually have an excellent time in my classes and after being here for over two months I do not feel like I am working, so yes I am enjoying it a great deal. The students, either out of fear of their parents or by understanding the benefits of fluency in English, (Lingua Franca?) are by and large extremely well behaved and hard working.
Q: Where is Indonesia?
A: Google maps is fairly effective when you have these types of questions so pop that into Google and I’ll ignore this ever happened? Okay!
Q: What is your living situation and do you live anyone else?
A: I live in an extremely nice gated community inside this little guy right below
Now she doesn’t look like much but I promise it’s frisky. I haven’t seen any rats and the air conditioning is excellent. The house came with a maid (is that fucked up to say? She’s definitely a great lady though we have had our run ins. Am I an ass hole for being upset about a free maid? Obviously, but we’re off topic now…) I have a few cats that like to meow outside my door at night and it makes me feel like Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ but he;s great, right? Last but not least my temporary room mate and Finnish friend Olli who mostly stays with me here in one of the extra rooms and he’s a great guy.
Q: What is your daily routine like?
A: I usually teach from 3-8:45 pm on the weekdays Monday through Thursday. I teach Tuesday mornings as well from 8-noon and on Fridays I usually work for a couple of hours interviewing students and placing them into appropriate class levels.
Q: What do you do on the weekends?
A: Yes.
Q: Aside from the teaching do you like it there?
A: I could simply say yes but I’ll vent a little bit and elaborate on why I do like it quite a bit. Everyone is friendly. Nearly every Indonesian I meet is warm and welcoming and generally happy no matter if they are wealthy or if they are working on the street selling food. White people or ‘Bule’ are treated very well here. I’ve said to people before that at times it can feel a bit like being a D-list celebrity, let’s compare it to being Pauley Shore. You definitely stand out and people recognize you BUT you aren’t sure if it’s because they think you are special or just a stupid ass hole wandering aimlessly in a foreign country without the ability to communicate to most people. Either way though, it’s great, especially when girls ask to take your photo with them for no reason besides the fact that you are white. The nightlife is fantastic and the clubs are top notch. Indonesian food is rather good and I even enjoy certain foods that that locals themselves won’t eat. Of course things being quite cheap here mean that even on a salary that would make me a welfare recipient in the U.S. I can live pretty damn well here. As for the negatives the traffic is bat shit crazy. It has to be one of the worst in the world. Public transportation could be a whole lot better and at times certain areas can be a bit smelly but then again some places can smell wonderful. In the U.S. we are spoiled by having the ability to get nearly any type of food we want at any time and there is not nearly the same variety here. Of course I miss some friends and family a lot but I miss my friends from other countries while in Seattle anyways so it isn't a huge difference. Miss you Mom and Dad! In the next 9 months I will have more time for traveling there really are a million places I want to visit but I am not sure if I will have the time during the next year.
Q: Best memory so far?
A: Swimming with sharks in Karimunjawa. I am infatuated with sharks and think they are so beautiful. I was a bit scared to be surrounded by them but it was unbelievable and watching them underwater from so close was absolutely amazing.
Glad to read your latest post and know that you are fine and well and happy in Indonesia. Also glad you posted pictures of swimming with sharks which looks less threatening than what I visualized. The sun and blue water look pretty amazing too. We are all a little sick and tired of the Seattle weather about now. Great to hear from you Tony!!! Love, Aunt Robin
ReplyDelete