From August 2015-May 2016, I lived in Indonesia and taught 10th grade English at SMAN 3 Pangkal Pinang under the auspices of the Fulbright Program. My grant was renewed for a second year, so from August 2016 to May 2017 I will be living in Sidoarjo, Indonesia and teaching English at SMA Wachid Hasyim 2 Taman Sidoarjo. Follow my blog for updates about this ongoing adventure!
This post was originally written on February 25, 2017. It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon. I’m at home, listening to the thunder rolling above and giving thanks that in Surabaya, heavy rain doesn’t necessarily mean that the power will go out. Bob Dylan is sitting on my love seat, crooning his timeless tunes from my JBL … More Reflections in Surabaya (February 2017)
The events in this post occurred in December 2016. The whine of the engine shattered the pre-dawn silence, water rippling in our wake as if the sound itself had caused the disturbance. I pulled a borrowed woven blanket tighter around my shoulders, fingers wrapped in the fabric to seal out the chill. My eyes watered … More Inle Lake
The events in this post occurred in December 2016. “Our next stop is one of the most famous temples in all of Myanmar…” our guide chirped as he adjusted his sunglasses. I stifled a groan, which instead emerged as a weary sigh. I liked our guide well enough. He was cute and very friendly with … More Christmas in Mandalay
The events described in this post occurred in December 2016. Be sure to read Artists in Bagan: Part I first! Are we really going to do this? The question was on both of our minds. We were stretched out in our hotel room, still dusty from our day on the road. Sam was laying on her … More Artists in Bagan: Part II
The events described in this post occurred in December 2016. A cloud of clay-colored dust flowed behind us like a cape. Sam turned right on the unmarked packed-earth street, leading our duo into a quiet neighborhood. We had nowhere in particular to be. On our first day in Bagan, we were riding for the sake … More Artists in Bagan: Part I
It was almost midnight when I reached the platform of Phaya Thai station. Only a few other passengers were waiting, alone and in pairs, in the humid night air. Some had suitcases, others were still wearing their work uniforms. No one talked. The last train arrived and we midnight riders boarded in silence. The automatic … More Mike and Kelly’s Big Adventure: Bangkok and Phuket
Back in December I went to Jogjakarta for a few days. Jogjakarta, locally known as just Jogja, is located in Central Java about 5 hours away from Surabaya by train. Jogja is a common vacation destination for foreigners and Indonesians alike. Shopping, history, food, music, culture: you name it, Jogja’s got it! I already wrote … More Snapshots of Jogjakarta: Days 3-5
I grew up on a steady diet of National Geographic films and magazines, so I almost felt as if I had been to Camp Leaky before. The whirring of the cicadas, the slow movements of the orangutans, the ankle-deep leaf litter on the jungle floor–it all felt so familiar. I even sort of expected Dudley … More Boating in Borneo: A Ride on the Wild Side
“So she gets to campus and she is hurrying because she is late for class and then she runs into him…” I begin. “And then he, what? Grabs her by her waist and pulls her toward him?” Krupa suggests. My fingers hesitate over the keyboard. “Hmm, I don’t know if they’ll get what that means,” … More Trying to do the right thing
Days like today make me mourn the shortness of my time remaining in Indonesia. Days like today make me wish I was in it for the long haul, wish that I had time to nurture the relationships that are just now starting to bud. Days like today make me already feel the regret of leaving … More Days like today
Where in the world is Kelly? 