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!
It is the evening of Valentine’s Day and I am spending it… in bed. I am happily jomblo [single], which is for the best because the rain outside combined with an oncoming flu have me feeling very malas [lazy]. From the comfort of my comforter, I want to wish all of my friends and family … More Valentine’s Day 2017
Originally posted on Indonesiaful:
The official flier for Indonesia Through Their Eyes. –By Kelly Fitzgerald– On Wednesday, January 11, 27 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) and their co-teachers gathered in Jakarta for an evening of talent, humor, and cultural exchange at an event called Indonesia Through Their Eyes. As the title suggests, ETAs were tasked…
Originally posted on Indonesiaful:
As the name suggests, the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program is primarily focused on English education. Across Indonesia, ETAs work in high schools–both public and private–to assist local English teachers in grade ten and eleven classrooms. ETAs work closely with their co-teachers to develop lesson plans and activities. In the…
The air was pleasantly cool. Not quite a chill, but certainly not the muggy heat I am used to in Java. I shouldered my two small backpacks and walked up the gangway from the plane to the terminal, hoping that customs would go more smoothly than my trip thus far.* Welcome to Yangon! a sign … More Yangon
Originally posted on Indonesiaful:
For one day only, the fantastic and the ordinary mingled side-by-side in Sepanjang, Sidoarjo. — By Kelly Fitzgerald — “Miss, the students want time to prepare for Muharrom. No class today, okay?” my co-teacher said with a smile Friday morning, five minutes before our last class of the week was supposed…
The word magnificent is created for describing places such as Bagan. Once a UNESCO World Heritage site, Bagan is a small town remarkable for the number of temples dotting the plains of what used to be a thriving civilization. Temples, pagodas, stupas, and any number of other Buddhist relics are scattered across the fields of … More “Quality” Time in Bagan
The road was suspiciously empty. Sam and I had been driving for nearly an hour trying to find the museum in New Bagan. We pulled over, our turn signals letting out a shrill cry to alert the dusty road of our intentions. “Dude, this doesn’t seem right,” I said. We looked up and down the … More “Ning koh lar?”: Living like a local in Bagan
I am writing this post from a fifth-floor balcony in the city of Yangon, Myanmar. I can hear air conditioning units whirring in the night and what I believe is a water pump humming below me. Occasionally the click of a door closing can be heard from the street down below along with the footsteps … More “Min Ga Lar Par”: Hello from Myanmar!
Last weekend I had an event-filled trip to Jogjakarta, the cultural capital of Indonesia. Read about Day 1 in my previous post! DAY 2 WHAT YOU SEE In the morning: the beautiful, relaxing lobby of Ostic House. WHAT YOU DON’T SEE Everything else! User error means all the rest of the day’s Snaps are gone forever. … More Snapchats of Jogjakarta: Day 2
“Have you heard of this thing called Snapchat?” I ask Krupa teasingly. She laughs and rolls her eyes like I am a mischievious child escaping reprimand. Of course she has heard of Snapchat–she (among several other ETAs) were the ones who taught me how to use the app. “You’e created a monster!” I continue to … More Snapchats of Jogjakarta: Day 1
Where in the world is Kelly? 