From August 2016 to May 2017, I will be living in Indonesia and teaching English at SMA Wachid Hasyim 2 Taman Sidoarjo. This year is made possible by the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright program as well as the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF). Follow my blog for updates about this ongoing adventure!
East Java, known locally as Jawa Timur or Jatim (Indonesians love abbreviations), is home to four Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) for 2016-17. Yours truly is in Sidoarjo, Krupa is in Surabaya, and the charming Shreya and Caroline live in Malang. In October, Shreya and Caroline came to Surabaya for the day and helped host … More Warm Welcomes and Waterfalls: A Day Trip to Malang
Halloween 2016 has come and gone. Even though the orange tinsel and paper ghosts are gone from our classroom, memories of the holiday are still fresh in my students’ minds. I was forbidden from holding a Halloween party by the religious officials at my private Islamic school, but no one batted an eye when English … More A Halloween party by any other name
Several weeks ago I went to Universitas Airlangga’s American Corner (AmCor) for the first time. I arrived “fashionably late” (traffic took two hours instead of the expected one) but I still made it! Before I had the chance to introduce myself to everyone, Mas Agung, AmCor’s coordinator, informed me that they were planning on having … More Pasta, Pesto, and Peanut Sauce: An Intercultural Potluck
This post is dedicated to my Uncle Dave “from Florida” Fitzgerald, who has shared many pieces of wisdom over the years. One of my favorite “Uncle Dave-isms” is that there is magic to writing your goals down. From personal experience, I have found this to be true. I have also found that sharing goals creates … More Goals for 2016-2017
Surabaya–my adopted home for the next year–is a big city. The metro area has 7.2 million people and the alleyways and malls of the city itself seem to sprawl forever. My home is technically in Sidoarjo, the small neighboring town… of 2 million people. Living in Indonesia’s second-largest urban area comes with the obvious challenges … More Perks of Big City Living
I love a man in uniform. Tight shirt, pressed pants, polished shoes. I love a man in uniform. But my man doesn’t wear those things. He wears a green jacket, dark jeans, and flip-flops. Or sometimes he doesn’t wear a uniform at all. He could be anyone, but I know it is HIM when our … More Love Letter
Inspired by the Welcome to Indonesia: Highs and Lows Indonesiaful post, I’ll take my 2 month-iversary of Round 2 in Indonesia as a chance to share the top three things that can 100% make my day and the top three things that totally bum me out. Starting with the GOOD STUFF: 1. Getting Mail! Back … More Welcome (Back) to Indonesia: Highs and Lows
Students may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. ~~~ “Shall we?” I ask Pak Burhan, motioning to my watch. It is 8:10 Monday morning and time for our first class. While he gathers his papers I hold my work-in-progress activity binder close to my chest, hoping its … More Welcome Back, Miss: First Days of School
181 : Hours so far in Sidoarjo. 95 : Minutes to Jakarta by plane. 866,500 : Excess baggage fee to get my stuff from Jakarta to Surabaya (in IDR). 1,996,001 : Population of Sidoarjo, now including me and based on a 2014 estimate. 24 : Javanese words learned. When used properly, these words give the … More First Impressions of Sidoarjo: By the Numbers
The seventeenth of August is a big deal in Indonesia. For weeks prior to this date, people are busy decorating their homes with red and white, repainting gates and street signs, and practicing dances to perform on this special day. August seventeenth is Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or Indonesian Independence Day. It celebrates the anniversary of … More Indonesian Independence Day: Seventy-oneth Anniversary
Where in the world is Kelly? 