It continues to amaze me how eager people are to interact with Westerners. On Friday we took a trip with 80 young children to an activities campground, where 4 teachers from an unrelated school asked if they could take their picture with me - twice! Then on Saturday I went to a bar with some friends, where a cover band was playing “YMCA” and other songs. They asked me to come on stage and do the hand motions, and when I said I was from America, everyone cheered. Then they pulled me on stage a second time for the grand finale, along with my friend and fellow teacher Russell. After the band was finished, a DJ spun house/techno music, and everyone wanted to dance with us. Super happy just to see a bule (Westerner) cutting loose with them, I guess. The previous weekend I hung out with the neighborhood guys for a couple of hours, drinking some awful ginseng cherry brandy and singing while they played guitar.
In other news: We’ve been here for two months now, and it’s starting to feel like real life. Everything appears to be sorted out, for the most part. Our pembantu (maid) comes twice a week to do the laundry, wash our dishes, clean the floors, etc. We leave the house most mornings around 9 or 10am to get a head start on our lesson planning. Some days I catch an ojek (motorcycle ride) part of the way. This morning my ojek driver, a very friendly local guy who has latched onto us, told me that it was a good morning because he’d only had a little to drink thus far. He offered me a drink, but I turned him down.
And I test-drove a motorcycle, sort of. I began with 10 failed attempts at trying to get it into first gear, and stalling it instead. Finally I got it into first gear, shot halfway across the parking lot before remembering the brakes, and promptly stalled it again. The seller said she wouldn’t sell it to me unless her brother could give me a free lesson. I decided to keep looking for another bike anyway, though.
Here’s a silly picture:
When I said I was going to send a p*n*s photo, what did you think I was referring too? Sheesh.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 DLT // Jul 2, 2007 at 5:03 pm
This is so-o-o-o funny, Billy!
So, what about the summer camp?
DLT
2 Billy // Jul 3, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Summer camp was okay, but tiring. Even with less “normal” classes to teach, the days were extremely long and packed. I’m glad it’s over.
3 Andy // Jul 4, 2007 at 6:02 am
That’s hilarious Billy!
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