Weddings last week.

More and more pictures

First day of school for 10th graders.  They dress themselves up to be silly and all make jokes about everyone else and themselves.

More pictures

Camping trip in the mountains with 300 10th grade students from MAN! Garut. I led some songs and games.

More pictures

Taken from the high points around the school.  There are some of the mountains that are all around Garut.

I have been told I don't have enough pictures on my blog. Here are some.

Garut

The above are from an afternoon trip my buddy, Goz, took me on to see a Hindu Temple not too far from Garut.

On June 15, 2014 I was invited by one of the MAN1 teachers to visit a waterfall. “Take your bathing suit.” After a ride in an Anglot and a rather long walk, I was taken to a Chevron sponsored youth center here in Garut. Indonesia has a stipulation with companies who take energy out of Indonesia that they should put a percentage of their profits back into the communities from which they take the energy.  Garut has hot springs that Chevron uses to produce some kinda energy so Chevron sponsors a youth center. I met perhaps 25 high school students who get homework help and encouragement to do well in high school so they can go on to university.

The MAN1 teacher who invited me to the waterfall does some volunteer tutoring there, as does the math teacher son of my host family. I met the man in charge of the day to day running of the place as well as the director.

I was particularly impressed with the director. He told me how he was going to San Francisco and Washington, D.C. for yet another conference later that month. He said that he really enjoyed both of those cities every time he went.

A short time later, but still June, the day to day guy showed up at my door. “What days can we say you will come to the center to teach English?”

“It’s June. I don’t know my teaching schedule yet.  School doesn’t start until August. I have no idea how much free time I will have once school starts.”

“On the days you can each with us, we will send a motorcycle to take you to the center.”

“Thank you but, I’m sorry.  My organization forbids me to ride motorcycles for safety reasons.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.  We are a poor organization with very little money. I’m afraid we cannot afford to pay you or to pay to get you to the center by public transportation.”

The ticket on the Angkot costs about U.S. $0.16. (Sixteen cents)

“I cannot accept payment for any reason. Money is not a problem but, please,” I asked, “I am still new in Garut. There is no activity at my school during the vacation time. Could you and/or some of the students come to take me for a walk around town, show me something of Garut, sit and talk to me, play a game with me, anything just to get to know you.”

“Sure, Mr. Jay.”

About the middle of July the same guy called me. “Can you tell me the exact name of your organization? We want to put it in out literature.”

“I am a Peace Corps Volunteer. Remember, I do not yet know if my teaching schedule at my school will permit me to teach with you. And, PLEASE,” I begged, “Don’t leave me here alone with nothing to do and no one to do it with. Come for a cup of coffee, a walk around town, a visit with the fish in my pond – anything.”

“Can you spell ‘Peace Corps’ for me, please?”

I did not hear from anyone from this group until tonight, August 20, 2014. Mr. Day to Day showed up at my door.

“Hello, Mr. Jay. Can you tell me if you will be teaching with us? Will it be two or three times a week?”

“I’m very well. Thank you for asking.” (He didn’t.) “Peace Corps is a partnership between the American and Indonesian people. I invited you to be friends with me and got no response.  Now you come to ask me to work for you. I do not see this as a partnership since nothing has come from you.  I will not be teaching with your organization.”

Long pause. Eyes locked.

“May I give you some advice? Do not tell prospective teachers that you have no money to pay for their public transportation to your center after your director has told them about his many visits to San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the U.S., and Washington, D.C., the most expensive city in the U.S."

“I’m sorry about that. We start teaching at 4:00 p.m. What days shall we expect you?”

“I will not be teaching at your center. Thank you for coming.” I stood and shook his hand. He stood and left.

I’m surprised at my boldness. I’m surprised I don’t feel ashamed of myself. I’m surprised I turned down a chance to do something. I’m surprised I wasn’t ruder considering I have not at all felt welcome or appreciated here neither by my school nor my community.

I suppose I should get out my suitcases and check for mold.

I bought a bike. It folds in half.  It's blue and had 7 speeds.  I don't care one bit about it.  PC wanted me to by one.  I bought one. It took me 9 weeks to get the help I needed to buy the fool thing.  Other PCVs bought theirs on the way to their sites. 

Two teachers took me to the shop where one of them had found the best bike for the right price. Not to get off topic, the guy who found the bike for me,Gozem, has been the most helpful friendly of all the teachers.  He teaches Sociology.

Anyway, we got back from the shopping trip during the morning recess so all the teachers were in the teachers' room. One minute of talk about my new bike then one of the teachers asked me how I was feeling. I said "fine." I decided against mentioning my little stomach problems which have persisted for the third day. I was then asked if I had eaten Jengkol the other day. 

3 days ago a few of the teachers treated everyone to lunch. There was something about these teachers getting 6 month of back pay or getting 6 months of a pay increase all at once. Flush with cash, they treated everyone to lunch. They served rice ( of course ), chicken, hot sauce, perhaps a couple of other things I forget and Jengkol. I was told that Jengkol was a real treat as it is slightly expensive and hard to find. It was sliced into disks and cooked in a kinda brown sauce. The disks were about an inch around and tasted a bit like potato. 

NOW they tell me that a couple of the other teachers are having stomach problems accompanied by gas. I Googled Jengkol. It's name in English is "Dog Fruit." It sometimes causes digestive problems since it is slightly toxic. Google it yourself for the full effect. I read out ( in English ) what I found on the net. "Yea," said I. "I have had some digestive problems. So now I understand the reason."  Laughter.  LAUGHTER! Kidding - I said, "If you want to get rid of me, I can go home.  There's no need to poison me."Now guys (remember: it's the 'men teachers' room) are doubled over with laughter. This is the most fun of the school year so far. 

I haven't yet found online how long I can expect the side effects of Jengkol to last.  I will probably live. I'm kinda happy I gave the men something laugh about.

Kite Flyers

Kids of various ages fly kits every afternoon. It’s kinda fun to watch.  I have counted as many as 25 of the things flying high above Garut.

There are kite eating trees and wires everywhere. I often see string hanging. Perhaps it is the old Peace Corps mentality I have that makes me wind up the strings I find. I have no use for these bundles of different colored string and fishing line.  I just roll them up and save them.

Today I discovered why I collect them. I was the first teacher to get to the school today.  I thought there was to be a meeting of English teachers. I guess I was wrong. I’m told school is to start tomorrow so perhaps tomorrow I will meet my counterparts and learn what classes they teach.  There’s time. As I was standing in front of the door to the men teachers’ room waiting for the guard to get the key, I looked across the courtyard at one of the big trees there. High up in a branch was a big white owl. The poor bird was tangled in kite wire, dead. The guard got the owl out of the tree after he opened the door for me. Now I know why I can’t leave string in trees.

I probably wouldn’t be so upset if I hadn’t read through all the Harry Potter books during Ramadan.