First Impressions.

I've been in a Jakarta for a week. It’s hot and muggy but I hardly notice as I go from air-conditioned apartment to air-conditioned bus to air-conditioned school to air-conditioned mall to air-conditioned taxi. It smells of smog, smoke and other smells, there is trash in the streets and in the small water canals that run through the city, pollution hovers over the city clouding view of nearby skyscrapers. But underneath the grime, colorful bougainvillea flowers and palm trees decorate the streets. The people of Jakarta are never without their beautiful smiles. My first meal out on the town was at a nice Italian restaurant near the apartments. My apartment is a nice little, but open studio with a balcony. The only downside to my studio apt is my kitchen: I have a tiny fridge, two burners, and a sink and enough counter space to chop maybe one carrot. I do have plenty of storage space: way more than enough. Everyone at IPEKA has been extremely welcoming and friendly. My team teacher, who is another single American has graciously helped me get around to the mall and back, helped me get a cell phone and introduced me to colorful, but not so flavorful jelly pastries and helped me with much more. I’m so grateful to have another young single American here. There are a few other single teachers, I’m excited to build community with people here.
I would be lying if I said that this has been an easy last few days. My second morning here I woke up absolutely covered in bug bites. I’m working on that one – getting some new screens and learning to kill mosquitoes in my sleep. (True Story). I also had a lovely trip to the hospital to get something for an unpleasant infection. Thankfully as soon as I said I needed to see a doctor someone from the school took me immediately. I’m still working on getting rid of my jet lag daze and getting a full night’s sleep. My first two days at school were a little overwhelming, as helpful as everyone is, I still feel unsure exactly what I will be teaching. The way the schedules are worked out at IPEKA is very different from what it would be like in an American school. And teachers, or at least from what I can tell, don’t really have their own classrooms. Teachers and students move around to different classrooms. The schedule, curriculum and nature of things are still very new to me.
What has been hardest in this transition time has been a feeling of loneliness. Living by myself and not really knowing anyone in this big city contributes. Everyone has been so friendly, but I don’t know yet what my community here will look like.
I was not expecting it to be so, but this retreat has I got a chance to room and bond with my team teacher Laura and get to know some other teachers at IPEKA. We found a fun ropes course and went on a “flying fox”. The teachers I was with were so cute and funny and made me take lots of pictures. I actually had lots of pictures taken of me at the retreat, my blonde hair made me feel like a celebrity a few times. I was able to reflect a lot at the retreat about God’s grace and the fact that he has been gracious to provide for me up to this point and to bring me here and I know he will help me make the most of my experience here.
Please pray that I would continue to adjust to everything here, the climate, the curriculum and schedule at school, and that I would be able to get into a routine and figure out how to live well and in God’s grace in Jakarta!
There so much more to tell, so I will blog again soon!