It's holiday so we don't have class today or tomorrow. Today has been AWE.some. Just so relaxing... I've had a rough past few days and I'm not really sure why, I think just people gettin' on my nerves and myself getting on my own nerves lol and just getting up early and going places in groups and workin' my brain to learn this language.... It just wears on a person a bit plus HELLO I'm far away from family and home and knowing those around me fully and being in the company of those who fully know me and being independent and aware of everything that is going on....... Mhm.
Takes some humility to attempt to fully integrate into a new culture and that's really what I'm trying to do. I like being outside of my comfort zone, to challenge myself to new thoughts and perspectives and a new language and a new schedule. It's so good for me and it's pretty life giving at times. And sometimes it sucks. But you go with it and let yourself feel poopy for a little bit and then you pull yourself up. And I guess this break is me pulling myself back up.
Last night I went with my host family and Tyler's host family who is actually my mom's family to a chinese restaurant in a hotel and oh my goodness the food was RIDIC!!! It was seriously the best food I have had since being here and while I feel a little bad saying that since it was a Chinese restaurant, it really wasn't all that Chinese- it was pretty Indonesian. Chinesian maybe. Anyways, we had several chicken dishes that were spiced up, fried up, and sauced up, and then fried rice with a kick to it, and a couple types of noodles, and then saucy vegetables and of course white rice.. It was great. We went for my host grandma's birthday- she treated us, which apparently is what they do here. The birthday person gets to treat everyone to dinner. :) I like it!
Also here for meals people rarely get water but usually order juice ("es jus") or this soupy ice jello fruit coconut concoction served in a bowl with a spoon. You can order juice from syrup (concentrate) or fresh, and I usually get something fresh. It is soooo good. Like half smoothy half jus and it's great everytime. Last night I had melon jus and today I had "nanas"- pineapple. The best I've had is guava, and then a strawberry/pineapple jus. They also eat tomatoes in drinks like they would a fruit. I've seen a tomato float on a menu before. In Singapore I heard about a beer float available but never actually saw it on a menu. Also here they use avocado as a fruit. So, avocado in the ice fruit soup, and avocado shakes with chocolate. I tried it in the soup and it really is not bad.
Things are not expensive here in US$ but I have been trying not to think in terms of US dollars but have tried to live like the locals and be as conservative spending-wise as possible. Juices are usually 5,000-7,500 rupias, which translates into 55-80 cents (US$) about. Food is about 6,000 to 15,000 rupias, usually around 8,000. Traditional meals always include rice and can be "soto"- a spicey stew with rice and a meat in it. LOVE soto. Also gado-gado, my personal favorite so far, is rice in the form of a sliced up log with veggies and peanut sauce. Also "sate" is good. It's meat on a skewer, often covered in peanut sauce. Fried chicken is another popular dish but I've found the chicken to be tough a few times. In Kudus (I'm in Salatiga for language training for a few weeks now but my placement is in Kudus) I've had barbecued fish and chicken before and it is VERY good. Especially the fish. I eat with my hands more often in Kudus, but we usually have silerwear available.
Coffee comes in the form of a "3-in-1" packet of super sweet instant coffee. It's really not bad, but I usually mix it with milk if its available or have regular coffee if I can. At school I sometimes make coffee with the coffee they have there and it is good if made right. You put like 3 tablespoons of ground coffee into a mug with sugar and then pour hot water and mix. Then you let it sit and settle then drink the liquid and leave the grains on the bottom. It's strong and usually cleans me out pretty fast. :)
School is at 8am every morning. We have 2 hours of class with all 8 of us SALTers, then we divide up into 2 groups and each have 2 hour classes at different times. I think in an earlier post I said we study for 6hours a day but that was wrong- we have 4 hours a day. I like it and our teacher is really really good. Laid back and has a sense of humor and can make normal convo a learning time.
So back to Idul Fitri, last night we had my grandma's birthday and Tye and I ate like piggies, not going to lie. :) It was great. And then I read till all hours of the night and this morning slept late and went with Tye to the market where his family (my grandparents) has a store. It was ridic crowded as everyone is getting ingredients to make their feasts for the weekend. Idul Fitri is officially on the 10th and 11th (I think) but it's basically a week-long party. It feels like Christmas. Special cookies, special drinks, it's raining and a bit cold out, no one has work or school, families are getting together and exchanging good foods, people are traveling a lot and buying a lot and visiting a lot. I love love love togetherness and intentional celebration.
Tye and I helped at the store in the market a bit then we walked around and watched people stack ridic amounts of stuff onto their scooters including live chickens, tofu, veggies, spices, nuts, children, boxes, crackers.. Crazy place. And smelly.
After that we went to the local hotel and swam. Today is colder than usual so it was a chilly swim but they have hot hot showers so I think I showered longer than I swam lol. My house actually has warm water but I feel bad using it all up and it's downstairs far from my room, so I usually use the "shower" upstairs closer to me. Traditional showers are taken with dippers and buckets and cold water. It's so hot here usually that I dont mind and actually like the cold water. But today with the cold it was nice to have the hot shower. It started raining as we were swimming so we bought an umbrella and walked home. I usually bike everywhere here but with Idul Fitri the traffic is ridic so I just walked today. Now I'm sipping tea and will soon be finishing reading my current book- Dress Your Family in Coduroy and Denim. Tomorrow will be a day of "jalan-jalan"- travel- to distant family.
I wish you could hear what I'm hearing right now. The call to prayer is going on, and it's raining and both sounds combined.... it's beautiful.
My exposure to Islam in the past has been in religiously conservative areas and being able to experience it here has been awesome in challenging and changing my view of the religion and challenging my thoughts on religion in general. I've never seen a church and mosque side by side wishing each other a "Merry Christmas" and "Selamat Idul Fitri". We are all seeking God and while I do believe Jesus is the only path to the Father, I respect the search for him, and I pray that Muslims, Hindus, Jews, AND Christians find the true God we are all searching for. Searches can look different but a search is a search and I pray God comes to meet us where we seek him.
Selamat Idul Fitri! Keep seeking to know God. You will never know him fully but the more you know him the more you are known by him and the more you will want to know him. He is never far from each of us.
1 comment:
gorgeous! sounds like the challenge will be worth the rewards. stay strong and keep living life to the full! thanks for the updates and encouragement :) praying for you chica.
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