It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas Day 2011

One of the nice things about Christmas here is that you can have as much or as little as you like.  The malls are decorated to the max, carols are playing, albeit softly, in the supermarket, there are trees in the apartment lobby and the staff wear Santa hats, and there are lots of vacationing families, but it's not the all Christmas all the time frenzy which is so exhausting.

We have been to a few Christmas events and at noon today will go to a brunch at the Sheraton with a group of Americans which will include some Peace Corps volunteers.  We have been given three cakes as gifts.

Last night we went to a Christmas Eve mass with the American Consul General and her family.  I have long heard about the vibrancy of the church in the third world and it was on vivid display last night.  The service was joyful and inspiring and included lots of young people ( including the young priest) and wonderful music.  The priest gave a humorous homily that had people laughing out loud.  The choir sang everything from jingle bells to Silent Night.  It was funny to hear them singing about snow and sleigh rides.   It lasted for an hour and a half and was preceded by a half hour concert, but was worth the time and a great start to the holiday.  Even though it was billed as an English mass, we were about the only white people there.  I guess there may have been Asians from other countries who spoke English.  Or maybe that was just the mass with the most music.

Anyway, quite wonderful.

Many thanks for all the holiday emails.  And from hot and sunny Surabaya, we wish you all a joyous 

 Merry Christmas!

Anne

Sunday dinner in the village

When we were in Jogjakarta I had asked my language teacher if she knew of a cooking class I could take while I was there. She said that her sister owned a restaurant that was closed on Sundays, so if I liked the idea, I could have a class there and we could all share a meal. That sounded fine, but as I found out more details, I began to fret about hygiene issues and regret my acquiescence. But it would have been too rude to back out. We were consulted about the menu which was ultimately decided to be 2 vegetable dishes, a fish, a curry, and a tofu dish.So at the appointed time we (Tom was along as well)headed to her restaurant which was in a village, adjacent to her home and set among rice paddies. My fears were confirmed on arrival by the look of the place- open to the air with no screens on windows or doors. But the welcome was warm and so we got to work. She had prepared the two veg dishes and the fish, a d they were covered with sheets of kraftpaper to keep off the flies, but I would "make" the lamb curry and the tofu. She directed me to the bathroom to wash my hands- a good sign perhaps?In class we had learned a nice way of referring to the bathroom is the "little room out back". And so it was to there I went. It did have plumbing, but consisted of a "squatting toilet" ( see photo) and a rectangular enclosure full of water with a faucet and a bar of soap. The idea is to use the toilet, then scoop some water with a dipper into the hole to flush it. I did as requested and noticed upon leaving that there were rectangular ponds with mud walls behind the house where she raised fish for the restaurant. Thank goodness I had said we preferred ocean fish or we might have eaten some of that and it looked most unappetizing.

 I worked on demo examples as she and a servant had really prepped everything. I began by grating fresh cocoanut for the coconut milk. The shreds are soaked in the coconut water and then squeezed. Next I began to grind in a mortar and pestle the fresh ingreds for the curry. I must say I had never seen fresh turmeric, which is a rhizome something like ginger. I peeled and pounded that along with black peppercorns, coriander seeds, and a few other things, then added garlic and shallots. That gets fried in a wok for a while, then coconut milk is added along with lime leaves. After simmering for a while we added cubed lamb. Then we started on the tofu. She said (thru her sister) that we had to deep fry the tofu before we stir fried it or it would fall part. We did that and drained it well, then commenced to stir fry it with vegetables. Indonesians are very fond of tofu and tempe and it is a major source of protein in the diet. 

 Meanwhile other people began drifting in, the owner's husband and her daughter who is a college student and speaks perfect English. Later our teacher's husband arrived with their 4 year old daughter and his mother-in-law. Lastly, the owner's high school age son showed up, just in time to eat. While the food was finishing we had some excellent ginger tea.When all was ready, we sat around the table and enjoyed(?) all the food. Of course, it goes without saying that there was a huge bowl of rice. One of the veg dishes was with a peanut sauce, which we already knew we liked. The curry was tasty but the lamb in it was inedible due to gristle. It was embarrassing, but neither Tom nor I could eat it. The tofu was very good and maybe my favorite. I feel like it was probably a real feast for them. My only cost was our share of the food, although AMINEF would be billed for the time.There was a surprisingly lively conversation around the table with translations where necessary. we practiced some of our new language skills. Our teachers husband is an entrepreneur who dries flowers and exports them. In the US he sells to Pier One and World Market. The college student asked a lot of questions about the US. She is a senior in accounting and will go to work for the government in a tax office after graduation. The grandma had strong opinions about everything. The four year old behaved typically.We finished the meal with rambutans from a tree in their yard. I asked about the business the restaurant does and it is mostly farmers and students from a nearby university who come for lunch. She serves about 25 people per day. I find it interesting that she also made sure her children went to the best private school in Jogjakarta, hence their good English.Although it was an experience that stretched the limits of my comfort zone, I am glad I did it. Not so much because of what I learned(not really much, although I have since experimented with fresh turmeric) but just the experience of dining with an extended family in a traditional village setting. And neither of us got sick afterwards!

This and that

Thank goodness for fruit. Just a note of what I currently have in house.  Apple, papaya, watermelon, mangosteen ( not to be confused with mango), star fruit, pear, mandarin orange, grapes, snake fruit, banana, not to mention lemons and limes.

An update on the rainy season.  It hasn't been too bad.  It never rains all day and almost never in the morning.  When it rains, it's usually between 3 and 6 pm and it can pour.  It rained so hard on Dec. 24 that we thought we might have to cancel our Christmas Eve plans.  Since we are up high we can see the flooding down below us (there are two areas that always flood) and we can watch the cars md motorcycles trying to drive through those areas.  Shortly after the rains stop the water all drains away. The biggest impact it has on us is that we sometimes hesitate to walk to the mall for dinner as we don't want to get stuck.  It's such a short way that a taxi would balk at driving us.  But overall, not much of a problem.

An acquaintance of mine (American)had a very unfortunate experience.  She works for the consulate as public affairs officer.  On dec. 26, there was a news article about her on the front page of the (national)Jawa Pos newspaper.  It seems she had reported her boyfriend(indonesian)to the police for taking money from her bank account by ATM.  All the messy details were there and he was detained for questioning.  It seems so un- newsworthy except for her position.  How would you like to lose your money (3500), your boyfriend, and your privacy, all in one fell swoop.  Ouch!

At the consulate Christmas party, Tom met rectors of many universities.  Presidents of universities are called rectors here.  He exchanged business cards with many of them and he has already visited one of them called Narotama.  They wanted  him to give a talk on global warming and mentioned something about a conversational Enlish class.  Well, THE VERY NEXT day there was a picture of him meeting with the rector, and a news article about him being a Fulbright Scholar, etc., on their website front page.  Although it was in Indonesian, I could figure out that they sort of implied he was at that university and mentioned his upcoming talk and also said tht he was "helping" them set up a conversational English program.  Pretty audacious.  They are not a top tier school, but are pioneering a lot of unusual things like an evening degree program and are becoming known for having a "paperless" campus.

It's now dec. 30 and New Years Eve approaches.  It is a very big deal here.  There are two events here at the hotel.  The rooftop restaurant has a special meal for $55 each- no booze included.  And there will be a party around the pool called Wet 'n Wild.   It's a barbecue meal and entertainment including a "sexy dancer".  We have decided to have a quiet meal at home and are splurging on a bottle of wine( a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for $38).  Then we will go out on our balcony and watch the pool party directly below us.  Also people have said it is wise to stay home as There is a tradition of teenagers riding their motorbikes around wildly and creating traffic havoc.  I've heard they even sometimes take their clothes off.  And all this without alcohol!

I shall report back.

Daily life in Surabaya

While we were recently in Jogjakarta we realized that we have come to think of Surabaya as home and we looked forward to getting back here. Jogjakarta is a tourist city and we got tired of the harassment from touts and vendors selling everything and becak (pedicab) drivers pushing us to take a ride.  Surabaya is not a tourist destination, but it is, much as they say about Chicago, a city that works.  The business elite are ethnic Chinese with their usual vigorous work ethic. They steer clear of politics, by and large, but own businesses large and small.  We continue to be surprised by the wealth around here.  It is visible in some large homes and elaborate weddings ( often in this complex where we live).  There are many large fancy malls and often on Sunday we eat at a food court at one nearby.  It is a good place to people watch as many multigenerational families come to eat after church.  Most of the Chinese here are Christians (often there is nary a headscarf in sight).  One can just tell by the clothes and accessories that they are well off.  It is hard to miss that many of the children are overweight.  A friend told me that here fast food is relatively expensive so more patronized by the well off.  At another mall recently we saw a child's birthday party in a fast food place.  Tom tried to surreptitiously take a picture and we immediately became the center of attention with all the children wanting to have their picture taken.  There were probably 40 children present. 

 There are also fancy 17th birthday parties.  Surabaya has its problems, most notably traffic, but it is big enough to offer just about anything one needs.  There is an airport with good connections and plenty of five star hotels.

In addition to the wealthy, there are a thriving middle class and the very poor.  The classes can also be defined by one's mode of transportation.  The upper class drive cars, the middle class motorcycles, and the poor walk or ride becaks or crowd into ancient minibuses which ply the streets.  The poor may have a food cart or do very basic manual labor.  I will say there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit here.  I saw guys washing cars in the parking area at the mall and people will set up on a sidewalk doing motorcycle repair or selling gas by the liter.  Believe it or not free lance traffic assistants appear every rush hour and drivers will tip them small amounts.

We have come to see our apartment as a haven from the chaos and we are establishing our routines.  We both wake up early with the sun which rises about 5 AM, but are coming and going in different directions most of the morning.  Tom arises first for his morning exercise which can be tennis if his partner is in town, or his tai chi on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ( it is a  local variation of tai chi called ling tien Kung) or just an hour long walk around the neighborhood.  I get up between 5:45 and 6:15 and check email and the overnight news as the US day is winding down and have breakfast.  Tom gets back, showers and breakfasts, and I head downstairs to the fitness center shortly after 7.  It is packed then(Chinese), but begins to clear out by 7:30.  I want to be back by 8 to watch Anderson Cooper as it is the only US based news broadcast I can get.  Tom leaves about 8:10.  After AC 360 I usually swim for 20 to 30 minutes in my gorgeous pool which I usually have all to myself.

Then I shower and do morning chores like dishes and laundry (I have a washing machine, but air dry things on a laundry rack.). On Tuesdays and Thursdays I leave by 11 for my volunteer job and on MWF I walk to the supermarket.

The afternoons are less hectic.  I read or go on the computer or blog.  My cleaning guy comes MWF at 1Pm.  I get the English language Jakarta Post delivered which comes around noon.  At first I read it cover to cover, but I have gotten a little bored with the labyrinthine details of Indonesian government.  There is an astonishing amount of corruption which reaches to the very highest levels of government.  The paper reports freely on it but it seems unstoppable.  There is something called the Corruption Eradication Committee whose doings are almost comical.  Stephen Colbert  and the daily Show would have a field day here.  It does have a good business section which covers all the financial markets as well as every twitch of the Rupiah exchange rate.

Tom tries to be home by 4 (as do I when I volunteer) because traffic gets ferocious from then until 6.

We usually eat dinner at home, but sometimes venture out into the surrounding area for a meal.

Then it's a quiet evening and an early bedtime around 9.  Although we have about 50 channels there isn't usually much TV worth watching.    We have CNN international which seems much less robust than when I watched it in the Middle East and other English language news programs from BBC, Europe, Russia, etc.  I find I like Al Jazeera English quite a bit.  The Russian one is interesting as you have to pay careful attention to determine it is Russian.  It's called RT and it has anchors who speak accentless English and has a snappy set, but if you watch often you can detect a decided Russian bias to the news.  By far the best news show is on cnni which has anchors and analysts in NY, London, and Hong Kong and covers mainly the financial news, but has covered the politics of the Euro situation very well.  I guess that is the one time during the 24 hour news day that most of the world is awake.  Lately HBO (?) has been showing episodes of Mad Men which is nice, but they can be from season one or season three or whatever.  Hard to follow.

Visit to an agricultural station

In addition to teaching behasa Indonesian, our teacher, Ria, has a fellowship from the government to get a PhD.  She worked for the agriculture Dept for several years and talked them into allowing her to do this.  She will have to work for them for at least 7 years after getting the degree.  Most recently she worked on certifications for ag products for both import and export.

But her first job was working at the ag station in Kaliurang, on the slopes of Mt. Merapi.  On our day trip to the area we stopped to walk around so she could visit with her old colleagues.  It turned out to be quite interesting.  Three activities happen there, bull semen processing, a dairy operation, and research on growing feed for the cattle.  

The land is quite rich due to the volcanic ash soil and they put all the manure back into the soil, but still need some chemical fertilizers.  One of her jobs was to determine the optimum amount of those chemical fertilizers.  They mainly grow something called elephant grass, which goes from seed to maturity at 7 feet tall in 45 days.  Amazing.  You can sometimes see people on motorcycles with huge bundles of this grass on the back.

We didn't spend much time at the dairy operation but the cows spend most of their lives in stalls due to insufficient space, but when cows are pregnant they get turned out to graze.

The most interesting part for me was the bull semen processing.  It is run by a remarkable woman for whom Ria has a strong affection.  She is a real rarity in Indonesia, a career woman who never married.  She is smart and well travelled and speaks fluent English, and although she officially retired 5 years ago, still shows up and works most days.  She is very knowledgable about the cattle industry and we had an interesting and wide ranging discussion.  The island of Java, where we all live, is the most densely populated island on earth and she says there really isn't enough land for people and cattle, but the people see a cow as an investment and want to own them.  They can't make any money selling the milk as the large milk processors hold all the power and pay the farmers only what they want to pay.  There is not a culture of cheese making here although that could be a value added product otherwise.

The bull semen is sold at or below cost to farmers in this region.  I wasn't sure whether I was relieved or sorry to hear that we had just missed the collection process.  She became very emotional and teared up when talking about the bulls going to a slaughterhouse at the end of their useful life. They are like her children.   The bulls get walked like a dog on a leash every day - not enough room for them to roam.  

The station is about 3000 feet above sea level so has a delightful climate and the staff has planted various fruit trees around.  The ag station has a beautiful view of Mt. Merapi, which erupted in dramatic fashion just about one year ago.  They had to evacuate the animals, and thehumans in a large area had to wear masks for 2 months.  It was a real hardship as the airport was closed also for 2 months and tourism was negatively impacted.  They had about 5 inches of ash on the ground in Jogjakarta which is about a hour's drive from Kaliurang -about as far up the mountain as one can drive.

I have several photos from our visit.  Note the government office with the typewriter.  That says volumes about how the government spends its money but that is a topic for another day.

Yogyakarta

We have finished our language training here (14 days) and I can say that it has been the mental equivalent of running a marathon.  Most days we did 4 hours ( 2 hrs in AM and 2 hrs in PM)of tutoring (just the two of us) and one hour of homework.  Sundays we had a lighter schedule of only two hours.  One day we begged off the morning class so we could visit Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.  We were there when it opened at 6 AM and it was quite magical in the early morning light with some light fog.

We also had a couple of field trips with the language teachers.  We went to a huge traditional market which sold everything from vegetables to furniture.  We had a cooking class which I will write about in more detail in another post, and we had a trip up into the hills onto the slopes of mt. Merapi, a volcano which erupted pretty dramatically last year.  And another trip to a Hindu temple called Prambanan.  This area is famous for batik products so when we had time we shopped a bit.

So, as you can imagine, I did not have time to write for the blog, but I have a lot of material for future posts.

Here I will expound on what it is like to learn a language at my age.

I imagined my brain as a large room in which I needed to clear a large space to make room for all the new words.  So I (mentally) packed up a lot of memories, especially other languages I have learned and crammed them in closets to free up brain space for the new language.  It worked, sort of, although by the 4th day or so the space was so packed that I had to remove some words to make space for the new.  And at night while trying to sleep those new words ran around that space like squirrels frolicking in an attic.  I would wake up and think, "what is the word for airplane " or whatever.

I want to spend some time on the process because it was interesting.  We had two teachers, Ria and Ari, each doing two hours a day.  They began by asking what food and drink words we already knew and listed them on a sheet of paper, such as chicken, eggs, fruit, milk, beer, tea, etc., along with the two verbs for eat and drink.  We then learned how to make simple sentences such as:

I drink milk.

He eats chicken.

Does he drink beer?

On succeeding days we just ramped up our vocabulary and the complexity of the sentences.  It is deceptively simple but surprisingly effective.  We learned a huge number of words in the first 4 or 5 days, so that we were mentally drained every evening, but then we slowed down the vocab and worked on adverbs such as always, never, sometimes and some grammar in the sentences.  We got to the nasty stuff like irregular verbs at the very end of the course.  They have a perfectly good verb like sopir (drive) but it has another form where they drop the s and add a prefix of meny, so it becomes menyopir.  She said we can always use sopir but written material will use the longer version so we need to recognize it.  As you can tell they don't much look alike.