To kick off Ramadan all of the schools in my area participated in a “Welcome to Ramadan” parade, which started at 7am, Wednesday morning. The younger elementary and middle school students led the parade and the high school students— which includes my school—ended it. As a teacher at the school, I was asked to walk with the students throughout the parade route, which was really fun and entertaining—even though we had to wait about 3 hours on the side of the street before it was our school’s turn to walk.
Like most things in Indonesia—there was a lot of waiting for anything to actually start—but it turned out to be a very lively and colorful event in spite of a few raindrops.
We have a flag ceremony every Monday and the students march and sing and raise this Indonesian flag.
These are two girls dressed as Satan (their word not mine) from class 10-8. The only classroom of girls I teach.
Girls getting ready for the Welcome to Ramadan Parade around the town square.
Dressing up as Satan is popular.
Teachers getting ready to walk in the parade.
Angels are also a popular costume.
Batik is useful for anything – backpacks, sashes, wings. Anything.
White veiled girls at the end of the parade. I started walking with the students placed at the very end of the parade.
Our super cute audience of Indonesian children.
One of the cutest teachers in my school.
Working my way to the middle of the parade lineup.
I’m sad this picture is a little blurry, but when I tried to retake it he kept posing and it just wasn’t the same.
Hot pink feathers in hijabs.
Girl students that asked me to take their picture.
Me and student girls. I’m rocking my blue batik uniform given to me by the school.
They kept asking me to ride this. I definitely did not! I can walk thankyouverymuch.
Students waiting for their turn to walk in the parade. A visual silence to better appreciate the upcoming colors.
Student boys playing wooden instruments and wearing batik scarves.
A student squatting on the sidewalk in the usual (and impossible) Indonesian way.
Trumpets in the Welcome to Ramadan Parade. This makes me miss New Orleans.
I love the color of these drums.
Indonesian Angels. If I could (and if I can while I’m here) I would rock this for Halloween.
A large group of student boys that asked me to take their picture.
Boys in a dragon chariot.
Dancers in the parade with neon green fans.
It is so typical for it to rain for the first time since I’ve been in Indonesia on the day I have to walk in a parade for 5km. At least the sun wasn’t scorching.
1000 students later…I finally made it to the front of the parade.
The students dressed as lions were hilarious and probably the best part of the whole thing.
Teachers in the red batik uniform. I am the only one with a brown and blue batik.
Me and the male students – it’s funny how the boy dressed as a lion made it a point to peak beneath the lion costume so his actual face would be in the picture.
in the land of dragons 
I’m pretending your students were dressed up as kittens as that was my first impression, and that’s how I’d like it to stay. Great photos, that parade looks awesome!!
Thanks Shane! It was awesome.
Those lions are pretty cool. Makes me think of Where The Wild Things Are
I thought the same thing.