Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Category Archives: Bondowoso
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Sunday Mornings (or Arisan Burung)
In theory, Sunday mornings are the one time I get to sleep in and enjoy “the weekend.” That’s a nice dream, but the reality is that my sleep often gets interrupted by the chatter and laughter of men gathering outside my window for their Sunday routine: the arisan burung, or bird reunion. This bird reunion … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Culture / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Teacher Problems, #9
Back in the day, teachers may have received apples from students. In Indonesia, entire classes of students celebrate certain events (such as getting through reciting the entire Al Qur’an) by giving all teachers food boxes. This is a common affair, but today I broke a record. Today alone, I received THREE food boxes and some … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Travel
One Year in Peace Corps Indonesia: Things I’ve Learned
My last blog post was primarily about exchanging time for money (i.e. jobs), or in my case as a PCV, exchanging time for experiences. However, there’s another element to this thought and that is how time is best spent. I’m generally content with all that I have accomplished in a year in Peace Corps. One … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Being A PCV in Indonesia is a Great Job
When it comes down to it, any job is the exchange of your precious finite time for a certain amount of money. Lucky are those who get paid well for their time, and especially those who enjoy what they are doing. I believe that any job worth doing, one should be willing to do for … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Culture / Daily Life / iGLOW Camp / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Photography / Teaching
Indonesian Girls Leading Our World – iGLOW Camp 2013
My decreased blogging has not been in vain. Over the past three months, five other volunteers near my area and I have been working incredibly hard to organize a leadership camp for 10th and 11th grade girls held at my school, MAN Bondowoso, from Thursday, March 28th to Sunday, March 31st. Since November of last … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People
The Absolute Worst Thing About Indonesia
Mold is the ABSOLUTE WORST thing about living in Indonesia. I clean and wipe it off daily and safeguard my clothes and shoes to my best ability and it still grows. I’m over the rainy season. Nothing is ever dry! Does anyone know how to stop this madness?!? Continue reading
Bondowoso / Culture / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Teacher Problems, #8
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Teacher Problems, #7
Bondowoso / Culture / Daily Life / Indonesia / Language / Peace Corps / People / Photography / Teaching
Rhymes On Paper Hearts
For a multitude of reasons – some of which are admittedly strange – elephants have been on my brain. So when I encountered this poem back in January, I paid extra attention. This poem then led to an entire month of English Club focusing on poetry, which culminated in some pretty decent rhymes (for the … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Supercali$#@!#%$!
A short video I made last semester – December 2012 – of my Indonesian students in English club attempting to say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” In return, I attempt (and fail miserably) to say the Madurese equivalent of a complicated and nonsensical phrase, which is so difficult it can’t even be spelled. Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Music / People
The Best Albums of 2012
I got the idea to do this from Tim, a PCV friend, who does his own top 10 albums of the ending year. His taste in music is much mellower—but way cooler—than mine. He explores more indie, folk-y and classic albums, where as I listen to more pop, dance-y and electronic albums. Collectively, we cover … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Teaching
Teacher Problems, #6
Bondowoso / Culture / Daily Life / Indonesia / Music / Peace Corps / People / Photography / Teaching / Travel
A Drive Around Bondowoso
November 15th marked the first day of the Islamic year: Muharram 1, 1434. To celebrate this, all the students and teachers from my school take a motorcycle drive around Bondowoso every year. As a Peace Corps volunteer, I am not allowed to ride a motorcycle (which is the reason why I was feeling left out … Continue reading
Bondowoso / Daily Life / Indonesia / Peace Corps / People / Photography / Teaching
in the land of dragons 