Ever since I had lunch with one of my best teacher friends and her family in a beach side cafe in Banyuwangi, the most eastern province in Java, I had it in my head that Bali – an island with an entirely different culture, religion and ambiance – is only a ferry ride away. In … Continue reading
Thailand is a tourist’s playground. Getting around is simple and systematic. Travel agents can be found anywhere to help you arrange your transportation to any part of the country, including to its “isolated” islands. They speak good English. A system of planes, trains, buses and boats are coordinated efficiently and filled with tourists from all … Continue reading
During the two-week semester break from our schools, two volunteers and I backpacked across Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. All of us are now back in Indonesia—ready to complete the second year of our Peace Corps service—but upon traveling extensively outside of this country together, I’ve gained a lot of perspective on just how much Peace … Continue reading
Bali is only a few hours from Java, but culturally, it is a whole world away. The people are primarily Hindu, so small baskets of colorful flower petals and incense—and the occasional cigarette—line streets, sidewalks, steps and cars’ dashboards as offerings to the gods. In Bali, I saw no mosques and heard no call to … Continue reading
Warning: This topic of conversation may make male readers uncomfortable. I sat at my kitchen table, helping my host mother prepare dinner. I was focusing hard on peeling a cucumber, because since coming to Indonesia I’ve learned that my way of peeling things is unacceptable—but that’s another story. In this occasion, I sat innocently peeling … Continue reading
in the land of dragons 