This is why the conversation class for the engineering faculty did not go well the other day...activities downloaded from the Internet were not explained well enough, and we ran out of time. I like to divide, and that's not always good. If 20 show up, five groups of four makes good pedagogical sense - if they all participate and if you can clone yourself so that enough support is available. Also, karaoke activity that would've been fun fell victim to technical difficulties. Of course, no one from education faculty showed up for their planned session the next morning, since word's gotten out that these conversation activities I need to plan for groups of 30-40 lecturers are a "bust" and not "da bomb." For this Friday and Saturday, I have to prepare a conversation activity about global warming. Yes, I am a Western Expat Expert, and should not have to depend on resources downloaded from the Internet. There's just bound to be a body cavity somewhere I can quickly pull that right out of....
But there is no task that complaining will accomplish. So let's show everyone some more of Pontianak, then try to get the Bali trip posted, and hope that I slept enough today that working online at Simpang Ampek until 2-3 this morning will be okay. I already feel better about the amount of work now that I've started typing, and may actually pound out 10 overdue emails soon.
The roundabout in front of the main gate at the university has this strange monument in the center that resembles bamboo spikes. The circle is surrounded by a wide concrete walkway used for hanging out by students and teenagers every night, and a good bit of skate boarding, too.
A good long walk around Pontianak always lends support to Indonesia's idea of "Unity In Diversity," since you can photograph both churches and mosques pretty much all day long. Muslims are in the majority, and the social pressure to profess Islam and live an Islamic lifestyle is everywhere and inescapable. But, thus far, it would be hard to describe it as any more aggressive than the pressure to be Southern Baptist or some other flavor of Evangelical Christian in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
One ultra-sensitive topic on which I probably won't press for answers...what happens if one believes in a religion that is not on the list of those officially recognized by the government? Here's most of the list: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism. Odd fact: commercial bookstores do not separate Catholic from Protestant literature in a way that makes sense to a Westerner, but there are huge sections for each in every store I've visited. Max Lucado or Ray Comfort on the shelf next to T.D. Jakes and a Catholic Catechism. As in the USA, Liberal Protestant authors are conspicuous by their absence :(
The campus of the University of Tanjungpura and the neighborhood surrounding it are like a tropical garden. Imagine you went to Home Depot and bought every plant that would normally die every November in Alabama, and planted it in every yard in the neighborhood. Here, they all just keep growing.
Thank God kudzu was never introduced here! I think it might actually have stalked and killed people.
Locals call my neighborhood "Paris Dua" or "Paris 2," which is derived from the name Parit Husin II, for whom its main street, Jalan Parit Husin II, is named. It's well known as a conservative, working-class suburb situated between the university and the airport, near the mall. Slowly, I'm starting to relate to it as "the hood," though on weekends, I often wish it were closer to the city center. Indonesians nearly all live in gated communities or kompleks. Within each complex, all neighbors know each other and are always watching to make sure you are livin' right (no loud parties, unmarried cohabitation, etc.) That means no overnight guests without permission from the neighborhood manager, called the R.T. My komplek is called Fajar Permai. There are many homes and several small in-home businesses located between my front walk and the complex gate.
Pics from the hood....
Da Guv'nah's Crib...
Invitations to a person's home happen about every three seconds in Indonesia, especially for a Western visitor who at least tries to show respect. I have never experienced the kind of friendly reception I got here in Pontianak in any other new place in which I've ever found myself. Here's Satria on the right, one of five students the university asked to help me with settling in and learning the language, and on the left his best friend and best friend's dad, whose names I'd rather not misspell since I've already gotten them wrong once.
Satria had me buy my first ever motorcycle helmet, so that he could put me on the back of his bike whenever he needed to take me somewhere. And that's always done here. Today, I got to the mall for food and Internet on the back of the dean's bike!
As the capital of Kalimantan West province, Pontianak is a larger town with about 600,000 residents - smaller than Atlanta, but bigger than Birmingham. There are huge shopping centers, and YUM brands has extended all of its tentacles - KFC, Pizza Hut, A&W everywhere. Everything but Taco Bell and Long John Silver's, but that's only a matter of time. The Indonesian version of Wal-Mart is called Hypermart. So, how is it different from the Wal-Mart in Northport, Alabama? Well, I'm pretty sure Hypermart call-to-prayer won't be on the P.A. system at your Northport Wal-Mart anytime soon...
In America, the only two certainties are death and taxes. Here, the only certainty is rain...
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