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I’m always nervous when I’m going to a country for the first time. I’ve certainly only seen a small part of Spain and France, but there was a level of comfort knowing I’d at least become familiar with some part of them. I arrived at Milano Centrale, the train station, and was happy to realize that the hotel I booked was literally right across from the station. If I remember correctly, the Airbnbs in Milan were more expensive than I wanted to pay and the conveniences of a hotel seemed like a nice way to end the trip. In contradiction to the Airbnbs I’d been staying at, my hotel was ultra modern. I think part of the reason I’d enjoyed my Airbnbs so much was the design and style reminded me of my home. So the hotel, although nice, was a little shock to my system. It was already a little late in the evening, so I decided to hold off my first exploration for the morning, order in some french fries, and figure out my plan for Milan. Once again, I didn’t have a plan going into a city. I knew the major attractions I was supposed to see versus the ones I wanted to see. I definitely wanted to see the Duomo and the Last Supper painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. I was able to book skip the line tickets for the Duomo the next afternoon. But unfortunately it turns out you need to book months in advance to see the Last Supper. Unless, you’re willing to book a package where there’s a guided tour of the painting plus a tour of the Sforza castle. I really had no desire to tour a castle that I’d never heard of and I could tell the prices were inflated, so I decide the painting would have to wait for my next trip to Milan. I did book another hop off/hop on tour, which in hindsight wasn’t worth it. Unlike the one in Barcelona, I felt like the information given to us about the area and buildings wasn’t that interesting. I started my first full day in Milan on the hop on/off bus. Conveniently, one of the bus stops was the train station right across the street. I stayed on the bus until it was close to my scheduled time at the Duomo. Right away, I realized the convenience of the Duomo skip the line tickets. I was ushered to a much shorter line, where I was not only able to view the interior of the Duomo, but also have roof access. First, the elevator takes you to the roof of the Duomo; I should say the lowest level of the roof because there’s a lot of walking and climbing as your exploring. I don’t know how to describe it, but I’ll try. If you just look at the Duomo, even in pictures, you can see the intricacies of the architecture. Now, imagine walking around inside all of those details, seeing them, and touching them. It was beautiful. I love design and architecture and it was so cool to be in it. I spent at least an hour walking around the roof, climbing further up, and looking in awe. After the Duomo, I continued my favorite excursion of looking for vegan food. Once again, it led me into a different area, that was not as touristy. After lunch, I came across the Church of San Maurizio. I didn’t know anything about the church, but the sign said free, so I thought I’d check it out. Every wall, from floor to ceiling, of the church is covered by paintings. Later I learned that the walls were covered by a technique called fresco where painting is done on wet plaster and the color basically setting into the wall. It was beautiful. The next day, I explored Milan on foot, by metro, and by trolley. Milan seemed to be very easy to explore. I returned to the area of the Duomo, because I wanted to see more of the nearby Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II. This is Italy’s oldest shopping mall. Although it certainly has stores like Prada and Armani, it’s seemed like less of a mall and more of a landmark. It complements the Duomo well with its beauty, from the floor to the ceiling. In my research, I had learned that there is a tile on the floor of the Galleria that has a bull representing the city of Turin. Superstition has it that if you spin on your heel three times counterclockwise on the bull then you will have good luck. After watching about 20 people do this, I decided why not. I felt a little silly doing it, but I wasn’t going to miss my chance at good luck. My last full day in Milan, I decided to book a tour of Lake Como, Bellagio, and Varenna. Bellagio and Varenna are other villages surrounding the lake. Most people know Lake Como because George Clooney bought a house there. But that isn’t why I wanted to see it. From the pictures I’d seen, I wanted to see the lake and surrounding villas. The tour included an hour bus trip to the lake, boat ride around the lake, and time to walk around the villages. From the boat, you had a postcard view of the villas and shops that made up the villages with mountains in the background. I enjoyed the village of Lake Como the most. Probably because that was our first stop early in the morning before it was full of tourists. The cobblestone streets were fairly empty and quiet, so it was nice to walk around and appreciate the village. Bellagio and Varenna were smaller villages and busier by the time we got there. But I still enjoyed the view and the quaintness of the villages. I woke up the next morning, feeling grateful for such a great experience. I’d been pushed outside of my comfort zone, learned about other cultures, learned about myself, and had the opportunity to see more of this amazing world beyond me.
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I’ve never been so happy to see a road sign. This one said Nice and you could see the city in the near distance. Only 24 hours late, but I was finally at the Nice airport. Eager to settle in, I didn’t take any chances on Google maps or my sense of direction. I ordered an Uber and headed to my Airbnb. I didn’t remember where or what type of Airbnb I booked, but once again I was pleasantly surprised. It was in Old Nice and I later realized convenient to everything. As a bonus, everyday there was a huge outdoor market one street over. Having the beautiful apartment to myself and being in the middle of the action, made me feel like a local. If only I spoke more than level 2 French. Although I’d been to France before, Nice was completely new to me. Of course my first stop was a vegan restaurant that I had found on yelp. And of course I got lost looking for it. There are so many little shops and restaurants along the streets that I passed right by it. Once inside, it was tiny but packed. I had to wait for a table, but it turned out to be well worth it. As they were near closing and running out of food, I could only order the Caesar salad. It was delicious. Sitting next to me were two Californians on vacation and they gave me some suggestions for other vegan restaurants. Unfortunately this restaurant was only open Friday through Sunday, so I wouldn’t be able to return. After finishing my meal, I continued to explore the lively streets of Old Nice. I had planned on taking a lot of day trips from Nice to Eze, Grasse, and Cannes, but when I got there I felt the need to relax. I spent a lot of time at the beach, which was just a block away from my Airbnb. It was definitely not the type of beach I was used to, but as long as waves are crashing and the sun is out, I don’t care. Unlike the beaches that I’ve gone to, Nice beaches are rocky. And I’m not talking about little pebbles, the beaches are covered in rocks from grape to apple sizes. Although the rocks are mostly flat, they are not easy to walk on. Thank goodness my Airbnb host provided mats for the beach. Otherwise, I could see how uncomfortable other people were lying on the rocks with only a towel. My days at the beach were just what I needed after running around Madrid and Barcelona. I did venture out of Nice one day and took the train twenty minutes to Antibes, a small resort town between Cannes and Nice. I found it to be very similar to Nice, but quieter and not as full of tourists. I visited the Picasso Museum, which features Picasso’s works from when he lived in the area. It was an impressive collection and then the location was amazing. It sits on a cliff of the island, where there’s a beautiful view of the coast. Although I enjoyed my visit to Antibes, I looked forward to getting back to Nice. On my way back from a restaurant one afternoon, I stumbled across the Port of Nice and then the Castle of Nice. If you’re able to climb the innumerable steps to the top (I later found out that there was an elevator), then you’re rewarded with a breathtaking view of the city and the mist from a waterfall to cool you down. Usually I’m too tired by the end of the day to think about doing anything at night other than eating. But one night I decided to stop by a small live jazz and blues club, called Shapko, that I’d noticed around the corner. There was no cover charge or reservations required, so I just walked in and found a seat in the balcony. That night there was a small jazz/funk band that was pretty good. The crowd seemed to be a mixture of locals and tourists and it filled up quickly. I stayed for one set, before the exhaustion of the day hit. Most of my time in Nice was spent walking along the streets of Old Nice, eating at vegan restaurants (there are quite a few), browsing/shopping at the street market, and sitting on the balcony of my Airbnb people watching. It felt like home.
Because I had become familiar and comfortable with Barcelona’s metro system I took it to the airport for what was supposed to be a 1 hour flight to Nice, France. It was a straightforward route and I was at the airport in under an hour. The metro was a good choice because it had begun to pour outside. I remember thinking when I got there how easy my travel experiences had been. I was early for my flight so I grabbed a Starbucks and sat at our designated Gate 69. We were supposed to start boarding at 12:50 pm and leave at 1:30. When we were still sitting in the waiting area of the gate at 1:30, it was apparent that our flight was delayed. About 15 minutes later, a gate change was shown on the monitor and we moved downstairs to Gate 61. I think all of us assumed that we’d be leaving soon, so we lined up and stood there. However, about 45 minutes later, another gate change come on the screen, and we were to move literally 5 feet over to the left to Gate 59. There was only one woman at the desk and she wasn’t communicating with us. Every once in a while she’d give us hope and open the doors to the pathway leading to the plane, but then she’d close them with no explanation. Once again, a gate change came on the screen and we were to move back to the right 5 feet to. Gate 61. We played this dancing gate game a few times and we weren’t told anything. Finally, after about an hour and a half, the gates to freedom opened and there was a patient, but rushed feeling to get on the plane. But, the joke was on us because we still had to take a shuttle bus to get to the plane. I was on the first bus and it made its way to our plane. As you tend to expect when the shuttle bus stops in front of a plane on the runway, we thought we were getting off the bus. 45 minutes later, we were still on the shuttle bus, with no news. During this time, we could see what appeared to be the pilot and a flight attendant stand at the plane door and talk to the grounds crew. We could also see the grounds crew unloading all the luggage from the plane. Eventually, our shuttle bus started to move again, and we optimistically thought maybe we were changing planes. Well, much to our surprise, we arrived back at the terminal. The shuttle bus doors opened and we were obviously supposed to get out, but there was again no explanation given. Most of us headed to the flight board to see the status of the flight and it showed it as “closed”. Not exactly sure what this meant, I headed back to gates 59 and 61, while some people stood on the information line to try and get answers. Back at the original gates, there was a different woman at the desk and she was surrounded by confused people. She didn’t have any answers for us other than to say our flight was cancelled and to hold up a sign with some numbers and tell us to go upstairs to the help desk. So as I started walking with others from the flight, I met my three future travel companions; later to be introduced as Tricia, John, and Gitte. There was no information on how everyone was supposed to collect their bags, so we hung around one of the baggage carousels. Fortunately, as my rule is to travel as light as I possible, I already had my one carryon bag. I decided to wait with everyone, since it felt like we were in this together. As we waited for the bags, we started to figure out our next steps. Some people had received emails from the airline rebooking them for another flight, one to two days later. I checked my status and I had been booked for the next day arriving in Marseille, which was not my original destination. After finding out there was a strike at the airport, nobody trusted that their new flights would actually be successful, so we searched alternative options. Taking a train was considered but it was a costly and lengthy, 20 hour trip that had multiple changes. Renting a car as a group was a possibility, but the challenges were cost, navigation, and exhaustion from the day. The final and chosen option was taking a 12 hour bus ride leaving at 1:45 am and getting to Nice at 2pm. So John, Tricia, Gitte, and I set off on our long journey to Nice. At this point it was almost 7:30pm and we had plenty of time to waste before our bus left. We decided to head back into the city and get some food. John and Tricia wanted to see the Magic Fountain Show at Montjuic. This is essentially a “water acrobatics” show, where the water appears to change color and dance to music in the background. I remember seeing a show in Dubai and being disappointed, so I didn’t have high expectations for this one. Well, I will say the height of the water was impressive at times, but I don’t think fountain shows are my thing. But it seemed to draw every tourist in Barcelona; it was packed. After the show, we headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner. This was the first non-vegan restaurant of my trip. And worst than that, it seemed to be a seafood restaurant. But I was hungry, tired, and desperate to sit down and eat something. I was able to find some type of fried potato and a kale salad. We still had an hour to go before we needed to head to the bus station, so we sat, ate, drank, talked, and possibly dozed off a bit. I won’t go into the details of how our bus to Nice didn’t arrive and we had to take a different bus headed to Northern France and then transfer buses, which we almost missed. Needless to say, when we finally knew that we were in fact on the right bus headed to Nice, we all got comfortable in our seats and passed out. Next stop . . . Nice
I chose to travel to Madrid because I loved the city a few years ago on a short visit. I chose to visit Barcelona because I knew of its growing popularity among tourists and I thought it’d be nice to see the differences between two of Spain’s major cities. The train ride to Barcelona was fairly quick (3 hours) and easy. My Airbnb host suggested that I take the metro to get to the apartment and that was fairly easy as well. What I didn’t know is Barcelona is a very hilly city and the walk from the metro to the apartment was up a long, steep hill. Oh, and it was 95 degrees in the middle of the afternoon. On the way up the hill, I questioned many times whether I made the right choice in Barcelona. My discomfort, thirst, tiredness, and sweatiness had me disliking Barcelona immediately. (I realized the irrationality of this when I finally settled in.) I arrived at the apartment door out of breath and my clothes soaked with sweat. And in that moment I truly didn’t care what my Airbnb host thought of me. I’m sure it’s against policy to turn away a guest due to their disheveled appearance, although I wouldn’t have blamed her. The Barcelona Airbnb was different from the Madrid in that I was actually staying with the host. Now, I don’t remember if I chose this for cost reasons or for comfort. Sometimes I like to stay with the host because you get a chance to get to know a local who can also help you out with insider tips of the city. Anton, my host was full of advice and suggestions. She and her partner/wife (?) were gracious host. We spent one evening talking about the movement for Catalonia to become independent of Spain. Earlier that day I had just learned that Spain has 50 provinces and Barcelona is part of the province of Catalonia. My host, who is a native Catalonian, was pro-independence she didn’t feel respected by Spain in many ways. It was an interesting conversation that gave me a deeper understanding of the city. Of course, I continued my routine of walking and eating vegan food in Barcelona. But I was a able to see a lot of the city using the hop on/hop off bus. I admit I didn’t hop off that many times because the walking and heat had caught up with me. So I found a seat at the top of the double decker and enjoyed the guided tour. The highlights of the tour were seeing the many Gaudí buildings. Antón Gaudí, is a celebrated Spanish architect. His buildings definitely stand out from the other architecture of Barcelona. I lucked out and was able to buy a last minute entrance ticket to la Sagrada Família, a church designed by Gaudí. Everyone I talked to said it was a must see. It was truly amazing. The outside was beautiful and the inside was breathtaking. It was designed to have the feel of a great forest with the columns serving as trees, so the ceilings were unbelievably high and the space very open. The placement and colors of the stained glass windows had an incredible effect on the space. I walked through the church using an audio guide and learned how everything was designed with great meaning. For example, on the exterior of the church is a magic square, a math puzzle. When you add the numbers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, you will always get 33, the age at which Jesus is believed to have died. A fun fact for a math teacher. I thought Madrid was a city of fun, high energy, but Barcelona also seemed to be partying all night long in the streets. In the neighborhood of my Airbnb, there was some type of music festival going on. So every night when I returned home, I had the chance to see local bands, dancers, and singers performing on almost every street. I’d gotten used to the long walk up the hill and looked forward to the entertainment along the way.
Whenever I’m in a new European city, I try to take a walking tour to get my bearings. A company called offers a free one that I’ve found to be excellent. For Madrid the tour was three hours and it was full of history, particularly the Spanish Inquisition. We started in Plaza Mayor, which was once the center of Old Madrid. Now, it’s essentially a large public square that has restaurants where you can sit outside, eat and people watch. I’m assuming the restaurants are on the expensive side and targeted to tourists. From the Plaza, we walked through many narrow and winding streets. I should have been taking notes, because there were so many things pointed out to us. I do remember seeing the oldest restaurant in the world, the suggested place to watch flamenco dancing, the Royal Palace and Gardens, and the Church of San Nicolas. I’m probably missing at least 10 other notable sites, but those stand out to me. I’ve discovered I have a theme when traveling. I walk a lot, then I eat, I walk a lot, then I eat, repeat. Seeking out vegan restaurants gives me the chance to really see a city. Usually the restaurants are in the non-touristy areas and also I have a habit of getting lost. But in this process, I’ve found some beautiful areas and some excellent vegan restaurants in Madrid. As I tend not to be a planner when I travel, with limited time left in Madrid, I was faced with the decision of going to the Prado Museum or the Reina Sofia Museum. I’d been to the Prado on my last visit to Madrid and enjoyed it, even though it housed a collection of “old European” art. So, I decided to visit the Reina Sofia and I’m glad I did. It’s home to many Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali pieces. The most popular piece is Picasso’s painting Guernica. It’s a very impressive painting depicting Picasso’s anti-war stance. I stared at it for at least ten minutes and kept noticing something I hadn’t seen before. My last few days in Madrid I was finally getting a sense of the city. It’s definitely a walkable city, even in 90 degree temperatures. It’s also a city of high energy, in a positive and good way. I felt comfortable and safe walking around at night because everyone was out. Since dinner doesn’t seem to start until 8 pm at most places, there is a vibrant night life. Locals and tourists were sitting outside of restaurants, having their tapas, drinking, and smoking cigarettes. As I was headed back to my Airbnb from a long day of walking, touring, and eating I could sense that the festivities would be going on all night. And I was right.
It’s been a while since I’ve travelled internationally by myself. My last trip was to Dubai and Zanzibar with one of my best friends and I absolutely loved it. But as much as that was a great trip, I really enjoy traveling solo. There’s something about the combination of freedom and self reflection that comes with traveling on your own. Maybe it’s the fact that you’re often alone with your own thoughts figuring out who you are, what you like, or don’t like. So my first stop is Madrid. I had a taste of Madrid a few years ago and I knew it was a city I wanted to explore more deeply. I’m staying in what feels like perfect Airbnb apartment. It’s small but cute and seems to be central to everything. I didn’t waste anytime exploring. After I did a quick clothes change, I headed out with the goal of finding a vegan restaurant that I’d researched in advance of my trip. It took me about 15 minutes of walking in circles to realize that Google Map had me literally walking in circles. I don’t know if it’s the narrow and numerous streets, but I’ve returned to the old school way of reading google maps rather than rely on the navigator. On the bright side of getting lost, I came across the Mecca for traveling Americans. Starbucks. Now, I’m definitely not the stereotypical American tourist who has to find American food/restaurants when I travel. But given my addiction to coffee, it’s always nice and comforting to find a Starbucks when I’m away. So of course, I stopped in to get a latte (with a slight change due to their limited selection). Side note to Starbucks: Please offer the Cinnamon Dolce latte in other countries. Anyway, back to my quest for food. As I walked on what seemed like every street in Central Madrid, I was able to enjoy the beautiful architecture of the buildings. You can feel and imagine the history as you’re walking around. Finally, I came across Vega, my vegan destination. It appeared to be closed, but a deeper look showed they were open just empty of customers. The menu looked great but I was too early for dinner, so only appetizers were available. I was a little nervous because none of them were really speaking to me. When the food came, I was pleasantly surprised. It was delicious and filling. It seemed like a simple meal, but it was so good. As a bonus to my enjoyable first meal, I realized Jill Scott’s song “Golden” was playing in the background. If you’re unfamiliar with the song, a line of the chorus is “Living my life like it’s golden”. It was a reminder that I was blessed to once again be able to travel. After my meal I decided to go see a Flamenco show. Spain is well known for Flamenco, which is a musical show that incorporates dancing, singing, clapping, snapping. I had no idea what to expect. It was an intimate performance where the room is small and the stage is right on top of the audience. There were two dancers, a man and woman, a guitarist, two singers, and a drummer. I don’t really know what to compare it to, but the dancing at times reminded me of tap and step dancing, of course with a Spanish style. I really enjoyed it, the performers had so much passion. So my first day in Madrid was a success and I look forward to seeing more of this beautiful city.
I made it to Bali! Before I get into the details of my Bali stay, I have to admit that I went ultra luxury on my accommodations. Years ago, when I did a volunteer/tourism program in Thailand the accommodations were a little rough at times (see https://ursulathailandadventure.wordpress.com/). So I feared that for the TGC program the same might be true and I wanted to make sure I really enjoyed the Bali portion of my trip. Well, I didn't need to worry. TGC, backed by the State Department, took great care of us and spared no expense. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Bali, I felt the tropical air and immediately relaxed. There was a brief hiccup in my start when it took over an hour for the bags to reach the baggage claim. But I reminded myself that I was in paradise and and found my patience. I later learned that the Indonesian president was visiting, which was the cause of the delay and traffic. My first hotel was the Inaya Hotel, in Nusa Dua, where I'd stay for two nights. As we drove there I realized I made a pretty good selection. As I admired the perfectly manicured grounds, my driver explained that the gated area was exclusive to the five star hotels. I think it's fair to say that when we arrived at the hotel my jaw dropped. The lobby was beautiful. It was spacious, beautifully decorated with tropical plants, and was open to the ocean. Since this hotel was right on the beach, my primary purpose was to enjoy the beach. That is exactly what I did for the first two days. I will say that although beautiful, I wasn't overly impressed with the beach. I've heard that the best beaches in Bali are on the Gilli Islands, which was a two hour boat ride away. My second destination was Seminyak. I was staying at Bliss Sanctuary. The name couldn't describe it any better. In looking for places to stay I knew I wanted something special and different. On their website, it states "The Bliss Experience is designed to ensure a memorable Bali holiday in a beautiful sanctuary for women, recognizing the need to get away and take time out from the pressures of everyday life. It is a sanctuary of self love where you can experience, peace, tranquillity, rest, relaxation, as well as a sense of companionship and the knowledge that you are ‘not alone’." SOLD! On the drive there, it was immediately clear that Seminyak had a different vibe than Nusa Dua. There were a lot of boutiques, restaurants and bars. As we turned off a main road and drove down a series of narrow, winding roads I began to worry. Then we stopped at what appeared to be a building, but there were no windows. We'd arrived and I was nervous that Bliss would not live up to its name. As soon as I got out of the van, I was greeted with a hug from the hostess Nikki. She led me inside and for the second time in a week, my jaw dropped. It was truly a sanctuary. There were giant daybeds surrounding a pool, an outdoor kitchen with a huge beautiful teak dining table, a well designed living room with an open kitchen, and several rooms along the pool. Nikki and I sat down to discuss all of the sanctuary's services and what I was looking for during my stay. I was already impressed with the level of care that I would be receiving. They only host 5 guests at a time, so they can cater to everyone's needs. Without going into great detail about the ridiculous amount of spoiling I received for four days, I'll just say Bliss Sanctuary was an amazing experience that I'll never forget. Although I hadn't done much research prior to arrival, there were a few things I wanted to see and do. One destination on my list was Ubud. Yes, this is where there the Julia Roberts' character in Eat, Pray, Love stays, but that was not my reason for going. Ubud is known for its rice paddies, traditional crafts, Hindu temples, culture, and beautiful landscape. It was an hour and a half drive to Ubud and along the way we stopped at a silver, wood and a batik art village. I learned that each village is known for a craft. I didn't really enjoy the silver and batik villages. They definitely seemed like tourist traps. I could see the other tourists get off their buses, get herded to the craft demonstration, and then shown the gallery where they could shop. When we arrived at the wood village, my interest peaked. I had my heart set on buying some unique Balinese wood door knobs for my condo. Most of the shops we stopped at were furniture shops. They had beautiful slabs of wood, that some had been carved into tables and other pieces. Buying furniture was tempting and the only thing stopping me was the lack of space in my apartment. I was ready to give up after several failed attempts, but my driver, Made insisted we keep going. Finally I found door knobs that I immediately fell in love with. They aren't like anything I had imagined and I don't even know where they'll end up, but the price was too good to pass. After the successful shopping excursion, I must have been on a high. Because I suggested that we go to Bali Swing. This is something I'd seen on Instagram. There are pictures of people, looking happy and peaceful, on a swing above a beautiful jungle in Bali. So, I thought, why not. Well, I realized mid-air that I might have a fear of heights. Or maybe it's just the idea that I'm on a swing high above the coconut trees and ground. Yes, there was a harness, for those concerned (aka my parents). Without going into great details of the screaming at the top of my lungs experience, I'll just say that I do not look peaceful or happy in my pictures. I felt this was enough adventure for one trip (or a lifetime) and the rest of my Bali days were spent relaxing at the beach or sanctuary, shopping in the many boutiques along the Seminyak streets, and exploring the beauty of Bali. My thoughts on the parts of Bali I visited: Bali is a beautiful island. It is more developed than I anticipated, filled with lots of resorts, villas, clubs, restaurants, etc. I believe a lot of this is due to its proximity to Australia. It seemed many of the owners and tourists were Australian. The Ubud landscape definitely seemed less developed and more authentic Bali. However, I heard that was changing. Balinese people have a great love of their island and culture and I can see why.
The TGC part of my journey has ended. All of the fellows reunited in Jakarta after our 9 day stay in our host communities and schools. We spent time catching up and comparing our experiences. It was interesting how everyone had such vastly different experiences, ranging from not so great to amazing. I think my teacher partner would agree that we were on the amazing end of the spectrum. It was obvious that many of us were homesick or just emotionally/mentally tired from being forced outside of our comfort zones for so long. Personally, I recognized that my introverted side was crying out for some alone time. So I was sad, but grateful to say my goodbyes and head off to the vacation part of my trip. My first stop was Yogyakarta, which was about an hour and a half flight from Jakarta. The goal of this stop was to see the Buddhist temple Borobudur and the Hindu temple Prambanan. Both temples are UNESCO World Heritage Sights. I was only staying in Yogyakarta for one night, so I knew my time at the temples would be short. After an hour flight delay, I arrived at my hotel around 3 pm. I was told that the temples closed at 5, so I would be unable to visit them that day. However, I had heard about the Ramayana Ballet, which performs at Prambanan. Now, this is not what we consider the ballet. It was a beautiful story of a Hindu king and princess told through traditional dance and song. The costumes and music were beautiful, but the real beauty and star was the backdrop of Prambanan lit up against the night sky. Overall it was an interesting show. I think it would have helped if I'd read more about the storyline beforehand, but thankfully there were frequent subtitles provided on large screens near the stage. Around 4 am in the morning I left for a group sunrise tour of Borobudur. It was a one hour drive to get to the hill where we were supposed to see the beautiful sunrise behind the temple. I say "supposed to", because it was a little overcast and the view was somewhat disappointing. Next we were dropped off to explore Borobudur. The temple is beautiful. Similar to my visit to Angkor Wat I was amazed by the intricate carvings in the stone. It's hard to believe that man could create something like this in the 9th century. It's also hard to believe that it was abandoned and hidden for years by volcanic ash and the jungle. Just being there I felt a spiritual energy. This was worth the early wake up. As mentioned this was a quick trip. Next stop, Bali! Of course, the movie Eat, Pray, Love comes to mind when most people, or maybe just women, think of Bali. Well, I've taken care of the pray portion. I'm definitely looking forward to finding and eating some healthy Balinese food. As for love, I have a love of the ocean. I can't wait to be on the beach, hearing and seeing the waves crash.
It was difficult saying goodbye to the students and staff at Man 4 school. For our last day, two of the students were our guides. They were two of the students on the weekend retreat and they were excited to be accompanying us for the day. The teachers were required to take what sounded like a psychological evaluation test for the day, so the students were on their own. And I do mean on their own. With no teacher in sight, we walked the grounds and saw students cleaning classrooms, talking quietly in groups, practicing music. They were "being good"! The students at my school are amazing, but I don't think if to left their own devices, I'd see the same picture. Our first stop for the day was a music class. The students were anxiously waiting for us. They showed us the traditional Indonesian instruments, played/sang a song for us, and taught us how to play some of the instruments. These students were talented! We usually ate our lunch in the teacher's room with our host teacher and her coworkers. Since the teachers were still taking their test, we had the opportunity to get to know our two student guides. They spoke of their goals of becoming doctors, their favorite classes, their large families, and life at home. I have to say my favorite part of this experience is getting to know the students, their thoughts and opinions. These conversations have reminded me of how important and beneficial it is to have this with my own students. After lunch we were told there was going to be a talent show. Oh, and we were the judges!! We were led out to the school yard where there was a table with three chairs, two for us and one for the music teacher. The students gathered around, the MCs warmed up the crowd, a traditional dance was performed by some of the students and then the first act of a four boy band played. My partner teacher and I were asked to give them feedback. If it were American Idol, we were the Paula Abdul judges. The music teacher, on the other hand, was definitely Simon Cowell. We gave them an 85, he rated them 65. We said they sounded great and had the crowd moving, he said their intro was too long. I was looking forward to the next act, but it turns out the boy band was it for the day. So my stint as a talent judge was short lived. The day ended in the teacher's room with an informal closing ceremony (as described in the agenda). Several of the teachers spoke and thanked us for our visit. They presented us with beautiful batik clothing. We thanked them for their generosity and hospitality. Our host teacher even teared up, which was very touching. It was clear that our visit meant a lot to them. I only hope that we conveyed how much it meant to us. Although I only spent a week at Man 4 school, it has left a lasting impression.
It has been a busy week, so far. Monday was my first full day at my host school Man 4. It started with an early morning flag ceremony in the school's courtyard. 350 students stood at attention, in the blazing sun, as speeches were made, prayers were given, and the Indonesian flag was presented and raised. I was surprised, although I shouldn't have been, that my partner teacher and I were asked to say a few words. Now, public speaking is not something I would voluntarily do. However, I reminded myself that I'm here to promote global awareness and shyness would have to be pushed aside. I don't remember much of what I said, but my attempt at speaking Indonesian I believe was found to be entertaining. I was scheduled to give a technology presentation to a couple classes. But ironically, the technology I needed wasn't working. So, having a couple of math games in your back pocket came in handy. It was great to see the students work on the activity. For the TGC program, I had to create a guiding question for my trip. Since my question focuses on what group work looks like in an Indonesian math class, this was the perfect opportunity to observe this. The students were engaged in solving the puzzle I gave them and their excitement was contagious. Tuesday started with aerobics. Days before leaving for the trip, I was asked if I would like to lead the aerobics class. I politely declined the offer, knowing my aerobics skills are a little rusty. So when we arrived at school, saw the students lined up for aerobics, and were pushed to to the front, I feared that my teacher partner and I would in fact be the instructors. Thank god, a man appeared in white. He proceeded to lead us through aerobic moves for the next hour. Although the sun was beaming down on us, I had a great time! In the afternoon, the Robotics club presented their activities and work to us. I was very impressed. It was a small group of about 10 students, unfortunately all boys, who were excited about their work. They had traveled throughout Asia competing and placing in competitions. I was most impressed by a young man who created a robotic shirt folder. It reminded of the boards that they have at stores like the Gap that help employees fold shirts. This student's shirt folder worked at the press of a button. Talk about innovation! My time at Man 4 school has been such a rewarding experience. My host teacher and her coworkers have gone above and beyond to make us feel welcome. They've driven us around Jakarta, exposed us to the culture and history of Indonesia, and, most appreciated, accommodated my vegan needs. The students are unbelievably respectful towards their teachers, each other, and guests. Only a few more days left at the school and I'm already sad to be leaving. |
AuthorUrsula Lovings is a world-renowned travel writer (in her head). In reality, she is a middle school math teacher with a passion for math, education, and of course, traveling. Archives
August 2017
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