Images

An elderly Ibu catching some shut-eye before the crush of the morning market.


Seriously.


The Kid brings you another Grand Conclusion - dudes are the same everywhere.


The bride and groom at a traditional Javanese wedding.


The view from my roof. The sunsets after the rain are surreal.


This dude is the bane of my existence. Unfailingly, he and his stupid kiddie cart come by my house at 7:00AM every time I have a day off. He plays this seven note jangle on repeat until I am forced to either start my day or go insane from grade-J Disney wannabe aural torture. Alas, the trials and tribulations of a Fulbright scholar.


A prototypical Ibu manning her station in the market. Ibu Nana, who cooks me lunch five times a week, buys all of our food fresh each day.


A very bad photograph of a very good motorcyle. I haven't officially named it yet, but I'm leaning towards "Screaming Eagle Thou Shalt Bestoweth Olde Glory." I'm open to suggestions. Note the bomb marking the entrance to this RT (neighborhood) in Madiun.


Floss, anyone?


It's in the eyes.


A typical scene from a not-so-typical Javanese village. Mlese was crushed by the earthquake in May. 95% of the village's houses were either partially or completely destroyed.


The last time I visited earthquake-affected Mlese Village near Jogyakarta, I went with my normal team from KOMPIP, a local NGO, as well as with Kevin and Jenni, two representatives from our American sponsor, the Real Medicine Foundation. We met with the 19 village heads who will be responsible for distributing the $12,000 grant that RMF has made possible. We fielded questions from the 18 men and 1 woman, explaining how microfinance works and what the obligations of the community and indivudals are.


The Kid with Weedy. We broadcast a weekly show called "English Eve" where we field calls and take SMSs (text messages) from people who want to practice their English. See my entry, "Stress".


Madiun at the start of musim hujan (the rainy season), only some three kilometers from the center of the city. I don't know the numbers, but a large percentage of the city's residents are still predominantly farmers. A ten minute drive outside the city, and you're in the middle of infinite rice paddies and sugar fields.


The Kid finally got a uniform. Now I'm a guru asli (real teacher). Some local middle school girls came and interviewed me about English one day. They had absolutely no idea what they were saying or how to interview, but Ibu Irvi (third from right) nonetheless insisted that we take this really bad photo in front of the school's coat of arms.


Downtown Madiun. One dude selling gas (bensin) by the liter, another passed out in his becak. The Pasar Besar (Big Market) is visible in the background.


The Kid, John "Sea Foam" Pederson (sans beard), Deanna, and Ethan "The Wire" Perry yucking it up in Surabaya after the TEFLIN conference.


A gorgeous photograph (that I found on the Xinhua China news website) of Mount Merapi erupting in August. Located some thirty kilometers from Yogyakarta, where I will be meeting my Aunt Rose this weekend, Merapi is still considered one of the world's most active and dangerous volcanoes. Welcome to Indo, Roscha!


I was a model in a fashion show this past Friday. Yes - I can now officially include the title "Male Model" on all future resumes. Here I am in front of a cathedral backdrop (notice it's edge on the right) to keep in line with the wedding themed show. This is NOT a joke. My, um, co-models - Sandi; his 15 year-old girlfriend (who just so happens to be one of my tenth grade students at SMA2); and Nina. If you didn't believe me already, hopefully this will convince you - this country is RIDICULOUS.