Sunday, September 9, 2012

9/7/2012


9/7/2012 Questions

Q. So when the students there ask about your family, do you tell them all about your favorite extended family members (us, duh!)? :) So glad that you thought of us when you were eating squid. So far I think that's the only thing you've listed that I would eat too. Glad you're having such a great time! We can't wait to see the picture. Love you Alaina!

A. No I don't tell them you are my favorite because that would only confuse them... they love hanging out with all their family. But, I do have a picture of Kennedi and everyone thinks she is really cute. I will have to learn how to make it so that we can eat that when you come out again this summer.

Q. Alaina, what a great experience for you!! I love reading your blog. I miss you a lot!! What's the time difference? What time are you usually on Skype??

A. I am eleven hours ahead of you. I don't have a regular time but if you see me on facebook message me and we can Skype. Or you can email me(alainarroberts@gmail.com)  and we can set up a time. Thanks for reading my blog.

9/7/2012

Today started in the usual manner. Except that Friday is the Muslim holy day which means that I had a slightly different uniform. The skirt is the same but, I have a long sleeve shirt to wear instead. No one in their right mind would wear a long sleeve shirt and a to the floor skirt here. It is about 85 degrees everyday... way too hot to wear anything but shorts and a t-shirt. Anyway I got to school and went to my class for the day. I only had one class that lasted from 7am to 12pm and it was Animation 3. I spent the beginning of the class downloading an illegal version of Photoshop onto my computer and introducing myself to the class. When my teacher showed up he decided to do a short 10min lesson required us to do a 10min activity and then left again. Really? I could have finished the entire school day in less than an hour but instead I was required to stay. At least all the people in my class were really nice. I showed them my PowerPoint with all the pictures of me and my family and told them about my school and Florida.  I really liked talking to all of them. One of the guys even said that he was really excited to talk to me because he had never talked to a foreigner before. WOW I never thought I was taking the foreign people in America for granted but I guess I was. I never thought that talking to a foreign person was a cool or new thing I used to talk to people from other countries every day. In Rotary training they told us that we could be the first American that people meet and until that moment I thought it was an overstatement.  I just hope that I was a good first, and that I made him think better about American. School got out early (again because Friday is the holy day) so I walked home again. I really like walking home from school, it is nice to just be outside and exercising a little bit. When I got home I did my Seminary lesson watched half of Peter Pan and then fell asleep again. I was woken up at 5 by my maid who told me that I had to leave, because I had friends come. One of the other exchange students (Laetitia from Belgium) and her host mom were taking me to San Uotjo again. It is a performance of traditional dances and instruments so I went ready to see traditional Indonesian stuff. What I didn't know was that tonight was part of a two day special where they were performing Beatles songs. My Indonesian Aunt is one of the owners so we always get in for free and this time we even got VIP passes which was really good because they were packed. Every seat was filled and even the stairways had people sitting on them. It was kind of weird hearing Beatles songs played with an Indonesian twist. But it was so much fun. Some of the songs were played with the Angklung (traditional Sudanese instrument) and because I am taking Angklung lessons at school and I told Aunt Melly that before the end of the year I will play for one of the performances. I really do want to learn more about Indonesian culture and learning how to play one of their instruments would be great. At the end of the show they gave out Angklungs to everyone in the audience that said "Beatles night" and the date on them. Aunt Melly even had them write my name on my Angklung so I will always have a memento of the night. I think the Beatles night was a great way to mix Western culture with Indonesian culture. The show lasted so long and when I got home I went right to bed, I had school in the morning.

9/7/2012 Highlight

I spent the majority of the performance dancing with the two other girls and my Aunt Melly. I still dance like a white girl but, at least that is cool here. I love hanging out with everyone and we all really Came Together. I am so thankful everyday that I was allowed to come to this beautiful country full of loving and happy people. I could not have gotten a better host family or councilor or school. I might just be the luckiest girl in the world. I am so blessed and I cannot express enough express enough appreciation to all the Rotarians, my family and my friends who got me here and supported me even though they thought I was crazy. I love you all!

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