Pleasure of anticipation denied. Thursday night, called home, expecting to talk to Leonie as we'd arranged in the morning, and there was Peter's voice at the end of the line! Disconcerted, obviously, and disappointed (sorry, Peter!) , initially, but then pleased to hear Peter's blokey humour. Unfortunately, I only packed Freud's Interpreting Dreams (known by its more common title The Interpretation of Dreams, but my edition is the new Penguin translation) instead of Jokes and their Relation to the Unconscious, which means I can't, at this time, riff on what Peter's sex, death and destruction witticism - "Did the earth move for you, too, in Java?" - says about the murk and the fears in his mind! And I'm sure Becky wouldn't want me to riff on that. Anyway, Leonie was at the pictures, Peter housesitting (can't use the term "babysitting" for my big girls).
Leonie had called earlier in the day, the connection was dodgy, and I thought she said call "tonight" but, as she clarified this morning when we spoke, she had said she would be out and that we'd call Friday night. No matter. Always wonderful to hear Leonie, Tallulah and Delaney, even if I have to wade through the crackle, distortion, echo, and delay. If that sound was on a CD, I'd buy it.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Selasa 29 iPod pleasure
Home, after a little chat with Ibu, some water, some fruit, I retire to my room, lay down, and shuffle my way to a restful state.
TV Resistori - "Kontraposto"
Spunk - "Ankmost"
Inch-Time - "Icicles and Snowflakes"
Noah Howard - "Queen Anne"
Arthur Russell - "Hey! How Does Everyone Know"
Mice Parade - "Two, Three, Fall"
Nisennenmondai - "Pop Group"
Destroyer - "What Road"
Destroyer - "It's Gonna Take an Airplane"
Great work, my little iPod friend, particularly the double dose of Destroyer at the end. Who knows what sounds tomorrow will bring?
Didn't realise that there was an Indonesian Christian rock music genre, but there is and that's what Priscilla listens to and sings along to. A marked contrast to the Javanese music I heard on the radio, while in the angkota.
TV Resistori - "Kontraposto"
Spunk - "Ankmost"
Inch-Time - "Icicles and Snowflakes"
Noah Howard - "Queen Anne"
Arthur Russell - "Hey! How Does Everyone Know"
Mice Parade - "Two, Three, Fall"
Nisennenmondai - "Pop Group"
Destroyer - "What Road"
Destroyer - "It's Gonna Take an Airplane"
Great work, my little iPod friend, particularly the double dose of Destroyer at the end. Who knows what sounds tomorrow will bring?
Didn't realise that there was an Indonesian Christian rock music genre, but there is and that's what Priscilla listens to and sings along to. A marked contrast to the Javanese music I heard on the radio, while in the angkota.
SELASA (Tuesday) 29 Sept @ UKSW
Got my office key and spent the first part of my day very much in the same way as George Costanza did when he got his office job. Not doing much.
Brought my dictionaries, planner, notebooks, business cards, and other office bits and pieces, set them out on the table. Looked around. Read the dictionary. Texted Pak Hendro to set up a meeting later on. Did some grammar exercises (how to use secara dan dengan in an adverbial way, for those of you interested). Made some notes. Re-read information for foreigners. Twiddled thumbs. A pretty aimless start to the day. Eased my way in.
Reflected on industrial design principles. If Australia ever runs out of retro furniture, there's plenty here to buy up, though most of it is in use.
Met with Pak Hendro, who got me a teaching timetable and said I could teach in any class I wanted. Also gave me information about the faculty and the student handbook, which has pictures of all faculty, which is fantastic because I spent most of yesterday forgetting people's names.
Discovered my computer is rusak, the bahasa term, frequently used, for broken. So Duncan let me use his machine. There is one computer per office; 1 computer for 4 people. The computer itself is housed in a wooden cabinet. The screen is under glass. Blogged a bit, sent a few emails.
Caught angkota by myself back home. Becoming accustomed to being called bule as I walk the couple of 100 metres home.
Brought my dictionaries, planner, notebooks, business cards, and other office bits and pieces, set them out on the table. Looked around. Read the dictionary. Texted Pak Hendro to set up a meeting later on. Did some grammar exercises (how to use secara dan dengan in an adverbial way, for those of you interested). Made some notes. Re-read information for foreigners. Twiddled thumbs. A pretty aimless start to the day. Eased my way in.
Reflected on industrial design principles. If Australia ever runs out of retro furniture, there's plenty here to buy up, though most of it is in use.
Met with Pak Hendro, who got me a teaching timetable and said I could teach in any class I wanted. Also gave me information about the faculty and the student handbook, which has pictures of all faculty, which is fantastic because I spent most of yesterday forgetting people's names.
Discovered my computer is rusak, the bahasa term, frequently used, for broken. So Duncan let me use his machine. There is one computer per office; 1 computer for 4 people. The computer itself is housed in a wooden cabinet. The screen is under glass. Blogged a bit, sent a few emails.
Caught angkota by myself back home. Becoming accustomed to being called bule as I walk the couple of 100 metres home.
Morning after
Thank goodness for chemistry. Excellent sleep last night, out before 10pm and awake at 6am. Preparation, as in AFL, is everything. Anticipating the suara mesjid I made sure earplugs were accessible, the fan on (its industrial whirr sure to add an ambient layer to the soundclash), and that I followed D&L's advice. A chipper start to the day. Also good for my bodyclock to get a solid 8 hours in.
Breakfast: Australian! Bread, peanut paste, egg, milk, and water. The previous day I was presented with a Javanese breakfast - fried rice and egg, which was way too large and heavy for me at that time of day. The bread is not like bread as we know it in Australia.
By 8.10am I'm on the road to work. Looking forward to it; yesterday was all about orientation, whereas today will about starting to do some work.
Breakfast: Australian! Bread, peanut paste, egg, milk, and water. The previous day I was presented with a Javanese breakfast - fried rice and egg, which was way too large and heavy for me at that time of day. The bread is not like bread as we know it in Australia.
By 8.10am I'm on the road to work. Looking forward to it; yesterday was all about orientation, whereas today will about starting to do some work.
First day at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana
It's Thursday, and my first day Monday seems a long time ago, but I've been taking notes. So, the highlights:
SENIN (Monday) 29th Sept
Caught angkota to campus with Pak Agna, went to his office for my official meeting. UKSW is a private university, with 12,000 students, 60% of whom come from Java, the remainder coming from Ambon, Sulawesi, Papua, and West Kalimantan. Pak explained how the university was established, how the university year is structured, and what its vision is for the future. Each Monday is "Kebaktian Senin," an obligatory church service for staff.
Following our meeting, it was time for Nova to take me to the Faculty of Language and Literature, in F Building. There I was enthusiastically greeted by Pak Hendro, the Dean of the Faculty; most of the faculty here are linguists rather than literature students. I was shown around the building, met numerous members of staff, including, in the hallway, Duncan, from Queensland. I'll be sharing an office with Pak Nico and Ibu Listyrani. It's open planned, to some degree, with four staff members to an office, glass screens allowing visual and aural access to other staff in adjacent rooms, and no respite from other stakeholders - the students - who hang around the corridor waiting for a class or to meet a lecturer.
Lunch time: Nova helped me out by accompanying me to the cafe and ensuring that I got something vegetarian. Also used an ATM. Rows of tables inside the cafe, all taken with students who, later in life, will likely lose a lung and maybe regret the lunchtimes they spent at UKSW. Packets of cigarettes are tiny, holding 12 smokes. Used my lunch time to practise bahasa.
Went home at 2pm. Exhausted. Huge amounts of mental energy is required to keep up with conversations. By hometime, I'm zapped, fried, ready for a lie down. At that time of the day I seek the random pleasures of iPod shuffle (the first set list was posted earlier).
Then, hit the books, looking up new words, clarifying old words. Read through the various handbooks I'd be given, including a guide for foreigners to how to behave at UKSW and in Salatiga.
Early to bed. Stuck Efterklang on the iPod, and barely made it to the 3rd song.
SENIN (Monday) 29th Sept
Caught angkota to campus with Pak Agna, went to his office for my official meeting. UKSW is a private university, with 12,000 students, 60% of whom come from Java, the remainder coming from Ambon, Sulawesi, Papua, and West Kalimantan. Pak explained how the university was established, how the university year is structured, and what its vision is for the future. Each Monday is "Kebaktian Senin," an obligatory church service for staff.
Following our meeting, it was time for Nova to take me to the Faculty of Language and Literature, in F Building. There I was enthusiastically greeted by Pak Hendro, the Dean of the Faculty; most of the faculty here are linguists rather than literature students. I was shown around the building, met numerous members of staff, including, in the hallway, Duncan, from Queensland. I'll be sharing an office with Pak Nico and Ibu Listyrani. It's open planned, to some degree, with four staff members to an office, glass screens allowing visual and aural access to other staff in adjacent rooms, and no respite from other stakeholders - the students - who hang around the corridor waiting for a class or to meet a lecturer.
Lunch time: Nova helped me out by accompanying me to the cafe and ensuring that I got something vegetarian. Also used an ATM. Rows of tables inside the cafe, all taken with students who, later in life, will likely lose a lung and maybe regret the lunchtimes they spent at UKSW. Packets of cigarettes are tiny, holding 12 smokes. Used my lunch time to practise bahasa.
Went home at 2pm. Exhausted. Huge amounts of mental energy is required to keep up with conversations. By hometime, I'm zapped, fried, ready for a lie down. At that time of the day I seek the random pleasures of iPod shuffle (the first set list was posted earlier).
Then, hit the books, looking up new words, clarifying old words. Read through the various handbooks I'd be given, including a guide for foreigners to how to behave at UKSW and in Salatiga.
Early to bed. Stuck Efterklang on the iPod, and barely made it to the 3rd song.
Keluarga Pak Agna/ Pak Agna's family
In Salatiga I'm doing a homestay with Pak Agna, who is one of the unversity's vice rectors. We'd been in plenty of email contact prior to my arrival here. He lives in big house on Jalan Dlikosari.
He is married to Ibu Wewein, who stays at home, and has two children: Aaron (17) and Priscilla (20). Aaron is studying at high school, as well as going to a special school to study astronomy, and Priscilla studies at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, studying English. Western names, apparantly, are becoming more common in Indonesia, due to the impact of Western cultural products (a polite way of saying "American films").
The family are excellent hosts and have made me feel very welcome. I have an Australian breakfast: bread/roti and egg/telur. For dinner, Indonesian food. My room is on the second floor, with a bathroom next to it. Each morning I bathe Javanese style: pouring cold water over myself, using a big scoop.
To go to work, I catch an angkota, sometimes with Pak, sometimes by myself. This is the preferred form of travel, other than motorbike. Angkotas are not built for Australians, so it's a little cramped inside. It costs 2,000 rupiah and it drops me off at the unversity. Probably takes 5-10 minutes. At the end of the day I cross the road to catch an angkota home; no need to wait, as soon as one picks up a passanger and leaves, another one is behind it. There are no bus stops like in Canberra. All you need do is stand beside the road and motion to the angkota. If it goes past you, it'll simply back up 50-100 metres to pick you up.
He is married to Ibu Wewein, who stays at home, and has two children: Aaron (17) and Priscilla (20). Aaron is studying at high school, as well as going to a special school to study astronomy, and Priscilla studies at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, studying English. Western names, apparantly, are becoming more common in Indonesia, due to the impact of Western cultural products (a polite way of saying "American films").
The family are excellent hosts and have made me feel very welcome. I have an Australian breakfast: bread/roti and egg/telur. For dinner, Indonesian food. My room is on the second floor, with a bathroom next to it. Each morning I bathe Javanese style: pouring cold water over myself, using a big scoop.
To go to work, I catch an angkota, sometimes with Pak, sometimes by myself. This is the preferred form of travel, other than motorbike. Angkotas are not built for Australians, so it's a little cramped inside. It costs 2,000 rupiah and it drops me off at the unversity. Probably takes 5-10 minutes. At the end of the day I cross the road to catch an angkota home; no need to wait, as soon as one picks up a passanger and leaves, another one is behind it. There are no bus stops like in Canberra. All you need do is stand beside the road and motion to the angkota. If it goes past you, it'll simply back up 50-100 metres to pick you up.
Salatiga
Straight from the briefing information handout I was given prior to departure:
"Salatiga is situated in the centre of the province of Central Jawa (Jawa Tengah), about 50 km to the south of Semarang and to the north of Solo, and around 90km from Jogjakarta. The town lies 614 metres above sea level in the foothills of Mounth Merbabu.
The population of Salatiga is around 150,000 people, and 90% of them are Javanese. There is a small minority of Indonesians of Chinese descent and some other ethnic groups. Javanese is the most frequently-used language in the streets and markets but nearly everyone speaks Indonesian.
The economy of Salatiga is based mainly on agricuture and its market deals with rice, fruits, vegetables, cattle, rubber, tobacco, coffee, and other products.
Salatiga is not a tourist town, however, if you are interested in the everyday life of ordinary people in a small Javanese rural town, you will find interesting sights to see and people to meet."
"Salatiga is situated in the centre of the province of Central Jawa (Jawa Tengah), about 50 km to the south of Semarang and to the north of Solo, and around 90km from Jogjakarta. The town lies 614 metres above sea level in the foothills of Mounth Merbabu.
The population of Salatiga is around 150,000 people, and 90% of them are Javanese. There is a small minority of Indonesians of Chinese descent and some other ethnic groups. Javanese is the most frequently-used language in the streets and markets but nearly everyone speaks Indonesian.
The economy of Salatiga is based mainly on agricuture and its market deals with rice, fruits, vegetables, cattle, rubber, tobacco, coffee, and other products.
Salatiga is not a tourist town, however, if you are interested in the everyday life of ordinary people in a small Javanese rural town, you will find interesting sights to see and people to meet."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
