1. What are you doing (How do you spend your days?)
I go to my volunteer placement Monday-Friday 9 am – 4 pm. It is an office for women’s empowerment/development in West Papua. I recently started teaching English and I am working on writing documents for publication. Then I go home and rest or try to find neighbour kids that will go on a walk with me. Then I hang out with my host family and often watch the dramatic Indian TV series they love. On the weekends I like to play futsal and do Zumba. Sometimes I do karaoke with friends, go out to eat, or go to the beach.
I go to my volunteer placement Monday-Friday 9 am – 4 pm. It is an office for women’s empowerment/development in West Papua. I recently started teaching English and I am working on writing documents for publication. Then I go home and rest or try to find neighbour kids that will go on a walk with me. Then I hang out with my host family and often watch the dramatic Indian TV series they love. On the weekends I like to play futsal and do Zumba. Sometimes I do karaoke with friends, go out to eat, or go to the beach.
2. What is your favorite Indonesian food?
It’s either yellow rice or a certain yellow Papuan sweet potato called petatas. They are both yellow, does that say something about my personality? Mango juice is yellow too and I love that.
It’s either yellow rice or a certain yellow Papuan sweet potato called petatas. They are both yellow, does that say something about my personality? Mango juice is yellow too and I love that.
3.What is your favorite Indonesian word? Why?
The Papuan slang word “Iyo” which means yes. I like this word because the ‘o’ can carry on forever “Iyoooooooo”.
The Papuan slang word “Iyo” which means yes. I like this word because the ‘o’ can carry on forever “Iyoooooooo”.
4. What is a funny, embarrassing, or memorable experience you've had so far?
I was having a bad day and I was feeling trapped in my house. My host sibling was watching TV and she didn’t really want to go on a walk, but I convinced her out of my desperation to get fresh air. We met up with cousins and took a walk up a hill. My cousin and I ran up half of the hill competing with each other. I’m pretty sure we all had a good time and the view from the top of the hill was amazing! I got to see the valley that my neighbourhood sits in. I feel like a nuisance when I push my host siblings to go on a walk with me, but it’s good for bonding and our health!
I was having a bad day and I was feeling trapped in my house. My host sibling was watching TV and she didn’t really want to go on a walk, but I convinced her out of my desperation to get fresh air. We met up with cousins and took a walk up a hill. My cousin and I ran up half of the hill competing with each other. I’m pretty sure we all had a good time and the view from the top of the hill was amazing! I got to see the valley that my neighbourhood sits in. I feel like a nuisance when I push my host siblings to go on a walk with me, but it’s good for bonding and our health!
5. What is one important thing you've learned so far?
I’m learning to not take myself so seriously. Before coming to Indonesia I preferred to connect to people through intellectual conversation/ emotional sharing, but because of the language barrier I’m not able to do that here. So instead of acting all serious I create moments of silliness and then people feel more comfortable around me. It’s out of my comfort zone, but sometimes the stress/routines of life ask for us to laugh at the silliness of it all.
I’m learning to not take myself so seriously. Before coming to Indonesia I preferred to connect to people through intellectual conversation/ emotional sharing, but because of the language barrier I’m not able to do that here. So instead of acting all serious I create moments of silliness and then people feel more comfortable around me. It’s out of my comfort zone, but sometimes the stress/routines of life ask for us to laugh at the silliness of it all.
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