Blogs from Bontang, Kalimantan, Indonesia, Asia

Hello again, Pancakes are a hit in Bontang. A couple of weeks ago, some teachers came to my house and cooked for me. I wanted to contribute, so I offered to make them pancakes, the only simple “American” food I could think to make without an oven. The teachers loved them, and word spread about a delicious “traditional” American food. Last Friday, the teachers came over to my house again and I taught them how to make pancakes. We made six batches (probably about 50 pancakes) and then brought them to an event at the school. To a gorgeous spread of bakso (Indonesian meatballs), noodles, fruits, sweets, and coconut drinks, I added a Tupperware container full of pancakes…classy, right?! While I have trouble believing the cold pancakes were truly delicious, they were a big hit. One ... read more

Hello All, I am settling into life in Bontang. I know where to buy my groceries, how to work my washing machine, and where to find drinking water at school. As in orientation, my days start at 6am. School begins at 7, and many students are there until 5 or 6 in the evening. My days end anywhere from noon to 5pm. At school, I have been introducing myself to classes and observing lessons. Students have asked me about everything from my opinions on global warming and the upcoming presidential election to my favorite Indonesian food and impressions of Indonesia. The other American in my town got asked what she thought the first time she tried rice. That is, the student did not know we have rice in the US! What we consider personal questions in ... read more

Its been a while since I was able to write any news updates, as time has been short and Internet access (the kind where you dont wait 10 minutes for the webpage to load) is hard to come by. This weekend we went to Bontang, a small city in the north-east of Kalimantan, and owe a lot of its existance to the two major companies here, a fertilizer industry and a gas liquifier plant. Compared to the hectical city of Balikpapan, Bontang is like a little garden of eden; quiet and with large green open spaces and parks. I haven't been write much about Cecilia in this blog, but she's the most amazing and wonderful girl in the whole world. I was very nervous for our meeting when I arrived to Indonesia, but we managed to ... read more