Madura: mosques, beaches and...bull races?

A couple weeks ago(sorry for the delayed post!), a group of students and teachers from my language school went on a trip to the island of Madura. Madura is just northeast of Java and is easily accessible because of the Bridge that's been built connecting it to Java. We rode a huge bus(there were about 30-40 of us!!) and went to a bunch of different places on Madura. One of the teachers and his wife are from Madura, so we started out by going to his wife's desa(village) and having lunch there. Her family prepared lunch for all of us! It was a fun time meeting them...there were probably about 25 family members there.


Some of our group and Pak Mafud's wife's family. They all live in the same area in the desa.

This is Pak Mafud's little girl. She is the cutest!!

We also went to Syaikhona Kholil, the famous mosque on Madura. It's well known, because it serves as the burial site of a holy person of Islam and because most of the materials to decorate it were imported from countries in Europe.

I was surprised I was allowed to take pictures inside, but because it's a famous mosque, I think most people who come to see take pictures.

The inside of the mosque was incredible and intricately decorated.

Me and my teacher, Ririn, with some girls that we met at the mosque.

We also went to a beach, but unfortunately I have no pictures of that...I was so so so excited to jump in the water, because Madura is one of the hottest places I have ever been. But, the water was warmer than bath water. Not very refreshing! But, it was still a lot of fun!
The next day, we went to a yearly event on Madura...cow racing!! This was an experience I will never forget for sure. These races are held once a year there.

As you can see, 2 cows are tied together and a jockey rides on something that looks like just a metal slab in the back

 They race down a field that's about the length of a football field going at incredible speed! The crazy part is the jockey isn't an adult, but a child, usually still in elementary school!

One of the jockeys after his race...I couldn't get over how small he was!

One of the races in action

A group of kids I met there who gave me the lowdown on the races...they were so cute! They said there's also goat and rabbit racing at the field here, but the cow racing is the biggest event.

It was a great weekend to be able to see different parts of Madura---to see the beauty that's there, interact with the people and to experience some of the strong culture from the island.

New Food Friday...Es Degan(a.k.a. a little taste of heaven)

This isn't really a new food for me, but at one time it was, so I decided to include it in New Food Friday. Es Degan can actually be included in one of my "I Love It" posts, because it's my favorite drink ever. It's made from you can probably guess it...fresh coconut water(I'm talkin straight from the coconut that they cut open), a little sugar, and cut up pieces of coconut meat. There's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than Es Degan! What's even better? It's only 3,000 rupiah(30 cents)!! 

I usually get Es Degan at least once a week. There's a guy who sells Es Degan from the back of his truck up the street from my kost. He's there everyday with his wife cutting and preparing the coconuts. :)

 

The cup of perfection...love it!

I Love It!!

As my friends can attest, I tend to love a lot of things and have a lot of things that are"favorites," which I guess can be a little contradicting if I have a lot of them :) Anyway...I've wanted to start keeping track of things I love about Indonesia and life here. Blogging about them is a good way for me to document and, later on down the road, remember all these things. Even if it's something little during the day that makes me smile, I want to remember those things and share with friends back in the States.

One of the things I have loved this past year is helping at the kindergarten(or TK as they call it) here and even more recently, interacting more with the families of the kids. The mothers of the children all congregate together and hang out outside the school while the kids are in class. I have loved getting to talk with them before and after class. It's also been a great way for me to learn some Javanese words and phrases(Javanese is an entirely different language that is spoken on Java...each major region of Indo has their own language) since that's what they use when speaking to each other. Helping at the TK has given me a chance to really get into the community and the lives of a few of the families. They are always opening their homes and wanting me to come visit. I have loved getting to see the families in their element. Being in their homes brings out another side of the personality of the kids as well as the parents. Sometimes, they tend to be more shy and reserved at the school, but at home it's a whole other side of them.
The other day, I went with a group of the moms to visit a mom who had just had a baby last week. Let me tell ya...it's hilarious seeing a group of moms get together and talk about the birthing experience here! 

Me with Ibu Viola and her new baby boy!



One of the other mom's holding him...he got a lot of lovin' that day!

 

Trekking Up Mt. Semeru

Last weekend I went with a group of friend to hike Mt. Semeru. At 12,060 feet, it's that tallest peak on the island of Java and is also still an active volcano. I knew the trip was going to be a 2-day hike, but had no idea what I was getting myself in to. It was definitely one of the most physically challenging thing I've done, but well worth it! The 22-mile trail to the peak was different terrain every few miles. We went from farm land, through jungle, passed a lake, through grasslands, through woods and up the steepest part passed treelines that was entirely volcanic rock and ash. It was incredible! But words can't describe it as well as pictures :)


On the way to Mt. Semeru we took a bathroom break...meaning we stopped at a random person's home and asked if we could use their bathroom. Indonesians are so gracious! Carolyn, just finishing up :)



The girls on our team...I wish I had a before and after picture of us. Those smiles would be wiped off our faces and we'd be covered in dust haha. It was a team bonding experience none the less!

About 3 hours into the hike, we came up to a lake where a lot of people decide to camp at. It was gorgeous!

After the lake came the grasslands....I kept waiting for a lion to pop out or something. I definitely didn't feel like I was in Indonesia!

After 6 hours of hiking, we made it to base camp! We'd "sleep" here and leave for the hike to the top at 1:30 AM. We never really slept.

At 1:30AM, Lisa, Carolyn and I set out for the summit. We had to leave that early, not only to see the sunrise, but because you're not allowed to be at the top past 9AM--the volcano starts to puff throughout the day. The first hour was through woods and was steep, but not too bad. Once we got passed the treeline, though, it took 2 1/2 hours to climb 1 km. Because it was completely ash and small rocks, we'd take 3 steps forward and slide down 2. Not exactly my favorite part, but it was well worth it!!

I made it up to the top of the mountain at 5AM just in time for sunrise!!

Some friends I made at the top so I didn't have to go down alone. They were pretty hilarious...they all brought their graduation gowns to change into and take pictures, all had on uniforms, and even brought pictures of their girlfriends to pose with at the top!

 

When I usually watch the sunrise on my roof, Mt. Semeru is the mountain I look out to...it was awesome being on that side and being at the top of what I usually see.



Perfect Sunrise!! I was so thankful it was a clear morning!

 

The 360 view from the top was amazing. This is the view from where we came from and hiked through.

I loved that you could see the shadow of the peak on the clouds...but my favorite part of this picture is the guy strewn out on the ground...that captures how all of us were feeling hahaha. poor guy.

Our friend, Mas Sam, who I met up with on the way down. Always has his smile on!

Hiking back from base camp, looking back at Mt. Semeru(the white cloud is what puffs from the volcano)

 

New Food Friday...Kolak Singkong

The other day I went and visited the family of a little girl in my kindergarten class(it's been such a great start to the year as I've been able to start building relationships with the kids and their families). As is custom in Indonesian culture, while I was visiting her family, her mom made me eat so much food.
She brought out a dish that she had made called "Kolak Singkong." It was a soup that was made from coconut milk, a little sugar and chunks of cooked cassava(kind of like a potato). She also added chunks of red jello to it, too. Not exactly the combination I would think to put together, but it was so good!! Just like anything that's covered in chocolate can taste good, I've come to learn that anything that has coconut milk in it tastes good! :)

Let His Light Shine

One of my favorite places in all of Malang is right where I live. My kost has a roof that is completely flat and is mainly used to keep plants and dry laundry. But, for me, it's an ideal place to go hang out. It's quiet(somewhat) and has an amazing view of 3 different mountain ranges that can be seen from Malang. Last year, I went up to the roof most mornings to have my quiet time and prayer time. Since being back from the States I've only been up there once or twice.
This morning, I made a point to go up because it's been absolutely beautiful out--it's been a brisk 70 degrees during the morning(Indonesians consider that cold) and so it's enjoyable to sit up there and not sweat at 5AM. When I first got up on the roof, it was the clearest day I've seen in a while and all 3 mountains could be seen. I started reading in Matthew 5. In Matthew 5:14, 16 Jesus says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden...In the same way let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." After reading that I looked up and saw how the sun was shining on the mountain range opposite the sun. What had just been a shadowy outline of a mountain when I first got up was now a intricate and detailed landscape because of the sun. The light was revealing all the details of the mountain that makes the landscape so beautiful!
As we commune with God and walk with Him, He is able to shine His light that gives life through us to those around us. My prayer is that I wouldn't be just a shadowy outline of another human being to those around me, but as I walk with God, through His grace and continual work in me, His light would shine through me and people would be drawn to the intricate details of God's character as I interact with them.

This picture doesn't come close to capturing the mountain, but you get the point :)

First Week Back to Kindergarten :)

This past week, the kids came back to RB Polehan(name of the TK) after a break for the Muslim holiday, Idul Fitri. It was my first time seeing them in almost 2 months! The day before the kids came back to school, I went with the teachers to visit each family and bring a gift for the kids for Idul Fitri(most of the students are Muslim). It was great to visit them in their home and see where they live...it's something I'm wanting to do more now that I'm back. There were 10 homes I went to with another teacher, but below are a couple pictures with some of the families.


Most of the students I knew from last year, but a few were new students. Aprilya, Akbar and Talita are all new students in the class I help in.

I got to see Febi and Rahan again! They were 2 kids from last year I knew.

At the end of each class the first week, the kids had fun learning how to dress themselves. They brought in shirts that buttoned up and socks to practice putting on. Most of the kids in this class are about 4 years old. It was so cute as they got so excited and proud when they were actually able to button the shirts themselves.

Way to go Akbar! This little boy is pretty much the cutest and sweetest kid I've ever seen. Love him!

Bintang was so focused!

After all their hard work, they couldn't wait to pose for a picture :) So excited to be back with them!