Visits to Elementary Schools!

Thursday, January 13, 2010

What a wonderful and interesting time we had yesterday visiting two elementary schools in Balikpapan! Emma Bear, Samantha, Mike and I arrived at the first school to much fanfare. First, about 25 girls performed a traditional regional dance for us- they wore traditional costumes from Kalimantan and held decorative batons. After that a small chorus group sang in harmony for us three different Indonesian songs. What a welcome!

After that the whole school assembled in the courtyard of the school and Mike, Samantha and I made short speeches. I gave my speech in Indonesian! I made many mistakes and couldn’t say everything I wanted to, but the children and the teachers were very appreciative that I gave it my best effort.

When the assembly finished many of the children came up to greet me, Samantha and Mike personally. The children would come up to me, take my hand, and touch my hand to their faces. What a sweet and loving greeting!

We visited several of the classrooms as well. I brought with me a book that my students in Warwick had written about life in Warwick and read this book to different classes. The children were very shy, but I think they were really interested in the book! They thought it was so funny that in Warwick right now it is very cold and snowy- they loved seeing drawings of snowmen! Also I found myself explaining a lot the page about Halloween. I think my Indonesian description of the holiday was something like, “Children get dressed in funny clothes, walk around a lot to many houses and receive many sugary food.”

The students here also know Sponge Bob! When the children heard the page a about students in Warwick watching Sponge Bob they giggled because they like Sponge Bob too. In fact, I saw Sponge Bob on TV and here he speaks Indonesian! So does Patrick and the rest of the crew!

At the end of the day we had a special dinner with our Indonesian teacher friends here in Balikpapan. Because we are near the ocean we had a lot of seafood. Delicious! We ate different kinds of fish, crab, and squid. I sat next to the principal of the elementary school and he showed me how to eat my small lobster.

Today we will visit a canopy bridge and then we’re saying goodbye to our friends here and heading for Makassar in south Sulawesi. Emma Bear is packing up her bags and getting ready for the next airplane!

Pictures from the visits to come!