Computer Class in Session

While I am not known for my extraordinary computer skills, relative to the skills of those around me, I am a genius. Naturally, I have taken it upon myself to be computer instructor for Lexon and Repent. SSCA (our local partner) got a computer sometime in the past year—at least, it has been here since before I got here, but no one knew how to use it. In fact, the first lesson I had with Repent and Lexon was ‘How to Turn on Your Computer.’ This went smoothly until we realized that no one remembered the password, which had helpfully been put on the computer as a security precaution.  Fortunately, using the password hint, I was able to figure it out and we moved on. I won’t write here what the password is in case any of you plan to try to hack into our computer and steal our secrets.

After learning how to turn on and off the computer, we moved on to  “How to Use the Mouse.” We’re still on that lesson. It turns out that for men who didn’t spend their childhood playing video games, using a piece of plastic to control something moving on a screen does not come naturally. It’s lucky that, though I’m not known for my extraordinary computer skills, I am known for my extraordinary patience. I only once or twice (maybe more) grabbed a hand and moved it into the right position. Sometimes I also suggest solo practice, where I leave my pupil undisturbed by me and exit the room to go do something else (write this blog post for example) and allow the men to move the mouse as slowly or quickly as they want. Naturally, due to my excellent teaching skills, my students are making rapid progress, and I fully expect them to remember the difference between right and left-clicking by the end of the week. By the time I head back to the US of A at the end of November, they’ll probably be ghost-writing this blog. That will be so nice for me—I’ve tried for years to get one of the sisters to ghost-write the blog for me (hey—they were both Creative Writing majors!), but they are so selfish with their time and skills. As you can see from the before and after photo of Repent’s first self-created document, he is grateful to me, at least.

Learning computers and English--the "After" photo was the easiest 'fix' I could
make for the "Before." Don't act like you could do any better.

Finally, I should mention that I love Repent and Lexon, and that teaching them is an exciting new pastime for me that reminds me every day of why God did not think it wise to put me in a full-time teaching position.

Also, I know that it’s also probably not OK to take photos of things that my students write that I find amusing, but that has always been my favorite part of whenever I have been a teacher. If I am ever not too lazy to upload my journal from my teaching in China days (it was before I knew about blogging but I kept it for the same reason that I’m writing this blog-to minimize emailing while preserving important moments from my life for posterity), you could see some of the better compositions from my genius stupents there (not a typo, just an example). But I can already tell you that I will never not be too lazy to do that. Still, there’s hope for you if Repent and Lexon ever start ghost-writing the blog for me because they are loving the computer these days. Repent especially loves changing the font and underlining everything.

Please enjoy the following photos from the 

Neverthirst/SSCA Computer Class in Mundri!!

Lexon and his composition (before I taught him about the space bar)

I made this large so you can read it--this is our letter-writing session. I have been promoted to "reverend" by Lexson

Repent is working hard

I did the lazy-teacher thing when you made the students teach each other.
But Repent forgot how to save a document, so I had to step in and help anyway.

Extra-large size photo again so you can see that we now have 5 files saved on our computer!
One of them is brilliantly entitled "I love Amanda"

"Every Time You Cross the Intl Date Line You Lose Brain Cells," says Science--this is proof

Since I write about my life, and a good portion of my life takes place in airports, here are some more musings from my most recent cross-continental trip in bullet-point form:

·      Asian airports are often superior in terms of offering free internet options.

·      Being able to understand multiple languages, specifically the ones announcing up-coming flights can often have the effect of giving one a massive headache. Really—there’s no rest for the brain listening to soothing mysterious syllables when your brain keeps trying to understand the scratchy voices of the announcers.

·      Here is a confession of a lone traveler: I often have conversations with myself in my own mind. These conversations are not always in English. When surrounded by multiple languages that I speak, sometimes I forget which language I am using to converse with myself. Fortunately, this bothers no one but the voices in my head. We often communicate by mixing and matching our favorite words…对，es possible que我 might be sedikit مجنون  हूँ।

·      When traveling on an airplane originating in China but picking up passengers in India, do not expect there to be any empty seats anywhere. Flights that hit the two most populous countries in the world in one go will always be full. Always. Also, Chinese people talk loudly. Indian people usually get served their vegetarian meals first, since they specially ordered it. African travelers on Asian flights seem to be quite diverse, and I can’t think of any stereotypes for them, but I did notice that it became harder and harder to see over all the tall people the closer I got to Africa.

·      Check-in people in India are only vaguely familiar with Ugandan travel regulations for foreigners, and they will follow the rules very carefully, including making the foreigner sign a form promising that the email from MAF in her phone is a legitimate form of onward transportation to South Sudan, as required by Ugandan law.

Also, my dream finally came true of being able to answer the question, “Does anyone here speak ________?” In this case it was two concerned Arab men, who had the unfortunate distinction of looking like Hollywood’s idea of terrorists. They started to explain to me that someone had taken their passports and walked away somewhere. I helpfully replied, “They did what?!” and calmed their nerves considerably. Fortunately, at that moment when I was getting ready to go fight for my Arab brothers and their passports, the Indian transit official brought them their travel documents. Happy and relieved, the nice Arab terrorist-like men gave me some lovely chocolates in gratitude for me doing absolutely nothing for them. (عادي)

"Don miss" this exciting display of globes in the
Lonely Planet Store in the KL Airport--my new favorite store in the world!

So now I’m back in South Sudan, and we managed to land in spite of the fact that the airstrip is overgrown a bit with tall grass.  The MAF pilot insisted I cut the grass on the airstrip before they would come pick me up in November. Fortunately, other people have to leave before me, so I think they’ve already handled the grass-cutting issues. And I say, just let a flock of goats and/or cows at it.

And this dude and his cow could totally mosey
 on over to the airstrip and get busy.

Leaving Home for Home

Today (the day when I am writing this particular paragraph anyway), I spoke a mixture of Bahasa and Mandarin with a little old man selling me coffee (for oleh-olehs, I still don’t drink it myself) while side-nodding my head like an Indian. I probably would have clicked my tongue or raised my eyebrows for ‘no’ like an Arab if the opportunity had come up. I’m a very confused Asian, as I have lived in almost every region of Asia—East Asia (China), South Asia (India), the Middle East or Near East, whichever you prefer (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen), and of course South East Asia (Indonesia). I still need to get to Central Asia. Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and/or Uzbekistan—I will get there someday, probably….I hope…

I gave him the "namaste hands" when I left.
Also, notice that his shop specializes in coffee and toilet paper.

But now I live in Africa.

I think I mentioned this before, but as a kid, someone once told me if I learned Arabic, Mandarin, and Hindi, in addition to the Indonesian that I already spoke, then I could talk to most people in Asia. And at the time, I was convinced that Asians of every region were the coolest people in the world, and the only ones worth talking to…or something like that…anyway, I decided I would learn those languages. While my Mandarin and Hindi aren’t as deep as my Arabic and Indonesian, I can carry on decent conversations on a variety of subjects, and someday I hope that I will be able to improve on that too. But, like I said, now I live in Africa. I figured it would happen some day, and I even hoped it would, but I’m finding that it still doesn’t make it easier to leave here. I won’t just miss my parents and my friends and the wonderful food—I’ll also miss speaking Asian languages, holding up two fingers for photographs, and finding Hello Kitty-brand white sugar for sale in the grocery store.  I just really love it here.

 

Extra-sweet Hello Kitty Sugar

Peace sign photos with cool kids Ica and Jeri from nearby Panti Asuhan.
I love me some orphans.

One time a friend told me, when I was bemoaning the fact that I didn’t want to leave behind ‘my’ people (I was moving on from one of my international jobs), and she said, “Amanda, you have lots of people. You’re not someone who connects with just one.” And she is a very wise woman, and I think she is right. Because I realized recently that I’m already developing some African loyalties.  When a friend commented about how much she loved Asian elephants on a photo I posted from my elephant-riding fun in Thailand, I found myself wanting to get defensive of African elephants, even though my friend hadn’t said anything derogative at all towards the Africa pachyderm with their extra-large ears. When I noticed that defensiveness, I felt pleased that I have clearly started to put down some emotional roots in Africa, and I know I don’t just love their variety of wild life.

I’m looking forward to some more runs and bike rides through the jungle, dancing and singing with my charismatic brothers and sisters in church, hanging with my friends under the mango tree, and feasting my eyes on the most beautiful clear starry night sky I’ve ever seen anywhere. Mundri, South Sudan is my home now, one of many I’ve loved, and I’m sure I’ll be glad to be back once I'm there. But I’m still sad to leave the first home that I knew was home once I knew what home was supposed to be. 

So you can see some of the greatness of Indonesia, here are some photos of some favorite moments/places/people:

Martabak Asin--and tons of other great food.
I love you, Martabak. Bade sono pisan ka temenku, Si Martabak.

Holding cute tiny babies named Amanda.
It is a name that will bring you greatness, Small Child!

Buying veggies at the pasar--we really need better pasar2 in SSudan,
 and we know I can't count on my garden since I have no weeding skills.

Bumbus at the pasar!

Yeah, I like pasars, OK? You should too.

This wasn't a favorite moment, but I wanted to show you how
many network signals were available from one spot in the mall.
 Yes, 21st Century, you have made it to SEAsia.

Worshipping in Bahasa with my Indo family.

Seeing this special friend again! I love you dan keluargamu juga, Iren!

Playing with Iren's kids who are not afraid of me,
though Kasyfi refused to take photos with me.
But Kafya didn't mind the paparazzi.

This was a truly great moment: one of my most favorite people
and one of my most favorite foods.

Best for last: the Ortu. Love them. Blessed to be their daughter.
Will miss them the most.