Arrived!

I finally arrived at my site! Technically I arrived a couple of days ago, but my Internet situation is still a little up in the air, therefore I am reporting live from an Internet cafe! Today was my first day of really walking around the city by myself and getting a chance to take in the city. I really really like it! The city itself is on the smaller side which I really like because it keeps me from being overwhelmed with being somewhere new. It has been very surreal to go from Bandung where I was surrounded by 30 other ETAs and where we were constantly traveling in groups to a situation where you are totally by yourself and don't know anyone or the language they speak (NOTE: during orientation, we all learned Bahasa Indonesian, the official language of the country. However, each region of the country speaks its own language that differs slightly, making communicating a little extra hard). It's really fun though and all of the other teachers at my school have been so friendly and nice to me as I get adjusted. They make sure I keep busy and it has really helped me feel at home. I have also received a few "Oh dear, you have to meet my son....I think you'd make a cute couple!" which makes for an awkward exchange in Indonesian :)

The house I am staying at is also very beautiful and my host has been very nice. I have a beautiful view of the house's garden and also of the two volcanoes that border our town. No worries, I have been told that only one is active and that our city is protected :)

One thing I have had to do a lot of is singing. Those of you who know me well, know that I can't carry a tune, however singing is really popular here so I've had to sing a couple times. Haven't gone solo yet, but I can feel it is only a matter of time. It is kind of funny because our program is supposed to promote understanding of American and Indonesian customs and culture, but at times you find yourself doing completely ridiculous things, forcing you to have one of those "How did I get here moments?." For example, I went and observed my school's debate team yesterday and one of the students asked me how accents varied in the United States. 5 minutes later, I was in front of the class demonstrating several different accents including but not limited to Southern, New York, Pittsburghese, etc.

I should probably get going because I need to go get some lunch. Hope everyone back home is doing well!