Just to make this easily accessible, make sure you head for the address below. Also, it's a little different from the previous post but really its the same. AH!
Jl. Duku II/CA 190 Pondok Candra Indah Surabaya 60400, East Java, Indonesia
phone +62 31 8683714
Bu dian +62 81 334743870.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
AHH! SO SOON!!!
Hey Guys!
I am leaving for Indonesia tomorrow!!!!! I will be getting a new SIM Card but until you guys all arrive there, you can call/text me at my american# 2674027226.
GET PSYCHED!!!!!!!!!!!! Any questions, quickly send them my way within the next 14 hours and I will get them answered but read through the past posts and make sure you got everything under control! In case I forgot, remember to bring bug spray and your toilet paper to increase the comfort level of your orientation stay.
AHH! JUMPA-JUMPA!
I am leaving for Indonesia tomorrow!!!!! I will be getting a new SIM Card but until you guys all arrive there, you can call/text me at my american# 2674027226.
GET PSYCHED!!!!!!!!!!!! Any questions, quickly send them my way within the next 14 hours and I will get them answered but read through the past posts and make sure you got everything under control! In case I forgot, remember to bring bug spray and your toilet paper to increase the comfort level of your orientation stay.
AHH! JUMPA-JUMPA!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Bring Photos and Trinkets to share with your host family
Hey Guys!
Your host family will be super interested in you and will be highly curious about life in America. I definitely suggest bringing pictures or other interesting little easy to carry trinkets to share/give to your host family. Having a host family is one of the most enlightening parts of your stay in Indonesia. They will love and take care of you like you are one of their own. We haven't had a horror host family story yet so lets not start that!
Just remember to be courteous, respectful, and flexible regarding host family living situations! We will figure this out when we get to Surabaya but don't worry too much about it! Think of it as a very exciting transition from life at home!
-Teresa
Your host family will be super interested in you and will be highly curious about life in America. I definitely suggest bringing pictures or other interesting little easy to carry trinkets to share/give to your host family. Having a host family is one of the most enlightening parts of your stay in Indonesia. They will love and take care of you like you are one of their own. We haven't had a horror host family story yet so lets not start that!
Just remember to be courteous, respectful, and flexible regarding host family living situations! We will figure this out when we get to Surabaya but don't worry too much about it! Think of it as a very exciting transition from life at home!
-Teresa
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
MOre Last Minute Questions! (Material and Amount of English)
1. What kinds of teaching material do you suggest we bring?
Most students will bring notebooks, pens, pencils, the basics. I definitely recommend magazines like I said before in an e-mail because they open the door to many different fun engaging projects. I would also recommend just a few pairs of scissors, a box of assorted coloring material (crayons, colored pencils, markers), and construction paper if you feel like you are going to need it. Last year, I salvaged a whole ream of Resume Paper from my room mate and I gave it to the students to make flags, passports, constitutions of their nations, etc..
2. how much english is spoken there? a little or none at all?
A little. Most high schoolers know a few phrases and so do those who work at more public institutions (airports, malls, taxis, etc. etc.) but sometimes, its near unintelligible. I say look up Bahasa-Indonesia on google and learn a few key phrases. ( http://home.mira.net/~wreid/bali_lng.html )
Thanks for the questions! Keep them Coming!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Last Minute Questions
1. What kinds of clothes should we wear to the schools? Would a T-shirt and jeans be okay? Or should it be more formal?
2. I saw you mention the Power Adapters on the blog..what would we need the adapters for?
3. Should we have cell phones there? or is there no need?
4. Just in general, what are the houses we will be staying in like?
5. Do girls need to wear head coverings?
1.) t-shirts and jeans are fine. that's what i wore when I taught last year but i definitely dressed a lot more casually than some of the other volunteers. dress comfortably but in general, girls must either wear a skirt or long pants; so for guys, long pants are a must. for both sexes, closed toed shoes are required.
2.) adapters are just in case you bring any electronics with you. i know volunteers lasst year brought laptops, iPod, digital cameras, etc.. you are welcomed to bring them but at your own discretion. two years ago, a volunteer lost her iPod. I don't know the circumstances though.
3.) Cell phones are very helpful and I would recommend getting one there. Students will ask for your number and constantly call/text you, hahaha. I would get a cell phone there, perhaps buy a used one for about $30US and then all calling plans are pay-as-you-go. if your US phones allows it, you can just buy an indonesia sim card and place it in your phone. I don't which phones allow this and which don't though.
4.) hmmm, they differ. some have hot water, some don't and you'll have to boil a pot for yourself when you need it. some have flushing toilets, some you have to dump a bucket of water in manually to flush out the contents, haha (that was my situation last year). in general, the host families will accomodate you the best they can. the houses will be in neighborhoods only a few streets away from a main city road. the houses are gated, as are most houses in malang, so you feel secured.
5.) Nope! As you will soon see, Indonesia practices a very liberal form of Islam. Girls have the choice of whether or not they want to wear a head cover. It is definitely an interesting topic to bring up with students. I asked about it last year to three of my students and was enlightened thoroughly. It's amazing and beautiful how mature Indonesian children are about their religion.
Okay, keep sending in questions! Oh! One last note, bring your own toilet paper for orientation week! i remember going to the bathrooms when i first got there and all I saw was a hole in the ground, a bucket of water, and a hose. i couldn't do the math.
2. I saw you mention the Power Adapters on the blog..what would we need the adapters for?
3. Should we have cell phones there? or is there no need?
4. Just in general, what are the houses we will be staying in like?
5. Do girls need to wear head coverings?
1.) t-shirts and jeans are fine. that's what i wore when I taught last year but i definitely dressed a lot more casually than some of the other volunteers. dress comfortably but in general, girls must either wear a skirt or long pants; so for guys, long pants are a must. for both sexes, closed toed shoes are required.
2.) adapters are just in case you bring any electronics with you. i know volunteers lasst year brought laptops, iPod, digital cameras, etc.. you are welcomed to bring them but at your own discretion. two years ago, a volunteer lost her iPod. I don't know the circumstances though.
3.) Cell phones are very helpful and I would recommend getting one there. Students will ask for your number and constantly call/text you, hahaha. I would get a cell phone there, perhaps buy a used one for about $30US and then all calling plans are pay-as-you-go. if your US phones allows it, you can just buy an indonesia sim card and place it in your phone. I don't which phones allow this and which don't though.
4.) hmmm, they differ. some have hot water, some don't and you'll have to boil a pot for yourself when you need it. some have flushing toilets, some you have to dump a bucket of water in manually to flush out the contents, haha (that was my situation last year). in general, the host families will accomodate you the best they can. the houses will be in neighborhoods only a few streets away from a main city road. the houses are gated, as are most houses in malang, so you feel secured.
5.) Nope! As you will soon see, Indonesia practices a very liberal form of Islam. Girls have the choice of whether or not they want to wear a head cover. It is definitely an interesting topic to bring up with students. I asked about it last year to three of my students and was enlightened thoroughly. It's amazing and beautiful how mature Indonesian children are about their religion.
Okay, keep sending in questions! Oh! One last note, bring your own toilet paper for orientation week! i remember going to the bathrooms when i first got there and all I saw was a hole in the ground, a bucket of water, and a hose. i couldn't do the math.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Hostel #!
Just in case you need, and you might in case you get lost or want to check up on things before you arrive, here is the phone #: +62 31 8683714
and here is the owner's, Bu Dian's, #: +62 81 334743870
Time is approaching! If you have any questions, please send them to me asap so I can address them before you leave!
-T
and here is the owner's, Bu Dian's, #: +62 81 334743870
Time is approaching! If you have any questions, please send them to me asap so I can address them before you leave!
-T
Saturday, June 14, 2008
$$$$$$
what is the best type of money to travel with? Do you suggest just to bring cash or credit cards or what?
I'm not sure if you all are thinking ahead to the whole money while in
Indo issue, but I figured I'd send along my thoughts since I am
getting it all squared away right now...
- While you are in Indonesia, you should only use cash to make
purchases or transactions. Credit card fraud is rampant in Indonesia,
and I just think it would be best to avoid using your credit card
while in country.
- You have several options to access cash in Indonesia:
1. Bring the currency with you. You can order foreign currency at most
banks in the U.S. and they should have it for you in less than 5 days.
Pros: You have your money when you arrive in country and you don't
have to worry about using money changers or anything. There is
something to be said for not having to worry about changing your money
the second you arrive at the airport, when you are exhausted and
disoriented and probably cranky.
Cons: Probably the worst exchange rate you're going to find. However, if you want
to just order a little bit of currency and change the rest when you
get in country, that's not a bad option either.
2. You can exchange your money when you get to the Surabaya airport, however the exchange rate is better in Jakarta Airport.
If you choose this option, definitely bring the crispest, cleanest,
NEWEST $100 bills you can find. Go to the bank to get these. If your
bills are from before 1996, too worn, or torn in any way, they will
not accept them. And that would suck. You get the best exchange rate
on $100 bills, then $50 bills have the next best rate, and they may
not accept anything smaller than a $20 bill.
Pros: Good exchange rate.
Cons: It's a hassle, and sometimes their English is pretty bad.
There's a higher risk of getting fake currency, although this is unlikely.
3. You can exchange money at a local bank in Indonesia. The same
wear&tear issues from #2 apply here.
Pros: Best exchange rate you can find.
Cons: A really really really big hassle. I do NOT recommend
doing this, as it is time consuming and just annoying to try and find
a good bank.
4. Traveler's cheques.
Pros: Good exchange rate, very SAFE.
Cons: big hassle
5. You can withdraw your money at ATMs. This is a really nice option
because ATMs really are all over the place at airports and shopping
malls and other places like that. Most ATM cards will work in
Indonesia (those associated with Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus, etc.
are all accepted).
Pros: Good exchange rate. You don't have to
actually deal with real people, which is nice and safe when you're in
Indonesia (that came out wrong, but I think you know what I mean).
Cons: You might get charged with fees all over the place. Anything from your
bank charging you a transaction fee bc it's not one of their
ATMs, then you'll have an International Transaction fee, then you will
most likely get charged a fee from the Indonesian bank whose ATM it
is, etc. etc. For the record, I really like this option. However, this only works if your pin # is 6 digits or less which is unfortunate for a 7-digit pin # person like me.
6. Beg for money on the side of the road.
Pros: You'd probably get a nice tan.
Cons: It's hot and could be really boring.
Other thoughts on money:
- You will want to bring at least $300 with you, probably more
depending on your spending habits. I have moderate spending habits (I
tend to buy a lot of music there, though), and I usually spend about
$400 total each summer. You can choose to exchange it all at once, or
wait. Once we leave Surabaya to go to Malang, it will be EXTREMELY
difficult to exchange your currency, so that's something to think about.
Remember: you will have to pay for yourself through orientation, but
once we make it to Malang you will not have that many expenses. If you
have to use public transportation to get to school, that costs about
$0.20 per trip (if I remember correctly). If you want to eat out with
friends or something, you'll have to pay for that. But your host
family will pay for all of your meals if you take them with your HF.
These were just things I was thinking about. You may want to Google
some things about spending money in Indonesia just in case.
I'm not sure if you all are thinking ahead to the whole money while in
Indo issue, but I figured I'd send along my thoughts since I am
getting it all squared away right now...
- While you are in Indonesia, you should only use cash to make
purchases or transactions. Credit card fraud is rampant in Indonesia,
and I just think it would be best to avoid using your credit card
while in country.
- You have several options to access cash in Indonesia:
1. Bring the currency with you. You can order foreign currency at most
banks in the U.S. and they should have it for you in less than 5 days.
Pros: You have your money when you arrive in country and you don't
have to worry about using money changers or anything. There is
something to be said for not having to worry about changing your money
the second you arrive at the airport, when you are exhausted and
disoriented and probably cranky.
Cons: Probably the worst exchange rate you're going to find. However, if you want
to just order a little bit of currency and change the rest when you
get in country, that's not a bad option either.
2. You can exchange your money when you get to the Surabaya airport, however the exchange rate is better in Jakarta Airport.
If you choose this option, definitely bring the crispest, cleanest,
NEWEST $100 bills you can find. Go to the bank to get these. If your
bills are from before 1996, too worn, or torn in any way, they will
not accept them. And that would suck. You get the best exchange rate
on $100 bills, then $50 bills have the next best rate, and they may
not accept anything smaller than a $20 bill.
Pros: Good exchange rate.
Cons: It's a hassle, and sometimes their English is pretty bad.
There's a higher risk of getting fake currency, although this is unlikely.
3. You can exchange money at a local bank in Indonesia. The same
wear&tear issues from #2 apply here.
Pros: Best exchange rate you can find.
Cons: A really really really big hassle. I do NOT recommend
doing this, as it is time consuming and just annoying to try and find
a good bank.
4. Traveler's cheques.
Pros: Good exchange rate, very SAFE.
Cons: big hassle
5. You can withdraw your money at ATMs. This is a really nice option
because ATMs really are all over the place at airports and shopping
malls and other places like that. Most ATM cards will work in
Indonesia (those associated with Visa, MasterCard, Plus, Cirrus, etc.
are all accepted).
Pros: Good exchange rate. You don't have to
actually deal with real people, which is nice and safe when you're in
Indonesia (that came out wrong, but I think you know what I mean).
Cons: You might get charged with fees all over the place. Anything from your
bank charging you a transaction fee bc it's not one of their
ATMs, then you'll have an International Transaction fee, then you will
most likely get charged a fee from the Indonesian bank whose ATM it
is, etc. etc. For the record, I really like this option. However, this only works if your pin # is 6 digits or less which is unfortunate for a 7-digit pin # person like me.
6. Beg for money on the side of the road.
Pros: You'd probably get a nice tan.
Cons: It's hot and could be really boring.
Other thoughts on money:
- You will want to bring at least $300 with you, probably more
depending on your spending habits. I have moderate spending habits (I
tend to buy a lot of music there, though), and I usually spend about
$400 total each summer. You can choose to exchange it all at once, or
wait. Once we leave Surabaya to go to Malang, it will be EXTREMELY
difficult to exchange your currency, so that's something to think about.
Remember: you will have to pay for yourself through orientation, but
once we make it to Malang you will not have that many expenses. If you
have to use public transportation to get to school, that costs about
$0.20 per trip (if I remember correctly). If you want to eat out with
friends or something, you'll have to pay for that. But your host
family will pay for all of your meals if you take them with your HF.
These were just things I was thinking about. You may want to Google
some things about spending money in Indonesia just in case.
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