IMPORTANT: Surabaya Hostel Information

As promised, I posted the hostel address and parts of my last e-mail below!

Anyway, below is the address of the hostel we are staying at for orientation:

Jalan Duku II/190 Pondok Tjandra Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Show your taxi driver this at the airport and he will drive you there. Some tips on traveling:

Last year, I hired a taxi from the official taxi rental place for a fixed price of 70000 RP (about $8US). If you are going to get a taxi from the taxi circle, choose one that looks legit (i.e. Blue Bird taxis). These will charge based on a ticker. As a warning, sketchy people will accost you and try to get you to their service. If you and another volunteer get in at around the same time, you could split the cost of a taxi and get in together.

Hey, I'm Josh Feola. Originally I was going to direct a pilot program in Yunnan, China through LE, but that fell through for the summer due to some bureaucratic difficulties. Luckily there was still space for volunteers in this program, so I am psyched to be teaching in Indonesia this summer. I'm kind of travel addicted at the moment, and I definitely plan on roaming SE/East Asia for a while after the program ends. My tentative plans are to spend about a week in Bali after August 4, then head to Bangkok for a few days and finish out the month in China. Uh... I'm currently a super senior at Boston University planning to graduate in December. I study Art History and Archaeology. Right now I'm taking a class called "applied math" to fulfill a general ed. requirement. It sucks.

See you soon
Josh
leantimes@gmail.com

Hi all,I'm Brianna, a rising junior at the George Washington University, born and raised in Boston, MA. I'll graduate with a bachelors in International Affairs with a concentration in Development studies and minors in Human Services and Spanish. I am SO excited to have the opportunity to travel to Asia for the first time this summer, and be afforded with the chance to experience a new culture and teach.I'll actually be heading to Ghana from Indonesia for study abroad for the fall 2008 semester. Kelina, I know you mentioned you will be hanging out until the 10th, I will actually be too! My flight leaves from Surabaya then as well, so coordinating a trip to travel around a bit is definitely something I'd be interested in doing.Hope to hear from the rest of you before we meet in 5 weeks (crazy it's so soon!)Teresa- is there any way we will know what age group we will be teaching BEFORE leaving the states? Because I'd definitely feel more confident organizing lesson plans during the time leading up to departure..Hope everyone's finals went well, and that you are all enjoying the start of your summers!Feel free to email me briannac@gwu.edu, or hit me up on facebook.All the best,Brianna

Hi All,

My name is Caitlin Ryan. I just wrapped up my sophomore year at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service and am so excited to meet all of you and be in Indonesia(!). At Georgetown I study international politics with a focus on international law. I am originally from Minnesota and have spent time in Japan, Thailand, and of course Washington, DC. I am also working towards a certificate (similar to a minor) in Asian studies. I love the city and am shocked and saddened to realize I am already halfway through my time here. I have no idea what I want to do post-graduation.

I will actually be arriving a day or two late for orientation because of obligations at school, so please don't forget about me! I look forward to getting to know more about you via the internet until we finally get to meet in June.

Best wishes for the start of summer.

Peace,

Caitlin

Class Structure and some Essentials

Hey guys,

From here on out, I'll be posting general questions onto the blog. So here are some I received recently.

how many hours a day/different classes/age groups will we be teaching?

This all depends on what school you get assigned to and how we divide up the teaching duties according to your comfort levels. As of right now, the schools we have listed break down like this:

SMAK5 - public high school 55
St. Albertus - private high school 30
My little island - Elementary School 64
SMP Kosayu - Jr. High 27
SMPN 19 - Jr. High 134
SMPK Mardiwiyata - Jr. High 50
SMK 7 - Vocational 142
Adult Evening Classes 20

The number that follows is the class size. 

what type of clothing is absolutely inappropriate? for instance are sleeveless shirts considered inappropriate? what about bikinis?  

Bikinis are not totally inappropriate but they might attract unwanted attention. Sleeveless sirts are frowned upon and don't get me started on low-cut shirts! Generally, try to cover your knees and shoulders. Try to remember that as you pack for the hot climate. It is not uncommon to see women who wear suits that only show their face and their hands.Knee length skirts/dresses, capris, and jeans are all good to go. 

are we expected to bring gifts for our host families?

Yes! Good ideas for gifts are picture books, little souvenirs like keychains and magnets, and other items that you can tell a story about your home with. My host family loved the postcard book of Vermont the other volunteer I lived with gave. They also liked the Stanford shirt I gave. 

during the conference call the midpoint break was mentioned. will we be in malang the entire time or will we be going?

Unlike the other programs, we will be in Malang the entire time.

Sweet! I think i'm getting the hang out this blogging business. Anyway, another important point i like to make is that the outlets in Indonesia are different from the ones in US so I highly recommend bring an Adapter if you are going to bring any electronics.

Anyway, keep checking for updates and PROVIDE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF YOURSELF!

:-D

hi everyone,

my name's kelina jones, i'm currently a grad student in new york, studying creative writing at syracuse university.  

i'll be flying into surabaya on the 24th and staying for a few days before orientation, i'll also be returning to surabaya after the program is over and hanging around until the 10th of august.  anyone interested in meeting up?  i still haven't set up accommodations, though i'm running on a low budget and planning to stay somewhere besides a major hotel.  

can't wait to meet all of you.

kelina

Welcome to LE Indonesia Blog!

Hey Guys,

After a much too long period of time, the LE Indonesia Blog is finally up and ready for action!
Here, you can post any questions you have to get mine and the other volunteer's opinion on the matter.

You can also post interesting articles or links that you come across.

You can also post your travel plans to see if any other volunteer wants to join.

I have sent you the log-in information via e-mail so please, if you do log in and post, please remember to sign your name at the bottom of your message so we know who it is from.

The blog is definitely like a community forum for you guys to know and help each other!!!

Can't wait for summer!!!

-Teresa