Tues. night Sept. 14( a very hot day, even before the sun was up )

As usual, Herizal brought me to IAIN, which still seemed empty.One of the 5 SUVs IAIN is thinking of buying ( 2007, but looks new ) was on display in the parking lot.Herizal is anxious to get one of them for his own use - his cramped little Hyundai ( or 'YUNDA' due to missing letters ) has non-functioning AC and windows, is 10 years old and shows it in every way.

Pak Raidul came in and gave me my first Indonesian lesson, filling and erasing the whiteboard repeatedly.I was mostly able to keep up with his rapid-fire and seemingly random presentation of basic vocab. and grammar - but only since he was mostly covering ground familiar to me through my phrasebook/mini dictionary.The real value was finally hearing the words spoken properly. My little phrasebook is almostuseless in that regard. I filled 3 pages with notes.

Neither the immigration office visit nor the massage happened today after all.Not sure why on the massage - I'll do it tomorrow instead.Immigration was still closed for Lebaran, as was the police office we visited.Instead, we came ( Herizal, Raidul, and Yani ) here for lunch and conversation.They all had administrative stuff to do at IAIN, but I stayed here and read my Curriculum Design book and a collection of readings from Forum sent by the RELO Office - a bit dated but I will request copies for all my students ( 2 classes worth, both starting at 7:10 am!!! ) - it's the closest to a textbook they could have here, and I can use the readings in a variety of ways.I will be able to teach those classes in the Ed. Dep't's Media Room - nice!The Writing III class starts at 3 pm.Herizal will teach another section of it, and we will coordinate, but he doesn't seem as concerned with 'paralleling' each other as I am.He is using the lowest of the Oshima/Hogue academic writing series which doesn't move from paragraphs to essays till nearly the end, though he says he focuses mainly on writing essays --???He makes just one photocopy of a part of the book that he wants to use for the entire class, and they make their own photocopies from it.I guess I'll be doing the same.

Herizal spends a lot of time explaining to me about Islam, especially while we're driving around.He went to a pesantren for 7 years and takes Islamic study very seriously, as do Raidul and Yani.He has all of his children going to al-Qur'an lessons several times a week - he says even the younger boy can read Arabic already even if he doesn't yet understand what he's reading.He's also curious about Christians/Catholics ( distinct here; Chiristian = Protestant ) and I try to emphasize the similarities, re the restricted leadership roles for women etc.He absolutely believes in 'predestination'.You might as well, I suppose, if it comforts you in bad times.It's one of those things that can never be proven or disproven.Also both he and his wife firmly believe that 'every cloud has a silver lining' - which will be made clear to you in time if you continue to trust in Allah.In other words, if Allah lets something bad happen to you, He will give you something good or better later to compensate.After lunch today the guys used 'insha'allah' ( or insya'allah in Indonesian ) and we talked about its double meaning - same here as in the Middle East. It was the first time I'd heard others here use it, though I've used it myself a number of times.

Today I finally saw another Westerner, in the hotel cafe - a very young-looking guy married to an Indonesian woman, staying here with their baby and her parents.He didn't make eye contact with me and I never noticed him say a single word, period.He looked German somehow.

Herizal heard that the school has identified a house in a secure location convenient to IAIN, 'nicely furnished' as well, that was being checked out today.Hopefully it will be acceptable to them and I can go see it tomorrow.I can't imagine I'd turn it down.

From the 'miscellaneous cultural observations' department:despite what I'd read, some Indonesians do cross their legs and point the bottoms of their feet at each other - though only inside with shoes off and among friends/family, and I still haven't seen it very often.Also, I notice some people holding utensils with their left hand and even holding a piece of chicken with their left hand.And I've seen lots of guys in short sleeves/T-shirts, even one shirtless guy outside his house, and young women in short-shorts/T-shirts.Even if they're Christians or Chinese, I wouldn't have expected that. ( Yani tells me they are Muslims, but not 'good Muslims' )

Wed. night Sept 15

Another low-key day.We did not go look at that house - apparently it's too big.After Herizal dropped me off here this afternoon, he and Yani were going to look at another available house someone heard about.

We went back to police and immigration and finally found staff returned from the holiday.My local police ID card got ordered finally - but it might not come till the end of November.At immigration Yani had to fork over another 1.6 million rupiah ( $200 ) for - ??? I'm not sure exactly what it is they're going to give me, since I already got an ID card from them. But Yani has a page-long list of 7 different cards or documents or whatever which they need to get for me right away.In any case they took my passport again plus yet more photos and forms I had to fill out, and they won't return the passport till next week.Herizal kept complaining over and over and over about how ridiculous it is that all the bureaucrats here turn something that should take 10 minutes into a months-long process.I don't think he's ever had to deal with all this stuff before.For some reason I'm content to just go with the flow, for now anyway.We were warned repeatedly in Washington to expect this, so I'm not surprised.

A few students were around campus today, I'm not sure why.Herizal had a stream of thesis candidates ( from a private university where he also works to get extra $$$ ) coming to see him to drop off theses; he will be part of a final exam for 41 of them tomorrow, for most of the day.Someone ordered lunch delivered: white rice and a bony piece of chicken wrapped in a banana leaf, with a little bag of chili sauce.They all ate with their hands and clearly wanted me to do so as well, so I did.We used to do that in Yemen too, in almost the same situation except withthe food served on one giant tray that we all sat around.And of course I did in NE Thailand and Laos last year.

Around 2 pm another amazing lightning storm with pounding rain began and didn't let up until after 4, and then only temporarily.We drove back here through totally flooded streets; I even saw some houses with water inside.

I'm slowly being oriented to the, shall we say, 'relaxed' academic atmosphere at IAIN.Classes might start one day next week, but maybe not until the week after. Don't give out the course descriptions in the first week, just 'get acquainted' and ( if you want to ) give whatever kind of pre-test you come up with.Instead of using a syllabus, teachers make it up as they go along; being 'experts' allows you to do that and do it well - you're just being 'responsive', right?Classes usually start 20-30 minutes after the time on the schedule, since not only students but teachers arrive late.Some teachers do the absolute bare minimum and that seems to be tolerated, even by Herizal who is a come early/stay late kind of guy who loves teaching and is dedicated to giving his students all the best.He says not to expect very good English from the students - IAIN accepts most though not all applicants, as opposed to Sriwijaya U across town which only takes 1 of 30 - or to expect them to do much if any homework since they're all so busy with up to 8-9 other classes plus jobs and family.With only 80-90 minutes a week in class, how can they make much progress?Likely they can't.The teacher ed. students all complete an impressive ( on paper ) array of courses in methodology, materials, testing, ESP, phonology, morphology, etc. etc. but I doubt that they 'learn' much of what the courses cover, and who can say how much it actually helps them be more effective teachers? I will try to take off my normal 'taskmaster hat' and just try to fit in with how things are done here, I think, and save us all a lot of stress.

Herizal also showed me some of the teaching resource books,photocopied mostly, that he's accumulated, hoping eventually to set up a teachers' resource library; some go back to the 70s.Most, maybe all look to be way over the heads of the teachers I've met here - not to mention tedious reading even for dedicated native speakers.

My first massage was put off yet again.Also no bus trip/lunch on the river today, or Indonesian lesson.Everything will happen whenever it happens, just as were advised to expect.

This evening at dinner I had another hour-plus wide-ranging talk with Widi, the café cook; there were no other customers and unlikely to be any more tonight though the cafe is a 24-hour operation.He really wants to explain Islam and how wonderful it is, though not in a preachy way, and he always emphasizes the commonalities with other major religions in terms of ethical principles.For someone who is self-taught in English, he communicates very effectively about complex ideasIn conversations with him, Herizal, and others I've decided it's best to present myself as a serious Christian, and they see me as someone who is able to answer all their questions about Christianity.Yet I do not feel like I'm forced to say anything I don't actually believe. I' might be forced to 'bone up' on some details, though - thank God for the Internet!

Thurs. night Sept. 16

Several interesting new experiences today.

The house Herizal/Yani looked at was totally not suitable: shared student accommodation, it turned out.We did drive through the neighborhood of that 4 bedroom house but Herizal didn't know where the house itself is.It's in a huge gated'complex' with a 24-hour guard though it was obvious anyone who wanted to could get around that - not to mention the possibility of theft by people living there……Also it would be a long walk to the main road and a longer 2-bus ride to IAIN.I hope they don't try to pressure me into taking a house there - it's clearly designed for wealthy people with cars and I doubt I'd make many friends or enjoy myself.Homes ranged from huge to humongous.

At IAIN I fended for myself mostly - Herizal had to go to his other school and Yani was busy.I did have my second Indonesian lesson with Raidul, another rapid-fire 'trip' through lots of vocabulary and some grammar.I took 3 pages of notes.Then I sat and talked for an hour with Wahyu, the young teacher who's a member of the English Library, which he says is still closed for Lebaran or ?He says we can go next week (insya'allah ).His ability to understand me was shaky at times, but he was good about repeating the gist of what he thought I said.He hopes to get a scholarship to get his M.A., preferably in Australia as Herizal did.I told him to check out Canadian universities too.

Then Raidul took me down to the Musi River/Ampera Bridge; his youngest brother +wife/daughter took us down there in a fancy SUV, with 'Toy Story' playing on a mini-screen in the dash ( from a thumb drive ). We arrived as the noon prayer call was blaring, but the many hundreds of people there totally ignored it as did Raidul. Theoretically they could make it up anytime before the next ( 3 pm ) prayer call, but I wonder how many besides Raidul actually did. We walked along the river a ways through a long row of crowded food stands/shaded tables, looking down at the busy boat traffic with people crowded onto the roofs of river 'busses', then went into a multi-story traditional market jammed with clothing stalls mostly.Wandering at random through the jam-packed maze of narrow aisles, Raidul tried without success to find a certain batik shirt shop he likes.I got lots of curious stares, and shopkeepers tried out their minimal stock of English phrases on me as we passed, hoping I'd stop and look.After searching the lower 2 levels, he finally gave up.Some shops we did stop at didn't have the design or color he was looking for. He told me to bargain hard when I go back there ( as I will ) - offer 50% of the initial price and work up.I saw one shirt I liked but he said the fabric felt very cheap - it was harsh and dry rather than silky-smooth like some others he had me feel.We went back through the food stalls and ended up at a chicken sate place - 10 mini-sticks ( very mini ) with some cubes cut from rice balls in a fantastic dark peanutty sauce - not peppery for a change - for about a buck ( the first money I'd spent here - after 2 full weeks ).We were looking right down on all the boat docks as we sat under a shaded canopy to eat and talk. He's a very interesting guy to talk with, with stories about how much he loved studying in Buffalo and lots to say about Indonesian corruption ( which he flat-out detests ) and laziness ( likewise ), etc. I barely noticed the passing procession of blind beggars, sandal salesmen ( my feet were WAY bigger than the biggest size - 'go to the mall', Raidul said ), overloud bad musicians, etc. It was all very reminiscent of Bangkok, including the heat. After a while, we got on a nearby air-con TransMusi bus that went directly back to the IAIN entrance for 25 cents. Wow, was it ever crowded - packed in like sardines by the end, almost all women and kids ( most men use motorcycles ).We stopped at a small stand outside school and I finally got 50K 'pulsa' ( about $6 ) for my cell phone, so I can call my parents and kids finally.

Back at school I read at my desk for a while, sampling more books sent by RELO but finding none of potential classroom use, andthen Yani brought me back here on the back of his motorcycle.The most interesting part was that he took a route mostlythrough back alleys and a neighborhood near IAIN favored by students.I wouldn't mind living there if any kind of suitable house was available, but Yani doesn't think there is. It looked very friendly, with decent but small homes plus a variety of small shops and almost no traffic.

Herizal's wife called me here to say she's trying to set up a massage appointment for me for Saturday afternoon, with the possibility of looking at a vacant house near them afterwards, though apparently it would need some fixing-up.We both agree that it would be great if I could live within easy walking distance of them.

I think I'll try to take a mini-bus on my own on Sunday back to the river area and wander around with my camera - today I saw lots of photo-worthy scenes in passing, and interesting faces of course.It occurred to me that I got into a totally unadventurous/ dependent-on-others operating mode from the time I arrived - and it's time to get back to the way I travel on my own on all my trips.I already know more Indonesian vocabulary/grammar than I ever did Thai or Lao and I was fine there.There is one minibus route ( the green ones ) that passes a block from here and goes to Ampera Bridge; what could be easier?