An Awesome Hike Up Plawangan To View Mount Merapi
4 Types of Homeschooling in Indonesia
Locals constantly ask me how we educate our children here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. My answer is that we choose to homeschool. From what I have learned so far, homeschooling can be taken to mean one of four different things here. One, it may mean that you pay a teacher(s) to come to your house and educate your children in your home. Two, it may mean that you take your children to a building where other homeschool kids gather to be taught by teachers chosen by the parents. Three, it may mean that your children are still young and instead of putting them in playgroup you find other parents of pre-school aged children to get together for occasional play-dates. Or Four, the parents are the sole educator of their children.
The fourth option is where we are placed. Because the idea of homeschooling is a relatively new idea here, I think it is hard for the general public to believe that a parent has the capability to handle that task. Even after explaining that I am the sole educator for Sarah and Seth I am usually met with looks of confusion. I explain that I teach all the subjects from Math, Grammar, Literature, History, Science, and so on, though the aid of books I have selected. Most people usually just nod their heads but there is still a look of amusement in their eyes.
Some of the moms I have talked with whose children are still very young express their concern over where to send their kids when they are of age. They are not happy with the idea of the government school system for one reason or another.
I believe there is potential for home education to be a great success here in Indonesia. I have met several families in Jakarta who are doing just that. With some dedication and creative thinking, kids can have a great home education. There are already a lot of resources available in the local bookstores for teaching the major subjects. There are also a lot of resources available on-line to supplement studies.
My encouragement to those beginning the process is to keep at it. Our children are worth every minute that we invest in their lives. :-)
Some of my favorite curriculum:
Saxon Math
Shurley English
Veritas Press Phonics
Veritas Press Self-Paced History
Question: If you are a homeschool parent, please share with us some of your favorite resources. Please click here to leave your comment.
How to Kill Mosquitoes in Indonesia
Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance, but also carry diseases. I don’t know exactly why, but I end up with large red spots whenever I get bit. They usually itch for days afterwards. There are many options here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia to protect against their bites.
Some of the more common options are: poison spray, poison lotions, poison that is lit to send a poison smoke through the room, a poison plug-in of sorts, or mosquito netting. One of my favorite options is this electric racket! If I am fast enough I can zap ‘em. It is shaped just like a tennis racket. I like using it better than any of the poison options. To charge it simply plug it into the wall. Fast and effective!
Question: What other ideas do you have for effectively killing mosquitoes? Please leave your comment by clicking here.
Why I Chose to Ride a Scooter Over a “Real” Motorcycle
My friends here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia are always amazed when they find out that in Moab, Utah I owned a Yamaha TW200 (pictured above). Here a bike like that is considered a “boys bike”. They call me “Macho” for being able to ride one. (I’m not sure if that is a compliment or not). Here in Yogyakarta I ride a Yamaha Mio Automatic (pictured below). Many people wonder why I chose to ride a scooter over a “real” motorcycle.
My reasons for choosing an automatic are very practical:
- The first reason is because I wear skirts a lot here and I can easily get on and off without causing a scene.
- My second reason is because the space in front of me, designed for my feet, makes a great place to carry groceries. Limited, yes, but sufficient for a couple of bags.
- The third, and maybe most important reason, is that the space on the seat is larger than most “real” motorcycles, like Marty’s, and I can carry both Sarah and Seth at the same time.
These might not seem like exciting features to a real adventurer who likes to off-road, but to me, who happens to be a mom and housewife, these qualities in a motorcycle are very important for daily life! ☺
How to Keep Ants out of Your Kitchen in Indonesia
There are many different kinds of ants that emerge in my kitchen here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Big ones, medium ones, small ones, black ones and red ones. I don’t like to share my food with them. A few, ok, but not a whole colony. I especially don’t like ants in my food pantry. I think that the ants are just standing by waiting for any drop of food to be left.
After a bit of searching, I found an ant solution. I took cardboard squares and colored them with this poisoned chalk. I put one square under each leg of my food pantry. So far it has kept all ants out of our food and off of our clean dishes. Yeah!
Question: What other suggestions do you have to keep ants out of your food? Please leave your comment by clicking here.
Keeping Dry While Riding A Motorcycle In The Rain
I love the rain! It gives me a sense of calmness. Maybe because I am a homebody by nature, rain gives me the urge to stop all necessary work, find a good book and a comfy couch! Having said all that, I find myself caught out in the rain frequently here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Since I drive a motorcycle as my source of transportation, I have to be a bit creative in how I handle keeping dry while riding a motorcycle in the rain. Some days I can wait till the rain is finished before heading out, but other days I feel the need to get on the road. Sometimes I am already on the road and the rain comes quite suddenly. At that point I pull over and whip out our rain gear.
I bought Sarah and Seth rain ponchos because there are no zippers to deal with. The only draw back is that they have to take their helmets off before the poncho will fit over their heads. I have a jacket and some snazzy blue rubber pants that I look pretty hot in! (Just joking, in case you didn’t catch my humor). To add to my attire, I always carry my bag/purse, which has to be protected from the rain as well. This I zip up inside my jacket, which gives me a nice pregnant look. I always carry our rain gear with us. My motorcycle has a cubby under my seat that I store them in. I sure am glad someone designed that cubby into my bike!
Oh, the joys of riding a motorcycle in the rain!
Language Classes
Seth, Flat Stanley and I with Wulan and Icak, two of our language teachers.
A couple of weeks ago we decided to go sign up for language classes. We visited two language schools and picked out one called Alam Bahasa. I was really exited and could not wait to get started! Dad decided to take 6 hours of lessons a day but Mom, Seth and I decided to start with only 2 hours a day.
I was so happy when I got to take my first lesson! I got up at six o’clock and we left the house at 7:30 because our lessons started at eight and ended at ten. We walked about half a mile to the bus stop and boarded the bus, which is called the TransYogya. After stopping about two times, the bus came to our stop. We got off and walked to the school.
When we came in a lady greeted us and later gave us all bags that held a pencil, notebook, and eraser. In the central area of the school, there are benches and children’s books on racks. The students, including our family, talked to each other while we drank coffee or tea that is provided before and after classes. When you walk out the other side of the central room, you are outside but there is a roof of vines where a little bit of sun gets through. I sipped some tea and waited for our teachers.
Finally, it was time for class! We all had our own separate classes so that we could learn without distractions. I went away with a Muslim lady to my class. That day, I learned the ABC’s in Indonesian and how to ask someone what another person’s name was and how it is spelt. My teacher was really nice and she spoke mostly in Indonesian so that I would learn. The room I worked in had a table, two chairs, a whiteboard and tinted windows.
I had so much fun! After class, I was tired but I couldn’t wait for the next day! Alam Bahasa is a great school and I would definitely take classes here again.
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Me eating birthday cake with Christy, one of mom and dad’s language teachers.
Me with Este, Icak and Lisa, three of our language teachers at our Indonesian Night Party. We are all wearing traditional clothing.
At our Indonesian Night Party I was able to learn how to play the “Angklung”. Each angklung plays its own note. The music is beautiful!
I Wish Motorcycles Came With Beepers!
I went to the mall the other day and parked my rented motorcycle in the basement parking garage. I remembered to memorize where I parked so that later it wouldn’t be a frustration to find. After doing our shopping Sarah and I walked up to the spot where I was sure my motorcycle was parked. But, it was not there. I was really confused, but Sarah assured me that was the right spot.
Trying not to panic, we decided to walk slowly up and down the row looking at each motorcycle carefully until we found it. After all, motorcycles don’t just get up and drive off by themselves! After walking up and down twice, I began to get very nervous.
I began to think about trying to describe my missing motorcycle to the parking attendant. All I could really say was that my motorcycle was black, my helmet is black, and the license plate starts with an AB. As I looked around me at the sea of motorcycles I realized that information would not help anyone because just about every one of the motorcycles are black, most helmets are black and as I looked at the license plates they almost all started with an AB. Ahhhhhhh!
I was beginning to lose hope. Just when I began to get the attention of the attendant, I saw Sarah’s helmet, which was white with some purple on it, hanging on my motorcycle. Yeah! It was definitely not where I had parked it. As I looked around I noticed that the attendants were moving and rearranging everyone’s motorcycles to make room for more to squeeze in. So, if anyone has any tips for how to keep track of my motorcycle, I sure would appreciate the advice!
Question: What tips would you give me to help me keep track of my motorcycle? You can leave your comment by clicking here.