Tag: Travel

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Overcoming the Language Barrier – Speechless in Jakarta

Have you ever wanted to say something so bad, but the words just wouldn’t come? This is how it feels when you’re trying to learn a foreign language can’t communicate your thoughts. The language barrier brings frustration, desperation, an overwhelming feeling to grab onto something tangible. Often times you resort to hand motions!

Darmawangsa Ladies Class

The other day, I was asked to teach a ladies Bible class for the women of the Darmawangsa church of Christ in Jakarta, Indonesia. We had been back in Indonesia for 6 days after having been away from the county for 4 years. Needless to say, my grasp of the Indonesian language was a bit rusty. I felt like I had sufficiently prepared my lesson and was confident of what I wanted to say. But, after beginning my lesson I found myself clawing for words that just wouldn’t form right.

My sentence structure seemed off. My vocabulary was weak. I desperately wanted to communicate what I had studied, but found myself faltering. Did I sound like a two-year old toddler to them? All of these great thoughts and insights flooded through my head, but to communicate them was difficult.

The joys of language learning! You need to keep trying and learn from your mistakes. Stick yourself in sometimes embarrassing situations and let the people around you help you. It’s OK to sound like a two-year old in the beginning, but only for a little while. I am sure they will expect more from me in the weeks to come. Despite my feelings of speechlessness, the ladies asked me to speak again the next Sunday. I am very grateful that they are  patient with me as I struggle to use their language.

 

Question: What do you do when you don’t have the words to communicate your thoughts and feelings? You can leave a comment by clicking here. 

 

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5 Tips for Preparing to Live Overseas

Getting prepared to move to a foreign country can be fun and exciting for the whole family! Preparing ahead of time can save you lots of frustration when you finally reach your destination.

Travel

Here are 5 Tips to help you be physically prepared to step foot in your new home.

  1. Sell Your Stuff. We all have extra things laying around our houses. Get rid of it. Sell it or give it away. Especially if you will be away from America for any length of time. Things will age, go out of style, or just collect dust. Better to go light and not worry about what is sitting in storage back home.
  2. Get in Shape. Having your body in good physical condition will help you cope with the culture shock you will face. You body will adjust more quickly to the physical stresses if you don’t have a lot of extra weight to carry around. In most other countries people do a lot more walking than we do here in the US. Being in shape will help you not be as fatigued as you begin adjusting to your new life.
  3. Try New Foods. Be brave and give your taste buds an adventure. In your new home overseas you will be presented with food you have never seen before. It is extremely polite and gracious of you to eat the food and not turn your nose up at it. Before you leave for your new home get out of your comfort zone and visit a Thai restaurant. Indian cuisine? How about sushi? It doesn’t have to be food that you think you will encounter on your mission field. Just prepare yourself to eat whatever is set before you.
  4. Turn off the A/C. Get your body used to being uncomfortable for a time. If you are going someplace hot and humid, it is wise to enjoy the heat! Many places around the world don’t use air conditioning as much as we do.
  5. Toss the Appliances. Get rid of your microwave. Hang your clothes on a clothesline. Being able to do things the long way may be an advantage to you in your foreign field. You might have to do without many modern conveniences in your new life. Learn to like cold showers. In many countries they don’t use warm water to bathe with.

Moving to a foreign country can be fun for the whole family. Hopefully by following these 5 simple tips you will feel more prepared as you begin your new adventure overseas.

Question: What things have you done to prepare yourself physically when going overseas? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Photo Credit: http://cdn5.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2012/shutterstock_97739021.jpg 

 

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Where do Hershey’s Kisses come from?

hersheykissunwrappedSarah and I love Hershey’s Kisses! Well, anything chocolate really! While in Indonesia we noticed that the chocolate was different than it is here in the states. It tasted less sugary and didn’t melt as quickly.

In 2007 we were living at the Church of Christ Bible School in Urei Faisei, Papua, Indonesia surrounded by beautiful fruit trees. One of those trees was a cocoa tree. The fruit grows in pods which contains the seeds, that are the basis for chocolate. Our friends showed us how to open the ripe pods, when they turn yellow/orange in color, and eat the white fleshy fruit surrounding the seeds. We didn’t eat the seed, just the fleshy part of the fruit. The seeds were collected and sold by the kilogram, and then taken to a factory where they were turned into Hershey’s Kisses!

Sarah and I made this fun video together to show our family some of the exotic fruits that we ate. Seth, as you will see, was along for the ride! I hope you enjoy this humorous skit and maybe learn a bit about where your favorite chocolate desserts come from!

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Sea Transportation in Papua, Indonesia

We rode in several boats when we lived in Papua, Indonesia. We took these boats back and forth from Serui on Yapen Island and our Bible School on New Guinea. The Speedboats were the fastest, the Ferry was the slowest and the Wooden Cargo Ships were in the middle.

The Speedboat was one of my favorites. I liked it because we went really fast! It felt like we were hitting the bottom of the ocean every time we hit the waves! It was a smallish boat and there were benches that the passengers would sit on across from each other. Sadly, we do not have any pictures of the Speedboats.

I also liked riding on the Ferry. The first level of the Ferry was all open and you could sit wherever you wanted. Some of the passengers would sell fruit and sometimes we would buy some for the trip. This ship carried motorcycles and cars also. Upstairs, there were plastic chairs that you could sit on. You can check out the video below to see what it was like.

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Here is the Ferry at at the pier near our Bible school in Papua.
Here is the Ferry at at the pier near our Bible school in Papua.

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The Wooden Cargo Ships were a lot of fun too. Normally, people do not ride on this boat, but we got to. These boats were so noisy that we could not carry on a conversation so, we just sat back and enjoyed the scenery.The Cargo Ship we rode in was blue and carried things such as rice, ramen noodles and building supplies. It took a long time to get there, so I fell asleep with dad!

Wood Cargo Ships
Here are some of the ships at the pier in Serui, Papua, Indonesia
Wood Cargo Ship
I think that they were racing us to Sangge, where their pier is near our Bible school.
Fun on the Ship
My dad says I’m so cute! That is David next to me.
Sleeping on Ship
Sleeping with dad and Buddy.

These are several types of boats that we took in Indonesia. We took other kinds of boats and saw flying fish, dolphins and sea turtles! I enjoyed riding in these boats a lot!

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Three Reasons to Take a Bajaj in Jakarta

 

Bajaj Jakarta

If you are going to travel in Indonesia, I suggest that you take a ride in a Bajaj. A Bajaj is a cheap three-wheeled taxi that is usually orange. It is best to negotiate the price of your ride with the driver before you start your trip. Don’t expect to be too comfortable. There is no air conditioning and if it is raining you most likely will get wet. I believe that riding in a Bajaj will provide you with a cultural experience you will never forget.

Here are three reasons to take advantage of this type of transportation in Indonesia.

  1. In a normal taxi it is quiet and just smells like air freshener but in a Bajaj you can hear all of the sounds and smell all of the smells of Jakarta.
  2. If Bajaj’s become outlawed you might never have the opportunity to ride in one ever again.
  3. In a Bajaj you do not have to use a booster or car seat which is convenient if you have young kids.

In conclusion, I think that you should take advantage of Bajajs while in Jakarta because they will provide you with a cultural experience you will never forget.

What kinds of fun transportation have you taken before? Please comment below!