Back in the Baya

So I still fail at being able to upload pictures from the two weeks of orientation, because I don't have internet in my room (yet! Still hopeful!!). However, I do have several pictures I took on my phone that I was able to upload.

Our second-to-last Bahasa Indonesia lesson with Mbak Niken (Miss Niken). It was held in these crazy "pods" in the hotel we were staying at. Seemed like a cool place to have class at first, but then it was just kind of a pain. 

We went to the Wayang Museum in the Colonial area of Jakarta, called Kota Tua ("old town"). Pretty cool. And only 20 cents for admission! Also, sorry for not figuring out how to rotate the pics. 

So, funny story. On the way back from Jakarta to get to our sites, Jen and I missed our flight. Despite getting there 1 hour early and waiting in the waiting area way ahead of time. We kept checking the monitor and didn't notice any kind of "boarding" notice, and not many people seemed to be getting up. However, just to be safe, we asked a security guard if we should be boarding. He told us no, and took us to another waiting area. We sat there for about 20 minutes, frustrated at the delay. Suddenly he came rushing over to us again, telling us "take off, take off." So we somehow missed the flight. It was ridiculous. Thankfully, the coordinators at the RELO office were able to get us on a last-minute flight a couple hours later. And the security guard more than made up for his mistake by helping us to make sure we got to our other flight on time! 

A couple plus-sides to missing the first flight:

1. Having time to buy Krispy Kreme donuts (the only place in Indonesia where you can get 'em).

Getting to fly executive class! Wooooo! Sadly, the flight was only 1 1/2 hours, but we still enjoyed it..

And now I am happy to be back in Surabaya, moved into my new place (hooray! I finally got to unpack!), and teaching. Which is, after all, why I came here in the first place! I actually had my first class today--Cross-Cultural Understanding--and I think it went well. I have to say, I think my time spent teaching might be the most comfortable I've felt in all of my time in Surabaya so far. I'm still figuring out the syllabus/course schedule, and it's gonna be a lot of work, I think. But hey, I don't have much else to do right now! (There will be sightseeing, though, never fear. Just not in the first couple weeks, probably.) 

OK. Hope to post more pics soon.