I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »Tech Talk and More English Students
Saturday, December 5, 2015
I just hung up the phone after a 51-minute Skype chat with my brother back in Canada. Those calls are always interesting because I’m intensely aware of the vast difference between Canada and here. I wish I could convey what it was like standing on the balcony here in Sumatra while on the phone and describe everything that was going on around …
A Shipbuilding Yard
Friday, December 4, 2015
It appears I may have opened the floodgates. I got a message from someone else on Facebook asking me if I would help them out with a school English project. They needed to interview a foreigner. I noticed that this person was friends with Rama, so they probably attend the same school. Rama told them about meeting me, and this person asked …
Motorcycle English Club
Thursday, December 3, 2015
I’ve written a lot and thought a lot in recent days about cross-cultural communication problems, and yesterday was another perfect example of that. It involves the woman, Rismah, who had come to the hotel before to ask me to speak to her English class. I had heard nothing from Rismah since except a vague message on my phone about how she hoped …
Bales of Used Clothing
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
I have to concentrate really hard to think back to what happened yesterday. I’m not sure why. It could be because I’m very tired again. I’ve come down with some kind of cold or throat infection, and I had trouble sleeping. I’m pretty sure that I caught the cold from the woman that cut my hair. When I went into that salon …
Irritability and Mango Juice
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
I was a bit tired and irritable yesterday. I keep saying that the noise here doesn’t bother me, but I don’t think I get much sleep. Last night, I switched out my earplugs for brand new ones, and that made a big difference. I slept much better. So perhaps my earplugs were not up to the task, and it might be better …
Giving Me the Finger – In a Friendly Way
Monday, November 30, 2015
Rain? Yes. Traffic noise? Yep. Hot cup of coffee by my side? Of course. Feeling good? For sure.
Yesterday was a lazy day as far as exploring is concerned. I didn’t do any at all. But it was still an interesting day. I spent much of it organizing a lot of the photographs I’ve taken recently. I’ve also gotten a lot of new …
Getting a Haircut
Sunday, November 29, 2015
As far as the weather goes, I’m a bit of a broken record. It’s 8:30 in the morning, and it is raining. It has been raining for about two hours. I imagine it will stop, though. That has been the pattern. It rains at night and in the morning and then clears up during the day. That works out well enough for …
Getting Used to Lots of Noise
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Things have taken a small turn for the worse in the last 24 hours. Something I ate or drank or came in contact with has made me ill. The jury is still out on how bad it is going to be, but I can feel it building. The stomach cramps and the desperate rush to the bathroom is surely about to take …