Back To School!

Whoa! We’re back to school after just over 2 weeks off over Christmas and New Years. School is only 2 hours long now with more in-depth homework. Several nights a week we have to interview people and write an essay to turn in for correction the next morning. Then over the weekend we have to combine all of the essays of the week into one big one. I did my first interview this afternoon with a lady who runs a warung (small convenience store) in this neighborhood. She and I attended the okumene together in November. The topic of conversation was “Patterns of Meeting” and greeting people on the street. The interview reinforced something we learned this morning: the words that we have been using to greet people for the 5 months we’ve been here are not socially normal. At least, not normal for after we've gotten to know each other. In a formal situation we would still be behaving correctly. That both frustrated me and made me laugh. We must have looked so stupid to the people around us!! At least they’ve been giving us grace in that regard!! I still need to write the essay, will do that later after the kids are in bed.

As I was walking home from the interview I saw the neighbor across the street standing by the street watching her kids play, so I engaged her in conversation. I had been praying for an opportunity to talk with her and be friendly as our neighbors aren’t out much to chat with. 45 minutes later I was glad when she said that the garbage man was coming so I could go get the trash for him.
Topics with her ranged from:
· the gift of food she gave us (and the rest of the neighbors) when her daughter was born (did we like it? I said we did – it didn’t taste bad though actually it made us all ill)
· to (when another woman stopped by to chat in their dialect – I don’t understand their dialect) how fat I was (they chose that topic, not me – and my neighbor was so kind as to let me know in the trade language what they were talking about when the other lady left) and (then back in the trade language) whether or not I was on a diet or if I really liked eating. (I’m sure she knows how much and what I eat - probably common knowledge as gossip is a favorite pastime of women around here and she knows my helpers.)
· Also whether or not I like my helpers (I do and said so – she’s their friend – want to make sure they get the message)
· and whether or not I like kids (the lady before me apparently let the neighbor kids come and go – I’m not as open to people in and out) – probably because kids are not allowed in our house without an invitation.
· Then whether or not I wanted to have more kids because “you’re still young”
· and if not, did I use an IUD. (Really.) If not, what did I use? (Try getting out of that one.)
· She ended with the fact that our kids are beautiful and handsome because my “suami” or husband and I are beautiful and handsome. (Good note to end on...;) )

Whew – all of that in the trade language. My brain hurts! Anyway, please continue praying for me as I develop relationships with the ladies in our neighborhood. I’m looking forward to the next okumene (believing ladies meeting) next month and the Ibu-Ibu meeting is on Wednesday afternoon, so that’s coming up soon. Thanks for your prayers!