India, first week

First day of expressive therapy workshop

It is now Wednesday. I’ve been back in India since Saturday. I find I am moving around the streets with more ease, going to the street kiosks to buy things that I need. (Yesterday I bought cough medicine; earlier, sponges, and soap to clean my apartment.) There are a couple of places nearby that I go to for breakfast (I often get Dosa with ghee, a traditional South Indian crepe type dish) and tea. The staff now know me well enough that I can walk in, and some one with a little bit of English is assigned to my table.

I have not learned the art of speaking Tamil;  it is a very challenging language to me, and, on top of that, not everyone speaks it. There is an interesting mix of languages here, so often people speak English to each other. Magdalene and I went to one of my favorite stores (Landmark) to buy art supplies. I get lost in their used book section. A bit Filenes basement, a bit K Mart…. its  my kinda place.

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In Chennai

Art Therapy Training 2009

I’m in Chennai. I spent a couple of hours this morning walking around and looking for internet potentials. It is Sunday and many Indian Christians are at church. Shops and cafes open late here, and stay open late, so I have a better chance of finding an Internet cafe this evening . I remembering a lot from my last trip, which is nice. It seems that more women are going less Indian, more Western, with fewer dupattas. While I’m dressing Indian, I’m doing in a more relaxed way, feeling less inhibited around being white skinned.

Also this morning I went to the store, got cleaning things, and scrubbed the apartment. I am staying at a flat that is part of a fertility clinic. The apartment needed a bit of work before I could truly settle in. Magdalene, my coordinator here,  is thrilled at how spacious it is and that it has hot water and A/C!

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Bali

I arrived in Denspensuar, Bali, late Thursday night. My tour guide (hired by the auntie of one of the faculty) picked me up at the airport, and took me to a villa that is privately owned in a quiet part of the city. The college in Salatiga generously, and kindly, paid for my hotel in Bali. I can only imagine what that cost them. The villa, composed of beautiful traditional  structures overlooking Bali, with the Indian Ocean in the distance, was filled with magnificent traditional Balinese furniture. The  pool was clear and clean, but between my cold, and the rain that fell more often than not, I never got to try the pool.

I was alone much of the time at the Villa. There were workmen, but I never saw other guests, or even the owners, even in the outdoor area near the pool, an area meant for use by the community. There was no wi-fi, so I was in a very quiet place  indeed.

The next day, My guide (Ranga) picked me up early and we went to a

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Java Training Photos

Here are  a few photos from the trainings on Java!

Tableau Story

Conducting Exercise!

Faculty Demonstrating Pairs

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Sightseeing in Indonesia

I have finished my first training with the faculty at the university (a rousing success with hopes of more training…) Yesterday, Berta and her family (Sigit her husband and Charlotte pronounced like the town ) took me on a full day tour of volcanoes and temples. It was an amazing experience, not only to see the sights, but to be able to spend 14 hours with this family that is so warm, intelligent (Charlotte, at eight,  has a strong command of English as she attends English school), and Indonesian.

We went to the Marapi Volcano which is still active. We left early, as Berta told me that it gets foggy at midday. The ride over was beautiful, passing through mountain villages and valleys. Indonesia is green, lush and quite pretty. Of course we arrived at 8 a.m., and of course, it was foggy. There was, however,  a museum and a film about the volcano, so we went to see the film.  Volcanoes are intense!  (I suppose living with volcanoes is just like us living with earthquakes and blizzards.) Many people apparently died just from the heat of the eruption in 2006. The ejected gas cloud can get up to 300 degrees. That’s hot!

Housing, which tends to be adobe style, small and compact, is often made from the sands of volcanoes, as the sand is so strong. Towns here are quite different from those in the U.S.,  but similar to other countries I’ve been in.  As with housing in other Asian countries, space is at a premium. 

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Arriving in Indonesia

Over all, except for the beginning (a major back up at JFK- that meant I missed my connecting flight – they say weather…. I’m wondering) the trip was smooth and fairly uneventful. Spending unexpected nights in hotels in New York and Jakarta allowed for rest (and a little sleep) which assist overcoming jet lag.

I found myself both calm, and flustered, by this experience. I was deeply aware of my internal world, which was working to process the changes. At the same time, I  was focused on just making sure I made it to my next flights. Regularly reminding myself to breathe, I thought,  “This too shall pass”, a mantra I teach my clients. It was time to practice what I preach! I bought a calling card and tried my coordinator in Semarang to no avail.  I kept dropping things, and left my sweater at security.

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Up, up and away!

In a few days I leave for Indonesia then, India. This is very exciting and also intensely challenging, as I am leaving everything that I know for a long period of time.  While much will be here when I come back, I am aware that there will be many changes when I do. My garden is full of veggies.  There are red tomatoes, leeks, broccoli, and lots of weirdly shaped (but great tasting!) carrots. We have basil, tarragon and oregano coming out of our ears.  And Mint! I am hopeful that people will help my husband eat much of it. I am also hoping to put up some more pasta sauce before I leave.

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