Miss Harvey in Indonesia: School and Surabaya

I should also take some time to write about what it’s like living in Surabaya. Surabaya is Indonesia’s second largest city; about 4 or 5 million people live here. It’s sprawled out like western suburbs in America. Not unlike the city of Denver actually the way it is sprawled out, but houses are tiny (according to American standards), there are no yards, and many people are packed in tightly. Many people from smaller cities, towns and villages only come to Surabaya to work temporarily and travel between their home and the big city. Surabaya is not touristy and not a place of real interest to tourists, although its prime location and history as a significant port city make it an ideal place for expats to have their primary residence. There are countless malls, which are extremely large and full of western stores and food options (although not as tasty…) and a U.S. consulate is located just outside the city in a neighborhood nicknamed for its resemblance to Singapore, i.e. there are no poor people and less garbage as people can afford to have it removed and their lawns manicured.

As crowded as it is, I prefer living in Surabaya. There are international organizations working in the city, which I volunteer with, and in general so many more opportunities to collaborate with Indonesians and do work that feels important and useful. I already spent two years having the Peace Corps lifestyle, I wanted, and needed, something different.

I don’t think many Americans I know would like Surabaya. However, it has a lot to offer someone like me, and it was a perfect fit. I can accomplish the goals of a Fulbright ETA as well as my own personal goals during the grant period.

One of the many malls in Surabaya.

Plenty of places to eat in the mall...

House of Sampoerna family house. (as in Sampoerna cigarettes)

Dance Dance Revolution Competition. Check out the crowd!

Now school!

Teaching in Indonesia is very similar to teaching in the Republic of Georgia. Basically, it’s like teaching everywhere. Teenagers are the same anywhere—they have boyfriends and girlfriends, don’t want to do homework, want to cheat on tests, and only want to talk about movies and pop music. However, Indonesian students seem quieter, truly respect their teachers, and generally act younger than their age.

I am impressed with the quality of teachers at SMA Khadijah. Many teachers speak conversational English (making my life much easier) and work harder than most people in the city. The teachers get to school at around 6:00am before school starts (starts at 6:30am) and stay after afternoon lessons finish, often not leaving for home until 4:00 or 5:00pm. Most of the teachers live far away from school sometimes traveling for two hours one-way to get to work. School is Monday – Saturday and everyone rests on Sunday.

Work is a time to work, but also to socialize. Although my school is a private Islamic school, teachers and students alike have plenty of time to socialize with their friends and strengthen the close community bond they have by praying together several times a day. Some students participate in additional Cambridge classes where they are taught their school subjects according to the Cambridge International Curriculum. Of course, this requires passing extra exams and increased school payments, but teachers and students use the Cambridge system in the hope of getting certificates that can be used when and if they apply to international schools for college or study exchange. These certificates can also improve their chances of acceptance at some prestigious Indonesian universities (or so they tell me).

My average workday begins at 5:45am when I wake up, get ready for classes and leave for school at 6:30am. I arrive around 6:45am, just after morning prayers end and begin teaching classes. I teach English to around 200 10^th grade students, who are speaking English as a third or fourth language, after Javanese, Indonesian, and Arabic. I have anywhere from two to four 90 minute classes throughout each day and usually go home around 3:00 or 4:00pm. These long days make me extremely tired and I spend the evenings relaxing by reading, talking to friends, going to the mall, watching TV, or looking up jobs to apply to. On weekends, I might collaborate with Education USA and teach writing workshops to university students, or volunteer with World Vision to teach underprivileged Maduranese (people from the island of Madura) children about health and English. This is how I spend my time!