#1

Selamat datang blog saya! Welcome to my blog!
It's new. I've never blogged before but I think it's like journaling, only a little less melodrama -entertaining and educational. I dedicate my first entry to the best blogger I know, shaungray who should and will no doubt will one day be published somewhere beyond meager blogspot.
Why am I here? To keep in touch with all of you. I'm starting now because 4 months from now I won't be able to visit or call you up. I'll be posted somewhere in (probably rural) Indonesia, teaching English and studying music through a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (from here on out, ETA). It's going to be an incredible year, and this is how I'll be sharing it.
Another reason to start writing (um, i mean blogging) now is because there are other fun things happening, and hopefully I'll be learning a little something about Indonesia before I get there...
Actually I've already been preparing for awhile now.
One spring ago I called up the SEAsian Center and started volunteering there.
I was like I want to teach English!
and they were like Great we need you!
and I was like I want to teach Indonesian youth!
and they were like Um, we don't have any Indonesians. And we don't teach youth.
dangit.
So I teach once a week in a class of mostly Vietnamese and Chinese people. Median student age somewhere north of 55. I also tutor a friend of mine named Yun. She's a little more youthful, but she's definitely not Indonesian. Just goes to show that even though reality doesn't turn out like the blueprints, good things come from stepping out and giving life a chance to surprise you.
So now I am actually going to teach English to Indonesian youth. Me and my guitar. And I'll be studying Indonesian music while I'm there as well, although what that will look like is still a blueprint (so who can say what it'll be like). No doubt life will continue to surprise...
particularly if people actually read this! If you're trying to figure out if you'll ever come back to http://indoyear.blogspot.com again -here's the plan for what's to come:
the next 3 months: stream of consciousness, stories, fun stuff about indonesia & updates on my music project (littlethings),
august: goodbyes & culture shock
september: teaching shock

(but that's all just a blueprint anyway)
So till next time,
Selamat tinggal! Stay blessed!