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Dec 4 (2022) The Important Coconut
This was the view for my run this morning. The beaches are amazing and water is so clear. The Islanders are fighting to keep the palm oil company from planting on Enganno. To combat the rising tensions to bring palm oil to the island, they are looking for alternative ways to make money. They are…
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Nov 2 (2022) New Island, New Adventure–Enggano
Last week Bangka Island. This week Enggano. Enggano is the most remote island on which I have stayed overnight. No internet. Really glad I loaded my Indonesian phone with credits so I can stay in touch. I use it as an internet hotspot. The choices for getting here are a flight or a ferry. The…
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Nov 18-26 (2022) Teacher Workshop on Bangka
Woooooooo!!! Last week was long and busy. Two weeks ago, I explained I was purchasing binoculars and iPads for a teacher workshop. I finally got them! I received a U.S. Embassy/Jakarta grant to support a workshop for 42 science teachers on Bangka Island, Indonesia. The workshop seemed to be a success! Below is an outline…
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Nov 24 (2022) Happy Thanksgiving From a Real Turkey
Out for a run this morning and was greeted by this beauty. They do not eat turkey. They believe they are beautiful and for eating, Happy Thanksgiving!!
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Nov 17 (2022) If Bushnell & Nikon & Apple Knew
In Jakarta, Indonesia all week. I am leading a team of people from various institutions (University of Bengkulu, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Coastal Carolina University, Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Puding Besar Senior High School) to do a workshop for Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri 1 Puding Besar Senior High School in Bangka Belitung Province. Map below shows…
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Nov 11 (2022) My House Smells Like Love!
Daily life. So boring. Not really. Every day is an adventure! We just need to pay attention. Spent this week at home. Walked around town. Bought some groceries. All of the fresh fruits/veggies cost me $3.00 at the native market (not the grocery store). This would cost me way more at home. Here the average…
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Nov 2-5 (2022) Going Back in Time, Words of Wisdom, & New Use for a Toothbrush
It was like going back in time … I went back to the Serawai tribe I previously visited. If you are interested in comparing how we all looked then vs. now you can take a look here. I spent New Year’s Eve and Day with this family in 2020. Putra (son) was my translator then.…
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Oct 27-30 (2022) When You Play You Pay!!
First, I will talk about the Play because that is the best part! This weekend I followed Abdul to a conference in Lombok. I went for fun. He was there to work. I stayed in a different hotel further down the island. I wanted peace and quiet and a hot shower! Lombok is an Indonesian…
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Oct 25-26 (2022) Fair and Rafflesia: Checking Off the Bucket List
Friday the University of Benguklu’s (university where I am working) College of Education had a fair and singing competition. I visited all of the booths. The students designed and worked the booths. Each department had a booth–English, Physical Education, Biology, Chemistry, etc. The Art Education booth was really interesting. The students were so excited one…
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Oct 25 (2022) Dead as a Fish in a Cement Pond
Sunday I went to my colleagues house for a working fish fry. Behind his house, he built a student/parent community center. Sunday his students and I put up a white board and covered the floor. OK, so his students worked and I mostly watched. They would not let me do anything. I think it was…