Our day usually begins with Mia or Sara waking me up around 6:30am. On school days, I will then spend five or ten minutes trying to wake Katie up. Yes, she is slowly morphing into a teenager. Breakfast usually consists of home-made bread and peanut butter, for the girls, or cinnamon buns, for me. Occasionally we will have instant noodles, but Lori doesn't approve of the MSG in them. I, on the other hand, am a big fan of MSG, and any other spice that makes food taste great. Apparently, Lori likes her food boring and bland. But that is a different post.
On school days, the oldest two girls have to be ready to leave the house by 7:30. The girls have to wear school uniforms. The regular uniform is a crested blue polo shirt with either beige pants or skirt. However, the P.E. uniform is a red T-shirt with blue shorts, so at 7:15 we are running around trying to figure out whether this is a P.E. day and where the appropriate clothes are. The girls don't take a lunch. An Indonesian woman who lives near the school has set up a service where she offers lunches for students. The menu is a mix of Indonesian and other kinds of dishes, including spaghetti and hot dogs. However, the girls do need to take along drinks and snacks, so at 7:25 we are running around trying to get hair combed, bottles filled with water, and snacks that make everyone happy. The early part of our mornings tends to involve a fair amount of running around.
We share school-driving duties with a neighbour family who have a boy and girl also attending the International school. Some days I drive the kids to school, other days I pick them up. The other MCC family in Jogja have a girl also attending the school, so we pick her up on the way. We arrive at school, then, with five kids, which is quite a sight given that the school doesn't have more than fifty students.
(I will try and encourage Katie and Mia to write something about their day at school.)
If I am driving the kids to school, I tend to get back home shortly after 8am. I usually aim to be in my office by 9am, so I have to leave the house by 8:30. To this point, all my classes have been in the morning, starting around 9:30. Classes tend to be about 2 hours long. The undergraduate course was in a different building in a classroom with no air conditioning or fans. It was hot. I told the other professor that I would never teach another course in that building unless the classroom had A/C or a fan. I was joking. But not really. Fortunately, my other class was in a room with A/C, in the same building as my office. I tend to work in my office till noon and then walk home.
(I will try and encourage Lori to post something about her work.)
Lunch in our home is starting to become regular now. The menu includes fried rice, soup with rice and noodles, rice with peanut sauce and toppings that include potato, bean sprouts, and egg. We also have hamburgers and french fries, baked potato, and tortillas. Recently we added a mixed curry salad. Every meal has fresh fruit, including pineapple, watermelon, or papaya, and vegetables, including carrots, cucumbers. We have also started to enjoy a vegetable that is here called bengkuang, but is apparently also called Jicama. Occasionally we will have corn on the cob.
Our afternoons don't have a routine. If it is my turn to pick the kids up from school, that needs to be done at 2pm. I rarely go to my office but try to work at home. The girls will do their homework and then play with friends or watch videos. This is also the time we try to do shopping or run errands.
Supper tends to be around 5 or 5:30. This meal is almost always leftovers from lunch.
After supper, it is time for baths. Indonesians tend to bathe twice a day, first thing in the morning and then in the late afternoon. After baths, the girls will watch videos or we will read books together. We try to have them in bed by 8pm, though they are allowed to read or play quietly in bed.
Lori and I will then watch videos. We have worked our way through all the seasons of the TV shows 'Monk', 'The Unit', and the U.S. version of 'The Office'. Occasionally we will watch a movie but usually we don't have enough time.
Our days tend to be full but not busy. We have developed a comfortable daily routine that has allowed us to enjoy life here in Indonesia.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Prambanan
While the Yogyakarta area is now overwhelmingly Muslim, traditionally it was a mix of Buddhist and Hindu. Two of the largest tourists sites in the Jogja area are the Buddhist temples at Borobudur and the Hindu temples at Prambanan. Today we visited Prambanan with fellow MCCers from Jogja.
Pramabanan, which was built around 900 A.D., is comprised of three large temples to the Hindu gods Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, surrounded by several hundred smaller temples. All these smaller temples have collapsed while the larger temples were damaged by the earthquake in 2006. Because of the damage, the buildings are structurally unsafe and therefore people are not allowed in or around them. The buildings are very impressive and we were disappointed we couldn't get closer.
We arrived at Prambanan around 10:00am, which was too late, so it was hot and the kids were not happy with the tour part of the visit. However, there was a play and picnic area, which the kids did enjoy.
One of the things that has become increasingly annoying for us in Indonesia is the attention our two youngest kids receive. This attention includes strangers blocking our way so that they can take pictures of the kids with their cellphones or asking us to stop so that other people can take their picture with us. This was a problem at Prambanan and I took a picture of the crowd of people following Lori and the kids.
We have had a stream of people staying at our house the past few days. First, Katie and her friend from school had a sleepover. Then friends of ours from Salatiga have been here for the weekend. She is Malaysian and works with MCC while he is from New Zealand and is working on a Ph.D. in Anthropolgy. It has been a lot of fun.
See the pictures for more.
Phil
Pramabanan, which was built around 900 A.D., is comprised of three large temples to the Hindu gods Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, surrounded by several hundred smaller temples. All these smaller temples have collapsed while the larger temples were damaged by the earthquake in 2006. Because of the damage, the buildings are structurally unsafe and therefore people are not allowed in or around them. The buildings are very impressive and we were disappointed we couldn't get closer.
We arrived at Prambanan around 10:00am, which was too late, so it was hot and the kids were not happy with the tour part of the visit. However, there was a play and picnic area, which the kids did enjoy.
One of the things that has become increasingly annoying for us in Indonesia is the attention our two youngest kids receive. This attention includes strangers blocking our way so that they can take pictures of the kids with their cellphones or asking us to stop so that other people can take their picture with us. This was a problem at Prambanan and I took a picture of the crowd of people following Lori and the kids.
We have had a stream of people staying at our house the past few days. First, Katie and her friend from school had a sleepover. Then friends of ours from Salatiga have been here for the weekend. She is Malaysian and works with MCC while he is from New Zealand and is working on a Ph.D. in Anthropolgy. It has been a lot of fun.
See the pictures for more.
Phil
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Detritus
The rainy season is over. I suppose it was over a couple of weeks ago when suddenly the humidity dropped by about 20 percent and the evenings were cooler. We still had rain occasionally, but it has pretty much stopped now. The days are still hot, getting into the low to mid 30s, but a regular breeze has started. Most importantly, it is drier and our clothes dry the same day they are washed.
The bad side of things being drier is that Indonesians now start burning all the vegetation that wouldn't burn during the rains. One can't walk anywhere without seeing and smelling burning leaves. I have heard stories that Singapore and Malaysia regularly complain to the Indonesian government regarding the smoke that drifts over. I don't know of any reasonable alternative. Leaving the growth on the ground encourages pests and snakes.
I am appreciating the more comfortable weather since my walk to work has gotten longer. The university has locked its front gates so that all traffic now has to enter from a different street on the other side of the campus. The reason I have heard for closing the gates was that since there has been an increase in theft on campus, having only one access point will deter thieves. The logic escapes me. Both entrances had security posts and since closing the front gate, security has not been tightened at the remaining post. If the thieves walked out before, they walked past the same level of security that is in place now. It would not be unreasonable to suspect that a bureaucrat felt the need to demonstrate that they were doing something about the problem. Personally, I think the gates were closed to give me a hard time. Instead of 20 minutes at a brisk pace, it now takes me 30 minutes to get to work.
My Intro. to Philosophy course finished last week. We had a good group of students and I really enjoyed the discussions. I finished the course with three classes on Nietzsche, Freud and Wittgenstein. Those classes were hard work. I am midway through my Religion and Democracy grad course, which will finish the beginning of June. The students are now giving seminar presentations and I am learning quite a bit about Islam and politics in Indonesia. In June, I begin teaching an intensive summer course at Gadjah Madah University in the Center for Religion and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), which is the Master's program for Religious Studies at UGM. The course will be on Post-Modernism and I will teach it with a fellow MCCer who is seconded to CRCS. The class should be really interesting but it also leaves me with a very short break before classes at UIN begin in August.
Finally, I preached my first sermon here in Indonesia. Today is Trinity Sunday so I decided to do a teaching sermon on the Trinity. I gave time after my 'sermon' for questions and discussion, and there was some good interaction. What made it memorable was that as the worship leader came up to the front, she loudly announced 'Well, that was confusing.'
Phil
The bad side of things being drier is that Indonesians now start burning all the vegetation that wouldn't burn during the rains. One can't walk anywhere without seeing and smelling burning leaves. I have heard stories that Singapore and Malaysia regularly complain to the Indonesian government regarding the smoke that drifts over. I don't know of any reasonable alternative. Leaving the growth on the ground encourages pests and snakes.
I am appreciating the more comfortable weather since my walk to work has gotten longer. The university has locked its front gates so that all traffic now has to enter from a different street on the other side of the campus. The reason I have heard for closing the gates was that since there has been an increase in theft on campus, having only one access point will deter thieves. The logic escapes me. Both entrances had security posts and since closing the front gate, security has not been tightened at the remaining post. If the thieves walked out before, they walked past the same level of security that is in place now. It would not be unreasonable to suspect that a bureaucrat felt the need to demonstrate that they were doing something about the problem. Personally, I think the gates were closed to give me a hard time. Instead of 20 minutes at a brisk pace, it now takes me 30 minutes to get to work.
My Intro. to Philosophy course finished last week. We had a good group of students and I really enjoyed the discussions. I finished the course with three classes on Nietzsche, Freud and Wittgenstein. Those classes were hard work. I am midway through my Religion and Democracy grad course, which will finish the beginning of June. The students are now giving seminar presentations and I am learning quite a bit about Islam and politics in Indonesia. In June, I begin teaching an intensive summer course at Gadjah Madah University in the Center for Religion and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), which is the Master's program for Religious Studies at UGM. The course will be on Post-Modernism and I will teach it with a fellow MCCer who is seconded to CRCS. The class should be really interesting but it also leaves me with a very short break before classes at UIN begin in August.
Finally, I preached my first sermon here in Indonesia. Today is Trinity Sunday so I decided to do a teaching sermon on the Trinity. I gave time after my 'sermon' for questions and discussion, and there was some good interaction. What made it memorable was that as the worship leader came up to the front, she loudly announced 'Well, that was confusing.'
Phil
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Islamic Education
A debate is going on within Islamic circles here in Indonesia regarding the nature of Islamic education. Actually, this debate is similar to debates going on in Islamic communities throughout the world, and the debate in Indonesia is influenced, in part, by these other debates, particularly the one going on in Egypt. (Al Azhar university in Cairo had been a model for Islamic universities in Indonesia and the changes at Al Azhar influenced the development of UINs in Indonesia.)
With the foundation of an independent Indonesia, there also came the formation of Islamic institutes of higher learning. These institutions, known as IAINs (State Institute of Islamic Studies), were established throughout the country with the intent of providing an explicitly Islamic education, distinct from the education students would receive at 'secular' institutions such as the University of Indonesia. Faculties included the study of Arabic, Sharia (Islamic law), Koranic interpretation and Islamic propagation. With the spread of these IAINs, the development of pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools), and the establishment of Islamic courts, there was a need for religious teachers and scholars. However, as a saturation point was reached, the need for religious teachers became less. At the same time, Indonesia started to be influenced by the development that was sweeping South East Asia and there then grew a multitude of opportunities for young people to become involved in business and technology. The consequence for the IAINs was a marked decrease in enrollment, with in some cases, a complete lack of interest.
The two main IAINs, Jakarta and Yogyakarta, decided to expand to include non-traditional subjects such as the hard and social sciences. In order to accommodate this change, the institutions altered their identities, becoming UINs (State Islamic universities). However, in order to maintain their Islamic identity, the institutions adopted the mantra of pursuing the 'Islamasization' of knowledge. So-called 'secular' subjects would be taught with an Islamic perspective. There was little thought given to what this might look like and in practice it often involved combining Koranic texts with course material. Given their recent development and mixed mandate, these faculties are at a disadvantage in competing with the well-established programs at UI and University of Gadjah Mada. The government has intervened by heavily subsidizing the UIN programs so that they are, in relative terms, very inexpensive.
The debate in Indonesia, therefore, has two competing focal points. First, should these institutions of Islamic higher education include 'secular' subjects or should they focus solely on the Islamic sciences? Second, how can these religious institutions remain viable given declining interest in an exclusively religious education? UIN Yogyakarta is a curious institution resulting from these two competing forces. Combined with faculties in Information Technology and Science, and Social Sciences, are faculties in Sharia, Ushulludin (Islamic Theology), and Dakwah (Missions). It therefore has a curious split identity between a very modern streak, as represented by the faculty of science and my own presence, and a very traditionalist streak.
As I said before, this debate is not peculiar to Indonesia and has raged in such iconic institutions as Al Azhar. In many ways, this debate is about the role of Islam in the world today and so it is a particularly important discussion for many people, whether they are Muslim or not.
With the foundation of an independent Indonesia, there also came the formation of Islamic institutes of higher learning. These institutions, known as IAINs (State Institute of Islamic Studies), were established throughout the country with the intent of providing an explicitly Islamic education, distinct from the education students would receive at 'secular' institutions such as the University of Indonesia. Faculties included the study of Arabic, Sharia (Islamic law), Koranic interpretation and Islamic propagation. With the spread of these IAINs, the development of pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools), and the establishment of Islamic courts, there was a need for religious teachers and scholars. However, as a saturation point was reached, the need for religious teachers became less. At the same time, Indonesia started to be influenced by the development that was sweeping South East Asia and there then grew a multitude of opportunities for young people to become involved in business and technology. The consequence for the IAINs was a marked decrease in enrollment, with in some cases, a complete lack of interest.
The two main IAINs, Jakarta and Yogyakarta, decided to expand to include non-traditional subjects such as the hard and social sciences. In order to accommodate this change, the institutions altered their identities, becoming UINs (State Islamic universities). However, in order to maintain their Islamic identity, the institutions adopted the mantra of pursuing the 'Islamasization' of knowledge. So-called 'secular' subjects would be taught with an Islamic perspective. There was little thought given to what this might look like and in practice it often involved combining Koranic texts with course material. Given their recent development and mixed mandate, these faculties are at a disadvantage in competing with the well-established programs at UI and University of Gadjah Mada. The government has intervened by heavily subsidizing the UIN programs so that they are, in relative terms, very inexpensive.
The debate in Indonesia, therefore, has two competing focal points. First, should these institutions of Islamic higher education include 'secular' subjects or should they focus solely on the Islamic sciences? Second, how can these religious institutions remain viable given declining interest in an exclusively religious education? UIN Yogyakarta is a curious institution resulting from these two competing forces. Combined with faculties in Information Technology and Science, and Social Sciences, are faculties in Sharia, Ushulludin (Islamic Theology), and Dakwah (Missions). It therefore has a curious split identity between a very modern streak, as represented by the faculty of science and my own presence, and a very traditionalist streak.
As I said before, this debate is not peculiar to Indonesia and has raged in such iconic institutions as Al Azhar. In many ways, this debate is about the role of Islam in the world today and so it is a particularly important discussion for many people, whether they are Muslim or not.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Visit to an Islamic Elementary school
This morning, Katie and I visited an Islamic Elementary school. Today is Saturday and here in Indonesia, almost all public schools run Monday through Saturday. UIN also had scheduled classes on Saturday but that changed last year, thankfully. Our connection to the school is a bit convoluted. A doctoral student at UIN has a friend whose wife is the headmistress of a newly-founded Islamic Elementary school. None of the students at this school had ever met a Westerner and she wanted to encourage the students to be more committed to learning English. She hoped that by meeting a Westerner, they might be a bit more inspired. I asked (read: forced) Katie to join me so that the students could see someone their own age, but also, and more importantly, I wanted Katie to see what an ordinary Indonesian, and Islamic, school looked like. To this point, Katie has only experienced International schools, which are quite different from Indonesian public schools.
The school has been operating for five years and so only has grades 1-5. In Indonesia, they are not called grades but classes. The school is an Indonesian Islamic public school. In Indonesia there are three streams of education. The first stream is made up of public schools that have no religious teaching included in their core curriculum. If there is religious teaching in this stream, it must include the teachings of at least two of the official religions of Indonesia, Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. So, such a class would be something like a World Religions course. The second stream is made up of special public schools that include religious education in their core curriculum and so are Christian schools, or Islamic schools, etc. These schools are not required to teach other religions. The third stream is made up of private religious schools that are devoted primarily to religious education. These schools, which are almost all Islamic, are called pesantrans, or madrassa, and are led by a kyai, a religious teacher. Those who graduate from this third stream are generally not qualified to continue their studies in post-secondary institutions since their education is almost exclusively religious. Lately, however, in the face of declining enrollment, pesantrans have been including curriculum from the public school system so that graduates can be eligible to attend university.
The school we visited is an Islamic public school that mixes a public school curriculum with Islamic education, which includes learning to read and write Arabic, as well as memorizing the Koran. All the teachers have an undergraduate degree in education from one of the main universities here in Jogja. The students come from the neighbourhood. Tuition is Rp60.000 per month which translates to about $7CDN. This tuition includes lunch. Classes begin at 7am and finish at 2pm, with two breaks. The school has just over 40 students and includes both boys and girls. The school is building a new structure nearby since the building they are in now was damaged by an earthquake two years ago. Classes 1 and 2 have their own rooms, since they are larger groups, while Classes 3,4 and 5 share a single large room separated by dividers. Also in this room is the teachers' 'offices'. There is a play area in front of the school with several play structures but not much room.
We spent most of our time with Classes 3-5, who have the most English training. We began by introducing ourselves and having each of the children introduce themselves to us. This was great fun and filled with much laughing and giggling. Then I taught the students the song 'Mary had a little lamb'. After they were able to sing it by themselves, they sang 'Are you sleeping?', which they already knew. This was a bit of an odd experience for me because I could only think of the French version of the song. After we finished with these classes, we visited Class 2, who were busy learning how to write/draw Arabic. Up to this point, the girls had been very shy, pointing at Katie from a distance. But as it became clear that we were leaving, the girls swarmed around Katie, shaking her hand, and asking her all sorts of questions about where she lived and went to school. I know Katie felt awkward and conspicuous, but I hope she gained a bit better understanding of Indonesian life.
Our hosts were very generous and welcoming and we had a wonderful time. I am not sure how much good we did for the school, but I know that Katie and I received something special.
(See Webalbum for pictures.)
Phil
The school has been operating for five years and so only has grades 1-5. In Indonesia, they are not called grades but classes. The school is an Indonesian Islamic public school. In Indonesia there are three streams of education. The first stream is made up of public schools that have no religious teaching included in their core curriculum. If there is religious teaching in this stream, it must include the teachings of at least two of the official religions of Indonesia, Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. So, such a class would be something like a World Religions course. The second stream is made up of special public schools that include religious education in their core curriculum and so are Christian schools, or Islamic schools, etc. These schools are not required to teach other religions. The third stream is made up of private religious schools that are devoted primarily to religious education. These schools, which are almost all Islamic, are called pesantrans, or madrassa, and are led by a kyai, a religious teacher. Those who graduate from this third stream are generally not qualified to continue their studies in post-secondary institutions since their education is almost exclusively religious. Lately, however, in the face of declining enrollment, pesantrans have been including curriculum from the public school system so that graduates can be eligible to attend university.
The school we visited is an Islamic public school that mixes a public school curriculum with Islamic education, which includes learning to read and write Arabic, as well as memorizing the Koran. All the teachers have an undergraduate degree in education from one of the main universities here in Jogja. The students come from the neighbourhood. Tuition is Rp60.000 per month which translates to about $7CDN. This tuition includes lunch. Classes begin at 7am and finish at 2pm, with two breaks. The school has just over 40 students and includes both boys and girls. The school is building a new structure nearby since the building they are in now was damaged by an earthquake two years ago. Classes 1 and 2 have their own rooms, since they are larger groups, while Classes 3,4 and 5 share a single large room separated by dividers. Also in this room is the teachers' 'offices'. There is a play area in front of the school with several play structures but not much room.
We spent most of our time with Classes 3-5, who have the most English training. We began by introducing ourselves and having each of the children introduce themselves to us. This was great fun and filled with much laughing and giggling. Then I taught the students the song 'Mary had a little lamb'. After they were able to sing it by themselves, they sang 'Are you sleeping?', which they already knew. This was a bit of an odd experience for me because I could only think of the French version of the song. After we finished with these classes, we visited Class 2, who were busy learning how to write/draw Arabic. Up to this point, the girls had been very shy, pointing at Katie from a distance. But as it became clear that we were leaving, the girls swarmed around Katie, shaking her hand, and asking her all sorts of questions about where she lived and went to school. I know Katie felt awkward and conspicuous, but I hope she gained a bit better understanding of Indonesian life.
Our hosts were very generous and welcoming and we had a wonderful time. I am not sure how much good we did for the school, but I know that Katie and I received something special.
(See Webalbum for pictures.)
Phil
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The End of Rainy Season
It is still raining. Apparently the rainy season is supposed to be done by the end of March but the humidity remains in the high 80s and it rains every day. One thing that has changed is that the nights are cooler, it may drop down to 26C or 27C, but during the day the temperature is still in the low 30s. In one part of our house, where we don't have fans running, the temperature is 31C.
For the most part, it isn't a big deal that the rainy season continues. One plans on the fact that it will rain late in the afternoon and perhaps in the evening. We try to walk as much as possible so if there is somewhere we have to go, we plan on doing it sometime earlier in the day. And I love thunderstorms. For a while, we had great thunderstorms three or four times a week. Around our place, there is very little wind so the rain falls straight down and creates a nice breeze around the house. The other day we had a thunderstorm that knocked out the electricity. While I sat on our back veranda the girls played in the rain. (The Indonesians are troubled that I let our kids play in the rain. They believe that getting rain on one's head leads to one having 'angin', which is usually translated as 'wind'. But in this case, 'angin' means something like a cold or flu or general internal distress. So there are many advertisements for medicine that cure 'angin', which doesn't mean what one might think if 'angin' means 'wind'. Anyways, the Indonesians don't like that our kids play in the rain and our helpers are not impressed with this aspect of my parenting skills. But the kids love it.) The rain was so heavy that it overflowed the gutters and flooded the back yard, making great puddles for the girls to splash in. If that was all, the rainy season would be great.
However, when it rains every afternoon, and the humidity is in the high 80s, and one air drys ones clothes, it means that clothes take more than one day to dry. I really am getting tired of wearing almost dry clothes. And it's a problem because Katie and Mia have school uniforms that are either dirty or not quite dry. Every morning I have to evaluate whether uniforms are dry enough or clean enough. I look forward to those days when our clothes dry the same day they are washed.
I have been told that when the rainy season finishes, it won't rain again for four or five months. I remember there being no rain through September and most of October but given the climate I would be surprised if there was no rain for several months. In Nigeria we had dry seasons that lasted half the year and it literally did not rain for five or six months, but it was bone dry. It just seems too tropical for there to be no rain. And apparently it gets hotter. I hope the humidity drops so it is more comfortable in the shade. I can't say I am looking forward to higher temperatures with this humidity.
But all this interest in the weather is such a Canadian thing. Just like Nigerians, Indonesians aren't interested in the weather except if it is of the disaster sort. In large part this disinterest is due to the fact that there are only two seasons and very little variation. But I like a change in seasons and having weather. I found it a bit disorienting when I would realize that it was January or February and too hot to take a walk outside. On the other hand, the kids love the fact that they can just run outside and jump on their bikes.
For the most part, it isn't a big deal that the rainy season continues. One plans on the fact that it will rain late in the afternoon and perhaps in the evening. We try to walk as much as possible so if there is somewhere we have to go, we plan on doing it sometime earlier in the day. And I love thunderstorms. For a while, we had great thunderstorms three or four times a week. Around our place, there is very little wind so the rain falls straight down and creates a nice breeze around the house. The other day we had a thunderstorm that knocked out the electricity. While I sat on our back veranda the girls played in the rain. (The Indonesians are troubled that I let our kids play in the rain. They believe that getting rain on one's head leads to one having 'angin', which is usually translated as 'wind'. But in this case, 'angin' means something like a cold or flu or general internal distress. So there are many advertisements for medicine that cure 'angin', which doesn't mean what one might think if 'angin' means 'wind'. Anyways, the Indonesians don't like that our kids play in the rain and our helpers are not impressed with this aspect of my parenting skills. But the kids love it.) The rain was so heavy that it overflowed the gutters and flooded the back yard, making great puddles for the girls to splash in. If that was all, the rainy season would be great.
However, when it rains every afternoon, and the humidity is in the high 80s, and one air drys ones clothes, it means that clothes take more than one day to dry. I really am getting tired of wearing almost dry clothes. And it's a problem because Katie and Mia have school uniforms that are either dirty or not quite dry. Every morning I have to evaluate whether uniforms are dry enough or clean enough. I look forward to those days when our clothes dry the same day they are washed.
I have been told that when the rainy season finishes, it won't rain again for four or five months. I remember there being no rain through September and most of October but given the climate I would be surprised if there was no rain for several months. In Nigeria we had dry seasons that lasted half the year and it literally did not rain for five or six months, but it was bone dry. It just seems too tropical for there to be no rain. And apparently it gets hotter. I hope the humidity drops so it is more comfortable in the shade. I can't say I am looking forward to higher temperatures with this humidity.
But all this interest in the weather is such a Canadian thing. Just like Nigerians, Indonesians aren't interested in the weather except if it is of the disaster sort. In large part this disinterest is due to the fact that there are only two seasons and very little variation. But I like a change in seasons and having weather. I found it a bit disorienting when I would realize that it was January or February and too hot to take a walk outside. On the other hand, the kids love the fact that they can just run outside and jump on their bikes.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, 26 March, 2008
Last week and this week we are on mid-term break and I had hoped to do some preparation for a course I will start teaching in April. However we had the retreat in Bali last week and just before we left for Bali I was asked to give a presentation today for a monthly forum organized by the Faculty of Theology. The topic I was given was 'The Philosophy of Plato'. I wasn't able to do any preparation before Bali and so I had to rush something together since we returned.
This event represents one of the dilemmas I have. I am at the university as a Philosophy professor but I am sent to the university by MCC, and so I am trying to satisfy both. The obvious problem is how giving a discussion on the philosophy of Plato can be understood within my role as an MCCer. I can feel the skepticism of many Mennonites with the idea of MCC supporting a Philosophy professor.
What has happened is that I recognize several issues that might overlap the interests of both UIN and MCC. One such issue is that of the peaceful relationship between religion and political life. I have been assigned a graduate course on Global Issues and one of those issues is that of religion and public life. This is the course I will begin teaching soon and so I have yet to see how the students respond, but the material I am putting together will explore the ways in which religion and political life can peacefully relate.
I am hoping that this is in line with the expectations of both UIN and MCC. UIN is a relatively progressive Islamic institution and so I am hoping that in my class we can explore the issue of religion and politics, an issue that is particularly sensitive for Indonesians as well as Muslims. I am hoping that this also lives up to the expectations MCC had for me in creating my position. Because my position is such an unusual one, both for UIN and MCC, I am feeling my way through this.
So, I had the topic 'The Philosophy of Plato'. I decided to focus on the discussion of justice and politics in The Republic. I think my spiel went well but I had some interesting questions. One set of questions had to do with the relationship of my discussion to the politics in Indonesia. I try very hard not to make any direct connections, but only give material and tools for people to do their own reflections. There is a deep skepticism about politics here with the feeling being that it is too corrupt and that people who might be able to contribute something positive, like the some of the people here at UIN, are ignored. I tried to encourage them that being a positive example of political involvement can make a difference.
The second set of questions had to do with the relationship of philosophical reflection on justice and the teachings of Islam. Here I have to tread even more carefully. I make very clear that whatever I say, I say as a philosopher not a Christian, and that I am in no position to comment on Islamic thought. I simply present the material to the best of my ability and leave it up to the Islamic scholars to figure out if or how it connects.
For example, I presented Plato's argument that it is better to suffer injustice than to risk acting unjustly. I was told that in Islam there are times when it is permitted to kill and asked how this fit Plato's argument. I responded that, for Plato, there were very few if any conditions under which one could justly kill someone, and I gave his reasoning. This seemed to be an acceptable response though it was clear very few were buying it. I always try to be clear that I am not commenting on Islam but rather providing arguments for various positions.
The other question I had was how God fits into Plato's philosophy. This is a tricky one because I don't think God does fit in, or at least God as those of us in the Monotheistic traditions consider God. I therefore try to balance between giving an accurate account of Plato and making sure he isn't summarily dismissed. There is a stereotype among many Muslims that Western philosophy is atheistic and so I regularly get asked how God fits into the material I am teaching. I have the personal answer I give as a Christian, but I don't give that answer when I am teaching and I certainly don't give it when I am teaching here. As to the answer I give in my classes here, I tend to deflect it by pointing out that this isn't a theology class but a philosophy class and so I give a philosophical answer. The students are rarely satisfied because they want a theological answer. I am not sure I am satisfied either but at this point it is the safest answer as far as I can tell.
So, I had my forum on Plato and I think it went pretty well. I am hoping that with these sorts of events as well as through my teaching, I will be able to build enough of a reputation so that I can make some sort of difference. And I am hoping that this difference is of a kind that will satisfy UIN, MCC, and Mennonites back in N. America.
Phil
This event represents one of the dilemmas I have. I am at the university as a Philosophy professor but I am sent to the university by MCC, and so I am trying to satisfy both. The obvious problem is how giving a discussion on the philosophy of Plato can be understood within my role as an MCCer. I can feel the skepticism of many Mennonites with the idea of MCC supporting a Philosophy professor.
What has happened is that I recognize several issues that might overlap the interests of both UIN and MCC. One such issue is that of the peaceful relationship between religion and political life. I have been assigned a graduate course on Global Issues and one of those issues is that of religion and public life. This is the course I will begin teaching soon and so I have yet to see how the students respond, but the material I am putting together will explore the ways in which religion and political life can peacefully relate.
I am hoping that this is in line with the expectations of both UIN and MCC. UIN is a relatively progressive Islamic institution and so I am hoping that in my class we can explore the issue of religion and politics, an issue that is particularly sensitive for Indonesians as well as Muslims. I am hoping that this also lives up to the expectations MCC had for me in creating my position. Because my position is such an unusual one, both for UIN and MCC, I am feeling my way through this.
So, I had the topic 'The Philosophy of Plato'. I decided to focus on the discussion of justice and politics in The Republic. I think my spiel went well but I had some interesting questions. One set of questions had to do with the relationship of my discussion to the politics in Indonesia. I try very hard not to make any direct connections, but only give material and tools for people to do their own reflections. There is a deep skepticism about politics here with the feeling being that it is too corrupt and that people who might be able to contribute something positive, like the some of the people here at UIN, are ignored. I tried to encourage them that being a positive example of political involvement can make a difference.
The second set of questions had to do with the relationship of philosophical reflection on justice and the teachings of Islam. Here I have to tread even more carefully. I make very clear that whatever I say, I say as a philosopher not a Christian, and that I am in no position to comment on Islamic thought. I simply present the material to the best of my ability and leave it up to the Islamic scholars to figure out if or how it connects.
For example, I presented Plato's argument that it is better to suffer injustice than to risk acting unjustly. I was told that in Islam there are times when it is permitted to kill and asked how this fit Plato's argument. I responded that, for Plato, there were very few if any conditions under which one could justly kill someone, and I gave his reasoning. This seemed to be an acceptable response though it was clear very few were buying it. I always try to be clear that I am not commenting on Islam but rather providing arguments for various positions.
The other question I had was how God fits into Plato's philosophy. This is a tricky one because I don't think God does fit in, or at least God as those of us in the Monotheistic traditions consider God. I therefore try to balance between giving an accurate account of Plato and making sure he isn't summarily dismissed. There is a stereotype among many Muslims that Western philosophy is atheistic and so I regularly get asked how God fits into the material I am teaching. I have the personal answer I give as a Christian, but I don't give that answer when I am teaching and I certainly don't give it when I am teaching here. As to the answer I give in my classes here, I tend to deflect it by pointing out that this isn't a theology class but a philosophy class and so I give a philosophical answer. The students are rarely satisfied because they want a theological answer. I am not sure I am satisfied either but at this point it is the safest answer as far as I can tell.
So, I had my forum on Plato and I think it went pretty well. I am hoping that with these sorts of events as well as through my teaching, I will be able to build enough of a reputation so that I can make some sort of difference. And I am hoping that this difference is of a kind that will satisfy UIN, MCC, and Mennonites back in N. America.
Phil
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