Ramadan starts at sundown. You may ask why I find this interesting since it’s my third year in Indonesia. Actually, it’s the first time I haven’t been in a Christian majority city during Ramadan. The only time I knew that some students were Muslim is when they were discussing their plans to break the day’s fast. Now, the whole university will be fasting while I sneak my lunch and drinks in private. My four o’clock class will be cut down from 1.5 hours per session to 1 hour per session. I’ve been told to expect less and less attendance as Ramadan advances and people start travelling to their hometowns for the Id al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan (I’ll be going to Bali and bought my ticket today!). I’ll also see how lively I can get the students after nearly a full day of fasting.
The teacher learning center I’m working on with several people may come to fruition soon! I’ve submitted the estimates for structural changes; I’ve submitted the purchasing lists for the guts of the center. I’ve even submitted the resource list of books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, and cassettes! Procurement has started already and the opening conference should take place before the end of the year. Orientations, workshops, and trainings will be held with the remainder of the money throughout the remainder of my contract. This should keep me (and my Indonesian colleagues) busier than usual. After all, I’ll need to work with them to develop workshops and trainings that they’ll be able to perform after I leave. There are some really dynamic instructors in Makassar that I look forward to working with.
Finally, I’ve put some photos up for September 2006. One photo snapped by myself of me in a new batik shirt and before and after photos of skin ailments. Not for the weak of stomach…