an entry somewhere else

Today was a long day. I was invited to attend a function in Makassar put together by the Alumni of American programs. I’m not exactly sure what the purpose of the one-day conference was but I was requested to have a two-hour breakout session. Fair enough. It would help me network with my target population for the resource center I’m setting up at the behest of the powers that be. Anyhow, the times get twisted this way and that and somebody else doesn’t show up. I get a breakout session of 40 teachers in a room that sits 20 comfortably. Overally, it went well as I made some suggestions for using groups in their large, multilevel classes. Plus, I made them fill out a needs questionnaire to aid me in determining programming. Slick, I know.

After that, I had dinner with my former colleague and now Executive Director of Fulbright programs in Indonesia and the Rector/President of my university. What really put a spike on the evening was the fact that the President of Indonesia was staying in the same hotel we were eating. I did my duty and stood in the small throng of people who lined the area from the entrance of the hotel to the elevator and saw the man in the flesh. Wooooo! It also turned out that the Rector of UIN also knows the Presidential Spokesman and we got to meet him as well. He came down in his civvies and quickly downed a lime juice before heading off to a family member’s house. This may be my only brush with fame here. I probably wouldn’t be able to recognize any other famous person in this country but the President or Vice-President.