Toilets, choking, and a horse and buggy

It took me until now to figure out the bathrooms. They are always completely surfaced with tile, from floor to ceiling. Often, as in my host family's house, the toilet is right there with the shower. Or sometimes there is about a 3x3 foot water basin built into a corner. Sinks are always outside the door. A hose is attached to the toilet as well. I kept wondering why the entire room was always wet, and I thought the hose was in case the toilet plugged or something. Nope. The hose replaces the toilet paper (which I always had found lacking, and I had started carrying my own tissues with me). Once you're done with your business...you just hose yourself down. And hence the water everywhere. Oh, and you aren't allowed to wear shoes in the bathrooms, unless they are public. In the airport and in the housekeeper's area of the house, the bathrooms are a little different. There is no seat. You stand over a porcelain hole. This is really going to take some getting used to, and for now, I am still clinging to my tissues.

Another cultural point is the presence of a housekeeper and a driver in my host family. They are kept separate from everyone else—they eat last, or at a different table when we eat out. They are there to serve you, and you aren't expected to involve them in common conversation.

Before entering any house, or each room or bathroom in the school, you are expected to remove your shoes. Floors are always a smooth tile, and are usually kept very clean. Doors are kept open, and there is even a section of the ceiling that is open in my host family's house. Last night, a random cat was found meowing in the living room. It had just wandered in.

But, about today...

We took the students out for a walk around the block first thing in the morning. Once we got back inside, things were a little short of a nightmare. Five boys started to scream and cry and were trying to fight each other. Even the girls were running around like mad. At lunch, one boy started choking. I started shouting "He's choking! He's choking!" My rushed, panicked voice (and not the words hah) got the teacher's attention. But he ended up just reaching down his throat to pull out a sugary gummy ball. He was fine.

In the afternoon, Ocha, Ais, Akbar, Miss Indah, Vidia and I went to another Indonesian park. They are always characterized by statues of cartoons, fruits, or vegetables. The bathroom, for example, was inside a large apple. It was like this in the last amusement-type park we went to as well. Indonesian really like to take pictures with the tall, colorful objects. We took a ride in a traditional horse and buggy for a few blocks around the city. That was an interesting experience. We were riding among the cars, and with only two rickety wheels I kept thinking we were just going to break apart in the middle of the busy street.

People immediately recognize I'm not from Indonesia, and they always want to take pictures with me. Ocha was right about the celebrity thing. I'm wondering how many random pictures of me are floating around facebook...

I also got asked three more times today if I had a boyfriend. I was sitting in a cafe for lunch when a troop of police officers walked in for food. The first question they asked after they found out I was from America, was if I was still single! I guess this is another cultural difference that is hard to get used to.