First International Flight...

Journal thoughts from my first international flight Monday, June 6, 2011 and Tuesday, June 7, 2011.

These were written somewhere over the world while on the Korean Air "Seoul" plane!

We are world travelers! During the plane ride I watched the highlights of the Pittsburgh Steelers becoming world champions in the Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan against the Seahawks! A lot of hard work got Jerome Bettus to play against the Seattle, Superhawks in his home town. So history has been made....four African American doctoral students  traveled to Indonesia to study abroad!  All of our individual experiences in life (personal and professional) afforded us the opportunity to shine while traveling with the group!:)

3 classes of seating on this plane....First Class, Prestige Class, then Economy Class.
Mint green seating greets you once you board the plane....Then you have 3 areas of sky blue seating for as far as you can see!  I believe I heard someone say that 550 passengers were aboard the flight.  As it turns out there was upstairs seating....I have no clue what color their seating was above us but I imagine a soothing color!
At 6 p.m. Iowa time we were half way to Seoul, Korea. As I look at the map (detailing our origination) I listen to Mary Mary and fully embrace the sounds of the song I Don't Believe that He Brought Me This Far To Leave Me.    With four hours remaining on the flight (9 hours had already passed) I feel the stuffiness of the plane and realize that we are crossing the Arctic Ocean. I took my Seoul plane complimentary slippers off for a refreshing cool wave of air on the sole of my feet.
 On June 7 we were aboard a 7+ hour flight with our legs stretched out in all 3 seats (for the first time ever) and I drooled! I completed my Customs Declaration for the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia Directorate General of Customs and Excise and a The Republic of Indonesia Arrival/Departure Card!
Now it is time to leave Indonesia today, June 21, 2011...So I just had an encounter....I was identified as a foreigner!  So, I took a photo and an immigration officer almost arrested me!  But hey....I got the photo, I will post it as soon as I can! Pray....I am on my way back to America.
See you at 3:40 p.m. at DSM. 

The last school visit in Jakarta, Indonesia

 

They treated us like the royalty that we are! I am humbled to get such a warm welcome!:)

I am wearing a ulos (pronounced Oo loos)  It means blessing for God or God bless You! A hand-woven ulos is given to couples when they marry!  It comes from North Sumatra, Indonesia.  I taught mathematics hear today and the students told me that I look like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey!  What do you think?

Toba Batak people performing a traditional dance, wearing ulos

Per Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ulos is the traditional cloth of the Batak people of North Sumatra. Different kinds of ulos have different ceremonial significance. The ulos is normally worn draped over the shoulder or shoulders, or in weddings to ceremonially bind the bride and groom together. Ulos are traditionally hand woven and in the case of higher-quality examples are significant family heirlooms, to be worn at important events, such as funerals and weddings.

I have rode in this golden chariot for the past 14 days (actually 13.5 days....one day the AC had to be repaired and we were given a different driver & during our last school visit the car broke down and we were given two drivers in two separate vehicles. :( ) in the streets of Indonesia.  We had a safe and competent driver named Midun (pronounced Mid Dune) in this golden chariot. He put my heart at ease most days.  Oh how I wish he spoke English!  He just laughs and smiles at us!

Now this is the group that I came to Indonesia with....I have superlatives to give out to them all!

Chad on the far left is actually Deacon Chad  Kee (he earned the name based on how he sings any song...gospel, R&B....it literally all has the same tone) from the Baptist church and affectionately known as Big Brother Chad (he has given me so much wisdom and set me straight).
Mary is affectionately known as Soul Sister and she gets the Purple Heart for always turning purple/red when we talk about anything extremely funny or embarrassing!
Katrina is Mrs. Indonesia because I will return with my family and friends and the Night Night Award (for all the off the wall comments that I say!
Kathleen has earned the International Trade Award because of her major and natural ability to embrace many cultures.
Cameron gets the Diplomat Award.
Aja gets the Best Impersonation Award "one for me and one for the driver!"
Bettina has earned the Linguistic Award she can speak Indonesian, Spanish, and English!
Agustina gets the Indonesian of the Year Award for arranging all the events that we had in Indonesia and for her personal translator/interpreter abilities.
Dr. Hagedorn gets the International Traveler of the Year Award.

Just what would my ancestors think of me today?

I have had many thoughts about my ancestors as I have studied abroad in Indonesia.  Just what would  Eddie Lane (my paternal great-grandmother, Queen Esther Harden (my paternal grandmother), Horatio Harden (my paternal grandfather), Hattie Mae Hudson (my maternal great-grandmother), Lawrence "Doc" Hudson (my paternal great-grandfather) Geraldine Taylor (my maternal grandmother), Lacey Taylor (my maternal great-grandmother), Lee Cester Taylor Sr. (my maternal grandfather affectionately known as Paw-Paw to me) and all those who I can not name!
I read a poem this morning by Nikki Giovanni that captured a portion of my thoughts and met a very wisdom filled Indonesian woman who spoke life into my journey through this life on Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the Jakarta Convention Center.

I Am A Mirror by Nikki Giovanni
I am a mirror
I reflect the grace of my mother
The tenacity of my grandmother
The patience of my grandfather
The sweat of my great-grandmother
The hope of my ancestors
The prayers of those on the auction block
The bravery of those in middle passage
I reflect the strengths of my people
And for that alone
I am loved

You see from the above poem just what I feel at this moment.....LOVE!  I know that this first study abroad trip is not just for me but for them (those in the past, the present, and the future to come)!  I stand on many shoulders and refuse to let anyone rob me of this moment in my life! Get out of my way if you are not for me....I STAND because they stood for me. I STAND because they are standing with me.  I STAND because they will need me to stand for them someday.

To make sure that I understood and heard the voices of my ancestors, God sent Muksiah Mashad to me at the Jakarta Convention Center.  She spoke fluent English and said these words to me...."You must return to Indonesia. You are needed."  I found myself saying "Yes Ma'am" repeatedly.  She said, "President Barack Obama has made this possible for you." I could feel her pride as she talked about her granddaughter studying abroad in Maryland.  I can only imagine how my maternal grandmother, Geraldine Taylor talked about me (to anyone who would listen):)  I recall vividly the last time I came to Arkansas to get her out of St. Vincent Infirmary.  I got to go back to the room where dialysis was happening mind you....these folks thought I was a medical doctor and started telling me that my grandmother was absolutely PROUD of my many accomplishments.  I assured them that I had a long way to go.  Grandma just seemed to get better all of a sudden and we laughed and within days she was discharged and able to come home.  In August 2008 she went into St. Vincent Infirmary and God said you can not go get her.....I want to take her home.  So to make sure that I stayed in my place, I stayed in Georgia until He came with the sweet chariot and carried her home.  I am crying right now. But I must say that I once thought that the best way to pay respect to grandma was to name my daughter Victoria Geraldine, but this day I know for sure the best way to show respect for my grandma is to say I am a mirror!

To God be the Glory for letting us spend this time together on this side! See you on the other side.

Batik Fridays in Indonesia....Everyday Batik is worn in Indonesia!

So have you ever heard of Batik?  My colleagues on this Indonesia Study Abroad called my shirt that I bought in Plains, Georgia my Batik print!  Too funny!  It is not! They are just crazy and say funny stuff about anybody at any given time!

I know Kierra! You begged your Aunt Trina not to ever wear this shirt again but I like it sooooo much!

I made my own Batik for real at an Indonesian clothing store.  Check out these pictures....

Okay so the lady had to help me just a little bit!!

The finished product looked really nice!

At this store I spent 600,000 rupiah on souvenirs for family and friends who invested in me to study abroad in Indonesia Summer 2011 (it is never too late to invest in this international scholar....I still have a huge bill to pay:))  Okay!  So Batik Fridays look awesome!  All the Indonesians (mostly in Jakarta and in President University in Cikarang, Indonesia...those are the places that I spend most of my study abroad days) are wearing this very unique print.  It can be dressed up or down just depends on the look that you want to portray!  If I could afford it....I would buy one of these multi-million dollar Batik evening gowns!  Since I have friends in Indonesia....I will have to send monies to Indonesia for this elegant purchase.  I would love to renew my vows (at our 10 year anniversary next year) wearing a gown that is featured in the last photo.  It says....I still do love you!  I wonder if the love of my life would wear it?  I think he would if I bought and it highlighted his good sides!  But seriously, at the Jakarta Convention Center on Saturday, June 18, 2011, they were selling Batik in the entire convention center.....I could only find Victoria a beautiful beaded batik blouse.  That is a start to the Batik vow renewal of the century....Mr. and Mrs. Vladimir Williams!

Per Wikipedia

Batik (Javanese pronunciation: [ˈbateʔ]; Indonesian: [ˈbatɪʔ]; English: /ˈbætɪk/ or /bəˈtiːk/) is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan,China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.

Javanese traditional batik, especially from Yogyakarta and Surakarta, has notable meanings rooted to the Javanese conceptualization of the universe. Traditional colours include indigo, dark brown, and white, which represent the three majorHindu Gods (Brahmā, Visnu, and Śiva). This is related to the fact that natural dyes are most commonly available in indigo and brown. Certain patterns can only be worn by nobility; traditionally, wider stripes or wavy lines of greater width indicated higher rank. Consequently, during Javanese ceremonies, one could determine the royal lineage of a person by the cloth he or she was wearing.

Other regions of Indonesia have their own unique patterns that normally take themes from everyday lives, incorporating patterns such as flowers, nature, animals, folklore or people. 

Kids at play....

Slow Down! Kids at Play!  You ever seen those signs that warn you to slow down because kids are at play?! Well, I am in Indonesia and enjoyed playing with the children in their classroom.  We played Duck Duck goose!  It was so much fun! To get out of the loser circle…I sang Hokey Pokey! The second time I was in the loser circle, I sang Yes, Jesus loves me…since we were in a Christian private school for 3-year olds to grade 12 and they looked at me like I was crazy on the first song! We played an Indonesian game too!  I lost so many timesL!  I was playing with the fun 1^st, 2^nd , or either 3^rd graders….I can not remember it feels like it was so long ago!  The pictures demonstrate that play and fun is universal.  I am a big kid at heart when I am around children! I love cartoons! Children books are my favorite!  It is so awesome to be carefree and not have a worry!  Only to return to the fun times of being a kid….I pledge to forever be young in my heart!  So there is a story behind the balls….I saw them and wanted to jump in….I stepped in and lost my balance….and my colleagues literally started taking pictures!  I was so embarrassed but heck fire….I had fun! Please note that I returned all the balls to the tub that seemed to jump out when my 160 lbs fell on them!  Too funny!

Pictures of President and Vice President on the classroom walls

Photo taken in President Obama's 4th grade classroom in Indonesia! 

I presented there and made a little history myself!:)

I grew up during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy hanging on the wall in every home!  So I visit Indonesia (on my first study abroad trip) and could not help but notice their President and Vice President was on every classroom wall.   Friends, family, and colleagues do you think that we could handle this in American classrooms? Would partisanship/bipartisanship get in the way? Would racism hinder this from happening in the United States of America?  I know that not every American likes President Obama but let me tell you these Indonesian folks love him!  So I have been called  Mrs. Obama daily!  Some Indonesians cannot speak English but they can say Obama! I wish someone would connect me with the First Family of America!  Anybody...somebody please help a sister out!  I am not so sure what I would even say! But back to my concern in this blog...I have digressed (as usual)!  Is it possible for President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to be in your child's classroom? In your classroom? I plan to raise this as a concern at the Parent Advisory Board meeting in Ames, Iowa.  Join me America and let us make that happen in a classroom near you!  Think about the message(s) that it will send to a minority child!
I can see a child passing a difficult mathematics exam, a challenging spelling test, a cumulative science exam, identifying all 50 states and the capitals on a Geography lesson, and recalling the Preamble of the Constitution just because they see someone who did...who looks like them if they are African American... President Barak Obama!  Generally, I do not talk about my political concerns on Facebook or in a blog....I generally leave that to my childhood friend Clarence Bucky Smith!  So, I decided to connect American classrooms to Indonesian classrooms with this observation and to prepare myself for the Iowa caucus!  Get your vote ready for OBAMA 2012! Are you in?