Ramadan (the month of August)

A general schedule for many Muslim people during Ramadan in our town.

2:20am Wakeup call from neighborhood kids who marched down the block playing homemade drums.
3:00am Eat breakfast (Sahur). Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours.
7:00am-12:00pm School or Work. School is shortened and only 2 weeks in August
1:00-4:00pm Many people take a nap during the hottest time of the day.
4:00pm Activities such as biking, walking, or visiting with friends to distract the mind and body.
5:30pm Finally Eat dinner (Berbuka).
7:00pm All Muslims go to the Mosque to pray together. This is followed by hours of call to prayer projected over a loud speaker throughout the town from multiple masjids.

Going into August we decided to start Ramadan fasting with our family at least a week. Paige made guacamole in preparation for the Ramadan fasting month (puasa). The avocadoes came fresh from a teacher’s farm; they get as big as a small football, and are lebih enak (more delicious). After sitting in the fridge for the night, the guacamole was still the perfect shade of green; no grey/brown color like we see in America. Paige was happy that the family really liked it. Their previous introduction to peanut butter and apples wasn’t as successful. We decided one week of fasting would be enough and found the overall experience to be difficult at random times. We each had a couple of moments in the week were sleep was the only solution to stay comfortable and pass the time until the next meal, which is a common tactic used by many people here use. We also had the opportunity to visit the Mosque during the night time prayer.

One thing that is still amazing to me (Paige) is how loud this culture is. No way in America would a group of kids yelling at 2:20 am be allowed. Neither would the very loud fire crackers that go off most nights. Yesterday in church we made the mistake of sitting too close to the speakers and I spent a good portion of the service flinching from the loudness. But some sit even closer; about 2 feet from the speakers, and don’t even notice.

These kinds of things make me think that America needs to chill out a bit. This culture is definitely more relaxed. Loudspeakers blaring wedding music until at least midnight, screaming kids at 2 am and the call to prayer throughout the day (which honestly is not a pretty sound) is just part of life. No reason to get annoyed or upset. It will stop soon enough and if it doesn’t, you’ll just quite hearing it.

This mindset I need to learn and practice. This culture is teaching me that life is not a story about me. I am not the center of the universe. Instead of getting annoyed because someone’s music is too loud, I should be happy that a family in my community is celebrating a new marriage. And although I believe the Muslim culture is missing the key, which is loving and worshipping Jesus Christ, Christians could learn a few lessons from Muslim’s compassion, community, patience, and keeping God in every aspect of life. So far this month has been a great opportunity to bond with the community and helps us understand the culture more.

During Ramadan we have also had the chance to visit with other volunteers and venture out a little on our own. It was funny that the first time we had a chance to meet other PC volunteers it was at one of the best grocery stores in the area. Jonathan rode a bus 5 hours to meet because: one- he heard there was a grocery store and, two- that it had spices and cheese. We all enjoy the food here but find ourselves craving even the simplest of food from home: PB&J, cookies, olive oil, cheese, etc. After a few hours of walking around the grocery store, mall, and telling funny stories about our experiences we parted ways.

We later had a chance to visit Jonathan and take the same bus ride he had to make previously. Our friend Lusy was able to join us on our adventure to Pacitan beach. The day started with a 15 minute walk at 5:30 am to the local market to catch the first bus to the closest city. From there we made two connections and each time jumped onto a smaller and slower bus. We finally arrived around 11:30 am. Next we took some time to visit Jonathan’s school and home. It is always fun meeting others’ counterparts and family because they are always so excited to meet a new American visitor. As we arrived Paige and Lucy mentioned they were really hungry so we found a bike for everyone and made our way to one of the local warungs (small food stands/restaurants) for a really good batch of Gado-Gado (a spicy vegetable, egg, and tahu salad with peanut sauce) to go. The 20 minute bike ride to the beach became more and more isolated as we approached the beach. Upon arrival we realized we were 4 of maybe 10 people on the entire 5km beach. The wind was light and the waves were still big enough to surf. Jonathan thinks there is always a group of foreigners in town for surfing, and as we left for the day we saw 3 guys on motorcycles with their boards. I imagine they can rent a house for a few weeks or months and surf every day. We returned to Jon’s home and washed up before heading back to the bus station. At the bus station around 4:45 pm the locals said they had no idea when the next bus would be because the standard schedule doesn’t apply during Ramadan. We looked at each other for a few minutes and asked what we could do. They mentioned that down the road 5km a bus was probably waiting for people until 5pm, and after that it may not be until 11:30 pm, so we haggled with them for a decent price to get a ride to that spot. We arrived and saw a few others waiting and figured we had made it in time. There was a small warung (mobile cart) selling local food: rice, tempe, tofu, veggies, and hot sauce. Really to no surprise we ended up sitting joking with the locals until about 7:00 pm with no idea when or if a bus would pass by. Just when we were seriously thinking we would have to wait until midnight, the bus showed up. Then another 3 and a half hours and we were home.
All in all, the trip was fun, but next time will have to be an overnighter. The bus systems are mostly reliable, but you can’t be in a rush. The buses wait until there are passengers, so if there aren’t any, you wait, or the bus driver decides not to run at all. That’s Indonesia. A cool thought though, is that our entire trip cost us $15, so not bad for a long day of entertainment.

Three weeks into August and only a little over a week now until Idul Fitri, or the end of Ramadan, the people have started to look tired and the general pace of the days are definitely sluggish. It does appear though that the upcoming end and holiday has given everyone’s spirit a boost. Last week in school most classes had little laughter and chatter. Students when asked, “How do you feel today”, replied we are tired.

Another break in the school schedule starts next week andwe will meet new family members of our host family as most families come together during Idul Fitri. We are always excited for free time and have plans to visit new places during this time, but also look forward to the true start of the school year in September. There seems to be a lack consistency and structure in daily life around us and we realize this is our true challenge while we live and teach here. Until next time stay cool and enjoy the last of summer wherever you are, and Yesus Memberkatimu.