Katie and I Skyped today for over 2 hours, (however, the connection kept failing, so we did spend some time just waiting to reconnect). She is back in Bali and is much happier there. She is back with a host family and I noticed that the bedsheets are Mickey and Minnie Mouse, which I thought was funny.
I asked her about the Kimodo Dragons, that are indigenous to Java and she said there are only at the zoos there and not out wandering around like we might think. She also said the monkeys are everywhere in the "forests", but that they are not allowed to go into the forests because of the potential dangers. The monkeys are very used to people and will grab things from you and won't give them back until you give them food. Chickens and dogs are everywhere there too, and not just in the forests. She said the dogs are like squirrels here; just about every where you look there are feral dogs and although they won't approach you, they are not friendly.
She described the people in Bali as the friendliest, most laid back people she's ever seen. They are very quick to help you if you need help and don't expect anything in return. One time she was trying to find a certain shop and apparently looked lost. A man asked her if she needed help and she explained what she was trying to find and he went out of his way to show her exactly what she was looking for, went into the shop with her so the shopkeeper wouldn't try and oversell her stuff, then went back with her to where she started so she wouldn't get lost on her way back. He spoke good English and she was impressed by his friendliness and all of the help he offered. She gave him 50,000 rupiah which is $5.00, even though he didn't ask for any money.
Something Katie has noticed is that on restaurants' menus, they have 2 sides; an Indonesian side and a Western side. This has made her wonder why, when people visit a foreign place, they cater to Westerners. She thinks if you go to a foreign country, you should eat their food and not what we are used to. Although, she pointed out, it has been nice to have a hamburger every now and then. She has asked for menus from restaurants so she can use that in her final project and showed me the Western side. There is a lot of pasta which costs around 13,000 rupiah, ($1.30), and the most expensive thing on the menu was pizza which was still less than $2.00.
Apparently during our Thanksgiving a lot of the students' parents are coming for a visit and she said she would welcome anyone if they want to come visit. Her teacher is putting a lot of the parents up at her home, or finding homes for them, so they don't have to spend the money on hotels and can experience the culture just as their children are doing. So if anyone wants to go, let me know so I can tell her. Ken and I can not go but if you want to go be her pseudo parent(s), I would welcome it as well.
Katie has cut her hair and is very happy as it is much easier to keep. She looked very good, very happy and was excited to chat. We are planning another chat tonight so she can talk to Ken.
When she was in Java, the class went to a tree that was gigantic. She said it was beautiful and unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It looked like a lot of little trees merged together and it apparently is some religious icon. At some point during their visit to the tree, she said she felt a rush of happiness and all of the homesickness she'd been struggling with washed away. Ever since their visit there she said she's been much better and has settled in to life in Bali.
....just 74 days until Katie's home! BUT....we are adjusting well and knowing she's adjusting is making it much easier on us. 74 days doesn't seem that far away any more.
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