Winter update

So recently I got to climb on of the volcanic mountains in Bali call Mt Batur with some of my friends. We started early in the morning so that we could be at the top for the sunrise. It was a fairly easy hike but it was extremely beautiful. At the top there are still volcanic craters that emit hot steam so there is a small shop at the top of the mountain where you can buy banana sandwiches and hard boiled eggs that have been boiled in the mountains steam craters.

My friend Rasta and I at the top of Batur

  Also on top of the mountain were large groups of monkeys who, depending on the mood of the hikers, were being fed copious amounts of junk food, sleeping in the steam cracks and just living a good life as far as monkeys are concerned.

Pastry Monkey

Ramen noodle monkey

It felt cruel to be eating a banana sandwich and not give at least some the the monkeys

Chip crumb monkey (my personal favorite)

Along with the mountain I also got to visit a village where they still stick to the ancient Balinese custom of not burying or cremating their dead. They kind of just leave them out in a certain area and cover them in a little bamboo tent. While a little bit more gruesome then the monkeys and hard boiled eggs of Mt. Batur it was still very interesting.

Entrance to the "burial" area  

Skulls of the villagers ancestors 

Newer bodies under the bamboo tents with all their offerings

As for school, right now we are learning traditional balinese dance, the dance is called "Narii Baris" and we are practicing in large groups and performing for the culture teacher soon. Its pretty simple dance but it is mean to be do in a large group which makes it look more impressive. The teacher hasn't really told us much of the origins or the history but what I do know is the guys get to use big spear things during the performance so i'm excited for that.

Practice in the auditorium 

Well thats all for now, I'm going to be moving host families soon so my next update will be from a new location, closer to the center of Denpasar.

Ok so its been a really long time since I made an update because of a mixture of being very busy and the internet here being terrible so this will be super long. So I just got back from the inbound orientation in Malang which is on Java. I got to meet all of the other exchange students, go to some museums and visit the Batu Zoo. All the other exchange students are amazing and I think it's incredible how in just three days we all got so close.

 

In Malang they also took us to a local village for a sacrificial ceremony where they did pencak silat (Indonesian martial arts), tests of strength (things like hitting each other with spiked branches, breaking bricks on their stomaches and cutting each other with knives) as well as other crazy things like breathing fire and whipping people.

Back in Bali, My family has been taking me EVERYWHERE, I recently saw some of Bali's traditional dances: Kercak dance and Barong dance. Kercak dance is kind of like balinese version of a choir, a group of men sit in a circle and chant while another group tells a story through dance. Barong dance is basically kercak dance with instruments. They both usually tell the story of a princess who gets kidnapped and has to be saved so you know, standard stuff. 

 My family also took me to a monkey sanctuary in Ubud and that was amazing, the monkeys were just roaming around the temples and you could go and touch them or give them bananas. It was probably the coolest yet unsanitary place ive ever been.

My family also took me to a traditional balinese wedding, Balinese weddings are very different than a western wedding or even the weddings in Java. In bali weddings are a couple days long but everyone gets together for a very short time, most people come just to eat. The majority of a balinese wedding is blessings from a priest and praying. 

As for school, I'm having a great time. I'm slowly learning more about cooking. Today I learned how to make vegetable decorations and a couple days ago I learned all the different ways to cut vegetables and fruit. 

I think I will start learning actually recipes soon so I'm very excited, Ive also been learning how to set and wait tables. 

That's all for now, I will update again as soon as I can.

First week of school update

This was week was my first week of school and its probably been the most fun i've had at school ever. The Indonesian school system is interesting because you stay in the same room with the same classmates and the different teachers come into the room. This means you spend all your time with a certain group of people and get to know them really well. My class is great, they've all been nothing but nice to me since the moment I got there, they take me out to lunch, they showed me around the school and are basically making sure I understand everything. My school has all the normal classes but since its also a vocational school focusing on tourism it also has other awesome classes like fruit carving, waiting skills, batik making and my new favorite class napkin folding. Another class they have is a class called scout that splits us up into squads and specifically teaches us military style marching and formations, no one has explained what this class is for yet but I guess ill find out soon.  

As for after school activities I started practicing with a local swim team because the coach wanted to enter me in a swim championship meet. Its made me realize how out of shape I am but I think i'm getting back to my regular level so ill be ready soon. Anyways I'm having a great time and I'm making lots of friends. I'm looking forward to the next week of school.  

First Week Update

Alright so one week into my exchange and I'm having a great time. My host family is great they've been including me in everything and taking me everywhere. They've taken me to the beaches (which are beautiful), temple celebrations, around Denpasar and today they took me to a traditional hindu cremation ceremony.

Sanur beach

Pendanda (Holy Man) 

Balinese Cremation

 I also went on a hike in some rice fields yesterday with my inbound coordinator, overall everyone has been very welcoming.

Rice Fields 

Tomorrow I start at my school, I got shown around yesterday and its going to be a very different experience but I think it will be fun. 

Getting Ready to Leave

Oh man I finally got my Itinerary, I've been waiting for so long that I can't believe its all happening. I'll be leaving on Sunday at 6 in the morning and in a short 30 hours I'll be meeting my first host family in Bali! I couldn't be more excited, I still have to pack but thats about the only thing I have left to do. Soon I'll be starting my new adventure.

My First Host Family