Controlled Chaos

How bathroom posture affects your health. – By Daniel Lametti – Slate Magazine.

I don’t really squat, even in Indo.  I am always on the lookout for squatters, so I can keep my distance.  But after reading this article, maybe my opinion should change…

From Dung to Coffee Brew With No Aftertaste – NYTimes.com.

The Civet, an animal most commonly found in Indonesia and the Philippines, shits gold.  That is to say, it selects coffee cherries, eats them, digests them, and then defecates, and some people collect its droppings and sell the beans for $227/lb.  That seems kind of ridiculous to me..!

If you attended a Fulbright ETA Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, DC, please list 2-3 strengths of that orientation. What 2-3 things could have been done better? If you did NOT attend a Fulbright Pre-Departure ETA Orientation in Washington, DC, do you think you would have benefitted from attending one? If yes, how? Based on your experience on your grant, list 2-3 things you would like a pre-departure orientation to cover or include.

I did not attend a Pre-Departure ETA Orientation in Washington, DC.  I would have benefited from attending one in that I could have met ETAs heading to other countries, and had a closer connection to the Fulbright community.  Having recently hosted a Fulbright Enrichment Seminar here in new York City, I realize how meaningful it can be to meet 140 brilliant people, even if only for three days.  The ubiquity of Facebook means that some of these bonds will be  lasting, and that the Fulbright network will grow denser.

If you attended an in-country Fulbright ETA Orientation when you arrived in your host country, please list 2-3 strengths of that orientation. What 2-3 things could have been done better? If you did NOT attend an in-country Fulbright ETA orientation, do you think you would have benefitted from one? If yes, how? Based on your experience on your grant, list 2-3 things you would like an in-country orientation to cover or include.

I attended a Fulbright ETA Orientation in Indonesia.  It was vital to my success in the country.

Top Three Strengths:
1.  The “Survival Indonesian” class ramped up our fluency quickly, so that we were capable of going out into the country and learning more on our own.
2.  The facilities we stayed in for nearly a month, Novotel, allowed us a home base in which to live and attend classes, so we did not get disoriented and could focus on our orientation.  When we got sick (which happened to all of us, inevitably), we had ready access to western plumbing and lavatories.  (Aminef wisely insisted that our housing have western plumbing, which ensured that we all did – and in my case particularly, it meant that a house was constructed just for me..!)
3.  The presence of ETAs who been allowed to renew their grant allowed for knowledge capital to be transferred through another channel – and one that was very significant: individuals who had our job the year before us.  (Unfortunately, Aminef discontinued this practice the year afterward.)

Three Things that could have been done better:
1.  There could have been more renewal grantees.
2.  It could have been a few days shorter – things started to drag at the end of week three.
3.  The class sessions on teaching could have had a more active focus on lesson planning, so that ETAs walked away with lesson plans they made and that their friends made, and which could be used in the classroom.

Aside from the in-country and/or pre-departure Fulbright ETA orientations, what other resources (websites, books, in-country teachers/contacts, etc.) did you use to prepare for your Fulbright ETA assignment?

Vicky Riback-Wilson, Director – Office of Service Learning, University of Missouri-Columbia
former state representative
former Peace Corps Volunteer
wilsonvr@missouri.edu

While on your Fulbright ETA grant, how was your role divided (classroom teaching, designing/delivering after class activities, advising, etc.)? Was this clearly defined at the beginning or did your role change over time?

I taught 4 classes at two levels every week, for a total of 8 classes in the course of 4 days.  (I did not teach on Fridays because they are half-days in Indonesian to allow for Friday prayer.)

I planned and prepared for all of the content I taught.

I created an Honors Club, and later co-created an English Language Club that was open to the general community.

My role was not clearly defined – I defined it.

Do you feel that you received adequate support from your host institution and/or the U.S. Embassy and/or Fulbright Commission while on your grant? Please explain.

Overall, I thought Aminef (the host institution) administered the Fulbright ETA program effectively and purposefully.  The only nagging flaw was in the communications between the main office and ETAs, which was confusing at times.  Most of these conversational/institutional breakdowns were initiated when ETAs requested permission to travel in-country. As Indonesia is a country of thousands of islands and hundreds of languages, it is imperative that ETAs travel (perhaps even with greater frequency than ETAs in other countries) to truly experience and gain understanding about the pluralism and multiplicity of Indonesian society.

What is one piece of advice you would like to give outgoing Fulbright ETAs heading to your host country? One piece of advice you’d give to ANY Fulbright ETA?

Organize your photos into stories that explain your country and post them on facebook, then make them into a Powerpoint slide you can show in friend’s classrooms and to groups of friends when you travel.

If you have any other comments about the Fulbright ETA orientations or the Fulbright ETA program in general, please share them here.

The Fulbright ETA program opened my mind and created a context in which I could further self-actualize.  I am forever grateful.