Teaching, Blechh, Adventures

So now it's been...well way too long since the last one of these. Yes, I'm a slacker. Or moreso, I'm just freaking busy. I think the honeymoon period of the job is starting to fade, and I'm realizing that, yup, it's just a job. We work too much, if you ask me. And of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Right?

Our schedule's not too bad - we usually have to be at work around 1, get off around 9 Monday through Friday. On paper, not bad. We get to sleep in, we can go explore and do stuff in the mornings, and after work relax or hang out with friends. But really, our schedule is more like sleep in til 10, eat breakfast, check email, maybe go to the gym, go to work, teach little rich brats for too many hours, come home exhausted, make dinner or get fried rice from the guy on the street, maybe watch a movie, and pass the eff out.

By the time the weekend rolls around, we could travel. But can't really catch a bus or plane at 10 pm usually. So we leave Saturday morning. And come back...Sunday afternoon? Most weekends, it's just not worth it.

There are good things, though. A few weeks ago, we headed out on an adventure to Pulau Sempu (pulau means island). Another teacher rented a van and we drove all night to the south of Java. After a couple hours of sleep we got a boat across to this small, uninhabited island. At least, uninhabited by humans - there are apparently tigers and panthers (we didn't see any), and there are definitely monkeys (we saw lots of 'em). We had to hike in with all of our stuff on our backs over a seemingly easy trail. Nope. Rainy season lasted longer this year so the trail was still ready for some mud-pit wrestling. We were ankle deep within minutes. And that 45 lb. pack on my back didn't make it any easier.

But we made it. And it was definitely worth it. At the end of the hike we walked into a blue lagoon, with the Indian Ocean trying to crash through a hole in the rocks on the other side. It was so beautiful, there's no point in trying to describe it. I'll add pictures soon, but for now just take my word for it. We set up camp on the shadeless beach and jumped in the icy water. We hiked up over some of the cliffs and looked out over the ocean at outcroppings of rocky islands, with the fierce waters raging around them. Seriously, pictures are coming soon.

All in all, it was a rushed but enjoyable trip. We got back late Sunday night (actually Monday morning), and it was time to do it all over again. And we are making more plans for new adventures.

Ramadan just started a week ago. I am absolutely no authority on the Islamic significance of the month of Ramadan. All I really see is from it is that people don't eat during the day. Hey, what's worse than teaching annoying kids?? Teaching annoying, hungry kids. But anyways, at the end of Ramadan is the Idul Fitri holiday, and we get one whole week off! Woo hoo! We are planning a trip to the Gili Islands and Lombok. We'll spend the week at idyllic white-sand beaches. Can't wait.

And I'm actually headed to another island tomorrow: Pulau Madura. Surabaya's right on the coast. Right across the Madura Strait is the Madura Island. I'm meeting a few friends in the morning and we're going to motorbike it across the bridge and find a beach for the day. I'll bring the camera along.

That's all for now. I'll try to get some pictures of Sempu, Madura, and the ever-growing kittens soon.