Happy New Year

Happy New Year

We celebrated the New Year 7 hours early than most. My family had travelled out for Christmas and were here to join in. About 20 people all gathered outside the boy’s dorm for the countdown and then fireworks. 7 hours later we were tucked up in bed while everyone in England finally realised it was time to do the same, only joking. It’s at times like New Year though that the whole time difference thing seems a little odd and it reminds me that we really are on the other side of the world.

The new year has started well so far. My family left on January 8th early early in the morning and we arrived back at the dorm late at night. We’d been away to the beach for a few days which was very nice indeed. Today a new resident into the dorm arrived, not a dorm girl but a young lady, Ruth, who will be working at the school to assist the students in their studies. She is moving into our guest room and will be with us from now until the end of the school year (May).Ruth is 18 and has just graduated and is taking some time out to be in Indonesia. Her home country is America and she is friends with another family here at the school. We’re looking forward to getting to know her and I’m sure she’ll be welcomed by all the girls.

In a couple of days the dorm girls will return to the dorm and we will be back in full operation. Janice, one of the Korean girls moved out of the dorm at Christmas to live with a Korean family in the community, but a new girl, Natasha will move into the dorm in 2 days time, so the numbers stay the same, 7 girls.

I’m teaching Graphic Design from now until the end of the school year and am just finishing rewriting the curriculum. I’m really looking forward to teaching graphic design as it’s a subject I have experience in and am passionate about. If the students put in the work (I’m sure they will) then it’ll be a lot of fun for everyone.

Emily is enjoying been mum or mom as the Americans say it. There are a lot of things that happen in the background to see that the dorm runs smoothly and Emily is fantastic at getting things done. It’s been great so far deepening the relationships we have with the girls and I know Emily is keen to keep getting to know them more. Emily is also doing homeschooling with Luke and Isaac to compliment the American curriculum. She’s enjoying it and the boys reading especially is improving a lot.

Luke and Isaac are doing well at school. Luke is achieving highly for his grade level which is excellent considering that most the children in his class are a year older than he is. Isaac is loving school; he does 5 mornings a week and is really settled now.

Well that’s the quick new year update, we’ll blog again soon. Paul

I just saw a rodent

We were playing cards on Sunday night and across the other side of the room a rodent scurried next to the wall and behind the clothes storage shelving.

“I just saw a rodent” I said to Emily.

Then jumped up to see where it had run to. I looked down from on top of the shelving and saw the rodent very still on the floor next to the wall. I own a cycling proficiency certificate, first aid certificate, but haven’t yet achieved my rat catcher’s certificate so I wasn’t keen on actually catching the thing.

As I looked down an idea came to mind. I remembered hearing one of Emily’s cousins recant the story of looking after a friend’s hamster then loosing it. She found it when she closed a draw and heard a crunch. The plan was to crush the critter.

The shelving was quite heavy but with a determined push and a little adrenaline I shoved it hard against the wall. I didn’t want the rodent escaping so there was a little more pushing before Emily went to find a stick to poke it with. I poked it, it didn’t move, the deed was done. I pulled the shelving away from the wall and scooped the rodent onto some newspaper and into a bag to be carried off to its grave, the bin.

Upon examination the rodent was actually a shrew, although not that it really mattered, it was dead that was the main thing; except that now there was some blood to clear up. The crushing death blow had squashed the shrew enough to cause it to bleed form the mouth and to force its intestines out of its rear. A rub down with some bleach and a few shrieks form the girls and the job was done; just in time for devotions, very neat and tidy.

Paul

2 Snakes in 1 hour

The day starts with a flurry of excitement in the trees at the Boys Dorm. A bamboo snake (bright green with a blue tongue and poisonous bite) has been spotted in the tree and needs removing. Unfortunately I arrived a little late to see all the action form that catch, although I was there to take photos. Here Pak Budi (the gardener of our dorm) stands behind Pak Didi, (the gardener of the Boy's dorm) Pak Budi isn't quite so friendly with snakes as Pak Didi is.

About 30 minutes later though the action started over, another snake had been spotted in the same area. Pak Didi (the gardener of the boy’s dorm) must have snake sensors or eyes that can define every shade of green because I found the snake almost impossible to locate up in the tree. Finally with fingers pointing into the branches the snake kindly revealed itself and I saw it was another bamboo snake about the same size as the previous one.

Question: How exactly do you catch a snake that’s hiding in the top of a tall tree?

The first thing the Pak Didi did was ask for assistance, of which there were three other willing helpers. I was going to help but had already assigned myself to the role of photographer.
There were some tools needed for the task: a large ladder, a very long piece of bamboo, a shorter (1.5m) stick of bamboo (1 per snake catcher) and a knife.

The ladder was placed against the tree and Pak Didi climbed into the tree and up from the ladder to a suitably stable branch. The long bamboo pole was then passed up and Pak Didi stretched out with the pole and proceeded to knock the snake off the branch it was wrapped around.

Once the snake became aware that it was under attack it made a run for it so there were two or three thrusts with the pole then the snake fell to the ground. Once on the ground the snake made a run for it. The snake had fallen just the other side of a wire fence, quickly the snake catchers were racing round to grab hold of it, then it disappeared into some undergrowth, “it over there” I was shouting, “no the other way”.

The shorter bamboo sticks were used to trap the snake by squashing it into the ground, enabling Pak Didi to reach in and grab its head. Once the snake was firmly grasped it was time for me to take a few photos before it was taken away to be beheaded and later cooked.

All in all it was a very exciting morning. Paul.