2nd, 3rd & 4th Week in Jakarta

Wow, time is flying by!!
So much to write!

The above are pics of the girls bathing with their pal Tyler who lives next door. They're all great mates. Tyler is 2. And another of them playing on the seesaw with Uncle Ricky - Tyler's dad and the PE teacher here. It'so nice they have each other to play with everyday.

We are really happy still. Life is exciting and fun mostly all the time. And I received my first paycheck on Wednesday which was INCREDIBLY liberating!!! I went straight out an bought some celebratory wine, three pairs of shoes, some pressies for the girls and bought properly my first meal and drinks at a restaurant with my own money!!


Our first week consisted of just new staff with Sam & Teresa, much of the time just settling in and finding our feet and socialising. Second week was much the same, but all the old staff returned so lots more socialising was done along with lots of meetings and planning and setting up my classroom ready for school.

I began the induction week with 15 students on my roll, but by the end, two days before school started, numbers were up to 29 so the last couple of weeks has been spent teaching 29 kids and Sam desperately searching for another Grade 5 teacher. Though the class was bigger than I thought it would ever be, the kids are just gorgeous and I've been having a ball teaching them. The class was split this last week and a substitute teacher has been teaching them whatever I have planned which has been fine, although a little tougher than it normally would be as I have to write all the lessons down precisely so they can be followed rather than just 'winging' it, but Sam has just employed a teaching couple from the US who will be here on the 8th so that's great news. Plus, they have a 31/2 year old girl so hopefully another little playmate for Annalise! Below is a piccie of the girls at Teresa's house having a tea party with Abby who is almost two.

The girls are doing really well. The transition has been difficult but they are both doing fine and as long as they get to play with other friends regularly they are fine. They're very clingy, but that's natural I suppose for the huge changes they've been through. Annalise asks for her friends in Taipei regularly. That's tough.

They both actually go to school now, 5 mornings a week - Juliette missed Annalise so much the first week of school that I told Susie and Lachme to take Juliette along for the walk - well, that turned into Juliette staying to watch and then they let her go into the two year old class for some fun. That led to the teachers sending a letter home to me saying if we liked, we could send Juliette in for a two week free of charge trial and that was that! They let Juliette go into the 2 year programme as, after the 2 week trial, they said she was at the same level as the two year olds and she was welcome to join the class. She loves it. It's been a little harder for Annalise coping with me not there to drop her off and pick her up and every morning, and leaving the house is really tough. There are tears and screams and charging from her and the mornings usually end with me peeling myself from her and telling the maids to 'grab her quick and lock the door' before running out.

Annalise has escaped from home a couple of times and found her way to my classroom. Oops! Then, more tears as she's escorted home again by the maids.

I feel for her so much.

Her school is fine - a very structured curriculum (Singapore) which isn't so good and she gets a bit frustrated, especially when she has to do homework - yes, homework (sigh) - and it's not easy stuff! She's supposed to draw letters and recite poetry and practice speaking Bahasa Indonesian and Mandarin Chinese. Anything practical, she doesn't mind, or colouring in pictures, but the writing.....

On the plus side, they both look ever so cute in their uniform! Below is just Annalise in her sports uniform - I will try to get pics of them in their real uniform next week.

I'm hoping that next year, she'll be able to go to NJIS pre-kindergarten and it'll be less structured and more play orientated. At least her school is only 3 hours a day though. I do wish she were at a school like last year's Tiger Tots though. But, I don't think it'll do her any damage.

Below is a photo of us swimming in the pool. The girls can float really well with their arm bands on and don't want to have anything to do with me now - they float off around the pool!! Juliette, in particular, has no fear at all!!

The guilt of not being there for the girls has led me to buying lots of presents for the them - not so good, but I can't help it. We did buy Annalise a pink big girls bike with stabalisers and a bell and basket which she adores and rides to and from school everyday. We have to buy a little car for Jukliette next - we are on the look out for a perfect one.

Fiona came over for a flying visit on her way to Manila and that was just fabulous. It was so good to see her. We were dead busy at work, but still managed to have a couple of late nights. I think she, too, was pleasantly surprised with Jakarta.