For my sending ICJA I do after 3, 6 and 12 months each to write an interim report. So I would now like to share my official 3-month report with you.
I am now for over 3 months in Indonesia and so slow I feel at home here. Before I came here, I really had no great expectations, for he who has no expectations can not be disappointed. Although I was 2 years ago have been here on a round trip, I was surprised by many things. At that time I was with my family and a large tour group. We are for the most part, remained among us, were in a vast, modern bus traveling and have stayed in Western hotels. While we have seen time in a very short time a lot, but barely immersed in the culture of Indonesia.
From the earliest days of my FSJs I have learned more about the actual culture than it was in 3 weeks. So we had to find volunteers among others surprised and somewhat frustrated that no one language is spoken in Indonesia, but over 200! Frustrated because the means for us is that we not only learn Bahasa Indonesia need, but also Javanese. The Indonesian occurs to me, fortunately very easy, I can now already overcome the most everyday conversations, and also understand more and more by more sophisticated example that Indonesian is spoken on television. Only with the Javanese, I can not make friends myself. There are 3 different proficiency levels are geared to the authority of the party and the debate, it is extremely difficult.
Fortunately, we were informed volunteers in the introduction week, courtesy of the Asian and especially about the infamous indirectness, which has preserved us especially in the beginning before many a painful situation. Nothing nevertheless we are of course still come to many pitfalls.
Darul Ulum MA My project is in the region Purwogondo in Jepara. MA stands for Madrasah Aliyah and is about to translate Islamic High School, which is a non-government school in addition to the normal subjects another special focuses on Islamic values such as Arabic or the study of the Koran. I assist the teachers in English and French lessons twice a week and offer yet an extra English course for motivated students.
I find it always still difficult to accept that the teachers take it easy when her students write an entire hour is nothing in her notebook or sleep. I always try to bring some discipline in my classes and I'm always still something special, they follow me too often. Since the students are so accustomed to something not at all but, I was in the first few weeks as extremely severe and many were afraid of me. Luckily I was then a teacher friend pointed out to me and explained how it works here, so I could change my behavior, the German directness works here that is quickly arrogant and embarrassing.
Very well I like the family atmosphere at the school. For example it is not unusual for a teacher just one of his students his house keys pressed in the hand so that he gets something for him from his house.
My fellow teachers are very friendly and have shown me the same exuberant willingness to help, I've experienced anywhere in Indonesia. I felt very comfortable from the start in my project. The students stare at me no longer now only from a distance, but often come up to me and ask me questions to class or just want to a little chat with me.
At first I was pretty disappointed that I calculated this project was awarded, it was none of the three projects on my wish list were, and the alert sounded anything but 
tempting to . I remember words such as "located in the countryside" and "limited public facilities (no bank, no ATM, no internet connection)" as a deterrent really, I by no means in a remote village, far away wanted to land by the City . Ultimately, I'm just glad in this project ended up to be. Since virtually no one Englisch spricht und ich somit gezwungen bin, ständig meine Sprachkenntnisse anzuwenden, lerne ich die Sprache wesentlich schneller als die Freiwilligen in der Stadt. Außerdem ist die Luftverschmutzung in der Stadt sehr hoch, Indonesien ist nach den USA und China der drittgrößte CO 2 -Produzent in der Welt.. Auf dem Land erfährt man auch viel mehr vom ursprünglichen, traditionellen Leben als in der Stadt, wie z.B. Schlachtungen oder Beschneidungen. Ganz davon abgesehen ist mein Dorf auch bei weitem nicht so zurückgeblieben wie es in der Ausschreibung dargestellt wird: ich habe W-Lan in der Schule und sogar in meinem Haus, es gibt zahlreiche ATMs und man kann im Supermarkt fast alles kaufen, was man auch in Germany would get.
Preparation in Germany by the ICJAs definitely gave me really helped me prepare for my stay here, if you prepare for an FSJ ever can.
I often think of the "cultural spectacles" and then try to see things more distant, that I had no preparation is certainly not done. Even when I write posts for my blog, I can often make use of the tips and tricks that we have received in advance of ICJA taught.
Ich hatte mir vorher viele Sorgen gemacht wegen des Islams, Indonesien ist schließlich das bevölkerungsreichste islamische Land der Welt. In Europa existiert leider oft noch die Vorstellung vom bösen, dunklen Islam der Frauen unterdrückt und Terroristen hervorbringt. Obwohl einige meiner besten Freunde in Deutschland Moslems sind, war auch ich von dieser Konditionierung natürlich nicht ganz ausgeschlossen, und so hatte ich teilweise erwartet, für das nächste Jahr mehr oder weniger zum Moslem werden zu müssen, mich sämtlichen Regeln unterwerfen zu müssen und extrem in meinen Freiheiten beraubt zu werden, die ich seit meiner Volljährigkeit und dem Abschluss der Schule so genossen hatte. Zum Glück haben sich aber fast alle Befürchtungen als unbegründet erwiesen. Über meine Meinung zum Islam möchte ich mir jetzt hier nicht auslassen, das würde den Rahmen dieses Berichts sprengen, aber seit ich ihn einmal aus aller nächste Nähe kennen gelernt habe, hat er jegliche bedrohliche Ausstrahlung verloren. Man sagt, wir fürchten uns vor Dingen die wir nicht kennen, und so ist es mit dem Islam denke ich auch.
Grüße aus dem inzwischen verregneten Zentraljava (es ist Regenzeit),
Fabian Garbe
