Debrief Session

All of the morning and much of the afternoon for our final day in Indonesia, the eleven TGC teachers were guided by a representative from IREX (organization which facilitates the TGC program for the US Dept. of State) in a session to debrief on our time here.  While I felt as much of the session could have (and probably should have) been facilitated at a later date and once we were back home in the United States, there was one portion of the session that I found rather meaningful.

We created a "T-chart" for some of our experiences while in Indonesia.  In the narrow left-hand column we listed a one or two word emotion or thought as a theme and then in the right-hand column we placed several bullet points with detail of an event during our time "in country" which relates to that theme.  While Blogger makes it difficult to replicate the T-chart here, I'll do my best to present a few of my take-aways:

Beauty:

• mysterious harmony of a least seven different simultaneous calls to prayer from a variety of local mosques
• store racks filled with Batik clothing filled with vibrant colors

Unexpected:

• "Lady Gaga" horse at the volcano near Bandung
• students "animal club" at Krida with owls, hawks, and snakes
• being constantly saluted by students at Krida

Frustrating:

• long drives EVERYWHERE even when distance was close
• being told "it's closed because of Ramadan"

It's always good to provide appropriate reflection on the experiences that we have.  Roaming the roads of lands remote does not come without its challenges, but the encounters are often filled with amazing opportunities.  Reflection on such allows us to let our experiences become a deeper and more meaningful part of our lives and to help us grow and mature into our future.