Wilkommen in Polska: Life is What Happens... While You're Busy Making Other Plans

It's hard to believe that it's been about two months since my last post. It's not that there hasn't been anything going on (we went to a First Communion celebration, we traveled to Szczecin, we found a new place to live), it's just that life has been incredibly busy (planning for the Blessing and Honeymoon in England/Scotland, working two jobs, applying for a Masters program).  Hopefully this post will give a full update of what's been going on.

Back in May, we were invited by one of my students to celebrate his First Communion, and the plan was to meet him and his family at the church. However, we underestimated how big First Communion is here in Poland. In simple words, it's a huge deal. The only time I've seen so many people in a church is on Easter Sunday in the Bible Belt. It was standing room only, and the nearest parking was probably a quarter mile away. Seeing as I was wearing rather high heels, we decided to just go to the after party.

There were about forty people at the house to celebrate: all of the brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and, of course, grandma. We were informed that this was a typical Polish gathering. For holidays and birthdays the entire family always comes together to celebrate. It's actually pretty touching to see the importance of family in Polish culture. And it wouldn't be a Polish celebration without the food....LOTS of food. There was the first starter of soup, and another starter of something else. Then, there was a choice of chicken, beef or pork (or all three!) for the main dish. Then there were also some different cakes and pastries, and finally there were delicious strawberries. We were able to take home some amazing desserts!

In June, we went to a city called Szczecin, which is pronounced like "Shchechin". Szczecin has one of the largest ports in Poland, but it's still developing. A random point of interest in Szczecin is an Indian restaurant owned by a former Miss India, called Bombay. It was delicious and the interior is exquisite. Unfortunately, Szczecin didn't seem to have much else to offer. We tried finding the tourist office, but all the signs only directed us to the river.

Overall, the past few months have been pretty busy for us, and on top of it all we're getting ready for our big trip to the U.K. Although it's not my home country, there are definitely some things I'm homesick for in England. There's a special pub I'm looking forward to enjoying a cider in and I'm excited to have a Sunday roast again. Of course, I can't wait to see all our friends and family who will be celebrating our Blessing with us. Since we've been so busy, I think we'll especially enjoy our time away. Perhaps some distance will even help us better appreciate what we have here in Poland.

Jacque in Jakarta: The Last Month

One month from today, Alexander and I will be finishing our year-long contract here in Jakarta. The original plan was to renew for another year. We planned to live in Jakarta for one more year. We planned to dodge motorbikes, breathe in pollution and circumnavigate holes in the sidewalks for one more year. We planned to spend more time with our friends, have dinner out a few times a week and get massages for under five dollars for one more year.

That was our plan. But life isn't something you can always plan.

After much thought, long talks and a lot of prayer, Alexander and I decided we need to be closer to our families. This doesn't mean we'll be living in anyone's backyard. But there's a big difference between a 9-hour flight and a 24-hour flight. There's also the complication of exit visas here in Indonesia, which don't exist in Europe.

So we've decided to return to Europe, Poland to be exact. This wasn't a decision left to chance. Over the course of a week, we sent out about thirty applications around the world. By around the world, I mean: Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, Spain and Morocco. Out of all those positions in all those countries, there was only one school that offered an acceptable package for both of us: Poland.

It will be a bit of a culture shock for us to go from a city of over 17 million people to a town of around 10,000. We also aren't completely prepared to go from temperatures of 40°C (104°F) to 25°C (77°F). It will additionally take some getting used to going from Indonesian Rupiah to Polish Zloty. But I think we're ready for the change, and it's a decision that is best for us at this time.

In the meantime, we still have a month left in Jakarta. I don't want to get upset about leaving my friends, but instead I want to enjoy the time we have left together. It's not "goodbye", Jakarta, it's "see you later".

Jacque in Jakarta: 10 signs you're an Expat in Jakarta

After nearly a year of living in Jakarta, I've started to become acclimated with parts of the culture I originally took issue with. Here's a list of ten things that any expat in Jakarta can relate to (and may be a sign you've lived here too long). In no particular order:

1. You think outside your front door is the appropriate place to store shoes

The shoe gallery down the hall

When we first arrived to Jakarta, we were surprised to see a shoe store outside our neighbors' apartments and vowed we would never leave our shoes outside of our apartment. Fast forward ten months and you will find the bulk of our shoes outside our front door. At first we may have had a fear of theft, but then we realized that nobody is going to steal a pair of Payless shoes.

2. You have Batik for every day of the week

A glimpse of our Batik collection

Batik is the traditional clothing from Indonesia. Each region has its own distinct design of Batik. Normally on Fridays, people are allowed to wear Batik to their workplace. When we first arrived, we were entirely Batik-less, but over time we have purchased Batik and received Batik as gifts from Indonesian friends. Now, we can wear Batik just about every day of the week in order to feel like a 'local'.

3. You own a pair of knock-off Crocs

Flooding is common in Jakarta during rainy season, and even in dry season there can be monsoon storms. Therefore, Crocs are quite useful since they dry quickly and have a firm grip on wet surfaces. I held out for a long time, but finally found my pair of purple crocs for a bargain price of 50,000 IDR ($5.00).

4. 'Banjir', 'macet' and 'demo' are part of your active vocabulary

That string of lights is all cars

Free swimming pool!

Upon arrival to Jakarta, even if you don't speak a word of Indonesian, you will quickly learn that 'banjir' means flood, 'macet' means traffic jam and 'demo' means protest. When Indonesians have asked me about my experience in Jakarta, I usually respond with these three words and they laugh, knowingly.

5. When you see a white person, your first thought is, "Bule!"

The only Bules in the village

In our first week of living in Jakarta, I lost track of how many times someone shouted "Bule!" 'Bule' (Boo-lay) is a term for white Westerners. Generally, it is not meant as an insult, but it can be challenging to our Western sensibilities of racism. After so much time here, I get excited when I see other white people and inadvertently say, "Oh, look! It's a Bule!"

6. You spend at least one day a week at a mall

One of the many Jakartan shopping destinations

Something we learned quickly is the cost of land here is so exuberant that restaurants, clothing stores and most other stores have to set up shop in a mall. It is difficult to find free-standing restaurants or shops, so most weekends or free days are spent in a mall. As a friend of mine said, Jakarta is the city of a hundred malls, so you can really find anything and everything you need in a Jakarta mall.

7. You've been hit/nearly hit by a motorbike at least once

Walking to work or the store is always an adventurous experience. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the sidewalks leave much to be desired, and motorbikes don't seem to understand the concept of pedestrians on sidewalks or one-way streets being one-way. If nothing else, I have learned to ALWAYS look both ways in Jakarta, even if you THINK you're on a one-way street.

8. You have at least one epic story of a horrible taxi driver

The "reliable" taxi company

Countless times we've had taxi drivers racially profile us as being rich and so they have taken advantage of us in numerous ways. Sometimes they offer to take us on a toll road that is 30 minutes out of the way. Other times they'll take a 'short cut' that extends our ride considerably. My favorite story is when the taxi driver insisted that there would be more traffic because of the Lebaron holiday (The holiday in which Jakarta is practically empty). The best advice I could give to newbies is to have a map and insist on the route you know. After a while you can explain in Indonesian, "Saya tidak bodoh".

9. You consider four people on a motorbike to be normal

A regular family vehicle

The first time I saw five people on a motorbike, my jaw dropped. Now, I consider a motorbike to be a family vehicle, suitable for the same number of people as can fit in a sedan.

10. Your diet contains more 'nasi' than bread

I have always enjoyed eating rice, which I consider a bonus for coming to Indonesia. The first time we bought a 5kg bag of rice, I thought it would last us the rest of the year. A month later I was worried that I didn't have enough rice for dinner.

There are many other signs to be shared, but these have been my main experiences. For those of you in the same situation, I hope you've enjoyed the post. For those of you who don't get it, just come to Jakarta for a few months.

Jacque in Jakarta: The Joke about Summer

About a week ago, I heard on the news that it was the first day of summer. For the first 23 summers of my life, this actually meant something. It meant that there would be very little rain and lots of daylight. It meant I wouldn't need a jacket when I went outside and I could definitely wear my summer dresses. It meant that it was officially summer, spring showers were supposed to be over. Then last year, I was in England for summer. More specifically, I was in England for the rainiest summer of the past hundred years. There were a few sunny days, but it was mostly rainy, cold and dreary. Many days I sat by the fire to warm up.

And now this year I'm in Jakarta. Talking about summer is a bit of a joke here. In fact, talking about any season is kind of a joke. There are supposed to be two seasons here: Dry and wet. However, very little change occurs between these two seasons. The temperature stays relatively the same, with only a slight variance between hot when it's raining and very hot when it's not raining. We are supposed to be in the dry season now, but the seven-day forecast shows rain almost everyday.

I used to really love the summer heat, but now I long for the crisp, clean smell of autumn, the sharp, piercing cold of winter, and the cool, refreshing mornings of spring. Without a change in season, it's hard to appreciate the sunny summer days. I will be visiting the U.S. in September, and among many other things I look forward to the end of this ceaseless summer. I look forward to a change of scene and season. I look forward to the chill of my home.

An American in England: How to not take sunny summers for granted

I have now been in England for a month and a half and homesickness is creeping up on me. Of course I am quite happy that I made the decision to move here and be with my now husband, but there are certain things that I expect a summer to entail, which this British summer has been horribly lacking.

Every summer in my memory has been hot and sunny. I have always developed a tan, become noticibly blonder, craved the beach, ate lots of watermelon, kept an ample supply of sun lotion or after sun lotion, and generally complained about the inability to cool off. This summer, however, I am nearly as white as my British husband, my hair color hasn't changed, I've searched for excuses to stay inside, I've barely seen the sun and I find myself wrapped up under blankets in a feeble attempt to keep warm.

The weather forecasters blame the jet stream for this unusually cool and rainy summer. I've been informed by natives that even for England this weather is not the norm. Regardless of why it's been pissing it down (to use a British term), I am quite honestly done with it.

On the bright side, the sun is shining today. I've been able to go for a run the past two days thanks to the forgiving weather, and getting outside definitely helps to dissipate feelings of homesickness. The forecasters are predicting warmer weather and sunnier skies this coming week. We've even popped a tent in the back yard and are going to have a bar-b-q tomorrow. Hopefully, the rain was just a phase that we've finally got over, and I will be happy to see my homesickness follow it out.

The first pang of Heimweh

Saturday was a rather fun filled day. In the morning I went to my very first Einschulung, which is a German tradition for kids starting school. On the first day of first grade the kids come to school with their families and bring a Schultuete, pictured right, and celebrate their registration. After that, I went shopping for a few hours with the daughters of my landlady, then I came home, went on my daily run, showered, and sat down in search of the Arkansas Razorbacks game.

As a born and bred Arkansas Razorback, Razorback sports are something that have always been a part of life, especially Razorback football. I graduated from the University of Arkansas, my brother graduated from the University of Arkansas, my father graduated from the University of Arkansas, and thus it is a family tradition. Singing the fight song, calling the Hogs and yelling obscenities at the refs, are things I, as well as so many other Arkansans, was born knowing how to do. You could say it's in my blood. So, when I decided to spend a full year in a foreign country, I knew it would be a long, hard football season for me. Especially since the Razorbacks are actually ranked this year, which is a rare occurrence, but true fans love them all the same. I almost cried with joy when I discovered I would actually have the chance to watch my beloved hogs play in their first SEC game against Georgia. I tried not to cheer to loudly when we scored, or swear too loudly when they scored, because I knew that I would probably scare my landlady. In the end, we had a glorious 31-24 victory....and I cried like a baby.


In the beginning I was crying tears of pride. I was so proud that my hogs won their first conference game, even while they were on the road. But the tears quickly became more somber, and I reflected on the fact that if I were back home, I would be cheering and singing and drinking with all my fellow Razorback fans. We might then go to Dickson Street to continue our celebrations, with actions that would probably end up on textsfromlastnight.com. 


Of all the times I've been abroad, I've never had such a severe case of homesickness. I felt slightly ridiculous to begin with, but then I realized that there are surely several things that led to this episode, the game was the spark to set it off, and it's probably normal. In then end, I'm just one hell of a fan.