Workshops and Weekend Wedding

Last week was probably one of the more interesting weeks at work and probably one of the most boring weeks at work all in one. You might ask how one week can be both extremely interesting and extremely boring? The answer is simply you attend a series of workshops that are conducted entirely in Bahasa. Last week the program I am working on held a three day workshop for female parliamentarians. The workshops covered public speaking, media handling, and campaigning. It was interesting to watch the workshops, especially when I had internet and could furiously try to translate the PowerPoint slides. I was less successful at guessing what the presenters were saying, spelling the word correctly and being able to translate it all before they moved on to the the next topic. 

I did learn that some public speaking tips are universal. Thanks to the Public Speaking Seminar in Professionalism this past semester I was able to understand a lot of what was being said simply through body language and gestures.

Group photo of the participants.

Obama Bagus! Obama is apparently recognized as a great public speaker even in Indonesia.

Practicing introductions

Indonesian version of "Row Row Your Boat" which includes hand gestures.

I also got my Indonesian Wedding experience this weekend. Indonesian traditions include inviting everyone you work with to the wedding. As such, I received an invitation addressed to everyone who sits in my room at the office. On Sunday, we met at the office to go to the wedding reception. In Indonesia, you rarely go to the ceremony but instead go to the reception, take photos, eat, and then leave. Below are some photos of the wedding reception.

Bride, groom, and parents.

Naoko, Jessie, and I

Coworkers at the wedding.

Throwing the bouquet.

Happy 4th of July

How do you celebrate the Fourth of July from Jakarta? There are several restaurants offering beer and barbecue at a premium price for expats; however, I am celebrating by sitting in a training for female parliamentarians about managing campaigns next to my Australian friend. It is an odd way to celebrate Independence Day, sitting in the back of a conference room frantically trying to translate the PowerPoint presentation.

The 4th of July Card made by Jessie, my Aussie friend, during the training.

Project Plan Take 2

When I got to work on Monday this week, I was able to sit down with my supervisor and discuss my work plan. By discuss, I mean throw out what I originally planned and start from scratch. I was pretty sure that this was going to happen despite prior communication and planning.

I am pretty good at adapting to the unexpected at work if any of the stories from previous jobs are to be believed … the time I had to sharpen 500 pencils two at a time, or the several times I have broken shredders, lets not forget waxing the clothing racks, transferring a box of floppy disks onto the server, or dressing like a pirate!

Previous work stories aside, I am excited about my new project as it blends nicely with my interest in advocacy. I will be developing a resource guide and manual for the one-on-one coaching program with female politicians in Indonesia. The background research has been interesting and I am learning a lot about the challenges of political quotas and democracy in the developing world. I wondering if there will be a humorous work story from this summer to add to archives.

In other office news we got three new coworkers this week. Three kittens have claimed the office garage as their home. One thing I have noticed about Jakarta is the abundance of cats roaming the streets. Don't worry Jeff, none are as cute as the booboos.

The Booboos.