Pasantren & the Night Out

Another weekend spent in Bogor. Well a Monday. And quite a while ago actually. On Sunday me and all my fellow Americans (Natalie from Surabaya too which is like a day away by train) came to help out with interviews for possible YES applicants for next year. Helping involved timing the interviews and calling people's names. We weren't actually allowed to interview people - you have to be 21. I was very impressed though because the interviews were almost entirely in English.We talked to some of the students, tried to play like Duck Duck Goose or something. Hanging out.
The next day however we got up early to drive to some place past Bogor to look at a religious school. The students come from lower income families and live at the school. First we sat through a long introduction about the school. The students study 5 or 6 days a week and then have a day where they clean up their spaces. They also do a lot of farming work.

When we went to take a look around the school we first met some of the students. They were currently cleaning their rooms and washing laundry but they came out to say hi. It was a mixed group of girls and boys and some very young. I believe a few were my age though. They live in dorms I guess you would call them. Next we went to see the fields. There were many fruit trees as well as vegetables. By now I don't remember what they were.

After seeing their fields we took a short bus ride to their animals. They have cows, goats, I'm sure chickens too. And we even saw how they use the cow dung to make gas for their school. The school is impressively economically friendly - I felt inspired when I saw the yoghurt they make themselves from their goat's milk.And those baby goats - I wish I had a goat now.

Two cutie things

Then we had lunch - Nasi Padang. I remember because that's now one of my favorite foods here. It's like a curry almost with cassava leaves and hot peppers. It's so spicy and delicious. Usually it uses chicken - but its amazing vegetarian style too. We also tried some of their homemade yoghurt - it was really good.

Afterwards we took the longish bus ride back to Jakarta and because Natalie so rarely comes here we decided to go out. We started at the mall then taxied to this really cool Turkish restaurant - Annatolia that was not too far away. We spent the rest of the night there. 

Our really good food - mine (the froneter-most) was a mushroom cheese (real cheese) thing. So good.

Blurry but the lights look cool

I'm trying to get rid of all my pictures - so many. 

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