• John Lee EvansAround the planetTraveler
    With the student representatives at the ceremony
    The eloquent masters of ceremonyAn Indonesian traditional dancerAnother speech by the prinicipalFaculty and students who participated in the ceremonyMiddle school boysPeace Corps Volunteer second to my leftA late career Peace Corps Volunteer with her studentsBoisterous crowd of students coming out of prayerWith the faculty at the Muslim public schoolPeace Corps Volunteer at homeWe want to say hi.1Talking with the students learning EnglishThank you! (How is this going to fit into my backpack?)Thank you! (Guess I'll donate to PC office)Students at a rally for student council elections

    Indonesia, surprises at school

    October 22, 2025 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    We had a welcoming ceremony worthy of royalty at the first Indonesian school where a Peace Corps Volunteer works. I’m sure their welcoming us was due to their appreciation and love for her. The ceremony included students, teachers, the principal, the Ministry of Education and others. Speeches, dances, prayers. So I had to come up with a spontaneous speech about international understanding and cooperation.

    What I wasn’t prepared for was how boisterous the students were at the student election rally and even as I just passed by the classrooms to say hi. I thought American students were the rowdy ones.

    And then there were the gifts. The first school gave me a beautifully handcrafted batik. How am I going to squeeze one more thing into my backpack? (But I did). The second school gave a a crate of mangoes that will definitely not fit into my backpack, so I donated it to the Peace Corps office.    Read more