Laura Joy Land

The Indonesian language is a simple one. For example, "I am engaged to Hadi" is expressed with just "I engage Hadi". "I hope it's okay with you that I am eating - have you already eaten?" - a very important statement that I often hear several times a day, sometimes even from someone who has just witnessed me eat, is expressed by simply saying "sudah makan?" , which translates as "already eat?" and can even be shortened to "makan?" , "eat?". However, I have learned that simplicity in language can easily be made up for in the complexities of tribal traditions and formal documents. Case in point: the Bataknese wedding invitation, complete with two languages and lots and lots of names and titles... And here, the 'simpler' version, replacing titles and repetition with bare facts and a little sentiment... So now it's official in three languages. Simple!

Around 18 months ago, I made a huge decision in my life: I chose to change it permanently and painfully by ending my marriage. The effects of that decision were all at once devastating and liberating. It was the right decision for me, but nevertheless heartbreaking. I finally had the freedom I had craved, to be who I wanted to be - to find out who that person was, alone, and yet I was consumed with guilt at the pain I had caused my spouse. The main judgment I felt from him at the time was that I was acting selfishly, which was impossible to argue with given the circumstances. Ultimately, however, I didn't feel selfish. Rather, I was choosing to take control of my life for my own spiritual well-being, finally listening to that inner voice of reason that had been bugging me on-and-off for the past several years, manifesting as doubt and depression each time I ignored its repeated claims.  Six months later, I was on a plane to South-East Asia, to start a new life on a small Indon...

On Education Day, many students performed dances, and a few took part in poetry and speech contests. The focus was not on education in a way understandable by western educators, but the strength of the school community was certainly observable, as well as the students' enthusiasm for performance! Here I am with some 7th graders who choreographed their own traditional dance and looked amazing in their intricate costumes. And here I am, half posing - half hiding, with some of my colleagues. Taking photos is very popular in Indonesia (particularly when a 'bule' (foreigner) is around). I haven't yet acquired the taste for it, but I am looking to upgrade from my $70 hot-pink point-and-shoot from Walmart, so perhaps it's only a matter of time.

In April a friend from Germany came to Singapore for a few weeks to do research for her master's thesis. Luckily for me, she also came to Batam to visit me, and we even made it to a beautiful Malaysian island called Tioman, where we went diving and waved hello to that other world down there. Here are some photos from Sarah's stay in Batam. Unfortunately the photos from Malaysia were all on her camera. Above: I'd wanted to take a photo of this sign for ages. Batam - the place I "call" home. Below: The beach can get rather crowded. Above: We managed to find a quieter spot. Below: On the way home, we stopped at a dragon fruit farm where we enjoyed dragon fruit juice, dragon fruit soup, and dragon fruit chocolate cake. Mmmm.   When you visit Batam there are 3 things you must do. 1) go to the beach. 2) go to Barelang suspension Bridge, conveniently located on the way to the beach (below). 3) Karaoke, as documented above. The random videos tha...