Day 39 (Apr 13 2013): On Leaving Bali

Today we say goodbye to Bali, carrying with us three weeks of wonderful experiences. From the tranquil beaches of the Gili islands, the classic beauty of dense green rice paddies, the artistic pulse of Ubud, or the silent strength of Mt Batur, we have seen firsthand why Bali is such a sought-after destination. The sites are only augmented by the unfailing grace of the Balinese people, who treated us like family (whether we knew them for three weeks or three minutes) and always greeted us with a smile, wave, and "hello". Which isn't to say it is all positive--Bali also has high poverty rates which are apparent with any drive through a local village, a striking divide between the tourists and the local Balinese who make their livelihoods catering to foreigners, a non-existent recognition of the human impact on the environment (most notably seen through the universal tossing of garbage into rivers or worse, the burning of garbage, plastics included), and an indifferent and cruel attitude toward animals (dogs and cats in particular) that is difficult for anyone to witness, especially yours truly who loves animals so much. Of course these things are true of just about any developing country, so while not surprising they were still part of my Bali experience.

But the enduring image of our stay in Bali will of course be the school where we spent the majority of our time volunteering as English teachers.  The idea to volunteer at the Slukat Learning Center started with the desire to use my new-found free time to start volunteering again, to live a life not just for myself but in the pursuit of affecting change for others. The children at the center were in no need of motivation – they actively pursue change in themselves with every time they come to class, with every vocab word they learn, with every sentence they speak.  Change comes from within, and for better or worse these children know that most likely the foundation for a better life lies in their ability to speak English.  So I, like many volunteers before me and many more yet to come,  came to simply shine a light and illuminate a little more of the path the students have already chosen.  Three weeks hardly seems like enough, but then again I have a feeling neither would three years.

Finally, as an aside, my time at the school has also sharpened my respect and admiration for teachers. Before Bali, I of course always knew the importance of teachers and shared the kind of "automatic" gratitude the general public affords to teachers, military personnel, first responders, etc. But even after a short time masquerading around as a teacher, I can see firsthand the tangible impact this school is having on its kids and its community. And that's just one school, in one city, in one country. For all those teachers -- starting with my Mom who was a teacher, and cascading down to all others whom I've known teach at or be involved in traditional schools, charter schools, after school programs, or the "schools" of everyday life at home with children -- there really isn't enough praise to adequately recognize the importance of what you do or a word to describe the difficulty of doing it well.

But, less talk and more pictures!

Here is the entrance to the center:

 

And one of my classrooms (actually Carrie and I shared a class in this room):

 And here are some pictures of me and Carrie with the students from our last classes, where we were presented with certificates thanking us for our work at the school.

 

Carrie with her adoring fans…

 

And this is Ade, the coordinator and CEO-in-residence.  She made our stay at the school so enjoyable, we can’t thank her enough!

 

And this is the puppy that lives in the school. She is so cute, always waiting with her tail wagging and affectionate barks of "hello" as people walked up the path to the school. I never did get a picture or video of her chasing the chicken around the grounds (playfully), but I hope you catch it one day pup-dog, I will miss you!

 

And finally, this is the lizard that lived in our room. I’m not sure if we will miss him staring at us while we try to go to sleep, I’ll have to get back to you on that one…

 

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