When the Bubble Bursts...

"Ding!"

The email came in just like any other. We had just gotten back from 12 amazing days exploring Sydney, Australia. The last couple months of school were upon us. We were in the midst of discussing what crazy adventure we might want to take for summer vacation and the world came to a screeching halt.  One "ding" from email transformed our lives. I quickly scanned the email from the school and took the laptop to sit on the couch. I reread it again and then read it aloud to Chris.

There had been an assault on a student at school, during school hours. The school was taking actions to ensure the safety of all students and the family of the student was asking for privacy. That was it...no more details. My mind was reeling.

Which campus had the alleged assault taken place?

What was the age of the student?

What was the nature of the assault?

Were my kids safe?

What in the world were we doing living in a developing country 10,000 miles from home?

Our school community was shocked (to say the least). The emotions at school were off the charts. Parents were keeping their children home and discussions were being held about pulling kids out of school completely. There were talks of other victims. The rumors were flying. Every morning as I walked Dustin to school, I would tear up thinking about the situation.

Were my kids truly safe?

What was I doing exposing them to such a horrific situation?

In my mind and in my heart, I KNEW they were safe. I spent enough time at school, with their teachers, and with each of them to know that nothing had happened to them personally.  I knew the staff at the school enough to know that they were doing everything they could to protect my children from anything bad happening to them.

Then life got CRAZY...As the family of the child went public with their allegations, things went insane. There was mass media outside the front gates of school. There were reporters shoving microphones into Dustin's face as we walked to school in the morning. School was closed due to protestors outside of the gates. We live a block from the school and walk everyday, but the media and protestors were so bad, the school started providing special busses so we could avoid the madness before and after school. The Minister of Education closed down the Early Years program (the Pre-K and Kindergarten) Dustin was just finishing up Pre-K and there was much uncertainty about whether Kindergarten would open the following year (I spent my summer preparing to homeschool him for Kindergarten).

As we all left for the summer vacation, we felt we had barely made it thru the end of the year,  but we were feeling optimistic that (other than the possibility of having no kindergarten program) the following school year would return to normal.

Next, the family sued the school for $25 million USD and plastered the name and photo of their child all over the media.

And then life got CRAZIER...The family had been accusing 6 janitors of horrific acts against their child. When it was learned that their $25 million lawsuit against the school wouldn't go anywhere because the janitors were not employed by the school, but contracted out, they accused school employees and upped the lawsuit against the school to $125 Million USD. So, while we were all off enjoying our summer holidays, the Head of the School was sending us daily updates about the situation in Jakarta.  I was still in my jet lagged, wake up at 2:00 every morning state of mind when I received the email that 2 teachers and the Principal of Dustin's school were now being accused. Although I didn't know one of the teachers personally, I knew the other two and immediately sent an email to the school to express my outrage at the allegations and my support of the school and the teachers named.

The "facts" of the case started being leaked to the media. Each "fact" was more absurd than the last. Chris and I had been at school EVERY SINGLE DAY - at least twice a day. Dustin was in the Pre-K class and was let out of school 2 hours earlier than the rest of the kids. We would pick him up in the school office (the Aquarium, as it's named because of it's all glass offices), where these alleged acts of assault took place EVERY SINGLE DAY - IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL DAY! It was said that one of the teachers was conjuring magic blue stones from thin air.  There was no physical evidence that anything had happened to the child AT ALL, much less that those accused had any part in the non existent crimes.

One of the six accused cleaners died during interrogations.  The others claimed to have been tortured and said they were forced to confess when they could no longer handle the torture.  Two teachers were arrested and we came back from summer vacation to more questions and fewer answers than when we left.  Vigils were being held at school every evening to get together as a community and show our support.  The start of the school year was delayed for everyone and the Early Years and Kinder programs were delayed even further.  Our rose colored glasses were removed...the bubble had burst.

Eventually things at the school calmed down.  The school year got underway. The Kindergarten program reopened, followed a few months later by the Early Years program.  Life went on...kind of...

As we came to realize that NOTHING HAPPENED, we began to reach out to the families of the six cleaners. We went to court to show our support for them. We began raising funds to replace their loss of income, money used to support extended family members.  We came to know each of the cleaners and their families and tried to show them we believe in them.  We wept with each of them as their verdicts were read and they were given 6-7 years in prison.  We vowed to stand beside them until the day they walk free.

We did the same for the teachers and for their families.  We spent entire days at the courthouse to show our support (there were days we would be leaving the courthouse well after the sun went down). The school community rallied to ensure that home cooked meals were delivered to the teachers every day in prison. We wept with each of them as their verdicts were read and they were each given 8 years in prison.  We vowed to stand beside them until the day they walk free.

It's been over two years since this all started. As I sit writing this, the 5 remaining cleaners have been in jail 904 days.  The teachers have been in jail, convicted, had their conviction over turned, and then over turned again.  They also remain in jail waiting for some sort of justice to be served.

It's been over two years and I still can't wrap my head around the absurdity of the entire thing.  Every day I question how a country I love so much, with such beautiful people, can have such a corrupt justice system. I've had conversations with my friends from Indonesia about the absurdity of it all, about how powerless they feel. How do you change a corrupt system?  (Don't get me wrong, I am painfully aware of the problems in my home country - I cringe anytime someone mentions the current election, gun laws, or race issues - just to name a few!)

It's been over two years and my seven year old is still thinking up ways to help them get out of jail. He's still sending letters, notes, and pictures to his friends in jail (and receiving beautiful notes and gifts in return).

It's been over two years and I still cry when I think about the lives that have been ruined over this entire situation. I have stopped wondering about the motives of those who started this, but I hurt for the child in the center of it all.  His name and photo will forever be linked to this case.  He's had countless medical exams (all stating the same results - NOTHING HAPPENED). He's had to move to another country.

It's been over two years and we still stand vigil at the school every Friday evening. Dustin still leads the Naga Cheer (the school chant) with power and conviction in hopes that our innocent friends can feel our support.

It's been over two years and we're still doing everything in our power to support the cleaners, the teachers, and their families.

It's been over two years and this story has been ongoing. There is so much more than I could possibly write in a short blog entry, but I wanted to write something detailing why I haven't written in a while. I've had trouble putting it into words. I've had to come to terms with the fact that this amazing adventure we're on isn't just about seeing the wonders of the world and experiencing new things. It's easy to write about the fun adventures and the crazy things that happen. It's not so easy to write about things that really matter.

It's been over two years and I can honestly say this experience has changed us forever.

For more information, please visit freeneilandferdi.org

GK Sports Day - 2014

To say the last month has been crazy at the kids' school would be quite an understatement. So, to spend Saturday with some amazingly awesome kids was a a very welcome break.

I've mentioned the work of two great organizations, GK and XS, here, and here, and here, and here, and here (can you tell I love these organizations!). The JIS Middle and High Schools each have GK Clubs dedicated to working with GK and the children from these communities. The students in these clubs (Emilie is a member of the GK Middle School Club) worked together to organize the 2nd Annual GK Sports Day. They invited over 180 kids from the GK and XS communities to participate in a fun filled day of sports and activities.

The morning began with breakfast. The kids were separated by age group. Then they all headed out to the field for a variety of activities. The JIS students planned everything from parachute play, capture the flag, frisbees, hula hoops, and more. Each age group took turns rotating through the stations.After a little break to cool off and get souvenir photos taken in the "Photo Booth," it was time for water games!  The JIS students organized a ton of water activities - slip and slide, water guns, sponges, and tug o'war.  The smiles were contagious (at one point I even complained to Emilie that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much!).

The day ended with a rousing rendition of the "Unity Dance" followed by lunch.

Emilie and I had a terrific day and what a great reminder of the wonderful relationship JIS has been able to establish between the JIS students and the Jakarta Community. I feel honored to have been  included in such an amazing day!

Emilie's Spain Adventure

Last semester Emilie had the amazing opportunity to spend ten days in Spain with the International Travel Club at school.  Here is a glimpse of her pictures from the trip, as well some excerpts from the parent emails we were sent every evening (Thank you Mrs. Hodgson!).

So excited to head out on a new adventure!

"Seriously Mom?!??! PLEASE get off the bus!"

First stop - Madrid!

"The weather was stunning - perfect for our bike ride in the lungs of Madrid - the Retiro Park. The area was amazing and we explored the park, tree-lined lane ways, statues and lake on our bikes. This was a wonderful way to start the trip with exercise after the long flight. Everyone was laughing and smiling the whole way. After returning our bikes we caught the local train to the Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor where we sat outside and enjoyed our first meal in Spain."

"The Museo Del Prado holds one of the finest art collections in all of Europe. Being very mindful of the interests of our group, Marcus (our INDAGO guide) gave us a lively account of the history of Spain and told us stories about 5 main pieces of art that were in the museum. When we went inside the museum we looked for those major pieces and we were able to really appreciate the works and look for the unusual aspects of each piece. The group really enjoyed this one hour visit. 

After lunch at the museum we went by train through to the Plaza Monumental de Las Ventas - Madrid's bullring. Seeing inside the main bullring for Spain and hearing all about how the bullfights involve audience participation in regards to the trophies the bullfighter receives, was really fascinating. This was an amazing experience and something I am 100% convinced will be a highlight for so many of the group. 

Following the bullring we went by train to participate in our own private flamenco dance lesson. This was so much fun and by the end of our class the group were able to perform a group flamenco dance."

Trying her hand at Bull Fighting!

On to Toledo

"This morning we traveled by train to the old capital of Spain - Toledo. It felt like stepping back in time with the narrow alleyways, cobble stone roads paths and the architecture of the buildings.

We took a fabulous walking tour of the city. We learnt so much about Toledo and why the lane ways were so narrow and so windy - to protect the locals from the wind and to create shade during the hot summer months. We saw the door knockers on the doors to homes that were so high we could not reach them - they were located so high for people riding on horses through the city in centuries past. We also found the world's smallest window that is recorded in the Guinness World Book of Records.

It truly was amazing to be standing in the city where three religious cultures had lived in harmony for centuries - Christian, Muslim and Jewish. Toledo is the place where Marzipan was first made by the nuns with sugar and almonds (we got to try some of the local customary food today.) After a fabulous lunch we visited the Cathedral which was built with "magical dimensions" by the same person who designed Notre Dame in Paris. The dimensions for the cathedral in Toledo are 123 meters long, 45 meters high and 67 meters wide - the numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 in order. Ask your son/daughter how number 8 factored into the numerical sequence! The group were very interested in the way there were sections for the people to sit to hear mass - the royal family members at the front of the church in front of the altar, rich people sat in the next section, priests were next and then there was a wall where the poor people would sit behind the wall and not be able to see the altar. The architecture was cleverly designed to ensure the acoustics were such that everyone could hear mass wherever they were in the church.

Next, we joined the local tourist train with commentary during a ride through the outside of the city walls. The scenery was amazing. 

We traveled by train back to Madrid and onto the Flamenco Dance Performance. Everyone was so impressed with the talented flamenco dancers. Our group would need to practice before we got anywhere near the level of these dancers!" 

"We bought picnic lunches at the station to take on board the bullet train through to Barcelona. It was fabulous to travel by train and to see the countryside between the two cities. The train felt as though it was not moving very fast and it was moving so smoothly - but we clocked travel times as fast as 303km.   

It was exciting to arrive in Barcelona. We  set off for the local metro to go into Barcelona's most famous street - La Rambla. Marcus (INDAGO guide) led us on an interesting walking tour of the Gothic Quarters. There was so much to see and to learn about the history of Barcelona and the Catalonia region.  Marcus shared many legends and beliefs from the area. 

One very sobering section of our walk was to a section inside the Gothic quarters where a church has indentations on the outside wall. These are the original markings from bullets from firing squads during historical times. The markings serve as a reminder of what has happened in the past. It was surreal to be standing in the exact same spot where these atrocities took place. 

Marcus shared many interesting stories with us throughout the afternoon. Our group listened with great interest and if only you could have seen the eyes on your sons and daughters as they stood in the very spots where historical events had happened which have shaped the future of this country. Their eyes were wide with interest as they soaked up every bit of information. 

After our walking tour we continued to the beach area where we enjoyed the beautiful scenes across the ocean and along the beach area before we headed to dinner."

"Today was an exceptional day weather wise which added to the day being amazing in every way. Today was our day learning about Gaudi.

After breakfast we caught the metro to La Rambla street where we had time to wonder through the market area. 

Sagrada Familia was Emilie's favorite

Next we visited Gaudi's still-unfinished masterpiece - Sagrada Familia. This large Roman Catholic Church commenced construction in 1882. Antoni Gaudi became involved as the architect in 1883. The church is yet to be completed and it is

estimated to take another 20 years to finish. Our group were fascinated in the architecture of the church and the way Gaudi's architecture reflects patterns in nature. Marcus led us on our one hour tour of the church pointing out the main points of interest for us.

After lunch we headed to another of Gaudi's works - the Parc Guell. Gaudi designed the Parc as a housing complex but only two houses were ever built there. It was intended to be a private complex but it became a public park for the people. Walking through it was easy to see Gaudi's works and how his connection to nature is reflected in his works.

In the late afternoon we went to a fabulous cooking school where we participated in an amazing Spanish cooking lesson. We worked in three groups and rotated through three stations where we cooked different dishes. "

"This morning we left our hotel and went by metro to the main train station where we caught a regional train to Figueres - the birthplace of Salvador Dali.

After arriving in Figueres, we walked to the main square where we enjoyed lunch before walking a short distance to the museum that holds the works of Salvador Dali. The museum was built on the same site as the original Figueres Theatre. 

Dali was a surrealist artist and our group enjoyed the engaging tour of the museum we had with our local guide, Sonia. Sonia explained all about Dali's life and his eccentric ways which helped us understand his works. We visited the main sections of high interest to our group and I am extremely confident that our group will always remember the unusual works of this influential artist.

One exhibit which was of high interest was the Mae West room where Dali set up a display of his impressions of getting inside Mae West's head. It was a fascinating visit."

"This morning we headed to the waterfront where we collected our bikes and helmets and headed off on a bike ride along the waterfront and beach area. The area we rode was magical - fresh clean air, beach and waterfront. The weather was around 21 degrees and was perfect for the ride. This was a lot of fun for everyone.

Next we went by funicular to the top of Montjuic Hill. This is the site where many of the events of the 1992 Olympic Games were held. We saw the stadium and the place where the Olympic flame was burning during the games.

 

Our next stop was to Camp Nou Stadium. This was a highlight for many. You should have seen the eyes of members of our group as we walked into the stadium. This stadium is the biggest in Europe and seats 100,000 people. Our guide explained to us how Barcelona FC water the turf so it grows and then they cut it short to make it a fast field. Most other teams keep their turf long to ensure a slower surface for the ball. The stadium was amazing and to visit the media rooms and the dressing rooms of the players was very special. We also walked through the players tunnel to the field. Of course the tour ended in the shop where quite a bit of merchandise is now in the hands of our group and making it's way back to Jakarta.

When Emilie was chastised for not knowing any well-known soccer players, my Arizona girl simply replied with, "Well, do you know who Larry Fitzgerald is?"

Before dinner we had some shopping time! A lot of bags were filled in a short period of time! 

Everyone is now in bed for the last sleep in Spain. The group has been fabulous and they have all got along so well together. The constant chattering and laughter is music to the ears. Everyone is smiling and has had a really great trip."

To say Emilie had an AWESOME trip would be an understatement; And we enjoyed living the trip through Mrs. Hodgson's nightly emails. Spain has been Emilie's favorite country visited thus far - She has even gone as far as saying she would like to explore the possibility of attending college in Spain (insert Mom's panic attack here!). At least that would ensure a better chance of visiting Spain one day myself.