Kupang and sinking ferries and a fabulous school choir.
on Rachel Gates (Indonesia), 30/Oct/2010 04:46, 34 days ago
Well I have arrived back from Kupang and I have received over 200 e-mails enquiring into how I am , so thank you everyone for your concern, and I am sorry I could not access an Internet any sooner.As people in England seem to know better than people in Indonesia Volcanoes have erupted, their has been an earthquake and a Tsunami, which has created absolute devastation to parts of Indonesia. This has not affected Flores.However what has affected Flores is two ferries full of passengers sinking in Ende and Maumere. This happened on Saturday 23rd of October. The same time I boarded a ferry with the school choir on a trip to Kupang. We had not heard of the incidents at Ende and Maumere before departing. 100's of people have died and families have been devastated. I arrived safe and well in Kupang, although very tired after the 24 hour crossing.So arrived safe and well in Kupang with the school choir and our dancers. We stayed in the Sekolah Luar Biasa in Kupang (School for outside normal). I was told this was a new school with only five pupils. So had the shock of my life when I got out of the bathroom on Monday morning, to walk across the school playground in my Sarong and hair in a towel, only to find hundreds of children in the school playground. The kids looked at me and I looked at them....I really was not expecting a load of children to turn up. The last thing the teachers and children of the school expected was to have a half naked Bula walking across the school playground at 7am.I survived my week of eating boiled rice with a bit of veg and fish for breakfast , dinner and tea. Must adit had had a funny effect of my bowel movements. Especially since I ate some fruit and drank some green tea last night. I think I must have lost a lot of weight in one night. I shared my room with the children and the teachers, and I cannot believe how well behaved children are in Indonesia. We spend hours doing nothing, but the kids did not complain and found little things to do to entertain themselves.The children attended church twice on the Sunday and sang for the congregation, and they performed two shows, as well as meeting with the very important guy incharge of the Manggarai offices in Kupang. They had dinner with the Bupati, and what was so nice is on these formal occasions they were treated as equals and with respect.The on the last day the best thing in the world. After weeks of waiting I got to go to the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!