Slow start

Today, at 8 am, I was supposed to meet the people in my English class for the next two weeks. I thought we were clear on the meeting point. I thought we were clear on the time.

Apparently we weren't. I was at the appointed time and place. I was alone. For an hour. When I got home, I was greeted with “Juliette where were you?”

Good grief.

I was excited that I finally had something to do. I was excited that it was something the community wanted.

Last night, I met with the head of security in the village and for the Besi Kulang temple. They want me to help the people (men) who will be providing security at the temple to feel more comfortable greeting visitors in English. No grammar lessons please. Yes, most of them want to learn; we are not forcing them.

The total number of learners is 24. I asked that they be split into two groups of 12. When a group is 12 or less, everyone talks. When there are more than 12, loud ones talk and others keep silent. If you want everyone to practice speaking, the groups have to be smaller.

The lessons have to be at night. It's planting season, and men are in the fields all day.

No grammar. The other English lessons have all had grammar, and it has scared the men from learning. They are afraid of saying something incorrectly, so they don't talk at all.

Fine. English grammar is complicated, and is too much for two weeks of lessons.

I thought we had set up everything to everyone's satisfaction.

Then I got to the meeting place at the meeting time, and I was alone. For an hour and 15 minutes.

I eventually found the group, and the man who was supposed to introduce me, and nothing happened.

So I went home. And that's when my host arrived home asking where I've been. Argh

We went back to the temple, this time in the car, and I had lunch with the men before being introduced. There was much frantic talk, sprinkled with the word “grammar”. No, I said, we will practice talking. We will not be learning grammar.

What an effective way to discourage someone from learning a language. Start with the grammatical architecture. Actually, that's an effective way for some, and my own English improved when I learned formal grammar. But I was already comfortable with speaking, reading and writing. The early lessons included grammar; I just didn't know it.

So I'll sneak it in. When someone says “I went through the rice fields” they mean that they were already in the rice fields.  When they say “I go to the rice fields” they are on their way there. Go and went are different ways of saying the same word.

I've asked to be taken to a city with a bookstore tomorrow so that I can buy a Balinese-English phrase book. I'll leave it behind for people to use in their interactions with tourists, or while they are waiting for tourists to come. A shift at the security desk can be lonely.

As we were leaving today, there were three groups there -- more than I've seen. As with my first visit, one group was from Moscow.

The father in the family said he will not return to Bali. Too hot, I asked. No. The food. He doesn't like rice or spicy food. He's been enjoying Australian food, especially lamb. To say what he meant, he put his hands up like horns and went baa. Then he told me how he likes to barbecue at home. His early 20s son and daughter were there, mortified by their fathers conversation. Parents all over the world embarrass their kids. There's something comforting in that.

So. My first lesson is tomorrow (Friday) night at 7. Wish me luck, and confidence.

PS:  yesterday I posted some pictures of the village and the rice fields. To get a strong enough internet connection to upload, I sat at the viewpoint over the rice fields. I felt ridiculous to be in such a pastoral area with my various electronic devices, but it's the only way. So forgive me for not posting pictures until I'm somewhere with a strong wifi service.