Guatemala!

After a few mishaps including but not limited to: cancelled flights, computer projects lost, overstaying my visa, and rerouting issues, I have finally arrived in Guatemala! Flying from Sydney through Singapore, London, and Madrid, I was again reminded that the less direct you go, the cheaper it is. Two of my flights were over 12 hours long! Although I am beyond heartbroken to leave Australia- friends, circus, and scenery alike- the mystery of the next four months is beckoning me. 


I stopped over in London for about four days and welcomed a break from the endless summer I've been in. It was SO COLD though! I was constantly shivering. But it was uncharacteristically sunny when I was there which was lovely. I got to experience the circus community of London and did a little bit of exploring. Wandering around such a beautiful and rich city in terms of architecture and history was definitely a change from being in Australian cities which are relatively new. One night I biked up parliament hill and saw the most beautiful view of the city. London, I honestly wished I could stay forever. But in good Watson fashion I have moved on.


Staying last night in Antigua, I have gotten a bit of culture shock. This is legitimately the nicest and most touristy town I have hit on my Watson. Even when compared to Bali! I feel more like I am in America than I ever did while in Australia which is strange. Sitting here organizing my life from the whirlwind of the past month-  I am writing down all the numbers of contacts I have here in Central and South America, and sending out all the letters I have written. I am preparing to toss my computer later today! I am sitting here in the Black Cat Hostel (only the 5th night I have stayed in a backpackers in the past 8 months) listening to 50 Cent blaring extraordinarily loudly at 8 am. Is is weird in a multitude of ways, but hilarious.


Today I am headed to a town called San Marcos La Laguna on Lake Atitlan. I will be teaching circus to children, and living and learning from an arts empowerment group there for a few weeks. I also am going to try to cram in as much Spanish as physically possible. As much as I loved learning Latin through middle and high school, I am so frustrated that I don't speak Spanish! Wish me luck in that regard. I then have circus, social circus, and arts empowerment contacts in the following places: El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. I also only have four months. Where to go, where to go? I really have no idea where I will be heading or what I will be doing in the next few months and couldn't be more excited to ride this Watson wave.


The world continues to be hilariously small. Last night I sat down next to a guy who had gone to Amherst College and who did social circus for his job. He is headed to Belize in a few weeks to try to make a documentary about the dying-out, ancient, tribal dances of Mayan communities there. He is planning on doing a lot of theater and circus with the kids there. I am leading towards joining the expedition. And typical of this year I am sure about ten other awesome connections will present themselves within the next week. I am so excited!


About to embark on this last leg of the Watson I am truly thankful for the health and good luck I've had on my trip thus far. Although there are always bumps along the way, I have been incredibly fortunate and safe. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out along the way. I am forever indebted to you.


Thank you for making my trip to Australia (and London too) rock my world: Matt Hill, Dan Rule, Tiff Man, Tiger Webb, Carlie Langsworth , Rachel Farber, John McNaughton, Dec Healy, Jamee Campbell, Amy Hurren, Joshi Philip, Tom Tulett, Nat Keentok and Crew, Lil Tulloch, George Le Couteur, Scott Grayland, Michelle Wild, Markus Michalowski, Scott Stoddart, Tanya Lester, Heath Edmunds, Matthew Wake, Jennie Natenshon, Maha Moushabeck, Ellie Hand, Huy Vu, Dave Mckeown, Per Westman, Michelle Stevens, Yos Worth, Andrea Ousley, Eleanor Beveridge, Julie Wilson, Bec Coohen, Heather Smith, Bec Paterson, Jo, Belinda at Circus Arts, Everyone at The Womens Circus, Irenes, The Circus Spot, The Circus Space, and WAY WAY more. That is just off the top of my head. Apologies if I forgot anyone. Love to all.

The Next Step?

Hello All!

This Watson has been a constant battle of whether to stay true to myself or to stay true to my project, which surprisingly doesn't always line up. Who would've thought?! I know the Watson funds people not projects, but I still do want to get the most out of this year in regards of my project. Something I thought I would be doing more of is going into the outback and into the indigenous areas of all the countries and continents I have been to. But as I have come to realize, unlike a lot of existing Watson projects I chose to study something that isn't naturally occurring. Although it can be argued that there are many things within societies that operate like social circus, it isn't yet naturally occurring in small villages and impoverished areas worldwide. Although the movement is certainly growing, it must be grown carefully. I have come to the following tough realization: It is actually more self serving and selfish for me to go into indigenous areas with a bunch of juggling balls than it is helpful for the people I would interact with. Most likely if I made juggling balls out of balloons and rice, when I would leave these villages they would break open the balls to eat the rice. I have absolutely no desire to be the "white savior" who comes for a weekend and then abandons the project. Additionally, the Watson doesn't really allow staying with projects for long enough to make true and deep meaningful progress in establishing a sustainable programs. I am finding that social circus is currently more relevant for me within cities or with already established programs, mostly done with gang members, elderly, and at risk women and children. Although indigenous programs are important, it is absolutely crucial to have a permanent person stationed with each project to ensure safety, and the continuance of the project. 

So in light of this realization I have reorganized the rest of my trip. I will now be headed to Central and South America. Since I have started immersing myself into the circus world across continents I have solidified in my mind that this is work I would like to be doing for the rest of my life. Something that will be very important in setting up and running social circus programs in The States is knowledge of the Spanish language. Although I was recently invited to visit and explore the social circus world of South Africa, Ethiopia, and Kenya and I was excited to go to Brazil, I am putting my foot down. In all of these cases I believe these experiences would greatly add to my knowledge of social circus worldwide, and would add to my project in unique and diverse ways that other countries would not. None of them however would help me to learn Spanish. Although I LOVED studying Latin in middle and high school, I am now cursing myself that I have become one of the ignorant Americans who only knows English! So I have reprioritized and come to the conclusion that the Spanish speaking regions of Central and South America are as good social circus sites as any. The social circus sites in Central and South America that I have contacted are in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. I will begin in Guatemala and go from there. 

I have ditched everything besides emergency medicine so I can carry my trapeze, collapsible hula-hoop, some juggling balls, and an aerial rope! In total contradiction to what I said before, I will be trying to spend some more time in communities that don't have social circus on the rest of my trip. Instead of looking at it as social circus, I will just play with kids and see what happens. Who knows!? I am looking forward to the change of pace and this new refocusing of my relationship with social circus. I also will be leaving my computer for the rest of the 5 months starting in 1 week. I couldn't be more excited.

In my last week here in Australia I will be playing in an ultimate tournament, going on a three day bike trip. and doing a bunch of flying trapeze. I am going to try to squeeze some sightseeing into my remaining time also! I realized I have been so focused on circus that I haven't seen as much as I thought I would in this beautiful place. Although I have seen wallabies I haven't seen a kangaroo yet! Alarming I know! I've only seen them dead. So my mission in the next week is to take a bit of a break from the circus overload of my life and find a kangaroo!

In other news have decided to apply to a full time circus training program that will start this fall. The applications are due in about a week, so I have been going absolutely nuts training and trying to get it all done in time. I joined a gym briefly to figure out how to do chin-ups (since I need to be able to do 10 in a row! IMPOSSIBLE I AM SURE OF IT!), and have been spending a lot of time writing about myself. And yes, I have been spending a lot of time on the computer the past two weeks networking, and filling out applications. I can't wait to get away from the computer again and leave it in the hands of...fate? or whatever else there is out there. I came to the realization that I needed to be able to do more skills and more apparatuses in circus than I can already do if I want to be a teacher of circus. I cannot wait to go back to school! Fingers crossed that I get in!

I hope the world isn't too cold in the US of A! I miss snow myself.

Lots of Love,

Sophie

Australia is Inspiring

This is the first time I ever got to spin in Spanish Web class at the Women's Circus in Melbourne, VIC. I can't believe I ever thought my shoulder was questionable in strength!

Last week I sat down with Therese, one of the school teachers from The Flying Fruit Fly School to chat about the set up of the Flying Fruit Fly School and Circus (FFFC). She recounted what it had been like 6 years prior when she had started working as the Art and Humanities teacher at the FFFC School. She had known immediately that she had come to somewhere special when she asked a group of 3-6 graders to draw the human body. Without missing a beat all of the boys pulled up their shirts and drew outlines of their six packs to hand in. 

So what the hell have I been up to the past 2 months anyways? 

I just spent the last two weeks in Albury, New South Wales visiting the Flying Fruit Fly Circus (FFFC.) Believe it or not FFFC was one of the first community/social circuses in the world. Begun 32 years ago, it is still chugging along in the country city (more like town) of Albury, NSW. The two weeks I spent in Albury I attended and participated in my own circus training, trainings for the regular students at Fruit Fly, the Indigenous program, a program run for the elderly (Fruit Bats, see picture), the Saturday community circus program for kids, adult classes, the disengaged youth program for kids with behavioral problems, and I have conducted multiple interviews with students, teachers, trainers, board members, and with the training and artistic directors. 

The whirlwind of my experience of Albury- which I will elaborate on below- basically put into practice every single thing I have learned in the past 6 months of observing, teaching, volunteering, and training with different circuses around the world. It brings tears to my eyes to know that a place like FFFC exists, and I hope one day I can help create a place like Fruit Fly in the US. It was such a treat to get a bit of encouragement and interest from people who are already in the business of community circus and to know that my study and experience hasn't been in vain! They have welcomed me with open arms, and even have asked my advice in a few cases of how they could better their program. They are impressed with my experience, where I have been, and what I have seen. I have gotten to assist on the floor with spotting aerials and have gotten to train with their trainers a bit. I am stunned by their dedication to their students and by how well the program has evolved over the years. Although there is much to improve upon there like anywhere else, in my opinion they are doing pretty well for themselves. 

Although the FFFC as an organization has definitely drifted from its original community circus roots, it does still promote circus as a means of community building and empowerment for people of all ages and abilities. There are about 70 kids from grade 3-12 who study full time at FFFC. This means that they go to school and train at Fruit Fly facilities.

My first day at 'Fruities coincided with the first day the kids were back from summer vacation (yes their summer is opposite to the US summer! weird!) I was sitting in the observation deck watching 2 twelve year old boys fling each other around the training space, nearly cracking their heads and killing themselves on doors and equipment. But of course as I watched closely I saw that they were completely in control and were 100% aware of their bodies in space and in the air. The 12-18 year olds in the oldest student group chattered uncontrollably before training started. I could tell that coming to the training space was the best part of their day. Already the space seemed to me truthfully like a haven of support, community, achievement, trust, and empowerment. And the best part? As the top-dog group on the scene at Fruit Fly, those older 25 or so kids get to come here everyday. I was cracking up laughing by the middle of the first training session I observed. There were 10 year olds behind me doing backward rolls pushing up into perfectly stuck handstands, there was a 17 year old girl with perhaps 15 hula hoops going around every single part of her body in different directions. There were 6 teenage boys doing front flips and dives through a seriesof stacked hoops, and while I hadn't even ever heard of bounce juggling before, there was a girl bouncing around 9 balls on stair piano keys (like the stairs at the Boston Science Museum!) She was making music by bouncing the balls on the steps. All the while there is a Fruit Fly student on a turn table making live hip hop music for the Fruit Flies to rehearse to.

What I found particularly beautiful about the place was that around four of the original Fruit Fly students are still here: as the training director, trainers, and as the director of community outreach. They know what is takes to make community, and have the generosity and dedication to this place to help keep it going. In addition, a large percentage of the trainers here were Fruit Flies themselves. Literally anywhere you go in the circus world you will find Fruit Fly graduates: any professional circus in Australia, the National Cirque School in Montreal, and Cirque Du Soleil to name a few,  The complete wealth of knowledge that was at my fingertips after only being there for two weeks was baffling. One of the senior trainers and former Fruit Fly student also runs a community/social circus program for Indigenous communities in Central Australia (Kindred Circus.) I had the chance and pleasure to pick her brain during my stay in Albury which was facinacating. What is remarkable about Fruit Fly is that the majority of the kids who attend their school have been going to Fruit Fly since they were about 5. The trust I see within the group is unmatched by any I have ever seen. They are family. Also since the students have been doing circus for so long they are complete and total freaks of circus: their love so pure, their skill so honed and fundamentally sound. 

I spent a morning with the Fruit Bats, the circus program Fruit Fly runs for people over 45. The majority of the group is upper 60s to mid 70s. The bunch were friendly, goofy, and incredibly talented. They all began practicing circus in old age, but don't let that fool you! When a woman in her early seventies got into full splits and screamed TA-DA! I nearly fell on the ground from shock and also from laughing. What a refreshing group, just proof right in front of my eyes that circus keeps you young, helps confidence, and builds teamwork. The group trots around the local community doing gigs and is well known for their spunk and their pyramids. They are cute. They couldn't wait to show off their abilities and include the girl who was 1/3 of their age and studying circus as a form of empowerment (see photo.)

When I return to Australia (something I think is inevitable at this point) I will hopefully return to Fruit Fly. Like the rest of my time here in Australia, Albury set before me hard decisions. What should I do with me time?! There has consistently been too much to experience, talk about, interview about, and whats more is that the snowball effect seems to just be increasing in speed. SO MANY CIRCUS CONNECTIONS wherever I turn. 

Sitting here in the grass watching the crickets that look like giant cockroaches while I am writing this post, I reflect on the 3 very busy and beautiful months I have spent here in Australia. Holy cow! I have done so much and have met so many incredible people who taught me so very much.

It would be an extreme understatement if I said that my time in Australia has been inspiring. I have been welcomed wholeheartedly by the entirely of the circus community in Australia. From my time studying pole dancing, to taking a Train the Circus Trainer course, to interviewing some of the most well established circus trainers in the business, to networking up the wazoo, to getting involved in preparations for circus expeditions that will go out to the Bush, to just riding the current of the Watson around the country: the experience has been as they say in Australia: "Full On." Spending equal amounts of time volunteering, training myself, getting involving in Guerilla Circus Shows and Classes, experiencing communal art warehouses, and hearing tremendous stories about the power of circus, I have been living and breathing this art form. I have been triangulating it from every angle. 

I chose to focus above on Fruit Fly, but I spent ample time at a couple of other circuses in the past three months. One of the circuses I spent some time with during my stint in Melbourne was The Womens Circus (WC.) The WC was the original womens-empowerment-through-circus organization in the world. The Womens Circus was one of the main reasons I selected to come to Australia in the first place.  I spent two weeks interviewing, observing, and training at The Womens Circus. In contrast to my experience at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) the women at Womens Circus do not play around. They aren't sexual in their routines, and in fact they seem to gravitate more towards wearing overalls and climbing poles like Chinese men do, rather than wearing a skimpy outfit on a trapeze. What was special about the Womens Circus was that it by definition exists for normal women who live normal lives. The people I befriended there didn't feel pressure to perform or to progress faster than their natural progression. They emphasis trust at all costs at the WC. Staying with women from the WC and seeing how they lived inspired me to becomes further truthful and trustful in my life. 

In another example of amazing Australian experiences: Not only do I fit the description of "running off to the circus," but I can now also tick off the list "running away to live on a commune." I joined the volunteer team in the Circadia tent at the Woodford Folk Festival because I had heard the best circus instructors for social change all went to Woodford to teach with one another. Essentially, Circadia (the Woodford communal circus tent) was a play space in the middle of the beautiful temporary community of Woodfordia. I got to learn from the best circus teachers in Australia, train with them, interview them, and teach the kids and adults that came to play and join in on the fun. This experience was occurring while the most famous and beautiful Australian musicians, actors, and artists performed, lived, and created with one another for a week in the middle of the bush. My days there consisted of standing on shoulders, learning how to juggle 4 balls, writing heaps (as they say in Australia) of poetry while sitting in the grass listening to didgeridoo music, participating in dance meditation, watching and learning how to spin fire, being silent, staying up too late, feeling completely manic with creativity, and acting on a complete obsessive commitment to helping develop the circus community we created together there.

From Woodford I followed a couple of "Carnies" to an invite only bush-doof (definition: a bush dance party characterized by lots of drugs) arts festival. My time was spent running through the bush with the wallabies, sitting naked in the creek, practicing acro-yoga and contact improv in the water, hanging from trapezes that were in the trees, playing with the children on a slippin' slide, writing letters to friends back home, and having some of my first down and alone time since I began this journey in Australia about three months ago. It was a wild ride. 

The above post is just a glimpse into my present life and my three months in and around the eastern half of Australia. I would need a novel to write it all, and it already was sort of like a novel! I miss you all. Can't believe I'll be headed back your way in less than 6 months. I am now peering into the remaining months of this trip wishing there was more time to see everything I want to see, and do everything I want to do. 

I hope all is well with you and yours. Sending love from Oz.

Sophie

The Past 3 Months in Pictures

The Northern Beaches of Sydney

Train the Trainer Course at the Circus Spot in Melbourne, VIC

The Hip Cat Circus in Frankston, VIC

The Fruit Bat Circus in Albury, NSW (Part of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus)

The Gremlins: The best piece of theater I saw at Woodford

Circadia: The open circus space I was volunteering in at Woodford.

Acro in Circadia!

The Womens Circus preparing for a show!

Training at the Womens Circus

The Land of Oz

It seemed only fitting that The Waifs, an Australian band that has been
one of my favorites forever, blasted on my ipod when I deplaned in
Sydney about a month ago. As the sister group belted the following
words: "Take it in. Take it all in. Now is the time that will not come
again. Take it in. Take it all in. This is the day and its here for
the living," I couldn't help myself from getting emotional. Once again I
was starting a new leg of my adventure, and finally getting comfortable
with embracing the constant state of limbo the Watson is. Always on the move,
I am finally getting to the point where I don't need to remind myself to
take in the breathtaking beauty of the people, places, and things I am getting
to experience and soak in. Finally I'm coming to the long awaited feeling
I have been looking forward to: MY LIFE ROCKS!

A week into my stay in Melbourne I rode 50 kilometers out to
Frankston, Victoria to participate and observe the Hip Cat Circus
Program. My friends in Australia tell me that Frankston is filled with
Bogans. What is a Bogan? I have no idea. I think it might be the
equivalent of a red neck back in the states? Anyways, set directly on
the beach, Frankston seems similar to your typical slightly down-and-out
city suburb. What sets Frankston apart however, is the gigantic,
state-of-the-art, community arts building it boasts. Hip Cat Circus
began as an offshoot of West Side Circus, a social circus in
Melbourne. In the two weeks I got to watch and participate in the Hip
Cat circus I found myself continually impressed with the community
they have created there. Thankfully, I wrote down the games, community
building, and art building activities they did. So far, Hip Cat has
been the best community I have seen in youth circus to date.

Near the beginning of my stay in Melbourne my friend at 'Ultimate
Victoria' was supposed to teach Frisbee in Frankston, for Disabilities
day. He happened to be away that day and asked if I would fill in for
him. I was particularly excited because there was a circus skills booth at
the event as well. So I gladly obliged and took the hour long train out to
Frankston and taught Frisbee for a couple hours to people of all ages
that were autistic, blind, deaf, paralyzed, developmentally disabled, and
more. After the Frisbee session was over I went and joined the circus
station. To my delight the people there were welcoming and had lots to say
about all-access circus and other events and groups dedicated to arts
empowerment within Victoria. Therein lay new connections here in
Melbourne: Hip Cat Circus, Ready Set Play Kids, and AcroYoga
Melbourne. The three facilitators were experienced in everything from
Acroyoga, fitness, circus, arts administration, personal training, and
more. AWESOME! All three were inspiring and were able to help send me
in some new directions for my time here. Not that I needed more
opportunities here...

In the short three weeks I was in Melbourne I somehow managed to meet
with five circuses, contact four more, take pole, dance, parkour,
aerials, do training on my own, and take tumbling. I also conducted interviews with
people from all of the above. I have somehow managed to play frisbee
five times and played in 2 tournaments. I went on multiple runs,  took numerous
 trams and trains, rode on a motorbike, went to a benefit
concert, went to the NICA graduate showcase, ate the best kebab (say
my Aussie friends) in the city, ate kangaroo (See picture of me eating
Kangaroo and enjoying it! Also note that I have since dumped most of my
clothing and what I wear in this picture is pretty much what I wear everyday.
Nothing like lightening the load!), biked over 150 kilometers, taught disabled
people frisbee and circus, taught some future team Australia teens some frisbee
skills, walked a huge amount of the city, discovered some of the best pubs
and cafes in Melbourne, met some amazing people, been too sore to walk,
and laid in the grass doing absolutely nothing. I feel so alive. Actually as I just read
back what I just wrote I sound a bit like a robot... But I knew what I
was getting into when I arrived. I tried to fit in as much as possible
when I got here seeing as Melbourne is one of the best places to study
circus in the world. I also spent minimal time outdoors when in
Indonesia, so am more than appreciating the outdoors here in Australia.

Sophie camp has begun again. I spent my time in Melbourne observing
social circus programs, and training myself in circus. As I have come
to realize, it is incredibly helpful to be able to do circus if you
want to teach it. I also spent lots of time with friends I have met
playing new games I have learned. What kind of games you ask? Imagine
a bunch of hyperactive early 20s closing their eyes and seeing who can
sprint faster into a fence 20 yards away. Yeah, I told you my maturity
level is dwindling!

What was next? Well...after completely depleting myself of energy I,
of course, hurt myself! So I went to Sydney and spent a few days on the
Northern beaches running the beaches, scrambling over the rocks, looking
out into the gorgeous scenery, making some new friends, and relaxing. I then
hopped on a bus up to Byron Bay. I have come to think that this is my
favorite place in the world. If you get outside the few kilometers of
Byron Bay tourist town you seen endless rolling grassy hills,
waterfalls, vast ocean views, and the kindest people I have come
across on my trip. The past two days have been spent running around
the hills taking in the beauty, observing the couple of circuses in
these parts, and training, training, training on the trapeze and
fabric. I love it.

What is next? Tomorrow I leave to go up to the Woodford Folk Festival.
This festival has been described to me as the following: a mix between
Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Burning Man, and Woodstock. I will be
volunteering at the circus tent from xmas to new years in exchange for
free admission to the festival. I have some intensive courses I will
be taking through January, and then have hopes of heading out into
central Australia with a couple guys I met for an undetermined amount
of time. We'll be bringing a whole lot of discs and juggling balls and
hope to teach some circus and ultimate for a couple of weeks. But as
always, I really am just winging it! The Watson freedom will allow me
to take advantage of whatever opportunity crosses my path in the
coming weeks. Crossing my fingers that it works out. I can't wait for
the rest.

Happy Holidays All! Happy New Year! I miss you all dearly!

Wrap Up From Indo

HELLO STRANGERS! Greetings from down under!

I haven't really been near consistent Internet since I left Indonesia in November. Although I have been writing for these blog posts, I haven't had a chance to put them up. So here comes a couple:

That I could possibly fill you in and do justice to the events since my last post is unlikely. It would turn into the craziest, lengthiest, most heartbreaking, hilarious, and probably most boring blog post known to man. But with the coming new year I have resolved to be better at blogging- even if it means condensing lots of time into a few well-chosen words.

McDonald's is one of the only places with free Internet in Australia! Here I sit in McDonald's borrowing a kind stranger’s computer because I recently left my computer in Sydney as I begin to explore the northern parts of Australia. Let me tell you, it is so liberating to have less stuff to drag around with me and worry about! I have some pictures and videos I will post when I have better internet access.

If there is one thing I am learning on this trip it is to stay present. I have even been finding that taking pictures takes me out of the experience. In one of the few times I have spoken to my dear friend Hannah Sohl (who is also on a Watson Fellowship) we marvelled together on how difficult it is to articulate our experiences to anyone else. The whole concept of the Watson- solo trip and all- makes it inherently a bit hard to explain. But I will try.

If you squint your eyes, you could almost mistake Melbourne, Victoria for Austin, Texas or some other super-hip, cutting edge American city. Constant buskers on the street, music on every corner every single night, OpShops (consignment clothes etc), incredible public transportation, welcoming people, everyone dressed "alternatively," and much more. I am in culture shock to say the least. I look up at night and there are stars! There is a blue sky! I can walk down the street for more than 5 minutes without being called Mr! I can take off my socks and shoes and wade in the ocean without fearing for my health! I can lay in the grass! There IS grass!

Even though I am gulping up the clean air, and wearing tank tops and shorts that I wasn't able to wear in Indonesia (a Muslim country) I find myself missing Jakarta. Something about the utter overwhelming crowdedness, the absolute poverty, the environmental disaster of it all……My roommate there hired a driver once that owned a monkey who smoked. I mean, literally! Looking back, Jakarta doesn't seem real. Five person families riding on one motorbike with no helmets, children dragging around dead rats on a leash as a pet, getting woken up at 4:15 am every morning as the call to prayer was blasted on a loudspeaker through my window. But there was something about Jakarta. There was never a dull moment. The pace of life- although slow due to traffic that made a 5K journey take upwards of two hours - seems so hectic, it was almost fun. The Indonesians, despite some overarching negative patterns Expats will tell you about, were very friendly (to this white woman), and they were extraordinarily funny just about all the time.

Although I did venture briefly to the 1000 Islands and to Bali, I spent the majority of my time in Jakarta. Indonesia itself is said to be one of the most beautiful, biodiverse places on earth. Above, I am of course only speaking about the parts that I experienced. The other night I met an Australia who had written his thesis on Leftist Radicals in Indo. I spoke about my disenchanted opinion of Jakarta and he offered his wisdom in response. I hadn't known much about the history of Indo, and when in Indo it is hard to find. Expats basically know nothing about it, and Indos don't really seem to care. I look forward to speaking more with the Aussie I met to find out more about the beautiful country of Indonesia.

Anyways, it all comes down to missing the kids in Cilincing. I spent approximately 7 weeks going to Cilincing Tues-Fri, and hanging out with the students when Hidung Merah bused them into Jakarta proper for training on Sundays. And of course, at around 7 weeks was when I really started to make breakthroughs with the kids. They started to trust me and joke around with me, right as I was getting ready to leave. Awesome. Tuesdays and Thursdays were spent tutoring kids on anything from English to math. Of course I couldn't really speak the language so that presented some interesting situations and circular conversations. By the end of my time there I could get around in Bahasa Indonesia. The other day on a bus in Melbourne I eavesdropped on some Indonesians and felt so accomplished! But I can feel it already slipping away. Wed, Fri, and Sundays were spent doing circus skills and English. Man oh man, were these kids awesome! Juggling clubs while standing on shoulders, passing rings, flexibility. Their skills were impressive, and their hunger to learn inspiring. Although sometimes they did need a little kick in the butt!

I had the unbelievable opportunity to take on a lot of responsibility with Hidung Merah because when I arrived they were just losing many employees and volunteers. Every morning I walked an hour to the office through the most traffic filled streets I have ever seen. Then we'd drive the hour to Cilincing. Many a Tuesday and Thursday was spent with Ddy, the field manager for HM. Ddy, an aspiring Indonesian rock/pop singer, would belt out the words to American pop songs and I would follow suit. Then we'd tutor from 10-3pm or so in the small circus space. Laying on the mats, joking with the kids, and trying to get some work done. When I taught a 15 year old boy to do algebra in five minutes I finally got a complete picture of the disrepair the Indonesian school system lies in. They had been learning algebra for months, and he still had no idea what was going on! All it took was 15 minutes of one-on-one help to explain it.

The people I lived with in Indo can attest to the fact that I smelled like fish, mussels, sweat, and shit the entire 2 months I went to Cilincing. But besides the stench I dragged around with myself for a couple of months, I found myself always on the brink of tears. I have never been great at separating myself from the experience of others and I found it extraordinarily hard to separate myself from the poverty that I saw in Indonesia, and in Cilincing specifically. I have never seen people living the way they lived there. In trash villages, fishing villages, and small settlements I saw on the side of the road I saw easily the most unsanitary living I have ever seen. As I mentioned in my previous post, I constantly battled with my place in the lives of the kids I was volunteering with. They seemed so happy in their lives. Who am I to judge the way they live? Perhaps living simply and with a smaller view of the world is a more satisfying way of life.

Anyhow, I happened to arrive at Hidung Merah when the kindergarten group (ages 3-6) was beginning. I ended up helping out with the structure of the class and some of the content. While I never felt that my lack of language skills held me back with the older kids, the kindergarten class was filled with little menace children that did need discipline. I wished I could have helped out more in that regard. My disciplinarian skills centered around my ability to constantly run around picking kids up and and putting them elsewhere.
My time with Hidung Merah was largely spent learning how to juggle, teaching fitness and some beginning acrobatics, running around chasing 3-6 year olds, teaching a bit of trapeze, and trying to be cool enough for those 13-17 year olds to like me. Hidung Merah can take credit for my juggling skills!  In the 2 1/2 months I was in South East Asia (which short trips to Singapore and Malaysian Borneo), I spent considerably more time with children than adults. Thus I am noticing that my maturity level may well be dwindling!

When I applied for the Watson, I cited my previous abroad experience in Israel as the inspiration from my social circus study. I wanted to use circus in the same ways that my program at the Arava Institute had used working on environmental issues as a central focus for bridging differences among Israelis and Arabs. I wanted it to be more successful, thinking perhaps using a performative tool instead of another highly contested issue (the environment) would have significantly more potential to empower individuals, create community, and move us toward peace. Additionally, when I was dreaming about my year as a Watson fellow, Indonesia was not  part of my application. Thank god I added it! I can honestly say that I accomplished the above goal when I was in Indonesia. In my humble opinion, I saw with my own eyes that the organization Dan Roberts (the coolest guy ever!) has created in Indonesia, not only empowers children to have dreams, but it also instills within them a work ethic and accountability you would be hard-pressed to find in other Indonesian children. Giving children the opportunity to have aspirations, to develop skills, to learn how to help others and develop trust has an impact far beyond the particular circus skills they may acquire.  My experience in Indonesia was challenging in almost every way, but I also know that these challenges have made me a stronger, more responsible, more effective and passionate person.

Hidung Merah is contemplating sending some of the kids to the US to train this spring and summer. I am already more than looking forward to seeing them when I get back to the states.

Also a special thanks goes out to Anne and Matt Stanley, Linley York and her fam, Dan Roberts and family, Ddy, Children of Cilincing, Elo, Carmen, and Lisa. Thanks for being my home away from home.

On to Australia!

Hidung Merah: Social Circus in the Jakarta Area

The Red Nose Foundation
Pictures below of work in Bintaro and Cilincin


I just came in from a run in which i almost choked multiples times on my own spit. Why you ask? Well as a matter of fact it is illegal to spit in Singapore. It is also illegal to sell or chew gum. It is also illegal to jaywalk- as in people are arrested for jaywalking! People are also arrested for littering! It is extremely polluted in both Indonesia and Singapore, and my lungs were coughing up some pretty gross stuff- all of which I had to swallow. What a weird place! So here I am in Singapore for the weekend. The driver of the family I have been staying with in Jakarta has a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. She had to come up to Singapore to have some braces made for her legs. They needed an escort because she can't fly alone, so I thought why the hell not? She is so sweet, shy, and beautiful. It has been fun/frustrating trying to get to know her in my more than broken Bahasa Indonesia, and her less than broken English. In Singapore I am staying with a former student of my parents who does a lot of relief work in this part of the world. It is interesting to learn more about Southeast Asia from her and her family. Thank you Linley and family!

Today I spent exploring parts of Singapore and then I observed a dance class at one of the high schools here. I also gave a juggling lesson to a couple of pretty privileged 8-10 year old boys this afternoon in an effort to raise money for Leana's braces. There are aerial classes here and beach ultimate, so I think I will have a good time. I'll be teaching and assisting in some physical theater/dance classes on Monday before I head back to Jakarta. Bring on the countries! Singapore's national language is English which I find strange. On my run I encountered my first adult playground. Pull-up bars, push-up bars, sit-up stations and more. Apparently these fitness stations are commonplace in Asia. Go Asia!

I have begun volunteering with Hidung Merah (Red Nose Foundation), a social circus program based in Jakarta. I have been 3 days so far and from what I can tell I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE EVER AGAIN. I am already in love with the kids, in love with the people of Hidung Merah, and am in love with the concept of social circus.  I got lucky in that Red Nose is short staffed right now, so I am actually needed! Soon I will rig my trapeze and get to teach a little aerial. On Mondays we go to Bintaro a southern suburb of Jakarta to a trash village to teach some English, juggling, plate spinning, and other basic circus elements. We teach in a small clearing in the middle of their houses. And by houses I mean something very similar to a small clubhouse made from tin, recycled wood, or cement. The rest of the week is spent in Cilincin (pronounced chilinchin), a northern fishing village about an hour north of Jakarta center. The kids come in between the morning and afternoon sessions of school. From Tuesday-Friday it is a mix of English lessons, tutoring in all school subjects, and circus. Then on Sundays all of the advanced children get bused to Jakarta International School to train together. The deal is, you have to be in school to come to the circus.  Dan, the inspiring clown who runs Hidung Merah has all of the kids sponsored to go to school. Unfortunately a lot of their teachers do not have degrees and it is incredibly easy to drop out, so Dan is quite accustomed to kids dropping out of the program. I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be to pour everything into these children and have only measurable success with some. I guess you just have to hope that some of what you taught sunk in somewhere along the way... When teaching English the other day I found that the book was simply wrong in many cases. At a loss I tossed the book and tried something else...but this is their curriculum. Scary!

I actually started crying the other day. I was doing colors and shapes in English with a group of 7-12 year olds. I held up a white squiggle. The all burst out: "Eet Eeeez a awhiiieeet." Then I held up a pink heart. They sang: "Eet Eeeez a Peeenk Lahhhv." With the biggest smiles on their faces. Oh my god. That isn't a love, it is a heart, but who cares. They are amazing.

While I paint a beautiful idealistic picture let me be clear it is not. In Cilincin there are cats everywhere. They are unbelievably skinny and sleep all day. I am sure almost half of the ones I see are dead. The smell is of feces and fish. You have to walk with your mouth shut or else flies choke you. There are piles and piles of muscle shells everywhere. Everyone from children to old men sit by these piles and shuck the muscles. The houses are built very close together with 2 foot pathways in between. There is a soccer field made of crushed shells in the center of the settlement, and there is trash lining everywhere else. I am entirely unsure where they go to the bathroom. It is an unreal culture shock from beautiful Colorado where there is open space, clean air, and nature. 

What is particularly shocking to me is that as we gather kids to come to class you find that they are all clean and well dressed,. The girls have stylish haircuts and cute clothing, and they ALL have huge smiles on their faces. You would have literally no idea where they came from if you met them on the street. So it leaves me with an unsettled feeling. I am not sure whether to feel depressed when I get to Cilcincin or to feel refreshed. Obviously living conditions are so much different compared to where I have come from, but in a sense their worry at the end of the day is if they will have money enough for food. What are my worries? I HAVE SO MANY ALL THE TIME. Its a simpler life, 

Hidung Merah tries to inspire the kids to have dreams. They try to educate the children to know that there are other options besides being a fisherman, a muscle shucker, or a house mom. Although if they got an education and still wanted those things of course that would be fine! Red Nose works to teach how learning can be fun, and they try to teach values of responsibility and aspiration. But what is truly incredible is how fast these kids learn to juggle and do other circus tricks. Their faces are pure delight when juggling, and they rise to any challenge. As a new juggler myself, I can't help but be amazed at these 7-16 year old kids who effortlessly toss up the balls. I am particularly impressed and inspired when they pass rings or pass balls when juggling. Although I have found Indonesians to be friendly, the culture is not all that concerned with helping one another. Teamwork or collaboration seem foreign. So watching these kids learn how to trust and work with one another is empowering. They can pass balls even while standing on each others shoulders! They are so eager to learn and are such good hearted people. I am trying my hardest to learn Bahasa Indonesia and we'll see how far I get in the next 2 months. I originally was supposed to spend the month of November in Bali finding another adventure, but these kids have decided for me that I will spend November in Jakarta despite the smog, traffic, and lack of nature.

I did my first crossfit workout the other day with a bunch of Indonesians which was quiet an experience. INTENSE! WHOA! I played Frisbee with a group that was mixed Ex-Pats and Indonesians which was super fun minus the fact that I was coughing up half my lung from the fires that were burning near. I have yet to figure out housing or how I will eat for the next couple months, but I have a feeling it will all come together...(I hope!)

As for Indonesia...here is some of what I've learned about thus far:

-Indonesia doesn't recognize Judaism as a religion.

-It is illegal to not have a religion in Indonesia.

-Every male over the age of 12 smokes, some younger even. The youngest person I saw smoking looked like he was 5.

-Indonesian people throw their trash on the ground or into the ocean without thinking twice

-Indonesian people are the most friendly people I have encountered to date, especially in contrast to the Quebecois.

-Jakarta has the worst traffic in the world. It can take over a half hour in a car to go what I could run in less than 10 minutes.

-The language Bahasa Indonesia doesn't have a past or future tense- it is all in the present.

-if you have 50 bucks you can buy a motorcycle on credit so EVERYONE has a motorcycle

-You can pay off your boss to not go to work (in government positions!) and you can buy a high school or college degree, or even a verdict in a court case... 

-Most expats have a driver, cook/maid, at least 4 guards, and a gardener
-I love Indonesia already.

Thank you so much for all your birthday wishes! I so appreciate the support and love you are all sending me from across the world. Have a wonderful weekend!

Love from Singapore,

Sophie