Pak Hery and digital cable

The following things happened to me today:

Part I

In the Intensive English Conversation course that I team teach with a nice, soft spoken teacher, Pak Hery, the class had finished the initial task for the day and we were moving on to a free activity which I was leading. We were going to split into pairs and compare and contrast ourselves, and then explain our observations to the class. As I was giving instructions and examples to a group of students, I noticed that Pak Hery was attempting to explain something to a group of girls in the front. I looked up at the board and saw that he had written "Tooth Holder" and underneath that "Breast Holder".

Tooth holder, ok fine maybe I get it, but breast holder? And this is a public school in which nearly everyone is devoutly Muslim. Jilbabs abound and skin is not shown. What is Pak Hery doing bringing up the breasts in the first place.

At first taken aback, I gathered myself and turned the wayward ship back to it's course. Toothholder meaning toothbrush? No no is not that, Miss Kety. (points to adolescent girl's metal plated mouth). Oh ok, toothholder meaning braces. To brace your teeth. We call them braces. Just before I could get to Breastholder, one swift sweep of the eraser silenced the Bra forever.

Pak Hery also excused a girl to go to "urinate" yesterday. "Sorry, Miss Kety, she has urinate. yes she must urinate."

Part II

I am sitting in my room minding my business and listening to the rain drizzling outside when Mbaa (we'll call her Mbaa though it's spelled mbak, just a way to address a woman who is not married, or who is a Javanese maid with a lazy eye in your bizarre, overly formal Javanese homestay) calls to me. I recognize these calls not because I hear my name, or anything that resembles my name, but because they are loud shouts in my general direction.

Anyway, I am beckonned by Mbaa because it seems that Ibu Ibu (the old lady of the house whose job it is to sit around all day, occasionally dable in soap operas, and take great interest in me during meal times when she will push dishes in my direction, demand that I finish my food, ask/tell me that it's enak or delicious, force me to take more, and pound her hand on the table to get my attention) is calling me for help. I rush down the stairs not knowing what is in store, and I come to find Ibu Ibu sitting amongst her oversized throw pillows in the tv nook looking perplexed holding two remotes.

"Aku tidak bisa..bahasa inggris ini"

she claims as if English is what is keeping her from dexterity in things electronic. Wonderful, I'm thinking. I have been called down to play the home entertainment fix it man. We both hammer at the remotes for a good 15 minutes until finally something pops up here and there and I not at all intentionally actually end up getting the thing to work. This is my life. Better yet this is my Saturday night, here I am in Indonesia fixing an old lady's remote.