In February, ETA Alex Bue’s mother visited Padang for 5 days. She toured SMAN 11 Padang, attending six classes. Students were shy as usual, but warmed up when Alex’s mother offered information about Alex’s high school years. The opportunity for students at SMAN 11 Padang to interact with an American woman older than 50 was rare and significant – was significant because it was rare. Western music and movies are popular in Indonesia but popularize only a narrow range of Western cultures and identities. Being exposed to Alex’s mother meant for his students a broadening, however small, of their ideas about the world outside Indonesia. Of course, Alex was also happy to watch these disparate but intimate communities come together. The week culminated in dinner at a local Padang restaurant with teachers. In attendance were the headmaster, the several men who teach sports and make Alex laugh every day, the young civil servants whose drive, professionalism, and friendship have helped him become a better instructor, and his counterpart, who is a remarkable human being. At the end they all took pictures, though one suspects photos will not be needed in order to remember the night.

Alex Bue is currently teaching at SMAN 11 Padang, West Sumatra