The hotel was located on the water’s edge and looked very pretty as the sun was just coming up. At 9:00 we gathered up our bags and headed back across the road to the airport where we met the Kepala Diknas who was heading off to Jogyakarta. We checked in for our 20 minute Suzi Air flight to Serui. It is a just a small plane so we could only take 10 kilos luggage with us. They not only weighed our luggage but we had to stand on the scales too and be weighed! The plane holds just 12 passengers and the pilots sit right in front of you – in the same cabin. It’s rather like being in a car. Photo 319 We set off and quickly crossed the sea to Yapen, flying over some of the Padaido Islands.

From above it was easy to see why these islands are famous for diving and snorkeling. The clear blue water surrounding them looked very inviting. Soon we were flying over Yapen , a long thin island with two ridges of mountains running parallel to the North and South coasts and a deep valley in between them. After clearing the second ridge of mountains we banked right and suddenly, down below was the small town of Serui. It was easy to spot the landing strip – right in the middle of the town and the plane began its descent. I was amazed as we came into land at the number of buildings built right alongside the runway. People’s washing is hanging to dry over the runway fence! There is even a huge church being built right next to the runway

Serui airport is small and with only 8 passengers on the plane we soon collected our luggage and set off into town. After checking into the hotel, near the harbor, we had a short rest. That afternoon we went by ojek to the DIKNAS office and met the secretary and told him about the Kang Guru activities planned for Serui. Then we went by foot to SMA 1 Serui where the workshop was to be held. We met the English teacher, Mr Manuara Gultom and he introduced us to Ibu Maria the principal of the school, showed us the hall where the workshop was to take place, and showed us the new language lab which had recently been installed.

Then we decided to walk along some very quiet paths to RRI – (Serui is not such a big place) and arrived at RRI about 20 minutes later. In RRI we met Pak Orgen Wayangkan and Ulis Makabori and chatted about KGI and suggested they make an interactive show. He agreed and said they wanted to start an interactive show but needed the cooperation of some teachers to help present the show. So at the workshop the next day I reminded teachers and asked for some volunteers to go to RRI. I hope they do. While I was in RRI I was interviewed and the interview was played the next morning - before the workshop. On the way back we passes a shop where I think it must be difficult to buy anything – there was no counter Just a hole in the wire! We walked back to the hotel via John’s family home. That evening we walked to the market area and had bbq’d fish for dinner. I was really hungry as I’d actually had no breakfast or lunch – and tired. I fell asleep very quickly that night!

The next morning John collected me about 7 from the hotel and it was back on two ojeks to the school. Some of the teachers had already arrived and I was happy to see my boxes of materials which were there too – as they had been sent several months earlier! As I unpacked and set up ready the teachers began to enter the room. For many of them this was the first time they had had a workshop with a native speaker and were rather nervous.

Some of them had thought I was going to give them a test! Some of them had heard my interview with RRI that morning on the radio. I soon put them at ease and after a very short opening ceremony we began the workshop. Travel in Yapen is usually by boat and it was interesting to hear stories from the teachers who teach in quite isolated areas. Very different form Jakarta! The sound system worked well - after a few hiccups and the participant were very active.

The morning seemed to go very quickly. The participants were eager to try out the suggestions and enthusiastically joined in the games. After lunch – and another interview with RRI the activities continued and all too soon I had to say goodbye to the teachers and welcome the students. Many of the teachers had questions for me and I answered as many as I could but I had to move on and work with the students.

About 30 students arrive from about 19 different schools on Yapen. There are about 35 schools on Yapen but for some it takes a 6 hour journey to get to Serui! Although rather quiet at first we had some team games to warm them up and they soon began to speak English more confidently.

After a couple of hours – and after the rain stopped we finished the student meeting with a quiz using the KGI bulletin.

As usual everyone wanted to take photos and we finally left the school about 5:30. That evening after a nice dinner I returned to my hotel to find two visitors, one from Diknas and Ibu Maria. During the lunch time break I had been talking to the technician from Jakarta who was installing the language lab and training the teachers.

Unfortunately the lab does not have electricity yet so they were running a cable from another classroom but that only gave them power for 4 of the 26 computers. Ibu Maria told me that evening that the parents had raised a lot of the funds for the language lab and she was now very embarrassed and was looking for funding to install electricity.