FAQ

who are you?

HikingGood question. I’m assuming since you’ve made it to my website, you have a general idea of who I am. But I’ll give you the basics just in case!

My name is Faith. I grew up in South Florida and graduated in 2010 with a B.A. in Graphic Design from Azusa Pacific University, located in Azusa, CA (just east of LA). As of 2016 I will have a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. I moved to Southeast Asia in July of 2011 to help build Christian schools and develop education in this country.

I like basketball, the outdoors, adventures, sarcasm and good conversation. But most of all, I love training teachers.

what are you doing?

I would love to tell you. Send me an email.

what is it like there?

Where do I begin? The people are wonderful, full of such joy. I like to go running in my neighborhood, and by the looks I get from people, I suppose seeing a white person run may just be the most entertaining thing to them. I simply flash them a smile, however, and they can’t help but grin right back to me.

The area I live in is a little bit higher in elevation, so we get the advantage of a beautiful view and cooler weather. We are nestled in a valley between three volcanos, so there is always something beautiful to look at.

what is the food like?

They say you haven’t eaten until you have eaten rice. Rice for breakfast lunch and dinner. But I love it! With the rice they serve a variety of dishes, many with exquisite blends of different spices. I have never tasted anything like it before.

A favorite meat substitute is tempe. Tempe is made from soy beans, similar to tofu, but MUCH better in my opinion. They also like their food good and spicy, there is hot sauce with every meal. In addition, they eat fish right off the bones. It is not uncommon to order fish from a restaurant and have the whole thing fried or grilled and slapped on your plate. Yum!

what are some cultural experiences you have had?

There are so many! Learning the language was a challenging experience, but through it I gained many valuable experiences and learned many things from the people here. It was a beautiful process which broke me down and taught me so much about myself.

The currency was a challenge at first, since the numbers they use have so many zeros in them. The society uses cash predominantly, and cards are rarely accepted here. When I first came from the states, I had a wallet tailored to cards, not cash. Needless to say, my first week here, I attempted to buy something at the market. The seller typed the number on the calculator so I could see it, and I fumbled around and gave him the cash. He looked at it and handed it right back, apparently instead of 25000 I had given him 2500. Before I knew it, I had all my cash spread out, and I was staring down at it at the number of zeros. I’m sure the seller had a good laugh about it.

what is your favorite part about living in Southeast Asia?

There are so many things I enjoy about living here. I think my greatest enjoyment, however, comes from the daily opportunity to learn from those around me. I learn not only about them and their culture, but I am constantly being made aware of cultural assumptions I have.

how do you get around?

My little purple motorbike. It’s awesome. 

how long are you going to live there?

Hmmmmm. I’ll let you know when I come back.