From Eco Gay to AA.

I've spent most of my 5 or 6 months away thinking I'm going "off the rails". I don't know how, I mean I came away with little over 5 grand! 

I genuinely don't know how I have been having a little too much fun. I'm almost suspicious of it. In fact the other day I was convinced it was all a dream just before I woke up to the worst hangover ever before school. 

That's the real problem. BOOZE! It's also probably why I have been stuck at the same weight for 2 months but we will come back to that later.

If it hasn't been Redhorse it's been Chang and if its not Lion It's Bintang!

I've said "bloody Bintang" more than enough. (It's the local beer sold the length and breadth of Indonesia, the country I have spend over 3 of my 6 months travelling in).

I'm my defence I think it's a social thing. I know that's exactly what I would say if I was suddenly an alcoholic but it's true. It's more social when you just meet some new people to suggest having a few and getting to know each other a little better. 

I've been drinking and working lots. I mean not together but I do believe the two are inextricably linked.

My work here has really been amazing I havnt lied about that in the slightest but I thought I might use this blog as a confession...

My name is Connor Kerr and I (think I) am an alcoholic.

Im sitting on the veranda, Bintang in hand, the sun is shining, my room is now spotless and I've already planned my next class to perfection. Life is simple but super sweet! 

The last few days have been much the same. A super sweet routine if you will. 

On the project front this week took a little while to get started. Project founder Carlos came down with malaria last Sunday night and from then until a few days ago we hadn't been up to much. Amanda and I had a small class that was fun and painted the solar system on some cards as a class prop. 

In the last few days we have been having fun teaching more and with every new class in every village I am really starting to feel confident in what I am here to do. 

This week the project welcomed two super friendly Spanish teachers so I spent some time with them as they got to know the place and quickly settled into life on Sumbawa. 

As a result of Carlos' sickness this week I have had a lot of spare time. I've been swimming lots and I've been lucky enough to start back at my meditation (see im trying hard but with the Bintang I havnt lost a pound)  I've also started to socialise a lot more too.

Sumbawa has almost no tourist industry but it does have a small surf following at Lakey Peak where I am based. Where there's good waves there's surfers and when there's hot surfers there's inevitably some sweet craic. I've been having fun and a few beers too. We have been adventuring on our scooters and seen some awesome sights along the way. 

With spare time, inspiration from the beauty of this place and after a chance meeting with pro photographer Chris Kelly I also organised a shoot on the beach, in the jungle and every other beautiful spot I could find. 

The sun was shining strong and our Estonian model blew my mind. It was amazing all day except for a close shave with a suspected lynch mob in the jungle but that as they say is another story all together.  

You will see some of the super sexy pictures soon... Shooting this stuff on a strictly Muslim strip of land was no mean feat. 

At least I wasn't drunk to shoot. It wouldn't be a first but this time I was too hungover from the night before. 

Problem? Nah 

Jump or be pushed...

(Originally written 7 February. Published with previous post "Bus chicken craic.")

"My frustration for this place is almost always all consuming. There are chickens in the medical clinic which has used needles and any amount of medical waste thrown around outside. The children are almost always great but unfortunately for the masses there are always a few that are nightmares. Throwing rubbish is simply what they do (I mean who would use a bin?) and animals are seemingly there to be kicked. A particular low point was seeing a small girl from my class standing on a kittens head. I'm not coping very well!"

The above is the original start to this blog. I started a few days ago but then those few amazing days happened.  Il admit it, Sumbawa has for me at times been one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. I know that mostly my problems are first world. I mean I have seen real problems first hand here but who can blame me for wanting a little electricity sometimes? If for nothing else it keeps the poisonous snake (now living and digging behind my wall) and cockroaches (that I have found on my face at night) from coming out to play.

On the other hand Sumbawa and my work with The Harapan Project has been amazing! Today was a particular highlight as we finished an art class with the children of the local village then they proceeded to take us up onto the mountain on the edge of the jungle to find their place to jump off rocks and swim in the river. 

I've made some great friends in the project founder Carlos and project manager Amanda but unfortunately for me it's taking a little longer with some of the kids. It's frustrating because I would love to teach so much but it seems every time I start I end up needing to be saved, usually by Amanda. 

In the next few days i will be teaching more and armed with a few fresh lesson plans Im undetermined to win the kids hearts. 

We have already planned another trip to the river...

Bus chicken craic...

(Originally written January 28th, Wifi has been an issue.) 

My first few days on Sumbawa have been the worst but also the very best ever. 

To start I decided to book through an agent. Something I never do but a friend recommended as all the flight sites were in Indonesian and I went along. Bad idea. 

I thought that Sumbawa was a small island but on arrival on a propeller plane built circa 1945 I realised (by taxi price alone) that the island was much bigger than I ever thought. It's infact 4 times the size of Bali! I landed after my leaving party with friends in Kuta having had no sleep, probably still drunk and on the wrong side of this rather large island. It was only 9am but I was exhausted and I knew that I couldn't get on a 6 hour bus and 2 hour taxi bike ride to Lakey Peak, the location of the organisation I was soon to be volunteering with. The Harapan Project. 

After finding seemingly the only person who spoke English, a proper dodgy 'security official' called Henry I agreed to let him take me to his friends hotel. After all he kept saying "trust me I'm an airport security official"... Another bad idea. 

Henry took me to the 'hotel' and although it was maybe only 10am at this point I checked in at what seemed like someone's house filled with more aggressive locals than I would have liked and slept the whole day before waking quite late covered in insects trying to eat me alive. This is no exaggeration. I would have taken pictures of this hole of a room with no lockable door but unfortunately they didn't have electricity either and my iPod had died at this point. 

I thought showering would be a good idea. Yet again it wasn't. Instead of a shower they had a bucket of water beside the hole in the ground and when I asked, fearing the worst the menacing Muslim woman simply laughed and gave me a dirty look as I turned to walk away. I decided not to shower that night and began to wonder if I had made a very bad mistake deciding to spend the remainder of my Asia trip on this island. 

Luckily the next day wasn't so bad. I got up. Got something to eat that I suspect was laced with meat and  once more with the help of my only friend Henry I set off for the terminal to commence the 6hr bus and 2hr bike ride that I couldn't face the day before. 

The bus was eventful, it was filled with chickens and the bike didn't have any helmet as the sun went down and I feared for my life with the amount of goats, children, cows and other targets that littered the road. 

A full 8 hours after setting off from god knows where I arrived. 

From that point. The point I seen Harapan founder Carlos and project Wonder Woman Amanda I have never felt so welcome.

I mean my first few days was a mix of storms and finding big spiders then snakes In my ant infested and supposedly haunted room but apart from that I have been very happy. 

So far I have been lucky enough to accompany Carlos on his medical assistance rounds around the surrounding villages. I got to start teaching the kids with Amanda and got to meet more and more locals. Each more friendly and welcoming as the last. 

It's times and places like I have experienced and seen today that really make you think. 

Tonight I will once more sleep with the fear of the snake returning to my room but with a heart full of appreciation for what I have in life. My health, an amazing family and the good fortune to be born into the amazing circumstances that I have been. 

Sometimes it takes day like today to really make yourself see and appreciate that what you have is everything and more of what you need in life.

If you read this blog as you travel, from the comfort of your office or even better your house I ask that you take one second to appreciate too. Appreciate that your problems might seem too much but that in comparison to others in the world they very often pale into insignificance . 

I'm thankful tonight that I have the education to write. That I can write without pain. That I don't have fever, dengue, malaria or worse. That i have food to eat and clean water to drink and that I'm not in constant danger from others or from all of the above.

Peace and love. Always <3