In Buktittinggi, everyone in your neighborhood is a personal home security system, nosying around to see if you have guests over, stopping by uninvited without a call first.
I was trying to make this city my home, but perhaps I took on a little bit too much too soon. I didn't yet know the nicities and formalities. For example, I hadn't yet gotten the differences between addressing friends (kamu) and addressing elders (bang), so I kept using the generic you (anda).
Bukittinggi isn't my real home yet. In my heart, I'm close to feeling it, and I tell my friends that my cozy little house in Sumatra is my home. Nevertheless, I still have some ways to learn about what it means to be a part of this community. Even with the friends I've made here, even with the the openess I have towards my students in relation to my hobbies and interests, being able travel and live way outside of where I grew up means knowing that not everything needs or has to fit our expectations (and maybe it shouldn't).
Making this place my home has meant remembering that this place was full of people and its own way of life long before I came to live here. All the customs, habits, neighbors and foods were all here and working just fine before I arrived. I didn't need to change anything, but I did have to negotiate and talk about what I am used to from when I lived back in the United States. Most of my friends in New Jersey really love their privacy. It can be hard living here, especially when you'r ethe number one rookie in a city where neighbors are like family. But sticking to what you miss can get in the way of what you might learn. Sometimes it's okay to let a few things go.
