Brandon Twp.- Last semester, Logan Rascher traded time sitting in classrooms at Brandon High School for a different kind of education? life in Indonesia.
‘I became more independent and more self-sufficient,? says Rascher. ‘If you have a chance to do something like this, it’s the best life experience you could have.?
The 18-year-old’s opportunity came when his parents, Jan and Chip, asked how he would feel about spending the second semester of his junior year in Indonesia. He would stay with his uncle and aunt, Keith and Terri. Rascher’s uncle is a business consultant.
‘When Jon, Kyle and myself were growing up, our parents wanted to get us ready for the world and see other places,? says Rascher.
They cleared the plan through BHS and ordered materials from the University of Missouri High School, an accredited homeschool program. Rascher left on Jan. 11 with his own school books, class assignments and schedule, which consisted of three classes? chemistry, algebra IV, and creative writing.
The flight from Detroit to Lombok, Indonesia was 34 hours total, with layovers in Germany, Singapore, and Bali.
When he arrived, he was immediately struck by how different the transportation is. Rascher noted Indonesia has more mopeds than cars, and they have horse-drawn buggys, but the horse is the size of a Great Dane and the carts are small. In public transportation they use flat-nosed trucks similar to a Volkswagen bus, but half the size. Rascher rode them everywhere, paying 500 rupiah, equal to 50 cents American.
‘The traffic scared the crap out of me,? Rascher said. ‘There was no organization. It was crazy. They turn left and don’t even look, they just go.?
Rascher also had to get used to rolling power outages, as they had brown-outs about three times a day, for an hour each time.
He found himself frustrated by a lack of communication, too. The natives speak a Sasak dialect, what Rascher calls a dying language. A friend of his uncle’s asked Rascher if he would like to teach an English class and he did. He had about 18 students, ahl around his own age, and they became his friends.
Rascher saw a lot of poverty in Indonesia and says while there was indoor plumbing in the city, just 10 minutes outside of the city, people used streams for bathing and washing dishes, sometimes just 20 yards apart.
A few of his friends had television with cable, but most were considered lucky if they had a sofa. He found they often slept on thin mattresses or straw mats. Ahl of his new friends desired soccer shoes and he often played soccer with them.
His new pals would also take him around the city, as well as the countryside, including to see waterfalls and jungles, where he saw monkeys, lots of birds, butterflies, lizards, and spiders so large he says they could jump to his knees. He described the landscape as in one of three conditions: rice fields, houses close together, or jungle. It rained and was in the 90s every day.
Everywhere they went, whether it was to the mall or the country, his students would bring a mat and they would take turns praying as part of their Muslim religion. Rascher notes that from his aunt and uncle’s balcony, he could also see five mosques.
‘Prayer is broadcast five times a day on loudspeakers, starting at 4:30 a.m.,? he said.
Rascher enjoyed the food of Indonesia, saying the natives eat rice every day and noodles are a big staple. One of his favorite treats was a grilled banana sandwich with chocolate syrup and sprinkles on top.
He describes his time away as like an extended vacation.
‘I didn’t miss Ortonville or Brandon High School, but I missed my family and friends and Taco Bell,? Rascher said. ‘I missed being able to call someone and have a five-second conversation and know what’s going on.?
When Rascher left Indonesia, he left half his wardrobe with his students? including shirts, shorts and tennis shoes. But what he took away was priceless? a life experience he will never forget and a new world view.