Back to teaching

Monday, August 4, 2025

My friend Gail Johnsen and I teach a Singapore class online this week. We've co-taught this doctorate-level course before.

After a short neighborhood walk with the dogs, W accompanies me to the office to check that the Zoom call is ready to go. Nope! It's a good thing he is there; the internet needs rebooting. He tries everything and then connects me to a different router. Whew. In-house tech support. He heads home while I teach 4 hours. These students are attentive, experienced, and interactive.

We eat a quick lunch at Maxis. Our helper volunteers at a preschool this morning and isn't around to cook for the household. We meet PakG backing the car out of the gate to get his lunch, which feels a bit strange. (His son has his motorcycle?) He drops off a banana bread at a friend's and brings more bananas from her.

It pours rain in the afternoon. No working on the Porch for me. Besides pacing out the class hours for tomorrow, I draw up a final lighting plan for the project. W prints an oversized copy for the aging eyes of the electrician and me. 

In my mind's eye, people are already sitting around tables, enjoying each other's company. While parts of the renovation are exciting, much of it only "shows potential" at this stage. Most of the damp and falling-down ceilings have been removed. Some will be replaced with drywall. In other rooms, like this one, the concrete ceiling will be painted and left exposed for additional height.

Tuesday

I'm in the classroom before 7 AM. The Singapore host lets me in and off we go! We have so much to cover that I'm resigned to not finishing 10 days of material in 2 days - but we actually wrap up the last slides with minutes to spare.

Doctoral cohorts may be small but they are interesting. This cohort makes class presentations and handles their Q&As professionally. When we're done, the comments are enthusiastic and the takeaways are on point for the first two days. I send them my PowerPoint and ask them to review it before tomorrow. Dr Gail takes the next two days. Friday is a review day.

During one break, I lean over the third floor balcony to see what's going on next door to the office. The roofs get in the way of the stunning landscaped park on a half-acre. It's complete with a security house and toilet. We've only seen it from the street, through the gate in the 10-12' front wall.

 

During another break, I look on the other side of the office to another neighbor's yard. They were starting to garden during the pandemic when I used the balcony. Now the gardens are lush, with a greenhouse, vegetables, French lavender, and other European herbs. Ah, I was wondering where I'd find lavender for the next garden. Maybe there?

My computer/thermos/books/binder/art supply-bag is heavy. W carried it to the office for me but he's in Jakarta by noon, picking up our passports from the USA embassy. I tote it home myself, bag on one shoulder, purse on the other, and my tall tea mug firmly in hand.

When everything's put away, it's time to eat the delicious nasa goring sapi (fried rice with beef) that IbuA has prepared. While I'm in class, she and IbuS baked 6 banana breads. The whole house smells sweet. I set one aside for them to take home.

After lunch, I smash together walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and black currents for IbuS's home-baked loaf. SO good. I'm ready for a nap, having had a short and restless night with too much to think about (= including wondering how class would get through all the material. Yay, we did it.)

All but one of the team have inescapable obligations during our weekly meeting time. Since this week's reflection is a good one that we'll want to do together,  the meeting is postponed to next week. I set aside one banana bread for the person who showed up = attendee bonus.

The sky clouds over into a soothing backdrop for rest. By the time it rains, I'm inside and working in warm comfort.

Wednesday

I'm up early so call Mom to find out how her 90th birthday party went. She's full of life and memories. "It was a foretaste of heaven. Everyone was in unity and it made me think of how wonderful heaven will be." She talks about her peacemaking calling, "Since I was a child, I didn't want stress between people. I just wanted everyone to get along." She has fostered that, accepting those she meets without judgement. I end the call, happy to have time with her.

 

We drop by the project. We take a few measurements to see if the wooden desk being taken out of one room can be repurposed to fix a cupboard. (Shelves were stolen long ago.)

A chameleon is sunning itself on the ledge.

Thieves have broken in overnight to steal the crew's welder, pump, and cables. That's a financial loss to local workers who will have to replace them. But then, criminals rarely consider those they hurt. Until God changes a heart, no amount of rituals can transform a person.

Two young neighbors hailed W outside the locked gate as we walked by. They asked W if they can be our night guards ... even before we discovered the theft. Obviously, someone saw the thief who broke in last night and has told others.

We have our date breakfast at Nara Park. Cats walk in and out of restaurants here.

We watch the servers set up a picnic theme for a birthday party later today. Hmmm, it's definitely for kids. Partygoers our age might easily get down but not everyone could get up again. hehehe

I have the usual - noodles, "popcorn" dumplings, and 3 kinds of hot sauce.

Back home, the yardman starts digging up shrubs. What?! 

We hadn't planned to transfer the garden until late this month or October when the rains come. I quickly draw a yard map and show the yardman where to plant larger plants that provide the structure. There's a separate planting page for each area. He says he understands the plan. (Now to see where the plants end up!)

I've forgotten to spray myself with DEET and the mosquitoes start to eat me alive. Oh yeah! run inside to slather my skin.

Read more:

*Is it not you, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you. Jeremiah 14:22

*Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:10

*God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his son. 1 John 5:11

*Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

Moravian Prayer: Dear divine Creator, grant us the strength to endure life’s trials, the wisdom to navigate challenges, and the courage to face uncertainty. May hope be our guiding light, illuminating our path with resilience and optimism. 

Gracious God, inspire us to embody the profound command of Christ: to love one another selflessly. May our hearts overflow with compassion, kindness, and understanding, fostering a world united in the bond of love. Amen.

Happy 90th birthday, Mom!

Thursday, July 31, 2025

It's a productive working day since there's no hike. We go for a walk before making a long list of to-dos. We're involved in various things and every once in a while, I capture and organize what's floating around on every side = unfinished but underway.

There are open spaces tucked around the project. Could this one be a private workspace with the addition of a chair and table?

Doesn't this look like a fun spot for kids to do activities and learn English? The sculptures are crumbling off the walls but we'll keep what we can.

After an early grocery run, I pull out the class PPT and notes for next week's course. I like teaching online. Between screen sharing and recording, an absent student get extended access to class material. The breakdown in online learning is that the class misses an absent student's participation.

The plan is to wrap up all pre-session work today. I pause for lunch and knuckle down to work. The mosquitoes show up about 4PM. DEET repellent usually wards them off. 

I'm 80% done when someone breaks my focus with a question. I'm tired; another half hour and the work would have been finished. It takes 15-30 minutes to get into a flow state and I don't have the energy. I close the documents. I'll guess I'll resume tomorrow. Grrr.

PakG gets news that his mother has passed away. What heartache each time we pray for families who lose loved ones. He will be gone until next week. Muslims bury their dead within 24 hours so the family must hurry home to honor those who are lost.

We send condolences, knowing that she will be missed. No one loves a child like their mother does, no matter what the stage of life.

Friday

We stop by the project, where tiles have been installed in the wrong direction (lines front to back rather than side to side). Oh oh. We don't have extra tiles and will leave it as is since it's not a permanent place ... but I ask W to caution the contractor. If it were a high end remodel, he would have to rip it out and redo it at his expense. What a good color for the space, though.

I take pictures of the laundry corner in the back. Planning a layout is best done before shifting items, especially for appliances that need water or electricity. The dirty floor brings up a memory of Mom's efforts when I was a teen. We were moving into an old Victorian house in Chilliwack. I remember her shoveling piles of houseflies into the garbage from behind the washer and dryer, tears dripping down her cheeks as she cleaned up the mess. (She kept it spotless while we lived there.)

Ibu Ade comes to relieve my tired back with a massage. "Sakit, Bu," she says. ("It's ill, Ma'am.") My muscles stiffen due to hours of sitting during the past weeks. They're less tight by the time she leaves. Thank you, Ibu!

My class prep wraps up after lunch. I happily indulge in a reward: a coffee-chocolate cookie from Keelee's @QuietWatersBakery.

I've started to sort household items for our move next year when our lease expires. Unused stuff can be passed on to others. One of our "finds" (someone else's giveaway) is a green, beige, and rust-colored rug. It was dumped in my office when the guys couldn't get it up the narrow stairs to storage. Today I've had enough of stepping on and around it, smack-dab in the path to my file cabinet.

We roll up a smaller rug and cart it upstairs. Then we unroll and vacuum the ugly freebee. After changing the cushion covers, the dark rug settles in, even on this overcast day.

Here's the "before."

Between everything going on last month, (teaching in Bhutan, conferences, passport renewals, houseguests, and more), I forgot to write the monthly update to friends. I spend an hour on that before bedtime.

Saturday: Mom turns 90

Two of my brothers, family members, and many friends celebrate Mom's 90th - a milestone birthday. Sandy has planned a wonderful celebration for her.

One of the hardest things about living far from family is missing such legacy moments. You aren't part of the memory or a historic photo of the event. I obtained a 2-week leave in February to visit Mom. With our annual month of itineration in autumn, we can't go back to Canada now.

We're 14 hours ahead of her time zone, so we're a day early in wishing her "Happy Birthday." I say it anyway when I call on our Saturday morning (August 2) and her Friday night (August 1). Can't hurt to celebrate her longer than 24 hours.

2 guys arrive via motorcycle to groom all the dogs. It takes 3 hours and $30 (including buying them lunch.) We're satisfied and the dogs know when they look good.

By noon, the class notes are in a binder. We walk up the hill to a late lunch at Nara Park. Anton wants to come so he jumps up, sticks his nose through the gate, and watches us leave.

I'm in the mood for creamy pasta.

Waldemar orders a spicy smoked beef - so good. We practically inhale our food since it's 2 PM. We had breakfast before 7 AM so we're hungry. No supper for us though. Maybe a snack before bed?

The dining room is elegant. The dinner party with reservations won't come until later so we have it to ourselves. Windows are swung open, allowing a breeze through from one side to another.

It's fun to watch kids playing at a birthday party. They're blowing bubbles, flying toy planes, and running around the big yard.

This juxtaposition of flower and structure catches my eye as we walk home. Flowers will grow as they please, even across barbed wire.

It takes an hour to create an inventory for our next home. The yard and interior start to take shape in my mind. I write down a list of garden plants, just in case there are not enough to take along. (There are enough. No need to buy anything.)

We walk over to talk to the contractor. The process is going smoothly so far. The dogs love to romp through the mess and dirt. Juno rolls in the loose mud before snuggling up to be petted. Fortunately dirt sheds off her pelt within a few minutes.

We cherish a quiet evening before a busy Sunday. What to do for flowers for the hall tomorrow? W goes into the yard and grabs two palms. I wrap the plastic pots in Bali sarongs and that's that.

Sunday

We call Mom early in the morning as she's wrapping up her birthday celebrations. They had a wonderful time and she feels honored, especially because she got to pray for all her guests. Cousins and friends I haven't seen in years say hi, passing around Mom's phone.

The Gathering is always a pleasure. We worship God together, discuss life with each other, and consider how we can express God's lovingkindness in the world.

IES Bandung is an international community, rich in cultures, friendships, and faith. After the Gathering, we hang around to talk, eat, and pray for each other.

This week, friends have completed a 4-month land-journey from Indonesia to Hamburg, Germany. Their truck is being shipped back to Indonesia from the German harbor. We eat lunch together at #WaroengEthnic and get a taste of what they're experienced. We schedule a community potluck at our place in a few weeks, where they can share details with more people.

The dogs get their Frontline tick application when we get home, and we get a rest. God is good.

Read more:

*Our transgressions indeed are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing and denying the Lord. Isaiah 59:12-13

*For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. 

And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

*If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1

Moravian Prayer: God, your love for us burns so strong that you sent your son, Jesus, to heal and forgive. Help us to express radical love for one another as Jesus surrounds us with his love and grace. Amen.

Embassy paperwork, great views, and a plethora of decisions

Monday, July 28, 2025

We eat a quick breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express and walk 20 minutes (2 km) to the USA Embassy. It's easily recognizable with metal bars across all the windows of the high-rise. It's faster to renew our passports here than in the USA.

W has completed the paperwork so it takes less than an hour before we're walking through the Heritage Building on the embassy grounds. We learn that the USA helped Indonesia gain full independence after WWII. Indonesia declared its independence from Dutch colonialism on August 17, 1945. There were still battles; we sometimes hike up to the Dutch forts and can imagine the terror of the young men who were sent to fight each other.

The USA threatened to withhold funds to the Dutch government if the country did not relinquish their hold on Indonesia. It worked. In 1949, the Dutch signed away their claim on the islands.

W has read that we can't take electronics including phones, watches, etc. into the embassy. Most people check their electronics at the front desk but we have left ours in the hotel. I forget about the tracker in my purse and get #46 for pickup after we're done. It's strange not to use the GPS to get there, not to check our phone for facts, and to sit without clearing messages. Luckily there's a state-by-state video playing on multiple screens so we do a visual tour of the USA while we wait.

We head back to the hotel for our watches and phones. W researches locations for errands and meals. Dim sum is good at our favorite place. Someone said it turns into a den of iniquity at night. But during the day, families and business clients enjoy outstanding food and exceptional service.

We try the okra in oyster sauce, a hit with me but not so much with W.

During the afternoon, we run "big city" errands including some at a building supply mall. (Please take me there +20X for every time I have to go to Nordstroms!) There's so much potential: lights, tiles, and pylons. The translucent hoses are practically begging to be made into serpentine chandeliers with twinkle lights inside, don't you agree?

It pours twice during the "no rain forecast," each time as we are leaving a venue. We grab a taxi for $3-5 to the next place. The evening meeting is helpful for networking and setting our course for the future. We say a prayer together before it begins and another when it ends.

This motorcycle taxi driver describes our feelings on the way home. Ready for zzzz.

There's one last meeting at 9 PM, discussing a new crowdfunding platform for global projects. If you're want an easy way to help us promote it, PM or email me. It's going to have a big impact on worthy causes around the world.

Tuesday

We eat an indifferent but colorful breakfast in the hotel.

The Canadian embassy waiting area feels more "guest room" than institutional. The furniture is comfortably modern, the colors are warm, and the flag of Indonesia flies companionably beside the Canadian flag.

The staff is helpful and friendly. They offer options for getting our passports back. When we tell them we are hoping to catch the morning train, they hurry the process. We make it to the station 30 minutes early. Hurrah, O Canada!

The views from our train carriage are stunning. Modern life mixes with traditional farming on Java.

Burning dry rice stalks contributes to pollution.

We pass the train graveyard and consider what fun it would be to put an empty car in the yard. Wouldn't kids LOVE to play in it? For that matter, wouldn't adults love to create an office inside?

The flat plains of Western Java are flooded for rice fields.

Soon we have left the flatlands and are rattling along on tracks stretched across deep mountain valleys.

In the distance, the toll highway forms a backdrop to terraces where farmers work by hand.

Rivers flow between rice paddies.

Some of the harvest is in but the fields get replanted a few times a year. There will often be a shade hut where workers rest and eat out of the glare of the tropical sun.

At the railroad crossings, motorcycles stack up and pedestrians wait for the trains to pass. Footpaths, muddy trails, lanes, and roads crisscross the tracks where they disrupt normal village or city traffic. The train whistle is persistent and frequent.

Occasionally we see the towns that line the tracks. Red clay tiles are the most common roofing material.

The closer we get to Bandung, the more rubbish heaps are piled up. "Out of sight, out of mind," is a common attitude. Many Indonesians toss their garbage on empty land or along the roads if there's no reliable sanitation pickup.

We know we're almost home when the traffic increases: see the pillars overhead for a new "flyover" highway?

We are hungry by the time the train gets to Bandung. It's after 1 PM when we stop at a trendy restaurant we haven't been in for years. My Sunda curry is delicious. The rice comes with a festive hat.

The restaurant has amusing monkey lights in the bathroom stalls.

Our friend is having surgery and so we drop by the hospital to see how he's doing and pray for success and healing. His sisters and family are there - and afterward, he begins a good recovery, thank God!

Wednesday

We're up early to call our moms and walk. The dogs romp the property while we check in with the electrical contractor. To measure where the lights go, a young worker climbs up the stepladder, standing on the top platform, tiptoeing !yikes! to hook the end of his tape measure on the moldings. Aaaaaah (what balance)! We hold our breath and he easily scrambles back to earth.

We drive downtown to see if we can find matching tiles for a serving counter. Before the pandemic, we purchased 4-packs of tiles from the discard section at a building supplier. Two 2'X2' (60cm square) tiles have been used on the kitchen counter. When one broke, we placed the pieces behind artwork: see the "wave" on the wall? One is hidden in W's office.

Will we find 4 more tiles with the same non-glossy sand-colored finish ... after 5 years? We're told there are no more but we root through the sale section anyway, getting dusty and dirty. Hey hey! Look. One last box leans between other patterns in the discount clearance pileup. The chances of finding a match are so slim that we consider it a God-bonus for the day.

We come back up the hill to pick up DrW, our favorite neighbor. She's taking us to #WaroengEthnic's new restaurant downtown. They have renovated a 1926 heritage building that belonged to a friend's grandma. 1926? We wonder if they'll host historical theme parties. 100 years ... a long time.

The renovators stripped layers of stain off the original doors and knocked paint off the hinges. They saved as much as "history" as they could. The 99-yr-old Dutch floor tiles are in great condition, too.

My $8 tenderloin is delicious. W helps eat the steak and takes my fried potato rolls: he likes tater tots.

DrW orders fish and chips while W gets his usual rösti champignon (hash browns with chicken and mushroom gravy.) The plating is colorful and appetizing, while the wait staff is attentive and friendly.

The company at the table is wonderful of course. We predict that #EthnicAceh will be a hit, especially with #EthnicBandung's well-trained servers and excellent cooks.

After dropping off DrW, we make a last stop at the project to meet the contractor and drop off the tiles. He says he now has enough for the sink and surround. Yay.

Renovations and building projects require innovation. We've just begun making the 1001 tiny decisions. We can tell that we were 30 years younger when we designed and built our two houses (in the USA).

Back home, we fiddle with the DIY light in the corner. A fancy bulb from our Jakarta trip creates a circus tent effect in the corner. It's not bright enough to illuminate the dining room but might be cool as a night light.

We put back the regular LED bulb for now.

Thursday

Another "no hike" day but we walk the neighborhood loop with the dogs just after 6 AM. 

This 'bird' shape is from ? No idea, but it catches my eye on the pavement.

After two meetings, we go to buy groceries. I find a favorite cheesy snack, not always in stock. We're home by mid-morning with schedules synched for the weekend and coursework waiting on my desk.

Read more:

* The Lord gives strength to his people. Psalm 29:11

* We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:20-22

* [Jesus disciples asked him, ] Lord, teach us to pray. Luke 11:1

* God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

Moravian Prayer: God, we are stronger together than we are on our own. Help us to be in harmonious community with one another, encouraging and supporting each other, so that we can do the work you have called us to do. In your name, we pray. Amen.