Lizards, rats, a tropical trip, and a Christmas tree

This morning there's a lizard in the glue trap. The helper also put a glue trap on the kitchen counter while we were away. She caught the rat that had ripped into bread bags, taken apart all kinds of storage, and chewed its way out of a welcome. Ibu S graciously sent me a picture via WhatsApp, the message service everyone uses here. Ugh.

We are back from several days away, rat-free for now.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019
We get to the airport in plenty of time. And then we have plenty more time. The plane from Bandung to Jogjakarta is 2 hrs late. Before landing in Jogja, we circle over the city a few times. Like Bandung, Jogja shares its airport with the military - we're on a budget budget budget flight that gets last priority for takeoff and landing.

There's no time for the art market date we hoped for. But supper with colleagues is fun.

W's the king of travel deals. It's as cheap to stay at the Hyatt as to get a regular hotel. What a beautiful stay, much grander than our usual stay-overs.

 

It feels like paradise - but this is a working trip. In such a setting, walking from our room to breakfast feel like a luxury vacation. (Then it's off to work!)

There's a beautiful spa enticement on a lobby table - 1 hr of massage for $15. I don't see it until we're pulling our carry-on luggage to the grab car for the airport, though.

Thursday

By 7am, I'm in an early online call - always great to meet up with advisors, even if it's long distance. W has breakfast with colleagues and is working on the talk for Sunday. He's speaking on the book of Revelation, hardly am easy topic to understand or discuss. He's making progress though.

W is in meetings all day so Jhan, Iris, and I catch a mid-morning taxi to the art market. (Which turns out to be an empty parking lot with a sign.) The driver is puzzled by our destination. He takes us to a street a little way off with shop after shop selling the leather goods Jogja is famous for. I don't find anything I can't live without among purses, belts, shoes, jackets, and giftware. I'm not in the mood for leather.

I even leave behind a statement rattan and leather purse (@$15 feels like too much, though it is beautiful.) The economic scale shifts here. At IDR220.000, it seems like way more than $15, doesn't it?

Friday
We're in meetings all day. It's great to meet new coworkers, who are being introduced to Indonesia. Our hosts make sure we have meals, snacks, and tell us to order coffee if we want it. I ordered a tea earlier, but there's a mixup and it never comes - good thing I have my thermos full when I get there.

When we get back to the hotel after supper and conversation, the staff at #jogjahyatt is amazing. They don't miss a detail. The rooms and public spaces are clean and fresh, no small feat in the tropics.

Saturday
We head out after a nice breakfast at the Hyatt. There's another 2.5 hr delay at the airport. We finally board from the back of the prop plane, I pop in my earplugs, and turn on my Kindle. W falls fast asleep.

On the way home from the airport, we stop to pick up 2 camping mattresses and a little guest safe (so light it will have to be screwed down.)

We arrive home to a burst of flowers on one fence ... and the pollution of Bandung. It hasn't rained since we left. The grass starting to emerge after rainy season is back on "pause."

We unpack the treats from Jogja and decide what to leave in our suitcases for next time. One of the core mandates of the team we work with to bring snacks to share from our travels. Yes, we have some oleh-oleh from Jogja for everyone's enjoyment.

I like the movement of seasons throughout the house. I love Christmas, so the Christmas ornaments are up: I decorated the tree before we left.

W did a wedding a few weeks ago: the groom's family brought chocolates from Denmark. What you might not know is that every country sources and mixes its chocolate a bit differently. Way to go, Danes. These are delicious. And way to go, W - for sharing with me. The chocolate looks beautiful on the batik linen fabric I bought for the dining table a few years back.

And the lights on the tree and in the vases bring a soft glow to the public spaces. So soothing.

Sunday
We get a late start - W has some last-minute touches to put on his talk. Before he starts, he asks people what they think when they read the last book of the Bible. "Scary." "Judgment." "Awful things." "Catastrophes." "Worship." (... for me, "Excitement.") I love the supremacy and orderliness that God brings to the chaos we continually create around us. Some day he will renew the universe with a New Heaven and New Earth - and come to live with us. That's great news.

When W is done, most people are sitting in surprise and not yet ready to share their takeaways (the way we usually end a gathering). W says this is God's story of redemption and glory, not a book of doom-and-gloom. It's a book of celebration, which we see every time God overcomes the drift to evil by his righteous judgments.

The day is full of meetings and lunch with a friend. I fall fast asleep for a few hours at home, and then play around with a homemade gelatin plate (printing with acrylics). It's very bad art. It's also relaxing. When I'm done, there are few pages that will be the base layer for better work.

I've downloaded about 30 books from the publishers and start working my way through reviews. This book is hilarious and reminds me to keep life in perspective. I recommend it. (You can read the reviews here.)

Read more:

*When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech. Proverbs 10:19 

With the tongue we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. James 3:9-10 

Moravian Prayer: Father God, from our mouths should come blessings in your name. Please help us refrain from cursing, and be an example of your love and blessings. Amen.