Black and white

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

When we get back from a trip, it's takes a week or so to get the household going again. After being gone, you see things you've grown accustomed to with a fresh eye. For a while, I've wanted to blank out the prominent zigzag of stairs in the dining room. It draws the eye away from the people in every picture. See what I mean?

Today, PakG tapes it off and starts painting. He has leftover black paint from a neighborhood project so we don't have to buy a can for that bit. (Greatly appreciated!)

When we pull off the masking tape, some of the black paint has leaked onto the wood. I razor and wipe off what I can. There are white steaks where the last painter slopped white paint over the wood.

I get out a few tubes of acrylic paint and a cheap brush. Mixing red, yellow, orange, green, brown, I get pretty close to matching the wood stain. And while I'm at it, I paint out the white splash-overs on other wood walls. Now the eye slides right over the area. Perfect.

The yardman pulls up some roots for cooking and trims a tree that is similar to bay leaf. I ask him to save a bunch of leaves for the helpers. They can dry them on the roof and take them home. Much of the yard foliage and roots is edible.

I finish writing next week's talk, do some edits, and study Indonesian. Before we know it, night falls.

Thursday

W and I head out the door early. He says taking all three dogs into the hills alone last week was "too much." Today, he's recovering from a bout with the flu and is not yet up to a mountain walk. If I use the driver without taking the dogs along, they won't get a walk. So we stay home and the driver walks the dogs a few times nearby.

Last year, someone had the brilliant idea to build a moat around their place. Many yards' privacy walls are built on public property outside their property lines. If the government decides to widen a road, it's a real possibility that the owners have to move their fence. So the landowners build a ditch instead. It would take a lot of work to remove once it's mortared in place. There's an added benefit: tourists' cars are not able to park in front of their house.

That idea is being copied up and down our hill. First, workers use picks and shovels to hack out a trench outside the property line = on public property. No one complains that the dirt takes up half the road during construction.

Within a few days, seven or eight men are mortaring rocks into a run-off channel. It's common to mix dirt and cement without adding pebbles to hold it together = much quick and cheaper than the aggregate concrete we are familiar with. The guys have done 10 meters (30') in a day.

The raw materials have been dumped at the end of the ditch; young guys haul full wheelbarrows and pails closer to the worksite for mixing and application.

It's quite amazing to see how quickly the workers progress. It must be a finished-rate pay. If they're fast, they can move on to another job.

Today both helpers ask for the day off. One volunteers at a polio vaccination clinic in her neighborhood. Foreigners are more likely to give a day off for such things.Working for locals, the women may or may not get permission. I don't care as long as the floors are mopped, counters and dishes get cleaned, food is prepared, and laundry is washed, especially when others live with us and we host events.

The other part-time helper asks to swap today's normal workday with tomorrow. Today's a big day in the neighborhood. I inquire why angkots (little public transportation vans) and cars are parked for blocks near the assistant governor's place. "We're doing a day of pawasan (insight)" says one person. Whatever that is.

It looks like a girls' day out. A woman shouts instructions over the loudspeakers of the new mosque. Inside the gate are racks of clothing and tables of goods for sale. Anywhere in the world, when women do a shopping excursion, the men hang outside together and gossip. Up and down the street, the drivers gather in groups and chatter away. Makes me smile.

W and I eat breakfast out on our first date morning since coming home. He walks partway and waits at the restaurant while I complete the loop. When he heads home, I do 2 more loops to match the missed hike. Total is under 4 miles / 8000-ish steps, with easier hills. I'll get 2-3000 more steps during the day, so that's enough for now.

We hop in the car to pick up supplies after I get home. While W picks up groceries and his treats, I walk to a nearby clothing outlet. Earlier this week, I tried on a blouse in a pretty rayon print. At 1/2 off the outlet price, I couldn't make up my mind so I left it there. My rule of thumb is, "If it's forgettable, it's not for me." I remember it.

Back home about 11:00, I unpack the food, start to wash and chop it up, and the cooking begins.

Both sides of the kitchen get a workout. I bake granola and assemble overnight oats with dried apricots and sunflowers or blueberries and pecans. Just for fun - and because I rarely have dessert - I make a chia-chocolate pudding, Give it a try?

Chia/chocolate pudding - serves 4-6

1/2 c chia seeds

2 c plant milk (heated in the microwave)

1 tsp each turmeric powder and vanilla extract

3 T each maple syrup and dark cocoa or carob powder

Whisk together and let set for 15 min.

Whisk again, cover, and stash in the fridge overnight. Can't wait to try it. (Note: not bad, not great)

I soak beans overnight to use them rather than canned beans. I make 3-4 servings of Mexican quinoa = a colorful main dish.

For lunch, W and I eat minestrone, along with a slice of the whole wheat bread baked on Monday. It's pretty good, with enough for 3 more meals. We enjoy eating outside on the porch. W is grading last week's class papers outside today, too.

I toss the extra servings in the freezer. After a 3-4 hour cooking session, I have food for almost a week. Supper is filling! The quinoa goes atop lettuce for a main course.

We're treated to 2 desserts: the chia-choc pudding (ok, not sweet).

And ripe watermelon. Juicy!

Friday

It's a good start with 2 loops; gets the blood flowing to body and brain. W joins today; he's feeling almost better. These bromeliads bloom once, then the leaves fade as they are replaced by a new plant. The flowers glow in the morning light.

 

Judy and I walk to coffee at Kura Kopi. There's a new motorcycle "gas station" beside the sidewalk. Two ladies pour gasoline from a big container into recycled water and pop bottles. We didn't have one of those "petrol stations" nearby; it's a good business with cyclists already stopping to refuel.

I meet a neighbor walking back. We enter the neighborhood together - and she tells me another elderly resident has gone into eternity. That always grabs the heart, for him and for his family.

Then, it's language study time. The kitchen has been cleaned, the floor is being swept and washed, and I can sit on the porch to crunch through recordings from the first unit. I'm surprised that I remember more than I thought. A refresher is a good idea. Yesterday's granola is crunchy brain food.

The pines overhead remind us of the Pacific Northwest. It's getting warmer; dry season is here.

Saturday

If you don't like the rock going up on your beautifully mortared 9' (3 meter)-high stone wall, just have the workmen chip it off again. And then adhere the stone face you like. Updates to come.

The got or drainage ditch building continues. They're doing an entire stretch of road across from the local garbage dump.

After the stone wall and a concrete ledges have dried, the workers top them with cement tiles. It looks like a sidewalk, but the plants will take over and it will disappear within a few months.

The recyclers are back at the side of the road; we were worried about them because they were ill last week. Pray for the many people who subsist on small earnings.

Read more:

*Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God; how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

*But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2

*Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory. 1 Timothy 3:16

Moravian Prayer Lord, sometimes we forget that Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Ascension Day are all parts of one story. But the story doesn’t end there. Your birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension are important because they happened for our salvation. We believe you are coming back for us and for the whole church. We thank you for that hope! Amen.

Back to life at home

Sunday, May 21, 2023

It's a joy to be home at IESB. After speaking with W, we head home with a group of parents and kids. Laurel does a great job of organizing a family potluck on the Porch.

The kids enjoy the garden.

I make myself a lunch of a vegan rendang (spicy sauce with fake meat) and whole grains. By afternoon, the house empties out and we clear things away.

These cute little sneakers are left behind so we drop them off to that precious one-year-old on Tuesday, driving home from language class.

Tuesday

W's sick - his symptoms are similar to what I had a few weeks ago. You feel a scratchy throat and 3 days later you're sick as a dog. He lays low.

I walk every day and go to language school Monday and Tuesday. My wonderful teacher Ibu Etsha loves to read. I take a few books for her and snap a shot - there's no way I can remember who has which books a week or two after lending them out.

I've forgotten so many verbs! "Please let's review this week," I beg her for mercy. Just before we traveled to Singapore, W found my main vocabulary notebook, "lost" in a deep pocket of a suitcase.

With the notebook back, I can catch up and make the words my own. We form sentences with the words from that collection. Yikes. Focus focus focus.

During break, I watch a man hack out a tree from the steep slope across the street. See the channel he cut in the hill and the retaining wall? (He's in the hole he's cut in the wall, in the center.) With the rainfall, Americans would worry that the upper lot would wash down, but here everything happens in its own time. (No one's looking for a lawsuit, just a solution.)

I cook for myself while the helpers cook for the crew at the house. You can eat a LOT as a vegan and keep losing weight. Today, I can't finish my half-a-potato, mushrooms, onions-and-garlic, cabbage, and homemade seitan (fake chicken). I make it halfway through the heaped plate and put away the rest for supper. The organic farm promises to deliver salad greens tomorrow. Yay!

Watching the kids and parents interact yesterday, it's clear that we need a bigger table in the living room. The 1-meter wood circle is easy to negotiate around, but when people start putting cups and plates on it, it's too small. (Before, below.)

We swap it with the big glass table from our bedroom. The brick-colored base blends into the Afghani carpet. (After, below) 

"Look, the wooden counting game doesn't hang over the edge anymore," notes IbuS. A bonus.

The tempered glass tabletop is 1X2 meters (+3'X6'). It's Robin's design, like the 2 tables on the porch. I stick a short piece of blue tape under each corner. That little reminder seems to keep people from smashing their knees on the transparent edges.

Tuesdays, the lovebird, budgie, and canary cages get cleaned. I add a paper bag inside one of the lovebird cages. They'll amuse themselves for weeks, hopping in and out, using it as a tunnel once they've destroyed the bottom. They tear the bag to pieces, cheap entertainment for them (and for me.)

Several on the team are missing today and we have nothing urgent to discuss. We cancel the afternoon meeting until next week and ask everyone to rest up. W and I work on next Sunday's talk. Having nothing scheduled, I get to the less-important items that have stacked up during travel.

Wednesday

Walk first. I take only one dog. The others howl their indignation as we walk down the street. Today's focus is to write the talk for the week after this one: Matthew 16.

The morning study with the team is about worshipping God. What an amazing opportunity we have as we share the names of God from scripture: 

• our advocate (Job 16:19)
• bread of life (John 6:35)
• my hope (Psalm 61:5)
• Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)
• Lord of lords (1 timothy 6:15)
• my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)
• my salvation (Exodus 15:2) ... etc. so many more

Together, we speak the names of God aloud. Then we pause to worship and thank Him for all He is in this world - and to us. God is loving and good.

Outside, the blue rug for IESB Kids is drying on the hedge. Two helpers scrubbed it down yesterday and hung it to dry. So much wouldn't be feasible if we had to do everything ourselves. Who do you need to ask for help today?

Read more:

*You must therefore be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn to the right or to the left. Deuteronomy 5:32

*This assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear. 1 Samuel 17:47

*Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

*Jesus said, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’” Luke 10:5

*Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards  those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:1-6

Moravian Prayer: God of love, help us remember to be love in action and in thought. Help us to depend upon you, and be willing to put into action what you have asked us to do. Help us feed hungry people; help us mend broken hearts. Help us be the mirror that other people look into to see your reflection.

We ask for peace, Lord, inside our hearts, homes, and families, and outside in our communities and the world around us. We ask you to help us bring peace with open hands and hearts without the need for weapons. Replace our swords with baskets of good gifts from heaven to share with others. Lord Jesus, we ask this in your redeeming name. Amen.

Goodbye for now, Singapore!

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

I'm reading an interesting view of women in the workplace. It offers some insights into the broader scope of family and work. Note: the author is American-style "inclusive" in moral choices and the definition of marriage and family.

The breakfast soup is tasty.

Walking along the canal near the hotel, we spot the herons that have been missing from the treetops. Last time we stayed here, 20+ herons would roost on the coastal trees nearby.

Dr Castleberry (NU president) takes us to lunch at a German butcher. On the way, the taxi driver has this cute "pet" sitting between the seats. He converses about various passengers.

I enjoy a short rib which is so big W has to eat about a third. (I will be restarting my heart-healthy vegan stint of 8 weeks when we get home!)

We catch a Grab car to the Grab headquarters where W and I address about 30 MBA students and take a few questions about living abroad. To help them think outside the box, W suggests we speak from the back of the room. We ask the students to turn their chairs around and then we speak from the back, which is the "new front."

The profs are good friends: Rowlanda and Angela, who I've known for a years.

On the ride back, we take note of the national "bird" of Singapore: cranes. They're everywhere.

When W heads out to teach, I go for a walk along the beach to enjoy the boats.

This tree with branches and roots equally spread captures my eye.

And then there's the sunset ...

I buy pad thai for supper before heading inside.

Wednesday

All kinds of rides are available for rental on the city sidewalks or the trail paved beside the ocean. "One ride for all 3 generations" says the sign on the 4-wheeled wagon.

Or if you prefer, a bicycle built for 2, or a 2- or 3-wheeler with a basket? Lots of options!

Kathleen the ATC registrar treats us to a tasty lunch at the Pasir Ris mall by the hotel.

A contest to determine Miss and Mrs. Global Beauty is going on, with some contestants staying in our hotel.

Best guess, this one's from somewhere in the Philippines.

The courtyard on the floor below is relaxing and green. I hang out there sometimes.

Thursday

What a good breakfast of tosaia at the Indian food stall, which is buzzing with customers in a nearby hawker center. The curries and spices are just right.

Next door, what flavor of pancake pizza would you prefer? Peanut butter? Sweets? Egg? Non-pork meats? or?

In this city of trees, it's rare to see one fallen. The city workers are quick - here they have already begun to cut up the trunk.

I wander to the MRT as W goes back to the room, relaxing and finishing up classwork and emails. The construction is ever-present. Singapore is constantly expanding its neighborhoods by building on land reclaimed over decades from the ocean. Pasir Ris, our area, is mostly new land.

Living cheek to cheek, Singaporeans value politeness. Even the signs, written in multiple main languages, are polite: "Work in Progress: inconvenience caused is regretted."

It's the first time I've been shopping alone this trip. I'm looking for shoes for a friend. Taking my time to browse is a treat. Here's where we first saw the word "Bandung" (the city where we live) = on a pink drink in Singapore.

Goods from every country are available in Singapore. These embroidered shoes are probably from India.

I find some shoes, WA my friend to confirm, and pick them up before heading back.

W and I meet up for a final lunch at Sure Come Back noodle shop. SOoooooo good.

The hawker center is filling up as usual.

W orders smoked salmon as well - what a reminder of my grandpa's catches on the Fraser River (BC) 50 years ago. The pickled jalapeños are excellent, as is the rice porridge. 

Friday

The flight is uneventful. With the trusty scarf-blanket from Kirsten tucked over my knees, I'm warm.

Luggage takes a while to arrive on the carousel in Jakarta but everything arrives safely.

The shuttle from Jakarta to Bandung as frightening as ever. I read all the way. 

The only recognizable vegetable at the shuttle rest stop is A&W fries.

PakG picks us up from the station, where shuttles are parked helter-skelter across the drive-through. Ah ... we're back in Indonesia, having left the order and organization of Singapore behind. The driver hauls our suitcases out of the van. We drag our luggage to the other side of the lot where the car is parked, across jagged stones in broken paving.

Saturday

After my solitary walk, Ibu Siti arrives to give me a massage. Ouch ouch ouch. Good job. While W teaches, I arrange bromeliads from the garden and grass found on the walk for tomorrow.

Oh yikes - the freezer door has to be pushed shut each time the fridge is opened. The helpers have forgotten and everything is iced over. Cleaning it will be their Monday chore. Meanwhile, W chops off ice blocks so the door can shut.

The bathtub ponds haven't been filled either. PakG takes care of that with the garden hose during our water hours. (The city releases water in the morning only.)

Bailey has been brushed out by PakG.

It's nice to be home.

Read more:

*I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. Isaiah 65:1

*But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Matthew 19:30

Moravian Prayer: Lord, sometimes we are tempted to put ourselves first before all else, including you and others whom we should love as you love us. Help us remember that the Christian life isn’t about us. Help us to love you because you loved us first. Help us show the same love and forgiveness to others and to ourselves. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.