Flowers and a provocative book

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Hiking. It's one of the pleasures of living in Bandung. We drive about an hour to get to the trails.

W takes pictures of the sweet-smelling lemon blossoms beside the trail.

Today's vistas are across farms to distant mountains.

The last half of the hike is rocky, twisting our ankles and pressing on the soles of our feet. There's no need for reflexology tonight!

Lately, more and more farmers are covering the land with plastic. No weeding needed. New split-bamboo stakes will be driven into the ground to support peppers and tomatoes.

The pumpkins and gourds are ripening.

The dogs love the walk and sniff out things of interest.

After, we go to Sedang Reret, a restaurant with boats moored into the floor.

A few of us remark on the adventurous kids and relaxed moms around here. Young kids stroll around on the sides of the boats behind adults who are chatting and seated nearby. The moms don't even turn around. They assume a child smart enough to walk on a 6" ledge will be clever enough to avoid falling off into the lake of algae and big fish. They're right.

When we get home, I check the fridge. IbuS has peeled, cut, and boiled the jackfruit W knocked down earlier. That's no mean feat: nangka's hull is prickly and "bleeds" masses of white glue when cut. You need gloves and a newspaper to keep from being covered in gunk as you hold onto the sides to peel the fruit. To get the glue off, you rub oil into the sticky sap and rinse. "Oil and rinse. Oil and rinse." Until your hands are clean.

I pull out the bag of chopped nangka. The first quarter is marinaded with salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil. The second batch is mixed with fried onions, green peppers,and taco seasoning, the other spices. The third batch gets a "pork cutlet" marinade of ground mustard, soy sauce, ginger, etc. The bottom of the bag becomes a smoky mound with chipotle peppers and more. I divide each kind into 3 bags and freeze all but one "taco" portion.

Friday

Ugh. Another short night (11-4) is not enough. I skip the walk, though W and I stroll to breakfast close to home. Then I wait on this beautiful porch for a friend. We're headed to a coffee shop, a short and pleasant walk to sweet conversation.

Lunch? a bag of the neutral jackfruit is fried some for lunch. So good! Then it's off to language school, and a trip to the grocer for taco supplies. 5 soft tacos cost over $4 = the base for supper. They'd better taste good.

The editor of an academic journal is in a rush. He's short on editors and the deadline is around the corner. Last night, I said I'd edit an article tonight that he sent earlier this week. I start at 3:00 p.m. and lose track of time. I totally miss the study at 5:00. When I look up, it's dark out, almost 6:30, and my stomach is rumbling. However, the article is delivered as promised. The author needs to add his corrections and clarification. And then it's on to the final editor.

I fry taco-flavored nangka (jackfruit) from last night, and heat the tacos. It's yummy with pea sprouts, cilantro, tomatoes, and green peppers.

Saturday

Today I'm looking at nature on our morning walk.

I love to smell the neighbor's gardenias.

The palms are fruiting again.

These leaf colors and shapes catch the eye.

This hibiscus bush blooms often. The velvety deep red lifts against the sky.

I think about the beautiful hedge near our place and wonder if I should WA the neighbor. Perhaps I can ask to pick flowers for the hall tomorrow. Lo and behold, he's coming up the lane. Permission granted. Thanks, Pak K! PakG takes them to the hall in 12 glass vases.

There's work waiting. Then our houseguests join us to celebrate David's birthday. They'll be on their way to Thailand soon.

Miss Bee is a great place for food and dessert.

We almost beat the lunch rush but cars are parked up and down the streets, with customers waiting to be served at the many restaurants in this area.

After, we send cookies up the mountain for Kirsten, who celebrates her 17th birthday tonight. GoSend is miraculous:the motorcycle delivery guys know all the shortcuts to cut hours off traffic.

Sunday

Chandra speaks. His talk gives me homework I've been avoiding. I'm not looking forward to it.

It's fun to see the kids as part of the community. Falk is a busy little darling, almost ready to walk.

Pak K's hedge flowers look good on the tables and someone asks to take them. Sure. We see them every day.

Round Table Sunday is a favorite, where we discuss questions and then share our observations with other tables. We pray with MJ who is leaving to work in Jakarta this week.

In late afternoon, I write a review that I expect to be unpopular. The book tells a compelling story of an immigrant who explains the difficulty of assimilation and how she earns her way to the top tier of university students. It spotlights the contrast between the mindset of my immigrant parents and the current generation. 

Blending in was our goal = being good citizens who benefitted from our new country and were obligated to benefit others in return. Dad and Mom kept things clean and repaired, trimmed the yard, painted the house, and parked in designated parking spots. (No cluttering up the neighborhood with junk or playing loud music to annoy the neighbors!)

It was pure hard work, with many obstacles and failures. My parents had a persistent will to own a home, raise responsible children, and create a safe community. They worked hard to achieve that. There were no government scholarships based on race or demographic quotas to boost us past other competitors.

The current goals are not so different. The contrast is the high expectations among today's immigrants about what is owed them by society and government (as opposed to what you must earn for yourself and your family). Now many newcomers feel: "You have it so I should have it too," whether that's designer bags and shoes, a hot car, or a house for which they haven't saved for decades ... never mind not stealing or cluttering the neighborhood with garbage or playing loud music all hours of the night.

Life is a challenge for immigrants in every generation. Gutierrez shows how the efforts may cost you your history, your health and ease in the present, but also how such struggles may pave the way to a better future for you and those you love. Her memoir makes the reader ask if the price for success in America is worth the price.

Read more:

*The revelation awaits an appointed time; though it lingers, wait for it. Habakkuk 2:3

*Jesus said, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39

*Therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another. 1 Peter 4:7-8

Moravian Prayer: Everlasting God, as we wait patiently for what lies beyond the trials and struggles of this life, may we do so as the body of Christ, trusting in you and loving one another fully. Amen.