Speedy street-work, n'est pas?

Friday, June 2, 2023

The house is clean, the week's most demanding events are past, and W and I relax into the normal rhythms of work. We find a chunk of beef left over from yesterday's barbecue in the freezer. W sous vides it in his meat aquarium for another time.

We walk some loops, noting that the construction workers are making excellent progress across from the garbage dump. There are NO young adults left on the crew. They disappeared after a few days of hard physical labor. Five or six middle-aged and older workers are left.

This trench may deter trash-dumpers from unloading garbage on both sides of the road. That would be nice. The dumping has gone on since Christmas. Sometimes it smells to high heaven as we walk by. The stray chickens love it, of course, pecking their way through everything.

Yesterday the men chopped away someone's driveway and mortared the water ditch into place. By this morning, they've repaired and re-poured a concrete bridge to the house over the new canal (left, below) Now that's quick work.

W takes a look and says, "Hope there's a lot of rebar on that driveway!" Maybe there is, maybe there isn't.

W poses by a new-model van that can squeeze through the narrow alleys with ease. Yup, he's standing at the back of the vehicle, taller than it is and about half as wide. Astonishing. (Expansive Western girths would need both front seats.)

The dogs, relaxing after the walk, are ready for a good grooming. The groomers WA to delay until tomorrow.

Juno has knocked more branches out of a porch arrangement with her "I'm-a-separate-animal-because-I'm-that-strong" tail. She's lying down when I notice so there's no asking her to stay away from it. She's not aware of her tail anyway. She's broken many things and you'll bruise when that tail thumps against your leg. She's a mellow creature except for the exuberance wagging behind her.

I push the broken branches back to upright. Next time Juno smacks them over, there aren't enough standing branches left to tuck the broken ones behind ... and that will be the end of that!

Breakfast is at Nara. Tiny customs occasionally remind you how far you live from home. Look at the  teacup saucer = the hot teapot sits on the saucer while the cup-and-saucer is just a teacup. W orders a big cup for me; usually I get 2 sips and need to refill the teeny tea cups. We expect a fork and spoon with a meal. It's a shock when the server adds a knife for W's bread.

W's breakfast and mine are opposite. He orders sticky rolls drenched in palm sugar and margarine plus a bowl of bubur ayam (chicken & rice porridge - yummy).

I have noodles sprinkled with peanuts and dried onions, which I season with sambal rica, the fire-in-the-mouth spicy sauce that I love. We'll pass most of the sambal to IbuS, who seems to like it as much as I do.

I'm hungry an hour before lunch but fill up with a handful of homemade granola.

I tip cooked split-peas and some leftovers into a big pot to simmer all morning.  I toss the thick sauce over leftover spaghetti for lunch. Thank God for fridges that store leftovers, right?

It's been a noisy week. By 11:00, the breeze fills with multiple voices from dozens of neighborhood towers. I'm not sure if the loudspeakers are broadcasting extra chants, if it's a Friday special, or if the chanting time has been adjusted due to the location of the moon. (The midday calls usually start nearer noon.) I'll have to ask my language school teacher about it.

A team member drops by just as lunch is ready. There's plenty of food to share, between my beans&greens and W's nasi goreng (fried rice), cooked by IbuS.

I'm arrive late at language school. Long-weekend traffic is mounting as people escape Jakarta, the capital city that is 3-8 hours NW of Bandung (about 120 miles/180 km) away.

At night after W falls asleep, I roam the house, putting accessories into place. The quiet is soothing.

Saturday

I wake before 6:00 a.m to an unexpected but welcome call from a dear American friend (4:00 p.m. "yesterday," her time). Afterwards, W and I go for a walk. Laurel drops by for a chat before heading to brunch with friends.

I sit on the porch and enjoy the hum of chimes moved by the breeze. Though the sky is mostly overcast, light shines through. Some leaves in the garden are enormous (3-5 feet/1-1.7 meters long) and they wave gently.

W has the day at home with his three regular meetings paused for ANOTHER long weekend. The shaded dates below are public-government holidays. There have been 15 public holidays between March 22 and this June weekend!

Government employees and some company workers get a day off on every religious holiday. Most private employers ignore this. Many live-in and daily employees have only one day off each month. Entrepreneurs like food-cart owners and road-side recyclers can't afford to lose a day's wages, either.

We barely finish one day off when we are informed, "Oh, it's a Red Letter Day on Monday (Tuesday / Wednesday, etc.)." This year, we seem to be checking every week. The plethora of Red Letter vacations takes some getting used to for expats.

Indonesia recognizes six religions, though Islam dominates in government and practice. They are animism (folk spiritualism), Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity (=Protestant), Hinduism, and Islam. Syncretism is the norm. Annually, employers must double one month's salary at the employee's predominant religious holiday. For Muslims, that happens at the end of Ramadan so that people can buy gifts for their family.

During 30 or so days of Islamic fasting, people are slow-moving and tired. Many choose not to eat or drink during daylight hours, feasting as soon as the sun goes down and before it comes up again. Night and day, chants and prayers resound from loudspeakers in each neighborhood. In a hilly city like Bandung, you'll hear dozens of unsynchronized voices at a time.

Ramadan was March 22-April 20. At the end of Ramadan, the government gives people a week-long travel holiday. The week of Lebaran  parallels American Thanksgiving or Canadian Christmas = if possible, you must go home to visit your family.

I have to go fishing for tadpoles again. PakG chases a colony of frogs out of the pond as he fills it up with water. When I check an hour later, 6 frogs sit on the lily pads and around the rim of the pot. Two hours later, there are 11. How many of them can you spot?

The groomers arrive in early afternoon. Gypsy barks his distrust of them while Bailey and Juno get the beauty treatment. They're fluffy as lambs.

Sunday

Eki's arrived overnight - one of our 'kids' whom we love.

The Gathering is good - we get to affirm the work we're called to do in community, in our neighborhood, city, and globally. Titik has gone into her garden for flowers; she's a gifted artist and from the wrapped pot to the tip of the snake plant and the manicured leaves, this is a gorgeous arrangement. I'm delighted that she's willing to plan the flowers twice a month.

At the end of the Gatherings, the kids run around the playground and this 2-yr-old fellow finds the drum kit. The sound if off, but it's still fun!

For lunch, a few of us walk down the hill to Ethnic restaurant. It's a local favorite.

My mushroom spaghetti is spicy (see that red pepper?) and delicious.

With seasonal travels, it's harder to stay on top of the schedule online and off. In the afternoon, I record two months of videos. Later, I'm shocked by how much I look like my mom. She had short hair all her adult life.

Monday

I wait until the light dawns and head out the door for a very short walk in the neighborhood.

Above my head, only the white flowers glow and show up.

10 minutes later, the color are already like brighter. This "crown of thorns" is a prickly deterrent to thieves. Beautiful flowers, but its stems are covered in long, hard thorns. 

I'm back from the walk for a 6:00-7:00 a.m. call, breakfast, and a quick FaceTime with Mom before language school starts online. The driver/handyman has the flu so he walks the dogs once, delivers some rice, and heads home to recuperate. The helper's great-aunt dies overnight so as per Muslim culture, the family must bury her within 24-hours. Our plans for the day go out the window.

By 10:00, I've had 4 20-oz mugs of tea (3 liters). It's that kind of a day.

Read more:

*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

*You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. Psalm 30:11

*He will swallow up death forever. Isaiah 25:8

*May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

*I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:10-11

Moravian Prayer: Dear God, may we partake of all the sufferings in our lives in humble obedience to you, and may we be increasingly transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray.

Sustaining and comforting Spirit, you fill us with joy, even when we mourn and grieve for losses we have faced. You replace the broken and shredded parts of our lives with complete and sturdy walls to support us through challenges. Your light is a beacon of hope for us to find our way back to you. Thank you for redeeming love that keeps us warm. Amen!