Things that seem normal here

Friday, January 12, 2024

Meetings, academics. We mail my book series to a friend in Singapore. 

And the morning is over. 

We're blocking the view of scaffolding outside the kitchen with window film. So much nicer. The metal frame holds the water tanks in the light well. We're too tired to do the last one tonight.

The next project will be covering the windows of the hall's prayer room. They look out onto storage: volleyball nets and miscellaneous barang2 (stuff). For the visually distracted, opaque window film is a godsend. And it's easily removed when no longer serving its purpose.

Saturday

The morning walk is full of interesting things. Look at how you put windows into a house wall: the workers smash holes into the brick wall and then repair the edges once the window is framed with wood and glass is inserted.

Masons are also redoing the entry wall at a nearby resort. Stone by stone, it's replaced by hand.

The kids' playground at the neighborhood intersection is littered with plastic and food wrappers, but the kids don't seem to notice. We feel far away from our youngest granddaughter, who celebrates her 6th birthday today.

At the tennis courts, the equal-opportunity competition is not played in equal costumes. The guys wear shorts and a T-shirt to play in the 80F (27C) heat while the women are covered from head to toe - including a headscarf. I'm almost panting, watching the gals run back and forth on the court.

The wire-grid fence is falling down along the next street. The stone foundations are rotten, says the tukang (handyman). He backs up to see how he's going to repair it.

A parade of students from the university down the hill is welcoming the new year with Viking? costumes. Nah, must be some Indonesian historical figures.

W meets people in town and buys a new bulb for the lamp we bought in Turkey.

Supper is egg salad on homemade bread. Easy and nutricious.

The flower arrangement Ibu Titik made for the hall last week is still beautiful so the guys carry it back there. No need to make something new.

The neighbor's city-water pipe is leaking after more than a month. We've mentioned it to the neighbors several times but no one has fixed it. It saturates the ground beside their gate.

Sunday

An email arrives with a request for an article for a global network; I write and send it to Thailand and Jakarta for revisions. There's no sense in postponing a quick assignment.

We have a board meeting after the Gathering. The agenda is updates and reviews - it's been a good year and we expect the same in 2024. We have a nice lunch together afterwards.

Monday

I'm trying to get the hang of the tablet W uses to teach. Kim passes along good ideas about Zoom features and the class set-ups she uses. She's a whiz at teaching online. On her end, she's decorating a wall with a shelf and some pictures. "Go crazy," I tell her, sending a photo of our current mashup in the nook. 

The nook is an always-shifting collection. There are memories in each book, paintings, and object, including a pewter medallion from a Pakistani Air Force colonial. His wife hiked with us and was well-liked by all.

W and I have lunch with two fellows teaching English classes in Bandung. It's wonderful to see them gather volunteers to serve poor communities who can't afford English tutors.

Tuesday

The porch is peaceful as we pull on our walking shoes.

After a walk, we reluctantly finish mounting the film on the last kitchen window. Neither W nor I are in the mood but we want that chore out of the way. See the hard worker on the far side of the window? Almost done. Thanks, hon.

The delicious sprouts arrive from Komori Greens on Tuesday mornings. They're healthy treats with minimal effort on our part. These are already clipped, eaten last week. We send back the empty containers for refills.

I treasure my next connection. Each month, Nancy helps me find healthy ways to move forward. I debrief with her for an hour to unclutter my thinking, especially when the turbulence of change obscures the path ahead. When we're done, I know the next steps to take.

W and I go grocery shopping before lunch. The crabs stare at us from the seafood case.

The year is inching toward Chinese New Year so there are many foreign Asian treats on the shelves. Spam (beloved in Hawaii, Korea, and other Asian countries) is available for $6.50 US/can. No thanks.

I heap my lunch plate with pea sprouts, topping them with sliced fresh cucumber in vinegar and the main dish: curried chicken and potato cubes. Delicious and filling.

Before our team meeting, I get the updates I need to edit and send off the article written Sunday. Good. One more thing off my desk.

Richie, the librarian who has sent hundreds of books our way, texts that he now has a lot of math books to give away. Funny thing: the seminary dean we talked to last week mentioned that some of their students are math tutors for village kids. Those books are obviously meant to flow in that direction. In they come - out they'll go! Isn't it a privilege to be part of the conduit of God's blessings?

Read more:

*You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Psalm 39:5

*[Paul wrote:] So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Moravian Prayer: Sometimes, O God, a day feels like an eternity; yet at other times, years pass in the blink of an eye. But not a moment goes by without you being with us. Thank you, our friend and Savior. Amen.