Behind the teacher desk

Monday, July 29, 2024

Ah Bandung, for a morning walk in fresh cold air. We figure it's about 67oF/18oC so I pull on a coat. Look at this double hibiscus.

Some of the trees peel their bark as they grow - and this 2.5' (85cm) chunk looks like a base for flower arranging to me. I tuck it under my arm.

The neighbor asks, "What's that, Ibu?" and I show her the marvelous find. Can't wait to use it.

On a corner, can you spot the "Chameleon" working on the ladder? Three guys are putting up a new sign. One supervises from the side. Two others adjust the vinyl banner to his satisfaction. Every few months, the banner tears in the wind and sun so there's a new offering hauled above the street.

I open the office curtains to the view across my desk. It's the final prep day, ensuring everything is ready for tomorrow's doctoral class online. My 16oz mug of Turkish tea is at hand, along with binders of notes.

At IES Bandung this year, we've been preaching through the book of Acts. This fun find is leaning against the wall in my office: a poster book of Bible summaries. Each book of the Bible has a designated page with highlights from that book.

Herbert is graduating this afternoon. PakDanny, W and I join other friends at his graduation ceremony, delighted that he's completed within the deadline. The ceremony, attended by the university rector and faculty, is for 2 graduates. They offer a warm welcome to the graduates, ask them to recruit for UNPAR, and give them their hard-earned diplomas.

Tomorrow, Herbert is off to Jakarta on his way home to Tanzania. Indonesian scholarships bring students from every corner of the globe to various Bandung universities. Surprising to us is that within a day or two of completing your studies, you are shipped back to your country.

We share lunch with Herbert and friends and hug him goodbye.

He promises to keep us updated - we will miss him on the team!

Tuesday

W and I walk as high schoolers on motorcycles buzz to the second week of classes after their month-long break.

I spot something on the road: is that a snake? It's worth a second look. Nope, it's a ripe bean pod that fell from the tree above. Whew.

I log onto the zoom class an hour early to get ready. Except ... oops - their time zone is an hour ahead and it's time for class NOW. We have all kinds of challenges this first day: our Indonesian internet quits, so I have to log in again. They reset the zoom permissions so I can see the class and share my screen at the same time. The cohort may be small but they are wonderful.

W takes a class hour to explain background theology and offers his contact email to students for further discussion. I mess up the lunch schedule so they eat a half hour later than promised. "Tell me when it's lunch-time, if I go over!" I say to them after realizing my mistake.

"Ah, when the information is so interesting, we just want you to keep going." Well, that's one thing, but I'm sure they are hungry. We have 5 hours of class each day, which is a lot of information!

After class, W helps me swap out the "easy-care" IKEA rug (set down during travels) for a multi-color one. The grey checks go back into our bedroom corner, softening the stone floors for morning exercises.

I like the colorful texture of the Pakistani rug. While we're away, I don't want to think about getting the expensive one wet if someone mops the floor.

A few hours of writing and prep, and it's late afternoon. Time to read and relax.

Wednesday

At least today I know what time my class is starting! I look forward to seeing the students and sharing the notes. We hit the last PPT slide as my final alarm sounds. They're off to lunch before the last hour of class, which is set aside for their presentations.

During the break, I consume my uneaten dinner from yesterday; I would only snack after lunch if it were only myself. However, W likes to eat supper so I usually make something. Yesterday, I had no appetite beyond fruit and snacks. I put my dinner back into the fridge. So today's lunch is dumplings, Malaysian curry chicken (with spices from Penang), and more tea. The rest of the household has a fresh lunch prepared by IbuS.

My nose start to plug up and my eyes start to water mid-morning. Hopefully this is temporary.

Thursday

I'm wakened by calls as the phone buzzes throughout the night. (Why? My ringer and notifications are off between 10 and 6!) By 4:00 I give up, turn on the light, reply, and catch up on messages. I stay behind when W and the dogs head north to the weekly mountain hike. This is the walk I miss.

Time to rest. Um, maybe not. I make some calls and write book reviews. Also on the to-do list is writing two monthly newsletters and reviewing the sermon for Sunday. It will be our first time speaking in 7 weeks. Oh my, we are glad to be home.

Read more:

*God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. Psalm 9:18

*Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20

Moravian Prayer: Merciful God, amidst all the clutter of our days, we need constant reminders that you do not forget us; our hope in you and your promises remains strong. Further remind us that we are never alone, as Jesus has promised us, “I will be with you always.” Amen.

Experimenting and exploring in Malaysia

Thursday, July 25, 2024

We finish work about noon. A long slab of wood in our room acts as a desk, catch-all surface, and shelf. I'll have to remember this one.

There's always a tangle of chargers on the desk.

I like the casual drag of white through the grey paint, making a unique mural on several walls. (This one is above the bed.)

W has vetted a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. It costs $13 for both drinks and 3 dishes.

My favorite is a soup that tastes much like rawon - the fungus (mushroom) is especially delicious.

On the way, we stop into Art Gallery, a painters' compilation of original and printed art. I get some postcards. A4 prints are $5 each while a 4-postcard set is $4. Ok - that's affordable.

Look at the use of color in this print. Again, I'm taken by the cool reds and blues of Penang.

"That is the last print of [this well-known artist]," says the lady at the till when I ask if there are other works by him. Nope. In person, the brushwork and hues are stunning.

Friday

I'm hungry for good bread. We passed Rainforest Bakery on our walk last night. 

It's near the hotel (1/3 mile/1/2 km) so we walk over for breakfast. The cakes!

The breads!

The tastes ... I get scones for later. They even have kaya honey, which I last found in Singapore.

Penang is known for street art. There are paintings on the walls.

There are metal sculptures.

The original patina of the tropics is often imitated in industrial decor but never matched. I love the antique windows.

And the doors.

I guess they're entryways.

Many shops have the original tiles in front, defining their "sidewalk" from other's.

Many old houses have been converted to shops in the Little India district.

The paintwork is fresh and individual, sometimes matching and sometimes contrasting with the old tiles.

Most shops and restaurants open late in the day. Between the beauty that is Penang, people are sleeping in nooks and crannies along the streets. Are they are homeless or napping? Many are very thin. 

We pass young girls dolled up in hijabs and sent into the tourist areas to beg. There are also disabled elders who spend the day begging. It's hard to know what to do when people are sent out to panhandle. Is it better not to contribute to such practices? Or better to give them something to take to their handlers?

We pass these trays of food drying in the sun but we have no idea what the pizza-like substance is. It's not pizza!

In the afternoon and evening, we're with friends at Dobson's house. We're celebrating coworker Anna's birthday. It's a fun evening of conversation and good food. There's a big plate of desserts to share as well. We pray for each other around the table before saying goodnight and heading back to Georgetown and our hotel.

Saturday

We go back to the Rainforest Cafe for breakfast. Then we walk to a pen-and-journal shop where I buy a Traveler's Notebook.

I like the courtyard combination of brick and gravel, too.

Our next stop is a craft, food, and art market. It's part of Georgetown's Art Festival. We find a cute market sketch for the kitchen. A young woman has sketched it in charcoal plus watercolor and pastel. She offers us a bigger size and we support her efforts with $20. Surviving as an artist is hard work.

Lunch at Hameediyah is all the ratings give it - 5 star! We share a mutton biryani and a massive shrimp and drink tea. 

We skip the rose-flavored drink named for our town.

We walk past an old rickshaw.

We exclaim over the enormous jackfruit at a fruit wholesaler.

Durian, a love it or hate it fruit because of the sewage smell and pudding-like texture, is so fragrant that this seller holds his nose shut as he cleans his cart in preparation for the day.

At the hotel, we pack up with stomachs, heads, and spirits filled to the brim. We add a few treats to the suitcase; we'll try them when we get home.

The airport lounge has good laksa (spicy curry noodles.)

The flight, +2 hours from Penang to Jakarta, is smooth. However, the shuttle ride to Bandung is hair-raising. We leave our terminal, catch a shuttle that's leaving immediately (6:00pm), and don't get to Bandung until 10:00pm. 

The driver alternately drives the normal speed or slows to a bare crawl while freeway traffic zips past us. The highway has light traffic so what is going on? Of course he stays in the "fast" lane, often getting close to the concrete barriers. With cars, trucks, and busses passing us, my adrenaline works on high alert. I dread the danger of a bad shuttle driver more than any other part of travel. W sleeps through much of it. 

"Sir, are you falling asleep?" calls the passenger beside me in the back row. The driver perks up a bit and pours on the speed. Then it's back to 30-50km/hr (20-30mph). It's a relief when he pulls into the rest stop, though he takes nearly half an hour to come back, instead of the usual 15 minutes. After that, the pace is steadier though he's still not keeping up with the flow of traffic.

PakG picks us up from the shuttle terminal. When we get home about 10:30pm, I'm so drained that I leave the suitcases where they are until the next day. I take a sleeping pill to ward off the nightmare trip and sleep solidly until morning.

Read more:

*The Lord has sent me to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61:1,2

*Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

*So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:26-29

Moravian Prayer: Listening God, we place before you our cries for mercy and laments, wistful longings, and wavering faith. Though at the end of our rope, we still trust in your promises, opening our entire beings to receive you anew. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.