Sunday, July 20, 2025

Ever been to a Dutch war fort?

 Thursday, July 17, 2025

Our best hike in a long time? The path is rock-free and wet but not muddy.

There are four of us and four dogs, the perfect size to explore new trails. We finally rediscover the track we used to take by going backwards to the old Dutch forts in the mountains, and returning the same way. We've missed the turnoff so many times and ended up on a cliffside. Now we know which fork to take.

It's a short distance, just over 4 miles (7 km), but the first half is uphill. That means a descent to the pickup point. Hurrah.
We try Kilogram, a new concept cafe: picnic tables inside tents. You pay $8 to get in, which is applied to whatever you choose from the menu. That keeps kids from lounging for free wifi without purchases. The setting is nice - forest and 4-sided open tents, but the food is not great. The soup bowl comes half empty. I send the tea back because it's barely warm ... and the small cup is 2/3 full. Disappointing.

On the way home, the one-lane road has shoulders wide enough that passing traffic only has to take one set of tires off the paving.

W drops me off at home while he does a pick-up from the Yard Sale group. When the contractor calls, we walk over to the project to discuss next steps. You need imagination to think of it as livable.
We sit outside on our Porch until the mosquitoes chase us indoors. The garden's beautiful bromeliads collect water and mosquito larvae. The adult mosquitoes "bug" us before sundown.

Friday
We walk - only Juno the labradoodle comes along. Gypsy the mutt refuses the leash. Anton the poodle is a mess of high energy and brings me a ball to toss. We're limiting his exercise until next week but he has the poodle zoomies.

I start grading papers before a pause: those leftover crepes are a breakfast reward. After a monthly check-in with an advisor, I fill another mug of tea and get back to grading. I'm done for this round by 1 PM. It's time for lunch!

Saturday
We walk all 3 big dogs on a single leash after Anton threatens to pull my arm off on his own leash. He's quite happy to trot in the middle of the pack. 
It's nice to talk to Mom after trying for 3 days; she gets so tired she doesn't pick up the phone. On our end, IbuS comes to massage out the travel kinks. Afterward, W and I sit on the Porch and read through tomorrow's talk.

The birds are chirping, the dogs are resting, and the fish are swimming in their bowls. The hum of neighbors and motorcycles on the next hill completes the background music. All is at peace.

We have a late lunch at Saka Bistro. Even after living here for 11 years, I marvel that it's possible to eat outside all year. We're under cover in case of rain or hot sun. The pesto gnocchi is good.
Their Vietnamese-style Pho is as tasty as any in town.
The kids' English class is going well on the next hill. We hope to offer the same for our neighbors next year.
Sunday
Our first grandchild is 14 today! We call her to find out what's new and to wish her a Happy Birthday. She gets a trail ride on a horse as part of her celebrations. Her siblings chime in with their own updates about a stay at our Montana cabin and their other fun activities.

We go to the hall and set up for the Gathering as usual. Today we speak about being citizens of heaven who are strangers and foreigners to the worldly systems (1 Peter 1). We share a wonderful lunch and conversation at Maxis.
There are things to wrap up, dogs jumping around happy to see us, and a quiet time-out in late afternoon as we prepare for the week ahead.

Read more:
*This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24


*Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved. Jeremiah 17:14

“So that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—Jesus said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your stretcher and go to your home.” Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. Luke 5:24-25

Moravian Prayer: Healing God, often we are gripped by feelings of unworthiness; too often, we are paralyzed by fear. In these moments, there is nothing left to do but ask for your healing strength. Heal us, O God, and make us whole. Amen.

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Catching up on history as we chart the future

Saturday, July 12, 2025

So good to be home! The creatures are happy to see us, though Lyong has done a marvelous job taking care of them.

When we arrived home, there was a new-to-us sofa in the entry. W helps me position it across from our existing one. Two faded black pillowcases, casualties of windows that admit tropical sunshine for the past 10 years, match the dark grey upholstery. Perfect size and color. We pop them on the couch for a more finished look.

We walk out to breakfast, admiring the fruiting shrubs that line the lanes.

At our favorite breakfast courtyard, orchids are tied to branches.

We love to sit in the open air to eat.

The server brings a pot of tea while we decide on breakfast noodles.

DrG sends over a delicious cheesecake. The delivery motorcycle, complete with little fridge, meets us at the entry to the neighborhood and hands off the treat.

It's catch-up time, but what better place to sit and work than overlooking the garden? The green is restful for screen-weary eyes.

After a day of preparation and settling back in, we walk up to Homeground Szechwan for a spicy supper.

As usual, groups are lining up for selfies.

Sunday
The Gathering is such a blessing. We rehang artwork by David, who lives in Japan with his wife Georgina and their two kids. In the short time they were with us, David produced some lasting beauty in the hall, including the mural.
IES supports Indonesian families in Berlin and Taiwan, too. The latter family joins us and Ps Kornel speaks. We host them and our team for lunch at Nara. The kids love all the animals: owls, hedgehogs, tortoises ...
They walk to the project with us to pray a blessing over those working there, as well as the renovations. A group is picnicking under the trees. What a great space.
Monday
We walk a short few blocks, taking Anton out for the first time since his tick infection. He's pulling like an alligator again. We return 20 minutes before our meetings start. That's enough time to cook a plate of crepes. W and I enjoy them at the table on the Porch.
It's our last lunchl with Vieiras, good friends and coworkers with Alice and us. They move to Panama later this week. We've watched their teens grow from little kids. Josh gives us a copy of his method book, a labor of love.
Clau passed her dissertation defense Saturday - so is now a Doctor of Architecture. Hurrah! They understand hospitality and the kindness of strangers as we do. We drop past the project with them to pray a blessing on the spaces and people who will come and go.

A door has been knocked through a wall to provide access to a room. We are amazed at how easily and quickly spaces can be amended here.
Tuesday
Our morning walk is beautiful and uneventful - the best kind.
There's a great variety of blooms today.
This two-toned plant opens little mouth-shaped pods with white "teeth" inside.
Renovations of the #PadmaHotelBandung are going full steam ahead. Construction crews are erecting temporary housing and offices in their parking lot.
It's a people day. Dyna and her two boys come in early morning to hang out on the Porch.

We need new passport pictures so over the noon hour, we head for #JonasPhoto downtown.
School pictures are not taken at the school but at a photo studio. 
Some high-schoolers pose on the staircases for selfies. Giggling and pushing, they examine the knicknacks in the shop before their teacher walks them back to school.
The team shows up in early afternoon for conversation, tea, and baked goodies. As they're leaving, a good friend from Jakarta arrives. Tirza tells us funny stories of college days with our son.
Alice joins us for a spicy Szechwan dinner at #HomeGround just up the hill. Darknss falls while we eat; the cafe windows glow as we walk back to our house.
Tirza and I discuss the utter joys of leadership as women. There can be challenges in male-dominated settings, too.

"People automatically turn to my husband with leadership questions," I tell her. "It doesn't matter that I'm actually leading the team." I've become used to it. Typically, a man - including W - doesn't even notice when it happens.

I think about the common obstacles women face as leaders. Most are called "bossy" or "demanding" when they participate equally, so they must gauge when it's safe to show up as fully present. It's distracting if we're ignored when we are responsible for charting the future and making decisions for a company or team. Sometimes it gets downright weird.

Women around the world (and across cultures) have observed to me that guys rarely notice when women are sidelined. Typically, when a man is addressed when his female team leader is also present, he jumps in with a response rather than referring the question to her. It can also be frustrating to be excluded when the boys' club heads out together, assuming a female leader won't want to join. Sigh. Human interactions are complex.

Wednesday
W and I take Anton on his first full loop with the other dogs. He's bouncy and eager but sits immediately when we stop. "Good boy."
The dogs are happy to come home and sleep off the walk.
W and I make some big decisions (plans for next summer, cabin repairs, and renovation updates) before he heads to a meeting. In the backyard, I spot massive plants against the back wall. The leaves are 3-4' (+1 meter) and the blooms are 6-8" (+15cm) long.
Tirza and I enjoy breakfast on the Porch. I make scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. Later, we walk down the hill for lunch, passing more beauty. This strange little plant catches my eye along the curb.
These contrasting colors and shapes can't be missed.
Ethnic serves a good tenderloin for $8. No rice for me today!
When they came to NU, Tirza and Kristi were the first Indonesians we'd met. We thought if every Indonesian was as nice as they were, it must be an amazing country. (It is.) Tirza shares a photo of their first autumn in Seattle, when we took them to Snoqualmie Falls.
She catches the high-speed train back to Jakarta and home in the afternoon.

There's one final meeting at 8 PM and then it's time for sleep. It's been an active and busy week and I think I need the hike tomorrow more than ever!

Read more:
* Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4

* Lord my soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. Isaiah 26:9 NIV

* But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them come, if they can save you, in your time of trouble. Jeremiah 2:28

* In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

* My beloved, flee from the worship of idols. 1 Corinthians 10:14

Moravian Prayer: Compassionate God, we often find ourselves slaves to our possessions, our money, our jobs, or our own wants, forgetting that these things are temporary. You are permanent, everlasting, and eternal. May we always remember this. 

O God, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to save us and to show us how to love and offer grace to others. In the morning, in the evening, and all day long, we are reminded of your steadfast love for us. With gratitude, we pray. Amen.

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Flores: Labuan Bajo and beyond

Sunday, July 6, 2025


We leave for the airport shuttle right after the Gathering in the hall. No other blonds are in sight, as usual.

You know that feeling when you're vaguely hungry but not for anything in sight? That's us at the Jakarta airport. We settle on a cup of noodles. At least the bookshelf overhead is interesting.

With an unpredictable travel time (today it takes 4.5 hours instead of 3), we stay overnight in the airport hotel.

 Monday, July 7, 2025

The flight out is uneventful and the Garuda meal is not memorable but palatable.

We reach the island of Flores in early afternoon, landing at Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo. A volcano erupts at the opposite side of the island, throwing ash 11 miles into the sky. The winds must be blowing it the other way since we don't notice any effects. Many Bali and east-Java flights are cancelled and a half-dozen can't get rescheduled flights so they miss the conference.

The styles of batik are unique to each island or people group.

At the end of our hotel corridor is a view over the fields and mountains.
From the balcony, we overlook a pool shaded by tall palm trees.
Supper is the first group activity. I order one of the cheaper items. For under $10, I get three enormous prawns that taste like lobster tails. They fill a dinner plate.
Cattle roam in the scrub along the ocean shores.
We walk along the beach to meetings at the next hotel a few times a day.
The sunset is beautiful. The tide is out when we walk home in the dark. We shine a flashlight and watch for the ropes securing the boats that have caught water and float near shore. Little crabs scurry across the sand.
Tuesday

We wake to a stunning view of the sea. Not bad for $70/night. W has done his research for a bargain rate near the conference hotel.

The organizers have left a few hours open this afternoon. These conferences used to be mostly interactive but now are scheduled with more meetings. We enjoy the speaker. 

In our free time, a few of us decide to walk 2 1/2 miles into town since we've been sitting most of the day. There's a Mexican restaurant with good ratings, and ... why not? The food is surprisingly authentic and delicious.

The post-dinner debate is whether or not we walk home. Why not? We joke about it being mostly downhill. We go slowly enough to pause to smell (and see) the flowers growing wild along the sidewalk.
The come in many textures, colors, and shapes.
Some blooming trees overhang the walkways.
Some weeds are bursting with white flowers, too. No smell to these, though.
We're happy to get our 10,000+ steps in as the sunset lights up the sky.
Wednesday
It's our "free day" to explore and interact. 40 or 50 of us are island-hopping on a long speed boat. 
Within 15 minutes, we're at a swimming beach with some corals and warm water.
The next stop is a reef with a strong current - the boat keeps repositioning as we drift across the anemones, corals, and clouds of tropical fish.

Komodo Island isn't open so we get off on another island with the big lizards. Apparently they're good swimmers so inhabit several islands. At night, tourists come here to see snakes. During the day, those are in hiding. The lizards are lying in the shade. They don't like heat above 95oF (35oC).
We walk through the habitat of the Komodo dragons with tour guides who carry long forked sticks in case one attacks. Komodos are very quick when they want to be. A few were lying in the shade near the snack stand. They can scent prey 3 miles (4 km) away through skin and tongue sensors.
One guide takes photos of us, crouching 15' (5 meters) behind a 10' (3 meter) lizard. Looks impressive from that perspective. We were all happy that he was dozing and uninterested in us. They are aggressive hunters: 15 feet per second sprints, anyone?
We get a pep talk before and after the stroll. I wipe out on a slow descent, the hard soles of my water sandals rolling on round pebbles and dry leaves. They're not trail shoes, that's for sure.
At the next beach, we eat a box lunch of chicken, rice, and vegetables.
The little kids sit in the warm water up to their tummies or chests. A watchful dad tosses a rock to chase away a small shark (2-3'?) from the play area.

"Not a dangerous shark," says a bystander. "It eats little fish but leaves us alone."
I skip the 10-minute climb to the top of hill since my soles are slick on the sandy steps. W captures the view from the peak.
At a little market by the hill, I buy some fabric (2.5 meters @$8) for a tablecloth or bright wall hanging. I help another tourist bargain with my limited language. She gets what she wants at a price she's willing to pay. The seller is happy so there's contentment all around.
A decision is made to cut short the day in mid-afternoon: the little kids are getting tired. Maybe 10 youngsters are along, plus a few energetic teens (who could play all night). We skip the promised ocean sunset and the last swimming beach and putt back to the harbor.
W and I walk back along the beach from the drop-off point but are showering by 5 PM. I take a long bath before an early night to bed.

Thursday
It's our final day in Flores. After all-morning meetings and conference photos, we get a few hours off for lunch and conversation. I take a quick nap in our hotel room before walking back to the meeting place.

Tourism seems to be the only industry and that's not booming. In mid-afternoon, the bus takes us to a farewell dinner cruise for Dave and Gigi. They have lived in Indonesia for over 30 years. They'll retire next year but this is theoretically their last conference. (That's assumed ... before they are made honorary lifetime members of the group.) They are friends and mentors to most of us.
We're on a big boat and pass a variety of seacraft and islands.
We're told to watch out for Komodo dragons. Strong swimmers, they range between islands. None in sight.
As the sun goes down, many boats move in the same direction. We're heading near the mangrove island from where fruit bats migrate to another island each evening to eat fruit.
Another stunner is watching the shadows of islands emerge on the horizon as the light changes.
As we're drifting with bats flying overhead, the full moon rises. "Yesterday was overcast. You couldn't see a thing," says the boat crew. "Tonight is perfect."
We are blessed with perfect weather and views on every side.
The full moon rises. We eat a wonderful dinner before the boat lights and music come on. We return to harbor at 8:30 PM. Julie and I climb stairs at the side of the hotel instead of taking an elevator. It looks like 3 flights - but then there's a platform - nope, locked out of the building so up we go another 2 or 3 flights, and a long car ramp past laundry rooms and offices ... we go up 10 flights according to my watch. We come out on the opposite side of the entry and have to walk back to the lobby, fending off taxi drivers. 

When the bus pulls in and loads, it's a short ride to the drop-off hotel and a quarter-mile walk back in the dark to our place. We relax into the night but I'm wired so stay awake until midnight.

Saturday
It's a lazy morning. After breakfast, I take a long bath and then sit on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Hillocks poke out of the sea on every side. Tourist boats, cargo ships, and fishing rigs share the calm water. When the wind kicks up in late afternoon, whitecaps will punctuate the water.
The flight is delayed so several of us hang out in the airport, There are no decent meals available but lots of ramen and pastries. I nap on a sofa in the airport before our flight boards. It's a short flight (2 hours+) and we're in Jakarta before we know it. Our luggage comes quickly and the shuttle bus leaves within a half hour of buying the ticket.

But the driver is sloooowwwww, yo-yo-ing between 60 - 90 km/hr (40-55 mph) though the highway is mostly empty after leaving Jakarta. Cars pass on every side and disappear into the distance while I pray that the driver isn't falling asleep. There are only 4 passengers and W sleeps soundly all the way. Because we're accelerating and drifting, I am wide awake.

We get into Bandung before 2 AM. W hails a cab, which looks like it's parked across the street. W knocks on the window to wake the driver, schlepps our suitcases across the concrete divider, and we're home within 15 minutes. I leave my luggage closed, shower, and fall into bed with relief.

Read more:

*God reveals deep and hidden things. Daniel 2:22

*Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. Psalm 36:5-10

*Jesus prayed, “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me.” John 17:25

Moravian Prayer: Loving God, help us to be good stewards of the gifts we have received. Help us to care for ourselves, our families, our communities, and your world. Let us not forget that you have provided us with all that we have. Amen.