The fruit of rainy season

A cart of Jackfruit

The weekend is here again. Our friend from Singapore has arrived to stay the week. From my perch in the office, I can see the banana leaves waving outside. The wind is still sweeping across the hills but the rain that fell on the leaves earlier has dried.

Thursday, January 4, 2018
This used to be our walking day and I miss it. We have a few more Fridays before (hopefully) we change back to Thursday walks. It turns into a writing day instead. I have to finish editing my book. I'm almost there but it takes a lot of time. Today the big job is putting footnotes into the main text. Exciting, no?

(No.)

Our study group is small today. In the late afternoon, Agus comes to the house for help with a scholarship application. He's typically Indonesian: reticent about writing down his accomplishments. He doesn't want to brag. "Westerners are so confident," he exclaims. We insist that he include his activities and awards. He's a smart young man.

I'm exhausted and my back is sore when I quit writing in the evening. This reminds me of working on my dissertation - after long hours, my tired body tells me when the day is done.

Friday

Hauling a load by hand - in the middle of the road. Everyone goes around.

Before 8, we head to town for breakfast. W has eaten twice at a food cart in front of a restaurant and wants me to taste their bubur ayam (chicken rice porridge). Alas, the vendor tells us it's kosong (sold out) so we head into the restaurant and order their version. It's an excellent meal for $1.00. And the tea's not bad, either.

Our "date" destination is a street with hotel supply stores. When we arrived in Bandung, we bought most of our kitchenware from this short block of wholesalers. Today, I'm replacing some things that are being reclaimed by the landlady and looking for a fishbowl. (A 19-liter / 5-gallon bowl is $7.)

Bolts of oilcloth from the factory@$1-2 meter

The fish are free: our neighbor's pond is full of vigorous black-tailed platys. Every few months I release them from a glass vase back into the pond or into the bathtub in our backyard. Then we fish for replacements.

Red platys plus a 40c beta (from the market)

It's soothing to watch the fish swim around when we're doing class prep or when we return home from travels. We often sit outside on the porch, enjoying their gentle motion and the singing of the canary birds.

On a 2-lane road, the taxi pulls up on the line, making it 3 lanes.

Our car gets stuck in traffic on the way home, so we stop at a little hole in the wall across from one of the high schools.

Fried noodle lunch

While we have lunch, the driver, a devout Muslim, heads for Friday's noon hour at the mosque. Community mosques exist in every neighborhood and men drop by the closest one, in a nation-wide network.

Bandung Grand Mosque with 2 towers

Saturday
I'm up before 4am but don't get back to sleep. At 6, W suggests a walk. We go around a very long block with the dog before I head to work. Before we leave for the airport at 8, I clear the kitchen, make some tea, and approve a dissertation for submission: it's time to send it on to the committee.

The crosswalk takes you to the middle, then you have to walk into the street around a barrier before avoiding cars making U-turns across the offset crosswalk on the other side. Why?

I can't wait to see my friend. When Sumathi comes out of the arrival gate at the airport, it's a treat to hug her again. We met in England, saw each other again during a few summers in Singapore and then met again in Bandung. When she moved away last year, I missed her so much.

After lunch at Miss Bee, the rain pounds down. Sumathi and I relax with tea and cookies while W is editing my writing.

When the rain stops, I go through the back gate to the empty lot. The world is a beautiful place. It's become a jungle of vines and overgrown plants. I slap a broom ahead of me and encourage the dog to run through where the trail has disappeared under greenery. No sense in surprising a snake or rodent!

What shall I put in our glass vase? I look around and whew, what a lot of interesting plants are back here! I grab a couple of vines. (I used to pay for these at Molbaks Nursery; here they're weeds along the fence.)

Hey, I don't know what these fruits are called but I've been told they're inedible. They look a bit like lemons. I snap three 2-foot stems off the shrubs. I head for the old bathtubs at the back of the yard and break three bulrushes off their stems. When I get into the house, I plop them in separate vases with an inch of water. They fit on either side of the sofa.

A woven cloth on the back of the sofa was a gift from the faculty in Medan.

Isn't the world a wonderland? God's creativity astonishes me, day after day. How about you?

Read more:
*See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him. Isaiah 40:10

*Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

*By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. Luke 1:78-79

Moravian Prayer: Spirit of the living God, you call us to be your witnesses to a hurting world. Strengthen us to be salt and light as we share your love with neighbors near and far. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Sweet start

The sky is crashing above and the lights are flashing. There's a big storm rolling in from the mountains every afternoon. Usually, it hits before sundown but today at 6:30pm, the lightning and thunder are in full glory.

Tuesday, December 2, 2018
W's still a bit weak and under the weather after the stomach flu. Our helper carries the Christmas supplies up to storage. The house is back to normal - all the decor is put away, the vases washed, the furniture returned to its place. I enjoy the rhythm and changes that celebrations bring to the house.

One of the packing chores is getting the portable bathtub washed and put away. I shower before sitting in the bath 2 days in a row. W brought an RV filter back from his last trip. To keep bugs out, I cover the tub every evening. But on the third morning, the filtered water has turned green and there's a layer of scum on top of the water. EEeww. I drain the water and wipe down the tub before folding it away.

It feels funny to write "2018" on the date. It's that transition between what was and what will be that catches me off guard each year.

IESBandung has our first team meeting of the year, starting in the morning. The beautifully cooked lunch is thanks to Claudia, before we review the last year. We agree to a few goals and will work on specifics in the weeks to come. J and C's kids show us their rooms and some new artwork: their painting class has unleashed their creativity.

Wednesday
We start with a bowl of plain oatmeal and a kefir smoothie. A friend gave me a jar of kefir grains last year. More recently, she brought me a kembucha mother, which is thriving in its fourth sweet tea infusion. I pour some of the sweet and sour bubbled tea into the glasses. It settles the stomach.

For lunch, we're at Dr Wuri's house. She's invited us to celebrate her granddaughter, who is 20 days old. There's a neighborhood feast. Most of the neighborhood women have left but it's fun to meet her daughters and sisters and their families. The baby is adorable! She's a good eater and sleeper, too. (Seeing this little darling and her young mama - as we await our fourth cucu to arrive at any time - makes me homesick.)

Afterward, it's time for the monthly book group. We've read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The research on the resistance to assimilation into American culture by the Hmong is excellent. The story compelling. This will become one of my textbooks for teaching intercultural studies, especially anthropology and compassion care. After the study, several women give me their copies - which we'll distribute to libraries across SE Asia.

We drink tea and eat sweets during an afternoon of discussion. This is an unusual group of women: each of us has studied or lived cross-culturally. Few of us live in our "home" culture now.

We will celebrate 3 birthdays this month. Someone's ordered desserts and I brought some cookies from our New Year's stock.

W meets Andrew, as usual on Wednesday night. At home, I curl up on a rocker at home to read, catch up on emails, and write. The business leadership course I'm finishing online has taken a good chunk of the available day. The course is stimulating and exhausting (from an Australian university.) A pause before going to bed feels like a good thing.

Read more:*Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7

*The Lord has sent me to provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. Isaiah 61:3

*Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

*My God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Moravian Prayer: Sacred Friend, your presence is always with us. When we are lonely, you offer companionship. When our bodies and souls are weary, you offer refreshment. May we follow your example as we provide presence for one another. 

Healer, Redeemer, Binder of wounds, through your love all things are made new. We give thanks that in you we are made whole. In the name of the one who calls us beloved. Amen.

Welcome to the end of the YEAR OF OUR LORD 2017

Ornaments ready

Remember when some people thought the year 2000 marked the end of the world? There were predictions of catastrophic meltdowns, people stored puddings and canned goods in their crawlspaces so they could stay alive post-apocalypse, and we were told we were crazy because we thought every calendar day is like every other day to God. No worries.

18 years later ... God is still in control. We anticipate his good care of humanity in the year ahead, regardless of circumstances and human-caused hardships like migration, politics, and environmental concerns.

Friday, December 29, 2018
It's a day of odds and ends. I finish a painting and hang it in a guest room. We prepare the house for our 3rd annual New Year's Open House (on Sunday). We have no idea how many people are coming, which seems to be normal for our house.

I've painted 2018 onto the ornaments that our neighbors will take home, and the helper hung them on the sparkly white tree we snagged in post-Christmas sales last year. Earlier this week, we went to the 100 Day Memorial for a Catholic neighbor: they had last year's ornament on their tree. "I hung mine up, too," another neighbor says.

Saturday

Love these video calls - the 2-yr-old goofs off

We start with a walk-the-dog loop around our neighborhood.

I've been resting. Years ago, my dear mother-in-law told W (who is a restless bundle of energy) that I know how to rest: maybe she saw me "check out" after a big event. I can "do nothing" for a few days without a single ounce of guilt. I might cook a few meals, walk around, read a few books, paint or play piano, and tidy when I feel like it. Or not. Puttering, the Brits call it.

The ancient Roomba vacuum roams the office and the teras; I'm not in the mood to clean, though I'm finishing a batch of meringues. We have a lot of egg whites left over from pumpkin pies (a total of 8 pies, 4 egg yolks each, @ Thanksgiving). We used up about half of them, from Thursday to today.

Holiday baking (IKEA's amusing gingerbread cutters)

It takes so long for meringues to dry (we don't have precise oven control) so I burn a batch - oh the stink. And as soon as they're dry - on oven, off oven, on again, off again... - we have to whisk them off the warm cookie sheets into a bag, suck the air out with a straw (inhale, extract straw, ziplock, closed!) and pop them into the fridge.

It's not worth it, I tell myself on the third day of baking. They're delicious, but doesn't it make more sense to make one or two Angel food cakes? We'll do that with the second batch of egg whites. Another time.

While W is rushing here and there, running errands in town (hopping out to walk when the angkot vans are stuck in traffic), I stay home. He's asked, "Do you want to come along?"

Are you kidding me? I still have a whole day of puttering (and baking) left. Or so I think.

I don't like to spend Saturday working. But today I get sucked into three editing jobs by opening email. I need to send all of them on their way before the New Year. One is a fundraising newsletter for an innovative, worthy BAM project in Bhutan (please let me know if you could help launch this center); another is the chapter of someone's dissertation; and the last one is the final edit of an advisee's dissertation. I really want all of these to succeed.

A 100-day memorial mass
in our first house, earlier this week

W and I say yes to such projects because we deeply believe that this area of the world needs to be heard: and most of the world can only listen and learn from what is written down. I spend 2 more hours (after the +50 already spent editing and advising the dissertation) fixing grammar, taking out spaces, reformating footnotes and the bibliography, and making it print-ready. (Someone did the same for me - thanks, Dr. Annette Newberry! I'll never forget your kindness or your expertise.)

There's thunder but no rain. The dog hides outside. The lizards are running up the inside walls - drives me crazy if they dart toward me. Something about the way they run shocks me every time. I was up for a call at 11pm the other night, when one ran across the floor. EEEEEK. Some people think they're cute. I think they're hideous. And scary. I know they eat bugs. But they also poop all over and scoot in my direction. (Please do your job and enjoy the place while I'm in the other room. Thank you.)

I take a break after editing by browsing Facebook posts. Friends are writing about massive snowfall across Canada and the USA.

Happy me! Some people love to watch snow piling up from inside their house. They're holding a cup of cocoa and toasting their feet by the fireplace. Me? I like snow only on pictures from places far far away. haha

Can you see the warm rain?

In the evening, W's stomach starts to heave. He's up most of the night, ridding himself of a day's lunch and snacks. Poor guy.

Our granddaughter plays us a song

Sunday
I enjoy playing keyboard for church this morning. The regular musician in ill; she calls and ask if I can take her place. I've only played in public once in 3 1/2 years in Bandung.

Today is the second time. It feels like breathing, natural and sweet. (I started playing in church when I was 9.) We have a great bass player, who holds the band together. I lock into his rhythm and let the music flow.

We have to cancel our New Years Eve event. W is still too sick for company.

Our neighbor contacts her WhatsApp group with the cancellation notice. I put signs on the gate: the helper who delivered the invitations is in another city with her family. I don't know who has been invited, so a sign on the gate will have to do. It feels so rude, but there's no other way to notify our neighbors.

Happy New Years - to all of you tomorrow. We'll be going to bed early and resting into the New Year.

Read more:

*As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. Psalm 103:15-17

*From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1:16

*Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16

*Paul wrote: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. Galatians 4:4–5

*So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Immortal God, give to us your mortal children the grace to receive new and everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word. Grant that this light, burning in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives. We pray through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Photo review: 2017

"The Flow" pretty much describes 2017

The end of the year is coming quickly. What was the most fun - or the most affirming for you in 2017?

On my desk are a few checklists: "Evaluate Goals," "Gratitude Reminders," etc. But the best boost for my year-end evaluation seems to happen when I steal quiet minutes in bed before the day begins. Memories and thanksgivings come easily.

This year has been full of opportunities. It's been challenging in as many ways. We got our one-year visa, a relief and a blessing. We've had hundreds of people over, written and edited, traveled to teach (not always together = time apart, plus hours of class prep and grading), and had several non-profit teams make our house their base while in Bandung.

Here are a few pictures for a peek at what we do. (FYI: I send a "New Normal" every week or so with a photo and short explanation of things we didn't encounter in N America. If you're interested, put your email in the comments. As soon as I snag it, I'll delete the comment. Or send it to me via my email.)

Weekly walks in the hills above the city when we're home

Celebrations with others

Friends on the journey (with a youth leader in Malaysia)

Weird traffic (see the horse and buggy among the cars?)

Monthly movie nights: menu on the fridge

... and then sampling the menu

Studies on the porch

Making connections: this time for preschool teacher training

Networking opportunities and challenges

Neighborhood women at the monthly arisan

Teaching (Jakarta)

Speaking (Bandung)

People coming and going

Online conferences

Strange-to-us transport

Airports and airplanes

And lots of local food - we are adventurous eaters

We love Indonesia. We've gotten to know students and non-profits around SE Asia. It's great to see people selflessly giving of themselves to improve life for others.

Read more:
*Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:1-4 NIV

*Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1 NASB

*A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench. Isaiah 42:3

*This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. Luke 2:12

*Paul wrote: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. Galatians 4:4-5

Moravian Prayer God who came, who comes, and who is to come, find your resting place in the manger of our hearts. Abide with us and let us find our abiding place in you. In the name of the holy child of Bethlehem. 

God of completed things, we pray that, in the fullness of time, you will claim us and name us as your own children. In the name of the One who is Son of man and Son of God. Amen.

Merry Christmas (and Xm Eve) 2017

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Christmas Eve 2017
I planned to do another advent painting this year. But the days got away, so I left the half-started calendar in Bhutan and brought the paints home. I put some lights behind a metal nativity on the picture rail and call it good. Ready or not, Christmas is here.

Tonight, the fans are whirring overhead. It's 90o and we're in a Christmas Eve service. We light the candles, one from another, row by row. Those standing under the fan shade their flame - sometimes ia draft blows out the candle, which is then relit by a friend nearby.

We've started the day with a trip to the south of the city and a morning Christmas service. It's been lovely to hear the scriptures read over us and to sing the carols. It's a small group, maybe 50, but feels warm and everyone's happy to be together.

We catch a ride back to town with friends, sharing a meal of noodles and meat at a local shopping center. W and I walk around and find palm sugar and white sesame seeds at a health food store and a few things for our Christmas Open House tomorrow. (We have no idea how many people to expect, so might as well cook a lot. Hopefully, everyone will bring some food to share.)

After 4, we're on our way to DrH and Alice's. The house is beautifully decorated with years of Christmas collections.

I'm feeling Christmas-y because of the attention to detail and the beautiful surroundings. The fountain in the courtyard splashes into the fishpond and masks the neighborhood sounds. It's so relaxing.

Alice loves to cook and they've prepared a feast of their family's traditional macaroni beet salad, as well as almond rice, crispy pork, and sauce. We start with a swirl of cream in cilantro tomato soup - and garlic bread. Truly delicious - never mind the homebaked cheese appetizers and Christmas cake. We're stuffed when we leave.

There's another surprise: two beautiful art pieces. What a lovely start to the evening.

We stop by our house to pick up a plate of cookies for a dessert buffet after church. The international church has a candlelight service - which is where the fans are blowing out our little fires. It's so different and memorable. I miss my family, though DrH has covered the ache with her friendship and love.

W and I come home to open the Christmas cards and presents we've saved until tonight. It's quiet and sweet to be together. We call our parents and talk to the grandchildren.

Christmas Day 2017
We're up before 5am. In the southern hemisphere, we're at the longest days of the year. We wake with the light. I lie in bed, planning the menu and the day ahead.

The weather is wonderful: 85F/29C with a light breeze. We don't know how many people are coming over today so as I start cooking, I hope for the best. Will we have 10 guests? 30? In 4 hours, I've made pasta, curried sausage, French toast, and a few more dishes. There are a few minutes to relax and pray for those who will gather.

We talk to some of our family in the morning, but they're 15 hours behind us. They're still working their way through Christmas Eve. How we miss them!

Our friends start arriving about 11 - and soon the house and porch are filling up. About 40 people bring food, White Elephant gifts, and their laughter. We read the Story, sing some carols, and then open our gifts.

We have so much fun opening them and stealing each other's stuff. The neighbors must think we're nuts; we're so loud.

Some of the young people have never been at a Christmas party so they cruise the house and take pictures of our decor. Because it's Indonesia, we take lots of selfies (or rather, W and I are in many others' selfies).

We eat until we're stuffed. There's Indonesian food and Western food ... on real plates instead of paper ones because the day is special. There are lots of desserts including cookies and brownies, which are a favorite here. Josue prays a Christmas blessing over us. Claudia takes lots of pics (thanks!)

And then we relax and unwind. The last guests leave about 5pm. The dog comes off his leash and runs like a crazy thing around the yard, happy to be free.

The helpers toss the garbage, gather the leftovers to take home, and wish us Selamat Hari Natal before going out the gate. They'll have a feast of their own to share with their families tonight.

Read more:
*The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. Luke 1:49

*Thus says the Lord, “I myself have spoken to you persistently, and you have not obeyed me.”  Jeremiah 35:14

*Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. Hebrews 1:1-2

Moravian Prayer: O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven. Amen.