Art-less ... before bursting out all over

Beginning the week I sigh, "I've made no art in a long time." I've had no capacity for creativity for weeks.

By Friday, the house is bursting with color. Sometimes, you just have to remember what's missing in your life. And suddenly, there it is.

Sunday, May 8, 2022 - Mothers Day (in the West)

Kristi helps BIC kids honor their mothers; they choose a cross from her basket and present it to their moms as a small token of gratitude. International faith communities are fun and flexible. We're designed to serve English speakers and learners - foreign and local.

After the BIC gathering, it's time for Community Table - an hour of snacks and conversation.

Then Clau, Kat, Nicole, and helpers host a garage sale - they're great sellers and bargainers. 

Putting it on would be a nightmare for me. Clau and her daughter Kat thrive. At points, it's a crush. Everyone seems to find something - and the money goes to fund several projects. There's enough left over for a second sale, maybe in a few weeks.

When we get home, W asks what I want to eat. I'm hungry for lettuce wraps so I make them myself. We have lettuce, an apple, and mushrooms inside the barely-cool fridge. I sliver the apples, wash the lettuce, and fry the mushrooms in butter while W orders smoked brisket from #Roastman down the hill. Combined with a dab of hoisin sauce and a glass of mango juice, it hits the spot for both of us.

No fridge repair all week from the LT dealer. It's been 4 weeks since the fridge quit = a long time for W to swap frozen jerry cans from freezer to fridge: the big stainless box in the kitchen is more a "cooler" than a refrigerator.

A university press sends an article: would I be their first editor? The paper is well written so that's no problem, I have it back to the publisher within a few hours. Leaving such a random task on my laptop is a certain recipe for amnesia.

Company in the afternoon is a pleasure: a Dutch dad and son pop in for a chat. The student is from the Netherlands. He's considering learning language and a doing textile internship at a factory in Bandung. When Clau and Josh stop by after the garage sale, we introduce them, too. (Josh coaches young entrepreneurs so the meeting may offer mutual benefit in the future.)

"Need a social network?" we ask. We introduce him to a young expat who is a connector.

I tackle words and more words from language school in the evening and tidy up after a week without helpers. The Roomba buzzes around. It tosses lint and dirt in the dustbin from the living room. But we leave today's dishes for tomorrow. It's Mothers Day, after all.

Monday

We have an extra day off language school as people return from post-Ramadan visits to family. I'm in online meetings from 7-11:30.

14 hours ahead of the West Coast (Canada), I wish Mom a Happy Mothers Day between 4 other calls. It's nice to hear how she was honored by others during her day. Our kids send notes and videos.

Yay, a break for lunch. I plan a rest, review, and relaxation for the afternoon. I review the words from 2 weeks ago. We spoke too quickly the vocabulary is tangled up in my mind. For example, mengirim and menyiram. Totally different meanings (= send something vs watering the garden).

This week our driver is helping his sister get married 4 hours away (except it takes him 10-12 hours in post-Ramadan traffic ... on a motorcycle. A car would have taken much longer.) He sends pictures. She's lovely in traditional clothing and makeup.

Tuesday

Walk. Record videos for next week with W. Team meeting.

I've been lamenting not making time to paint. So I snatch an hour for the two ideas that have been simmering for over a month.

The canvas is primed with water and acrylics. The plan comes together with a shower squeegee and tissue. No brush.

The first painting is "The halls women walk through." I want to capture the options, decisions, and encounters along the way. As usual, I am drawn to bright colors and mixes. I outline the 3 women with a white gel pen and am done.

Using paint left on the squeegee and another blank canvas, I put my impression of the war forts we pass on Thursday walk. We love to explore the old places above the city. The concrete mountain caves, remnants from past wars, evoke strong emotions.

I imagine young men taking refuge. I move the squeegee down and through until I feel the painting settle in. Such a different outcome with the same materials and tools.

In real life, the forts are overgrown with moss and plants. Inside is spare other than the graffiti that defaces the cement. It rained last time we went through, withs a great water puddle in the entry. I took this photo from atop the fort, looking back out the surrounding wall. (Melvi stood there for scale. Thanks!)

My brain is in a fog at the start of language class. In the first break, I eat a piece of chocolate for caffeine. It helps a bit.

During the second break, I have a "sleep" chocolate with melatonin. Adversely, melatonin wakes me up, focuses my attention, and banishes the clutter in my head.

Much better. Melatonin a great help when we are going to be in a crowd, too.  Of course, I tried it a few times for sleep when I bought it. What a bad idea. It works best as a charger when there's too much going on.

I'm advisor for a dissertation. The doctoral student is in town, working on it. He prints and delivers a rough draft; he'll drop by for my observations tomorrow.

Wednesday

After a walk, W works on editing videos while I do a rough edit on the dissertation chapter. It's always messy at the start of a research project. How I miss teaching my Research Methods classes; these kinds of edits are what I do each night after students hand in their assignments. The progress in writing skills can be remarkable with a week of feedback.

W and I walk to Miss Bee for a late (9:15) breakfast with friends and their family. Propped on the column is an East German motorbike from who-knows-when!

School is online so there's no commute to town, which I appreciate. We struggle through our recent vocabulary and acquire a new set to memorize.

Ibu S pops the fragrant branches pruned off the garage roof yesterday into a vase. The purple and white blooms scent the living room.

John comes by after my class ends. He leaves with instructions on how to move forward. He has a good thesis, which I look forward to applying. That's the fun of being an advisor: you come alongside someone else's ideas and learn from their research.

Thursday

We walk through the tea field and adjoining forests. The roads and paths are overgrown - the dogs run ahead to scatter wild things lurking in the tall grasses.

The concrete bridge that fell into the creek after a rainstorm has been replaced by a bamboo bridge that flexes as we cross.

The old tea plants have been chopped back.

Great swaths of impatiens grow between rows of pruned shrubs, crating a pink glow across the hillside.

The cloud cover holds without a rainstorm.We walk in overcast and cool/er (high 70s) temps. It's perfect walking weather.

In the shade, this flower doesn't look impressive until you get closer: it is veiled by lacy strings with little pearls on each thread.

In parts, the trees have fallen or grown across the trail as we walk in a tunnel of green.

Our destination for this short (5 km) walk is a gushing waterfall. The steps down are steep and littered with 6" blossoms, fallen from the trees above us.

Just before we leave the fields, I dig up some moss (tossed into the sink overnight) for Sunday's flower arrangement. I don't know if our florist is back yet. I have a branch structure, bromeliads from the yard, and dried braids of leaves from an arrangement years ago. Won't need more than that.

For lunch, we come back into the neighborhood for a view across the valley between us and the next mountain. 40 years ago, this was rice paddies. Now it's house on house.

I order ribs for $4. The meal includes rice, pickled veggies, hot sauce, and a delicious broth. I'd order it again.

The leaf tea is served in glass pots and little cups on a tray.

We stop at the "foreign" grocer before coming home. Besides basics, I'm looking for a sauce for udon noodles. "Mr Setiabudi" (Pak A) finds me browsing and leads me to the NE Asia section. We can't find it - it's kosong (out) -  so he has his staff to order it on the spot. They take my phone number: "We'll call you as soon as it comes in." 

Toko Setiabudi's customer service is unparalleled in Bandung. The store is beloved: if they don't carry what you need, they'll try to stock it for the next time you come.

In the evening, a mom and son drop by for tea and banana bread. Susi brings homemade mocchi, which we share with the gals upstairs. Our conversation centers around the goodness and kindness of God as parents train their children and children train their parents.

They donate over a dozen pairs of new shoes - trendy and cute - which we begin to distribute.

Friday

W and I stop by the office to see how things are going. The shelves hold books already read and more wanting to be read. (There are three more shelves beside these, unusual in a city where few people have bookshelves.) We loan out books that can't be purchased here.

Before language school, I make a 3-foot tall (1 meter) bouquet for Sunday. The glow of the red bromeliads doesn't show up in the photo.

But when I walk past the bouquet I made 2 weeks ago, it's still fine. Should we just use that?

Ruth sends 20 blush roses to the gate. I arrange a classical shape in a big Chinese pot. It's tall enough to skim the lamp hanging over the coffee table.. So we have a third alternative for Sunday at BIC.

On a trip through the garden this morning, I picked a hydrangea and a big leaf. The branch was sitting outside, too. The house is bursting with nature.

After language school, our brains are full. W guides Kristi and me down the hill to OBC, a sport center and food court. This funny sign greets us at a chicken-and-rice vendor: someone has a sense of humor.

The Kim's Chick is excellent. At $1.40, that's a big bowl of chicken and rice.

The noodles are delicious, too. There's plenty left over for one or two meals tomorrow.

W orders Dragon Rolls from the sushi place for about the same price. Yum - it tastes fishy-er than fresh Seattle sushi but W likes it.

The thunder rumbles while we speed back up the hill. Thankfully, the rain holds off. In the course of the day, we've walked further than on yesterday's hike.

We study the new vocabulary and thank God it's the weekend.

Read more:

*O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Psalm 30:2

Jesus said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” Mark 5:19

Moravian Prayer: Divine Healer, you listen to our prayers when we are hurting. Sometimes it is hard to listen to your voice amidst our fears and anxieties. Open our ears and our hearts to your response, and accept our grateful praise. Amen.

The 34-hour bath

Adjustments? What kind of adjustments do you make when you move to another culture? 

How about something as simple as taking a bath? All you have to do is run the tap hot and cold to suit yourself, right? And when it cools off, you add hot water from the faucet.

That's how it used to be on any day in Canada or the USA. I sit in the tub with a book when I have to study. 

So, why does it take 34 hours to set up a bath here? (Or, from the time we put the tub outside, 48 hours?)

Tuesday, May 2, 2022

I'm thinking ahead. In fact, I've been considering this for a few weeks. "When we get back from our Thursday walk, I'd appreciate a bath to soothe my muscles."

Plus I have to study the language. We bought a portable Japanese style sitting tub a few years ago and we poured a concrete slab over the mud at the end of the terrace this year.

There's no overlook so it's private in the corner but a bathing suit seems wise. I pull the bathtub from the back of the closet to the slab outside.

Wednesday

A bath starts with filtered tap water. You wouldn't consider bathing in what comes from the city, though we use it to shower. W gets out his RV-type filter and hooks up a second filter to catch leaves and bigger debris.

This is the gear for a bath: a portable tub, connectors plus hoses to reach the faucet, a heater and extension cord, a plastic stool for inside the tub, a yardstick or a floating exercise ball so the sarong (big scarf) draped over the top doesn't fall into the water (it keeps bat poop and critters out of the tub while it's filling), and the anti-mosquito fan that we run inside our bedroom at night.

Our Bandung house has no hot water in sinks or bathrooms. W installed point-of-use low-pressure heaters in the showers when we moved in. But when you need hot water for dishes, you use the drop-in device that we found at ACE in Manilla (Philippines - in another country.)

W hooks up the hoses and filters and I open the yard faucet. In no time, there's a collection of leaves and dirt backing up in the hoses. The same water is used inside the house. (Yup, W filters that as well.)

We run the water 8:00-10:00 and then turn it off when we head for town. The tub is about 1/3 full. Water pressure is normal - sometimes you get a great blast but not today.

Thursday

We continue filling the bathtub before 7:00 a.m. so it's full enough when we leave for our Thursday walk. When we get home before noon, we shower off the effort of steep hills in 85-90o heat.

Then I drop the heater into the bathwater. I stir and W uses his thermometer. Hmmm. Slow going.

By 5:30 pm, the water is warm enough, toasty but not hot. I bathe for almost an hour as night falls. When the mosquitoes are no longer deterred by the portable fan next to the tub, I climb out and clean off. Then I stir bleach into the water. It stinks but should dissipate. Hopefully it keeps the water clear for one more bath tomorrow. That was a lot of work for one immersion. I pull the sarong over the top of the yardstick and go inside.

Friday

Ok. This and the smell of bleach greet me when I lift the sarong. No second bath, I'm guessing. Yuk. I drain it into the lawn.

Along our morning walk, we spot a stand of silver blooms.

The recyclers are working in the garbage dump beside the road. Look at the load on the little pickup. Scary to pass such a truck on the road as it weaves between other vehicles, right?

Fowl that escaped the cooking pot pick at the garbage. Some birds are eye-catching, like this speckled hen.

Back home, I pluck a black flower from the garden.

Last Sunday we celebrated this fine couple's anniversary.

Sayaka taught us how to make Japanese-style udon noodles and which sauce to use. We head to the grocer this morning to pick up noodles for our own feast.

Saturday

Walk. Write. Clean. Banana bread for breakfast.

Then it's time to renew last week's BIC floral arrangement, which started to fade mid-week.

I clip the vines and coleus taking over a flowerbed near the house. The trimmings go into the bouquet. Ready or not, it's a quick update.

The neighborhood is peaceful. Other expats, also in language school, are walking their doggies as we go toward the 1-mile loop.

This 7' (2+ meter) sculpture caught my eye earlier this week at a restaurant.

At home, the fish are more relaxed, swimming in the huge pot in our garden.

We head out once more to retrieve for cushions from a defunct restaurant. Afterward, I pause to relax in the backyard.

Traffic is insane: it takes 3 hours or more to reach the city outskirts, normally a 20-minute trip. Almost everyone travels during mudik (post-Ramadan family visits). Horrible congestion is expected. We mainly stay home or in our neighborhood. When we go out, a break in nature helps us unwind.

Claudia drops by. She's spearheading the garage sale at Green Gate tomorrow.

"Lots of good stuff," she says. We hope there's a good turnout tomorrow.

Read more:

*Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. Psalm 119:73-77

*Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth! Isaiah 42:10

*Do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. Colossians 1:23

Moravian Prayer: Holy Redeemer, thank you for the gift of your son, Jesus Christ. May we worship you with pure and grateful hearts. Lead us to place our faith, love, and hope in you. Amen.

Sleep in heavenly peace

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Wow, it's quiet. We sleep. We wonder if there will be batches of firecrackers and extended chanting all week. But after an exuberant Idul Fitri on Sunday, last night's sounds are mostly natural not human. Yesterday I cleaned up after Sunday's porch gathering - the glass tables are wiped down, the pillows and seating are back in place.

Usually a helper sweeps and mops the porch daily but they're off. The birds are messy, scattering seeds on the porch tiles. That attracts wild birds to the porch. We live with constant chirping from our birds and the others. I like it but it drives people on Zoom calls a bit crazy.

I head for the neighbor's to toss a handful of fish food in the abandoned ponds. The pond fish are multiplying as usual. It's amazing how the world keep renewing itself, even when left alone. Maybe, especially when left alone.

At home, we just have to siphon 2-week-old water out of the fish bowls and replace it with drinking water. That's all the maintenance required, besides feeding the fish every day or two. It's no big deal to take a day off: they keep the algae under control and the plant roots clean.

That's not a lot of work, compared to the lights, filters, and heaters I used to own.

We have a lot of glass bowls with fish in them - though no official aquarium. If you want water plants, you have to add fish or anti-mosquito floats. I grew up with fish tanks so ... fish it is. Most were caught next door, including these swordtails.

Once in a while after a fishing trip, a tadpole makes it in, too.

W and I head to the office to record two weeks of talks for Sundays online. His phone camera keeps clicking off. I suggest using mine. (I remember when it was his latest and greatest gadget. ha)

Nope. He restarts his phone while I drink tea and water the plants on the office balcony. He and Angie will assemble the services in due time. I wrote these talks and W added edits. My work is done until we speak on site.

We often thank God that we work together. How does a pastor do everything? With us, one writes the script and the other edits before we record it. Still ... we have only one talk a week even if we present it twice (on site and online).

Growing up, pastors preached on  Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday night. Every week. Many of them just opened the scriptures and spoke from a rough outline or main idea. Still, visiting people, caring for the sick, and keeping attendees happy? And I remember many adults who were a critical crowd when I was a youngster. Whew. They had their work cut out for them - at a lousy salary, usually.

We bring home the flowers left in the hall Sunday. They're still fresh. I water them in the yard to refresh the floral foam - and then they stand in the sun for 2 hours. Ugh. I bring them in and they're still ... blooming away. I think I learned something new about how to make flowers last. Last week, I tempered them by soaking them for a day before arranging them.

I have no energy for art. Between trying to catch up on all the words (that sound the same) from last week's language classes and interrupted sleep, I think a nap is in order.

Thursday

We walk from our neighborhood instead of heading to the upper mountains. During mudik (the holiday week after Ramadan when people returner to their families), many people don't have drivers or helpers. (Angie's tracker map, below)

We decide to head down the mountain we live on, finding the trail along the river. We squeeze through a narrow 3'-high gap in the fence at one point to discover another trail. Good. Next time I take off my water backpack as I wriggle through. (Kristi's pic - I don't even pull my phone out on this walk.) 

I wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt, hoping it will be cooler than my techie one. Nope - I just about overheat as we climb uphill.

We stop at Angie's for "coffee," which turns out to be coffee and German tea, salami, and camembert cheese. Oh my. It's a dream for W and me. Memories of childhood foods! She sends some home, which we split between the 4 in the house. The dogs are thrilled to get the outer skin of the salami.

W and I take it easy in the afternoon. The portable bathtub, filled over 2 days and heated for 6 hours with a little water heater, is the perfect place to review language school vocabulary. There's no sense in taking a whole day off, is there? (though a steep walk is hardly time off... ha)

Read more:

*I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you. Isaiah 42:8

*Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. Psalm 127:3

Jesus took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37

*In Christ Jesus our Lord, we have access to God in boldness. Ephesians 3:12

Moravian Prayer: Dearest Lord, the sounds of new life in our church and in our families bring us joy and the weight of responsibility. Help us to welcome all of your children into our hearts as you welcome us into your heart. 

Righteous Lord, we truly appreciate the power of prayer. Open our ears to listen to your call to go into the world and share your love. Help us to be bold for you. Amen.

Back to life with a party that starts the week

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Kristi gathers the kids around to talk about prayer.

We dedicate Yara to God - she was born during the pandemic so we're just getting to know her.

It's a busy morning at BIC. We pray over 3 kids who have birthdays.

And we pray for God's blessings on Vincent as he moves out of town for a new job.

As soon as we get home, we turn on the ovens. Our fantastic little ovens (sponsored by women in the Pacific NW) no longer get above 350o. They've been to the maintenance place twice. We may have to splurge for a commercial oven. 

When the heat reaches the max, we start baking French fries. The potatoes cook with reluctance - in low heat, they get hot enough to bake through but they are still soft after 3/4 hr. Oh well, the noon Hangout on the porch happily consumes them along with sate (bbq chicken skewers) and peanut sauce from a vendor down the hill. Someone brings martabak (pancakes with sweet fillings) for dessert.

In late afternoon, some of the group head to Andy's house for supper. Gotta love the social and spiritual connections.

Monday

A kitchen counter tile breaks, so we repurpose the pieces to the nook. One piece is just a few cm too tall for the shelf so it goes on the table instead.

I grumble when we have to buy a package of four 2-foot-square tiles. (They're usually on sale for under $20 for 4, but still.) Yet when something breaks, the extras are handy. So it is this morning. Do we have a similar one somewhere in the house?

W finds one on an IKEA table on the balcony. Everyone prefers the tile's flat surface to the wood-slatted tabletop for studies and devotions. We swap out the tile we need with another found in storage.

I scour the "outdoor" tile with a melamine sponge before dropping it on the counter beside the not-hot-enough-anymore ovens and the still-not-fixed-after-3-weeks fridge. Actually, I am very grateful for good working surfaces and the ability to cook.

The help has taken the week off. "What! They're gone a week?! You are much too kind. Our help has a day off and is back tomorrow," says a neighbor lady.

Noted - though it is nice to have the place to ourselves for a week. We don't pay them when they're not working, of course. Everyone got an extra month's salary already (government mandated) - even though energy is lowest while people are fasting and hardly sleeping. During Ramadan, the women clean up the evening meal before getting to sleep at night - and then are woken by loudspeakers around 3:00 a.m., announcing it's time to get up to prepare breakfast before sunup.

Last night was the loudest of the year, as firecrackers explode and chants last from dark to dawn. It's actually quieter this year - people don't have as much disposable money since the pandemic started. It's the first communal celebration permitted in 3 years. Idul Fitri ends the Ramadan fasting month.

We toss and turn and finally W gets up in the middle of the night to read scripture; he falls asleep in a quieter room. I turn up the volume on the scripture reader and doze off and on until 5:00.

After daybreak, the Muslim neighbors meet at the community center for a lecture and formal prayers to end the month. A return to eating and drinking during the day is a relief, especially for the elderly.

We are invited to the neighborhood breakfast after - beef broth, fish dumplings, fried appetizers with peanut sauce, and pastries. I especially enjoy the broth and dumplings. W most likes the cheese croissants. These beautiful ladies serve the neighbors. We love our neighborhood and feel privileged to live among these neighbors.

Della comes by mid-morning with traditional Lebaran food. All our cookie boxes are in the BIC fridge so we send a pumpkin pie along instead. Most people are gathering with their families and take a treat along. We 4 in the house have lunch together, too.

The rice is wrapped in leaf strips, along with hard-boiled eggs, broth, rendang (spicy beef), and more. Sturdy all-natural containers makes for a pretty presentation.

Read more:

*The Lord shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. Isaiah 2:4

*Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

*You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. Acts 10:38

*The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

Moravian Prayer: O God, in what ways can we do more of what you want than what we want? Lord Christ, in the intimacy of this prayer, show us the prejudice we harbor in our hearts. Lord, what are you asking us to do in response to this revelation? Rather than doing what is right in our own eyes, lead us to be an answer to this prayer, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.