A wedding, friends, and a trip to Bali

 Friday, July 8, 2022

We walk. The dogs prance, happy to be out of the yard. They're spoiled; who else gets half-acre fenced yard/s to romp in? The house is never empty. There are always people staying over, but dogs clear the yard of unwanted guests, human and animal. They guard our property and the neighbor's.

We're working ahead this week since we have some personal time off coming. We usually tack a day or two onto conferences or work-related travel. This time we've planned no meetings. It's actually a holiday.

Then our org schedules an obligatory online meeting. Oh well, we love the people we work with. We can pretend it's brunch with friends.

The morning is devoted to calls. For lunch, we try a new place down the hill. Every utensil is carefully included, from serving spoons to chopsticks and forks to soup spoons.

The vegetable hotplate is good.

So are the noodles and crisp kale.

Back home, we're drying out a damp woody bowl found on our walk yesterday. It's carved from the stalk of a massive jungle fern that grows only near these volcanos. I'm fascinated by patterns so finding things like this makes me smile.

Drying upside-down, it has 10 faces around its rim. On each, the nose, mouth, and eyes are unique, just like with humans.

Give the cylinder a little twist, and it shows off a whole new personality!

Looking around my office, I spot another piece in progress. Last year, I placed a few things into a deep IKEA frame.

The scenic backdrop was torn from a magazine. It makes no sense unless it's viewed through a window. (Marker lines added). Now to decide on artwork for the walls.

Shadow boxes offer a surprise discovery on a bookshelf or on a wall. This kind of work takes a while to settle in. When it's done, it will invite a closer look.

In university, I glued full-page pictures of rooms inside the covers of notebooks for classes that were unfocused or boring. When I needed a mental break, I'd flip to the room for a quick "walk-through."

Then I'd "come back" to class, ready for more note-taking. This may be today's version.

Saturday

I attend a Sundanese wedding with my able cultural interpreter Alice. The bride is still with the makeup artist but we meet the groom.

Ibu is one of the nursery helpers at BIC. We treasure her care for the babies.

The brother in law has cooked a delicious meal. We try some but have already had breakfast. So sorry not to feast!

The kids take care of the guest book in the lane between houses. Aren't they cute!

It's a bit of a rush because company is coming to the porch at 10:00. Wishi's mom and I pose for selfies.

They leave sweet and salty treats on this feast weekend and we send back baking and kitchen towels: they'll have a lot of cleanup after the family eats.

I hear a crash. The newly affixed mirror has pulled away from the bathroom mirror. We'll use the bigger pieces elsewhere but the shards are swept up and the scattered items put back into place.

Sunday

We love BIC mornings! Though many are away on break, there are always travelers and visitors, which makes it an interesting and exciting community.

PakG whisks us to the airport afterward. We're bad at holidays and usually just tack a day or more around assignments or conferences. This time, we have no agenda; it's a real vacation less than a 2-hour flight away.

W figures out the free island bus system. We catch a bus from the airport to the bus terminal near our homestay to save $10. The GoCar ($1.80) takes us to the apartment a friend has graciously offered us this week. It's a short walk to the pool.

We walk 13,000 steps for some groceries, to explore the beach, and enjoy the warm sea air. We are tired enough to sleep well.

Monday

W's up at 8 and I a few hours earlier. Bali-time is one hour ahead of West Java. We eat a leisurely breakfast of yoghurt and casava cake in our flat. The cake was a gift from DrW, a kind neighbor who is high on our "food-exchange" list. We didn't have time to eat it before coming to Bali, so I put it in the bag. YUM.

We leave the flat after 9, walk 2 km to the bus terminal to catch a bus to Ubud, the artsy heart of Bali. W asks the driver specifically if the bus goes to the transfer terminal. "Oh yes. This is the right bus."

We hop on, based on the driver's assurances. He loops back southwest to the airport, all around the central and east coast. Two hours later, he drops us off at the terminal that is 20 minutes away on the correct bus.

On the map, we're headed to the terminal mid-island, to transfer to the second bus up to Ubud. Well, this driver takes us from the middle on the left (location marker) to the lower right corner (the blue dot) and back up.

 I try not to get impatient but the last 15 minutes, I'm hungry and tired, ready to cancel the whole thing. W says he will not head for Ubud on another day so I stick it out. At the central terminal, we hop on the second bus. We're the only passengers for most of the way.

What?! we're driving along the other side of the street where we sat for an hour in traffic jams. The first driver could have let us off at any time to catch the Ubud bus.

It takes 3 hours to get to Ubud instead of paying $15-20 for a 1-hr taxi trip. I'm not sure an entire morning of our vacation is worth "free," but W is happy with his deal. He likes exploring and doesn't mind surprises if he's planned the excursion.

Ubud is a hot-spot for painters as well as sculptors and craftsmen.

We arrive in Ubud for lunch after 1:00. The tea is a marvelous pick-me-up.

 So are the sandwiches. We split a Reuben and a Cuban.

We cruise the traditional market for sarongs and kid-friendly wonders = for our grands, of course. These little critters are filled with sand.

We take a bus halfway back home. There is a Hindu celebration going on outside the bus window.

The challenge when driving a bus includes squeezing between trees and lines of traffic without scraping bark or metal. (Yes, our driver gets pas that leaning tree ahead.)

We pass baby Buddha stature.

Bali is more Hindu than Buddhist and there are many Indian-style statues.

There are temples and altars on every corner.

Craft shops line main streets.

Kite competitions are popular on the beaches so the kite shops have many big and bright kites.

We hop off the bus to check out another art market. We have to wander the neighborhood for a bit but find the market in the end. W negotiates a big $11 acrylic painting that's very Balinese and touristy: simple and colorful. I like the colors and shapes though the sellers try to talk us into something better.

It's captured my attention because it's odd: the green neck and head of one bird blends into the forest, so it looks like a headless body. Can you spot the beak? (Follow the tail, up from the fingers below.) A few defining dabs of yellow-green acrylic on the green-on-green neck OR some black-green on the leaves behind the bird? Either is an easy fix.

It starts to rain and W has mentioned the weight of carrying our purchases. He agrees to catch a Grab back to the apartment and unload. My feet are tired.

It's after 5:00. We catch our breaths before walking to a Greek restaurant for supper. The place is full and every table is reserved. The servers check the schedule and chase someone from his table. (He's finished eating so they cheer him away: "People are waiting, sir.")

We promise we'll be quick. It's flavorful and fresh, and we vacate the table in 20 minutes.

We move aside to let a car through the street. There's no 2-way traffic on this one!

It's a fine walk back along the beach. Sometime something will catch us by surprise, reminding us that we live in a foreign land. For example, a sign warning about swimming between ocean flags is perfectly centered behind a tree; you can't see or read it unless you circle the tree. In the water, everyone ignores the warnings about the riptides.

The air is cooler at this time of year (80s F; mid-20sC) because of Australian winter. We've done over 13.000 steps by the time I put my tracker watch on the charger. The music across the street is loud and I have a good book. I fall asleep before midnight.

Tuesday

We walk along the shoreline to the grocer for more yoghurt. I buy a little jar of peanut butter and a bag of granola to mix up for "breakfast cookies" (1/3 pbutter, 2/3 seeds, nuts, oats - mix, make balls, and refrigerate). That will tide us over for morning meals. It's just too much to eat out 3X a day!

W's forgotten to give the maid notice come so we leave before lunch. We pop into a few wholesale stores selling macrame, jewelry, and household goods. Our destination is a Vietnamese restaurant where service is quick and the food is fresh.

On the way home, we pick out some gifts from the wholesaler. He's a Christian brother who comes from Jawa but works in Bali. It's surprising how many believers we meet.

This car is a customized toy, one of many playthings in Bali. The Australians are back, filling restaurants and shops.

We buy a few animal hooks for our grandkids from a metalwork wholesaler. They're bright and funny.

This chunk of pavement has lost its fight with a tree root.

A haircut is Rp25.000 (about $1.75 USD).

Look at the huge stone carvings beside this hotel. Perhaps 1/3 to 1/2 of shops and accommodations are closed, including this one. (W stands at the base for scale.)

We've walked 15.000 steps by the time we're back from lunch. W sits for an hour and then heads out for cables, plugs, and other improvements. A restless soul, while I'm happy to stay in.

Read more:

*But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:14-16

*The Lord searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. 1 Chronicles 28:9

*By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 1 John 4:13

Moravian Prayer: Gracious God, our inner thoughts are known by you. May your Holy Spirit consume every selfish desire. Direct our every thought, which so often turns into action, so you will be glorified in and through us. Amen.

Visiting craters that look like the surface of the moon

 Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Today's the official start of summer in the American Pacific Northwest, according to meteorologists. A scientist on NPR explained that the warming of Alaskan waters sends cool damp air down the Pacific Coast from late May through early July. It burns off around this time and Seattle's 2 glorious months of summer kick off.

To celebrate not having to wait for summer, I eat yoghurt and a fresh local mango for breakfast. I spent much of yesterday reflecting on the privilege of living in Indonesia - and thanking God I don't have to think about an impending autumn.

Why even think about fall? I picked up the October 2021 issue of Victoria magazine. Once in a while, just for fun, I send a letter to the editor or a short article for publication. When they get published, I receive a free copy of the magazine. (They used to send me $100.) It's fun to browse the pages of feminine decor and ideas. Especially from the safe distance of eternal summer.

On my calendar, I've marked travels, talks, and ... yes, Advent 2022. Between, it's time to lay out events, speakers, and plans for upcoming projects.

My heart says, "Enjoy July," while my head is asking, "What about Christmas Eve?" I'm content to do both.

Along the driveway, alliums provide pops of red on long green stems. Outside the office window, the jackfruit tree has clumps of fruit.

We're 3 weeks away from restarting the monthly dinner-and-a-movie nights. Can't wait.

Because I slept only a few hours last night, I woke up with a headache that lasts all morning. I hear the swish-swish of the broom on the driveway, synched to the chirping of birds.

So many birds come through the yard: they sit on the decommissioned electric wires that swoop across the backyard

They pick up seeds scattered by the parrotlets on the porch and grub for worms in the gardens. Before we had cat-chasing dogs, there were seldom birds around. It's a different story now.

The vines we poked into the balcony planter form a lacy curtain along the porch, shading our bedroom from the hot sun.

Thursday

Wow - a good night's sleep makes me feel like a new person. We head into the mountains. The dogs are ready and waiting to leave! by the time we get into the car.

On every main road, goats are tied up for ritual sacrifices on Sunday. It's the annual Muslim feast of Abraham's obedience in offering up his son to God, assumed to be Ishmael locally. (The son's name is not mentioned in the Koran. The biblical account in Genesis 22 names Abraham and Isaac. Read the story here.)

The plan is to hike down to one huge crater and then drive up to the main volcano. The trail is wet and slick but not bad. We have 8 new walkers for the easy stroll of 2 miles and 4500 steps.

It's shady and cool in the forest.

Tree roots grip the volcanic grit and rocks beside us.

The 5' (85cm) coconut fiber statue along the path has been updated with bottle-cap eyes.

At the crater, we soak our feet in the hot springs. See the plumes of smoke from the active fumaroles a dozen meters away? Some of the water is boiling; we avoid those bubbles. Every pool has different temperatures.

Some opportunistic Indonesians massage volcanic grit onto our feet and hands for $4.50. Others offer to sell us water-bottles full of sand for $7 each. No thanks. A busload of Hungarian tourists come down the hill just as we are leaving. Maybe they'll buy more than we do.

We hike back up to the parking lot and drive to the main volcano.

W and Kiki negotiate $2.75 for this 6" (13cm) vase. The peeled bark is damp (banana? palm?) but will dry out over the next weeks. I hope it retains its beautiful markings.

The upper craters are spectacular wastelands of rock.

Such views are a good backdrop for conversations and new friendships.

The younger walkers climb across the ridge to descend into the next crater. We've been there and decide to go for lunch instead.

It's souvenir central in the upper parking lot. One vendor sells "easy bonsai" assembled without years of training. Little plants are tucked into hollowed tree roots. They look nice.

On the way home, fruit stands are bursting with recent harvests.

We pass a house where old jeeps go to die ...

We shower and relax - and howdy with the 7 African students (most studying sciences) who drop by after the walk. IbuA and IbuS, about to leave for the day, wrap a package of freshly-wrapped cookies for each before everyone is on their way.

Today I only get a few spam calls: I usually get 4-10 a day, a con to repay "a neighbor's" financial debt. They hacked the community list and keep calling us to honor our neighbor's difficulties. Only works in a communal culture, I think. So far I've blocked a least 40 different numbers.

The frangipani is starting another round of fragrant blossoms.

And the champagne rose glows in the garden as the sun sets.

As dayside fades, I light the candles on the wire lamp (an IKEA blowout find - thanks Clau!) Yesterday, W hung 3 hooks around the porch for it. He also removed the electronics and short-circuited the stub of wiring so the "emergency" lightbulb shines with the press of a button. It lights up the outdoor supper table as night falls.

Read more:

*O Lord, it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:12

*Jesus took the children up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:16

Moravian Prayer: Gracious Father, give us endurance. Give us the strength to mount up with wings like eagles. Watch over our loved ones and allow us to grow in our daily walk with you. May your abundant love drown our doubt, so we become full with
your ways. Amen.

8 years in, looking back at our start in Indonesia

July 1, 2014 seems a long time ago. We've lived in Indonesia for 8 years.

That's when our airplane departed Seattle, we waved goodbye to family and friends, and left life as we knew it.

No one could predict if Indonesia would win our hearts. No one could promise that we 50-somethings could adjust to a foreign culture. Or that we'd like it enough to stay a while. We didn't know that beauty like this hedge below was around every corner.

We were asked to solicit minimal funding, think short-term, and aim for a 2-year stay. "If you want to stay, let's see," they said.

So we took their advice and left everything familiar to see what God would do with us.

We landed in Jakarta in the morning hours of July 3.,The next weeks, we walked great parts of the city, absorbing the sounds and smells. We shed about 20 lbs in the heat and humidity (sadly regained due to Bandung's good food and weather). We were grateful for friends nearby and the apartment arranged by our mentor Dave and his wife Gigi. They took good care of us and day after day, we began to fall in love with Indonesia.

In mid-August of 2014, we moved to Bandung. From there, we flew to other Asian cities to teach in universities and seminaries. We attended a not-very-good language school for 4 months. I retained nothing. W got a shaky foundation but started to build his vocabulary.

"Just speak!" urged our Indonesian friends. "Start with what you know. You'll learn as you go."

Well, that was easy to say. I knew NOTHING except "good morning." It took me months to remember the words for "good noon-time," "good afternoon," and "good evening."

"Just speak" was equivalent to putting a novice in the kitchen to cook a stew - with a few pieces of gravel, no instructions, and no water in the pot. Looking back, language was my greatest barrier and the greatest culture shock. Apparently I can't make something from absolutely nothing.

I quickly got accustomed to the day-and-night chanting, the constant buzz of traffic outside and people inside the house, and the lack of maintenance of streets and systems. We immediately liked the people and the food.

But not speaking Indonesian? Not understanding my neighbors? It was a traumatic part of everyday life and almost broke my heart.

I'm in language school again, slowly acquiring basic fluency. Our work is in English with English-speakers. So we've gotten by. W walks the city every weekend. Since he's gifted with a great memory and language-acquisition, he knows a lot of words and phrases.

Prayers appreciated for me! I'm slower than the 2.5 foot (85cm) tortoises at Nara Park.

We've had lots of adventures. The Thursday mountain hikes and morning prayer-walks keep us fit. The people of BIC make us feel at home. Our neighbors are amazing and kind. Our garden keeps growing. (See how we're trying to protect the avocados from the ravaging squirrels?)

Sure, there have been many adjustments. We miss our family and friends. But this is home. We love it here. We're eight years in, without an exit plan though good transitions are in the works.

After all, look at this just outside the door in our year-round tropical garden. As long as no snakes nest in the vines, we're happy to let it take care of itself. All we have to do is thin the plants and refill the pots with water when there's not enough rainfall.

On every hand, Indonesia has been worth a closer look. And a second. And another ... don't you agree?

Saturday, July 1, 2022

Breakfast is typically Indonesian: nasi goreng (fried rice) and fresh coconut water.

Casey has claimed the wool entry rug for her own. She goes home this morning. She's so happy to see her master that she wriggles and rolls over. It's fun to watch her delight.

W's gone most of the day while I sort, edit two newsletters, and review Indonesian verbs. I'm ready for a nap by mid-afternoon.

Sunday

Last week's flowers are still fresh so we take them to the BIC hall today. Someone takes the bullrushes and we bring the rest home.

This "easiest-ever-bouquet" looks fine when we set it down at home. (For scale, that's a 15" garden pot.)

After the BIC Gathering, we join a lunch at Warung Ethnic. The food, as always, is delicious. We come home to a porch-full of young people. They eat, play games, and hang out most of the afternoon. They even pose in front of the neighbor's glorious hedge.

We enjoy the company of one of the dads. (Parents may not attend Hangouts with their kids.) The more people we meet, the more we are in awe of the work of God among us.

Monday

I have two short meetings after our walk instead of the usual three longer ones. Whee! Feels like vacation. 

Except for language review. Reading. Writing. To shake off excess energy, I grab a white gel pen and add details in a painting in process. From this rough start:

it starts to take shape. I snap pictures as I go because it's easier to evaluate progress from a photo. I can immediately see where it needs color washes.

W and I chill in late afternoon with an episode of a Korean drama. We unwind watching the fictional troubles of others.

Tuesday

Team meeting is cancelled with members tied up during school break. W and I decide to eat our date breakfast a day early. 

The shadows are long since it's the middle of winter. It's 73o (23oC) before 8am on a beautiful morning. It turns out to be a cool day, mid-70s (75oC) with some overcast later.

The guys who give horse-rides are waiting for customers outside the #PadmaHotel. They clean the ponies' hooves as we walk by.

It's our yardman's day to beat back the wild things. 4 of us unravel a blue-strung volleyball net purchased last week ($8) and cut two 2-meter sections off one end.

One section is draped over the bathtub ponds to keep the civit cats out. Civits are great swimmers and quickly caught all the goldfish from the ponds last round. (Fish eat the mosquito larvae.) The second length of netting is a spare. Wrapped around a plastic bag, it gets shoved into the shed for later.

The rest of the net will go home with PakG. "We'll put it up in our neighborhood behind the footballr football (US soccer) goals used by the boys," he says. 2 wins in one!

The helpers and I clear the big fridge we borrowed from Jorge weeks ago. What a gift that was! Frozen food goes into the repaired fridge-freezer in the kitchen. I've left the kitchen fridge shelves bare to see what we eat day-to-day. Whatever wasn't touched didn't make it into the "renewed" fridge. It will be nice not to run into the back bedroom for food.

Today we sort out all the food, unearthing both treasures and garbage.

Done! The fridge is wiped down for return tomorrow. THANKS, Jorge!

Meanwhile, W's got a fix for the missing center of the mirror above my bathroom sink. What a handyman!

The hole in silvering - exactly at face height - has offered 7 1/2 years of mild annoyance. When we renewed our lease earlier this year, I mentioned it to W. This week, I scribble light brown eyeliner in  approximately the same location above his sink to demonstrate what a pain it is. (Don't you love the old peach fixture color of the 70s?)

As usual, W knows what to do: he buys a frameless mirror and hangs it on top of the ruined center with double-stick tape. Maybe my eyebrows will be painted on straight now. Haha - no promises. So far, guesswork has gotten me through.

What to do about the dim lighting though? W finds a dimmable string of 10 LED lights with plastic covers. With a press on a button, the LEDs change from cool- to warm-white to mixed. Double-sided tape holds it to the mirror and it runs on a charger. For $5, it's a bargain. No more excuses, Rosemarie.

The neighbor's trimmed the false-paradise grass along the road and thrown it onto a compost pile. I rescue one flower, chop off the leaves, and tuck it into a tall vase. I snap off a trumpet vine from the roof next door. Will the flower open in an arrangement? It does and lasts a few days.

Yay - another free source for BIC flowers! All we need to do is pull a few vines a few days in advance, tuck them into greens, and ... ? Let's see what it looks like.

Read more:

*All these things my hand has made, and so all these things are mine, says the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look, to the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2

*Jesus prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17

Moravian Prayer: Most gracious Lord and God, we pray that you look upon your people and help us in identifying with your truth. Allow us to unite and marvel at your creation, praising you in one accord for all that you have done for us. In your name, we pray. Amen.