Week's end in the beautiful city

Thursday, May 11, 2023

There are vending machines for men's grooming items, stationary supplies, and - at the hotel - sandwiches and bowls of fruit.

Susan and I eat breakfast prata with curry. It's one of our favorite foods - and we chat while W scopes out some tech nearby.

Later, W and I eat lunch at the Pasir Ris hawker center. He wants to try the ribs I ordered at Wild Olive on our last visit. There's not a vegetarian thing on the menu but the line is long. I walk over to the next long line of people waiting at "Sure Come Back Wanton Mee."(mee=noodles)

"What's good here?" I ask a gentleman standing in line.

"The $5 special," he replies. "I cycle over from the West side of the island (25 miles/40 km) for lunch here because it's so good." Note to self: this is in sunshine and 90+oF (33oC).

I order the $5 special. None of it is vegan but it's amazing food, every bit as good as advertised. Duck egg noodles, home-smoked char siu, a sprinkling of green onions and greens, fried and steamed wontons, and home-pickled jalepenos (I go back for a second helping of those.) The chef balances tastes with different amounts of spices for the steamed and fried wontons. And the old lady rolling wontons in the back knows what she's doing.

We walk home along the canal. Our hotel borders a water park but we're on the other side overlooking the ocean. We don't hear the shrill cries of people having fun.

After a quick trip to the mall next door for cooking utensils, I admire the clouds coming in across the ocean as the sun begins to set.

I cut up a few things and call it supper.

Friday

When we walk out to the MRT station, there's a group of "littles" posing with their teachers. Children are put in care as young as 8 months so their parents can both work. These little people are so cute. They have mastered several selfie moves. The teacher calls out instructions for posing. When she says, "Power move," they put tiny hands under their chins. Hilarious.

At City Hall station, various MRT lines (light rapid transit - trains) meet and cross underground. From our descending escalator, we spot 6 more (see the 4 on the right, going up and down). We crisscross the spotless tile floors, going up and down a few more times as we transfer to the North-South line.

You buy a card that is swiped across readers to enter and exit traffic, whether on buses or trains. Cars load up their electronic readers and are automatically scanned as they enter toll roads, parking lots, and other pay-per-use facilities.

I haven't seen a skin doc for 5 years so it's time, especially with all the outdoor hiking and walking we do in Bandung. I'm concerned about a scale-y patch on my forehead. Susan asks her expat friends to recommend a good doc. 

We'd wait for months to get into a public clinic. Instead, the expats send me to Dr. Joyce Lim on Orchard Road. "You can get in, but it's going to be expensive!" our friends warn.

The doc, at less than half the price of an American doctor's visit, gives me a thorough once-over and proclaims me cancer and pre-cancer free. The forehead? "That's a patch of eczema-like skin - just put cream on it. Not cancer. If you want cream, we can sell you some. Otherwise, just use your own."

And we're done, maybe for another 5 years. I'm not very regular with doc visits - and when we get sick, we rest first and stay off meds as much as we can. That has kept us healthy.

W and I walk around and around inside the huge mall complex, looking for a highly-rated vegetarian/vegan restaurant: Real Food. We finally find it after going outside and back in a side door, up an escalator, and to a corner. 

There are many clients. I ask another diner (expat from Quatar) what is tasty. She recommends the shiitake burger, which W pronounces bland and "I'd never-order-that-again. It rates 1 or 2 stars." His plate is brown - brown bun, brown mushroom, brown potato wedges, brown deep-fried cauliflower. 

I try for a little more color with a beet-millet burger on sourdough. The bread is wet. The burger is crumbly and almost tasteless. Same for the deep-friend cauliflower. The little side salad is ok ("yay for color!") but ... well, it's small. Each entree costs $13 US. Since we've been spoiled by Indonesian prices and the hawker stall deliciousness of Singapore, we're never going back there.

With so much fresh food at the markets, I make many of my own meals. Red rice vermicelli are combined with mushrooms, turnips, scallion, and miso paste. The greens are sprinkled with the vinegar dressing from a few days ago. And of course, at under 25c each, we eat a lot of Thai mangos. They're fully ripe, as sweet as honey.

W is hungry for Pad Thai so he goes out once more and buys his supper. Even an almost cloudless night is spectacular from our window. The ocean is calm tonight.

Saturday

I ride along to the seminary with Kathleen and W to say hi to his class. He's teaching all day. Shall I have breakfast in the hawker center nearby? Or shall I wait and have lunch with them?

I browse but my favorite food stall cook is still cooking their vegetables. Many fried foods and meats are available. Never mind. I've eaten more oil this week than in the past month.

I browse through the market for specials on clothes or stationary. Nada. When I check Google Maps to see how far I am from the hotel, it's merely 2 miles (3km). Might take me a half hour along the canal. I take my time and enjoy the wetlands planted in the canal. When it pours, the plants will be submerged to filter the water until the runoff hits the sea.

Singapore is function-oriented. There are walking paths everywhere, including under the apartments. The stairs are even, though the tread is sometimes short for big Western feet.. There's often a bike ramp beside the steps (though this one is steep!) or a kid-stroller and disability ramp nearby.

Housing is mostly apartments. The government is set on integrating the main groups (Chinese, Malay, Indian) so sets quotas for sales. Many nationalities live in the same neighborhood. Many Malay women are home with their children during the day. The other people groups are working, with kids in daycare or school.

This little myna bird keeps me company most days, hopping around the ledge.

In the heat of the day, there are few people to be seen. The walking-cycling path below is deserted. The tall buildings on the skyline seem far away. I stay inside, working on a Bible study, reviewing Indonesian, and reading a novel before taking a nap.

Read more:

*May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence;  it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord. Psalm 115:14-18

*Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. Good people obtain favor from the Lord, but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes. No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted. (Proverbs 12:1-3)

*With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble; for I have become a father to Israel. Jeremiah 31:9

*Jesus said, “You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” John 16:22

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, your perfect love casts out our fears. We will walk in your ways because we know our souls are at peace in you. You hear us when we pray for your guidance. Help us make good decisions. In your name, we pray. Amen

The switch to Singapore

We're in Food Central (Singapore) but how did that happen?

Saturday, May 6, 2023

I like the pomp and precision of royal celebrations. So while W reads beside me at home, I watch most of the coronation of Charles III. Their grandkids behave, the good son does his duty, and the other guests do the best they can. The whole thing is infused with a dedication to godly life, love, and duty. 

Thousands line the streets to cheer on the new season and wish their king and queen well. Some day, when the King of Kings is crowned, we'll all bow the knee and gasp in amazement at the spectacle. For now, UK royalty gives us a small taste of what Jesus' heavenly coronation will be like at the end of time. 

"What would it take for Americans to be united at something like this?" asked one of our friends. "We're too divided. There's no way we could pull it off." Sad but probably true in this era.

It is fun to watch the young pages who are excited about the whole thing - especially the flyover. They do a good job.

Sunday

We're so disappointed that Miss Laurel (who leads the kids at IESB) has the flu. She passes along her talk and we deliver it as best we can. Next time! We look forward to that.

Sayaka is back from Japan with some goodies to share. It's life-giving to go "home" to your own culture - she looks 18 (tho she has a young teen).

We walk home from the Gathering and catch a shuttle to the Jakarta airport. This is Bandung traffic in front of the shuttle office.

In Jakarta, young boys splash and slide along the busy road as we stop for the traffic light. No moms or minders are in sight. If they slip under a car, they're dead. They pull their trousers down so they don't rip them. And pull them up to run to the top of the short driveway.

Monday

We have slept in the Anara airport hotel so we don't miss our morning flight. It is SO cold 20C (68F) even after we turn off the air-con. The room is cooled by neighboring AC. We fill some empty water bottles with hot water and put them into the bedding to warm up. I refill them 3X during the night.

At breakfast, most locals are shivering. This man is smart. He wears socks, long trousers, long sleeves, a coat, hat and scarf ...

The little glasses on the tables make a simple pretty arrangement.

This sign may not be clear in the photo but it amuses me. I go back to snap a picture at the bookstore, where the sign reads: "Fiction - Bestsellers." The books under it are Indonesian travel guides and Indonesian history books. Oops.

The Jakarta airport has beautiful orchid displays, a nice green touch in the middle of the departures area.

We arrive in sparkling-clean-and-organized Singapore after a short flight and a one-hour time change. The auto-arrival form online (accessible for passport-holders from the EU, Canada, USA and some other countries) isn't working. With Singaporean efficiency, someone comes over, whisks us to the front of a "manual" line, and we're through immigration in no time.

Our hotel is along the coast, courtesy of the seminary where W is teaching. Floor to ceiling windows let in the light and the ever-changing sky.

We walk to the little mall next door for a 1.5 liter (6c) cooker/steamer. It's on sale and boasts a Singapore "best invention" award sticker. Must be good: this is the most competitive place we've ever been. It becomes my go-to appliance. If there's no vegan food nearby, I can easily whip up a meal.

I chop potatoes and greens for a yummy supper. It works just as advertised. We may have to drag this along on future trips. Watermelon and an apple complete the meal.

Tuesday

W and I walk to a nearby hawker center to check breakfast options. W gets a monstrous drumstick and meatball.

I order rice and 3 vegetables (and end up at the same place with the same option for lunch). 

The treasure for today is meeting up with Sumathi. This dear friend has known us since Cambridge UK, where her husband was doing research and W was completing his dissertation (2004). While the guys studied, we went to lunch concerts. We attended church together at STAG (St Andrews the Great - best congregation ever?)

We met again when they moved to Singapore and then Indonesia - including Bandung! where we sat in language class together. After her husband passed away, she lives with her children in Singapore and New Zealand. We're following her around the world.

While W heads downtown to check out projectors for the classroom, Sumathi and I walk from the MRT (public light rail) to the hotel. We continue chatting as we stroll the coastal mangrove walk. We see a snake, lots of worms, mudskippers, 5' monitor lizards, 4" snails, and little brown crabs. The crabs climb trees when the tide comes in so predators from the sea don't eat them. I snap pics of lizards, turtles, and pencil fish but forget to take a picture of us. See the lizard flicking his 5" tongue? You don't want to fall off the boardwalk into the swamp!

We end with lunch at the hawker stall across from the MRT. Food has to be fresh here. There are vegetable deliveries at the stalls as we eat.

Starting in 1997, food stalls got surprise inspections and an ABCD rating (A = exceptional hygiene; B = found a few things, doing ok; C = hmmm. clean up your act, D = fail.) D ratings meant a warning and fine. Those who missed the next inspection got more fines and a warning. The third time their cooking license was withdrawn.

In line with Singapore's obsession with constant improvement and innovation, a new award system was implemented in 2020. It's safe to eat anywhere. We rarely get ill here, no matter where (or what) we eat.

After I drop Sumathi at the MRT, I walk home. Today's 16,000+ steps are not atypical when we're here. The miles fly by because you don't have to watch your feet; the paving is even. For supper, I'm not hungry but have a homemade banana-oatmeal bar and some fruit.

Wednesday

I make oatmeal with fingerling bananas - delicious. 24 bananas are $2 Sing (about $1.50US) - they're small but sweet as honey.

And oh my! I add a scoop of Sumathi's gift from NZ: roasted nuts and seeds - I'm hooked. I must try this at home.

Mid-morning, W and I walk a short distance to another hawker center with many options.

Singapore is green: they plant trees, grass, blooming shrubs, and flowers between paving. These leaves are mint-sized, with flowers that gradually open on a long stalk above the leaves.

This thumb-sized red fluff turns deep burgundy before it drops off the plant.

W is hungry for prata, an Indian fry-bread with curry. Think: "a croissant made on a grill."

Mine is plain; his has cheese wrapped inside.

We hop the MRT to Tampines Mall for a year's worth of clothing shopping. (PS I'm not a shopper.) Between a sale at Uniqulo and discounts at another shop, I find 5 tops, 3 trousers, and 2 sneakers (2/$23US.) After yesterday's walks in 34C (93F), my feet have blisters so a new shoe shape is good.

The MRT station is typically spotless. The organizational arrows ("let passengers off first, pls") are grouted into the stone tilework. Everything built in the last decades is disability-friendly. The row of raised dots tells vision-impaired travelers they are within a meter of the sliding gates to board the train. There are ramps beside stairs.

Lunch is a quick stop at a Vietnamese place: the spring rolls are delicious.

The dipping vinegar, laced with red chilis, is perfectly spicy and sour. When I ask for a takeaway bag for the leftover sauce, the server brings me 2 new containers full.

After a free shuttle ride back to our place, I use one vinegar pack to spice up supper: homemade red vermicelli, shiitake mushrooms, shallot, and turnip slices. Delicious.

W's off to buy some lightly used shoes at 30% of retail and comes back in time for a shower and a taxi-ride to the classroom. I make tea, write, sketch the day, and turn up the AC to 23.5C, with the lowest fan speed. That's our sweet spot. Our sheets feel on the cool side which is easily remedied with almost-boiling water in empty drinking water bottles.

Singaporeans work long hours. The coastal path between the hotel and the ocean is well-lit. Cyclists and walkers use the paved trail late into the night. The early group will be on the path as soon as the sun comes up. Lights sparkle from Singapore skyscrapers (left) and from Malaysia (center), which lies just across the strait.

Read more:

*Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Isaiah 50:2

*The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed. Daniel 2:44

*There was a leper who came to Jesus and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Matthew 8:2

*Jesus said to the apostles, “I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.” Luke 22:29-30

Moravian Prayer: Jesus, you are our bread of life! Thank you for promising to feed us and care for us always. You know our hunger and thirst for food, for water, and most importantly, your presence in our hearts and lives.

Give us clean hands and a pure heart, Lord, so we can raise them to you. May we give thanks to you, our greatest treasure and most important friend. You are the most high and we praise you! Amen and alleluia!

Recovery mode

Tuesday, May 2, 2023

The orchid Dr Gati sent over is stunning. Last week, I bought a stand that fits the vase perfectly. Why do beautiful things speak to my heart? I don't know. 

Beauty and patterns capture my attention, whether in botanicals or geometry. I've learned to appreciate that rather than fight it. What lights you up?

I'm scheduled for language class but still sick, so I stay home and rest. Midday during a downpour, I sling the orchid over some bromeliads beside the porch. Natural watering is healthier for this kind of perfection, rather than keeping it inside. The flowers glow.

Wednesday

Still miserable, I am able to start walking with one loop (1 mile) today. My lungs are clearing out and I can't stand to be inside another day. My mom set an example for what to do when we're not feeling 100%: she used to polish silver and clean her chandelier. I lounge on the porch and record a month's worth of Monday morning videos.

In the afternoon, it rains so hard that water pools on the lawn. It's the first time I've seen a pond there. It's not long before the water runs off. Can you spot the drops? Big blobs fall from the sky in quick succession.

Today's the first day of our team's new study: Experiencing God by Claude King and Henry Blackaby. We'll be learning to listen to God's voice and obey him together.

Thursday

I cruise 3 miles around the neighborhood since I'm missing the mountain hike. The neighborhood is at medium altitude and hilly so I know I'm recovering. When the hikers are beaten by sun in the sawah (rice fields) and get stuck in a downpour in the same fields on the way back, I'm happy to have missed it.

The driver has a fever and heads home early, missing a few days of work to recover. Stuff is going around - I'm glad W is ok as he will be teaching for the next 2 weeks.

From 9-11pm, the Mastermind meets; the women offer wise counsel and warm friendship. Their time zone is opposite ours - 11-14 hours behind. While 2 of us are wrapping up the evening in PJs (Singapore and Bandung), the rest are getting ready for the day. I'm happy to fall asleep before midnight.

Friday

More walking - just over 2 miles. Writing is a daily job. We toss things into the suitcase between being busy in the office most of the day. We thought we had Sunday off from speaking but the speaker has a fever - we'll use her notes on her behalf if she hasn't recovered in time.

We host a second study in the evening for the rest of the team. We are happy to get an email from our organization: our contract has been renewed for another 3 years, ending at the same time as our house lease. A lot can happen in 3 years!

Saturday

W and the dogs walk me around the block, just once. After a rotten night - though I did listen to a book or two - I get up and make myself a hearty breakfast of vegan tofu scramble. I remember a lot of vegan recipes from 2 decades ago when I had no choice (health restrictions).

We make calls - and show the grandkids the treasures I'm storing for them: a 4" snail shell and a 1.5" beetle skeleton. I need 2 more, one for each grandkid. (I wish I'd had an Oma like me, dragging home interesting wildlife. haha) 

W uploads videos for the weeks ahead and we schedule meetings with friends and colleagues. I need to get moving on some courses I'll be teaching in the future, too. Syllabi and course research are my least favorite part of being a lecturer. I like the classroom interaction best ... even more so when it's online.

Read more:

*You shall worship before the Lord your God; and you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house. (Deuteronomy 26:10-11) 

*Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62: 1, 2, 5-8)

*I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:13-15)

*As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share. 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Moravian Prayer: Every gift comes from you, Lord. May your blessings of wealth and security lead us not to arrogant pride but to humble gratitude. May our gratitude for your gifts lead us not to clutch them tightly, but to open our hands and freely share them with love. Amen.

That's just sick

Friday, April 29, 2023

A long walk sounds good. The dogs are always happy to be out. It's a busy day, getting ready for Sunday and talking with people.

My throat is scratchy and it gets worse during the day. Whaaat? noooo. Did I catch something in IKEA on Wednesday? Lots of people were coughing and touching stuff in the store.

We're being invaded by a rat that chews on the wood in the ceiling. There are big, medium, and small ants on the porch, in the house, and around the plants. W has a borax-corn-syrup mixture that attracts them on the kitchen counter but hasn't reduced the population. I get desperate enough to spray ant poison outside our room; hundred lie heaped along their trail. Once the household is back in rhythm, we expect that to settle down, too.

Saturday

I pass through the garden for grass heads from the pond and pink flowers from a hedge. One of each go into 11 bottles for IESB Round Tables tomorrow. PakG takes them to GG when he goes to set up tables. Our GG hosts are amazing and generous. We have been borrowing their round tables for months beyond the initial agreement. I'm so grateful for wonderful friends and partners.

As my throat closes up, Canadian Buckley's cough medicine is my friend. "Tastes terrible but it works," is their advertising slogan. No kidding. I brought Buckley's lozenges and cough syrup along from our last trip to Canada. I gargle with salt, with oil of oregano ... none of the natural remedies work today.

I finish writing a few newsletters, slogging through my brain fog - who knows what I reported? (oh oh) Good pictures, anyway. I schedule the enews to be sent out tomorrow night and Monday morning. As usual, I choose Sunday clothing and put out the shoes for tomorrow. My handbag is packed. Sundays, I dress and go. When you plan to be working at 7:00 a.m., you don't need to be making decisions about what to wear.

Sunday

But I'm so sick I can't go to the Gathering. I hang the skirt and blouse back in the closet and toss the shoes in under them. W speaks and leads while I stay home. I forget to remind W to do birthdays - we like to pray over people the last Sunday of their birthday month.

About 30 young adults show up for Hangout on our Porch. They take a pic partway through with the sweet goodies, celebrating Laurel's 25th birthday. Before they arrive, I arrange a few birthday candles on 2 trays of cookies, banana bread, and pumpkin pie. I can't join beyond a quick hi and spend most of the day holed up, resting and reading.

Monday

Ahhh, bad sleep due to a crushing headache and cold symptoms. I sleep for 1.5 hours, toss and turn for the next 5 hours. I check my watch 9:30/10:30/11:45/1:00/ 2:00/ 2:45 ... groan. I listen to music, hoping it will put me to sleep. No luck. I listen to scripture on YouVersion - 1 Peter through Revelation. I'm exhausted and sore, but not sleepy. I doze for 1/2 hr, am up for 2, sleep for 1/2 hr ... and give up before 5 a.m. Shower, dress, but let's forget about our steep neighborhood walk!

Today is another Red Letter day = government holiday: Labor Day. We just finished a government-mandated week off at the end of Ramadan. Wow. The driver, paid by the month, takes the day off. I'm happy to see our household helper arrive; she is paid by the working day. Yesterday's crew left dirty cups in the sink and leftovers on the counter. There are dishes in the sink. Several loads of laundry wait in the hampers. In general, the house is in order. I'm trying not to touch stuff.

After an early meeting, I cook oat groats (35 min! - wow, you have to think ahead ...), cut in a banana, sprinkle on cinnamon, and pour homemade oat-cashew milk over it all. Tastes good. Mid-morning, I take a nap and wake feeling almost human. Then it's time to read, write, and cook. W's in a study while I schedule the week.

My lunch is air-fried potatoes (no oil) with bean molé, green beans, and carrots. I've dropped 3 kg (6.5 lbs) in the 2.5 weeks I've been vegan. (Last time I was vegan, it took a few weeks to shed 10 lbs of post-college weight.)

W helps me clean the fish bowls on the porch after lunch, for the first time in 3 weeks. Fish care here is easy: scoop out the plants, siphon out the old water, add filtered water, and pop the plants back in. No lights. No filter. No worries. We feed the fish most days and they reproduce and swim happily. Somehow the fish population regulates itself. This Bali hand-blown glass bowl is over 2' (750 cm) tall.

Language learning - I listen to some kid-books with basic vocabulary. I'm not going to class tomorrow but one day builds on another. Another chore is planning a retreat in Bali for international coworkers. It's 9 months away, so time to get busy. I get initial rates, room options, and start to muddle through a schedule. W is going to have to help with details. He's our travel guru. 

Supper is Vietnamese spring rolls and soup sent by MJ. I cook pea soup for tomorrow - the counter has filled up with beans, seeds, spices, and grains. I need more calories so munch a power bar.

Apparently my intention to eat healthy has been underway for a while. I shop the big bin under the kitchen counter and cross things off my grocery list. Now to figure out where to store the ones we open, away from moisture and critters. I dislike a cluttered counter.

A short stroll around the neighborhood with Gypsy (big black dog) is just the thing I need. It's cool and breezy outside (82oF/28oC) with shade under the neighbors' trees. The wind makes me think there are thunderstorms on the horizon. Last night was one blast of light and sound after another.

Read more:

*How great are God’s signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. Daniel 4:3

*Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Moravian Prayer: Dear Lord, help us remember that you built your kingdom on a firm, rock-solid, unshakeable foundation. We stand on that foundation, and nothing shakes us off our rock. We live and move and have our being in you, awestruck at how great your faithful love continues throughout all generations into eternal light and life.

We praise you for your wonderful creation and love, for you are the everlasting God of all our days. Our souls sing, “How great thou art!” Amen.