Beautiful Bali

Sunday, July 16, 2023

We head out to the airport after the IESB Gathering. The flight is slightly delayed but uneventful. I have 3 seats to myself and stretch out to sleep until we reach Bali. I'm exhausted and ready for a break.

The car W reserved hasn't come though. We wait over an hour. Finally we take a taxi  to the hotel. Laurel is late for her first-timers meeting on the beach but makes it to their dinner. W and I walk the shore and settle in.

The room is nice - and clean. Hurrah. Deals are everywhere as tourists are welcomed back to Asian destinations. But the hotels aren't full.

Monday to Wednesday

Meetings, walking (usually 15,000+ steps), and lots of food fill the days. We start with morning walks on the shore.

The beauty is staggering.

After checking out lunch in town, we have the same bad luck with taxis. The third one we call, after an hour of waiting for others, stops in traffic far from our destination. We hop out.

Some ceremony, of which there are many on Bali is plugging the roads. W uses Google maps as we walk a few miles in the afternoon heat to a pottery outlet.

We look at the new wave of crafts.

This is an island of artists.

This bigger-than-life motorcycle is made of rattan.

Many shops and hotels are abandoned or have failed during the pandemic.

But there are signs of new growth everywhere, too.

The conference starts with an outdoor banquet that includes 4 suckling pigs. I stay vegetarian.

Another day, we walk to a highly rated pizza place nearby (#Robypizza). Excellent and the company of those who join us is fun.

We're here to work, of course. And that happens mornings, evenings, and at meals = where we network together.

This mermaid on the hotel grounds is dressed in batik.

The lanterns along the beach walk are beautifully crafted.

Our room borders a pool so I slip into the water most days.

There's a wide variety of Indonesian and global food. Sometimes it's nice to eat things you recognize.

The scenery is marvelous. 

The statues are many.

Hindu temples are everywhere.

Carvings - beautiful or grotesque - are abundant.

We become reacquainted with and introduced to global workers from all over Asia.

Thursday

It's my nightmare evening - team competitions in games, working with and against people you don't know. For me this kind of event feels utterly pointless. It's chaotic and noisy with vague directions. Someone tosses balloons and balls around the room while lights flashing overhead.

For one part, we're instructed to build a house using paper, spaghetti, tape and string. We don't have a vision for what we're building beyond "a house" following a few points of an introductory talk. A simple, 5-minute plan pops into my head. The house in my head is fully formed, strong, and sleek.

A few men on the team are engineering types with other plans - rolling papers around pens as the timer starts. We end up with a complicated 30-minute structure. It's ugly, uneven, but strong (taped to the table and tied down).

The rules are to use what's in the bag: spaghetti, paper, string, and tae. There's no rule against seeing what other teams are doing, so I roam the room to learn something. Why reinvent if someone already doing something worthwhile? Maybe we can streamline it. But it's futile. The teams, working among the shouts of others in the room, can't even hear each other. Ugh. What a mess.

We aren't given the criteria on which the house will be tested. Later, the structures are taken off the table, set on the floor, heaped with water bottles, etc. The lesson? "That's what being a global worker is like."

Seriously? You don't know what you're doing, who's in charge, why you're doing something, or who's working with you? Wow - there's not one thing I'd put on a recruitment poster.

Not sure what "togetherness" it fosters in others, but after an hour and a half, I flee the chaos in the auditorium for the quiet of our room. Lord have mercy - you couldn't pay me enough to work this way.

Read more:

*When the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:13,14

*The holy city, the new Jerusalem, has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Revelation 21:2,23

Moravian Prayer: Blessed Architect, what a home you have prepared for us! The light never dims, the music never ends. In it is found no evil, nor darkness, nor crying, nor pain. Best of all, we will be with you. Prepare our hearts for the day when we become heavenly citizens. Amen.

A poisonous snake in addition to roaches this time around ...

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Wait a minute - are we really almost halfway through July? It's cold in the morning when we walk: 18oC (66oF) but we warm up as soon as we get moving. During a loop with the dogs, W stops by a typical garbage-recycling bin.

Home helpers toss garbage into the concrete or metal enclosures outside the houses. From there (and along the streets where people throw their trash), recyclers gather bottles, cardboard, and other discards. I ask W to pose with the dogs to show the size of the beautiful palm trees.

Since the hikers have the week off, W and I drop the dogs at the yard and walk down the mountain toward town. W stands in the street the driver takes his BMW through to get home. Could you drive your car between the concrete walls without scraping it? These guys do it every day.

One driveway higher is the last family home with parking for their little van. Then the path narrows to a jalan tikus (mouse lane) so that only motorcycles can squeeze through to the other residences.

Our goal is to walk along the river to a coffee shop. However, the store is closed for a staff meeting so we keep walking.

 The locks on the river were built by the Dutch in the 40s? and are still in great shape. We're relieved to use this recently-built concrete bridge. Before the path was paved and a bridge made over the wide drainage ditch, we walked muddy paths (above) and went across the gushing stream by hanging onto the side of the waterworks and edging across its +1' (30cm) cement ledge to the other side. No one ever fell in but it is easier to traverse now.

Someone has started painting a mural by the collection pond near the walkway.

Across the river is a village served by Tanikota English studies on Saturday. Unlike a planned metro area, Bandung is composed of villages that have expanded and connected over decades. Sure, some city streets wind between the trees planted along the lanes half-a-century ago. There are mansions and some planned neighborhoods. But most of Bandung looks like this, even on the steep slope down to the river behind our house.

All kinds of creative bridges cross the drainage canal from the sidewalk.

If you don't have parking spaces, why not pave across the canal - and voila! Parking for several motorbikes.

The "feather" flowers catch my eye.

As part of safety improvements, city workers sank metal posts and strung cable wire between them to keep kids from sliding off the drop-off, down the mountain, and into the river below. Most of that cable has disappeared or snapped in the last years. Maintenance is ... shall we say ... inconsistent. In the most dangerous places, neighbors have replaced the missing cables with their own bamboo fencing.

Drainage canals run down from the main streets to the rivers. Concrete walls (usually) contain the flow between houses. We haven't had rain for a while, but this one is gushing. I wonder what happens when we have a downpour.

Since the coffee shop is closed, we decide to walk down to the Advent hospital for breakfast. The city sidewalks are torn up by motorcyclists too impatient to wait for traffic jams to clear. Step carefully!

Our choices at the hospital cafe are distinct, that's for sure. W's are deep-fried.

My plate leans toward vegetables. The total cost for both is Rp45.000 - or $3.25 US.

We head back up the way we came, then catch an angkot (little public van) up to Starbucks on our hill. We hop out to enjoy a chai leaf tea and say hello to Katrina and her barista mate. They pack up coffee grounds for our garden, twice a week.

W drags the 2 teabags and cup home for me and I enjoy 2 more infusions ... the last one admittedly pretty thin.

We wear hats and sunglasses but are back in the full sun of noon. It's still pleasant with the solar fountains gurgling merrily in the fishponds. (Can you spot both, below?)

PakG cleans and brushes out Bailey, who opts for a nap beside me when he's done.

I call my mom and write. After lunch, Eki arrives for the weekend after finishing 10 days of language immersion at English Village.

Friday

Over several weeks, we've been clearing clutter and deep-cleaning accumulated dust from the hall and storage spaces. This is before in the worship team's area.

Tidying storage spaces doesn't make everyone happy. I figure a rumble of discontent every 2-3 years to reclaim spaces seems worth the price. W wants to clean the sinks we no longer use himself, so he works on that while the dogs and I roam outdoors. (I'm a delegator.)

A feral cat has parked a new litter of kittens at the back door. She killed this coral snake (poisonous, tiny - 2' /70cm long?) near the entry to the hall.

IbuSiti gives me a massage while I listen on my phone to a textbook I've been putting off = 2-in-one work of the best kind. She chooses some books from the porch as she leaves. Makes me happy that the books are being distributed.

I'm advising a post-grad student, who sent part of their dissertation last night (after bedtime) and sends the missing pages during the massage. I cut my hair, shower, skim the paper, and eat lunch before the student shows up on the Porch. We spend a few hours discussing what needs to be done before the academy's next deadline. A university doesn't give you a doctorate for nothing! It's hard work.

Due to language and culture differences, it can be hard to translate university requirements into student assignments. This student  has recorded each consultation (5X over a couple of years?), but admits they haven't listened to most (any?) of them. I'm an editor, so I edited several rounds already ... but the edits weren't incorporated. I'll see the student again if the required changes are made and an English editor signs off on the chapters. Then their work goes to faculty readers.

Eki joins us for supper before we retire to read and start packing. I spread coffee grounds around the gate to deter the huge black ants that climb from the gardens into the upstairs.

Saturday

After a walk and breakfast, W heads to the hall to decide what to keep of items parked by the media team in the "worship" closet. The worship leaders can sort their things next week. There's ant poop on the walls, dirt on shelves and floor, and webs across the ceiling. Yup, it's time. W breaks out in a rash from all the dust and dirt.

Once this room is clean, the next target is the media booth. Over several years, we've tossed books, baskets, blankets, etc. on and beside ample shelving at the back of the working space. We left old tech on the shelves 5 years ago that hasn't been touched ... and it's getting crowded.

I write and pack for the week ahead, checking that the upstairs is ready for our guests. People and dogs rule the house whenever W and I travel. The helpers work every day, too; the house needs its scrub-down and daily maintenance.

Sunday

We start the day with 2 roaches and 2 worms in the bathroom. Sigh. W takes care of the roaches, while I fry the worms with hot water from the shower. Other than that, after a bubur (porridge) of oatmeal, Eki's off to his own city. And for us, getting together with the IESB community is a highlight in the week.

Read more:

*The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Prov 18:10

*O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! Psalm 95:6

*To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. 1 Timothy 1:17

Moravian Prayer: King of creation, we stand in awe of your creativity. All around us are bursts of color and light that you have knit together in patterns we could never have imagined: symmetry and sequence, spirals and stripes. Animals and plants proclaim your imagination and, along with them, we praise you for your clever artistry. Amen.

International and local considerations

Sunday, July 9, 2023

There's a big roach in the bedroom. I wake up to the crackling of its shell as it walks back and forth. I turn on the nightlight - yup, there it scoots. I don't want to spray it with lethal chemicals (which are more harmful to us than it anyway.) I tiptoe to the kitchen and fill a glass with boiling water. The roach runs away from  scalding, scurrying under the bed and around the room. I can't stand it. They can climb - what if it gets into our bed?

I watch it run here and there until 2a.m. Ugh ugh ugh. Finally, I wake W and he catches it, my hero. We're wide awake so we work for a few hours: writing agendas for today's meetings for me, catching up on messages and other stuff for him. What a way to start the week.

Guests from an English program join the Gathering this morning. One of the delights of an international community is welcoming a wide range of guests from around the world.

After, the Community Table quickly empties of snacks. Alice has prepared yummy treats as usual.

When the Gathering is over, the worship leaders meet briefly to lay out a strategy for the rest of the year.

Then the leadership team meets to discuss community matters. Afterward, our families join us, walking to lunch together at #NaraPark. It's a wonderful, diverse group that reflects the DNA of our participants.

When we make it home, the Porch has fewer guests than usual but they're having fun. Laurel takes some pictures.

Monday

We start with an early walk with a quick stop at GG to ensure that the prayer room is ready for tomorrow's cleaning. It's time to set the room in order.

Relief supplies and clothing have been piled in the room since late November, after an earthquake devastated a few cities 40 miles from Bandung. Volunteers took many boxes but planned to come back for the rest. They're working among the earthquake victims all year. It's time!

Lunch is a return to Kalpa Tree, a restaurant that opened a year or two before the pandemic. Their gorgeous facility has few customers, except on weekends when every eatery overflows with hungry tourists. My ramen is very good. I pass the meat to W and enjoy the miso broth, noodles, and vegetables.

W orders a breaded deep-fried pizza: they bake the pizza, then fold it in half, grease and bread it, and bake it again. It looks utterly disgusting to me - I dislike fatty foods and thick breading at the best of times. It tastes good to him and he has leftovers for supper.

We make calls and host meetings on the Porch.

Tuesday

Walk. Calls. For breakfast, I cook "mixed grains" from an outdated Bob's Red Mill package. Their food is so expensive here that I'm loathe to toss it. It cooks for 20 minutes and tastes just fine, 3 years past the due date.

Sitting on the Porch, I see the yardman, hard at work with his machete. He lifts a dozen bromeliads onto the lawn. They have 1' leaves and hang on one stem. Then he clears out seedlings underneath that have erupted in the soil. Weeding is an ongoing conquest. He lays the bromeliads back in place when he's done.

Wonderful Indonesia! I'd pay a lot for one of those in Seattle. Here they bloom all year and spread like wildfire.

The team has a 2-week break from meetings. That opens up time to catch up on notes, set appointments, write a weekend talk, and study. I'm feeling ambitious ... but get tangled for an hour of clearing the "in-come"ing stuff that landed on my desk. There are books (thanks, Richie), art supplies (thanks, David), sewing supplies (thanks, Christine), silk flowers (thanks to last week's bride), and more. 

Two silk bouquets get stored away. The remnants of silk roses make a nice ring in a vase of dried dill flowers.

When I can set my cup of tea on the desk, I open the computer and start writing. I'll declutter the rest when I'm done with Sunday's talk.

Our young friend Kat writes from Brazil that she's having a wonderful time. She's connecting with extended family, does a mission trip with her teen group, and is exploring her Brazilian roots. What a privilege to live abroad, and what a joy to return to the heart's home occasionally. It makes me happy when others thrive.

Wednesday

Walk. Write. 7:00 online study. 9:00 online annual business meeting. By noon, I'm peopled-out. We have lunch and rest up before some lovely friends arrive. William lives and studies in Tasmania so we haven't seen him since Australia locked down for COVID. He and his sis Maddie are always welcome! (But we miss you, Max.)

I'm trying something new. Daiso's potato chip maker for the microwave works! We make lovely crisp chips in 7.5 minutes. I cut a yellow potato with a mandolin, dry the slices between a folded cotton dishtowel, and spice it before it goes into the microwave = just enough of a snack to share, along with a plate of cookies, banana squares, and tea. No oil. Potato chips @130 calories? I'm sold!

William and Maddie choose some books from the Porch haul but forget the bag of Starbucks coffee grounds for their mom's garden.

Read more:

*Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

*The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8

*Their congregation shall be established before me. Jeremiah 30:20

*[Paul writes:] If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Philippians 2:1-2

Moravian Prayer: Welcoming God, we come into your house like children who have been away from home far too long. As we knew you would, you wrap us up in arms of welcome and acceptance. On the table sit our favorite dishes; our bed is made with fresh linens. How wonderful it is to be home—with you! Amen.