A week of movement and sitting

Monday, April 22, 2024

After W teaches at the English Center in Jogja, it's midafternoon. It's great meeting the Jogja team.

We head back to the hotel during the break. Supper leftovers and an evening of "Stump the Professor" round out the day. I'm theoretically on call during W's sessions. 

In practice, I sit around all morning (4 hours at the back of his class until 1:30) and spend 2 more hours in the evening at the back of the hall where W's dumped our stuff. I plug in my iPods and listen to books until he's done. Reviewing lectures I've heard before or hanging out with nothing to do exhausts me. 

Tuesday

We have a quiet morning and a pleasant breakfast. The restaurant heats up as the sun shines through the overhead windows.

The 6-hr train ride goes from Jogja to Bandung (12:00-6:30 p.m.) I plug in the iPods again. Outside our window, farmers burn rice husks after harvest.

Many villages are lined by rice paddies. It's a quick and hot commute to work for farmers.

The workers wear triangular sun hats as they cultivate the paddies near their homes.

The rain floods the terraced rice. The government shifted the staple food to rice near the end of C20. Now no meal feels complete without it. Simultaneously, there is every season of rice cultivation, from planting new plugs to harvesting rice stalks.

Bamboo is common scaffolding and structure for new buildings. This one will get a corrugated steel roof before the walls are filled in with brick or woven rattan.

It's stormy much of the day. The rivers are swollen and muddy with the heavy rains.

Sometimes the sun breaks through. These houses and sheds are built on piers to extend buildings over the water, especially in swampy regions with high populations.

Our driver picks us up at the train station. We unpack, check for urgent messages, and fall into bed.

2 years ago today, our beautiful Cocoa (standard poodle) was found in a Dutch irrigation shaft. She disappeared during a hike in the mountains. We were told our reward for finding her was "too much!," but I've never regretted it.

The villagers kept looking during that week before Ramadan, when money is scarce and it is mandatory to give gifts. On the fourth day, an old man found her, took off her collar as requested, and buried her in those beautiful hills. I kept her collar and still miss Cocoa.

I take a sleeping pill (usually only for long flights of 12+ hours). What a mistake. It's a quiet night but I'm dopy all the next day.

Wednesday

I don't get to my main to-do between catching up on the missed weekend, a foggy head, and a trip to town. 

I rearrange Titik's IES flowers from 2 weeks ago - they lasted through Sunday while we were gone. There are a lot of mums left for a new bouquet this morning.

We re-home a white board and finger puppets to a neighborhood English Center.

Then we drive to town. W's looking for some Tek screws. The store below is the closest thing to a "Home Depot" nearby: the door hides a crammed shop of hardware. You have to know what to ask for. No browsing the jam-packed aisles and shelves that stretch to the roof.

Ambrogio is a beautiful lunch setting. The fish swim right up to our table.

I choose a smoothie bowl, which turns out to be an icy blueberry drink sprinkled with granola. Oops, I want a breakfast bowl. I order homemade mushroom soup that's pretty good for $2.50.

Thursday

The hike is cancelled because it's rained all night. Too bad; the rain holds off until late in the day. It thunders all morning. I guess we could have gone, though some hikers were killed by a lightning strike up there a few weeks ago.

Instead, W and I walk up the street for breakfast at #NaraPark. This morning's order includes 3 kinds of crackers and 3 kinds of sambal (hot sauce). Yum. Good thing our stomachs are healthy.

We round out the walk by dropping in at a pharmacy. Over-the-counter and prescription drugs are available if your doctor tells you what to pick up.

Pak G delivers food to a newborn baby's family while W takes apart some tables from home. GG's round tables are being used elsewhere this weekend. PakG makes a few trips to the hall, delivering our tables for Round Table Sunday. Titik is doing flowers for each table. 

What? I have a sermon to write and deliver (with W) but no more? Wow, that's almost a "day off" compared to other last Sundays of the month. Haha and Hurrah.

W is restless at home. He takes an angkot (little city bus) to town. I'm happy to stay in to work on my class syllabus and Sunday's talk. God is good. The cicadas chirp all day long in the tall trees outside the office.

Read more:

*You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words.

I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.

I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes.

I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Though the wicked bind me with ropes, I will not forget your law.

At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.

I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.

The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees. Psalm 119:57-64

*Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed. Isaiah 54:4

*The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised [from the dead].” Matthew 28:5-6

Moravian Prayer: Loving God, you continually whisper to us to not be afraid. Still, our very human selves often give in to fear. Tune our ears to hear your voice of assurance. Embolden us to serve bravely. Open our hearts to receive your peace. Amen.

Those beautiful hills ...

Thursday, April 18, 2024

By 8:00, we've made some calls and completed a few hours of work. Then we drive into the mountains for our weekly hike. W and I missed a month due to a long respiratory flu. It's fantastic to hit the trails with 11 hikers and 5 dogs. (Missing below: Veronica, our leader and photographer.)

It takes a few minutes to gather and get organized. Today we have to pay an admission fee into the area where we walk. Most popular trails have been monetized in the last 6 years. Other areas have been fenced off, so that we can no longer trek through their meadows and forests.

The view is spectacular. In this mountainous regions of Java, we can see for miles on a clear day like today. Most of the walk is in the forest under partial shade. In the 1930s and 40s, the Dutch planted swaths of pines for coffee trees. The plantations were being developed when Indonesia gained its independence. The pines have grown. The coffee mostly disappeared; some coffee groves are now being replanted under the pines.

On the way home, we pass a squad of young soldiers, marching along the street in full jungle gear and carrying machine guns. They look overheated in their long sleeves and trousers, and helmets, carrying weapons. They're getting a glimpse of what woman go through every day: long sleeves and clothing, headscarf (and sometimes carrying heavy loads). Full covering is the regulation wear for "good" religious women and girls.

A few other hikers and we have lunch at a Sundanese restaurant. The tasty food makes me sleepy - so much oil! We bring home a $3/portion of rawon soup for supper, too. The meat is so tough we can't chew it so we feed it to the dogs. The soup flavor is good though.

The wind kicks up at 3:00, clanging the chimes on the Porch. High clouds skud overhead, cooling the air slightly from its top of 30oC (86oF). It's very pleasant, with a stiff breeze coming across the valley. It's back to work after a shower.

We go to bed early as usual but after an hour of sleep, I'm wide awake. At 10:00, I give up and get up. Maybe a second evening routine will put me out. There's a roach on its back in the shower. Ugh. W is the master of disposing roaches but that's a job for when he wakes up.

There are also a dozen little ants roaming my nightstand, though there's no food on it. I squish them and head into the kitchen to grab the poison chalk. I draw a thick line around my nightstand, the adjoining wall, and the phone charging cord. Hopefully that will kill the ants or at least keep them away. 

My bedside cup of peppermint tea always has a tight lid on it but today the ants swarm up around it. If there's tea left for a cooled morning drink, I have to check carefully - sometimes it's riddled with ants that find their way through the smallest crack. Disgusting, if I forget to look.

Friday

We run errands and grab lunch with dear friends and former coworkers.

Saturday

We cross half the island of Java on the train.

There are older cars and engines to admire, too.

Rivers and rice paddies crisscross fields and mountains on either side

We order our usual rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). Pretty good.

We're in Jogja mid-afternoon, with W negotiating fares from the train station to the hotel ($3.50). All across Indonesia, vehicles are modified to suit the terrain. Someone's put the front of a motorcycle on this passenger taxi.

An interesting mural and oversize peacock duo greet us as we step off the elevator to our room.

Jonville takes us to an Italian restaurant for supper where we feast and chat.

Sunday

After a hearty breakfast, W and I speak together. Lunch with Jamie, Tasha, their kids, and Megan is wonderful. And after an afternoon rest, we head out with the AG team for Mediterranean Kitchen and more good food. There is much more Western food here than in Bandung.

Monday

We're off to the English Center so W can teach. He's going through a series he has taught around the world, on God and our place in the world. I review Indonesian and do some writing. I'm recording these few sessions I hear. If he never writes down what God has taught him, it may fall to me someday.

I'm editing my upcoming book Letters from Cambridge. It's my first-ever public journal. We lived in a flat above the library where W studied for his doctorate in 2004. I sent it to 120 people every week. I've decided to post outtakes from that on FB.

My first 3 books (on early C20th women in global work) got no promo and have languished. They're available free on KindleUnlimited and on a free Audible trial.

Read more:

*You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4

*I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 16:62

*[Jesus told his disciples:] "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know."

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." John 14:1-7

*So it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we know you are the light of the world. Because of your covenant with us, we know of your great love for us. You have made it easier for us to see this love because of the guidance and strength you have provided to our ancestors. If we look closely, we can see your unconditional love and mercy everywhere and in everyone. Amen.

Flowers and fruits

 Sunday, April 14, 2024

It's a good day of connecting. Titik has outdone herself with yellow flowers for the hall. We bring the arrangement home after the Gathering.

I move the coleus bouquets to other tables. Their pink stems are a pretty contrast to the light green and cream leaves.

 IES guests from Jakarta lived nearby before their move to the big city. We find friend in common as we chat.

A young Indonesian graduate who moved to Berlin is attending the IC we support there. I send our selfie to his pastor. The family of God is a closely-connected web across the world.

Afterward, we grab some cookies from the home fridge and attend Joel's birthday party down the hill. It's a feast of Filipino foods and warm hospitality. As soon as we've eaten, the downpour starts. In good weather, we could walk back up the hill. Instead, we wait 25 minutes under the rain canopy outside for a Grab vehicle. We're wet before we reach the car door. It feels good to change clothes when we get home.

Monday

If you struggle with motivation to walk, get a dog (or 3). Look at these guys, leashed and waiting patiently for us to change into street shoes. They're trained to one leash, which makes it less likely that we'll trip over them.

I start a syllabus for a class I'm teaching in July/August. Gail and Kim offer helpful resources from across the world (yay for good colleagues, online meetings, and texts). On my desk, the fish circle the tank. The solar-powered fountain floats under the LED lamp and bubbles air into the water.

W and I work with Herbert on his Sunday talk. IbuS bakes fresh bread and I hard-boil some eggs, so we have egg salad sandwiches for lunch.

I've been stressed for over a week -> hungry hungry hungry. I re-read my journal, which I seldom do. And yup, "that's why." The inner scramble reminds me of high intake seasons: studying in undergrad classes (when I needed to also read a novel) and in grad and post-grad courses (when I'd bring snacks or a sketchbook to help me focus.)

I snack all morning and stroke paint on 3 old canvases to harness the churning energy. Some faces start to emerge - we'll see who's there over the next few days. These have a long way to go.

Lew calls and works out direction for his dissertation proposal. It's fun to learn with someone who has clear goals and methodology. Even better is when the topic will be useful and applicable.

Tuesday

The dogs are barking up a storm as the helpers are back. The yardman's job is transferring the piles of composting leaves and twigs to the proper place. The house relaxes into clean bedding and mopped floors. The smell of baking cookies baking wafts from the kitchen. We used most of our baked goods over the Easter and Ramadan holidays. It's time to fill the cookie boxes for the next round.

One morning meeting leaves me with a page of notes and a lot of questions. They will work themselves out, I know - but meanwhile, I study what I am learning.

Lunch is good. IbuA makes a potato and chicken curry. Oh wait! we bought the potatoes this morning to make them for lunch tomorrow. Oh well ... my fault for not putting those off limits. I have to get used to giving specific instructions again after having the house to ourselves for the week of Lebaran.

Wednesday 

After our walk, I take food from the freezer and start to cook lunch. I set 2 places on the dining table, along with the rest of the plates and cups to replicate the models.

We transplanted a barely-alive, leaf-dropping Benjamina fig into the garden from its pot. We've had to trim it often to keep it at 5 meters: it explodes with growth in its happy place. It's growing so quickly that it shades the flower bed. I cut the bright green coleus under it into submission last week.

I want to plant a mango tree there. We have to remove the Benjamina before its roots disturb the sidewall of the yard The yardman's big job today is chopping it down. What a chore. Getting the deep roots out of the ground "can't be done." What?

 

Impossible is not in my vocabulary. I suggest a method for toppling the trunk that pulls the roots out with it. My dad dropped four 30-meter (100-foot) trees this way to clear space to build our Seattle house.

"Not possible," says W. Could they try? ... and if it doesn't work, try the old way? They choose what they're comfortable with. Leaving a 1' (35cm) stump and roots in the ground = hard future work for the yardman. Go guys, I guess.

I'll have to wait a few weeks to plant the mango, after the roots are pried out piece by piece.

We enjoy lunch with friends Chandra and Titik, Ofly and Angie and their two beautiful kids. The dogs love the attention, of course. Young Ben takes Bailey's leash and joins PakG on the afternoon walk with the dogs.

Titik leaves this arrangement behind. 

"You can store it flat," says Chandra. "It's made from one piece of wood." I put the fruit in the fridge away from the ants. Wow! who thought of this?

Read more:

*It is God who arms me with strength. Psalm 18:32

*I, I am he who comforts you; why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die? Isaiah 51:12

*God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25

*Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you. 1 Peter 3:15

*See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. 1 John 3:1

Moravian Prayer: O God, help us to prepare to live a life that is an example for others to follow. Help us to demonstrate to others through our actions that our lives are full of the Holy Spirit, and our hope and wonder is built on the solid rock of Christ.

God of power and might, we know that you give us our strength. Help us to be faithful to you and your son as we wait for his return. Amen.

Spun sugar and balloons

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Brunch with Laurel includes toasted egg sandwiches, fruit, cherry yogurt, and tomato salad. I'm brushing ants off the dishes even before they have food on them: it's definitely bug season in the kitchen and outside. I cook so rarely that it's a treat to pull together a meal after a morning walk.

I tour the yard, spot the turtles, feed the fish and birds, and am exhausted. Cmon! What's going on? I lay down and crash into a 2-hour-nap. Meanwhile W and Herbert work together on the Porch.

For lunch, Korean ramen hits the spot, even though it's from a package. There's work to do and it's nice to finish before nightfall.

Friday

The trees are showing off in the increasing sunshine, between night showers. Over our heads, an 8-meter (25') palm is dripping with red berries as we walk.

We read the talk for Sunday with this view from the Porch.

I package cookies for Dyna's baby shower. Wina picks up a few guests and me around 10:00. With drivers on vacation, owners are driving themselves or catching a ride with friends like I do.

It's wonderful to celebrate new life coming into the world. We bring our baby pictures and do a guessing game of "who's who?" The furthest back I can find is a picture of my Uncle Albert's and Aunt Edith's wedding. I was a flower girl with my cousin Elaine. My cousin, much more of a lady even at age 8, was pristine at the end of the wedding. In contrast, my socks were wrinkled, my white shoes scuffed, and my bouquet wilted. I remember it being a fun time with people trying to restrain me all day - oh well. The hand on my shoulder is probably so I'll stand still at the photographer's.

Each person brings snacks to share at the baby shower.

We confirm that another guest is also expecting a baby in the next months. Woohoo! The two little boys enjoy their time together, checking out the presents.

Dyna and Daniel are expecting another son within a few weeks. What joy!

Every child is wanted by God and sent into the world to be a blessing - in his or her unique way. (Imagine if God had made us all alike! What a boring planet we'd live on.)

Saturday

My goal is to thin the garden into submission before the yardman returns on Tuesday. We need a fresh start on the flowerbeds. They're an unruly jungle where roses and other plants are shaded by more vigorous growers. One of those "can't-stop-growing" plants is coleus. It's found a perfect spot and takes over. I snap off stems until the pond, lavender blooms, and a rose bush emerge.

Half of it gets chucked; the rest soaks in the kitchen sink while I'm watering plants outside.

There are enough stems for 2 bouquets: one in a heritage vase for the living room, and another for the Porch table. Mom bought the colored vase in Italy decades ago. The thought crosses my mind: "What will archaeologists learn about our global culture when they find Italian vases in Indonesia; Indian fabrics in Europe, Brazilian carvings in China, and Navajo pottery in Alaska?"

W and I stroll to #NaraParkBandung for brunch. Several restaurants are open around the courtyard. I order pesto linguini, which comes with sausages cut into florets. W eats the meat because I'm not a big sausage fan. The pasta is perfectly flavored.

Beside our table, this young princess spins cotton candy. At 65c, the childhood memory of days at the fair is irresistible. W and I share one on our walk home.

I can't get over how beautiful the world is, working on the Porch with the cicadas chirping in the tall trees at the back of the yard.

Last year we bought a clutch of bird toys at the bird market. Today a new one goes in each birdcage. The birds stay on the other side of the cage most of the day until they figure out a beaded swing and the dangling wood blocks are safe. They will eventually chew them to bits as they've done with the old ones.

I download another dozen books for review. I'm hunting for classroom texts and recommendations for our university students and my husband, who's a professor of IT and theology. The business and art titles are passed along to faculty colleagues and artsy friends.

So many good books are close to being published, alongside the self-published volumes that spring up like weeds. (Good weeds, many of them.) If you're a self-published author, give me access for a review.

Read more:

*Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? Ezekiel 18:23

*Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. Luke 9:34-35

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

*Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

Moravian Prayer: O God of reconciliation and peace, please help us to learn to love and forgive our enemies, just as you continue to love us when we fail to follow you. Help us to understand that we are all sinners who have been set free by your gift of grace. We should delight with all who turn to you. 

Lord, you are our true king and the son of God. We know we are to follow your words of love with actions of love. Please help us to listen to your words of wisdom so that we can fulfill the loving purpose you have for our lives on this earthly world. Amen.