Sunsets DO exist

This week has been a little tough on Matthew. He went to school Monday, stayed home Tuesday, went back for a few hours on Wednesday and has been home ever since. He went from fever and a sore throat to coughing; hacking, actually. I think he's on the mend now. My body has been fighting something all week so I've been sleeping a lot. Yesterday we had a lazy 'movie' afternoon' with Dalenea and her two children. This is Matthew and Jayden watching The Pacifier. They were both pretty intrigued.

Last night we experienced something that rarely happens in Lippo...we had a sunset! I took a photo of it off of Matthew and Abby's balcony. Poor Matthew woke up after about a three hour nap and thought that it was a sunrise. I changed the setting on my camera and was able to capture two of the very few stars that we see in our Jakarta sky as well. I hope that you can see them in this photo. Unfortunately, you probably wouldn't see them in your night sky because we're in different hemispheres, so we can't gaze at the same stars.

Today was a very hot day, which is good because we had a crisp blue sky, but bad because you really don't want to be outside for more than a few minutes. I think that I got a little bit of a tan on the way to pick up Abby from school!

One of the neat things about such a day is that the smog clears and if you go up to a high place you can see the mountains. I went to the 4th floor to the library with my camera, but the mountains weren't quite "out" today. We have yet to see them clearly and apparently it only happens every so often, but I've given my handphone number to Ibu Risma, my librarian friend, and she's going to sms me when she sees the mountains next. When I do, I'll be sure to share the moment with you.

This is the statue that greets you when you enter the Junior School Lobby. It's life-sized and beautiful! It reminds me of something out of Narnia. What's a little intriguing is that the woman and her children are 'Bules', not Indonesian or Chinese.

I tried taking a few photos of our taman but they aren't as nice as I'd hoped. It was so bright! I'll try again some other, more cloudy day, but here's what one of my favourite scenes in our village is. It's the lane that leads to our house. If you turn left at the big tree in the left-hand corner, you'll get to the White house. This lane is so...ummm.. tropically inviting!

This is one of my heroes, one of the two street sweepers that came and killed the snake that was in our house. Not sure what his name is, but he's got such an awesome smile. He gladly posed today, but like I said, it was such a bright day that this photo is too shadowy. I'll do a re-take one day.

That's all I've got for photos. Let me know if there's something you'd really like to see.

Thanks for reading. God Bless You!

Basketball in Indonesia

I can't sleep; it's 10:32 pm our time (7:32 am in BC) and the students in the "uni" house behind us are keeping me awake with their yells and their laughter. Laughter is a good thing, but not when I am trying to get my beauty sleep. Five am comes pretty fast. However, before we moved here I thought we'd be moving to a noisy, dirty area with busy roads, and so to live where we live is a real blessing; the laughter of students is not hard to take. It's better than people yelling at each other. One thing we have realized is that Indonesians love to yell. Not at each other (I've actually only seen that once, where my taxi driver had a freak-0ut at some other driver), but at sports events.

Last night we went to the final championship game for our local university (UPH). We drove with friends into Jakarta, ate at Burger King (big deal around here...especially with our American friends), and then headed to the game. We parked in the stadium parking lot and could hear the game from way off. There were snare drums being beat the whole time that we were there, and the crowd never stopped yelling. Rumour has it that the opposing team, visiting from a far city, hired their drummers and cheering audience. How much would you pay someone to cheer for your team for 2 hours??? Along with the drums were airhorns and various noise makers. What kind of bothered me is that not once was there a quiet moment, not even when there was a foul shot. That would have added MORE drama than having the constant noise. My opinion is that they need a cheering conductor.

I have to admit, the lights were pretty wild, with the swirling colours painting the walls. It was a bit much when the stage/flood lights were turned on into the audience...not sure how the operator thought that was good for spectators who were trying to watch a game. Anyways, the noise made the game that much more enjoyable, even if my ears did ring afterwards. It was fun to watch Tris. I could tell that he was coaching the uni students from his seat in the bleachers, trying to convince them with his "sports mind powers" (whatever) to slow down, pass the ball, and obey his basketball mind. Unfortunately they didn't catch wind of what he was muttering to them under his breath, because in the 4th period (?) they lost by about 10 points. Overall, it was a great game. I expect over the next year, at least once Tris is finished his Masters, I'll be reporting that he's coaching some basketball team or other.

One last observation before I head to bed to try and sleep. We had parked in a pretty decent spot last night, but people here tend to park behind parked cars, sometimes 3 rows deep. I wasn't sure how we were going to get out, but the common practice here among drivers is to leave your car in neutral. That way, guys like our friend Jason can move cars back and forth in order to get their car out. It's quite funny when you see a bunch of guys moving cars like chess players on a huge gravel chessboard. When Bruce originally told me that is how cars get out of what I would call 'parking jams,' I thought he was joking. Last night I saw that it indeed is true. Can you imagine leaving your car under a certain tree only to find that it's 50 meters down the track when you return? I have a hard enough time finding my car when I know the colour of the area I parked in and the section number.

Also, just wanted to say thanks to Stephanie (Zach and Zoey's mom). I received the package that she mailed to us in September and it came straight to our door. I only had to pay $.30 to get it (yes, that's 30 cents, not 30 dollars). I think that the Indonesian mail is all about patience on my end. The salt and vinegar chips were a special (and intact) treat...was just saying last week that I was craving them. Good things come in small packages!

Thanks for reading.

More address changes

Once again there are more changes to our address. I don't think that if you use the old one it will have any difficulty in getting here (although we are talking about Indonesian mail), but you need to change Lippo Karawaci to Lippo Village, and you now also need to add our province to the address. It's Banten-Indonesia. Please see the side bar for the complete address and it's changes.

Thanks for reading.

Pretzel Massage---not for the faint of heart or 'inflexible'

I love blogging! To know that when I have a thought or insight on something I can come home, write it out and have others that I know and love (and some that I've never even met before) share it with me. Sometimes something neat happens here and I wonder who would like to hear the story...this way, I can write it and you can pick and choose whether you want to hear/read it:)


There was an incredibly beautiful butterfly ('mati' or dead) on the sidewalk on the way to school this afternoon. I stopped to take a look and thought that it was too bad that Matthew wasn't with me. He would have really appreciated seeing it, being the nature/God's creation lover that he is. Wouldn't you know it, when I returned from school later what sat upon our piano but the same butterfly...out of hundreds of students that pass by that way, it was Matthew who picked it up and brought it home. I love how he loves life and creation!
Tris and I are waiting for friends to pick us up and take us to a basketball game in or near Jakarta, so it's my hope that in that time I can do a quick blog of our 'massage' adventure last night. For four months now we've talked of trying out a well-known foot reflexology place nearby and finally ventured in last night. The kids stayed home and Tris and I had the experience of a lifetime for 1 hour and 20 minutes. We went into an apartment tower and on the first floor, thru a hallway maze, we found a dark little room that was partitioned by dingy white lace curtains. Two men came out and we were directed to two side by side reclining chairs, almost like lawnchairs with cushions. Each of us had our own fellow massaging our feet and legs. Little did I know that the foot massage included my legs, arms, hands, shoulders, back and punching of my thighs. Yup, the guy folded me up very much like a pretzel (no, not the straight ones, the ones that look like glasses...), lifted my knees into the air so that my lower back was off the chair, and then literally punched the backs of my legs. They punch a lot when you get a massage here. The guy punched the bottom of my feet quite a bit, too. There's also this thing that they do where their hands are cupped together, so that when they hit it makes a slapping-popping noise, quite a bit like when you cup your hand and slap water in a lake. Very different. Not sure what the benefit is, but it seems popular in the massaging industry here. I noticed that Tris' guy wasn't quite so liberal with how he stretched Tris...I think I'll try that guy next time. Of the 3 massages I've had here now, this was definately the best one. We've talked of going back regularly, and for $6 a person there's no excuse not to! We're trying to get the kids to come for the experience, but they're not up to it yet. Maybe we'll send them with Grandma and Poppa when they arrive in December, except I won't let the guy doing the massage fold any of them into a pretzel. Guess I had better figure out the word for pretzel in Bahasa-Indonesia!

Thanks for reading.

A few photos of the last 2 weeks.

Life is, as I've said before, settling down a bit, and I think that is why we haven't taken as many photos. One can only take so many photos of the school and it's surroundings, and that's where we spent a lot of our time, especially Tris and the kids. However, we're just going to post a few photos of what's been going on lately in and around our home.

Last Saturday was the "big shopping trip" and a friend, Rebecca, and I found a great orchid place. We each bought one for $4 and the pot to put it in for another $3.50. Check out the orchid! What is crazy is that even though that seems incredibly inexpensive, a few others on the trip found an even better shop with even better prices...$2 a plant! The flower colours were wonderful. I found a few hydrangea bushes, white ones, but the way that 'foreign' plants have died in my yard I thought it best to stick to native species from now on.

A lot of effort has been put into the yard and the house as we're trying to make it as homey as possible, and now we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I bought 2 more cans of paint yesterday and hope to paint one more wall and the foyer. Once I finish that I am going to have to find a new project! One recent purchase that has added a great amount of warmth and hominess to our place has been of 2 rugs. They would have looked great in our old place as well. I guess once you have a certain taste and style it just doesn't go away, no matter where you live.

Tris and Matthew made me laugh the other morning, because I had a deja vue of years past, when Matt was a little kid. Both would stretch out on a carpeted area and Matthew would imitate Tris stretching. Now Matt is learning the how's and why's of stretching and is realizing the benefits of it all. Unfortunately, being 13 he wouldn't let me take a photo, so you get Matt's stocking feet and his uniform, but not his big smile. BTW, the rug came in handy because the house is entirely floored in tiles.

I wonder how many of you remember my husband 5 years ago...laying in bed, unable to walk and in a lot of pain all of the time. He had 2 back surgeries in 2003 and during that time I wondered if he'd ever be the same. Well, check out this photo (and check out the look on his face!) of Tris shooting some hoops. This is on a Sunday afternoon but he looks forward to playing basketball on Wednesdays after chapel (4 pm). Outdoor sports in Indonesia are not pretty...at least the players aren't. However, they may be drenched in sweat but the guys always seem to have fun. We're hoping that the kids will join basketball in January so they can run around just like their dad. Mom playing isn't even an option. I spent at least 30 minutes shooting baskets (attempting to) 2 sundays ago and if anyone was paying me per basket I'd be broke. Can't imagine playing under pressure!

Here's a photo of Abby and her mouse-trap machine. Not sure how it worked but it's a great shot of her and her invention!

That's it for now for photos. I'll try and take some more this weekend. I had an opportunity to taxi into Jakarta this Saturday (tomorrow) but I had to cancel; I'm hoping to try again next Saturday. We finally have a number of a driver and we'll check him out to see if he's okay. Once we do, I have free reign to drive into Jakarta and get him to stop whenever I see something of interest and 'photo-worthy.' I feel bad just pointing and shooting without asking around here, but in the city I can be a bit more discreet.

Thanks for reading.

Languages

There are a few things that we have learned here in Indonesia, and language is one of them. The kids are taking Bahasa-Indonesia in school and I am visiting Ibu Loana, the Indonesian wife of a retired (but never finished working) SPH school teacher, once a week for an hour. Tris is extremely busy and so he learns what he can through the kids and I, Sri, and sometimes just through circumstance. There are a few important things to note before visiting this country, and they are as follows:
*all 'c's are said 'ch.' For instance, coba, to try, it is said "choba."
*if you ask for ketchup, you will get soy sauce. Ketchup here is called saus tomat whereas soy sauce is kecup.
*important words to learn quickly are thank you (terimakasih), good morning (selamat pagi), good evening (selamat malam), and you're welcome (kembali OR sama-sama). Please has about 6 or more variations, depending on what you are asking for, so that has been a bit of a chore to learn. Silikhan means "you are welcome to do...(ie/enter, sit down)....please"; boleh means "may I?" and "tolong" means "please help me..." I think that if I was really stuck I'd just use tolong, but there are other pleases for trying something (coba), to request something (minta) and to invite someone to do something with you (mari). That's all I can remember, and although I remember some of them here, it's difficult to use them in the correct context when someone is staring at you, waiting for you to speak:)

It's been a fun challenge to learn the language, and not only do we get to learn Indo, we are also learning Aussie. Interpreting Australian is sometimes a feat in itself! The funniest one for me is the common "How are you doing?" except that it's said "How are you going?" which really took me for a loop for the first little while. I haven't actually heard anyone say "good'ay mate" but Abby's teacher was telling us how he and his wife and his maid went on a trip over the Fall Break. Knowing them, I thought it was odd that he'd bring his maid along, until I figured out, through context, that he meant "mate." That made MUCH more sense!

Apparently we have an accent, although Indonesians like Canadians because we enunciate our words well enough for them to hear and understand. Rarely have I heard a Canadian drawl, but there is a lot of 'eh's around. It's been said that our family says it a lot. I'm not so sure about that, but people do tend to mock my speech when I'm around. It would be great to have a Newfy show up here, eh?

I know that there's a lot of Aussie speech that I hear and chuckle over, but for some reason it's all left my mind. Maybe later it'll pop back, or maybe I'll get a refresher in the next few days and fill you in.

Just as I was in the middle of writing this blog, Dalenea showed up to drive me to the mall to buy more paint. While there we popped our heads into "HyperMart," the crazy store I've mentioned before, to check out the Christmas ornaments. They weren't so hot, but there were ornaments in Indonesia!! What got me was when, all of a sudden, the loudspeakers were blasting "here comes santa clause." I turned to her and started laughing, because there were tears in my eyes and I was crying over a Santa Christmas song. It wasn't even a good one like O Holy Night or anything. Every once in a while we get a "moment" and you just have to live it in for as long as it lasts, tears or no tears. It will sure be nice to have family here at Christmas time.

Thanks for reading.

The Countdown is On!

This week we've begun the official countdown until my parents (Jim and Bea) come for a 6 week visit. We're so excited! It's been great incentive to buy and hang shelves, photos and to get our guest room ready. Our house is a little small but we've been able to move things around and it's getting more and more to our liking. Tris and I are joining the teacher's choir and we'll probably perform when mom and dad are here. Unfortunately they'll miss Abby's handbell ensemble, but I'm sure there's some other Christmas "stuff" for them to see or participate in. I'm sure the first week will be quite the blur anyways, because it's a long, long plane trip here.

Yesterday marked our 4th month here. In a way that just flew by and in other ways it has been a very long journey already. In one month from today Abby turns 11 (my baby!) and in one month less a day school's out. In one month and 2 days we'll be in Lombok, which is an island beside Bali. Lombok is apparently a quiet, non-touristy place to visit so we'll have a lot of time to just walk, talk, play games with the family. I'm sure mom and dad will love it. With it being the rainy season, we have to take the weather in stride. Around here it deluges (only word for it) and then 15 - 45 minutes later it's all over, the air is thick with humidity, and we go about our merry way. I imagine that the sky in Lombok, like in Bali, will be bright blue and beautiful when the clouds are gone. Here near Jakarta the smog dims the beauty of the sky a bit. Sigh...I am so looking forward to the holidays!

Speaking of holidays, I have been pleasantly surprised by the Christmas "stuff" available here. Some of it is made in China, but if you have access to certain stores or bazaars you can get things that are homemade by various charitable organizations. A friend of mine just ordered a huge, L-shaped wooden Barbie house (with a roof!) complete with furniture for about $230 from an organization where the employees are all in wheelchairs. They spend hours crafting tiny little chairs and tables. This Saturday last I bought some bamboo angels playing instruments, and these were made by men and women in rehab. I'd rather spend my money on handcrafted items than the plastic things from the department and hardware stores here; it's nice to keep my money in the country rather than send it back to the States.

I'm on my way out the door to go and read with some grade 4s and 5s, but just want to solve a little mystery before I go. Tris received a note from immigration (in Bahasa-Indonesia, so difficult to understand fully) saying that they've confiscated a parcel that was sent to us because it contained Ibuprofen. Apparently it's not an approved item here...which is why we would have loved to receive it! So, if you sent us a parcel that had ibuprofen in it, it's here but it may take some time to get it out of customs. We have yet to determine just how it is that we are going to get it...sounds like we may need to have someone official sign for it or something. Whoever the mystery sender is, thank you! We appreciate anything from home and the thought that goes into the parcels is very special. I am determined to get that parcel out of customs!

Thanks for reading.

Lazy Sunday afternoon

It's our Sunday, your Saturday evening. Some of you will consumed with Northgate's conference (get it?) and others will be hanging out at home. Our Saturday night was not spent at church like we usually do. Instead we just hung out here, doing alot of nothing except eating greasy foods and watching videos. If you want a great idea of what it looks like where we are living, watch the old classic "Good Morning, Vietnam!". What an excellent movie. I especially loved it because I just finished reading a book called "River of Time" written by newspaper reporter Jon Swain. He spent some time in Vietnam during the war and in this book he gives his perspective on US involvement, other reporters, and the lives of various Vietnamese and Cambodian people. If you like history, especially from a biographical point of view, you may want to check out this book.

Saturday went well for us. Tris went in a small bus packed with teachers to Jakarta, where they spent about 6 hours listening to various lecturers and doing workshops about the IB program. I have a feeling that there were other things he'd rather be doing, but it went okay. Abby babysat for the first time, and she had her buddy Sophie along. The girls had fun and I felt better because one of my friends, Esther, lives on the same street that Abby was babysitting on. She had all 5 kids over to her house for lunch and Esther's children played with "Abby's" children. I was happy because I was a little uncomfortable being out of the village and not being available for Abby if anything went wrong. The good thing is that we do have a great bunch of people that we could call on if need be, so I really have no reason to worry. Matthew had a great day by himself, unwinding after a long week:) He watched videos, played Wii and skyped a bunch of friends. I had fun shopping; mostly bought Christmas presents. How do I get them back to Canada??? My hope is that YOU will come and visit me and I can give them in person. If that sounds like a bribe, it's just a little something I'm learning in Indonesia...

Last week I was riding with a friend and she did a u-turn. Not unusual here, but what she missed was the "no u-turn between so and so hours" sign. Unfortunately she was pulled over by a polisi and he wasn't about to let her go. She phoned an Indonesian speaking friend and he came to the conclusion that this was one of "those" situations. My friend wrapped a 50,000 rupiah bill in her hand and passed it to the polisi. As soon as he got it he dismissed her and we took off like a shot. Five dollars goes a long way here.

Travel is interesting here. Because Indonesia and many surrounding countries are made up of islands, plane trips are the norm. I had a few friends just "pop" over to Singapore this weekend to watch a play. Many people head over their as well to go to the doctor, gynecologist, surgeon, etc. The problem is that when you leave Indonesia you have to pay $100 each time, just to leave. Our school pays that 2x each year per person in each family, but if you leave more than that you cover the cost. Also, our roads are covered with toll booths. Admittedly, the 20 cents that you have to pay each time (approximately) is not much, but if you don't have the money you don't go through to the next jalan tol (toll road).

Random thought for you:
I just realized this morning that there's one more sound that we don't hear here that we always heard in Canada, and that's the sound of a kettle boiling. Every household has to buy a water dispenser and here they usually come with hot/cold options. Because we rarely drink hot drinks ours is turned off, but it must be pretty hot inside the tank because when I press the 'heat' button it only takes a few minutes to get to the boiling point.

This week I had the school maintenance guy come and turn down our hot water tank. My argument was that if the hot water was the only one on, it is so hot it would scald whoever was using it. I was amazed at the resistance I got from maintenance. I was asked why I don't just turn on the cold water first and then slowly add hot water? Apparently I was the first in years to request this and it was extremely odd. My second argument...our helper has to tote hot water from the bathroom to the kitchen (where there is no hot water) and if she was to even 1/2 fill the tote and spill it on herself, her skin would definately blister from the temperature. Third argument: it would be cheaper in terms of electricity if we were to turn down the temperature. Regardless of the resistance, our hot water is now cooler and all is well at the White house.

One final note: if you really, really miss our family and are hoping to drive by our old house and get a glimpse of it for memories sake, don't. Sounds like it's being revamped and those old memories will just not match the new look. However, if you DO drive by and have a camera, would you mind taking a photo and sending it to us? I'd love to see the look once it's finished.

Thanks for reading.
Aunt Sam..to see a photo of our new suv see "We have Wheels," Tuesday, October 21st.

New Contact Info

As of some time this month the name of our township has changed from Lippo Karawaci to Lippo Village. Apparently 15 years ago when the village was built it was called Lippo Village, but then Indonesian law dictated that all names had to be in Indonesian. The village was then called Lippo Karawaci until now, and so I'm asking any of you who have our address written down somewhere to change "karawaci" to "village" for when you post.

Today is the day of the "big shopping trip" where a bunch of us are riding a bus into Jakarta and its outskirts, shopping in all of the little outback places. Hallelujah, no malls! I'm not too sure what we're looking for but I'm excited nonetheless. Tris is headed into Jakarta as well for an International Baccaulaureate teachers conference (again) at the British International School (BIS). Abby is going to babysit one of my friend's three children (ages 5 and under); her first paying job! Fortunately my friend's helper Aaz (said "O-oz") will be there to watch over the bunch. Matt's just hanging; he loves to do that on Saturdays.

I hope that as we are starting our day and yours is just beginning to wind down that you are having a great start to a great weekend.

Thanks for reading.

The Perfect Pastor, the Perfect Church

Is there such a thing as the perfect pastor? When a man/woman signs up for the profession, should they take a course on how to meet the needs of each and every member of their congregation? What exactly IS the perfect pastor? Our experience is that there isn't such a thing, and thank the Lord because if there was we'd be living a deceptive walk. Our family has been here in Indonesia for 4 months, and we have found what we call our 'home church.' We tried about 6, some of which were awesome and some not so much. A few felt 'comfortable' but they didn't exactly teach all aspects of the bible that we have come to believe, study and follow ourselves. For example, we went to an incredible church where their outlook towards society, social justice, the Power of the Name of Jesus, worship, prayer (not corporate, mind you), the 4 main components of the gospel and such are preached. However, they don't teach on tithing and don't believe that it is biblical. Our personal experience has proved that no matter what, you give to God first, give a little more to missions/others/whatever, and your needs will be met. They may not be financial but God knows what we need most, and He sees, listens and responds accordingly. I realize the subject of tithing is controversial, but isn't being a Christian controversial?


I wish that we could take a little bit of this pastor and a little bit of that pastor here in Indonesia, a little bit of the "feeling" of this church and a little bit of the "spirit" of that church and combine them into what our family desires most. Even within our family of 4, there may be disagreement on that point. What do we desire in a church? The conclusion that I have come to about the church that we have just left (only because we've left the country...) is that no, it is not perfect, but it sure is lead by a strong, brave, committed leadership team. I realize that there are always kinks and flaws in any organization, but we sure were blessed by the church family that we were (and still are) a part of.

Take Pastor Scott for example. From what I've seen and experienced here, I sure hope that others back home realize what a gem of a pastor he is. Admittedly, he's not a hospital visitor, and I haven't seen him kissing very many babies (that's what Pastor Craig's municipal role is now...go Craig!) He hasn't been omnipresent at things like our past Good Samaritan Dinner or in the Free Store. Why? I think it's because he's a good leader, and good leaders delegate, trust those who have been apppointed or who have volunteered for the leadership role, and encourage those in said roles. As for the hospital visits, that's just not who God made him. I know enough about him that if he felt lead to go to visit someone, he'd do it, and he'd do it willingly. Pastor Scott is a visionary with a "go get'em" or "let's try it!" personality; pair that with his willingness to wait, listen and obey God's will, and you get what Northgate is today. Some may not like having to share him with other church (satellite) bodies, but that's where God has lead Northgate. As for his speaking, Pastor Scott is brave: he's not afraid to tackle issues that so many church leaders refuse to touch, such as homosexuality, sexuality, marriage, tithing, money, even discipline of one's children. Those can be touchy subjects, yet he tackles them, and I am proud of him that he does. He's ultimately not afraid to challenge his church family from the pulpit.

Why am I writing all of this? Nobody put me up to it. I have just been thinking on these things for a while, especially the last month when it was Pastor appreciation month. We miss our church family. We miss the worship. Matthew misses youth. Abby misses the sermons (she said the other day when we visited a Sunday morning church "I'd like to stay and listen to the sermon, even though I know it's not going to be as good as Pastor Scott's"). Tris and I miss Pastor Craig's sense of humour and Pastor Scott's bad jokes (Tris likes them...peas in a pod); we miss Pastor Ken's wisdom and Eunice's encouragement. I miss having my pastor's wife next door where I can visit, if only for 2 minutes across the lawn, and encourage each other each day. I miss Shanda's fervent prayers. We are learning to appreciate what God has provided for us here, and honestly, it took us 2 years before we REALLY felt like Northgate was our family. We realize it will take time here. However, it's unfair to the leadership of our church now, because although we try not to compare, they have some pretty big boots to fill, in our eyes.

Again, why am I writing this? Because we've been away long enough to see with hindsight and with a new perspective what we were a part of. We were blessed to grow along with Northgate, blessed to go through it's labour pains alongside the leadership, and are blessed to continue relationships we grew while we were in Canada. Please pray for us while we're here that we would be able to connect to the ministries God would have us a part of while we're here, and that we wouldn't just 'take something on' because it's a good idea. Life is full of good ideas but they aren't always meant for us.

By the way, I just want to mention that the admin staff at Northgate rocks!

Thanks for reading.

Wednesday already!

Well, it seems these blogs are getting fewer and further between. That's not necessarily because we're busy; rather, it's because we're just doing each day and nothing terribly exciting has happened. Just to fill you in on what's going on around this house:


*on Sunday Tris and Abby went on a date to the mall to buy some sports equipment. While they were there they bought a Christmas cd for me. We were listening to it tonight (yes, it's 30 degrees outside and we're inside listening to Christmas music in November) and Tris had a very sad thought. He realized that this Christmas Eve we will not be driving up Mount Washington and he will not be playing guitar for the Christmas Eve service. Our family had a very sad moment at the dinner table, and then the kids started reminiscing about Christmas Eve with the Gaglardi kids. Memories are precious.


*Our sofabed is here, so you can come for a visit! It's pretty big, but the option was a teeny-tiny Indonesian-sized couch, so this one is the North American version. Literally, we got the original model "super-sized."


*Life is so different here. We've walked so much that i've worn out the soles of my Naot sandals...similar to Berkinstocks. I'd buy a new pair of shoes but so far it's been very difficult to find any. Most shoe sizes only go up to about an 8, if you are lucky. Indonesian feet are so small! Thanks, Dale, for ordering 2 new pairs of sandals...in a month I'll have some new shoes if I don't find some here. As for our car, we have had it for a few weeks and have 342 km on it. In Courtenay we'd have that racked up in a day!!!


*Last night I had a major brain-fart and had a great idea: I'd phone mom and dad! Well, unfortunately, they weren't home, so I'd assumed they must be out eating dinner together on a date or something. I left a message and then phoned my wonderful friend, Ruth Fox. Wasn't I surprised when she answered "Heeelllloooo?" in a 'middle-of-the-night" voice. Yup, it was almost 5 in the morning, and I not only woke up Ruth, but I managed to wake up mom and dad as well. Somehow I got my times out of whack. I'm so sorry mom, dad and ruth, but it sure was nice to talk to you:)

Not a terribly exciting post. No explosions, no rats, no snakes. The mold came back in a different spot on our ceiling but that was taken care of again today. I went to the mall today and bought 2 red candles and 2 fake mini-wreaths to go around them. Christmas is coming, and that's exciting! My mom and dad should arrive on 12 Dec, and school's out 17 December.

Thanks for reading.

What a day and it's only 11 am!

Today is a day off of school for the kids but a professional development day for Tris (unfortunately so is Saturday, too). Of course you want a little fun and excitement on your day off so Janet Weeda, another Janet and myself piled our 9 kids into 2 vehicles and headed toward the closest nice beach. It should have been about a 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive in nice weather. Ours was cut short because we ended up turning around near the end of the drive...the rain and thunder was thick, loud and rather intimidating when you're driving in it. So we didn't get to the beach but we did picnic in the car and did get to see some mountains, rice paddies and carabou (not sure how to spell it in Indo), as well as workers with their round, pointed straw hats sludging through the mucky fields. For me, the mountains were worth the drive, even in the rain.

These are the two Janets, trying to decide if we drive onward or turn around. Look at the sad umbrella I threw at Janet Weeda to use in the rain...some protection!!!

Our final decision was to drive back to my house, rearrange the cars (ie/ park mine in the driveway and the others head to the mall while I have a nap) and continue on with the fun day. As soon as we all piled out of the cars Ibu Sri came out and said "Mrs. Kim...snack!" "Please help, snack!" and I was thinking huh? Why is she so excited over food? Well, again, things do get lost in translation. I came in and looked where she was pointing...at an ular, or snake, in the main floor bathroom. What was the most exciting part about this particular moment was that my friend Janet W had JUST left the same bathroom where she'd used the facilities and of course, had the door closed while doing so. This means that she was in a tiny cement-tile room with the door closed, and the snake was sharing the space with her.

Sri called outside to two street sweepers and they came in with a big stick, which they attempted to kill the snake with. Unfortunately it wasn't a very strong stick and it bent alot. Thank the Lord that the gardener had left his tools out in the front yard. The men used these to kill the snake to "partially dead" (you know, like on Princess Bride) until they got it outside. There they killed it completely. It wasn't a terribly large snake, nor was it poisonous (we didn't find this out until about 20 minutes after the killing), but it was in my house uninvited. It's one thing to have an open door policy with your friends; this snake took this just a little bit too far.

The snake is the long brown thing in the front; the stick that 'mostly' killed it is the brown thing in the back. These are our hero snake-killers.

Apparently poor Sri had seen the snake under our fridge 2 hours earlier and somehow chased it into the bathroom (down some stairs...can they climb up???). Last night our power went out and I had to go outside to flick a switch around 3 am so our air conditioners would power up again. I wonder if that was when he got in? From now on I am pretty sure that unless the power is out, I will be flicking on all lights as I venture downstairs in the middle of the night. What is kind of funny is that we have black cords laying all around our computer area (various reasons) and when I walk over them I give them a little kick to see if they're alive. Needless to say, I've been typing most of this with my feet on my desk chair.

I just had a very lovely treat...Eugene Graham skyped me while he was at Northgate worship practise, and I got to see and talk to Naomi and Rebecca. I have a big smile on my face now:)

Thanks for reading.

Boy, it seems like forever since I've written. Nothing terribly exciting has happened around here (once Tris got home from Tokyo) so I guess I've just put off until I've had a few thoughts to jot down. Tris came home Monday night and we were so happy to see him! His opinion of Tokyo is that he'd love to live there for a year or so to explore the area but it's probably one of the most expensive cities in the world. The city was clean but it was a city, full of people. We had a surprise for him when he came home: I'd painted our main living area green-brown. It feels more like a home and to be honest, I felt a little more like me when I was able to slap some paint on the wall. My friend Dalenea helped me out and between the two of us and a 3 month old we painted 2 walls and spray painted my brass (blech) curtain rods. Matthew was especially happy because one of his biggest complaints is that this house is too white, and doesn't have nearly the same character as our Copperfield Road home. Tris brought us each a little something, and mine was a watercolour print. We'll get it framed and then probably put it up in our room. It's funny how we change over time because years ago one of my grandparents (can't remember which one) had something similar in their house and I thought it looked old and grimy. Now I love the look of these prints!

For those who plan on staying with us...we've bought you a bed! It's a sofa pull-out bed, one that is closer to the floor than a Canadian bed, but it's more comfortable than that old pull-out we used to have. No metal bars sticking you in the back! Apparently it will be here in 4 days: the factory has to cover it in the material we've picked. I have to tell you the price because it's outrageous...2.1 juta, which is about $230 (with the exchange rate change...I think). For a couch that pulls out! Unbelievable! We waited years for a new couch for years and when we finally got some they were $750 second hand (and the original owner paid hugely for them...gave us a great deal); they were wonderful and cozy though, weren't they? Sigh...

There are a few things I've been thinking about and are interesting to me regarding how life is just 'different' here. Here are a few examples for you:

*when you get out of the shower you don't really care if the towel you are drying off is dry because it's just as warm as the shower...we've never experienced "cold towel" here.

*teeny tiny ants crawl around on our kitchen counter, and eventually you learn to just squish them and continue on what you are doing. Ants happen.

*hair and nails grow really fast here. Seriously, no joke. Must be the greenhouse environment!

*1 hour all-body massage: 61,000 rp (maybe $7). Tris went on Tuesday night and decided it's a once a week thing. We're excited for when people come because we hope to direct our company at least once a week to a massage. You CAN hire someone to come and do manis and pedis as well as massages at your home, but I think it would be kind of weird having some stranger in my room (for the massage). Maybe now that we have the sofa we'd consider it. I think half the fun is getting out of the house, mind you. A note on massage: when I went a few months ago for a wonderful body massage at "Jamu" in Jakarta, it was a great but kind of weird experience. Two things (negative) that I remember is that 1: I really had to pee near the end of the hour and she wanted to give me a 'stomach massage'. Uh, I don't think so. Thankfully I knew how to say "tidak" (n0). 2: The masseuse (okay, we can't get away with calling them massage therapists, so yes, masseuse) straddled the back of my legs so she could really get at my back. Yup, that was an awkward moment for me. The 2 positive things about the place? The atmosphere was incredible. All of the places in North America that have that 'cracked cement wall' look and the soothing sounds in the background just don't have the authenticity of these places. The smell, look and sound are truly unique and 'earthy'. The second thing that was memorable, other than the wonderful massage itself, was the drink that they give you afterwards. No one really knows what's in it, but it almost tastes like the smell of Frangipane. I think that Frangipane is what heaven is going to smell like.

*transporting goods is just not the same here. If you want a few metal pipes, a few bags of sand and maybe a 18 L jug of water moved from one neighbourhood to the next, you employ a few strong young men to do it. I guess some contractors don't own trucks and don't trust ojegs (moving anything by motorcycle is possible here...except anything larger than the bike itself).

Now, check out the calves on these guys...obviously they walk for a living! Whereas my friend and I will only walk before 9 am, these young guys have to walk in the heat all day to wherever their boss wants the goods. By the way, look at the background. We live in an absolutely beautiful little bubble in Indonesia, that's for sure. Everything is well-groomed and green. Unfortunately that is not the case for a lot of other areas of Indonesia. What is curious is that you can have huge towers of apartment blocks and businesses, and then RIGHT beside the tower, next to a fence dividing the two areas, is a bunch of little run-down plywood and metal shacks, very reminiscent of colonias in Mexico. If only I could have my camera on me at all times...

*sometimes living here in this beautiful environment isn't always "lovely.' Last night Matthew slept on our couch because his room was FULL of flying ants, or termites. He woke up this morning with a bunch of mosquito bites on his neck because he wasn't under the protection of his mosquito net. There are a lot of dead rats, toads and on the side of the roads because of the rain, as well. Kind of gross but at least they're outside!

Thanks for reading.

The World is busy!

I've just spent some time googling various new topics and am trying to catch up on the latest news. There's so much going on in this world and it's so hard to determine what's important to read. The latest news here is that the 3 Bali bombers are to be executed this month (apparently) to be shot to death on an unknown date this month, late in the night. This is a result of a new anti-terrorist law that was passed in 2003 (and was applied retro-actively to the Bali bombings). In light of that I would like to ask that you pray for extra protection and peace over our family and just expats in general here. Not to alarm, but prayer is always good. Our God is good and He has a plan and purpose for our lives; we don't live in fear but we do want to be aware of the circumstances in which we live.

Before we delve too far and too long into things that we can fear in our lives, let's look at some interesting things that have come up in our lives in the last few days. My best friend is still in Tokyo and we really miss him. Thankfully we've been able to skype quite regularly; I couldn't sleep this morning and went on the computer to do some work at 5 this morning...Tris was just heading out the door when he noticed that I was online...so we got to say good morning. That was a treat. There are a few things that Tris has enjoyed about Tokyo compared to Indonesia and they are:
*the city is very clean
*Tris hasn't been gawked at; in fact, no one really even pays attention to him as he walks down the street. If you come to Indo, be prepared to be stared at, possibly pointed at, and for sure laughed at now and then.
*the cars are QUIET...no honking at every move.
*the air is cool.
So far that's all I've got for you. Maybe if you want him to write a blog post you should let him know because he's not succumbing to the pressure I'm putting on him. Maybe I should start a petition.

Today I was walking down Palam Raya Boulevard, the main road through Lippo Karawaci, and I was enjoying the beauty of the area. I was trying to look at it through a photographer's eye when I noticed one of the main reasons for the beauty (other than the winding road and canopying trees): there are no telephone or electrical lines!! What a difference it makes in the landscape.

I have made a "let's watch videos and eat crap" dinner for tonight: fried potatoes, chicken nuggets, rice crisps, cha-chas (like m&m or smarties but made here in Indo)...the only colour is in the cha-chas. I thought of adding carrots but realized it would be a waste of time...Sometimes a mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. Normally we head to church with the Comries but tonight they're up in the mountains (read envy there) and with Tris not here, we're going to go to church with the Weedas tomorrow morning. That is why, without Tris here, we've decided to have a really lax evening...which, by the way, Tris would enjoy wholeheartedly.

The kids are eating all the nutritious goodies without me and so I must go.

Thanks for reading.