What do you DO all day?

This summer I was hanging out with my baby brother, Tyler, and he asked me a very simple yet extremely difficult to answer question. We were talking about life in Indonesia, and he asked me "what do you do all day?" I stumbled over the question a bit and then we were interrupted, and the answer to that question has haunted me since. What DO I do all day? What does ANYBODY do who is unemployed in a foreign country, has a helper (ok, I admit, she's a maid...call it what you will) and a part-time driver, a pre-teen and a teen who are becoming quite independent, and who no longer has permanent access to a sewing machine but has a great mac computer?? I've thought about it over the last two months, and although I can't give a day by day analysis, this is what I do in a week, or at least in a month. Please note, what I DO and what I aspire to are sometimes two completely different things. In point form:

*in the early morning I use the time given to me (I KNOW I will look back at this in the future and sigh) to work on a bible study. Never in my life have I had the time to sit, read and write like I do in the mornings here. Note: while I do this, my family is getting ready, but with the kids' ages and their wearing uniforms, my morning input consists of "have you got your lunch?", "brush your teeth!" "deodorant???" and "I love you. Have a great day."

*by 7 am I am up and usually meeting someone for some form of exercise, whether it's a walk, tennis or bike riding. The best thing we ever brought to Indo is our bikes, and although there are few places to ride, having them is much more convenient than walking and healthier than driving.

*often my mornings consist of: tidying so our helper can get to the dirt more easily; computer work (either editing for World Vision, preparing something for Karawaci Ladies, answering questions directed to me because of our blog or just because of the fact that we have now lived here for over 2 years); computer fun (blogging, checking emails/facebook, finding recipes, reading other blogs, skyping); meetings for Karawaci Ladies, bible study or SPH (although now that the kids are in middle school the amount of meetings i have to go to has dwindled); grocery shopping with my helper (sometimes); language study (which has involved homework since I've decided to get more serious); self-appointed chores (anywhere from sewing on buttons to painting a room); and of course, there's always time for friends.

*my afternoons consist of (ok, gotta stay honest here...): naps. Yup, sometimes I nap. Now that I'm feeling significantly healthier than I have for the past 1 1/2 years I do this much less, but the nap is there if I need it. I also garden periodically, although I tend to save this for the weekends. Right now it's pretty mushy outside and so I garden when it's dry. As well, I've been working on home improvements lately, which can be anything from planting new plants or trees, scraping paint off the floors from previous tenants, painting a room, redirecting outdoor pipes so that water won't lift the paint, to rat & ant proofing our home. Most weeks I bake at least twice a week, sometimes more if the baking was a hit, and I like to try a new recipe at least once a week. Periodically I plan an event like Thanksgiving dinner for a large group, etc, and I do this during my quiet afternoons. Once a week I meet with 2 women and we practice our Indonesian (one already speaks it as a second language and is learning more vocabulary as she teaches us the grammar) for about 2 hours. Once a week I meet with a young woman who has asked that I act as her mentor/accountability person/friend (the last one comes easy). I work on my bible study homework, either stuff I am preparing for others or the homework that has been assigned to me. Typically after school I do pilates on Tuesdays, go to the slums with Abby either Wednesday or Friday, and sometimes meet Tris at the gym on Wednesdays (any time I mention the gym read: I go and work my arms, check my phone, drink water, chat with other gym goers, sit on the bike and sweat because the a/c isn't that strong).

There are many cracks in between all of these events, and sometimes I get to fill them with tea with friends, a day of shopping or exploring in and around Jakarta, a trip to the local morning market or, once in a blue moon, I lock myself in my bedroom, turn on the a/c and read a good book.

As a family, our evenings are pretty lax when they're not filled with homework. Mondays we have specifically taken off in order to make sure that the kids get their week started properly. Tuesday Tris and I are presently leading a Love and Respect group with attendees ranging from dating to being married 2 months, 8 months, 9 years and 18 years...the latter is us and we're the old guys in the group. Wednesday Tris and I have committed to a bible study from our church (International English Service or IES) which is held in our taman (neighbourhood) and which we are thoroughly enjoying being a part of. Thursdays are for wrapping up the week and making sure that the kids are prepared for whatever is coming up the next week. Fridays the kids go to their own bible study and Tris and I hang. Saturdays and Sundays have taken on a unique quality all their own and each one would be a blog post in itself.

It's weird putting into words what I do each day, and it makes me realize that although I am not a teacher (I get asked this question regularly...do I look like a teacher?) or any other label of employment for that matter, I still maintain a productive and not just 'busy' lifestyle. It is my wish that some day I will have some marketable qualities that look good on paper, especially because I can't see us living here forever and I'll eventually need a job, but until then, I'll keep on doing what I'm doing.