Idul Adha 2011

This year we celebrated our 4th Idul Adha weekend by staying at home and truly experiencing Indonesian life.  Of course, we threw in a bit of our regular routines and passions, all of which made for an excellent 5 day holiday of some work, some play, some challenges and lots of fun.  On my part, I spent the 1st day of my holiday painting our living room, in response to a challenge by a friend who wants to see blue walls by the time she returns to Indo from the US.  Blue walls are done!  Tris spent the day golfing, and the kids with friends.

 On Saturday we headed to the beach (all except Matthew:  he stayed behind and slept, recuperating from last week's 3 day Spiritual Retreat) where it was windy and wavy.  The force of the wind blew all our cares away and we just laid there, ignoring the fact that back at home were a few chores to finish up and some school work to tackle.  It was early to bed Saturday night as we had to get up early the next morning.  We were to meet with an Indonesian family in their village, and they were going to take us a few doors down to their local mosque to witness the Idul Adha sacrificing of a few cattle and goats.

It has taken some time for us to gather up "family courage," but we did so, and watched the animals being led to their death, killed (I didn't look), and finally, prepped for further distribution to the poorer members of surrounding villages.  This happens every year to thousands of cattle/goats/sheep in Indonesia in commemoration of the Muslim story of Ibrahim preparing to sacrifice Ishmael (in biblical view it's Abraham and Isaac).  I don't think I ever need to see this again, but it gave me a greater understanding of what goes on around me in the country that I live in.  It was also a great experience to walk around the village with someone who lives there, and to share a light meal with them.  Later on we headed in 2 cars to the primate zoo (in Ragunan) where the friendliest primates I've ever seen live.  If I could have, I'd have stuffed the little orange orangutan ("forest person") into my bag and brought it home, it was so incredibly adorable.  Unrealistic, yes, but it's every little child's dream to own a cute primate of some kind, and the little girl in me just sneaked out for a bit.

On Monday Tris headed to the golf course early to practice a bit for today's golf tournament, Matt slept until mid-morning, and Abby and I headed to one of our favourite shopping areas everyone calls Mangga Dua (Two Mangoes).  It's really a shopping district full of 6-story malls, but the area in that district is also referred to as the same.  Usually traffic there and back is quite packed, but we whisked there in less than an hour and thankfully, after an unusual 5 hours of shopping (usually we give ourselves 3) we flew home even faster in under 30 minutes.  That's quite unheard of in normal traffic, so we were feeling pretty blessed.  While there I bought cheap watches (yes, mine broke already and Tris' is too big for his wrist) and Abby found soul-satisfaction in her patchwork pants (think "I Dream of Jeannie" crossed with a Thai & batik'd quilt), Korean purse and other treasures her heart didn't know she desired until she saw them.  I didn't buy much but it was fun to show the 2 friends we brought along all of the neat shops and stops, and to discover new ones as well.

Today was a golf tournament (which donated almost $500 to the Karawaci Ladies medical fund!) that Tris participated in and I sold raffles at.  The kids were busy practicing their dances for Bulan Bahasa (Matthew) and Spiritual Retreat competition (Abby).

The highlight of our weekend?  Hanging with Indonesian friends and colleagues.  We saw a lot and got a lot done, but it was time spent learning more about this country and the people who live in it with us that made it a really enjoyable holiday.

Thanks for reading.

Canadian Thanksgiving 2011

 Over 3 weeks ago now, we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with a few other families, complete with turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, veggies, salads, and lots of wonderful desserts.  The newest family arrived in their Canadian t-shirts (red and white of course) and our family had a chuckle, because that's what we did our first year here as well.  Although I really (really) miss family during this time, it was a great dinner just getting to hang with people that ironically, in such a small community, we don't get to see that often.  It's the same everywhere you live...life gets busy, you get into your regular routine, and you miss opportunities to get together with other families.  What's really strange for me is that at this particular event, Tris and I were the 'older couple'.  It's hard to get out of my head (where I'm 34 and always will be!!) that although I used to be a member of the younger crowd, those days are p ast, and my kids are closer to that stage than I am!!  Children at this dinner ranged from a few months old, to old-times Matthew and Abby (Matt hadn't turned 16 yet).

Living in this international community brings us another opportunity for turkey, gravy and fellowship once again in late November.  This next one will be a lot larger, with way more food to choose from, and even more people to catch up with.

Can't get any cozier!

the men just wouldn't snuggle into a cozy group photo!

Matt & Abby 

Mock U.N.: Palestine & Page

 This morning I woke up late and when I walked out of my room there was this stranger in my home, packing up Matt's school bag and looking as if he was going to work in a Jakarta office building.  After taking a closer look I realized it was my son, dressed in his brand new pin-striped suit.  First suit ever!
Of course I had to drag him into the yard to take a photo, on the  pretext that his grandmother would never forgive me if I didn't update her on this most important occasion.  Wouldn't you know it, she called about an hour later and when I told her about the new suit, she asked "you took a picture, right?"  As an aside, to the left of Matthew are some pineapple plants that I just discovered...I knew the plants were there, but it wasn't until the rains came that I discovered the plants were fruit-bearing.
Anyways, back to the suit.  Matt and Tris went out last Monday night and purchased it for today's Mock United Nations.  A few weeks ago, for his Speak Up club, he was assigned the role of representative of Palestine.  Since then he's had to research and develop an argument on his position regarding Genetically Modified Foods as well as on the abuse of domestic workers working abroad (or something like that.  There's a specific term for that but it's too late and I can't think of it).

It was really interesting to go and listen to kids from a variety of schools imitate the United Nations.  They had to answer attendance when their country was called..."present and voting...", they had to address the chair only, speak in 3rd person, and never answer a question with a question.  Thats what I remember.  There was o so  much more going on, and it was interesting to see the kids working within the rules and structure, having to use their research to back up their arguments, and to think on their feet whenever confronted with a question they hadn't considered beforehand.

Abby also participated in the event as a page.  She and a few other grade 8s would silent walk around the room collecting notes from various countries, to pass to either another country or to the chair.  Notes had to be UN related only.  When it was time to vote on a resolution, the pages would have to watch the doors so that no one entered or exited.  It was neat to watch.

Matt and his buddy Eric were in it together (Eric represented Chile...in his new suit jacket).  In this photo Matt's really impressed that his mom is taking photos of him....it's my job and my prerogative.

In this final photo Matt is standing at the podium as Palestine, defending his right to vote.  I think it's probably the first time he's spoken publicly, aside from class speeches, and I think he did well.  He looked good doing it, regardless!

Today, Mock U.N, tonight a sleep over at the school for student council.  Tomorrow Tris and the kids are off to their monthly visit to an orphanage just outside of Lippo.  I think tomorrow afternoon will be one LONG nap....


Thanks for reading.

A Wonderful Part of Indonesian Life

She's back!  Our helper, Ami (Ah-mee) has returned and our routine has fallen nicely back into place.  It's funny how time and circumstance can change someone's mind, even someone as stubborn as I've been told I can be.  It took me over 2 years to actually agree that the idea of having a helper (nice name for maid) was ok, and then last year I began to appreciate how Ami really does keep this place extra nice and running extra smooth.  There were days when I was feeling too ill to do much other than get dressed, eat, do a few errands and then have a nice long nap.  During that time she'd clean the house, do the laundry and get dinner on for 5:30.  In Canada I'd wash or vacuum the floors once or twice a week (daily in the kitchen, even less than once a week in the not-so-used rooms), whereas because of bugs and rodents here, the floors need to be cleaned daily.  In the warm, dry  months I'd hang my laundry, something I considered a real treat, but mostly we used our dryer.  Here it is done daily, with no access to any kind of dryer (although if you place items that you need quite quickly in front of the a/c fan, they dry within an hour!).  During Indo's rainy season, most items need to be ironed just to get that last bit of dampness out.  In Canada, our family just made sure that we didn't buy too many clothing items that needed to be ironed, or we just wore the wrinkles out during the day (I'll credit Tris for that idea).

While Ami was away, our family worked together to keep the house up to par, which included dishes ALL the time, wiping floors, sweeping, cleaning bathrooms, folding & ironing laundry, and making meals.  I think that my family sighed a unified breath of relief when Ami showed up on Monday, because now that school has started, homework takes priority and our house would probably end up a little chaotic.  Usually I'm around and during those times we haven't had a helper, or she's been on holidays, I've maintained well enough.  Lately though, I've been able to take on some opportunities that require me to be out of the house from 6:30am to dinner time, and so coming home to a sparkling home, with laundry folded on my trunk and food cooking in the oven is a wonderful treat.

I'm pretty sure that when we are directed back to Canada (or wherever), it'll be unanimous that the one thing we'll miss most is having a helper.  It's a blessing that we have such a good one, and I need to remind myself of that when my expectations get higher than reality can provide.

Thanks for reading.

Quiet Jakarta

School has started, my helper is on holidays for another week, and today I had the house all to myself.  Usually I crank music (well, in the distant past) and clean, but today, I scrubbed, mopped and folded in complete, lovely silence.  Even the outside help, the village-hired street sweepers and yard maintenance ladies haven't returned from their holidays yet, and it's so quiet around here.  Ramadan ended with Idul Fitri last week, and during the week surrounding Idul Fitri everybody goes away, either back to their village or typically, if you are an ex-pat, off to somewhere that is NOT Jakarta and the surrounding area.  Tris and I, we hung around our village and thoroughly enjoyed the quiet.  Last Monday, while the kids were still at camp, we headed into Jakarta and into the 'old city' of Batavia (Old Town).  Unfortunately, because it was a Monday, the day of the week that many things are closed, we weren't able to visit any museums or anything, but we did visit the old Dutch part of Jakarta, one of Jakarta's Chinatowns (Glodok), and the docks.  While at the docks we sat in the car and ate our lunch.  Although it was still during the time of fasting, we weren't so much respecting the Muslim tradition as we were trying to enjoy our surroundings without being obvious.  Apparently where we were isn't really all that safe a place to just hang out, so we kept a low profile.

What was incredible about the day trip is that we really were gone only 5 hours, but we drove through more districts (some more than once as we tried to become 'unlost') in those 5 hours than we typically could in 3 days.  It was a great way to gain a new perspective on how the city is laid out.  Sadly, the people are slowing trickling back into the city and into our village, traffic is once again becoming congested, and day trips into the city from Lippo Village will probably consist of one district per trip.  It's nice knowing that there are at least 2 days a year where one can drive into and around the city of Jakarta, get lost, find one's way again, and still make it home in time for dinner.

301 Posts: Time to Update!

It's a good thing when you're too busy to blog, because it means that you are, well, busy.  I like being busy, depending on how to define the word.  To me, it means not waking up and wondering "I wonder what I can do today" and instead wake up thinking "excellent, first I will meet with this person, then I'll go there for a bit and do that errand, and then I'll tackle this project at home or cook/bake that...."  For all of my children's lives, up until living in Indonesia, I've taught them that you can't be bored, you're just being boring (need to use some imagination, get creative, find something to do!!).  That changed when I got here.  I got bored.  Many times.  You can only paint so many rooms, bake so many cakes (then later find out that those cakes are poisoning your body and now you need to learn how to make new versions of those cakes), and study so many pages of language or whatever the study of choice is for the week.  After 3 years of living here, I finally feel established.  I do things.  I'm beginning to have a better understanding of what I like to do, what I'm good at, and to be able to admit those things I'm not good at.  It's been stretching living here, but it's all good.  Right now we're on holidays (Lebaran) and have days of plans ahead.

The kids have headed off to Ruff Camp, which is being held in the 1000 Islands.  Trivia for you:  these aren't the same 1000 Islands that the salad dressing is named after, at least that's what we've heard.  Tris and I have 4 kidless days ahead of us, and we're kind of just wandering around our house trying to figure out where to start.  Is this what it's like when empty nest sets in??

Time of departure was 6:30 am and so at 6:31 we were waving goodbye to a carload of kids. At 8:00 Tris and I headed off with 2 other families to an orphanage that our family goes to about once a month (we're on a rotational schedule).  My favourite part of our morning at the home was when a little guy, Aditya, stood up, looked around, saw that my legs were crossed in sitting position and unattended, and came and plunked himself into them.  After a few moments he grabbed each of my arms and wrapped them around his little body.  And I was worried I might overstep by side-hugging the little ones.  These guys are used to visitors coming in and loving on them, and I can't think of a better perspective for them to have:  hey, you're here to love me, wrap your arms around me and let's sing together!

Thanks for reading.

Settled Once More

We're back.  In Indonesia, I mean.  It was a full, fun, short 6 weeks (5 for Tris) in Canada, but we're glad we went.  I can't imagine NOT returning to Canada at least once a year.  Not returning in those first 2 years was very, very difficult for me.  This time, as noted earlier, we went on a road trip, so those 7 days used up some of our 'normal' visiting time, yet we were able to see my brother Darren and his wife Chrystal in Red Deer, Tris' cousins in Calgary, and our friends Jamie and Sheldon in Idaho.  It was a beautiful, sunny trip through the Rockies that our family will never forget.  Thanks to those of you who fed us and put us up for a few days:)

This time, while in Canada, we tried to keep it low-key.  When asked "so what would you like to do?" we usually responded, "sit and visit".  Mostly we just sat on back decks, back porches, couches and in restaurants, and visited.  It was just like we wanted.  Time and circumstance always take a few things away, and we weren't able to go fishing or canoeing, but the way we see it is that we did travel 7000 kilometers in our van, and you can't do everything.

Tris left one week earlier than the kids and I, and while he was getting his classroom ready for school, he was spending his home time preparing our new place for us.  He got our cable hooked up, internet ready, and he unpacked almost every one of the 60 plus boxes we had shoved into one of the bedrooms of our new home.  Between him and Ami, our helper, our house was almost perfect when we walked in the door.  Of course, by us walking in the door, perfection occurred as we were back as a family again.  I must admit, I have "rearranged" perfection since then, and made a few things a little easier for me to find.  When we said yes to moving into this new home, I had only seen it twice, and really didn't know what I was in for.  This place is absolutely wonderful.

There are things in my life here in Indonesia that I just accepted because of our circumstance, like having to fetch hot water for dishes from the main floor shower. We now have hot water in our kitchen and in our bathroom sinks.  We also have a great kitchen that looks out over a nice, tropical garden, and I have enough drawers in my kitchen to successfully store and eventually FIND any of my cooking or baking tools.  There are a lot of bonuses to this house that are well-suited to our family of 4, 2 of whom are teenagers.  It was the landing at the top of our stairs that sold me on moving into this house, and now the kids are using it just like I had imagined.  It holds our big desk, a sofa bed, and a lamp, and it has become "The Pad".  It's a real treat to know the kids are upstairs hanging with their friends while we are downstairs watching a video.  Before, whenever kids came over, Tris and I would usually hang out in our bedroom and watch a movie on his computer.  This wasn't a problem in any way, but it's now a treat to be able to watch the big screen while the kids make their noise upstairs.

It really is good to be home, although it's amazing how quickly I began to miss my Canadian family and friends.

Thanks for reading.