My favorite discoveries of 2007

(It's New Year's Eve!)
Favorite Song Title: I'd Fly to the Moon by Adjoa Skinner
Favorite Movie: Frankie and Johnny
New item at the grocery store: Grape Jam!!!
Most memorable battle scar: motorcycle burn

Going to Amsterdam for dinner! I'll let you know how it goes.
Then Scrabble, Skip Bo, Playstation at Branda's til after midnight!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Great Feats/Accomplishments

1) Wrote a 3 page paper in Indonesian!
2) Read it as a 10-minute speech for Charis staff/teachers (again, in
Indonesian!)
3) Learning to ride the motorcycle (burn survivor)
4) Hosted a party for over 25 (mostly kids!) in our small house
5) For Thanksgiving, with Ibu Tatik, baked pumpkin pies from scratch
- fresh pumpkin! And we got compliments, so it was good!
6) Ate sagu larvae (and, though with a major allergic reaction,
survived!)
? 3: Any new restaurants? Any new hobbies? Try something new and
discover you would rather not try again? Any good deals on "Black
Friday"?

Islands/Cities I've Visited (easy to find on a map)

1) Java - Surabaya, Malang, Jakarta
2) Bali - Kuta, Denpasar, Legian, Tabanan, Tanah Lot, Sanur,
Jimbaran, Ubud
3) Kalimantan - Banjar Baru, Banjarmasin, Pulau Kaladan, Batulicin
4) Sulawesi - Makassar (well, the airport at least)
5) Papua - Manokwari, Jayapura, Sentani, Kamur, Merauke, Wamena
? 1: Been working, lounging, ___ much? Any plans for Christmas/New
Years? Where are you now?

Modes of Transportation I've Experienced

1) Motorcycle
2) Becak (bicycle-pushed cart)
3) Ankot/mikrolet (mini-van public transportation)
4) Speed Boat
5) Float Plane
6) Taksi (blue here, not yellow or green)
7) Bus
? 2: How's traffic? Any recent outings?

This Christmas

We had the Gingerbread House contest. Here's the winning house!

We had a white elephant gift exchange with the 7th grade classes at
Kaylor and Donny's house. Here we are with the gifts we received!

And Donny and Kaylor in front of the school. The day after
Christmas, I went with them to visit the doctor for the 8th month
check up. We saw the hospital where the baby will be born and my
first live ultrasound too! It was so great to see the baby's
heartbeat!!! We could see her leg, too! Just by measuring her head,
they could tell how old she is (33 weeks); and by tracing her body,
she's about 4 pounds!

Turtle in the Bathroom

It's been raining the past 5 days.  My bedroom had been leaking from
the light - right onto the foot of the bed!   It's finally not
raining!  

The bedroom has french doors that open to the backyard.  So this
morning, Ibu Al opened all of the doors to the back yard and put the
mattress out to dry in the sun.   

I walked into the connecting bathroom to put my towel away, when
there I found a turtle on the floor!  The shell is probably as big as
my face.  I showed Ibu Al and she moved it outside.  I saw it's head
pop out for a bit. And now, I look - and it's comfortably in the
shade.  

Mio Sporty

I went with Pak Piet and Jimmy, his son. Bought my motorcycle today. We had to order it, so we'll get it in a week. It'll be black or blue.

Merry Christmas!

So Kaylor and Donny filled up my first stocking ever with an Arema (Malang's soccer team) shirt!  We ate chocolate chip pancakes and opened gifts at my house!  It was so fun to get letters and pictures from home!!!! Then we headed over to Faythe and Paul's house where, in a 5-hour power outage, we enjoyed candle light, games of Battleship and Phase 10, and an absolutely delicious brunch of quiche, turkey sandwiches, egg/potato salad, baked apples, and a gift exchange of something old, something new, something handmade and something sweet!  

Christmas Eve

Meet Donny and Kaylor! I've been hanging out with them almost every
day since living in the new house. We share helpers, so they come
over to pick up lunch and dinner. Usually, we eat together while we
watch Indovision cable!

They just celebrated their one year, wedding anniversary a couple
weeks ago and are expecting their baby girl in mid-February. They
love soccer, are plenty sarcastic and take great care of me, too!

This afternoon, about 5:30, Kaylor and I walked around the corner to
Tandon, the neighborhood store. I really thought it was summer!
Then, I remembered it was Christmas EVE?!?! That was the weirdest
feeling.

After the Christmas Eve gathering, they came over to watch Santa
Clause 3, but it's still messed up...

Here they are in front of the Menado (another island of Indonesia)
Christmas tree they put in my house! And you can't see it, but there
are manila envelope packages below the tree! 1 hour til Christmas Day!

The Weekend Before Christmas

Friday night, I came back from an overnight trip to Surabaya. We went to 2 Papayas (Found jet-puffed masrhmallows, Pop Tarts and Hershey's chocolate chips!), 3 ACE Hardware stores and 3 malls. The Samoffs stayed at the house all week. They had lit up the Christmas garland over the arch and Donny brought over his Menado Christmas tree made from a pole and fishing wire!

With the Charis Christmas party finished, Brenda had cleared out all of her bags and supplies for the giant gingerbread house. The house was finally back to normal so that Kaylor and I could get to the chest of Christmas decor. So, on Saturday, we sent up the bamboo figurines! Sunday night, I went to Donny and Kaylor's Christmas Sunday program. Gideon, Lydia and Goteng were all there! They all work at Charis with me. It was fun to see them all in action. They had a sleeping Santa Claus made out of Styrofoam. Oh! And I found one house with Christmas lights! And we ate fried rice from kaki lima (5 legs) aka the little carts that men walk up and down streets selling things. And we watched the first half of Santa Clause 3. Even though we rented it from the store, it was definitely a pirated version. The picture was tilted about 30 degree!

Katri

I went with Lidya and her husband Ayub to visit Ibu Katri. She has
breast cancer. The lump is the size of a softball. She's had it for
about a year now. It's swollen and, five months ago, it broke
through the skin. It's opened about an inch wide. I can see the
inside. Yet, when I saw her face, her smile is big and beaming! I
could she she was in pain and wanted to cry. But yet, how does she
still have hope and this joy?

Thanks Lori, Mom, and Lisa for the vaseline/non-stick gauze pads. I
received them towards the very end of my healing process, so I had
many left over. It worked out because I could give these and the
tape to Ibu Katri. She definitely needs it more than the trouble of
having made my own. When I finally saw her yesterday, they've
already used up all of the gauze. The gauze they have now is
basically like a cotton ball. It's painful for her to wear a shirt,
but keeping it covered with even a little gauze keeps it a whole lot
cleaner.

Lidya said before it was leaking puss and smelled badly. But
yesterday, ibu cleaned it right before we came. So there was no puss
nor smell. Hopefully keeping it covered helps.

Her son is scared to go back to the RT (village head) to ask for a
letter to go to the clinic. They don't have insurance here. He went
once and was turned down. The RT man is rich. He has his own car.
He's seen her situation. And all he said was that they could use the
car, but he did nothing else to help.

Hoping the son will have courage to go back to ask again, soon. And
hoping that this leader will be a lot more proactive to get her an
operation... at least to have a good doctor look at it.

2 and a half hours (one way): 30 minutes on the ankot, hour and a
half on the bus and another 30 minutes on the motorcycle - through
the rain and paddies. We were only with her for about 30 minutes.
And I didn't even have words to encourage her. All I could do was
hold her hand, smile and hope. It was a good Sunday afternoon.

Playground

today, Juliana and I went to "Playground" with the kids from
Polehan. It's less than 30 minutes by ankot (blue mini-vans used for
public transportation). The nearby kids water park/playground
consists of a giant McDonalds/ChuckECheese type jungle gym with the
pit of balls (what's it called?), slides and ropes you can climb all
over and the random "kiddie stuff" you'd find at a small water park...

the kids had a blast! It was fun to see them so excited and all
dressed up! we passed out 42 gifts: 2 colored pencils, an eraser or
pencil sharpener and a couple photos I'd taken of each child.

Imagine, 50 kids and their moms all had a fun day, all for less than
$25! I was telling Juliana, a day at Disneyland for one person is
$75... Man, how far the dollar goes in my reality.

Gefer and Andreas : The dramatic sheep

These boys are hilarious and full of smiles. Andreas reminds me of my brother when he was a kid and pictures of Frankie, my nephew. Is it just me? Even though they played sheep, from the first day through the end, they embraced their roles and made the whole production so much fun! I hope to post the video so you can see them in action! They were definitely comedic relief. They were always helpful, making the invitations, the paper chain and even their sheep masks! And Gefer stayed up all night with Petrus when they knew we were leaving at 4am. I will treasure my last image from inside the car. Little Gefer wore a red raincoat and walked next to Petrus, 15, flashlight and umbrella in hand. In the rain before dawn, they walked back down the rocky road surrounded by jungle. I felt like I was living a movie scene.

Merry Christmas = Selamat Hari Natal

Before: the mad rush to get ready. Pak Kursani helping to dress the kids for the play: shepherds, sheep, the king, and just enjoying the kids... After: enjoying blinking Santa hats and gifts! (Thanks Auntie Eileen, Uncle Leighton, Mom and Lori! Each kid got one pen, one pencil, 2 crayons, and 7 jelly belly sours!)

Part 1

The kids led singing, along with motions. They mced the whole program. And we started on time! Nearly 100 kids showed up, their moms, too! Shoes piled at the doorway reminds me of Asian-house parties back at home in L.A.

Backyard Fishing Hole

The morning of our Christmas program, our final day, the kids still had school. Some kids go to school from 8-12 and the rest from 2-5. They all go Monday through Saturday. This is literally just in the backyard behind the kitchen. And literally a hole in the ground. They caught nearly 20 fish. And yes, we ate it for lunch. And it didn't taste bad!

Art Invitations and Christmas Gallery

Our first day there, we were going to make cards. But because we were there, they moved their Christmas program from the 13th to the 11th. We had 3 days to create the whole production. We started with handmade invitations! And these kids could figure out how to make pop up cards just by looking at the sample! It was definitely a blast! Sunday morning, we created out art gallery. Kids painted their favorite Christmas Nativity characters! Their art gallery welcomed guests at the entrance of the Christmas program.

wishlist

What would you have on your wish list this Christmas?

- the new Jack Johnson CD (What are your favorite iTunes?)

- dried bing cherries from Trader Joe's,

- pictures/video of you celebrating Christmas (I've found one bridge with Christmas lights strung, and it's on a different island!)

Kids' Christmas art gallery and drama

Depart at 2:30 a.m. 6 hour drive on horrible roads. 3 days to
create the Christmas program. 100 handmade invitations.

Painting for our art gallery! Create the sheep and angel costumes
and decorations

Morning fishing in the backyard fishing hole!

Children's Christmas Program! 100 kids.

Campfire!

Leave the orphanage at 4 a.m. in the rain. Another 6 hour drive.

Definitely much fun.

Power

Of Thunder
The Samoffs came for a night. Their youngest is Billy. He's 2.
Last night, we had a thunder storm. He started crying for his mom.
Following his brave, older brother, Corey, he ran across the house in
his giant diaper. What was a fascinating sound to me scared this
little kid to tears.

Of Dreams

Of Life
Some days, it's a normal thing to walk. Some days, it really is a
miracle.
Some days, it's a miracle to walk on water. Some days, it's normal.
Some days it's normal to not have mosquito bites. Some days, it's a
miracle.
Some days, receiving a phone call is normal. Some days, it's a miracle.

Somedays, the simple things can most powerful.
a thunder storm
a dream
a hope
a mosquito bite
a word
a look
a thought
a moment
a choice

surrender vs. volunteer

Once you've surrendered, how much more can you give? If you
volunteer, you can keep giving.

41: Fellow inmates, now fellow believers

Parties!
Dec. 15 - Polehan kids Christmas party! Then a Cookie Decorating
Party at Brenda's
Dec. 18 - Decorations and invitations for the annual teacher & staff
Christmas party. Theme: Gingerbread Houses!
Dec. 22 - Party at Kaylor and Donny's
Dec. 25 - Christmas Brunch at Faythe and Paul's

Travel update
Moved to the new house, but the Internet has been down.
Leaving at 3 a.m. to visit an orphanage in Kalimantan. Returning
December 12.

Wesley International School Christmas Bazaar

This afternoon, Iin, Juliana and I went to the Annual Christmas
Bazaar at WIS. It was bustling with people. I haven't seen so many
people I know gathered at any single event! Teachers from my
language school, from Charis, from WIS, our helper and her family -
all in one place!

Outside, they had all sorts of food vendors. We walked into the gym
and the stage was fully decorated with a giant fireplace and numerous
Christmas trees! Christmas music was playing. Children were wearing
all sorts of Santa hats! Puppys for sale! Chocolate, books, music,
all sorts of handmade crafts: purses, quilts, stockings, aprons,
Christmas ornaments, Tupperware, too!

Spencer, I met Stephen today! Their family had a table for Christmas
photos and frames. I think we took 5 pictures there.

At Donna's table, Iin and I decorated cookies! After being broken in
half and a broken wing, yes, this angel is sad. C; But, it will
taste delicious!

Even though it's a hot day, it really felt like the familiar
Christmas fun! It was so much fun! Still, so spoiled!

space

Last night Kaylor and Donny came over for dinner. Tonight Juliana
came over for dinner and to watch a movie - ended up watching a
couple + a couple shows! And, instead of walking home at 9, she's
spending the night.

It's so funny to be in such a big house. The kitchen is clear across
the way from the TV/internet room - of course where I spend most of
my waking hours!

It's been a busy day. I haven't begun to unpack. But, I have plenty
of time to do so. And, I'm sure I'll be settled in by the time my
mom comes out to visit at the end of March!!!! YIPPIEE!!!!

A Bittersweet Moving Day

Are all moving days bittersweet? I didn't move around when I was a kid. But I have made plenty of friends who have, and who continue to do so.

Friends went home early this morning. We will meet back in California in July. This afternoon, I moved to house sit for them. A 5-bedroom house, though I'm not completely alone. Kaylor and Donny come over for lunch and dinners. And a family of 5 visit on the weekends. The school is across the street. Tonight, from across the street, I can hear the guards laughing and chattering away. 24-hour internet access, a month of free cable and even a bathtub. Simply spoiled.

Sunday Afternoon

See "One FULL House" Below

The Strategy of Card Stock

I brought just a few cards with me. No doubt those supplies were quickly used (It is a creative outlet for me, especially during homesick moments).

I found "buffalo paper" - a textured card stock at the nearby book store. And for Christmas in August, I received a ream of card stock.

After teaching for 2 months and taking art supplies up to the villages in Kalimantan, I had bought out the store's supply of colored card stock! So I went into my personal stash, only to learn that I should have saved a few sheets for my own creative outlet.

A couple months later, I received a ream from Christina (See "Yay Mail!"). This time, trying to ration what I had, I began by simply making cards for birthdays and baby showers here, Thanksgiving and a few fun things with Lina (See "Little Lina"). And I've already received 2 inquiries about custom cards!

Last week , I received another ream from my parents and began to think, "What am I going to do with all of this card stock!?"

We had Sunday's events (See "One FULL House") and used up most everything I had put out and dipped a little into my "reserve stash". I had learned that I needed to after the first experience and I am glad I saved a little chunk for myself this time.

Today, I received a ream for Lori! I am pleasantly surprised that Someone knew I would want to make more cards. That the option of colors matters to me. Indeed, what a luxury. Abundant colors, abundant gifts, abundant love. Thanks for all the mail!

One FULL House

Sunday afternoon, we invited kids from Polehan to our house for lunch.  We were expecting 7 kids plus 1 family.  We ended up having 2 overly-full car loads.  Over 20 kids packed into our small house!  Some of the girls helped to cook.  We lined our porch and served spaghetti for lunch.  Many of the kids had never tasted spaghetti before and didn't like it!  We ended up ordering Bakso (meatballs) from the street vendor.  Here, generally one of the least favorites of Westerners is clearly one of the favorites of local children! But how precious that some of the boys stepped in to wash plenty of dishes!  I think that was one of my favorite sights of the day.

We had art projects galore, of course!  Card making, painting, rubber stamping, markers, crayons, colored pencils and stickers.  I got to teach them how to make pop-up cards! We even had a photo session in my "studio" - a.k.a. the laptop on my side table.  Thanks to Photo Booth!

After nearly 5 hours, it was time to go home.  Juliana, Wenny and I were exhausted from hosting, but it was the "good" kind of worn out.