- Handmade Cards. $4 each
- Painting Prints. 16 prints currently available. $40 each
- My painting on a card! "Christmas Star" $1.50 each or 50 for $50.
Now that's a steal! (Reserve your order now. Orders available for
delivery early December.)
All proceeds help take the arts to families around the world.
I wish I had a clearer picture of the future, but for now, the dream
remains
- to travel
- to various places around the world
- at least once a year
- taking people interested
- to share their gifts and passions
- with others around the world.
Some people call it mobilizing. Some people say connecting.
Kids, moms, artists, friends, teachers. Doesn't really matter to me.
Indonesia, Lebanon, Japan, Thailand, South Africa. Doesn't so much
matter either.
'Mau ikut' (Want to come along/follow/join us)?
I had a few great conversations in my final 24 hours here. I know why I
have come. I'll write more when I'm more coherent. Cheers!
The ladies relaxed by getting cream baths, a.k.a. deep conditioning
for your hair plus head and shoulder massage.
We went to Gideon's wedding yesterday. (The bridesmaid wore white?!)
Saw some friends, co-workers and teachers/staff. It was
extravagant. Check out 'cutting the cake" - the cake is fake! And,
yes, they are pretending to cut it with a SWORD!
I love my community here. It's so great to be back with them, if
only for a week. Ange and I leave for Bali in 3 and a half hours.
We spent a good 6 hours at Rujak Berkah, the after-school program in
Polehan. A wedding took place across the street. Music blares for
about 24-48 hours before and after the ceremony. It's the
neighborhood's invitation to join. They had a processional for the
groom in the middle of class. We all went out to watch. We have
pictures to post later.
I made cards with the kids. They've been working on them and I have
about 50 to bring home. All hand made, hand drawn. $5 each in case
you're interested. All the proceeds return to Rujak Berkah, helping
these kids and their families.
I was a little confused to have to say good bye again. I don't think
we realized that it might just be a long while until I return again.
These kids will be taller when I return. I'm 160 centimeters tall.
We all measured ourselves today. And, since I can anticipate some
confusion, I'm 54 kilos.
Classes went well. Ange said she nearly cried when she was presented
with a little thank you gift.
We had a team dinner for Sharon's birthday. It was so great to hang
out with everyone all together! I already have conversations to
continue! Good thing we will see each other again tomorrow and
throughout the coming days!
After a few hours of girl talk, it's time to sleep. We're getting
cream baths tomorrow. Cream baths are very inexpensive ways of
getting pampered here. They soak your hair in 'cream' - it's like
deep conditioning. They wash and style your hair. Viola! Perfect
for going to a wedding - which, by the way, we will be attending. My
friend Gideon, the computer teacher at Charis, is getting married at
3! We will sit in on the ceremony and join the reception at 6. They
anticipate 800 people. It will be the first Indonesian ceremony I
will attend.
It's a bit surreal to 1) be in Indo and 2) be engaged. But I'm
loving both!!!
Simply loving it. It's 2 weeks out of town, but really only one week
in Indo after all of the travel days. So that's a bummer, but we
will maximize our time.
We study Bahasa (language) at 9:30-11. Get picked up at 11:15 for
Polehan. Eat lunch with the staff. We have 2 hours with the kids'
regular program. From 3-5, we're on. It's super exciting to see
Ange's face light up as she hears about these connections and the
potential that it has in lining up with her passions.
Dinner with Kaylor, Merro and others. Then, we'll have a movie
night! We will need the down time. It's already Thursday here!
The Japan and Singapore airports are amazing! Ginormous and all lit up. Definitely aesthetically pleasing.
We are exhausted and still have another flight to catch - after about 4 and a half more hours.
We are safe.
This afternoon, there was a good turnout and response. My art was
displayed next to the food table, always fun! And I did notice some
strangers thumbing through the various prints - even better! It's
such peaceful affirmation to see how opportunities come together
despite me.
Landis General Store is hosting. A number of artists will have their
work displayed. Live jazz music!
This Saturday, September 13.
Landis General Store
140-142 North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles 90004
(323) 465-7998
Come see the artwork which was inspired by and created while I was
living in Indonesia. Original work and prints available. Proceeds
of my work and cards handmade by the kids go towards children and
families I worked with at Polehan, the after-school program and doing
art with kids around the world!
Artists Reception @ 2-5; I'll be there 4:30-5. Hope you can come
by! Bring friends and family. Work will be displayed throughout the
month of September. Cheers!
"So quick? I'm just getting adjusted." (Though, they say it will be months and years to process and adjust... Comforting, I suppose.)
But this trip has been in the making. I've been talking with Angela about doing health ed. classes for over a year now. A return trip for me to lead a team in October has been an ongoing conversation for 7 months now. As usual, it's not what I necessarily pictured, and yet it is...
Super exciting! But I guess that seems to be most of life.
And then?
Momentum... Using momentum not to simply coast forward. Which might be easy to do with all of the endorsement offers... But use that momentum to push you toward more.
So, more. While I'm here, we're fundraising for the next trips: supplies for art projects, for school, for First-Aid kits, helping families provide for their kids, providing health education classes for moms, training moms to sew, and, of course, flights and food.
Tonight, Tammy didn't even say hi before she enthusiastically said, "Welcome back!" She sat on the stairwell with a friend and in quick passing, shot a smile and one of the worlds best acknowledgments my way. Absolutely refreshing! The thing is, I met Tammy literally a couple weeks before I left for Indonesia. We had a quick conversation, and she asked me to paint. With that opportunity, I painted a confusing piece. (I've since tried to paint over it. Still in progress.) But it stirred up within me something that needed to be brought out. So, I began to paint in Indonesia.
Amazingly enough, that brings me to the art gallery. A series of paintings created during my time in Indonesia. Private openings by appointment only. (I'm already a stationery snob. Now just add to that - art snob.)
Hear the stories, see the artwork. Never thought this would be such a big deal, but it feels good. Haven't finished a painting of my own in the last 6 months. But we've gotten kids to get their hands 'dirty' - that's what matters.
I haven't visited them in 5 years, but that doesn't mean that they've been forgotten, nor that I haven't wanted to visit.
Tracey came with me to visit once. She remembers. I'm glad that at least she met him.
I suppose this Thanksgiving will be in L.A.
Thanks for the laughs and love. You will be missed.
When I went "Up the River" back in the Spring, I sat on the floor, in the middle of the room and began to paint. Kids and moms would soon gather around to watch. Their inquisitive eyes made me smile. I began to draw lines and would soon begin to fill them in with a sequence of colors. I asked a few of the kids if they would like to help. Younger ones were eager to help me choose colors and sometimes even grab the brush. Older kids would usually decline, saying that they "couldn't". I would have them choose the next color. And, handing over a paintbrush, would give them only 2 rules. 1) They had to repeat the color at least 3 times and in various areas of the page. 2) The spaces in which they colored could not touch another space with the same color. (My secret is out. Now you can all become artistic geniuses!) No doubt, I would run out of paint brushes. A few kids would be working on the same color and I could soon step back from the entire piece.
Whether artist or not, each person would have their own interpretation of what the drawing meant. Mine was usually "wrong," compared to everyone else's. But hey! I get to title them here. In the end, we have one piece which I will call, "Dragonfly in the Grass" and a second I am calling, "A Glimpse of Heaven." And in my mind, at least one is upside down in this picture.
Here's how they (title and work) came about:
"Dragonfly in the Grass"
After an afternoon of oral surgeries, translating post-op care instructions, and painting a couple rounds of greeting cards with kids, we had a sunset break. Jim went with some of the guys to "shower" in the river, a.k.a. cannon balls. A few others went to freshen up with baby wipes and change in the back room. Where, it's really only blocked off by a loose curtain; and the only light is the tiny penlight you took with you to get back there in the first place... A few of us were sitting on the porch, laughing, relaxing and preparing for the night ahead.
I decided to get up and mingle with the kids, if even just to watch them pass by on the main street, a.k.a. sidewalk. A few of the kids asked where I was going and I'm sure I didn't have much of a response. A small circle of us gathered and I asked them, of the small group, who was the funniest, who was the smartest, etc. Soon, the conversation wore down and they wanted to play games. Which abruptly ended when one of the boys went chasing after a dragonfly about the size of my hand! It whirled and twirled as if it was mad. It flew into the middle of tall jungle grass, but he caught it! And of course, scared/disgusted the girls away. All the while, it was absolutely hilarious to us! So, as you can see, there is a mad Dragonfly in the Grass!
I'll write more about "A Glimpse of Heaven" later. My cold would like me to take an intermission.
I've been sick for a week, so I did all of this from my bed. I'm
reminded of Lina and how I miss having her peek in as I "work" from
the comforts of my room.
She's started Kindergarten at Kidsland last month! As of when I
left, she didn't have school shoes, nor a school bag. With now 3
kids in school, it's a financial crunch for the family. Both mom and
dad are working and they take any extra jobs we can offer. They're
super friendly, so that just makes it easier.
I miss their company. The last time I saw Lina, I left her with
paper and asked her to draw for me. Jennifer brought over a stack of
my stuff, including the picture Lina left. It's got to be weird back
at that house now. But maybe since Lina's at Kidsland, she'll have
more creative stimulation packed into her day! Good thing I know the
teachers and leadership there are amazing! Afterall, I helped train
them. ahaha
Mail still brightens my day, just like it did in Indo. Especially
when I have a cold that makes my head feel like it's about to
explode. Which, is exactly how the washing machine sounds right
now. Just as if the water in the kettle has come to a boil.
So, I have a week and a half to work on my report on Illuminate. I
have all of these words to begin with, but none seem good enough.
I'm sure it's a matter of combining words into sentences that will
make all the difference. But for now, I'm still stuck.
Who would've ever thought that I could actually write letters as a job?
Anyway, that's all my head can take for now. Happy sending!
Got a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and a bottle of Zycam.
2 of my gerber's are still alive and well. One is beginning to fade.
The BBQ was a blast! Though, maybe in another few weeks, we can do
one at the beach! Just because I want to.
Well wishes.
Initiation: I've always appreciated the process of initiations. To
have respect for the place, organization, group of people, community
that you would submit to their thrashings. And to trust that they
won't beat you to a pulp - well, at least not in initiations I can
stand....
For me, my self-proclaimed initiation to Indonesia was the motorcycle muffler burn. I would never recommend a burn, knowingly or unknowingly. Even the smallest are painful and leave ugly scars. But it was a dose of reality. It is such a normalcy for the masses who mostly get around by motorcycle. The drama of my own burn was hardly sympathetic. And when it's your first week in an entirely different place, culture, city - you want some sympathy!
Well, a year later, the ugly scar is painless. It reminds me that I was 'brave enough' to suck it up and push forward. It took over a month to heal, but I got through it. I took care of it daily, and it never got infected. And if anything, it's a good story.
So, maybe it will take me a good month to get readjusted to being back. It's already been painful, but I can, again, suck it up and push forward. It's ok to take the time I need to take care of myself. And this, too, will be a good story.
I guess, for whatever silly reason, it gives me hope. That's just a
flower. Am I not more complicated than a flower? Why it is such a
journey for me to feel revived? Maybe I'm just not soaking in the
'water'...
I picked up a sand dollar, too. On the sand dollars were written
'Faith', 'Love' and 'Hope.' Mine reads, "Hope."
Why can't I just accept love the way it's given to me? Where do I
start? I seem to have stipulations as to how I receive love. They
say, "Just receive it." "Be patient with yourself" - and with others...
Still, I never thought my life could feel so beautiful...
Walked around to the sheets, and a store employee asked if she could help. I was beginning to get overwhelmed, I didn't know what to ask. She was about to walk away, but I finally just showed her the registry and asked her to clarify bath sheets. They're not sheets, just actually extra long towels actually. So back to the towels, where they only had one of 2 colors that were needed. I couldn't do the towel sets, I'm picky that way. Only to go to kitchen items, but I could only find one pan that was listed. So I asked a store clerk to help, maybe I could just point out the items on the list and he could find them. But he was just going to help another customer, so he asked if i could wait 5 minutes - fine with me! But then Garett suggested that I just get the one pan and one towel. I was beginning to get overwhelmed that I just didn't care any more. So, I headed back to the towels and then to the kitchen section. Then, we get to the register, they ring it up and ask for coupons. Oh yes, I had two - and could use both! Huge discount and I could've bought more. But at that point, it was overload for me and I just wanted to get back to the car and go home.
There was a whole mall to explore, but I barely made it through a single store!? This whole culture shock thing really isn't a joke!
We went out for dim sum today at Ocean Star Seafood Restaurant. Just getting seated was culture shock. They spoke in Chinese and I wanted to respond in Indonesian. As always, Chinese restaurants are crowded and noisy. It was a bit overwhelming and much to take in! I wanted to ask for certain items in Indonesian. I had to tell myself a couple times that it was okay to pass things with my left hand and that it wouldn't be offensive. I caught myself not knowing how to respond because I didn't want to point to anything with my fingers, but knew that pointing with my thumb would be awkward. But I made it through and enjoyed delicious Chinese food, most of it tastes differently from Chinese food in Indonesia.
I needed a break, so it felt good to take a walk. After driving everywhere for a week, it felt good to get back to walking around. I shocked myself when I pressed the button to cross the street and it beeped at me, signaling when it was my turn to cross! We walked to the Sanrio store, and I was overwhelmed at the selection. A lot of the characters have changed and it's not as colorful as it once was. But they really do carry the Hello Kitty Jewelry - as shown on Kimora (I would watch that on Indovision - cable)! And there's a Hallmark store next door!
Then, we got to go to the Mayan again tonight. I've missed the ambiance, the new lyrics, the good music, the live art. It's so good to be home.
Thanks Lelly!
It's WAY early in the morning. We're struggling to wake up, if even
just enough to finish packing last minute items, grab a shower and
load the bus... We have 2 travel days, so hopefully a lot of time to
rest along the way!
My time with friends here has come to an end way too quickly. I'm
glad I think the last time I saw each of them, I didn't really think
it would be the last time. Lelly had Pandu draw a caricature of us.
Love it! Sorry, I already packed it or I'd post a picture...
Anyway, soon enough - you can see it in person.
So, for the time being, they gave me a couple to take home... Wow,
It's really my last day in Malang? It feels a little crazy. I think
tonight will simply have to be an all nighter...
Yesterday, there was a power outage. Our water tandon didn't fill
up. So we couldn't all shower or brush our teeth this morning. I'm
so spoiled, Pak Gaos was working at Charis and I just had to run over
to ask him to help - and he's a genius! It was fixed in less than 30
minutes, and so now that everyone's teaching, I will enjoy my last
morning, hot shower in Malang...
By the way - here's some of the awesome artwork that Rachel helped
the kids at Polehan create! LOVE it!!!!
Between the 5 of them, the house is filled with laughter. Sunneye and Garett fill the house with music. They're loving the kids, and I'm so encouraged to simply see how so much happens despite any effort on my part. After all this planning and organizing, I simply have to let go. It's a good place to be.
Today between Charis and Polehan, the 6 guests will study at my language school. Lidya, my travel friend, is going to teach them. She has so much energy, it will be great for them to be all together! I wish I could be a fly on the wall for that!
I'm so encouraged that they are eating what is provided while they're guests in other peoples homes. I'm so encouraged that even with the language barrier, they're reaching for new ideas to keep the kids captivated. I'm so encouraged to simply laugh so hard around the dinner table with friends.
The funniest, so far, has to be when Courtney says, "girl". There are no words yet to describe it. One of those things you simply have to be there for... If they make a video and put it online, I'll let you know.
It feels so good to return to so many cheap thrills.
it's been sooooo super great to have them here. Things I wish they
could be here for during a year: singing december songs around the
lit tree (yes, i still have it up hahaaha) and live guitar and
keyboard. heart songs I know.
and tons of laughter!
Last night, Kid's Day went well. We only had 7 kids, but it was so
fun for me to be there with them and their families. I couldn't have
asked for a better way to spend my last Sunday with this community.
I will miss them immensely.
I've been working hard this morning. But this week will get easier
as we get into a groove. I know that the kids who come are here for
a reason. It's so great to have full classes! I've treated myself
to a root beer. Maybe later this week we can have a root beer float
party!
In the mean time, I'm trying to finalize plans for these 3 weeks,
woke up with 7 spider bites on my face!, and leave in 3 hours to pick
up friends at the airport!
Trying to stay under the radar, just to get rested up before life
changes all over again. It's been a low-key week. I've spent some
quality time with close friends this past week. It doesn't feel
chaotic, trying to meet with people before I leave. I guess it'
helps that everyone's away for summer vacation...
Last night, I went to get new glasses. Sounds silly, but I have gone
3 years with a single pair. Not only have I not lost, nor broken
them, but my prescription hasn't changed! Way kewl.
Hoping my swollen, contorted face returns back to normal for some
simple comfort.
It's a refreshing thought in the middle of chaotic details. Trying
to organize the details has been a feat! It will be good to see if
I've really planned as well as I have anticipated necessary. If not,
I'm sure you'll read about some great stories!
Some moments, though, still keep me grounded to things that matter
most to me. My heart it stronger, yet still able to melt and be
torn. It is human again. Not rusted, covered in cobwebs, shattered
glass, nor hardened crystal. It's been a healing process. I feel
healthy.
The Samoffs came early today. They're so cute! Corey said "Some
people think Friday the 13th is an unlucky day, but it was a lucky
day for me!" I asked him why - because he got a few chances to play
badminton with kids in his village! I think he and Luke, his dad,
are going to practice if they can find the other racket. We're
finally getting used to each other here, and I can hardly believe
this will probably be their last weekend here before I take off. So
weird.
Well, maybe if everyone's sleeping in next Sunday after their
arrival, I can go swimming one last time at my favorite pool. That's
the plan! Though, I'm secretly hoping they are all awake by 9 so
that we can go together!
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