A d é l e B o o y s e n

Adele's Update: January 2012

2012-01-03T02:39:00.002+07:00

"It's good to come home sometimes," my sister reminded me this morning. "It grounds you and reminds you who you are..."

That is so true. Not that I've forgotten who I am or where I'm from. But sitting around visiting with the people who've been part of your life for longer than you yourself can remember is good. It's funny, too. Funny to observe where certain quirks come from. Quirks and qualities, to be true.

It's been good to be home, to see my parents, to visit with my siblings, to connect with my nephew and niece, to see the changes in my country. Cost of living has skyrocketed here. Politics remain a tricky thing. But it also remains a beautiful country with beautiful people, including my family.

Tomorrow, I leave my parents' home and head to my brother's place for a week. From there, I'll get to see some cousins, too. All while working on my book.

I had recently gotten the preliminary OK from my university that I can change the approach to my dissertation slightly. The academic piece has been completed. I'm still waiting for detailed feedback from my dissertation supervisor, but The research piece I'll present as a book which I hope will get published. It's something I having immense fun writing!

So, what am I doing these days? I'm a full-time student, in the home stretch of completing the doctorate I started in January 2008, when I was living in Kenya. If all goes well, I hope to complete my dissertation, including the accompanying book on "Serious Play," and graduate on June 2, exactly 5 months from today!

One of the fun projects of the past few days has been to teach my dad how to scan old slides and upload them to Flickr,
from where we kids can download them. So far, this is one of my favorite photos of the batch.
It was 1971. I was 3 years old, and our family took a train trip to Cape Town...
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that 40 years later,
I'd be writing a book combining travel, work and theology!

I hope to have a job again by the fall, teaching Serious Play (or something related to the field of transformational leadership). Where that will be God only knows! And I don't mean that lightly. I truly have no idea yet where in the world I will work next. I wish I did. But I don't.

I hope to get a publisher for my book this year, also... Serious Play has been an immensely fun topic to study and a fun book to write. In so many ways, I feel like the book is a culmination of so much of the journey you've walked with me on this blog.

But you'll see, eventually. I'll post some teasers when the time is right. For now, I'll continue to connect with my people in my country, and work hard on meeting the tight deadlines in the 5 short months between today and June 2.

Phew! Back to writing it is...

Reality

2011-11-08T03:30:00.001+07:00

For the past few years, I've taken the time around my birthday to look back on some of the things I've been blessed to do in my life.

This year, I'm not doing it for the mere fact that I don't think I have anything significant to add to the list. I could, of course, add that I had run off the edge of a mountain. Been in a boat that almost capsized in a storm. I had quit my well-paying job to be a full-time student. I've read countless books. Filled hundreds of pages with words. I've had more job interviews than I ever thought I'd want. I've prayed, believed, and still watched doors close to opportunities I thought were certain. I've sold even more stuff so I'd travel lighter.

I've served. Learned. Changed. Moved. Waited. Worked. I've shed some pounds. In a way, it feels like I've been spending time in autumn!

It's been a year of not only loss but also gain, though at this stage of the journey, it's hard to verbalize all I've gained.

My dissertation is moving along. Two friends with Ph.D.s in different fields recently told me on separate occasions: "The dissertation journey is a lonely journey." They spoke from experience. I can attest to the fact that working on a dissertation is possibly one of the hardest things I've done in my life.

Along the way, I've gone round and round about what I want to do with my dissertation. For a while, I thought I would want to work at a university and teach full-time. But the more I interviewed with tertiary institutes, the more I realized the activator in me would die a slow death in their mazes of bureaucracy. I could never just talk (or write) about things that need to be done. I have to be part of doing, of bringing about change in the world we live in.

And so, on the brink of another birthday, I shall continue to push in, wait, surrender, push some more, and walk believing that God is weaving something far more beautiful than I could ever hope to forge myself.

I certainly look forward to looking back from the vantage point of my 44th birthday. In the meantime, I'll do my best to enjoy this current season of seeking, shedding, changing, learning, writing, rewriting, asking, discerning & growing, knowing that even once I've completed my degree, these verbs will continue being central to my life.

Hopefully I'll have a job by then again, though, a place to call home. A place to hang my reticulated giraffe.

What have I been up to?

2011-09-06T01:15:00.005+07:00

A few of my friends have been giving me grief for not having posted on my blog recently. It's not that I have nothing to write about. Much has happened. But most of my writing has been devoted to my dissertation, which is coming along s-l-o-w-l-y. But it's coming.

So, here's a photo overview of the summer, albeit with gaps as I don't always think of taking photos.

On the flight from Jakarta to Singapore (and from there to Chicago, and then Cedar Rapids)
I had a clear view of Krakatoa, one of Indonesia's hundreds of active volcanoes

I had hardly been home when my friend Nan (at whose house I'm staying) and I
went to Des Moines for a Michael Bublé concert. It was a fun evening with great music

The next day, we drove through to Lincoln, Nebraska, where we attended a Beth Moore/Living Proof conference.
Beth is one of my ultimate favorite Bible teachers, and I love seeing her. As a frequent reader of her blog,
I got to meet her backstage afterward with other members of the blogging community

After the event, Danette, Nan and I went to explore Lincoln a bit. We went to the quilt museum
and saw "Tree of Life." I'm still trying to figure out if I liked that movie or not...
It has great moments, but the long interludes were like lullabies to me

Back in Cedar Rapids, there have been many fun moments, such as the balloon glow at Brucemore.
With Danette is Melody, another of our friends. No photos here of evenings spent at Melody's house,
having thought-provoking conversations by her swimming pool

Pam got married this summer. All the girls in this photo are part of a Bible study group that has been meeting for several years, all dear friends of mine here in Cedar Rapids.
From left to right, there's Danette, Connie (who came to visit me for the trip to Sulawesi), Pam, Karen (who visited me in Kenya in '07), Steven (Pam's singer/songwriter hubby), then Beth, me,
Jodie and Nan (who visited me in Kenya in '07 and Indonesia in 2010)

Some pretty cone flowers in the area

At the end of July, I went to California for some meetings with Genysys, a group I'm joining.
Though I saw the Clarks (with whom I lived while studying in California), met Jessie's baby, even went to Jeremiah's wedding for a bit, I didn't take any photos except this one at Din Tai Fung (my favorite Chinese restaurant)
with my friends Mary and Shawna. I also saw my friend Melissa Tan (from ORTV).
With my frequent moves around the world, it always does my heart well to reconnect with friends that go back in time!

Our Genysys meetings were held at Rubel Castle in Glendora.
The meetings were instrumental in that I got introduced to a topic Ray Rood (founder of Genysys and
former professor of mine at APU) had researched in 1991, and which I will be resurrecting through my dissertation.
I'll write more about that at another time...

The Iowa State Fair is among the top 100 things to do in the USA during the summer, so it was fun
to go to the fair in Des Moines with friends. There are all kinds of yummy treats to enjoy at the fair,
especially fried goods (which none of us friends tried.)
The newest of the fried treats at the fair this year was fried butter. Imagine that!
One of the things the Iowa State Fair is best known for is the butter cow sculpture. All of this is made of butter, yes

One of my favorite things to see at the fair are the horses

Connie (in purple) was at the fair with her family as her nephew had some sheep enrolled. Danette, Nan, Sara and I
hooked up with Connie and explored the grounds

My other favorite thing at the fair was to visit the hall where they had a bunch of baby animals: these ducklings,
newborn piglets, calves and more. And we watched as little chicks were hatching from their eggs

The sand sculpture (here, still in progress) was rather cool, too. This year was the 100th anniversary of the fair
having a butter cow, hence the sand sculpture them was the butter cow, also

Back in Cedar Rapids, it was an unexpected blessing when Vivian and Tilana Whitcomb passed through town
and I got to spend a morning with them, catching up. Our times in Taiwan overlapped in the late '90s till 2002.
They now live in Doha (in Qatar), so it was a bit bizarre for us South Africans to meet up in the Midwest USA!

In between my research/reading/writing, I take time to stop and try to enjoy every moment, such as this moment
when I got to watch a little ruby-throated hummingbird. These little birds are amazing creatures!
Not only can they hover in one place such as in this photo, but they are the only birds that can fly forward,
backward and sideways

Another day, I'll give you an update on my studies and possibly on the road ahead, which, not surprisingly, continues to be a journey of faith—and an amazing journey, for sure.

What are you currently reading?

2011-07-20T10:50:00.000+07:00

I was in a bookstore today and was actually proud of myself for not buying another book. I was very tempted to buy a Henri Nouwen book. But I didn't. Not because I won't get around to reading it. I'm just tired of having to move my library around the world. So until I know where home will be next, I'll try to only buy electronic books, as in, books for my Kindle. Except, my Kindle died some months ago. It just died. No clear reason why. Personally, I think it had been x-rayed too many times in Jakarta, since I constantly had it in my bag, and whenever you walk into a mall, your bag has to be x-rayed. For bombs.

I'm glad I no longer live in a place where bombs are a day-to-day threat. But that's besides the point.

I was talking about my dead Kindle... Amazon said I could send it in and get $40 off a new one, but after having weighed all options, I decided to go with buying an iPad instead, download the Kindle app, and voila, all my Kindle books were back in my hands, complete with what I had underlined etc. Just like that. Got to love technology!

I actually prefer the iPad Kindle app far more than the Kindle itself. Funnily, it feels (or rather, looks) much more like a real book than the groundbreaking e-reader does. In my opinion, at least. (The only con is that it's harder to read when you're out in the sun.)

Other than being easier to tote around the world, electronic books are also much cheaper than printed ones. Plus I love that you can just look up a word when you're not 100% clear on the meaning. I usually just guess the meaning from context, not even stopping to think about it, really. But when you know you simply have to click on a word to read its definition, it really isn't distracting at all to look up a word.

So, other than definitions of words, what am I currently reading, you may wonder? Most of my current reading's for research purposes. Someday, I'll get to read novels again. I hope.

I carry two "real" books in my bag (got to have choices, I believe...): Convergence and Stewards in the Kingdom. And though I have a whole lot more, the books I'm currently determined to finish are Leadership Above the Line, The Insider, How I Changed my Mind About Women in Leadership, The Gospel According to Jesus, The Tangible Kingdom, ReJesus, God at Work, and The Forgotten Ways. (I know, you're just dying to read my dissertation, aren't you? Actually, I am, too... It's not coming fast, though, but dissertations never do. And I'm just being sassy about you dying to read my dissertation. Dissertations aren't NY Times Bestsellers, I know.)

When I really get tired of reading the stuff from my research list, I read one thousand gifts. Or I watch a movie... In fact, I watched a movie the other night that made me cry. I cry for odd reasons in movies. Watching Temple Grandin (a true story and a must-see if you like true stories), I simply couldn't stop the tears from welling up as she overcame one obstacle after another. Hers is an amazing story. See it if you can!

In fact, reading up on Dr. Grandin's story makes me want to read her book. I'll simply have to put it on my list of books to read some other time...

How about you? What are you currently reading?

Worthwhile reading

2011-07-15T02:29:00.001+07:00

With much respect and gratitude for the work this woman has done... She has paved the way for change.

A Liberating Woman: A Reflection on the Founder of Christians for Biblical Equality | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

So, I quit Facebook

2011-07-15T00:59:00.001+07:00

I have really liked Facebook. It's been a fun way to reconnect with old friends, but especially a good way to stay in touch with my friends and family who are scattered all over the globe. After all, having lived in as many places (30-some homes on 3 continents) as I have, it's never easy to keep in touch with friends.

In that sense, Facebook was great. But I've found that I can easily turn to Facebook when I want to take a quick study break, only to discover 30 minutes later (or longer) that my quick break hasn't been that quick, and that my thoughts have been completely interrupted.

So, I'm bidding Facebook a fond farewell.

Seeing that some people might be curious as to whether I've gotten my dream job or where in the world I end up next, whether my dissertation's complete etc., I will be more diligent again with keeping this blog up to date. Or such is the plan, at least.

I'm sure I'll miss the glimpse into the lives of my friends. Hopefully those who truly want to keep in touch will still do so in the more old-fashioned ways.

Adieu, Facebook! G'day, better time management... Our re-acquaintance is way overdue.

If you're an occasional follower of this blog, the easiest way to know when I've posted an update is to add a (free) subscription to Google Reader, or whichever RSS feader/system you prefer. As a gmail user, I just think most of Google's tools are pretty convenient and super easy to use.

Things I look forward to about being in the States

2011-06-08T23:07:00.000+07:00

There are so many things I'm looking forward to in the US:

Working on my dissertation. After basically not doing a ton of writing for the past year, I am more than ready to dig in and work hard at getting this done, and done well. I look forward to seeing the various experiences and ideas all come together...
Being with friends who've known me for a while, who've walked through my time in Kenya with me, who know me as more than a preschool teacher. Not just one or two, but a variety of friends from different walks of life
Talking long talks to these said friends about things we're all passionate about and being inspired and challenged by them
Getting face-to-face time with good friends rather than having to rely on Facebook, e-mail or Skype to interact with them
Having the freedom of driving my own car
The joy of a quick run to the grocery store, picking up ingredients to make a great salads and amazing dishes and enjoying these with good friends
Seeing a few good movies! Due to bizarre political issues, Indonesia rarely gets any current English movies
Sweet corn season in Iowa. I can eat Iowa sweet corn every single day. It's so good, I don't even add salt or butter. Just cook it for 5 minutes and that's it!
Sane traffic, and traffic rules that make sense to me... In Jakarta, much of the time on the road is spent taking obscure, roundabout routes for what could be a simple trip (e.g. in the US or in SA, the trip from the freeway exit to my house would include two simple right turns. Here, it is one left turn, two U-turns, and another left turn!)
Feeling safe when I cross a road on foot (the bizarre road rules here are to eliminate traffic lights which supposedly slow down traffic. However, imagine having to cross a 3-lane road on foot with a constant stream of trucks, buses, cars and scooters coming at you!
Going for early-morning walks with my friend Nan and her dog, Rocky. Enjoying open roads, fresh air, birds, no early-morning traffic, no early-morning humidity
Going to a great church with great friends and hearing nourishing, thought-provoking teachings
Going to a Beth Moore conference in Nebraska with friends
Taking in some other road trips from time to time
On days when I won't be in the library, writing, finding a cozy spot in one of many favorite coffee shops and reading
Taking a trip out West to see my sister and her family
Writing, writing, writing...
Somewhere along the way, finding out if the next season will mean I move to Malaysia or not
Getting my "cup" filled, and writing from a place of fullness

I'm sure I'll think of more...

Anything you miss where you are living now, or looking forward to having, should you be going on a trip home soon?

Things I will and won't miss about Jakarta

2011-06-08T14:38:00.000+07:00

Recently, I started making a mental list of things I will and won't miss about Jakarta. It's part of the transition process. At least, for me it is, especially since it's not l simply want to get out of this place. Nor do I dread leaving. So it's good to acknowledge some of the process of letting go...

I will miss . . .

friends who have crept into my heart, some over the course of the year, some just in the last few months
some Indonesian foods, like beef rendang and chicken sate
being close to some pretty amazing sites to explore on weekends
cheap taxi rides
working with little ones and introducing them to the amazing world of reading, writing and arithmetic... I especially love seeing the light in their eyes when they understand concepts for the first time

I won't miss . . .

having to take taxis to get around. Though convenient and affordable, I'm far too independent to be dependent on strangers to drive me places
teaching preschool. It's been a season through which I have learned much and for which I am thankful. But I won't miss being a preschool teacher. It's what I did, not who I am
Jakarta (neither the traffic, nor the heat, nor the crowdedness, nor life in general here)

I don't regret having spent this year in Indonesia. I gained much insight for my dissertation. I gained interesting insights into my field of study. I had fun experiences. I made dear friends. I also had some unforgettable experiences relating to my job search... All in all, it's been a good year. And one that I'm OK with it being over.

Now, what are some things I'm especially excited about for the next season...

Again

2011-06-07T23:20:00.000+07:00

My mind is all over the place. Sort of like my stuff right now.

Packing up one's life is never fun. At least not for me. It doesn't matter that I've done it often. Way too many times. I think I live a fairly simplistic life. Compared them whom, though, right? When I pack to move, I'm always astounded by some of the things I have. Things that I move from place to place. As much as I don't mind starting over (buying new silverware, again, new plates, again, outfitting an entire kitchen from scratch, again), having old stuff, for me, has more value than just the price.

It's about having a history, a story. There's this little ceramic tumbler that dates back from college days, given to me by a dear friend. My kicker espresso maker. My favorite cheese cutter. Pieces of jewelry that have memories attached. Little things that make transitions a bit more palpable since it doesn't feel entirely like I'm moving into a stranger's house. Again. Then there are bigger pieces. Framed photos. My giraffe painting. My favorite carpet. A quilt friends made for me. Things that are simply me. Mine.

Believe me, I've gotten rid of a lot of stuff. Again. In the end, it's pretty amazing that right now, my life fits in just 4 pieces of luggage and 8 boxes. Maybe 9.

Simplicity, right? Except, in two weeks' time, I'll inevitably have to start buying again... Toiletries I'm not lugging around the world. Some of the bigger stuff can wait till I move into my own place again. Wherever that may be.

But when I start over, again, there will be evidence of a life once lived on a different continent, at a different time in my life.

Adele's Update: June 2011

2011-06-06T00:24:00.002+07:00

Last days as "Ms. Adele, preschool teacher." At the end of next week, I'll move on and be a full-time student for a while.
I know I'll miss these pumpkins. I've learned a ton from them this year...

It's been a very long time since I've written a general update. And since a major change is underway in my life yet again, it might be good to bring you up to speed on the constantly-changing world of Adele...

Weren't you going to Indonesia for two years?
When I moved to Indonesia last summer, I thought it was for two years. The plan was to teach little ones at the new city campus of an international school. The teaching load would've afforded me the time and energy to devote my evenings to completing the final phase of my studies: my dissertation. And then the plan was to go try and find a teaching position at a university somewhere around the world in my field, Transformational Leadership.

However, a month into my time here, I was asked to move to our other campus in southern parts of Jakarta. The move meant a drastic increase in my teaching hours, and I realized right away that this would have long-term implications on my plans to finish my dissertation and move to things that's more up my alley. So I renegotiated my contract with the school and agreed to stay on for just one year rather than the original two.

So what's next?
This meant that I had to start my job search anew January. Though it would be way easier to find a position in the international teaching circuit (I could've even stayed on and just moved to teaching high school, what I'm trained to do). But that's not my long-term goal nor my passion, and I thus decided to step out in faith and apply for university positions again.

One opportunity in Kuala Lumpur looked very good. We started a dialogue, and somewhere along the way, someone higher up at the university sidetracked my application and asked me to instead consider a position at a partner institute. It was a position that would afford me amazing opportunities to work alongside a brilliant strategist in the field of transformational leadership. Everything about the position seemed to fit perfectly. All in all, I had 13 interviews, two of which were formal presentations to a panel. Everything looked very positive. But in the end, I was told they thought I'd be bored in the position, that I'm an abstract thinker and they needed a concrete thinker... I would still love to work with this group somewhere down the line in a different role. Time will tell.

So I went back to visiting with the university in KL about the original position there, the one I first applied for in January. They told me they'll make a decision by July... It's a great position, and I'd love for it to work out. But I won't just hang around Asia and wait to hear.

Where are you flying to when school closes?
School closes in two weeks' time, and I get to return to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to focus on working on my dissertation. Cedar Rapids is home for me when I'm in the US. I could go home to South Africa, but studying wouldn't be as easy there. Hence, I'm going to Iowa, where I have a car and community, and access to great university libraries.

I am very excited about diving into my dissertation and having time to focus just on being a student. I am excited about living with good friends for the next few months. I'll be staying at my friend Nan's house and making use of one of the college libraries in town for my writing times. I look forward to just being with close friends. I look forward to having the freedom to get into my car and go places. I look forward to getting as much of my dissertation done as is possible! I look forward to going to a Living Proof event the weekend after I arrive. I look forward to doing some traveling around the US. I look forward to going to see my sister Liesl and her family, and helping them as they move. I look forward to seeing my adorable nieces. I look forward to getting my cup filled doing things I love, seeing people I love... and then writing from a place of fullness.

Once I know whether I got the job in KL or not, I'll obviously post an update. But for now, my goal is to be a full-time doctoral student for the next season.

What the season after that will hold, God only knows!

A Change in Perspective

2011-05-17T00:15:00.002+07:00

I felt, the other day, what it’s like to fly. I ran off the edge of a mountain and soared, feeling the cold mountain wind directly on my face. After about five minutes, I landed in a tea plantation. Crash-landed, actually. But it didn’t hurt. I just laughed and laughed.

It was an amazing feeling, and if weren’t for the fact that the weather completely changed minutes after my take-off, I’d’ve gone up the mountain, paid another $30 and done it again.

Paragliding was one of the most amazing experiences: simply sitting in a harness, looking at the valley below with its tea plantations and the rows of traffic snaking their way over and around the mountains, some villages, and umpteen shades of green covered the hills. And in the sky was just a splash of blue from my paraglider plus a spot of yellow—my pilot’s jacket.

See, the week before, friends from church had mentioned that they had paraglided during their Easter break.

“I want to do that, too!” I blurted out.

“Oh, we can go again,” someone said.

“OK, how about next weekend?” I wondered out loud. There’s no point in wasting time when you only have a few weekends left in a country, is there?

Others piped in, a short discussion ensued, and before our ways parted minutes later, we had all agreed that we’d go to Puncak the very next weekend.

So, last weekend, after our Saturday night small group, we all squeezed into Diane’s van and headed to Sentul (a town in the mountains an hour or two outside Jakarta where the core group of adventurers live). We spent the night there and decided that the eight of us will head out earlyish the next morning, packed onto four motorbikes.

Stopping halfway to our destination to stretch our legs

Some fruit stalls on the side of the road

It was still foggy when we crossed the mountains, inadvertently joining some large bikers club. Helmets and motorbikes despite, you could spot the bules (/’boo-lays/, or foreigners) a mile away with some very, very white arms standing out in the crowd… (Rest assured, I wore my heavyish brown winter jacket for protection. I’ve seen too many scooter accidents!)

Spot the foreigners...

We fought our way through the Sunday migration of city folk going to the mountains, and we killed some time close to our destination, waiting for the fog to lift.

We killed some time by taking a side road toward Taman Safari, an outdoor safari park.
All the vendors on the side of the road sell bananas and carrots for people to feed the animals

A vendor at a tourist spot where we stopped

Just looking at all the tourist stuff

Kiptoo checked out some of the bamboo balls...

... and hung out under some of the bonsai trees

Then we went to a little tea house/restaurant. Kiptoo wanted to pose with the napkin holder,
since Sinarmas Pulp and Paper is the company that owns the school where I work...

Enjoying some jokes over our snacks.. Katie is also leaving Indonesia soon.
She's not laughing because she's happy to leave. She's laughing at the very immodest drink stirrer,
which is a very odd thing to see in this very modest country...

Sally, we discovered, has a very odd habit of putting ketchup on individual fries... Is it an Aussie thing?

When that seemed to be starting to happen, we headed farther up the mountain, disappointed to find that no flights were happening. Not yet, at least. We spent another hour or so sipping Indonesian clove tea at a mountainside warung (kiosk).

Finally on the mountain. But as you can see, it's way foggy. So foggy that you cannot even see Diane in the picture!
Why's Diane hiding behind Brittney and Tara??

Fun conversations over some clove tea while waiting patiently for the fog to lift

We tried some steamed bananas. It is served with chocolate and grated cheese. Kiptoo and I decided that
a) bananas should never be steamed
b) one should never put chocolate and cheese in the same dish, especially not on steamed bananas!

Brittney, Lisa, Adele and Tara. And 99 bottles of soda on the wall...

Finally, we decided to give up and head back down past the ever-growing snake of cars making their way back to the city. But then I felt it: My phone was ringing in my pocket, and Mr. Pilot Dude announced that the weather had changed, and we’d be able to fly.

“Shall we go back?” I asked my seven friends.

“Why not? We’re not too far!” our lone Aussie, Sally, suggested. The four bikes turned right around and wiggled our way through back up the mountain, only to find that it was once again shrouded in a thick fog.

I didn't want to risk losing my camera in the crazy traffic down,
so no photos of the ride down and then back up the hill...
Back at the place, we headed up the hill once more
following these guys who had been hauling building sand up the hill for hours,
and kept doing so... What a job. What a life!

Some members of the group decided to take on the zip line as a fun second option. (Having had an unforgettable zip line experience just 3 months prior, I decided to forego.) But then, as quickly as the mountain had hidden in the clouds, she lifted her veil once more.

Killing time once again by enjoying the zip line. You can see how foggy it still is!

Tara and Katie, coming in for a landing...

And it's a safe landing!

Who's next?

Coming closer...

It's Sally...

... and Lisa, happy to be back on the ground again

“Let’s fly!” the pilot exclaimed. “Who is first?” The group graciously agreed that Sally and I should go first, seeing that we were the ones leaving Indonesia the soonest.

I strapped in and only then I got a few butterflies. It’s a bit crazy running off a mountain, I thought to myself. What if the chute doesn’t open?

Suddenly, the fog lifted and we were called to gear up

We're excited to fly. Can you tell?

Here, I think I was starting to wonder if I were nuts for wanting to run off a mountain...

Sally and I, both ready to fly

Not that that’s an issue. You don’t run first and hope it opens. You stand on the mountain and some guys lift two corners. The wind does the rest. It fills the chute and almost immediately lifts you off the ground. At the same time, the pilot, who’s strapped in tandem behind you, says, “Walk!” Soon after, he’s supposed to say, “Run.” I was told not to jump under any circumstances. Just walk and run.

Except things didn’t work like that at first. A side wind twisted the chute right away, and the crew jumped to let out all the air and straighten the ropes again. I’ll admit that I felt a bit queasy right then again, wondering if this were really a safe adventure.

Here, the corners of the chute is being lifted so it can catch some air.
We're standing in the exact spot where we girls had posed early on, when you couldn't see a thing behind us

My pilot dude is fixing the ropes after they got twisted by a side wind.
Notice I'm looking less excited over there. I'm wondering if this is a good idea...

And we're almost ready to run!

Moments later, the chute once again filled with air, and we may have only run three steps before my feet were off the ground. We made several sharp turns to get into the wind well, diving hither and thither, bringing some of the same thoughts back to surface of whether or not this really was a safe thing to do… Those thoughts instantly dissipated when we straightened into a glide and sat mid-air, the verdant valley spread below us.

Off we go! We had to make several sharp turns and maneuvers to get into the wind...

It was incredible.

After a flight of close to a very long and leisurely five minutes, we approached the tea plantation with the landing strip, and I noticed a couple and their toddler walking right in the narrow pathway.

“Lift!” the pilot shouted. This was the signal to lift my legs straight forward. The next command was supposed to be, “Run!” But that one never came. We were approaching the narrow path fast, and the family below just kept walking slowly until the pilot shouted, in Indonesian, “Get out of the way!” Or so I assume, at least, judging by how fast they dived off into the tea fields to the right, and we crashed into the tea bushes to the left.

I just laughed and laughed. “You should’ve run, not sit!” the yellow-jacketed-pilot dude said with a smile, pulling me up. (I didn’t succumb to the temptation to tell him that he never told me to run like he said he would, and that I’d have proof since I had my camera rolling all the way.) I just smiled and said, “That was AMAZING!”

And then I photographed Sally coming in for her landing right behind us. Their landing was a smooth one with no obstacles on the strip.

Sally coming in for a landing

Some kids from the local village help to fold all the gear after the jumps

We were relieved of our harnesses, and told to wait patiently until we were able to drive back up the mountain. “Sorry,” yellow-jacketed-pilot dude said. “Right now, the cars can only come down the mountain. We have to wait an hour or so before our car can take you up.” Which made me extra thankful that we had come on motorbikes in the first place, since there are no weekend travel restrictions for those. The traffic-in-one-direction arrangement on the mountain is to help with flow.

Sally and I played around in the tea fields, sorry to hear that none of our friends would be able to fly after all. The wind had become too erratic. When our friends pulled up on their bikes some time later, they all assured us that they were OK with only us having flown. Everyone had had a fun day, after all, and they were determined to make the same trip back in a few weeks.

Sally's pointing out the spot where we flew from

... while I am ready to fly again!

Marlboro Dog came to check out what the crazy bule girls are doing in his field...

When we headed back to the road to be picked up by the rest of the group, I spotted a Land Rover almost like my old TDi
and decided to take a photo like I've done on some safaris in Kenya...

The hill from which we flew, from a different angle

Some of the traffic passing by. By this time, the traffic had calmed down a LOT!

We finally got picked up and then headed straight to Cimory, a famous restaurant in the area

... and then we headed back over another mountain, back to Sentul. The sunset was spectalar! I took these shots on the fly,
so pardon the wires in the frame. The colors are too good not to share them, though.
I really miss seeing amazing sunsets in Jakarta!

More of the sunset

By this time, my behind was more than ready to get off the motorbike. Diane (you see only her helmet on the right)
is an excellent driver, though. I'm glad I got to ride with her. :)

At Brittney and Leanne's house. Leanne (on the couch) couldn't join us since she had been sick all week.
You can tell how tired we are of being on motorbikes for such a long trip!

Would I paraglide Puncak again if I had the chance? You bet I would! Though there were moments when I was a bit scared, it was nothing compared to the many times my life flashed before my eyes as we weaved through oncoming traffic!

The experience was somewhat akin to when I scuba dive. Though the sound and the touch of the wind on my face was different from the sound of bubbles and cold water on my face, it’s also very similar: It’s the exhilaration of seeing the world from a completely new angle.

It’s about fresh perspective.

And that, I like.

The Sacrament of Waiting

2011-05-11T11:53:00.000+07:00

Slowly
she celebrated the sacrament of letting go.
First she surrendered her green,
then the orange, yellow, and red
finally she let go of her brown.
Shedding her last leaf
she stood empty and silent, stripped bare.
Leaning against the winter sky
she began her vigil of trust.

Shedding her last leaf
she watched its journey to the ground.
She stood in silence
wearing the color of emptiness,
her branches wondering;
How do you give shade with so much gone?

And then,
the sacrament of waiting began.
The sunrise and sunset watched with tenderness.
Clothing her with silhouettes
they kept her hope alive.

They helped her understand that
her vulnerability,
her dependence and need,
her emptiness,
her readiness to receive
were giving her a new kind of beauty.
Every morning and every evening they stood in silence
and celebrated together
the sacrament of waiting.

I had posted this poem by Benedictine nun, Macrina Wiederkehr almost 3 years ago, when I left Kenya. As I'm yet again waiting to see what the next season holds, I was reminded that waiting can be a season that can produce good things.

Brilliant!

2011-04-12T10:48:00.005+07:00

A Very Close Call

2011-04-02T21:00:00.002+07:00

Today was our last day of diving off Bunaken. The weather was questionable when we left, but the skipper assured us it's changing for the better, that the weather forecast for the day was only light rain. Connie, my friend visiting from the US decided not to go diving today due to a headache, and Marion, my colleague, thought she'd just snorkel around this area today, once the weather cleared up.

The hour-long trip over to the island wasn't too bad. We dived*, possibly my best dive in the 14 years I've been scuba diving, and then I stayed on the surface, seeing that my flight is at 10 tomorrow morning, so a second dive would cut into the 24-hour rest period. Once the other three divers surfaced, we were told we're heading back right away since the weather was changing.

We were in a smallish scuba boat with just two little outboard engines. About 20 minutes into the trip, the sea got VERY rough. Some of the waves were about 20 feet tall, according to the skipper. It's plain scary when the wave behind the boat is much bigger than the boat itself. Fortunately, those were rolling waves, so they'd literally just lift us up and plop us down with a bang! But some hit us from the side, and sent some gear flying.

You know you're in trouble when the crew turns the boat around, then try going in a third direction, simply following the waves. The boat itself was hardly moving; the little propeller engines were worthless against the force of the storm.

You also know you're in trouble when the crew start yelling. (Fortunately, our dive master, Ken, was as cool as can be. If it weren't for that, we'd all be panicking! But he was going back and forth from the bow and the stern, trying to problem solve.) The skipper, Simon, suddenly gestured to us four divers to shift to the other side of the boat to shift weight... He didn't have to say a word! We moved like we had rehearsed for days!

I asked Yori, an Indonesian girl who was with the two Indian guys in the second dive party, what the skipper was saying. All I could understand was the word for "Help!" She was smart enough to say that they were speaking the Manadonese dialect, that she wasn't able to follow. But later, she told me that he was yelling to the rest of the crew to pray.

I didn't need anyone to tell me to pray. I was sitting there holding on to whatever I could, praying for God to calm the storm. The next moment, four life jackets come flying out from under the dive tanks, landing RIGHT at the feet of each one of us four. I kid you not. It was surreal! We looked at each other and immediately put on the life jackets.

The sound of the wind and the waves was deafening. As was the wind against the roof. Until the roof blew off with much of the wooden structure with it! Amazingly, no-one was hit by any of the poles! At that time, I told the rest of our group that we should probably get our dive booties on and get ready to grab our fins. But dive master Ken, who had seemed calm the entire time, suddenly yelled, "Put on your BCDs!" Which we did, of course! Afterwards, we laughed so hard at one of the guys who said he had forgotten so many of the little details regarding diving, but in that moment, he remembered right away how to manually inflate the BCD. Ken grabbed a phone and called for help. Then he told us to prepare to go overboard. (He said later he was CONVINCED the boat was going to capsize.)

Suddenly, there was a very loud thump or three, and our boat came to almost a complete stop! We had hit a reef.

Ken told us to take our BCDs and fins off but to keep our dive booties on, and to grab what we can and walk to shore. We grabbed towels to stay warm (thinking we were on an island where we might not find people!), and we were given some bottled water, which I think none of us opened, saving it for later, when we'd be stuck for the night? I was very thankful that I had a dry bag for my camera, and even before, I had decided to take the bag overboard with me with its own life vest, if need be!

We got off the boat, and we started wading through beds of sea urchins, through sand that was like quick sand, where we were stuck all the way to our knees at times, through mangrove forests, and finally (maybe close to an hour later?) we hit dry land. Then we learned that we were, in fact, right at the end of Sulawesi, rather than on one of the outlying islands, which meant that there were people nearby... We weren't going to have to survive on a remote island for the night, after all! (We weren't sad about that.)

We walked past homes out in the bush, through coconut plantations and past lots of cows. (Funnily, I kept thinking of beef rendang, my favorite Indonesian dish, which is beef with coconut. But that's beside the point.)

It "just so happened" that we ended up only about a kilometer or so from the house of a cousin of the skipper, where we could rinse out our booties as part of the marsh we waded through was full of sewage! From there, we walked to the main road, where we barely had to wait five minutes before the cars from the dive center (more than an hour away by road) arrived. We were whisked off in one vehicle while the men in the other vehicle headed to the boat to salvage what they could and to try and tow it to a safer spot.

All along the drive home, you could see the damage from the freak storm everywhere, with trees blown down, power lines being downed by some of those trees, and small roofs blown off. It was bizarre to think we were in the water when the worst of storm hit!

By the time we reached the dive center, the waves were still growing bigger, and were pounding the buildings. The dining area, which is right on the water, was hit several times, so much so that we had dinner in the back kitchen tonight.

But we were safe, dry, clean. And alive. I have no doubt that God heard our cries today. Though he didn't calm the storm, he provided a safe passage through it, he kept the boat from capsizing (the crew thought that the fact that the roof blew off saved us from being flipped over by the wind). And despite all the craziness of the trek through beds of sea urchins, sinking sand, and sewage, we made it through unscathed.

Despite the craziness of the entire event, I never felt like any of our group panicked. In fact, I finally took out my camera when we got to dryish land and shot a clip of the rest of the crew emerging from the mangrove swamp. Through it all, we were still smiling, infinitely thankful that the boat didn't capsize...

* In case you're wondering, dived is indeed the past tense when you refer to scuba. Soon after I started diving, I was told that dove refers to diving vertically, as in "I dove into the pool." But I just looked it up, and from some of the reading, it seems that both are correct past participles, but that that dived is actually the preferred past tense for dive. There. Just in case you, too, were baffled by this.

A Day of Contrasts

2011-03-29T18:28:00.001+07:00

So, we went to a Toraja funeral today. We were told that this is not the high season for funerals in Tana Toraja. Most people have funerals during July and August. Not that more people die at that time. They just keep the deceased in the house till then. In fact, the body could be kept in the house for years, even as many as 20 years, while the family works to collect money to have these elaborate funerals.

Depending on which of the four classes you are from (the highest being gold class, the lowest slave class), you are required to sacrifice a certain number of water buffalo for the event. Someone from the gold class has to sacrifice minimum 24 water buffalo, but there have been some funerals where as many as 100, even 200 were slaughtered. Someone from the slave class would not need any buffaloes slaughtered.

It's odd. The Toraja people are mostly Christian, but their faith is interwoven with many animistic rituals and beliefs. For example, they believe that the deceased never really leave. Hence, if someone dies but there's not enough money to bury them right away, you not only keep the body in the home, but you converse with them, you ask them permission to come and go, you serve them meals... And even after they have been buried, you keep taking gifts to the grave, such as water and cigarettes, even items they would have used in their office, or money.

But at the same time, they believe the person does go to heaven, but the water buffalo is needed to escort them to heaven...

They do not fear the spirits of the dead, but they do fear that if they do not do the right things for the men who come to slaughter the buffalo, that spells can be put on the animals, which have been said to run around after their necks had been slit open.

Today's funeral was for a middle-class man. They had brought nine water buffalo to kill, but kept two to give away to a future funeral. I have no idea how long it has been since the man had passed away, but no-one seemed sad. In fact, it was quite the party. There may have been more than 500 people at the event, all sitting around, waiting for meat. Some were singing traditional songs. Community announcements were being made. And a lot of blood was being spilled...

Fortunately, we didn't see the actual killings. But we saw plenty of guts and as much blood.

Then we left and had a delicious lunch.

And went on to do more sightseeing, including the hanging graves. Now, these were something really, really bizarre! The original Toraja tombs were wooden ones which were hung high against rocks as to prevent grave robberies. In later years, more people got buried in rock graves. Nowadays, most people get buried in house graves, meaning that a house is built to keep the bones.

In all cases, these are family graves. The bones from the entire family is put into one coffin. Hence, in the case of the hanging graves, the coffins have been eaten by bugs over the years and the bones just lay around...

In some cases, effigies are carved out of wood or made of clay. These are made to look like the family members who have passed, and are placed by the grave site.

The photos show a much clearer picture of all of this.

First thing this morning, we visited a Toraja village. The traditional Toraja homes are built to look like the horns of a water buffalo. Yip, they love their water buffalo. These animals are considered the strongest, yet in this culture, they do not work. They are only kept for funerals, or for trading

Inside a Toraja house

I bought a piece of Toraja art, an actual panel from a Toraja house

A vendor on the side of the road, selling vegetables. To his right, you can see how people sell gasoline around here, by the bottle

Original rock graves. You can see the effigies of the old man and woman in front of the grave, along with their dog

We stopped for coffee at this spot where you had a view of the entire valley with its rows upon rows upon rows of rice terraces

My colleague Marion and I, enjoying a cup of famous Toraja mud coffee. Nope, they didn't have any milk at this store, so we enjoyed it black. And I can actually say I did enjoy it, though I had to add sugar

Spotted water buffalo are highly revered. They trade for Rp150 million (about $17,000). All they are used for, though, are to be slaughtered for funerals... People was their buffalo with soap, and rub them with coconut oil to make them look even more beautiful. The men washing this buffalo do not own it, they'd only be employees of the owner

At the funeral. The buffaloes are slaughtered in front of the room where the coffin lays. Pigs were being slaughtered in other places. People were sitting around in buildings all over the property, patiently waiting for more food

After the intestines were removed, the pigs were charred on bamboo fires. You can only imagine the smell...

This is the registration table, where guests have to register what they brought for the funeral (a buffalo, or a pig, or money). They are issued with a receipt, and when they have a family funeral later, the hosts of today's funeral will be expected to give at least as much, if not more. There are also government officials at the table, keeping track of the gifts, and charging the hosts funeral taxes

These boys were playing on the road on the way back to our car. What you do not see in the photo, is that one of them had the hoof of one of the slaughtered buffalo tied to a string, and was dragging that behind him as his new favorite toy

After a delicious lunch, we stopped by another Toraja village, where we watched this carver in action

We then proceeded to the cemetery behind the village, where we saw this elaborate house grave

Next, we walked up this little hill and voila! there were hanging graves and coffins all around...

Since many of the coffins were completely weather worn, the skulls were out and about. It's eerie to think that these belong to real people

This was a cave full of effigies, carvings that look like the original people, dressed up like them, and wearing their real jewelry. It is kept behind lock and key because of grave robberies. We named the grandma in purple Ethel

Here you can see the bones spilling out of the hanging grave, as families are buried together in one coffin

This grave on the right belongs to a government official, and 100 buffalo were slaughtered at his funeral. Connie decided his name was Winston. We named many of the effigies...

Finally, we went to a place where we watched ladies do ikat weaving

Beautiful ikat weaving. One piece like this can take months to complete

The Art of Planting Rice

2011-03-29T16:41:00.000+07:00

I'm on the island of Sulawesi, one of the more than 10,000 islands that are part of the Indonesian archipelago, and one of the country's provinces. The island is K-shaped, and currently, we are about halfway up the vertical line of the K, high up in the mountains, where the Toraja people live.

It took almost nine hours to drive here from Makassar, the capital, but the journey was a beautiful one, for the most part.

Once we entered Tana Toraja, we stopped and watched a community plant rice. It seems like quite the process: prepare the muddy soil (burn off the stalks from the previous harvest, then plow the soil and finally, tread through the mud barefoot), separate the bunch of seedlings, and painstakingly plant them.

It's a community project, and seems to be done with much joy!

The green on the left is rice that has already been planted

These tufts of green are seedlings that had been grown for the past month

A Toraja lady. It's hard to imagine that she can look so happy after an entire day of back-breaking labor!

Gambaru!

2011-03-26T08:48:00.000+07:00

I was catching up on some personal reading this morning, and learned about a Japanese concept called gambaru. Says Garr Reynolds, "The concept ... is deeply rooted in the Japanese culture and approach to life. The literal meaning of gambaru expresses the idea of sticking with a task with tenacity until it is completed—of making a persistent effort until success is achieved." (Read more here.)

Whatever it is that you are striving for today, friends, may you tenaciously stick to it until you succeed. I'll do the same. Deal?

On finding community

2011-02-27T09:52:00.002+07:00

For me, possibly the hardest thing in Indonesia has been to find community. I have friends here, don't get me wrong. Amazing friends, some of whom I've known since Taipei. They're my family here, and I treasure them deeply. And I have some new friends from work, too. These are people with whom I've shared meals, gone to the movies, and even traveled. These are all people without whom I would've made it through my first seven months in Indonesia, and people that I will continue to treasure. They're people who cause me to think deeply about why I believe what I believe. Some of these, undoubtedly, will remain friends, even after I move on from my season as a preschool teacher.

But last weekend, something healing happened. I went to a retreat for women from all over West Java. I made new friends from all over the country. I had deeply challenging conversations about topics that I am passionate about. I listened and processed. I talked and was understood. I sang from the deepest place of my heart, but also karaoked and let my hair down. I did a high ropes course and flew down a zip line. I laughed more than I have laughed in months.

In short: I found community.

So this weekend, I was invited to go hang out with some of my new friends in a different suburb of our city. As I crawled into bed last night, it was with a smile on my heart. I felt more alive than I have in months. I am profoundly grateful for friends, new and old.

I am infinitely thankful for finding community.

Splash!

2011-01-12T14:35:00.000+07:00

The day before Christmas break, we had "Splash Day," where the kids simply got to play in the pool. Don't know who was more tired afterward, me, or them!

Final photos from the cruise

2011-01-07T22:01:00.001+07:00


In most countries (other than China, that is) we didn't have to physically clear customs. Instead, the customs officials would come on board while we're taxiing into the harbor, and clear us for entrance into their country. This is the customs boat that from which the officials boarded our ship

And here they are, boarding the ship. Tricky business, I'd say, seeing that our ship kept moving during this process (albeit at a slower speed)

Nha Trang, Vietnam, here I come! This is a great dive spot, but our ship came in too late for me to join some dives. I might have to go back to Vietnam to dive...

The sign says it all

Kiptoo took the shuttle to town to explore. Water? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Camera & money? Check. Sense of adventure? Check!

Nha Trang's bicycle rickshaws. These drivers were relentlessly going after tourists, offering to take you around town for $5/hr. Kiptoo and I decided to explore on foot

The little guard dog at a little convenience store along the road

Despite the busy-ness of the market, it felt like I was walking in a scene from the 70s

I love the colors of the different fruits. Can you identify the different fruits??

Coconut vendor

Yummy mandarin oranges

The chickens were almost as orange as the mandarin oranges...

In Indonesia, as in Vietnam, quail eggs are often sold alongside chicken eggs. In fact, some of my kids sometimes bring boiled quail eggs in their lunch packs

I love walking through the markets and smiling at the vendors and getting permission to take their photos

Mushroom vendor

These Vietnamese clay pots reminded me a lot of some of the pots I had seen in Ethiopia

Amazingly, motorbikes (even with sidecars, such as this one) and rickshaws would squeeze their way through the narrow market alleys

Buddhist ghost money (burned for ancestors to use in heaven). But Vietnamese dong aren't worth much (around 20,000dong to a US$), so they were selling US$100 bills as ghost money so it's easier to burn (or can one say, wire) more money faster...

Though this girl doesn't look friendly, she explained in broken English to me that these banana leaf wrappings contained raw pork to be steamed

Dried seahorses and what, a flying rat or bat? Not sure!

After walking around for long enough, I found a halfway-decent-looking salon where I got a hair wash and blow dry, massage, manicure and pedicure for $4.60. If you're ever in Nha Trang, check these guys out :)

The next morning, we docked in the not-so-nice port of Phu My. Seeing that bad traffic is our nemesis in Jakarta, I chose not to take the day trip to Saigon, despite wanting to see that city. (The return journey would've been up to 6 hours.) So I took the shuttle to the nearest town. These water buffalo were simply out in the fields alongside the highway

Since there was little to see in the town we were dropped off in, I hooked up with some Aussie ladies and we negotiated a deal with a taxi to take us to nearby Vung Tao, where we saw this statue of Jesus. It was a bit surprising seeing this statue in a Communist and Buddhist nation

After seeing the beaches and the statue, the other ladies wanted to go shopping at the central market. One half of the market had clothing, shoes and jewelry, and this half had fresh goods. It's much more fun walking around the wet market and take photos!

I guess sitting on top of the tables makes for good use of space. Chicken, anyone?

Or do you simply prefer some chicken feet? (The toes, I'm told, are handy for cleaning your teeth after dinner)

This vendor gestured that I should take a look at what she had in this bag... Only two furry feet were sticking out. I peered in and lo and behold, there were three slaughtered rabbits, ready to be made into rabbit stew

More quail eggs. Aren't they pretty?


All over town, one would see ladies wearing these funny toed socks with sandals

Back to the ship for the last leg of the trip

It was fascinating watching these fishing boats/house boats, with entire families seemingly living aboard. Behind them are the mangrove forests of the Mekong. I kept wondering what these forests have witnessed over time...

The skies were beautiful that night!

Kiptoo tried some coconut juice

Some of my new friends from the cruise... I met this family when racing around Xiamen, and ended up playing translator for them in Shanghai. Originally from Jo'burg, they all live in Perth now. Getting to know them was one of the nicest surprises of the cruise (and I'm not saying that because they might be reading my blog!)

Same family, but here you see some of the men. This was last night, the final night of the cruise, and the chefs and waiters were bringing in a parade of baked Alaska. People were twirling their napkins and clapping. It was a nice ending to a fun cruise

Mohan, the junior waiter at our table, with the baked Alaska. I didn't care for this dessert at all. It was way too sweet!

Another guest I was blessed to get to know on the cruise, a lady named Anne (pronounced in the German way, not the American way) from Geneva, Switzerland. She, along with a German friend of hers (from Texas) have been on the ship for the past 10 weeks! They started their journey in Rome, all the way to Cape Town, then to Asia. What fun!

And the final view from the deck where I had breakfast every day: Sentosa Island, Singapore, with the Hard Rock Hotel in the foreground and Singapore's mascot, the merlion in the back

We had a couple of hours to kill in Changi Airport. Kiptoo and I agree that we love Singapore! And we love exploring. Bottom line, we love life. :)

Nha Trang, Vietnam

2011-01-04T12:33:00.000+07:00

Today, I'm adding a new country to the list of places I've visited. It's my first time to Vietnam, and I must say, it's a bit odd being in a country where I cannot speak any of the language! Right now, I don't have the cables with me to upload photos from my walk through the morning market in Nha Trang, but rest assured, they will come.

I had hoped to scuba dive while here, but our ship docked at 9:00 only, too late for the boats to the islands. Just got a message from one dive operation that they would pick me up at the ship at 9 with a private speed boat and I could do two dives, but alas, didn't get the news in time. So I walked around the sprawling markets of Nha Trang... One funny thing about Vietnam is that the ladies here seem to like wearing toed nylons. As in, there's a special spot for your big toe, but the rest are all like regular nylons, making it possible for them to wear nylons with flip flops or similar sandals. Personally, I have no idea why anyone would even consider wearing nylons in subtropical climates. But that's me.

After I had done enough walking, I slipped into a decent-looking salon where I got a manicure, pedicure and a hair wash & blow dry (with a good massage, of course) for a whopping $4.60. That's my splurge for the day. I figured since most of the nail ladies around the world seem to be from Vietnam nowadays, getting a mani/pedi while here would be a good thing. And it was. I'll return to the ship a happy camper.

We're leaving for Phu My sometime in the middle of the afternoon today... Now that we're in warmer waters, I might actually hop into my bathing suit for the first time on the trip! Not sure what I'll be doing in Phu My tomorrow, as the traffic to Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) is purportedly worse than that in and around Jakarta. No guarantees you'll get back to the ship in time for its return to Singapore... So I'll stay closer to the ship. Maybe.

Speaking of the ship, I'm heading back. It's raining. Glad I brought my rain coat. :)

Till next time,
Adele (and Kiptoo, who is still convinced he's staying vegan after his second morning market visit this week)

2011, so far

2011-01-03T12:39:00.000+07:00

These are the people I have dinner with most nights.

In Hong Kong yesterday, I went to Wan Chai to have my iPhone worked on. The computer center was not yet open, so I walked around the area, visiting the local morning market

After seeing these pigs, Kiptoo didn't want to show his face in the market

This was very hard for me to see, a soft-shelled turtle. Though it had been slaughtered, the mouth was still moving, as if it were breathing!

Fish with the egg sacs showing

These guys were slaughtering frogs

Kiptoo announced he's going vegan!

He was happy to come out when I arrived in Sai Kung and sat down at Starbucks, waiting for my friends, the Eitemillers

It was WONDERFUL to see Jessica and her sweet baby Josaiah, Joelle, and to meet Seth, Jessica's husband. Of course it was great to see Sue and Dave, too, but I've seen them more recently than I had seen the girls. :) I always enjoy visiting with them.

At the MTR station

Back on the ship, this morning, we had a cooking demonstration

The cook and the Maitre D', having just made a black forest cake. Wonder why I am craving black forest cake now!

Update from the South China Sea

2010-12-31T11:32:00.001+07:00

We’re on our way back to Hong Kong, today. One of the couples at our table have a really nice suite, which comes with free Internet access. They invited my colleague and I over for the morning to come and use the Internet. Nice! Here’s a short update from the trip, and some photos to enjoy. Will connect again in Hong Kong.

Good morning from a nice and c-c-cold Shanghai! In the past week, we’ve cruised from our cozy equatorial weather (high 80s/30C year round) to the crisp weather in Shanghai. The majority of the passengers on board the ship have moved from their daily perches by the pool to my favorite spot on the ship, the library.

I’ve been having a wonderful time so far! I’ve met delightful people from all over the world (including very many South Africans, most of whom live in Australia). I’ve eaten more than usual. I’ve also exercised more than I usually do in Jakarta. And I’ve been reading.

Perhaps one shouldn’t be reading a book on poverty (The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision president, Richard Stearns) when you’re on a luxury cruise liner. Or perhaps that’s exactly the time to read it! Let me just say that I’m really blessed to have this opportunity to do something this far out of my league, and I’m especially blessed that it cost me one fifth (literally) of what it cost my neighbors! (Got talking to a hilarious old lady at breakfast yesterday, and she bluntly asked the other table guests how much they paid for their packages. I think she would’ve had a stroke on the spot had she heard what a steal we had gotten!)

So, what does a person do on a cruise? There are lots to do. There’s a guy on board who’s teaching advanced bridge classes and a lady teaching tai-chi and dancing. There’s a kids program for the 60 kids on board. There are games like putt-putt, shuffle board and ping-pong. There’s the pool and Jacuzzis. There’s an outdoor walking/running track, and quite a big gym. And there’s my favorite spot on the ship, the library.

Kiptoo and I have been enjoying our time in the library

We've also been enjoying playing Scrabble

Driving around Manila, Philippines. It's always fun to explore different cities, especially when you have friends to show you around

My classmate Cesar and his family showed me around Manila, and took us to Intramuros, which contains a memorial to Rizal, their national hero

These are the footsteps of Rizal as he was taken to be executed

Waiting to depart from Manila

The seas between Manila and Xiamen were really rough. I was glad not to get sick, but many people (including crew) were really seasick

Watching the sunrise as we headed into Xiamen port

We were met by a colleague in Xiamen who showed us around. This statue faces Taiwan, and is part of the unification ideal...

The goddess Matsu, facing Taiwan-owned Matsu island

At a market in Xiamen, a picture of Jesus next to one of Mao and one of a dragon... Interesting...

Having lunch in Xiamen. Shaun insisted we have to eat!

A roadside doctor's office next to our restaurant, where the "doctor" was cleaning a guy's ear!

This vendor was selling cigarettes. His not-yet-1-year-old kid was "playing" with a cigarette

Down an alley in Xiamen

Vegetable vendor in Xiamen

Next stop: Shanghai. Here you could buy bok choi on the side of the road

Kiptoo and I hung out with a South African family who live in Australia. I as the translator for the day. Kiptoo made some new friends in the art district

My friends and I at the "M on Bund." It was freezing!

A view of the deck while in Shanghai

The Shanghai skyline

Shanghai's a beautiful city, and we had a WONDERFUL day

OK, signing off for now and seeing what the day holds.

Kiptoo's going on a cruise

2010-12-21T12:39:00.000+07:00

I've never had a burning desire to go on a cruise. Not sure why. I've lived at/very close to the coast for most of my life, and I love the ocean. Yet, I've never yearned to go on a cruise. But when one plan after another fell through for this Christmas holidays and a colleague asked if I'd consider going along on a cruise through Asia, it sounded like a fun thing to do.

So, tomorrow morning early, I'm off to Singapore. From there, we'll board the Ocean Princess, setting sail for Manila, Philippines, where we'll arrive on December 26.

12/26: In Manila, I'll spend the morning exploring with Cesar (a classmate from BGU) and his family. Then it's back on the boat and head to China.

12/28: Arrive in Xiamen, where a colleague from school will show us around his city. I've never been to Xiamen, so this'll be a fun chance to see the city through a local's eyes. Then it's back on the ship and head further north, to an even colder city, Shanghai.

12/30: Though I have several friends in Shanghai, all of them are traveling for the holidays, so I'll likely go to a museum or simply walk around the Bund. Then, head south to warmer waters. We'll bring in the New Year somewhere between Shanghai and Hong Kong.

1/2: Looking forward to seeing the Eitemiller family in Hong Kong. Jessica was in my youth group in Taiwan, and by now, she's married and has a baby! I'll also get to see her sister Joelle (who's also in college by now) and hang out with their wonderful family at their home for the day. Then set sail further south, back toward the equator.

1/4: This'll be my first time to visit Vietnam, so I'm looking forward to seeing Nha Trang. If the temples that this area's most famous for is too far, I'll see if I can get a dive in!

1/5: Next stop: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I bet there'll be plenty to see in this city before we set sail to return to Singapore.

1/7: Back in Singapore, and hop on a plane back to Jakarta.

Kiptoo's going along, and I think he's excited. He's not been doing much exploring lately, so he made sure he's got everything ready to have some fun. He and I will post updates as/when we are able.

Yet to do, at 42

2010-11-07T23:28:00.086+07:00

The last two years, I had a poem of sorts on my blog on the day of my birth, on things I've done in the past. As my birthday approached this year, it struck me that I sadly have very few really fun or profound items to add this year. And so I've decided to make a different list this time. (It's not my birthday yet. That's only on Friday.)

I'm an activator, after all, and lists invigorate me! This isn't a "bucket list," necessarily. I'm sure I'll think of many, many more things along the way that I'd like to do someday. Many of the items that are on the list are most definitely not things I decided I'd want to do before my name is listed in the obituaries. They're simply things I've done, and things I still would love to do. Some of the things crossed off are things I'd've never put on a list of "Things I hope I get to do someday." But planned or unplanned, these things have have become a part of me. They appear in no specific order. Some aren't things I just seek to do once off. (Been there. Done that. Check!) But some are things I'd never want to experience again. Ever. You'll figure out which are which.*

Fly an airplane. (I have an appointment for a lesson in June.)
~~Keep a journal~~. (I do, but not religiously. The only thing I do religiously might be to brush my teeth!)
~~Walk on a glacier in Alaska.~~
~~Pray and see a virtually-dead person come back to life.~~
~~Wake up to the sound of lions roaring nearby.~~
~~Build and decorate a small home in the boonies.~~
Spend time diving off a liveaboard in Micronesia.
~~Have solo exhibits and sell my photos.~~
~~Fall asleep to the sound of crickets.~~
~~Have tea with the President at his home.~~
Buy a home.
~~Swim in the wild with dolphins~~.
~~Find a new home for lost chickens.~~
~~Get stuck (and unstuck) in the~~ ~~mud~~.
Do a 365 project.
~~Be present during the birth of a baby.~~
~~Walk on the Great Wall, and visit the Forbidden City.~~
~~Be a passenger in a taxi that kills a pedestrian.~~
~~Sit in awe as an amazingly-gifted friend worships God through her gift of music.~~
~~Play in the snow with my nieces.~~
~~Listen to a complete stranger's life story.~~
~~Sing~~ ~~in a philharmonic choir.~~
~~Take a class from a descendant of Ethiopia's last emperor. And visit with the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.~~
~~Participate in an Olympic event.~~
~~Deliver a dead body to its family.~~
~~Watch the sky catch on fire.~~
~~Survive an epic flood.~~
Wait.
~~Befriend~~ ~~a Rendille.~~
~~Feel at home in a rainforest.~~
Work as an itinerant professor.
~~Get stranded, at night, in a broken car, in a wildlife park in Kenya.~~
~~Fight off a gun-wielding soldier.~~
~~Have an office that overlooks a river.~~
Get married to an amazing man. (Catch me if you can!)
~~Take college students to someplace deep in the heart of Mozambique.~~
~~Get a fish pedicure.~~
~~Witness lives being transformed.~~
~~Be protected by a bow-and-arrow-wielding warrior.~~
~~Build a greenhouse~~ ~~and grow great vegetables in it.~~
Be patient.
~~Watch the sunrise and sunset in the Namib desert.~~
Know the birds around me so well that I can identify them without having to refer to any book.
~~Learn a new language.~~
~~Appreciate the little things~~ ~~in life.~~
~~Cry at the genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda.~~
Write a book. ~~(Start in Bali.)~~
~~Keep a chameleon~~ ~~as a pet and resident fly-catcher.~~
~~Ride on the back of an ostrich.~~
Sign my name as Dr. Booysen.
~~Teach~~ ~~a graduate-level class in Ethiopia.~~
~~Survive a plane crash.~~ (This was far less eerie than getting off the plane in the US on Oct. 31, 2000, and learning that the flight I was originally scheduled to be on, but had changed my ticket days before, had crashed!)
~~Visit more countries than my current age.~~
~~Master the art of taking the perfect bucket shower.~~
~~Live a simple life.~~
~~Witness the zebras and wildebeest crossing the Mara River from the Serengeti.~~
Visit Machu Pichu.
~~Have a mailing address in five countries . . . and a driver's license in most of those.~~
~~Move orphans~~ ~~into a new, loving home.~~
Walk the streets of Kathmandu.
~~Be chased by a rhino.~~ (A short albeit frightening chase in Nakuru National Park.)
Try to love relentlessly.
~~Walk through the dark valley of situational depression.~~
~~Spend time in a Sudanese cattle camp, watching the cows come home.~~
~~Witness a hunt~~.
Perform with Yo-Yo Ma. (This was going to happen, but then the concert was canceled due to Typhoon Morakot hitting Taiwan weeks before the event. Bummer!)
~~Listen to friends' stories.~~
Make creme brulee from scratch.
~~Make mistakes. Seek forgiveness. Move on.~~ (Ongoing process, this one, isn't it?)
~~Fly in a hot air balloon over the Rift Valley.~~
~~Cross the continental divide~~.
Live a life surrendered to God.
~~Survive a massive earthquake.~~ (Taiwan, 921)
~~Take photos~~ ~~of beautiful children.~~
Ask more questions.
~~Be part of a brand new, international magazine launch as managing editor.~~
~~Learn~~ ~~to live with~~ ~~gratitude~~ ~~from~~ ~~a friend who did so with excellence~~.
~~Win the war against jiggers!~~
Think before I speak.
~~Kiss a giraffe.~~
~~Eat termites.~~
Learn as much as I can from every season through which I pass.
~~Visit Lalibella, Ethiopia.~~
Figure out all the functions on my camera.
Master Photoshop.
~~Survive an attack by a crazy mob~~.
~~Slaughter a chicken~~.
~~Get stranded in a yacht and rescued by the Coast Guard.~~
Dive with a whale shark.
~~Stand up for what I know is right, regardless of the cost...~~
~~Spend some time with the Pokot.~~
~~Live at an orphanage.~~
Get a job where I can thrive once again.
~~Teach preschoolers.~~
~~Get to know the roads, the animals and the people of the Maasai Mara.~~
~~Watch a green turtle lay eggs on a remote island.~~
~~Dive the Great Barrier Reef.~~
~~Learn to make the perfect cup of coffee.~~
Live a life delighting in God, and in a way knowing that God delights in me.

I've enjoyed the journey this far. I look forward to at least 42 more.

* Facebook friends, I doubt the HTML code transfers to Facebook notes, so to see which items have yet to be done, visit my Web site, www.AdeleBooysen.com.

So, I've joined a club.

2010-11-02T20:17:00.005+07:00

After six years of blogging, I've joined an after-school club for teachers who want to to learn how to blog. Lest you think I have too much time on my hands (ha!), or I've lost it (well, maybe I have), the reason I've joined the blogging club is to learn how to best use a blog professionally. Until now, my blogs have been personal ones, including the ones I maintained for the children's homes.

And thus, I joined the club.

Maybe it will also provide me with the impetus to write on my personal blog more frequently again. While living in Kenya, I blogged almost daily. In the past year, I wrote a total of 20 posts. There are several reasons for this, and I won't bore you with them. But come to think of the reasons, maybe I won't be writing more over here after all... Especially since I spend my evenings poring over my dissertation.

Maybe I'll continue on this one-entry-a-month streak on this blog, but start building a professional site instead. One where I can post my resume and some of my professional writing, seeing that I am officially doing a job search. Yet again. Officially as of an hour or so ago, when I submitted the message to my school that I will not be continuing on as a preschool teacher next year. I simply cannot do it. I am not a preschool teacher. (I'm checking to see if anyone will notice this not-so-surprising bit of news if I hide it in a really long & boring paragraph.) I want to thrive in my job once again. Ultimately, I want to be teaching at a college level again. And I'm at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I know. It was OK for a season. I believe I've learned what I had set out to learn. This season will indeed become part of my dissertation. So I want to move on. I'll tell you more in a different post someday. Or read my book someday. End of rambling.

Oh, yes, as I was saying... so I joined the blogger club, to learn from the dad of one of my students, a colleague who knows far more than I do about doing a professional blog. Or a really cool blog, for that matter.

I'll most likely move all the materials on this site someplace else, and keep my URL for the professional side of me. For those of you who have an aversion to change, consider this your warning.

I'm Adele, and I have a lot more to learn.

Today, I had a piranha pedicure

2010-10-24T19:34:00.005+07:00

... and I didn't like it. Not a bit. Yet I kept putting my feet back in the water. I wanted to be able to say that I'd done it. Fish therapy, that is. You see fish spas all around Indonesia. Some are fancy and you pay $6 for an hour of therapy. The one where my friends and I went was $2 for 30 minutes. And the ponds were in the hallway of one of the local malls.

I've often walked by these ponds, looked at the locals sitting there totally relaxed, as if there really aren't about a million little fish stuck to their feet and legs. OK. Not a million. But those suckers know how to vie for a piece of property.

Like I said, I just couldn't keep my feet in the water. I tried. I may have kept them in for 15 seconds at the most. But the constant nibbling sensation was just eerie. (It's actually sucking, not nibbling, really. Those suckers don't have teeth.) An hour after the therapy, it still felt like I had fish nibbling/sucking at my skin.

I kid you not.

It was an impromptu decision to do it as a treat for one of my colleagues' birthdays. We've all been curious about it, but no-one wanted to do it alone. Had we planned to go, I would've taken my camera. I'd go back with friends simply to take photos, not to put my feet back in the water.

Granted, they're not piranhas. They're garra rufa, or "red log suckers." Or doctor fish. Call them what you may, having them suck at my skin gave me the heebie-jeebies!

"Really? Avocado on your sandwich?"

2010-10-21T20:10:00.002+07:00

Today, when my kids were finally down for their short nap, I was able to head out for a quick bite to eat at one of our school's 6 cafes. They're called cafes, that's right. Not cafeterias. You get served food on nice, colored plates. And some of the cafes have the most beautiful decor. I'll post photos sometime.

But that's not my point.

I decided to head to the ~~Middle School~~ Gaja Madah building. (Our buildings have names, not designations. You'll understand when you see the photos.) This building has traditional Indonesian decor, and the cafe serves Indonesian dishes in addition to the regular pastas, rice/chicken dishes, salad bar etc.

I wanted a grilled chicken panini.

Then I noticed avocado on display. "Ah! Could you add some avocado to that, please?" I politely asked.

"Avocado? You want avocado on your sandwich?"

"Yes, please." (I thought maybe the avocado was just part of a display, judging from the response.)

"The avocado is for juice bar. Not sandwich."

"Yes, but can I please have avocado on my sandwich?" I smiled. And thought how utterly unappealing an avocado drink is to me!

(Lots of talk among the Indonesian serving staff. And some frowns. And some shaking of heads, as in, "You bules* are very strange!")

The lady carefully put a couple of slices on my bread, and minutes later, I had the perfect panini. But as I sat at the Balinese-style table, enjoying my sandwich, I caught all the wait staff staring strangely at me... I smiled again, gave them a thumbs up, and gulped down the last few bites before rushing back to my crazy little kids.

Funny, isn't it, how some customs (or foods) seem oh-so-strange when transferred from one culture to another.

I cannot help but wonder if you've ever encountered something similar. Please share!

* Bule is the Indonesian term for gringo. Or waiguoren. Or crazy white people. :)

Forgot to upload these...

2010-10-21T19:34:00.003+07:00

I was working on some school photo stuff, and realized that some of my personal photos had been downloaded to my work Mac, so I never got to share these. Enjoy!

When I was living and working downtown, I used to walk through the backstreets, past the homes of some of Jakarta's poorer population. I loved every time this old man was out on the street in the morning... The kids pay just a few cents for a ride on his fun-mobile. The little scooters rock back and forth, not powered by electricity but by the man peddling!

See the white powder on the face of the girl in the foreground? I was told parents put talcum powder on the kids' faces as part of the cleaning process. Since this is in the slums, you'd see the kids standing by the gutters many mornings, being washed down in public. Wash. Dry. Powder up!

The next two shots are from my visa trip to Singapore. This is the first view of Singapore's Marina Bay Sands Hotel as seen from my friends' apartment building (though not their own house, it is from the observation deck on the 50-something-eth floor.)

This is taken from the same spot, but looking at the hotel (and Singapore's many, many apartment blocks) as reflected in another high-rise building (the NTUC building, for those of you who know Singapore.)

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2010-09-15T17:42:00.003+07:00

My life seems to be perpetually changing. I don't care for change, really. Who does? But some of us do a bit better with changes coming our way. Or we choose them when we decide it's time.

Some changes in my life, I chose. Others, I fought off like the pest. Yet others, I simply accepted.

I chose to leave Kenya almost 2 years ago.

I wouldn't have minded not to leave Taiwan this summer, but career-wise, it was the right thing to do. I had gotten a really great job at a really great school in downtown Jakarta.

And so, a month into my new job, just when my 2-year-olds had gotten used to me and I to teaching really little ones, I was presented with a need at our school, which meant changes in my world, again.

Someone from our other campus (in the suburbs) had been asked to come to our campus to fill an interim position as principal. (Our principal had originally only agreed to get the school going and was supposed to have been back in Australia by the summer.) Which left the other person's position vacant. It's a K1 position--what we called KA in Taiwan, or what other schools call pre-Kindergarten. It's what I taught in Taiwan.

So I've been asked to move to our suburban campus (a huge, beautiful campus!) to take on that position. At our city campus, they will combine the three nursery classes into two.

Seeing that I do not wish to spend hours on the road every day along with 3 million other commuters (read: major traffic congestion), I will be moving to a home close to school.

I'll start my new job on Monday, and I'll move as soon as I have curtains and furniture for my new house.

Though I really didn't anticipate having to face changes at this stage, I can honestly say that I am happy to be working with 4-year-olds again, to be able to use the experience I gained in Taiwan and build upon that. For the educators: Ours is an IB school, and we follow the Primary Years Program, which is new to me, but it'll be great to learn and gain PYP experience!

I am sad to leave my young'uns in the city. In the month I've spent with them, they've crept into my heart. I'm sad to leave the entire nursery team, as we've grown into a strong teaching team with a united vision for our kids. But working with 4-year-olds will be a more appropriate challenge for me, so I am also excited about the changes ahead.

What a journey! Never a dull moment, eh?

Life's a Journey

2010-07-23T22:28:00.002+07:00

This morning, I boarded a small plane out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a journey of more than 30 hours to my next destination: Jakarta, Indonesia. Over the past few days, one item after the next got checked off my to-do list. All that really remains is to transition well to a new country, a new culture, a new world. Not that that was on the written list. Just the mental one.

It's a tricky business, at times, this international life. Moving back to Taiwan 16 months ago was easy. I knew the city, the language, even some people. I knew where to go for the best dumplings. I knew that I loved Chinese food, and I knew where to go to escape the busy-ness of the city.

This weekend's transition is different. I've never been to Indonesia, let alone Jakarta. I know no Indonesian words (yet). I know little about the culture which will inevitably become part of my most certainly affect my worldview.

But I will learn. Of that, I am sure. I'm sure I'll come to love Jakarta and its people. Over and over, friends who have been there emphasize how amazing Indonesian people are. They're super friendly, I am told. I've also read that no matter what, they smile. Even when trying to solve a problem. I'll have to remember that. I'll also have to remember that Indonesians never use their left hand to give or receive anything.

I look forward to discover for myself what makes Indonesians unique. I know enough not to make blanket statements about a culture based on interactions with one or two people. No stereotyping, right?

And so, as I set off for this new chapter, I am excited to see what I'll learn about my new home, about myself, about life itself. And about the Source of Life. I will blog, occasionally. Maybe you, too, will come to love the people and the places of Indonesia.

Life still is good, indeed.

For those who wonder, I will continue working on my dissertation, which has been put on hold for the summer and for the transition time.

Work

2010-05-31T09:03:00.004+07:00

Some high school art students took photos around the school a few weeks ago. This is me in action. After lunch, the kids have reading time. Here, Sammy and Jedd had asked me to read them a story. I love the expression on Sammy's face! I'll definitely miss my kids!

Fire!

2010-05-27T14:37:00.002+07:00

The kids got to visit a nearby fire station today. They got to spray water, put on a fireman's outfit, and even learned how to do CPR on a dummy.

Lots of fun. I only have 5.5 more days with these pumpkins. I'm really going to miss them!

Exhale

2010-05-01T21:47:00.005+07:00

"Sit up straight. Pretend there's a string coming out the top of your head. It's pulling you even straighter .... and straighter ... Now, close your eyes... Take a deeeeeep breath. Hold it. P-p-p-p-p-p, blow if out slooooooowly. Again..."

This simple breathing exercise has been one of my favorite tricks to calm down my 16 pumpkins. It works like a bomb. Every time. Even with the squirmiest kid, whom I have come to believe is the real-life version of Dash in The Incredibles.

But that's actually beside the point.

As is the fact that my kids have been learning about the sense of hearing this week, and thus made drums, guitars, you name it. They've been making shakers and testing different sounds. It's been a noisy week.

Add to that the fact that my research class concluded this week, which meant that I ferociously worked on completing my dissertation proposal. Which I sent in this morning.

That concludes this busy, noisy week.

Submitting today's paper is a significant milestone insofar as my studies go, as this document forms the road map to completing my dissertation. In it, I had to spell out exactly what my dissertation will be about, and how I plan to address my research. It also includes a detailed timeline to help me stay on track. Chapter by chapter, month by month, it leads me all the way to graduation. If all goes well, I should be able to graduate next summer.

For the past several months, my classes have been dovetailing, even overlapping. I've not had a chance to legitimately take time off and not have another deadline looming.

Today was different.

I was able to exhale. Big time. It will be a few weeks before I get feedback from my professor regarding changes I should make to my proposal before submitting it to the academic affairs committee for their approval.

I went to see Daisy, my favorite stylist, for some color and a cut. I had dinner with friends and didn't have to head home to do a few assignments. I watched a mindless movie.

Inhale.

Exhale.

And then I made a little pile on my nightstand of books I want to read in preparation for my writing, while waiting for my first rewriting assignment.

The book at the very top? This one. Then this one. And this one. And this and this and this one.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Though it was great to have the chance to simply take a break today, this train has slowed down for just a brief moment.

Maybe I should ask my little Dash for some of his speed so I can zip through my work just like he zips through his. (I can hear his little voice so clearly: "Miss Booysen, I'm done! What can I do now?")

A year from now, I, too, should be able to say, "I'm done!" But I already know what I want to do after that. Go and relax on a beach in Hawaii with some good friends. And take along only books like this one.

Or maybe not.

(I have actually been reading some non-class-related books on the side, by the way. Finished up Stones into Schools this week, and recently also completed the sequel to Left to Tell, about the Rwandan genocide.)

Needless to say, the biggest bulk of goods to be shipped this week in preparation for my move? Books. Can't imagine life without them!

Give me the courage to live

2010-03-07T21:20:00.002+07:00

Give me the courage to live!
Really live—not merely exist.
Live dangerously,
Scorning risk!
Live honestly,
Daring the truth—
Particularly the truth of myself!
Live resiliently—
Ever changing, ever growing, ever adapting.
Enduring the pain of change
As though ’twere the travail of birth.
Give me the courage to live,
Give me the strength to be free
And endure the burden of freedom
And the loneliness of those without chains;
Let me not be trapped by success,
Nor by failure, nor pleasure, nor grief,
Nor malice, nor praise, nor remorse!
Give me the courage to go on!
Facing all that waits on the trail—
Going eagerly, joyously on,
And paying my way as I go,
Without anger or fear or regret
Taking what life gives,
Spending myself to the full,
Head high, spirit winged—
On . . . on . . . till the shadows draw close.
Then even when darkness shuts down,
And I go out alone, as I came,
Naked and blind as I came—
Even then, gracious God, hear my prayer:
Give me the courage to live!

~ by Howard Thurman (1899-1981)
I used this poem to conclude my hermeneutics paper tonight. Hope you find as much inspiration in Thurman's words as I did.

Have you no scar?

2010-02-14T11:56:00.005+07:00

Yesterday, I received heartbreaking news that dear friends of mine (from college days, we were in a music group together, and have kept in touch over the years and the oceans) were attacked this week. Their house was broken into (nothing unusual in South Africa). My friend was raped (sadly, also not unusual in SA). Her husband was taken hostage and made to drive their car out of their gated community, where he was then let go (rather unusual!)

What is also unusual about their ordeal is that Louis and Hettie, as public figures in South Africa (he is a famous gospel singer/songwriter, she a writer of parenting books), are not allowing this ordeal to rob them of their purpose in life, of pointing others to God.

As I've been praying for them, I thought of a poem by Amy Carmichael that has ministered greatly to me during difficult times.

Jesus speaks to us:

Have you no scar? No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear you sung as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail your bright ascendant star.
Have you no scar?
Have you no wound?

Yet, I was wounded by the archers, spent,
leaned me against the tree to die,
and rent -- by ravenous beasts that encompassed me
I swooned.
Have you no wound?
No wound? No scar?

Yes, as the master shall the servant be,
and pierced are the feet that follow Me,
but yours are whole.
Can he have followed far -- who has no wound? No scar?
Can she have followed far -- who has no wound? No scar?

If you would, please join me in praying for my friends as they continue to walk through this trial, and especially as they continue with the arrangements for Turn2God, a major prayer/praise event on March 6, something they've been working on for a while...

Doctor?

2010-01-28T16:59:00.004+07:00

Today, during free choice playtime, three of my kids were playing doctor, as is usually the case. I decided to have an impromptu mini-field trip for them, and took them to our nurses' office, where they marched in declaring that their babies needed to see another doctor.

Here are some photos from the visit. What can I say? My kids are cute! And I love that they could make the nurses chuckle, too!

I'd also love to have the ones who play in the kitchen visit our school kitchen, I think! Who needs long field trips when you can do fun stuff like this??

Yes, I love my job. Especially on days like today.

Lost

2010-01-03T10:26:00.003+07:00

This morning, I got news that friends had lost their baby girl during birth.

My heart has been aching for them, and over and over, I keep thinking what an odd euphemism it is to "lose" someone.

I may never understand what it is like to carry a baby for 9 months and then come home empty-handed. I may never understand any of the emotions my friends are having to deal with this week. Yet my heart aches for them, and I face a mix of emotions someplace between anger and confusion.

I don't understand why a tragedy such as this happens.

What I do know that God is still God, and I believe without a doubt that his heart aches for them, too. I know that to him, little Isla is not lost.

I wonder how parents find peace in a situation such as this. I think only God can carry anyone through a valley such as this.

Even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me... (Ps. 23:4)

Please pray with me for my friends. As a general announcement has not yet been made, I do not want to mention their names here. God knows who they are, though. Let's carry them in prayer.

Things I Take for Granted

2009-12-14T20:05:00.004+07:00

Morning after morning, I try and remind myself to tell you about some of the sights I see on my way to school. Things that might be foreign to you. Things I take for granted.

Like the breakfast stands. Food is a huge thing in Chinese culture. Around mealtimes, you greet people by asking if they've eaten yet. And many homes in this crowded city do not have big kitchens. So it's not unusual for people to eat out for many, if not most, meals. On my 7-minute drive to school, I pass a handful of breakfast stands. Some sell egg sandwiches. The real traditional ones sell Chinese pastries and soy bean milk, which is often handed to you in a small plastic bag. You can have it hot or cold, sweet or salty. I love sweet, warm soybean milk!

And then there are the people doing exercises. Exercising is as big a thing as food in Chinese culture, partly why you rarely see overweight Chinese people! On my ride to school, I pass two groups of ladies. If I'd drive a different route, I'd see many more men and women working out in the park that I drive by!

The first group I pass never fails to make me smile. They dance. And boy, do they dance. One lady, especially, looks like she may have always dreamed of being professional dancer. Her hair is always put up nicely, and curled. She always wears quite the outfit. And she's totally into the music. Keep in mind, this is around 7 a.m. Her group is comprised of about 20 other ladies who are almost as passionate as she is about dancing.

When I sit at the 5-phase traffic light, waiting my turn to go, I often watch another group of ladies in red and white. They do Tai Chi, I believe. In uniform. In sync. In all seriousness. And those ladies can bend and breathe like I can't at almost half their age. Their workout venue? At the entrance to a large Japanese department store. Where there's a decent space, you'll find people exercising every morning, from the crack of dawn.

Many parks have long stretches of rock, where people take off their shoes and walk barefoot on the smooth river rocks. Except, the rocks are planted into cement, a good inch apart, with the tips facing up. Walking across the rocks is really painful to the untrained foot. But it's great accu-pressure, a DIY foot massage.

On my way home, I often drive past a local market. If you step inside, you have rows of vendors selling fresh fish, fresh meat (with pig heads lying staring at you), fresh noodles, fresh flowers, fresh veggies. And then the odd little corner shops where you can buy fine China and such. Go figure.

The same drive home takes me past numerous food vendors, from young entrepreneurs who set up noodle stands in the back of a little pickup truck, to an old man who blows a whistle every time he's about to fire off his contraption that makes puffed rice. There are rows and rows of snack stands selling everything from shaved ice, hot or cold glutinous rice balls, seaweed treats, or finely-sliced cooked pig ears.

I can walk out any time of the night, if I so wished, and find a number of vendors selling good Chinese food. In my area, these vendors are fewer than, say, downtown, or in the college areas. What can I say? The Chinese people are serious about their food.

By now, you can tell that the Western idea of stereotypical Chinese food is far from correct. There are oh-so-many kinds of Chinese food. And other than deep-fried or steamed fermented soybean curd, I like it all.

Perhaps I should follow the unspoken advice of my neighbors and join them for their daily exercises in the park.

Simply enjoying

2009-11-22T16:38:00.003+07:00

This afternoon, I decided to take a different road up the mountain, find a coffee shop, and read there. I remembered that this one road not too far from my home went clear up to the top of the mountain, where I used to house-sit and parrot-sit for friends.

I drove up steep, steep roads (perhaps at a 45 degree angle), encountering at times hairpin turn after hairpin turn. I'll definitely take another route down, I thought to myself. This'd be a bit much coming down on a scooter.

I passed unattended fruit stands, where you could weigh your own persimmons and starfruits and leave the money in a box. I stopped to pick up some seed pods to show my kids. I watched huge butterflies flutter by. I wished I had my camera with me.

The road took me past a pristine little garden on the side of the road. There was nothing there. Someone had simply made the little garden so you could sit there and take in the breathtaking view of all of Taipei county, all the way to the ocean.

I drove past a lazy dog or two, a couple working in their vegetable patch, and then, that was it. Dead end.

It's not the way I remember this road. What about the road to the Perkins' home? I wondered. As I drove back, I saw it. There was a little footpath up to my friends' home. I couldn't go up with my scooter. I'd have to ride down again.

I don't tend to look for the lesson in every single encounter in life, but as I was making my way down the mountain, I couldn't help but think that this is life. Sometimes, our expectations are unmet. Sometimes, the purpose of a journey is simply to enjoy just that very moment.

At times, the road might not lead to new things. But then again, it does, if only we'd open our eyes to what's around us.

And simply enjoy it.

"Miss Booysen, where does pasta come from? And cheese?"

2009-11-18T21:28:00.004+07:00

We were talking about things we're thankful for again this morning. Says my one kid: "I ate pasta last night, Miss Booysen. I'm thankful for pasta! Oh, Miss Booysen? Where does pasta grow?"

We'd been talking about veges recently, and made a chart of which vegetables grow above ground, and which ones under the ground. I asked them to turn to their partners and come up with an answer. When they shared their answers, most thought that pasta grew on trees. I wonder if it is because there are some strange trees in our neighborhood with these strange-looking hairy, rooty things hanging from their branches! It looks kinda like dark spaghetti!

We decided we might have to go back to the market where we bought veges the other day to watch one vendor make pasta!

Then someone said they were thankful for cheese. Asks one of my most curious little kids: "Miss Booysen, where does cheese grow?" (Although it's more like, "Mith Booythen, whe' doth cheeth grow?")

After talking with their partners, some of the boys figured they knew. "In my belly button!" one laughed. "In my socks!" quipped another. Only boys would think of that!

Some thought it grew under the ground, other on trees.

"No!" another one explained. "It's from a cow!"

"It GROWS ON A COW?"

Yip. For real. That's what I like about 4-year-olds.

"No! You take the milk. You hit the milk. You get cheese."

So, there! Now we know!

So tomorrow we're writing down question to ask my friend's dad who used to be a cheese maker, so we can e-mail him or even see if we can set up a Skype call...

Kids are so curious! I love that about them. That, and a million other things. But not the cheese some of them are supposedly growing on their bodies.

"Eggs come from CHICKENS??"

2009-11-15T15:50:00.004+07:00

I've realized that in the busy-ness of work and studies, I'm losing some of the really adorable things my kids do and say by not writing them down. At lunch after church, a friend reminded me of this, though...

Last week, I took my kids to a local market. We have been talking about vegetables. Where do which veges grow? And so on and so forth. So during our visit to the market, we saw much more than fruit and vegetables, of course. We also saw slaughtered ducks and chickens, fresh fish, and a cornucopia of Chinese treats.

Passing the egg stand, I asked something about whether eggs were vegetables. Which led to a simple explanation that eggs come from chickens.

One of my girls had this total valley-girl expression on her face, and blurted out, "EGGS COME FROM CHICKENS???" In her world, they've always, always just come from roughly the same spot as the fruit and vegetables at the local supermarket.

Then, on Thursday, when we were celebrating my birthday by baking brownies in class, I asked again where eggs came from. This time, my most expressive boy jumped up from his spot on the carpet declaring, "I know!" and started doing a chicken dance in the center of the group, making clucking sounds to boot.

I really am enjoying working with 4-year-olds! They keep me on my toes, and they keep me on my knees in more ways than one. Some days, they drive me nuts. But most days, they make me laugh. A lot.

I love that. I really do love them. And most of the time, I like 'em, too.

I suspect the feeling is mutual.

Looking back

2009-11-12T00:30:00.004+07:00

(Some of this is a repost. Some is new.)

I've walked on the Great Wall,
and dived the Barrier Reef.
I've hiked the Knysna forest
and I've soared over the Serengeti plains.

I’ve hung on for dear life on jeepneys in Manilla,
and in matatus in Nairobi.
I've dodged potholes in the Rift Valley,
and gotten lost in Taiwan.

I've explored the back streets of Manhattan,
and have known the freeways of LA.
I've bargained for fuel in the Congo,
and pleaded with police in Mozambique.

I have walked on a glacier in Alaska,
and sailed around islands
in the mid-summer heat.
I’ve camped on the beach in Niece,
and had dinner in a castle in Talinn.

I’ve sat sat in tukuls in Sudan,
and ghops in Korr/Kenya.
I've heard the people's stories
and kept them in my heart.

I've visited around fires in the Bushveld,
and danced around ones in the Maasai Mara.
I've stood on Table Mountain,
on the rim of the Grand Canyon,
on the Twin Towers
and climbed the stairs of Lady Liberty.
I've picnicked under the Eiffel Tower
and walked on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

I've swum with wild dolphins,
and watched green turtles lay eggs by my door.
I've watched foxes care for their young,
and lionesses teach their cubs to hunt.
I’ve been chased by a rhino and an elephant.

I learned how to love driving in really bad mud.
I’ve been to more countries than I am old.

I've survived a massive earthquake,
typhoons, and floods.
I had a ticket for a plane that crashed.

I’ve sung in the most beautiful concert halls in the world,
and to an audience who could not hear.

I've lived among people in poverty,
and among ones who have too much.
I’ve had tea with Presidents,
and chai with friends
for whom it was all they had at home.

I have always had enough.

I've taken pictures in the rice paddies in Taiwan,
and in the deserts in Namibia, Kenya, and the USA.
I've had my camera confiscated,
and my voice silenced.

Notwithstanding, I've chosen to speak.

I've watched people die,
delivered a decomposed body to a family,
and have seen a baby being born.
I've seen the dead come back to life,
and those who think they live, slip away.

I've cried hard, and have laughed harder.
I have known and been known.
I've been tempted. I've succumbed.
I've resisted. I have known grace.
I have failed, I have hurt.
I have succeeded, and rejoiced.

I have loved, and been loved.
I have been blessed.
I have laughed with strangers
And have made lonely neighbors smile.
I’ve taught adults and kids alike.

I've been called talkative and quiet,
passionate, adventuresome, intense,
even a bit of an activist.

I’ve been mugged and been conned.
I’ve been attacked by a mob
and have stared death in the eye.

I have survived.

And so, I'll keep speaking for those without a voice.
I'll keep asking questions.
I'll keep taking photos and telling people's stories.
I'll keep sharing that which God is teaching me.
I'll keep living life to the fullest.

I'll choose no other way.

***
Today, I am 41. Last year, I wrote about some of the things I've had the joy of doing in life. I looked at that list again, added some things.

The bottom line? For me, life with God is an amazing adventure! Some uncertainties despite.

This time last year, I was in Nairobi with no idea what was lying ahead. I only knew God gave me total peace about moving on. A year later, I do not regret the move. I still don't know what's ahead after I've completed my studies, but for now, I'll continue to choose to enjoy life to the fullest.

Thanks for being part of my journey.

Thoughts

2009-10-12T22:38:00.002+07:00

I'm sitting in "my" gazebo by my old house. The birds are singing, and the river is flowing steadily. The sky is aflame in the most beautiful sunset, which is reflecting perfectly in the river.

It's been good to be back. Good and strange, too. This morning, as I walked to a meeting, it felt like I had never left. I was wearing a skirt and my leather sandals, carrying a cup of chai with me, listening to the staff singing during the staff meeting. It really felt like I had never left.

It's been almost a year since I left the village. The kids were very excited to see me, as I was to see them! It's been equally good to catch up with friends on staff. There have been many, many changes in this village in the past year, and I've been catching up on how everyone's doing...

Today, after several meetings, I went to check how the dental team was doing. They were cleaning the kids' teeth. Katonye (Dennis), one of my favorite little ones in Kipkaren, slid onto my lap. He has a raspy voice, and every so often, he'd just look at me, say my name, and give his raspy chuckle.

I've missed the kids. I'm touched to see that they have really missed me, too.

As for our team: They're doing amazingly well. We've laughed lots, and worked lots. My role with them is mostly liaison. And encourager. They're a great bunch, though. They think BIG, which I love. Nothing's too overwhelming to them.

Right now, I need to head to the library to have dinner. Am planning to do debriefing with the team at the gazebo closer to the river tonight, to the light of just a lantern...

I'm glad I'm here for this moment in time.

Village Life

2009-10-11T16:13:00.000+07:00

Got the team up at 4:00 on Friday. Get their luggage out, ready to be taken by road. Except the drivers didn't show up till 5:45, by which time the team was already at the airport.

Got the packing going, then jumped in the car to rush to the airport, simply on a feeling that something's not right there. Got to the airport to discover their tickets weren't paid for. Ugh! No fun. Got that squared away and got them on the flight.

Back to the guesthouse, picked up the last few items to take up north. We were taking along about 200 lbs of veges, seeing that my friends get anything fresh flown in. Nothing but thorn trees grow where they live.

Hopped on our little Cessna 206 (I think--it's a small 6-seater) and were ready to take off when we were told the airspace had been closed due to military exercises. Got off about an hour later, flying over the Ngong Hills, then row upon row of mountains covered in coffee and tea plantations. Then things start getting drier, and you enter desert area. Flew over craters, then lava fields, over manyattas (groups of huts out in the desert), saw some herds of camels and dozens of dust devils blowing around the desert. Landed in hot Korr.

My friends welcomed us, gave us an overview of things going on in the north, and then we were to head out to see where they'd like to build a hospital.

Except, two men showed up with a medical emergency. A young woman in their manyatta had been in labor for about 36 hours. They were fearing for her life. We RUSHED across desert roads, only to arrive to the news that the baby had been stillborn, and the mother is recovering.

I played with the kids a little while my friends were talking through things with the families. Then we were off to see the area.

My doctor friend committed to getting the first steps done to building a hospital: drilling for water. If there's water in that area, they'll do the next steps of starting building.

Life up north is HARD. We saw several dead camels in the desert, the drought is so severe! I'm told people have lost more than half of all their livestock. They have no food. UNWFP drops off food twice a month, enough for 5 days. So they have food for 10 days a month. Nothing grows. Nothing but thorn trees.

We chased ostriches on our way home (the ostriches outran the car), stopped by a group of ladies under a tree having literacy class, and headed into the compound to the sight of a beautiful sunset.

Had dinner with our pilots (they were waiting for us till the next day) as well as 2 teachers who are helping at the first-ever high school for Rendilles, built by my friends, the Swanepoels.

Walked home under a solid sky of stars. No light pollution. No pollution at all. No clouds. Just stars as far as you can see.

Fell asleep knowing to a desert breeze cooling down the room.

Up early to a beautiful sunrise. After breakfast, headed to a Rendille culture day. My friends encourage the Rendille to maintain all that is beautiful in their culture, so all their schools get together to sing songs and enact customs.

After 4.5 hours in the sun (and more than 300 pictures of everyone in their traditional clothing), we headed back home to freshen up for our flight, passing up on the meal of camel and rice.

Flew over rows and rows of mountains, finally approached the Great Rift Valley, and was welcomed by the team. Then off to Ilula, where I had lived for half my time in Kenya.

It was GOOD to see the kids in Ilula. Boy! Have they grown! My hand hurt at the end of the night from shaking so many hands so tightly. (Also from hanging on for dear life with one hand and a baby in the other hand on the back of the truck in Korr, after culture day.)

Visited with the kids; showed them photos of Taiwan and heard stories. Got out of team meetings too late to go and tuck them in... Bummed about that, but that's life.

Up early for chai and team meeting, then off to the Rono family to visit. More chai. More news. They are thrilled to hear that Esther is doing well in Iowa.

When I got out from their house, kids were waiting to show me how Flannel is doing. She's fine. :) And to show me how they've grown.

Then to church. But that goes on for very, very long, so I slipped out to write this since I know I won't have a chance soon again! There are already several people asking if they can "talk to me" after church. It will all be requests for money. It's one of the toughest things in Kenya, and my least favorite part of being here.

Sat with the Sifuna kids for a while in church. They beamed when they saw me. As did I. They're looking healthy. No jiggers. And they're clean from head to toe!

After lunch, we're heading to Kipkaren. Looking forward to seeing my friends there, too.

The next three days, I'll be helping at meetings regarding clinic stuff, and doing some photo shoots the staff had asked me to do. And assisting the team to do what they've come to do: provide healthcare.

Some of them are doing eye care, some are doing dental care, two are doing general care, some are working on water projects.

It'll be a busy 4 days ahead. Not sure when I can write again. Will try to post at least one update.

All is well. I'm glad to be here. I'm glad I get to connect friends with friends for projects. And I'm glad I get to go home to Taiwan on Saturday again.

dust devils in the desert

2009-10-09T22:41:00.002+07:00

this is a funny keyboard, and i'm on solar power and someone's satellite, so just briefly:

* flew in a teeny tiny cessna for about 90 minutes to get to a very remote part of kenya, where I had visited friends prior to leaving kenya last year
* saw dozens of dust devils in the desert as we approached the 'town' of Korr, also herds of camels
* had a very productive meeting, then went out to look at the site for a possible clinic, but first had to stop for a medical emergency - a young mom had been in labor for almost 36 hours in one of the local manyattas and they were fearing she's dying. by the time we got there, the baby had already passed away, and the mom was resting
* didn't go in to see the family, but had a blast playing with the kids outside. most were naked or half-naked; the teens and grownups all in traditional garb. will load photos later
* tomorrow they are having a cultural day at the school. 400 kids plus their parents will be doing traditional rendille and samburu dances.
* i'm tired, wind-burned, but happy
* due to the extreme drought, most families here only have relief food, which is enough for 10 days. the rest of the month they have nothing to eat
* tonight, i'm once again especially grateful for food, running water, electricity, a roof over my head, friends around me, opportunities to study and enjoy life, medical services, LIFE itself, and for God, who is close to the Rendille even through their difficulties

"Miss Booysen's going to Africa!"

2009-10-06T14:37:00.002+07:00

I get to go back to Kenya for a few days. When I was in Iowa this summer, friends of mine asked if I'd lead their team on a return medical mission. I was thrilled to do it, thinking time is not a problem--I work part time. Right?

Not any more!

When the school asked me if I'd take on a full-time pre-K teaching position, I explained that I already had a commitment in October. They were gracious enough to understand. It turns out that though I'll be gone for 10 days, I only miss 4 school days. That's a God thing, really. It "just so happened" that this trip, planned months ago, is falling over two 3-day school weeks.

My little ones are excited for me to go to Africa. When one of the moms asked her daughter what I'll be doing there, she said, kind of in a moms-just-don't-get-it manner, "To see giraffes and zebras and lions, of course!"

So I explained to the kids today that I'm going to "help sick people." How else do I explain that I'm a part of a medical team but have no medical expertise. I'm going as a liaison, helping to facilitate meetings for some future projects (planning to build a clinic in the remote north of Kenya) as well as for ways in which the team's involvement so far can be maximized. (In other words, how can the clinic they funded in Kipkaren be self-sustainable?)

Until this morning, it really hadn't sunk in that I'm going.

I've been pre-occupied with getting things ready for parent-teacher conferences starting the day I walk back into class. And with finishing a Church History class. (Yeah! I'm another step closer to being Dr. Booysen!) And with working on the coursework for two other classes as well, one of which is the start of my dissertation.

Back to Africa, though.

So it really only hit me this morning that I'm going back to Kenya tonight...

Some things I am really looking forward to:
* Seeing my Kenyan friends, especially the kids in Ilula
* Catching up with my friends in Kipkaren, and meeting Allison and David's baby boy
* Telling the kids about life in Taiwan
* Spending time with God by the river in the mornings
* Watching the African sunrise and sunset
* Journeying with the team, helping them unpack what they're learning
* Spending the last two days in the Maasai Mara with the team
* Buying little gifts for my kids here, so they know I was thinking of them

Things I'm not looking forward to?
* Being confronted with overwhelming needs, and trying to discern where to help and where not to help

Each and every one of my little rugrats gave me the biggest hug this afternoon. "Be careful of tigers, Miss Booysen," my quietest boy said. It doesn't matter how many times I've told them that there are not tigers or bears in Africa.

I'll be careful.

But not so careful that I don't have fun. And not so careful that I don't discover unexpected surprises in unexpected places. By that, I don't mean a snake in the bathroom. 'Cause that might happen, you know? It's just the way it is when you're right by a river.

But the river brings good surprises, too.

I know it does. When I was praying about leaving Kenya last year, God kept impressing on my heart that I need to step out in faith, that as I cross the river before me, he will make my feet sturdy, and that he'll build the bridge as I walk.

He has done so indeed.

What a GOOD GOD we serve!

I'll try to post updates from Kenya, of course.

This is where I live... quite different from life in the Kenyan boonies...

2009-10-03T18:34:00.001+07:00

I get paid to do this...

2009-10-02T14:28:00.002+07:00

At the right place at the right time

2009-09-16T19:14:00.005+07:00

It seems to be the story of my life in so many ways, this being at the right place at the right time. However, since I believe in a Higher Design, I know that it's more than fate. The story of my life is a God thing.

And so it happened that when I came back to Taiwan earlier this year, I came with the intention to find a part-time job, earn an income, do my studies, and seek ways to honor God in the process.

Within a day, I started tutoring my first student, and within 2 weeks, I started working as a substitute teacher at TAS. I considered a freelance marketing/writing job in China, but after my trip to Shenzhen, decided not to continue down that path. Instead, I'd just focus on teaching.

When I came back from the US after the summer, I started subbing and tutoring again. Soon after the school opened, I was asked to work with a pre-K (KA) class. That's 3- and 4-year-olds. These little ones remind me of my kids in Kenya. They, too, are little. And cute. Adorable. Difficult sometimes. They're kids! They're also very, very different.

I love 'em.

And when the teacher I was subbing for decided to move on, I was asked to stay on. (Yes, I am a certified teacher. That's what I started out my career as. As an ESL teacher. Didn't know that, did you?)

So for going on 3 weeks now, I've been a full-time teacher to mostly 4-year-olds.

I am loving it!

I'm no longer tutoring as my commitments as a full-time teacher do not allow the time or energy to do that. Nor am I coaching swimming any longer. I also quit the Taipei Philharmonic since I need every free evening I can get to work on my studies.

As for my kids? They are amazing little ones. A diverse group of 12 balls of energy. For professional reasons, I won't be writing much about them.

But I did want to explain to all of you what's happening in my world.

Just so you know and so you can rejoice with me.

God certainly has very interesting ways!

Blessed

2009-09-15T13:10:00.005+07:00

I am blessed.

I don't doubt that for a moment.

I am in good health. I have a great job. I have wonderful friends all over the world.

And I've had amazing opportunities to grow, learn more, be stretched.

I've faced my share of challenges, but it pales in comparison to what some of my friends have gone through.

I truly am blessed.

It struck me again today as I sat with some amazing people and shared with them the challenges that some of my friends face in Africa. It was part of a fundraiser friends of mine put on for ELI.

In the process, I got to exhibit some of my photos from Africa.

For me, showing the photos is about inviting people into the story behind the picture. It's about educating them, whether about nature or about people and customs.

I've been blessed with a camera that helps me capture pictures that speak to people's hearts.

I. have. been. blessed.

So today, as I try and mentally prepare for the rest of the week (teaching my precious little ones, working at completing two doctoral classes, ironing out details of a medical team I'll be taking to Kenya in October, running to the coffee shop after school to be at the photo exhibit), I will not be overwhelmed.

I will keep smiling.

Erwin McManus shared a thought that's been mulling around my head for a while now. "Joy is not something you find when circumstances change. It's what changes circumstances."

I've seen that in my mom over the past few months. When we thought she may be facing a terminal condition, she remained upbeat. Through her neck surgery, she and my father have stayed positive despite the pain they've faced together.

I'm blessed to have parents who choose to look at the bright side of life.

It has rubbed off on me.

Not a bad thing to have rubbed off, I'd say.

And so, this week, as people come and look at my photos of Africa, I hope that they'll fall in love with my continent. That they, too, will stand with my friends who've faced more challenges than we might typically face in some other parts of the world.

I hope that they, too, will find the hope behind each of the photos.

And that they walk away realizing how blessed we all are for understanding more about one another's journeys.

Life

2009-08-30T20:33:00.010+07:00

Last weekend, I hopped on the high-speed train and headed down to Kaohsiung for the weekend. Due to work, I wasn't able to go with the church group I first thought I'd join, so I connected with my friend Marion instead.

I had met Marion about 10 years ago when she was an intern at ORTV, and though I hadn't seen her, we've kept in touch over the years. And so, Friday after work, I hopped on the train and headed down to the very last stop on the line, where Marion, her husband Kris, and their 3-month-old son Kaeden met me.

I think I fell in love right away with Kaeden.

Look at this. How can one not fall in love with this kid? He wakes up with a smile. For real. And at times, when he's not so happy, his dad takes him flying around the house. He hums the Superman tune to him, which always makes Kaeden smile.

I think Kaeden might truly believe someday that he can fly...

Kris and Marion put Kaeden in a little Superman outfit for church on Sunday.

Just for fun, they put on Superman T-shirts to church, too. As you can tell, they're a great family, and I had an awesome time visiting!

On Saturday, we left Kaeden with a sitter and joined a local church to do some cleanup in a nearby town. Typhoon Marokot, which hit the island on August 8-9 and dumped close to 10 feet of rain on parts of the island, causing landslides and burying some villages in the mountainous areas. At this stage, the official death toll is 376, with another 254 people still missing.

Obviously, the storm has wreaked havoc on the island's economy. Here's an excellent set up pictures from The Boston Globe about the extent of the storm, including damage in the Philippines and China. But the worst damage was in Taiwan.

As you can imagine, the villages that had been affected the worst have been getting the most help so far. In areas, relief crews are still digging for bodies...

So our crew went to Kaoshu (meaning Tall Tree), a village in Pintung County where things weren't necessarily as bad as in other places, but people still needed help!

Kris, Marion, and I joined three other people and helped a coconut farmer clean out his house.

The farmer and his family had about three feet of muddy water wash through their house. We helped to sweep out some more mud. And wash off mud from walls, and from furniture, and dig out mud from behind pipes... It was unbearably hot, but working as a team, I know we were able to bless this farmer and his family!

Here I am trying to get the pressure washer to work so I could spray off some mud from the walls. You can see the mud line on the walls above my knees...

The shelf against the wall is a family altar where this family would be bringing offerings to their ancestors. The urn on the floor below the altar is what people use to burn ghost money in.

After a long time of digging out mud and carefully carrying it outside, we took a break to drink some water. The farmer brought us some fresh coconut water earlier, too, which was a bit hard for me to get down since we simply weren't too sure about the cleanliness of the tools with which he would've split the coconuts. But what can you do when the guy hands you a cup of coconut water and waits for you do drink it?

Here I am outside the house. (My face is beet red from working in the hot house.) The water next to the house is mixed with sewage, so we were very careful about not splashing any of the mud we carried outside. The farmer, on the other hand, was walking through this water barefoot!

The neighbors' house. Though the damage outside doesn't look so extensive, it's really bad when you step inside the house and there's mud in everything!

After a long day of working, Kris, Marion and I were thankful to head home and clean up!

Throughout the day, I was reminded a lot of last year's flood in Cedar Rapids as well as of the earthquake in Taiwan on September 21, 1999. I was living on the island then, too, and went down to central Taiwan to help with earthquake relief work.

No wonder my niece Clara thinks everywhere I go, disasters follow! I've lived through a major earthquake, several major typhoons or floods; I survived a tough season of living in the boonies, a civil war; I even held a ticket for a flight on an airplane that crashed (I had changed my travel plans just days before to leave one day earlier)!

But I've survived. No, I think I've more-than-survived all these crazy events in life. I've been able to enjoy life.

Which reminds me. A mom cornered me at school the other day. Her daughters used to be in my youth group years ago, and she asked me why I'm not married. (In this culture, as in Kenya, it's very unusual for people to choose to be single.) Though I was taken aback my her frankness, my answer to her was what I always tell those who ask: that I've had offers, but have not yet met a man whom I've wanted to spend the rest of my life with, and that there are worse things than being single...

"But Adele," she objected, "what if you cannot have a baby?!"

I wonder if that is supposed to be the ultimate goal in life: to procreate.

Maybe I'll think differently about these things if ever I have the blessing of marrying an amazing man and having a child, but for now, I find immense blessing in simply living life to the fullest, in making the most of the freedom afforded by being single and grasping opportunities to live abroad, get a doctorate, and simply enjoying life. Some people might think that's selfish. I think I'm being optimistic.

And so, when I cross paths with friends like Kris and Marion and get to fall in love with their little one, it's not because I desperately "want one of those" for myself, but simply because I find immense joy in seeing friends (and family) grow into a family of their own. I love seeing the promise that a little life holds.

And when that little one has a dirty diaper . . .

. . . I can hand him back to where he came from. :)

There and back again

2009-08-19T22:40:00.007+07:00

Wanting to get out of the city for a bit, I asked Jeremiah (whose family I used to live with in California) to meet me for dinner in Tansui tonight. It's a town at the end of the river that flows through Taipei and spills out into the Taiwan Strait, the body of water that separates the island from China.

I had time to take a few photos before Miah showed up. Didn't have my tripod with me, so the photos aren't as crisp as I'd like them to be, but you'd get the idea of some of the nightlife, regardless.

The main night market in Tansui -- where we ended up having beef noodle soup at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant

The night markets all over the island are this crowded every night

The signs in Taiwan crack me up sometimes! "The best saporous chicken..." I had to look that one up. Saporous means flavorful.

There's a potato restaurant. Look at the small print:
Ireland's proverb says: There are two things in the world that can't be joked. 1. Marriage 2. Potato

If you don't want saporous chicken or Irish potato, how about some coagulated pig's blood (mixed with rice) on a stick (on the far left) ...

... or some fried squid on a stick?

Want something sweeter? How about caramelized cherry tomatoes with pickled plum?

Along the main drag along the coast is this little Taoist temple. There were numerous urns along the water where worshipers would burn ghost money for the spirits to protect the fishermen

Another Taoist temple along the waterfront. Taoist gods are very scary-looking!

Tired? Get a quick massage!

I was impressed to see most kids wearing helmets. You still often see entire families on a scooter without the little ones wearing helmets. In case you're wondering, the fruit on the table next to the family are similar to litchis. They're a tropical fruit called dragon eyes

Off in the distance you see Taipei City. It takes about 30 minutes or so on the MRT to get from Tansui back to the suburb where I live. A good little getaway for the night.

Heading back to the train station, I ran into Charis, a kid that used to be in my youth group years ago. She and their YWAM team were just coming back from the south of the island, where they were helping with typhoon cleanup.

It was especially good to see Jeremiah again, and to visit about everything from family to studies. It's good to be able to connect with someone here who's known me a bit longer than most of the people around me!

The Big Picture

2009-08-18T04:31:00.001+07:00

Here's an excellent set of photos from the typhoon. The majority of the photos are from southern Taiwan.

Life at the Foot of a Volcanic Mountain

2009-08-15T08:04:00.008+07:00

I live on an island, just a hop, skip, and jump from the coast. Not really. You'd need to hop, skip and jump over the mountains first. Between the apartment I call "home" and the ocean lies a mountain. I live at the foot of a gorgeous volcanic mountain.

Watching the moon set

Seeing that it was still early, I could easily pull over and take in gorgeous little waterfalls

The volcano is extinct, though. But it still has sulfur springs. Some are hot enough to boil eggs in. Which people do. Just for the fun, I guess.

You can smell the sulfur as you ride up the mountain. Having lived higher up on the mountain during my previous stay in Taiwan, I've grown to love the smell. I had driven the roads around the northern tip of the island many times, usually in the small car I used to have. I called it the Silver Bullet. It was actually gray. And not too fast. The name was an optimistic take on life.

Today was my first time to drive these roads on my scooter. A friend had left me her 150CC Yamaha scooter, which has been a tremendous blessing. I'm calling the scooter Solomon, since it has three stickers on it with Salomon written on it. I'm guessing it's the snowboard company. I'll call it Solomon instead. For the wise king of Israel. Partly because I'm working on a class on church history right now. But mostly because I seek to be wise. Part of my Chinese name, in fact, is "wisdom," since that is what I seek to have.

But that's another story.

Seeing that I've been waking up at crazy hours, thanks to jet lag, I decided this morning to head up the mountain. Beat the crowds and go early. 'Cause the mountain really gets crowded on Saturdays. As in bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the afternoon.

Once you're up on the mountain, you can explore various nearby mountains, all with hot springs

By 5:30, I filled up Solomon (it cost me all of $3 to fill its tank with gas - nice!) and headed up the mountain.

There were hardly any cars on the road. Some bicycles. A few other scooters. The cars started trailing up the side roads only as I made my way down.

It didn't take long before the smell hit me. Sulfur. It made me smile. I passed the turn-off to my former home, passed the alleys leading for former friends' homes who have all since moved. Stopped at the 7-Eleven high up on the mountain to get a cup of latte. The Starbucks next door was still closed, else I may have stopped to study there.

Kiptoo and I, stopping at the top of Yangming Mountain (with the Taiwan Cultural University in the back) to enjoy some hot latte from 7-Eleven

But I kept going higher up the mountain, passing many older people who were heading out for early-morning walks. Many greeted me in Taiwanese as I waved at them. I don't speak Taiwanese, only Mandarin. But a smile and a wave transcends language barriers.

Looking down at my neighborhood... Due to the haze you cannot see it clearly, but the ocean is visible towards the top right corner of the photo

Not wishing to go all the way over the mountains to the coast (not today, I didn't want to be stuck in the traffic later in the day, plus I need to study), I turned around at the entrance to Yangming National Park and took a side road down to my neighborhood.

I took a side road down to my neighborhood

The side road is much steeper and way more curvy. You constantly have to make hairpin turns. I was glad there were only a handful of cars winding their way up the side road by that time.

Suddenly, a rock about the size of 3 baseballs landed a meter or so in front of me... I looked up and saw a whole group of macacus monkeys up in the trees right above me. They weren't happy, for whatever reason, so I didn't pause to take a picture...

Passing through the bamboo forests

As I kept winding down the mountain, I passed through bamboo forests, then past small-scale farms until the road spit me out in Tienmou, my neighborhood, where I stopped for breakfast and to come and change into something cooler.

Closer to the foot of the mountain, some small-scale farm with persimmons ripening on the tree

At the same farm, the "moon fruit" aren't ripe yet, either. These are giant grapefruit that are usually ready by Moon Festival, which is coming up next month

Entering Tienmou, I passed by two local temples. The one at the back is a Buddhist temple (it's more simplistic) while the one in the foreground is a Taoist temple

Some detail on the Taoist temple roof

Now, I'm heading out to make myself at home in some little coffee shop someplace and study.

Life at the foot of this volcanic mountain is good.

Hot. But good.

RIP, Kevin Kiprotich Busienei

2009-06-07T20:55:00.007+07:00

I received sad news yesterday from Kipkaren.

My dear friends John and Veronica Busienei (or Bush, for short) lost their 8-year-old son Kevin. I have not yet heard what the cause of death was; I was just told that he was being treated during a short illness and passed away yesterday morning at 2 am.

Since Kevin's parents are the directors of Kipkaren Children's Home, Kevin spent much of his time with his 100 "brothers and sisters" at the home.

Kevin (on the left) with Collins and Rooney

Please pray for the Bush family as well as for the community in Kipkaren, especially the kids at the children's home, who are all too familiar with the pain and reality of death.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday.

"Highest Noon" Festival (aka Dragon Boat Festival)

2009-05-28T21:11:00.006+07:00

According to the Lunar calendar, today is the 5th day of the 5th month. And the 5th day of the 5th lunar month is the day when the sun is at its highest and the heat starts to become oppressive. On this day, many people in this part of the world prepare sacrifices to protect themselves against the spirits that allegedly thrive at this time of year.* And on this day, there are lively races in many places around the world where you find Chinese people.

The festival officially started about two weeks ago, when the dragons where "woken up" by having their eyes dotted. And teams (most local teams, but some are international) will have been practicing for a while now. Especially the ones who are serious about winning, not only for the money, but also for the bragging rights.

The team from the Philippines have been competing since 1995 and are one of the favorites. You can see a marked difference between the teams that are serious about winning and those who compete for the fun of it. Look at that teamwork!

I headed down to my old neighborhood (Dazhi, where I lived & worked for almost eight years) and joined a small army of photographers on the bridge, from where we had a bird's eye view of the races. (I'd've loved to get close to the boats to take more photos, but by the time I got to the races, that area was off limits to the public.)

From the bridge, I could see most of the 500-meter stretch of the race. I have no idea how many times each team had to race, but it looked insane! They'd race, then paddle back to the starting line and race again without resting. I'm sure there are many aching bodies tonight... And the races continue this weekend!

The three boats in the center are racing. The two on the left are returning to the starting line. In the background, you can see one of Taipei's landmarks, the Grand Hotel. I'll never forget: The very first day I worked in this area, the top floor of the Grand Hotel burned down!

Backing up into the starting spot. In the background, you can see another one of the city's landmarks: Taipei 101. At 509.2 meters (1,670.2 feet) tall, this is currently still the tallest occupied building in the world. A building in Dubai has surpassed it in height, but it's not yet occupied... The 101 also has the world's fastest elevator. It ascends at almost 17 meters per second, or more than 55 feet per second!

So what do boat races have to do with the start of the hottest time of the year?

The best-known legend concerning this day revolves around a poet named Qu Yuan who lived in China in 340-278 BC. When Qu's talents became the target of slander. So he committed suicide on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month by weighing down his clothes with stones and jumping into a river.

Legend has it that local fishermen raced to help him (hence the boat races today) and threw rice in the river to prevent fish from eating him... Hence, another tradition for this day is to eat zong-zi, sort-of like rice tamales.

We had zong-zi as part of our dinner tonight. Vivian and Keith (whom I live with) had spent the afternoon at Keith's mom's place. Chen mama cooked the rice filling, and Vivian (who is Filipino Chinese) learned from her mother-in-law how to fold, fill and tie the zong-zi.

Inside the glutinous rice stuffing, Chen mama had put chestnuts, mushrooms and pork. You can get all kinds of different zong-zi stuffing. Some are just glutinous rice.

Though the actual races focus on teamwork and competition, there still is a strong spiritual connection with the races, from the dotting of the eyes to teams offering ghost money to the spirits. In fact, some of today's boats had wads of ghost money stuffed in the dragons' mouths. One tradition is for competitors to toss the money into the water before a race, feeding the money to the dragon (and probably burning it after the races for the spirits) would be a different option. There are also specific ceremonies along the shore facilitated by Buddhist and Taoist monks to invoke blessings on the events.

Notice the ghost money hanging out from the dragon's mouth

I continue to be amazed at the intricacies of the Chinese culture. So many of the day-to-day cultural activities go back centuries, and hence helping someone understand the dark side of many of these practices is very difficult.

I wonder how many of our Western cultural practices have very dark roots...

*According to my book, the "five noxious creatures," (the scorpion, centipede, snake, lizard and toad) arrives during the summer and bring with them unseen evil spirits. At this time of year, many people will hand sprigs of calamus and mugwort on their door to protect them against these spirits. I've seen many children specifically wearing protective talismans during this time.

Because I Want to Know

2009-05-21T22:30:00.002+07:00

Yesterday was Matsu's birthday, I was told today after asking my Chinese colleagues about the craziness around our neighborhood.

Eight Generals 6, originally uploaded by Boyznberry.

(Click on this photo to see more photos from Matsu's birthday parade.)

Rather than rely on bits and pieces of information I had heard before from Christian colleagues from before, I've decided to ask my Buddhist and Taoist colleagues whenever I have questions. Not that I might always get an accurate answer, I know. Even if you'd ask a handful of Christians about certain practices or beliefs, you might get contradicting answers.

Hence, I ask questions, and I refer to this book I bought called, Private Prayers and Public Parades: Exploring the Religious Life of Taipei, which has been very insightful, to say the least.

I ask, because I want to understand.

And I ask because, in the last three years, I've learned to ask far more questions and listening more.

Not that I don't desperately want to engage in further conversation with some of these friends! Out of respect for the people, and out of a desire to know first what they believe, I will listen.

And so yesterday, I was sitting in an office at school, working on a project for one of the departments. A dozen or so Chinese colleagues sat down for lunch at the table where I was working. During a lull in their conversation, I politely said, "Xing wen..."

In other words, "May I ask..."

And were they keen to tell me all about the day.

"It's Matsu's birthday," the seemingly-most-knowlegable and possibly-most-devout among them explained. She explained that the parade was to honor Matsu, and to pray for the neighborhood.

The ladies continued to talk among themselves about some of the recent events in Taiwan regarding honoring gods. I listened on, trying hard not to let my face show how utterly bizarre I think the practices are. For example, due to the H1N1 epidemic, worshipers at one temple in Taiwan dressed their gods with face masks.

"So, if you don't want H1N1, do you go to pray at that temple?" I asked.

The explained that that was not the case. "We are just protecting our god," one colleague explained proudly.

My eyes must've given away that I thought it's pretty sad when humans have to protect their gods against viruses. "Actually," she said, "our gods protect us, so we also show them respect by protecting them. It's the same as when we take them food."

"So who exactly is Matsu," I asked another colleague later in the afternoon, when the crowd had left and she came to sit down for lunch. I had been told earlier that she was one of the most knowledgable persons about Taoism.

My colleague proceeded to tell me about Lin Mo, a girl who lived long, long ago in China. She was a very good girl, and she didn't get married. One day, her father, a fisherman, drowned, and she tried to help him. "After that, the god said she should be a god."

"Which god?" I asked inquisitively.

"A fortune teller."

"So when did she change from Lin Mo to Matsu?"

"When she became a god. Later, her sisters also became gods. Everyone can pray to them, but fishermen really pray to Matsu and her sisters. In fact, it is said that when the waters are rough and your boat is in danger of capsizing, if you see the ghost of Matsu, you have peace that everything will be fine."

Interesting.

Matsu herself wasn't carried down our streets yesterday, though. Those were other gods, smaller gods. All came out to celebrate Matsu's birthday, because she is considered the queen of heaven.

Noted.

From my book on Taiwan's religious practices, I also learned that Lin Mo was born around 960. Either way, she died at age 28. The book explains that the incident of saving her father (or it could've been her brothers) didn't really occur, but that it happened during a dream or a trance. Her ghost is said to have saved a high-ranking official in 1122, and hence she was promoted to Queen of Heaven. However, this promotion may have been a political move during the Yuan dynasty to win the allegiance of the coastal peoples. Within the temples that have her statue, she is usually flanked by two demons called "Ears that Hear the Wind" and "Thousand-Mile Eyes," both who were hapless suitors...

What I do not understand yet is how the people here have such a fascination with a religion that has openly-evil components.

Matsu's suitors, for example, are flat-out called demons. And they're in the temples.

And when you look at the photos, the "Eight Generals" in particular are downright scary! As are many of the other rituals which I'm sure I'll get to share about as time goes by.

Last month in China, I gained some invaluable insights on why/when the Chinese switched from a nation called "God's country" to referring to themselves as "Descendants of the Dragon." I'll share more upon completion of my China paper, but for now, the connection with the events surrounding Matsu's birthday is the following. I'll quote it directly from C.K. Thong's excellent text on Chinese history, Faith of Our Fathers: God in Ancient China (p. 267):

"Satan's tactic, ever since his rebellion, has been to try to get to every human being to do his will instead of God's. He is an adversary of the person and the purposes of God and seeks to usurp God's position. His schemes are wonderfully planned and executed; he does not work haphazardly. His ways are subtle. To deceive mankind, he often appears attractive. His aim, however, is to hold us captive to sin and to destroy us. ... The central characteristic of his modus operandi is fear, not love. He uses counterfeits, such as lust instead of love. While God draws people to Himself with His unfailing love, Satan uses deception coupled with fear to gain control over mankind."

I worship this God who sent His Son Jesus to redeem us from the consequences of sin.

I worship Jesus who came to earth as a human, yet was sinless, performed miracles, died on the cross, and conquered death by raising from the dead.*

I worship him for his love and for the hope I find in him. Not out of fear or superstition of what may happen if I don't please him. Nor because of religious bondage. I worship him out of love, because he loved us first.

My desire is to continue sharing this hope, freedom, love, forgiveness and meaning we can find in Christ with my neighbors.

But for now, I'll listen and learn. So that I'll know what my friends believe when I do engage in conversations with them.

* Interestingly, a "major solar and lunar eclipse" was recorded by Chinese imperial astronomers in A.D. 31, the year of the death of Jesus. They also recorded a strange halo in the sky three days later. Fascinating, isn't it??

Perspective

2009-05-15T16:57:00.003+07:00

Last weekend, I was listening to a Mosaic podcast (while lying in a hammock by the beach, having just scuba dived). I had just read a chapter of one of my text books and rewarded myself for doing so by listening to the aforementioned podcast.

In a lesson from a series on the beatitudes, Erwin McManus says, "Joy is not something you find when the circumstances change. It's something that changes the circumstances."

In the past 6 months, I've especially found this to be true. During my time of transition to a completely new world, I could find plenty to grumble about. But that won't change a thing. I'd just be unpleasant to be around.

Hence, I've chosen joy. And bit by bit, I've seen how God's used that to open my eyes to the blessings around me. And more and more, good things happen. Like the jobs I have, and the place I now live. And opportunities that come by that I embrace with both arms wide open. Such as the unexpected diving trip, to name but one of many fun opportunities I have chosen to embrace.

I was skimming some of my friends' blogs this evening, and I've noticed that just like me, my friends choose to look at challenges from a different perspective.

It's worth reading Marcia's experience trying to cook a meal the other night, or Jen's challenges in adjusting to a new life in Bukavu, Congo.

It's all a matter of perspective.

Michael J. Fox says it's a matter of looking up.

I agree.

I choose to look Up to the One who came to give us life in abundance.

Catching Up: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan

2009-05-11T12:54:00.003+07:00

For reasons far beyond my control (i.e. world politics) I couldn't write a whole lot of in depth insights from China. And so, I sort-of lost touch for a little while.

After two weeks packed with lectures, visits to historical and contemporary places of interest, my friends and I parted ways. I was off to the next thing: meetings in Shenzhen, which is in the south of China.

However, I had only been given a 2-week visa, which meant that on the Friday that our trip ended, I had to hop on a plane to Shenzhen and from there on a bus to Hong Kong. I tried my best to get the visa extension over the weekend, but alas, I have a passport that limits my travels quite a bit. Hence, on Saturday afternoon, I hopped on the ferry to Macau. (Taking ferry to Macau and staying with acquaintances is far cheeper than staying in Hong Kong. Plus, in all the years I had lived in Southeast Asia, I had never made it to Macau.)

And so, on Saturday afternoon, I met up with Jana Hoobler, someone who also has strong ties to Cedar Rapids. And thus I saw a bit of Macau through Jana and her friends' eyes on Saturday and Sunday.

An interesting place, that is. Macau used to be a Portuguese colony, so signs are in Portuguese and Chinese. But a few years ago, they reverted back to Chinese rule, as did Hong Kong. So technically, Hong Kong, Macau and China are all one country. But since the former two are called "Special Administrative Regions," they are self-governing, and I have different passport stamps for all three places. (China considers Taiwan to be a similar region, but that's a whole nother can of worms which I won't address.)

After two nights in Macau (and more than two of their famous egg tarts), I hopped on a ferry back to Hong Kong on Monday morning, handed in my visa application, and headed to Sai Kung, a fishing village in the northern suburbs of Hong Kong. There, I spent the night at Sue and Dave Eitemiller's place. I know them from my previous years in Taiwan.

Tuesday morning, back to Wan Chai (on Hong Kong island). Picked up my passport. Hopped on a bus to Shenzhen, China. By late Tuesday afternoon, I was back in China, and started learning all about what was to be a new part of my life--a writing job in the world of baby goods manufacturing.

I spent a week writing press releases about diaper bags and pop-up cots (or pack 'n plays, as Americans call them). I learned a lot. And after a week, I came to the conclusion that if I'm going to be a writer, I'd far rather write about things that I am passionate about, such as travel, or leadership topics. Not diaper bags. I thanked my friends in the baby-goods business for the offer to let me join their world, and moved on, understanding a bit more about the way forward, and a lot more about the manufacturing industry!

Hence I am now marketing myself as a freelance writer/photographer. And a teacher, of course. Since being back in Taiwan, I've been subbing a lot at the school. For two days, I was a swimming couch. Today, I'm a Kindergarten teacher. Later this week, I'll be teaching first grade for two days.

What a love most about this job at the school is the fact that I'm gaining invaluable insights in a WIDE variety of challenges teachers face at different levels. I'm also getting fun face-time with kids, and learning a lot from them, too.

As for my studies, it's going very well. Three classes are done. I'm currently working on my paper for my fourth class. After this, I have three more really intense classes, and then I'll be on to my dissertation. If I can remain focused, I might be able to graduate by next summer... But a lot has to happen before then!

By the way, I've moved. I was offered an opportunity to rent a room from people whom I've known for years. The apartment is right against Yangminshan, (a lush, green mountain), though I can also see the sprawling city of Taipei from my window. I cycle to school every day, which is a good workout, though it's not terribly far.

Since school will be closed for the summer, and since I do not have to be here for any other jobs, I'll be going to the US for June and July.

I'll offer a one-day workshop on "Joy at Work" at House of Hope at the end of July, so if you're in Cedar Rapids area, keep your eyes open for announcements regarding the workshop.

It's time to head home. The kids are back from Chinese class, and I get to walk them to the lobby.

Tomorrow, who knows, I might be teaching high school!

Random photos from the past 2 weeks

2009-04-25T00:04:00.002+07:00

It's way late. And I'm wiped. But I want to get some photos up so you can see more about the fascinating world I visited the past 2 weeks to learn more about the culture of China.

A relatively new phenomenon in China is local tourism. Wherever we went, no matter what day of the week or what time, there were tour groups. And many of them! The vast majority were from other parts of China. This particular group, if I remember correctly, was from Anhui. Notice their different style of dress!

At the Temple of Heaven. This is where the Emperor would come every year to worship the God of whom you could make no idols. The rituals for worship are VERY similar to Old Testament practices, another reason to believe that the Chinese had known about God for thousands of years.

I had a blast hanging out mostly with these couples (from San Diego and Vancouver). Also had fun getting to know the rest of our group of 27!

The ornate decorations at the temples amaze me. The primary colors at the Temple of Heaven was blue and green (representing heaven and earth) rather than the red and yellow at the Forbidden City (representing the Emperor).

It was amazing watching how people would come and meditate at this one spot in order to get "good chi" (or energy). This is a very Taoist practice ...

... and this is where they were trying to get their energy from - a tree!

These were twins we saw on the grounds. In a country with a 1-child policy, twins are considered an amazing blessing (and you can keep both without paying the US$18,000 fine for a second child).

There were many groups of people gathered all around the Temple of Heaven grounds, playing cards, dancing, making music. This old man simply sat and watched his friends play. I wonder what stories he has to tell...

On our last afternoon in Beijing, we were taken downtown, where 3 of the guys from class (Darrell, Mark and John) decided to go for it and be shot up in the air in a giant slingshot!

On the train to Xi'an. It was an overnight train. I hung out with my buddies (Rob, Terri, Laura and Scott) for a while. We had good wine and a wonderful time visiting!

This is a classic shot of a kid wearing kai dang kudze, Chinese-style baby pants which make it easy to train the kid to go...

In the suburbs of Xi'an, I saw this kid in a traditional stroller. Since I am now entering the world of baby strollers and such (with my new PR job), it's fun to notice old strollers!

A handful of the Terra Cotta Soldiers. I don't have the energy right now to explain the story behind them. Read it here.

Each one looks different since they were modeled after real soldiers!

There are thousands more to be excavated, but they've stopped the process for now.

Kiptoo decided to practice his leadership skills and order a few of my miniature soldiers around.

Atteeeeen-tion!

There were many amusing road signs, like this one: "Do not drive online." OK. I'll only chat online. Or post photos online. Or search for information online. (We know it's good not to drive on the line, yes.)

We visited the Nestorian Pagoda, which is a pagoda built in 600-some A.D. when the Nestorians came to bring the Gospel to China! It's now used as a Buddhist pagoda.

No, I wasn't "squatting" in the winter wheat field. Just having fun taking photos!

At the market in the Muslim Quarters of Xi'an. Lamb feet, anyone?

We hiked on the 600-some-year-old Xi'an city wall!

While some classmates chose to bike the wall. (Here's Mark, Rick, Paco and Darrell.)

On our last day in Shanghai, we visited a migrant school. Walking to the school, I saw these kids. Then, afterwards, I noticed the 5th kid in the back...

At the migrant school, a little one is practicing calligraphy.

At the school. It was one of the most fun places to visit!

On walking where the emperors walked . . . and trying my hand at calligraphy

2009-04-16T20:38:00.006+07:00

Still need to do my homework, hence a quick overview again. After a lecture this morning, we went to visit the Forbidden City. (I'll explain more at a later stage how our experiential learning works in case you're thinking I'm really on vacation!)

Our bus dropped us off near the Eastern Gate to the place, and as we walked along the mote, I saw this guy with a funny mound of something in front of him. He's from Urumuchi, which is in Northwestern China. It was obviously some kind of snack from that region, and he sold it per gram. We got him to cut us a chunk and snacked on it for much of the day. More about it later...

Our group inside the Forbidden City. I honestly don't like doing sightseeing in groups like this, so five of us got permission to step away from the group and explore by ourselves. But in the process, two got called back, so in the end, one couple and I explored the place on our own, and had a BLAST!

Scott and Laura, with whom I spent my afternoon exploring the Forbidden City.

The intricate architecture. It was built from 1406-1420, so it's pretty impressive!

Different buildings have different little figures for protection ... The more the figures, the more important the building. This particular roof is to the emperor's throne room, hence the most number of figurines: 11 small ones, followed by the dragon (symbolizing the emperor.) The front one is the empress on a phoenix's back, then there's a whole line that include a horse, phoenix, lion, seahorse and more.

One of the throne rooms. Can't look it up right now to make sure which one this is, but if I remember correctly, it's the one where the emperor would inspect materials prior to his annual prayer to Shang Di, the God of the universe.

Dragons play an important role in Chinese culture. Read more here. It looks like Kiptoo is telling Jeruto, "Don't look now, honey, but there's a dragon behind us!"

One of the many passages to many more buildings. The staff all stayed on the grounds. The emperors had several wives (or one wife and many concubines), and to thus maintain control and to be "the only man" in the compound, all male servants were made into eunuchs.

I saw this old man with a face that begged to be photographed... I asked him permission to take his photo, and he obliged. After taking the photo, I told him how handsome he is ...

... which caused him to break out a smile. :)

The trees are starting to blossom. Beautiful, aren't they?

While Jeruto was off smelling the flowers, Kiptoo explored more of the architecture.

After walking around for 3 hours, we were dropped off at Houhai, an area that my friends and I had explored the day before the others arrived. By then, we were ready to just sit down, have some coffee, talk, and break out the Urumuqi snacks! The main ingredients seem to be sesame seeds and honey. But there are also dates, dried apricots, almonds and raisins in it. Yummy!

Then we walked around some more. Laura (I had walked around with her and her husband all afternoon) loves to do fun things, like she'd go and pose with groups of people all day. (Which they loved!) While walking around the waterfront, she started playing a Chinese version of hacky sack with some waiters. We all ended up joining in and having a blast! Heading back to the main road to catch a cab, we walked past these rows of bicycle rickshaws that take tourists on tours of the hutongs.

But before we could head home, someone wanted to buy a kite from a vendor, so we walked back to the waterfront. An old man was there, doing water calligraphy on the sidewalk. Laura, of course, joined in. And next, the old man invited me to write. Laura had written in English, but when I stepped up and took the brush, the crowd said I should write "China," which I really can't! The first character is simple! I got that right. The second one is more complex. I can read it, but cannot write it! So I started it and then improvised... The crowd burst out laughing, as did I! I love this photo for how it captures the fun of the moment!

We hopped in 2 cabs and headed back to our hotel, from where we went to a nearby restaurant. The food was delicious, and the company delightful. (We didn't care too much for the skewered shrimps, though, so Kiptoo and Jeruto finished them off for us.) Yenenish, my Ethiopian roommate, is in the background.

Yet another fun day of learning, laughter, and contemplation.

The Wall

2009-04-15T20:49:00.004+07:00

I'm wiped. Had a full and wonderful day. Still need to do writing tonight and prep for tomorrow, so a very quick update.

Went to the Great Wall today. Had a blast. My friends and I laughed, sang, goofed around, had serious conversations, were polite, learned lots, got sunburned . . . all on the Great Wall.

Then went to a place in the city to visit friends, and after that, had Peking Duck at a famous restaurant. Laughed more. Tried new things. Learned. Thought. Wondered. And got back on the bus for the last stop of the day: The Bird's Nest and the Water Cube, sites from the 2008 Olympics.

Kiptoo and Jeruto went along.

Here are some photos.

"Watch that you don't fall, Jeruto. It's steep!"

It wasn't a holiday, nor a weekend. Yet the wall was packed with tourists - mostly locals!
Yip, there's a Starbucks at the Great Wall!

Scott and Laura, classmates, with the Birds Nest and Water cube behind them
Me, at the Birds Nest.

Sightseeing with Friends

2009-04-14T20:42:00.005+07:00

The rest of our group was to arrive throughout today, so the three of us who were here first decided to head out and explore today...

First stop: The Lama Temple. This is a Buddhist temple in the same tradition as the Tibetan Buddhism. Here you see people praying. There were several temples with different sized Buddhas, from small to large. At each, people were praying and were required to leave at least 3 sticks of incense in reverence of the Buddhas in the particular hall.

One of the doors at the Lama Temple

Worshipers - the focus in this photo, though, is the kid in the back. You see this style of baby/toddler pants everywhere. It's called "kai dang kudze," or open poop pants... When the kid has to go, you simply let them squat and voila, it's all taken care of. No poopy diapers to get rid of!

Terry and Rob are from Vancouver. I know Rob from our previous class in Seattle.

One of the doorways at the Lama Temple

This is the biggest Buddha in the world made of a single piece of sandalwood

Pretty doors

Sour milk is a popular drink. It's served in pottery goblets

Old men are seen along the major streets playing Chinese checkers and dominoes

The Forbidden City. We climbed to a high hill at a park to the north of the Forbidden City to take this photo. After this, we hopped in a cab and drove to Silk Street so Rob & Terry could shop. But not before we sat down for a while and had some good coffee.

After shopping we went to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag lowering ceremony. The entrance to the Forbidden City is on the other side of the road.

Justus has been a great sport! He's from Zimbabwe. Rob and I both know him from Seattle.

There was a huge crowd to watch the flag lowering ceremony. It was super crowded and just didn't feel very safe. Too easy to be pickpocketed in a crowd like this. I loved the little kid on her dad's shoulders, waving her own little flag!

The soldiers who came as a part of the flag ceremony. Actually, after waiting for an hour in the sun and the crowd, we stepped back from it all and just watched the flag lowering from a distance!

Before going to dinner, we made a bathroom stop. I found this sign pretty funny. Asian toilets are usually squatty potties, so when there's a Western-style toilet, there are often signs asking people not to squat on the toilet. Whoever wrote this sign must've looked up the word for "step on" and found "trample" as one of the options, but in the sign writing process it changed to "trampie."

So remember, please don't trampie the toilet.

I'm off to bed. We walked for a good 11 hours today!

Tomorrow, the whole group is heading to the Great Wall at Badaling.

The Central Kingdom

2009-04-11T18:51:00.002+07:00

I'm in China. The Central Kingdom. The country in the middle of the world. And I'm in the capital. Wonderful Beijing. I'm here to learn about Chinese culture. Part of that learning will happen in Beijing, next week, when friends from all over the world arrive. Then we go to Xi'an (home of the Terra Cotta Warriors) and finally to Shanghai (the world's most advanced city.)

But right now, I'm in Beijing.

To get here, I first had to go to Hong Kong. Since China views Taiwan as a renegade province, I couldn't apply for a visa from there. I had to go to Hong Kong. Spent three days there while waiting for the visa. Got together with old friends (Morris, a former colleague from ORTV, and Sue, the mom of one of the kids who used to be in my youth group in Taiwan, and with Janie, a friend who has a restaurant in China and was in HK for a birthday breakaway.)

I didn't shop. Living in Africa for a prolonged time helps cure you of the urge to buy unnecessary stuff. Instead, I met with people. Watched people. Took some photos. Worked on the darn paper I'm supposed to have done.

Then, yesterday morning early, I headed out of my hotel for the trip to China. Here's the Reader's Digest version of my day.

Carry my rolling duffel bag down 2 flights of steps into Yaumatei MTR. Board a very full train, as it is Good Friday and everyone is taking advantage of the great weather to go have fun. Change trains at Central, thankful for escalators to ease the journey of lugging my bag from one platform to another.

At Kowloon station, I find the ChinaLink bus station (across from Starbucks). Buy a return ticket. Decide that the location means it is time to sit down for a cup of good coffee. Read. Wait for the bus. When the time comes, I board the bus and we ride about 90 minutes to the border.

The driver shouts some instructions in Cantonese, and everyone gets off the bus. Grab your luggage. Go through HK customs for a stamp saying you've left the country. Then go through China customs for a stamp to say you've entered the country. Though, technically, it's one and the same country nowadays.

There are thousands of people. And since I am the only foreigner on our bus, the other passengers get lost in the sea of Chinese faces. I exit on the other side, frustrated at myself for not looking more closely at what our bus looked like, or taking its license plate.

But then I see a group gathering with similar stickers on their arms as had been slapped on mine before I boarded earlier in the morning. We were all hoard onto the bus again, and proceed to Shenzhen airport.

Off the bus. Get luggage. Look for the CZ sign. Check in. Wait for airplane.

I end up sitting next to a family from Iran. The lady (maybe early 30s) is frustrated with her husband and her sister. She wants me to tell her it's OK to get divorced and get on with her life. I tell her I can't tell her what to do. We keep visiting. I ask about Iranian culture, food, traditions. She likes their president even less than she likes her husband.

Off the plane, I grab my bag and continue the journey. I find the Airport Express station. Buy a ticket to the city. Then a subway ticket to Beijing Main Station. Though I can communicate in Chinese, my accent is different, and people at the information desk don't hide the fact that they don't want to bother with my accent. They'd rather just hope I'd go away. Which I don't. Since I need to get from here to there.

A stranger shows up. Tells me which train to take. Tells me not to try and buy a week ticket for the train, since it's virtually impossible to get your deposit back.

I lug my bag downstairs and wait for the train on Line 2. It's late by now. Almost 9 pm. I hope it's easy to find my hotel once I get out of the station... Some beggars show up on the train. One guy sings for money. It's time for me to hop off. The stranger who helped me earlier nods as I get off as if to say, "You'll be OK."

I'm happy to see my hotel's name on one of the signs on the subway map. I head to exit B. Carry my bag up 2 flights of stairs.

"How do handicapped people get around this place?" I wonder.

As I emerge from the underground world, I see the enormous Beijing Railroad Station across the road. I do a 360. Looking up and down the streets with their neon lights, I see the name of my hotel. Though we're paying more to stay in the heart of the city, I'm thankful that our agent arranged for us to make this our home for the week. I just didn't have the energy to go looking for some mom-and-pop place in an obscure side street.

By 9 pm, I'm in my room.

Tired. Hungry.

Not wanting to step out of the safety of my room, I devour half a bag of cookies I had bought in Hong Kong. And 2 bars of chocolate.

Oh well.

At least I don't eat like that every day.

At least most days aren't like today.

For that, I'm thankful.

***
Today, the adventure continued. Had a meeting on the other side of the city. Met a delightful family. Was glad when they sent me back with their driver. He and I had a great visit on the 40-minute drive back to my hotel. He helped me with some of the words I didn't know. At times, when he'd talk non-stop about some of the changes in the past 30 years and I only understood about half of what he said, I'd just say something like, "Whoa. How interesting." And he'd continue talking. And I'd sit there wishing I could understand all he said, 'cause it really would be interesting to hear...

Just got a call. A friend arrived from Zimbabwe. I'm heading over to hear what he has to say about the changes in HIS world!

Life truly is an adventure!

There's something about libraries...

2009-03-31T18:14:00.002+07:00

This morning, I hopped on the subway and headed over to TaiDa (or the National Taiwan University). Wondering if it's worth the time I'm spending on the commute, I decided to give it a try, nevertheless. I know I get far more done when I'm surrounded by other students who are focused on their work.

And today was no exception.

Tomorrow, I'm determined to come here again and continue to work on my paper. If I can sit here for a solid eight hours tomorrow, I'd be much, much closer to having yet another paper done. Maybe another eight hours here on Thursday and Friday...

I have choir rehearsal all of Saturday. And I rest on Sundays. On Monday, I might be able to do the last bit of work on the paper, then another choir rehearsal. Tuesday, it's time to pack for my 3-week trip to China. That evening, we have our choir concert. And by 4 am the next morning, I'll be off to Hong Kong to get a visa for China.

And then for the next few weeks, I'll be learning, observing, enjoying stimulating conversations with friends, walking on the Wall, visiting the Bird's Nest, the Terra Cotta Soldiers, even Shanghai. Trying to make my Taiwan-Chinese more understandable to Mainlanders, figuring out where China fits into the bigger picture of my dissertation. And then off to Shendzen to spend some time with my colleagues in the baby goods business. Getting to know them. Planning changes to the Web sites. Writing strategies for the way forward in terms of social marketing. Learning more. Being stretched. Growing.

But before that can happen, my current paper has to be done.

And so, tomorrow, I'll be back at the library to be inspired by the hundreds of studious college kids around me.

Hearing God's voice . . . through the ears of a 3-year-old

2009-03-30T08:05:00.004+07:00

My sister recently told my 3-year-old niece Anja (on the left) that she listen for Jesus' voice. Apparently Anja complained for a couple of days that she's hearing nothing, and then one day she announced that Jesus has spoken to her.

When Liesl asked what he had told her, she declared: "He says I should have a cookie right now." Of course my sister gave her a cookie the moment they got home!