This post has many random thoughts since the last post. We hope you enjoy.
Guru Sekola : Nanti activitas apa Mas Daniel?
Saya: Pulang ke rumah.
Guru Sekola: Jalan-Jalan?
Saya: Tidak, Santai di rumah saja.
Guru Sekola: Mau membuat bayi?
Guru lain: Loolooolooo, belum bisa!
Saya: Ya… bisa coba, tapi tidak bisa sukses.
Google Translate this conversation.
Google Translate this conversation.
Cultures may define success differently, but it seems money is usually involved in the equation.
Medical Myth Busters would be a hit TV program in Indonesia.
Living out of the U.S.A. really gives one a new perspective on life in general. Some struggles here may be packaged differently but are truly no different from home. While others make you think who is right and better yet who is more incorrect.
The rainy season in a tropical part of the world is really a beautiful thing. The vegetation instantly becomes full and overgrown, as if it hit a seasonal growth spurt. There is a plot of land in front of our house surrounded by an 8’ cinder block wall. Inside the wall is a Jati tree farm. These trees grow extremely straight and are known for their strength. The leaves during the dry season were few and fairly big in size. After a week of daily rain you are unable to see through the canopy, and the leaves are 12” in diameter.
Most days start with a cool but humid air followed by a short afternoon heat wave. This heat wave is broken by an hour or two of rain and by the time it should be dark it stops. Often during the late afternoons we relax on the front porch and enjoy the rain shower, then head to the small gym in town while it is cool. Some days when the storm rolls in and the sky turns dark there will be random strikes of lightning with an endless grumble of thunder, 10 minutes at a time without pausing. We have been told that soon the rain will continue nonstop for a week at a time, so the continuous growl makes us wonder if the real downpour is about to begin.
Over the last half year we have made some good friendships in our new home. One friend in particular has been a blessing and a blast to get to know. She speaks decent English and is able to correct us when our Indonesian is incorrect and asks that we do the same for her. Our new friend is successful and seems to have more of a grip on modern culture throughout the world than most Indonesians we meet. We can go to her with the tough cultural questions that need some English to explain. Visiting her house a few times a month we have met her family and made a group of friends that we go walking with in various locations within an hour of our site. We have also experienced the different cultures that live in our town, from the farmers to the big toko owners on the jalan raya (business owners on the main street). We may be the only white skinned people living here but there are many Asian descendants.
Our friend has two kids from her first husband. She shared how getting out of an abusive marriage by divorce in Indonesia is seen as big no no, and marrying again is even more difficult. She comes from an extremely poor family and abusive father. After middle school her family was unable to pay for her high school, and even though she had money from working in the rice fields ($0.05/hr) since an early age she decided not to go. Instead she paid her own way to another island to work for a manufacturing company. At the age of 15 she was working 12 hour days 7 days a week with no family or friend support. This determination eventually allowed her to start her own company back in Indonesia in one of the major cities. Due to her success in business she has been able to travel throughout Southeast Asia, learn English, and in many ways understands our struggles and satisfaction with living and working in small town Indonesia.
Every ring of our friend’s onion is interesting and often surprising. After the birth of each of her two kids she almost lost her life after needing a C-section. She mentioned how one of the times her husband had to drive to another hospital to buy blood. Today her perspective on life is refreshing and inspiring. “Money has no meaning and I am thankful for everything I have. I want to help other” she said. She is doing a great job and we are thankful for the help and friendship she has given us.
“Happy is the man who wants what he has.” Proverbs
“Your greatest fulfillment will come from accepting and occupying God’s unique place for you to the best of your ability.” Neil T. Anderson
Who am I?
Who You are is what You know
If You ask the One within
You will not ask this question again.
DCG
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