One of the things we Westerners have to get used to while living in Indonesia is the idea of having a helper. I can remember first getting to language school years ago and thinking how strange it felt to have someone else in my home doing household chores while we went to school all morning.
In […]
“I’ll come with you!” The words were out of my mouth before my brain had time to register what I was committing to. In a moment of uncharacteristic courage, I volunteered to go along with my husband on what would be my first trip interior … and I managed to pick a doozy.
The survey trip […]
Every time I walk through my house in Indonesia, I can’t help but look outside. My bunga kertas has spilled out from its base, spreading bright pink wispy blooms against my kitchen window.
I forget the English word for this tree. Bougainvillea? I like the Indonesian way to say it better. Much easier to spell.
Well, […]
I’m at the computer, reminiscing and looking through old digital photos. I marvel at the sweet faces of my kids a few years ago—chubbier, messier, softer. I notice my own face—fewer wrinkles, hair that isn’t sprouting a well-worn gray at the temples. And then it pops up: our very first prayer card photo. Our little […]
There it was in bright red letters across my forehead…FAILURE. It was written in the same bright red ink that the teachers use each day to correct my attempts at writing in my new language.
Of course, no one else could see the letters written there, but I felt the weight of them on me each […]
I know what is probably going through your mind when you read that title: visions of ice princesses casting ice to the all too familiar Disney tune. Sorry if it’s in your head the rest of the day, but this post is about how Indonesia has taught me to let go of some things—to be […]