Bandungan Temples

Yesterday, we went hiking on one of the local mountains to see some ancient Hindu temples.

The above photo is hysterical on a few levels. Allow me to explain. We all wanted a group shot of us sitting on the ancient temple. Phil set our camera on a rock and set the timer. He then began his run around the shrubbery to his preordained position with the rest of us... when he slipped and fell on the slick, mossy pathway. It was one of those cartoon-like, slow motion, multi-staged falls... replete with scattered personal effects. The photo took, but each person in our group has this look of shock and concern on their faces... except one of our friends, who was VERY focused on smiling for the camera (she is sitting at the top, in one of the little alcoves, originally intended for idols). We have teased her relentlessly for her devotion to a good photo. She didn't even blink when phil went flying across the pathway - she just kept a steady eye, and an unwavering smile on that blinking timer light. Phil was fine, and we all had a good laugh - I was personally glad that it wasn't me for a change... I'm tired of falling and making a buffoon of myself. It was time for fate to give phil a turn. Also, it has made for an excellent memory-photo. Every time we see that photo from now on, i'm pretty sure i'll giggle like i did the first time... with the thought of phil flailing his arms and tumbling down the pathway, while extra batteries and sunglasses are flung across the sacred lawn of the ancient temple.

The view of our Merababu from atop another mountain.

One of the many workers who tend the gardens on the mountainside.

Merababu is peeking through the clouds in the background of this photo. These temples were built somewhere between 600-700AD.

what we've been up to lately... among other things

Here are some photos of what we've seen and done these past two weeks. We've been busy - this is just a sampling. I'm saving the rest of the photos for later posts...

My mother in law thinks SHE has yucca plant problems. You can bet your sweet bippy i'm not digging THESE suckers up!

Enjoying some colder weather on the mountain, buying strawberries. Also, Nadia is just so darn cute.

A man demonstrating how rubber sap is extracted from a rubber tree... at the rubber plantation.

Us at the coffee plantation.

I'm sorry, but these spiders are just too unbelievable. Tell me that thing isn't huge! I want to know if he eats birds...

Our entire neighborhood (and a few other neighborhoods) showed up at a neighbor's party to watch a traditional dance. There is plenty to say about it, but we don't understand enough yet to tell you much of anything... other than the fact that it went on from 10am to midnight, and it was incredibly loud and monotonous.

Coffee ready to harvest. The red beans are the ripe ones, and the flowers smell soooo good (no, not like coffee... more like jasmine).

This one's for the Grimes! (that's a coffee tree, in case you weren't sure). Put that in your knock-box and shake it!

More cute baby...

Finally, here is a chameleon hanging out at the rubber plantation. We have been taking little trips and seeing all sorts of things for the last 9 weeks, taking photos, and learning as much Indonesian language and culture from our excursions as possible. This week is our last week of excursions and home study. We are slated to begin "real school" on July 6th at a local language school, where we plan to attend for at least this next year. We are doing all of this with the hope that we will eventually gain fluency and  begin to blend in... kind of like this crazy lizard.

We appreciate your interest and comments and encouragement and e-mails and letters and cards and support. 

Thank you, friends!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad - and Phil's dad - and mostly to the dad in our house... Daddy Phil. 

We love you so much!

ride

Still practicing, here we are on a little  trial run. It's alright to be nervous. I am too. (Also, Nadia completely enjoys her rides on the bike. She squeals and laughs at the breeze in her face.)

true story

Some days are great. Some days are nice. Some are so-so. Some days are bad, and some days fit into the "Day From Hell" category. We had one of those last week. I am just now beginning to feel ready to talk about it. Here is my story. (feel free to feel terrible for me... as well as laugh out loud if need be.)

Wednesday, 3 June, 2009

Today at 1pm I laid the baby down for a nap. 

Today at 1:30pm I laid down for a quick snooze... on our bed... in our bedroom. 

Today at 1:45 one of Phil's friends came over - so, Phil, wanting to guard my slumbering privacy shut the bedroom door. Since our doors have no knobs, the only way that the door will stay shut, is if it is locked. He, caring for me and my little nap, locked it from the outside (you may see where this is going...). 

At 1:50 Phil left with above-mentioned friend. 

At 2:00 i woke up and had to pee. 

At 2:01 i realized that i WAS LOCKED IN MY OWN BEDROOM. 

At 2:45 i still had to pee... and was fire-y hot with anger. i prayed for wisdom, and a miracle bucket that i had somehow forgotten about until that moment. 

At 2:55, Nadia awoke from her nap and began her daily routine of post-nap singing... then screaming. 

At 3:10 i decided to try and pry the door off its hinges. 

At 3:12 i gave up and thought about killing my husband upon his return...whenever that may be. 

From 3:14 to 3:20 i thought of all the terrible things that could happen and how i would be helpless and trapped IN MY OWN BEDROOM. 

At 3:21 i thought indignantly that even prisoners have a toilet in their cells.

At 3:22 i began to cry. 

At 3:25 i heard Phil outside our front door. i began to yell for him. He seemingly ignored my frantic pleas. Nadia screamed louder. i got even more mad (not sure how that was possible...i was pretty filppin' mad to begin with). i banged on the door until my fists hurt. Nadia kept screaming. i still had to pee.

At 3:40 Phil came rushing to the door. i could hear him shouting his apologies as he ran from the front door to let me out. i burst into tears again and refused to speak to him for over an hour. i picked up our baby, i cuddled her for a few minutes, then i went and made spaghetti sauce while my crazy next door neighbor hollered in Indonesian at the banana trees.... telling them that it was a good day, and that the sun was hot.

Two things:

1. how the hairy does any dingaling put a lock on the OUTSIDE of a door... ever? (not even talking about doorknobs here...)

2. how in the name of everything holy does one forget that he locked ANYONE in a room... least of all HIS WIFE?!?!?

what. the. heck.

Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid

We bought a motorbike. Actually, it's more like a scooter, but we prefer to call it a motorbike (that's what everyone here insists it's called anyway). We really wanted nothing to do with any  motorized transport of which we were the operators... however, it has been pressed upon us as the proper thing to do. 

So, we're still not driving it just yet, but we will. We take it out every now and again (very nervously) and ride at ridiculously low speeds around the local soccer field. I feel a little bit like a 5 year old, afraid of her new two-wheeler. Where is my mom now to push me along and run until she is sure she'll pass out? (I remember that day so vividly - she really did run an awful lot... I needed lots of "practice". Sorry, mom).

In other news, we've had an eventful two weeks here in Central Java. Among many other things, we got the chance to go to a rubber plantation (where i fell down a flight of stairs, and nearly broke a leg), and we got to try out some local "medicine" (where we both almost lost our lunch(es?)). We're happy, we're safe, and we're healthy.

rando posto

Our language helper spends about 20 hours with us per week... He looks like he's beginning to feel it. Sorry, Mas! and Trims!

He also takes great photos. This was taken at the rice fields last week. Pretty dragonlfy

Not so pretty spider... found in our helper's room. Sick.

Here we are with the "other" new couple (in the plaid and green shirts) as well as their language helper, and our language consultant at our language helper's parents' house. We have a lot of help learning...

Just a fun shot of a thing we do a hundred times a day here - take our shoes off.

stayin' alive

Here's a little peek at what Nadia has been up to lately.

so... what'd you do today?

Well, we went to a rice field on the foothills of a volcano and saw where our recent dinners have come from. Nothin' special.

Actually, it was amazing. The wet terrace farming that they employ is a fantastic design... a ton of labor, but fantastic. This is a newly plowed terrace overlooking another section of land.

Here's a worker-lady planting new rice in the mud.

The diligently and meticulously kept steps or terraces (those trees all over the place are banana trees... some with fruit).

No tractors here. These guys pull a wooden plow and plod through the mud to work the ground before planting.

Cleaning up after a harvest.

The view from the "top" (these are just foothills - the volcano still looms behind the photographer in this photo). We looked out over some local wetlands and the entire rice plantation. Our house is only a 15 minute drive from this place... unbelievable.