FishPond Grand Openning

We often feel like celebrities here.
#1: We are white.
#2: We are tall.
#3: We catch people taking pictures of us with their cell phones.
#4: We have the privilege of being a part of lots of things because our friends or others feel privileged to have us be a part. Kind of like a status symbol.
#5: We are considered very rich.

For those of you who live overseas in a place like this, you know what I am talking about... for others, these comments could be viewed prideful. As much as we don't really like to always be stared at, asked to have pictures taken with, and knowing that in reality we are poor in our home countries... it is just a fact of life.

A few Sunday's ago, we were invited to a business opening. Fishing ponds to either buy the fish you catch or to have it cooked right there and eaten is a favorite outing for Indonesians. They love coming to these type of places. :)

The guys were all added as part of the ceremony and if you think of it, it was QUITE special that having church members' in the co-op and having our pastor approved to pray at something like this is pretty amazing! A neat thing to be a part of for sure.

Lebaran 2010

We enjoyed 'mudik'ing to our pastor and wife's home area. :) This is the pastor's parents at their home.
















We visited other Indonesian friend's homes, enjoying their company and enjoying their yummy food. :)

Inch+ Praying Mantis

This little guy was on one of my plants.

A Brief Get-A-Way

Last week, Shane and I headed off to a West-Java city for Shane to attend a board meeting. I went along for the ride so Shane would travel by himself. We have not been to this city for some time now (ok... since 2002!) and I was itching to also see what it was like now.

We took public transportation to the train station and headed off by train. Here are a smidgen of pics of the view.
























































































These houses are for making bricks or the shingles for roofs.





























Covered over tobacco plants.















We enjoyed a vacant house instead of a hotel room! We had it all to ourselves. Meeting began at 9:30 so we got to sleep in! Oh, it was so nice to relax!! We will take our nuggets of down-time when the Lord blesses us with them. :)















While Shane was in meetings I headed off to find some of the renowned outlet stores and to see what they had. I bought the 2 things I needed: 2 pairs of sports socks and a pair of dress black shoes. :) I also picked up a gift for a dear friend who blessed me with a care package a few months ago. (I think she will really like what I got her! :) I can't wait for her to have it... though I won't mail it from here.)

I visited a second generation coffee factory. :) 'Aroma'















(Mr. Widya)













































































(Above beans beginning on right:
green beans from the factory already dried 2 weeks
Robusta beans dried at 'Aroma' for 5 years.
Arabika beans dried at 'Aroma' for 8 years.
Arabika beans slow roasted for 2 hours over burning rubber tree wood.)

I ended my afternoon with some lunch at this place. I loved the light fixtures!! (woks and baskets) Cool.
















































(My token food picture... )















Before I headed out of the mall, I saw this..... :) I unfortunately didn't have time to ask the difference between the 'chriopractic' here and this place. Would have been fun to hear.