What a strange thing God made -- our brain -- under-utilized yet over-worked, capable of storing vast amounts of data yet capable of losing it all!
So, this morning I've been thinking ...
Why is it that I can walk from our office to the kitchen and just stand there (with Lusy looking on with a grin), shake my head, and return to the office until I can remember why I went into the kitchen in the first place? Lusy giggles, we both giggle, and I REALLY giggle hard when she has the same thing happen to her!
Why do I forget important dates but remember my first phone number: DI-4-2030?
Why do I forget even the name of my favorite Reuben Morgan song -- track #10 on, I think, his second album ... yet I remember allll of the lyrics of a song I hate.
So that is what got me going in this line of thinking this morning. Around 5:30 a.m. I woke up with a song in my head. It's common for me to wake up with a song in my head. The previous morning it was "My Favorite Things" -- makes sense, I've been unpacking my favorite things since Thursday! Today I woke up with a song that I hate. I really hate it. And I know the lyrics! What a waste of valuable brain-storage space ...
I Sing the Body Electric
I sing the body electric
I celebrate the me yet to come
I toast to my own reunion
When I become one with the sun.
What is that? It's nuts! I think it originated in the Broadway production of Fame. Makes sense -- 60's/70's nonsense!
But why do I know the lyrics? Somewhere in my memory ... I'm wondering if our choir sang it at our high school graduation???? Service High class of '73. Mom, do you remember that crazy song? And then maybe it came back to haunt me at one of our kids' graduations? Jeri, my memory is of hearing this in a gym ... that would be your Univ. grad 'cuz your high school graduation was in the Buell Theatre or one of those at the PAC, right? And Brad ... did Pegasus sing it? Your graduation was at Fiddler's Green and I'm not picturing hearing this in an outdoor setting ... mmm! Did you sing it somewhere?
I guess I'm thinking that if I can trace it's roots, I can root it from my brain!
I don't ever want to wake up with that song in my head again ...
But maybe I should just be grateful for a functioning brain ...
At my age, with brain-drain, I could be going insane!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Orchid Updates
Photos are all of my orchids (now the count is up to 7 plants!) except the shot of an orchid "booth" at the Total Bazaar last weekend. Some blooming stems last 3 months ... one variety -- the one with the little, twisted petals, can last up to 6 months! Don't put in soil -- just a little moss and a lot of charcoal or coconut shell pieces to retain the moisture, water well, let dry fully before the next watering, fertilize once a week, spray with mist each morning and evening, keep out of direct sunlight, and pray over each one as you talk with it [ :-) ]! I keep all of mine outside ... they don't like ACs too much and even though I don't use ACs in the living/dining area during most of the daytime, even a little bit dries them out ... imagine what it does to our skin and hair -- that's why I avoid using them as much as possible! But I might bring one into the guest bathroom because there's no AC in there. However, I'm hesitant because there's no air movement in there, either, and they like a little breeze. We'll see ... I'll keep you updated.
A Bit about Batik
So I threw in the photo of the weaving woman just 'cuz ...
It's not batik but it's beautiful workmanship via a different, but equally historic, method. These photos are from a bazaar at Total's camp on the weekend. Many local artisans. (...except the batik stamp, which I bought at my favorite furniture shop ... Ichank, the manager, had just returned from vacation on Java where he'd hunted down some sellers of antique batik stamps. He knew that I was an antique nut so he and I sat on the floor of his shop and unwrapped all 25 stamps. I oohed and ahhed as each was revealed. He had planned on cleaning up all of them and framing them in shadow boxes but I convinced him that he should display them as is, with one sample cleaned and framed, and let people choose 'cuz some folks -- like me -- didn't want it looking new and didn't want it untouchable, behind glass. He gave me mine for a very good price -- about 1/3 of Arry's prices for similar stamps.)
The fabric samples are mainly of a more simple and modern batik that doesn't utilize as many steps.
You can see on the antique stamp that the detail of the older, hand-done, batik work is exquisite. Many stages, ... wax and color.
We hope to visit a batik village on the island of Java sometime. I'll be sure to take MANY photos!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Nigeria/Indonesia: Comparisons and Contrasts
Many expats, here, have asked us how Nigeria compares to Indonesia. So, I expect that some of you are wondering the same thing, yes? (A common occurrence, here, is that "yes" is added onto the end of a sentence to ask a question. It's similar to the use of "oui" in French.) I think I've addressed a bit of this already, but here are some thoughts. Beware ... stereotypes follow! Also keep in mind that our experiences in Indonesia are, thus far, almost exclusively limited to the island of Borneo with just a few days, here and there, spent in Jakarta. There are vast differences from one island to the next.
Corruption:
Indonesia is well known for it's corruption. But we see a major difference between corruption here and the corruption in Nigeria. At the top, it's all the same -- corrupt politicians, cronyism, people "elected" through fraud, people who probably came to their early rolls in politics with a desire to serve the people but somewhere along the way the love of power overcame their initial heart of service. (Mmmmm, that sounds strangely familiar ... another country and another leader ... somewhere in a land far away that is known for it's freedom and democracy ...!)
Here, the average lower-class worker is fairly honest and hard working. The "advantage" of such a fear-based society is that they are so fearful of being caught if they cheated their employers that they won't steal from or cheat them. Vendors might try to overprice a product for an expat but that's probably just good business sense and we would all do the same in their shoes!
In Nigeria, even the beggars are con artists. Here, the poorest of the beggars are still trying to sell a product. Though, ... they would pick a pocket if they had a chance.
Many of the tribes in Nigeria are known for their cunning ways. I can see that more clearly now that we are gone. This impacts corruption because in Nigeria you see many very clever men and women who are very good at their scams. In Indonesia, it seems that the people are simpler -- not stupid ... just simple. Life is simple, the language is simple. So it doesn't appear that they waste their time working up crazy schemes for scamming others. They just quietly go about their work.
Personal Pride:
There is a pride in workmanship here that we rarely found in Nigeria. This is true, even in Jim's company. In Nigeria, the local co-workers cheated the company as often as possible -- huge scams, embezzlement, or simply not doing their jobs. Here, the local co-workers work long hours in order to accomplish their very best results.
This can be seen even in the art.
Baskets: The baskets of Ghana and other surrounding African countries are colorful and detailed. Modern-day Nigerian baskets are basic, without much color, and lacking in the artistry of more detailed work. Don't get me wrong -- I LOVE baskets and have many, many Nigerian baskets. They're functional and "cute" but they're not works of art. Here ... well, 90% of the world's rattan comes from Indonesia and 80% of that comes from this island. The detail AND functionality is to be admired. A basket fiend, like me, has a tough time in places like Africa and Asia! :-)
Batik: Nigerians produce a lot of batik, mainly tablecloths, that sell well to the expats. But the work is very simple and imperfect -- very charming, but definitely imperfect. Batik reaches a whole new level here in Indonesia. The batik, here, has gained world-wide fame. The government has now asked everyone to wear batik to work on Fridays -- a way to further draw attention to the batik of this region. I'll get some photos very soon so that you can see what I mean. At first, you only see the duller-colored batik -- browns and blacks. But, after going deeper into the heart of the batik world you can find an amazing array of colors. Just yesterday I bought an antique batik stamp. (Will take photo later). It's an amazing art form that is worthy of more explanation in another blog post. Here, let me just say that a gal named Arry, with whom I have become acquainted -- a batik vendor and designer -- told me yesterday that for most villagers, especially the older generations, the work is done from the heart and not for the money. They need the money to live, but the money in no way matches the time that is invested - weeks and weeks of work for one piece of cloth. The art is passed from generation to generation. (More, later, about the younger generation's response.) It is pride of workmanship, village pride, and respect for the previous generations that causes the art to stay alive.
Gardens and potted plants: Other than orchids (in Indonesia but not in Nigeria), most of the vegetation is the same in both places. But in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, and the various villages we visited, anything that was planted intentionally was either a garden or golf course for expats and wealthy Nigerians or a farm for income. Here, everyone seems to appreciate the beauty of a flower. Even the simplest shanty that's made of corrugated metal has a row of potted plants on the wooden porch. And orchids. They are loved in this place. (I'll get more photos of my own orchids, soon. I now have 6 plants.)
Trash: If you arrived here straight from the U.S. (but not a major city in the U.S. like L.A. or N.Y.) you might be shocked by the trash on the roadsides, sidewalks, and beaches. We, on the other hand, have been marveling at how clean everything is!!!! Yes, there is some trash to be found in some places -- it's not like Singapore! But, the trash is either brought in with an ocean wave, dropped by a careless person, or blown off of someone's burn pile. The average person doesn't drop trash anywhere, here. And in Nigeria ... well, I'm reminded of a company party -- Environmental Day, at that -- where the football field was covered with trash even before the party was half done ... and the rubbish bins were empty!
Basic Attitudes:
Nigerians are some of the most aggressive people on the planet. Indonesians are some of the most timid, gentle, and polite people on the planet. Enough said about that one!
Nigerians are some of the happiest people I've ever seen. It's not that they have much to be happy about; it's just that they are very demonstrative about every emotion. When they're happy, they're dancing and shouting about it; when they're sad, they're weeping and wailing about it. Here, the emotions are kept in check much more. Smiles are everywhere but laughter ... not so much. Tears ... no. People look more serious around here. And it's harder to figure out what they think about us ... they hide their true feelings quite well.
Traffic:
Lagos and Jakarta have equally congested traffic and motorcycles are like locusts in both countries but the similarities end, there. The bike drivers seem to drive wherever they want to go -- the wrong direction, even. But in Nigeria they drive without any regard for life and limb -- and the fatality numbers support that. Here, they follow most laws (other than the directional law) and they drive with caution. Much fewer fatalities. I'm grieved, here, just as I was in Nigeria, when I see such little children on the bikes, though. And now, in both countries, helmets are the law. But there's no helmet law for children. Though the drivers in Jakarta are more aggressive than drivers in Balikpapan, they are sooooooo peaceful compared to the drivers of Nigeria. At night they blink their lights instead of using their horns to alert another car about something. In Nigeria, we jokingly said that the car part that needs the most replacing is the horn. Here, horns are used with little "toot-toots" to say "I'm coming around you" or "you may cut in front of me" but that's about it. Drivers are often rolling down a window to wave another driver on -- to cross in front or turn or whatever is needed. All politeness. A rude and fast driver is a rarity, here. Seeing a group of motorcycle drivers gathered in a crowd and shouting at some car driver -- in Nigeria that was something you saw often in a day, very often; here, never.
Poverty:
How does one compare various levels of poverty? If two people each have nothing, it would seem that it would look the same. But not so. I would say that the poverty in Nigeria was more desperate. More hopeless. Some of that relates back to corruption and the government's total disregard for human beings in Nigeria. Just last night, we called our dear Nigerian driver, Jide. We were worried about him because we knew that he was working for a very stingy man who wasn't paying him his overtime. Well, we found out that Jide's family was recently made homeless. Briefly: they lived in a little row of apartments. Someone in the local government was mad at the building's landlord. Maybe he didn't co-operate with a required bribe, maybe he cheated someone else, ... Bottom line: with 2 weeks' notice (better than in some situations), the bulldozers arrived and demolished the entire building. Jide pulled together cash from a few sources and rented a truck to pack out their household items (mainly all stuff we'd given them over time) and he said that the first thing he grabbed when he loaded stuff out of the house was the American flag that Jim gave him! They're now all living in a room in Jide's father's house at the village by the beach. But it's too far for Jide to go there at night (especially 'cuz his boss has him work late every night -- without pay) so he goes home on Sundays. Fortunately, Jide's rent was due in November so he wasn't out too much rent money -- imagine the families who had just managed to gather up enough to pay the 1-year-in-advance rent (or 2 years if they're new). All lost, now. And Jide's school fees for 3 of his children were all wasted for the new term that had only recently begun. Nigerians face a hopeless kind of poverty -- all of their scrapping and saving to pay for something necessary -- gone. Here, it's caused by tsunamis and earthquakes. But, as I once blogged, a Nigerian once said "All of the natural disasters in Nigeria are man-made." I would have considered the poverty, here, a hopeless poverty ... had I not seen the poverty of Nigeria. Here, maybe because the agricultural opportunities abound, there's always SOME work SOME where ... even if it means the children are raised on another island by the grandparents.
This is getting so long that I shall continue at another time. Further topics to be explored -- religion/superstitions, family, economy, shopping, music, taking photos, ...
Corruption:
Indonesia is well known for it's corruption. But we see a major difference between corruption here and the corruption in Nigeria. At the top, it's all the same -- corrupt politicians, cronyism, people "elected" through fraud, people who probably came to their early rolls in politics with a desire to serve the people but somewhere along the way the love of power overcame their initial heart of service. (Mmmmm, that sounds strangely familiar ... another country and another leader ... somewhere in a land far away that is known for it's freedom and democracy ...!)
Here, the average lower-class worker is fairly honest and hard working. The "advantage" of such a fear-based society is that they are so fearful of being caught if they cheated their employers that they won't steal from or cheat them. Vendors might try to overprice a product for an expat but that's probably just good business sense and we would all do the same in their shoes!
In Nigeria, even the beggars are con artists. Here, the poorest of the beggars are still trying to sell a product. Though, ... they would pick a pocket if they had a chance.
Many of the tribes in Nigeria are known for their cunning ways. I can see that more clearly now that we are gone. This impacts corruption because in Nigeria you see many very clever men and women who are very good at their scams. In Indonesia, it seems that the people are simpler -- not stupid ... just simple. Life is simple, the language is simple. So it doesn't appear that they waste their time working up crazy schemes for scamming others. They just quietly go about their work.
Personal Pride:
There is a pride in workmanship here that we rarely found in Nigeria. This is true, even in Jim's company. In Nigeria, the local co-workers cheated the company as often as possible -- huge scams, embezzlement, or simply not doing their jobs. Here, the local co-workers work long hours in order to accomplish their very best results.
This can be seen even in the art.
Baskets: The baskets of Ghana and other surrounding African countries are colorful and detailed. Modern-day Nigerian baskets are basic, without much color, and lacking in the artistry of more detailed work. Don't get me wrong -- I LOVE baskets and have many, many Nigerian baskets. They're functional and "cute" but they're not works of art. Here ... well, 90% of the world's rattan comes from Indonesia and 80% of that comes from this island. The detail AND functionality is to be admired. A basket fiend, like me, has a tough time in places like Africa and Asia! :-)
Batik: Nigerians produce a lot of batik, mainly tablecloths, that sell well to the expats. But the work is very simple and imperfect -- very charming, but definitely imperfect. Batik reaches a whole new level here in Indonesia. The batik, here, has gained world-wide fame. The government has now asked everyone to wear batik to work on Fridays -- a way to further draw attention to the batik of this region. I'll get some photos very soon so that you can see what I mean. At first, you only see the duller-colored batik -- browns and blacks. But, after going deeper into the heart of the batik world you can find an amazing array of colors. Just yesterday I bought an antique batik stamp. (Will take photo later). It's an amazing art form that is worthy of more explanation in another blog post. Here, let me just say that a gal named Arry, with whom I have become acquainted -- a batik vendor and designer -- told me yesterday that for most villagers, especially the older generations, the work is done from the heart and not for the money. They need the money to live, but the money in no way matches the time that is invested - weeks and weeks of work for one piece of cloth. The art is passed from generation to generation. (More, later, about the younger generation's response.) It is pride of workmanship, village pride, and respect for the previous generations that causes the art to stay alive.
Gardens and potted plants: Other than orchids (in Indonesia but not in Nigeria), most of the vegetation is the same in both places. But in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, and the various villages we visited, anything that was planted intentionally was either a garden or golf course for expats and wealthy Nigerians or a farm for income. Here, everyone seems to appreciate the beauty of a flower. Even the simplest shanty that's made of corrugated metal has a row of potted plants on the wooden porch. And orchids. They are loved in this place. (I'll get more photos of my own orchids, soon. I now have 6 plants.)
Trash: If you arrived here straight from the U.S. (but not a major city in the U.S. like L.A. or N.Y.) you might be shocked by the trash on the roadsides, sidewalks, and beaches. We, on the other hand, have been marveling at how clean everything is!!!! Yes, there is some trash to be found in some places -- it's not like Singapore! But, the trash is either brought in with an ocean wave, dropped by a careless person, or blown off of someone's burn pile. The average person doesn't drop trash anywhere, here. And in Nigeria ... well, I'm reminded of a company party -- Environmental Day, at that -- where the football field was covered with trash even before the party was half done ... and the rubbish bins were empty!
Basic Attitudes:
Nigerians are some of the most aggressive people on the planet. Indonesians are some of the most timid, gentle, and polite people on the planet. Enough said about that one!
Nigerians are some of the happiest people I've ever seen. It's not that they have much to be happy about; it's just that they are very demonstrative about every emotion. When they're happy, they're dancing and shouting about it; when they're sad, they're weeping and wailing about it. Here, the emotions are kept in check much more. Smiles are everywhere but laughter ... not so much. Tears ... no. People look more serious around here. And it's harder to figure out what they think about us ... they hide their true feelings quite well.
Traffic:
Lagos and Jakarta have equally congested traffic and motorcycles are like locusts in both countries but the similarities end, there. The bike drivers seem to drive wherever they want to go -- the wrong direction, even. But in Nigeria they drive without any regard for life and limb -- and the fatality numbers support that. Here, they follow most laws (other than the directional law) and they drive with caution. Much fewer fatalities. I'm grieved, here, just as I was in Nigeria, when I see such little children on the bikes, though. And now, in both countries, helmets are the law. But there's no helmet law for children. Though the drivers in Jakarta are more aggressive than drivers in Balikpapan, they are sooooooo peaceful compared to the drivers of Nigeria. At night they blink their lights instead of using their horns to alert another car about something. In Nigeria, we jokingly said that the car part that needs the most replacing is the horn. Here, horns are used with little "toot-toots" to say "I'm coming around you" or "you may cut in front of me" but that's about it. Drivers are often rolling down a window to wave another driver on -- to cross in front or turn or whatever is needed. All politeness. A rude and fast driver is a rarity, here. Seeing a group of motorcycle drivers gathered in a crowd and shouting at some car driver -- in Nigeria that was something you saw often in a day, very often; here, never.
Poverty:
How does one compare various levels of poverty? If two people each have nothing, it would seem that it would look the same. But not so. I would say that the poverty in Nigeria was more desperate. More hopeless. Some of that relates back to corruption and the government's total disregard for human beings in Nigeria. Just last night, we called our dear Nigerian driver, Jide. We were worried about him because we knew that he was working for a very stingy man who wasn't paying him his overtime. Well, we found out that Jide's family was recently made homeless. Briefly: they lived in a little row of apartments. Someone in the local government was mad at the building's landlord. Maybe he didn't co-operate with a required bribe, maybe he cheated someone else, ... Bottom line: with 2 weeks' notice (better than in some situations), the bulldozers arrived and demolished the entire building. Jide pulled together cash from a few sources and rented a truck to pack out their household items (mainly all stuff we'd given them over time) and he said that the first thing he grabbed when he loaded stuff out of the house was the American flag that Jim gave him! They're now all living in a room in Jide's father's house at the village by the beach. But it's too far for Jide to go there at night (especially 'cuz his boss has him work late every night -- without pay) so he goes home on Sundays. Fortunately, Jide's rent was due in November so he wasn't out too much rent money -- imagine the families who had just managed to gather up enough to pay the 1-year-in-advance rent (or 2 years if they're new). All lost, now. And Jide's school fees for 3 of his children were all wasted for the new term that had only recently begun. Nigerians face a hopeless kind of poverty -- all of their scrapping and saving to pay for something necessary -- gone. Here, it's caused by tsunamis and earthquakes. But, as I once blogged, a Nigerian once said "All of the natural disasters in Nigeria are man-made." I would have considered the poverty, here, a hopeless poverty ... had I not seen the poverty of Nigeria. Here, maybe because the agricultural opportunities abound, there's always SOME work SOME where ... even if it means the children are raised on another island by the grandparents.
This is getting so long that I shall continue at another time. Further topics to be explored -- religion/superstitions, family, economy, shopping, music, taking photos, ...
Monday, October 12, 2009
Jim's birthday was packed with activity!
Jim's Bday was packed with activity but, somehow, it still seemed relaxing -- that's what he says! While we had breakfast out on the patio, we noticed the fruits on this little tree were looking ripe. We don't know what they are -- 'thot they were nuts. We'll investigate.
I arranged for a gal to come to the house to give Jim a foot massage. He's soaking his feet in the water that's filled with limes and sea salt. Because the gal was late and the skin on Jim's feet was turning to granny skin, I finished up that portion of the spa routine. I'm soooooo glad the gal finally arrived! I didn't take her photo because she was very shy.
Then, we were off to a Schlumberger Wireline Family Day event. We didn't stay long but it was looking like a lot of fun for the kids!!!
We were invited to our neighbors' house for a lovely Canadian Thanksgiving feast -- complete with turkey (which Jim carved), dressing, cranberry sauce, ... pumpkin and apple pies! Some of the stuff was brought in but the turkey was purchased right here in Balikpapan -- imported from the U.S. and really yummy!The group included Canadians, Americans, Brits, and Scots. Lots of fun meeting new friends! And we played two games we don't usually play -- Bocce and darts. And ... Jim won the dart contest and took home all of the money that his three darts had to hit. They pinned a bill over the bull's eye. We all kept trying to nail the bill from three different distances. When we finished round 1 with no winner, the host added another bill on top of the first one. We-all kept failing at our attempts and by the time Jim got all three darts to hit the bills there were enuf bills that he took home about $25!!! That was a fun Bday treat! (Plus the pumpkin pie with a candle in it and the really out-of-tune Happy Birthday rendition!)
We are feeling blessed to have met some super friendly folks. I'm gonna join the book club that some of the gals are in and we're gonna start hunting for a dart board and darts 'cuz it's so fun to play!
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Around Balikpapan
Some of the shells we've collected!
At a women's luncheon -- a dance group.
The tide was way out -- negative, even. So Jim hiked out to a little island. To get a perspective -- where I am standing is usually filled with ocean, even at low tide. And I'm using my zoom to get Jim in view.
The airport is just a few kms from the house ... all planes come over our housing area as they approach the runway ... a nuisance, for sure!
Orchids by our front door -- you can see my reflection in the window in one shot. Jim's washing off his most recent shell treasures!
Monday, October 05, 2009
Mr. Wonderful Planned and Executed the Most Perfect Birthday!
During the middle of the night before my Bday, some spiders decorated the ceilings! (Jim was up to do some work and got creative!)So, my day started with this little delight, followed by a lovely omelet breakfast on our patio -- prepared by Lusy. Later in the day, after I trounced Jim in a game of Quiddler, Jim had to go to the office to get some work he forgot. Yeah, right ... He came back with the lovely flowers that are pictured at the bottom. It took great effort to get a car and driver, find a florist, etc. He hid the flowers in his office until Sat.
In the afternoon, with the same borrowed car and driver, we went to a spa for fabulous foot massages.
And then we spent some perfect hours on the only beach with "real" sand -- imported from another island. It's at Le Grandeur Hotel (Joey, you remember that place, right?). They prepared this amazing candle-lit walkway that led to our own private table right at the edge of the wiggle-your-toes-type of sand. The tide was just going out so the regular beach just beyond us was very clean and lovely. As we approached the table, the guitarist starting playing and he didn't stop for 2 hours!!! He did an amazing variety of light classic rock, classical, light jazz, pop, ... Phenomenal!!! And the very moment that he stopped playing, a pre-selected CD of instrumental music began -- they had the speakers set up closer to the restaurant but they were pointed out toward the beach.
The menu included: smoked seafood appetizers, tomato bisque, lobster, a dessert plate filled with decadence -- blueberry cheesecake-type thing, a carmelized basket with Hagen Daaz (how is it spelled?) ice cream, a chocolate box with mango and other fruit, ... and a little heart-shaped birthday cake!
They kept the bonfire going all evening. It was a treat to hear it crackling behind me and having it send dancing flickers over our table (and an occasional spark!).
Jim knows how much I hate surprises ... but, sometimes surprises are the best! (When I look back at it! :-) ) He pulled off an amazing success -- arranging such details in a place that has great limitations, language barriers, etc.! I am already cherishing the memories ... and Jim! The pain of growing older was definitely diminished!
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