Today, for your reading enjoyment, I thought I would compile a very short list of some great (and less than great) moments over the past week. Today marks one week that I’ve been here on this beautiful island.
1. On the way out of the airport, I got stopped by a group of women and children yelling “Bule! Bule! Bule!” (Boo-lay). Apparently this means foreigner. And apparently it does not mean stranger! Got my photo taken with lots of them!
2. Indonesian Curry. My first authentic meal here. Our house helper made it. Chicken, potatoes, and sauce…can it get any better?
3. I explained what a “diva” was to my new friend and how she was one. The first time I met her. And did my friend JB’s awesome hand motions. I’ll chalk it up to jet lag.
4. I fell asleep sitting at a table in the community center. My sweet friend was trying so hard to keep me awake until nighttime!
5. COFFEE. Do you know how many kinds there are here? Too many to count. And it is all strong. And delicious. And wonderful. Christmas presents for everyone?!
6. I bought a cell phone. The nicest one I’ve ever had. And everyone texts (or SMS, if you’re Asian) here…I feel like a celebrity. (But I don’t have a big head…promise!)
7. I ate some of the most delicious fried rice in the entire world. My new friend showed Rach and I around the city. And her motto about food, “No spicy, no taste!” I think I might adopt the same!
8. The second night we were here, we experienced one of the first of many power outages. What we didn’t realize was that we could’ve turned it back on a few hours later…I slept in an oven, more or less. Haha, slept might be a relative word.
7. BUT, it is okay. All for the sake of the Name, yeah? The next day, our neighbors found out about the power (which, by the way, we could’ve turned back on had we known how), they graciously allowed us to SHOWER at their house. Day 3 in country, showering at a stranger’s (now friend’s) house. How’s that for hospitality?
8. One word. Becak. A small little way to get around town before I start driving. Basically an experience in and of itself….
9. KFC. Yes, we have one. And they do have french fries, but they cost more. What do you normally get with your meal? Why rice, of course! What else is there in Southeast Asia?!
10. The grocery store. Y’all, I am a spoiled women. So much delicious food. And the one we went to, well they say it’s for foreigners, but I’m just thankful that there are things written in English!
11. Okay, so I might as well mention it. There is a lot of honking. HONKING. All the time. It’s not rude, but just as you’re about to fall asleep, HONKING. Haha, and oh the traffic…and this would be a mild experience…
12. The wedding. I went to a traditional wedding on Sunday. Apparently, karaoke is very popular here, even at weddings. So I heard lots of my new language, as well as English, as well as something in between the two! Some of my favorites were “Somewhere Out There,” “Quando, Quando, Quando,” and “Only Fools Rush In.” My friends, I think I have found a new love, haha!
13. Friends. I’m so thankful to have sweet friends who cook for me, invite me over, SMS me, take care of me, make me wear a helmet, and love me already. Such a overwhelming blessing!
14. One of the loudest things I’ve encountered is the call to prayer at the mosque about a block away from our house. It happens 5 times a day, the first of which beings at 4:30 AM. This non-morning person is struggling a bit with that! Good reminder of where I am though, you know?
15. I cooked my very first meal. First of all, it was spaghetti, BUT it was fancy spaghetti, haha!
16. I bought some hair spray. When I used it this morning, one might’ve thought I sprayed bug spray. Oh no friends, that’s my hair that smells like that. Send me some please Mom?
That’s a little glimpse of my first week here. Father is doing some great things in my heart for sure. Thanks for remembering me. The cup I’ve been handed, my friends – it’s abundant.
More stories to come…
1. On the way out of the airport, I got stopped by a group of women and children yelling “Bule! Bule! Bule!” (Boo-lay). Apparently this means foreigner. And apparently it does not mean stranger! Got my photo taken with lots of them!
2. Indonesian Curry. My first authentic meal here. Our house helper made it. Chicken, potatoes, and sauce…can it get any better?
3. I explained what a “diva” was to my new friend and how she was one. The first time I met her. And did my friend JB’s awesome hand motions. I’ll chalk it up to jet lag.
4. I fell asleep sitting at a table in the community center. My sweet friend was trying so hard to keep me awake until nighttime!
5. COFFEE. Do you know how many kinds there are here? Too many to count. And it is all strong. And delicious. And wonderful. Christmas presents for everyone?!
6. I bought a cell phone. The nicest one I’ve ever had. And everyone texts (or SMS, if you’re Asian) here…I feel like a celebrity. (But I don’t have a big head…promise!)
7. I ate some of the most delicious fried rice in the entire world. My new friend showed Rach and I around the city. And her motto about food, “No spicy, no taste!” I think I might adopt the same!
8. The second night we were here, we experienced one of the first of many power outages. What we didn’t realize was that we could’ve turned it back on a few hours later…I slept in an oven, more or less. Haha, slept might be a relative word.
7. BUT, it is okay. All for the sake of the Name, yeah? The next day, our neighbors found out about the power (which, by the way, we could’ve turned back on had we known how), they graciously allowed us to SHOWER at their house. Day 3 in country, showering at a stranger’s (now friend’s) house. How’s that for hospitality?
8. One word. Becak. A small little way to get around town before I start driving. Basically an experience in and of itself….
9. KFC. Yes, we have one. And they do have french fries, but they cost more. What do you normally get with your meal? Why rice, of course! What else is there in Southeast Asia?!
10. The grocery store. Y’all, I am a spoiled women. So much delicious food. And the one we went to, well they say it’s for foreigners, but I’m just thankful that there are things written in English!
11. Okay, so I might as well mention it. There is a lot of honking. HONKING. All the time. It’s not rude, but just as you’re about to fall asleep, HONKING. Haha, and oh the traffic…and this would be a mild experience…
12. The wedding. I went to a traditional wedding on Sunday. Apparently, karaoke is very popular here, even at weddings. So I heard lots of my new language, as well as English, as well as something in between the two! Some of my favorites were “Somewhere Out There,” “Quando, Quando, Quando,” and “Only Fools Rush In.” My friends, I think I have found a new love, haha!
13. Friends. I’m so thankful to have sweet friends who cook for me, invite me over, SMS me, take care of me, make me wear a helmet, and love me already. Such a overwhelming blessing!
14. One of the loudest things I’ve encountered is the call to prayer at the mosque about a block away from our house. It happens 5 times a day, the first of which beings at 4:30 AM. This non-morning person is struggling a bit with that! Good reminder of where I am though, you know?
15. I cooked my very first meal. First of all, it was spaghetti, BUT it was fancy spaghetti, haha!
16. I bought some hair spray. When I used it this morning, one might’ve thought I sprayed bug spray. Oh no friends, that’s my hair that smells like that. Send me some please Mom?
That’s a little glimpse of my first week here. Father is doing some great things in my heart for sure. Thanks for remembering me. The cup I’ve been handed, my friends – it’s abundant.
More stories to come…
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