Kay Adventurers

Outdoor Adventure

2010-04-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

I lead both Tia and Sara's Brownie troops and both groups had fun earning their "outdoor adventure" patch last week. I really was at a loss trying to think of how the girls could get out on an adventure hike in this "concrete jungle". Jakarta has no parks and there are not even sidewalks on most streets.

As it turns out, "no plan" often leads to the funnest adventures.

On Monday Sara's 2nd grade troop went for an adventure hike through the jungle (rice padi their school classes had planted) and pretended they were all being chased by tigers, snakes, etc. They ended up meeting with the boyscouts to create artwork of their own jungle.

On Wed. Tia's 3rd grade troop met at my house. Just as we began preparing for a short walk around the neighborhood, it STARTED RAINING. (REALLY HARD). Somehow my co-leader and I found umbrellas for each of the 13 scouts and off we went. There was plenty of complaining in the beginning but by the time we'd wading through our 2nd ankle deep "river" flowing down the flooded streets, most girls were laughing, splashing each-other, and "singing in the rain". Of course they were all completely soaked when we returned so they all just jumped, fully-clothed into our pool.

I guess this warm rain IS a benefit to living near the equator. :-) Love ya, Paula

Easter

2010-04-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! We've had a nice Easter day here and hope you all are enjoying yours.

Sara was our family member extra excited for Easter this year. She made her own recipe of cookies and left one plus a carrot for the Easter Bunny last night, and

woke us all at 6AM this morning.

In no time she and her sister had found all the eggs and goodies hidden by the Easter Bunny. Tia even convinced our kitty, Loui to help.

After Easter brunch at one of our favorite restaruants, Din Tai Fung, we watched the 3D Dragon movie. It was cute.

I'd read the Easter passage from Sara's children's bible several times the past week and was pleased to hear Tia eplain to Grandma the reason for Easter. "The day Jesus came back to life". It's fun to hear them explain their beliefs in their own words. The other fun book we read today was The Velveteen Rabbit. Such a sweet story.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and a nice weekend!Love ya, paula

April Fool's Day

2010-04-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Happy April Fool's Day Everyone! Tia and Sara tried to drink their juice with breakfast but they couldn't suck it up through the straw cause it was jello. Gotta love giggles first thing in the morning. Then when they opened their little boxes of rasins at lunch, they were filled with chocolate chips. :-)

Sara's been playing with the whoopie cushion all evening and the next morning with Daddy. :-)

Phuket, Thailand

2010-03-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hi family,I expect you're all preparing for Easter and many of you are off on Spring Break. Happy Easter!! Tia and Sara's school's vacation was last week and we went to Phuket, Thailand. Burasari Resort was on Patong beach (the busiest place on the island) and every time we traveled the 170 steps from the lobby to the beach, we were surrounded by new sights and experiences. Most of our wanderings were in search of the best Pad Thai cooked at one of the small street stalls. The food vendors transport their wok, serving dishes, numerous ingredients, on small kitchen attached to their bicycle.

I think the girls' favorite time was running and cartwheeling in the soft sand in the evenings after dinner. We watched several lanterns being lit and floating into the night. Vendors offered ones for us to purchase and launch ourselves but Tia's keen observation was "what a waste of money Dad! they just float away."

Sara's goal for the trip was to go snorkeling and we accomplished it on a cruise to the Phi Phi Islands. Maya beach is the most beautiful beach you'd ever see- if you could just figure a way to get rid of all those jillions of tourists and cruise boats. :-) We ended up snorkeled with LOTS of brightly colored fish but the coral was still pretty devestated from the tsunami. Tia decided her goal for the trip was to try parasailing. "Oh no" was Mom and Dad's initial response but on the last day both Tia and Sara took a turn. One fellow climbed into the parachute lines for every trip to help guide it. They went pretty HIGH but each girl was thrilled and landed safely in the soft sand.

Several days we just relaxed on the beach, played in the sand and swam in the warm sea. Beach food from the vendors was good but for one meal Quyen walked the girls across the street for BurgerKing. They were still barefoot in their swimsuits! - What a life. :-)Phuket is a very international vacation destination so we recreated with people of many nationalities. Tia and Sara learned how to say banana in Australian "nana" and thank you in Thai "cap cuhn cah" (cap cuhn cap" if you're a boy). They also kept us posted on what direction to avert our eyes to avoid seeing the topless European sunbathing ladies. Most were 50plus years old. Quyen observed that the super-model topless sunbathers must've been at another beach.

The highlight of our trip was sea canoeing through the limestone caves and Hongs (lagoons). What interesting landscape! I've created a separate blog entry for the "Hong by Starlight" tour.

Now we're home and the kitty is happy to have her girls back to provide limitless attention.

Love ya, Paula

Phuket "Hong by Starlight"

2010-03-26T23:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Grandaddy (and the rest of our family),We are in Phuket right now and on the last day of a wonderful vacation. Yesterday we went on a tour called the "Hong by Starlight".

We traveled on a 20-person ferry-type boat into Phang Nga Bay and went "sea caving", paddling inflatable sea canoes through beautiful limestone caves to explore numerous Hongs (limestone lagoons). The caves were filled with with mystery- sparkling stagtites, small bats attached above, and some portions so pitch-dark Tia and Sara giggling reached for their flashlights.

The Hongs held further sights, high limestone walls decorated with jungle-like trees and vines, small long-tail mackau monkey families near the shore, and mangrove trees rising from the muddy bottom on their tangled roots. Sara had fun spotting the next cave to explore. Depending on the tide-level, some were impassable and some we could barely squeeze through.

When back at the boat we had freetime for swimming and paddling, but we had to lookout for the jellyfish! Tia's big grin was fun to watch when she was paddling the canoe.

To recreate the traditional Buddhist offering to the sea, we decorated our own Loi Kratong with banana leaves, flowers, candles, and incense sticks. After a wonderful seafood dinner at sunset we re-boarded our inflatable canoes. The tide had risen so some so we had to lay flat in the bottom of our crafts to maneuver through the dark caves into a Hong. After we launched the candle-lit Kratongs, the sight of them floating on the dark peaceful sea was simply beautiful. I asked Sara how she remembered it- "Peaceful Sea" were he words.

What a fantastic experience!

Indonesia Week

2010-03-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! Girls me me coming out of the shower this morn. singing "you don't have any green on!" (I was just a towel) and pinched me. Sneaky little buggers.

This is a busy week. Gir's school is celebrating "Indonesia Week" so assemblies/festivals, special vendors, and cultural displays every day this week. Monday Tia's class taught us parent how to play gamelan music and Sara's class performed a special dance about rice harvesting for the whole school.. Tuesday was a holiday to honor Hindu New Year "Nyepi" and Quyen arrived home from his fishing trip to Alor.

Today's St. Patrick's Day so I got pinched (see comment above), and Satuday is the start of Spring break. Through it all, they get to dress-up every day of Indonesia week. Monday they wore traditional Indo clothes of kabaya and batik print skirt and today wore their sarongs for Bali day. Busy but fun.

Love you all! Paula

P.S. Mental note: buy some green towels for next year! :-)

Sambolo 2010

2010-02-28T03:56:00.000-08:00

Feb. 14th was both Valentine's Dan AND Imlek, Chinese New Year, and we celebrated the long weekend at our favorite place in Java, Sambolo!

We shared a bungalow with our good friends, Valentina and Kornelius, and their two sons.

Tia, Sara, Justin, and Luka were out the back door and onto the beach the minute we arrived. Our bungalow, #29, was situated right in front of "the best waves" so many hours were spent boogie-boarding. Of course and we all enjoyed swimming in the warm sea.

The boys ventured to the neighboring seaside town, Labuan, to buy some fresh seafood. They are both wonderful cooks and almost every meal we were spoiled with fresh calamari, BBQ fish, and prawns big enough to be small lobsters. Yum!

Relaxing on the Sambolo beach is fantastic but sometimes frustrating. As with any beach in Indonesia, Sambolo has it's own group of vendors selling colorful sarongs, ceramic pottery, and "massages". Their persistance may be admirable but we found ourselves getting annoyed with repeating our "Tida mau" mantra to explain that we still didn't want to buy the item they'd presended not 5 minutes earlier. One interesting vendor is an old weathered man who sells live octopus he catches with his long bamboo fishing pole. We bought two and the kids played with their pets for several days.

Kicking back around the bonfire in the evening was a treat we've missed from living in Alaska. The kids were extra pleased with the fireworks. Thank you Valentina and Kornelius for providing the sparklers!

Our friends, Steve and Lila and their two kids arrived in a neighboring bungalow so we ALL enjoyed visiting around the bonfire and playing in the sea.

Great friends, great food, great sand, surf, and sun. What a wonderful weekend!

Kollekan Pottery with GS

2010-02-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

Tia's Brownie troop took a fieldtrip to the local pottery studio last week. Kollekan is a cute little pottery that I've taken Girlscout troops to for three years now and it's a wonderful outing. The girls all get to make their own creation out of clay and paint it with colored slip before we leave. The works are fired in a kiln and we get to pick up the finished pieces in a few weeks. They love it!Tia's troop of 14 girls were the maximum capacity of the work table so Sara's troop will have to wait another month.

Luckily Sara got to participate anyway- her Mom drove. :-)
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Sara's troop went to Kollekan on March 8th and also had a wonderful time.

Borneo Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

We spent our holidays on the island of Borneo this year.

We flew to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on Christmas Eve. Of course Santa found us again. ;-) Whether we've been at our cabin in Alaska, Washington State visiting family, or the Asian cities of Bangkok Thailand, Bali Indonesia, or Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, Santa always tracks us down. His reindeer sure are persistent.

One day we took the short boat ride from K.K. to the island of Manutic and spent the day snorkeling and playing on the beach. Tia and Quyen saw a BIG "Nemo" fish and Paula watched an entire group of rainbow colored parrot fish feeding on coral. Sadly Sara couldn't snorkel due to ear problems on the plane but she still had fun catching baby jelly fish and getting buried in the sand by Daddy.

We all enjoyed wandering the waterfront streets of K.K. and all the fresh produce and seafood available. Delicious mangoes from the fruit market every morning. Quyen even spotted a large tuna in the seafood market and bought a big chunk. MMMmmm... that ocean fresh sashimi in our hotel room was probably one of the tasties meal of the trip!

From K.K. we flew over to Sandakan on the NE coast of Borneo for the next part of our adventure. After a long jeep ride and a short boat trip up the Kinabangan River, we arrived at a Jungle Camp!

For 3 days we toured along the river through the jungle spotting a wide variety of critters. Sara never spotted her rare Kingfisher she was looking for but was rewarded with several more common varieties and half a dozen other interesting bird like the hornbill. More than one crocodile watched us from the water edge and slid away before cameras could catch him. Monkeys ranged from the large male orangutan Tia spotted, proboscis monkeys who are famous for their over sized noses, and families of curious long tail macaque busy eating fruit. Back at camp we saw a strange cat like creature called a Malay Civet, watched a giant monitor lizard chase the wild pigs away from the kitchen leftovers, and even sighted an endangered Storm's Stork.

What a thrill to see all these animals in the wild. We spent New Year's Eve at a place who's location truly lived up to it's name, Forest Edge Resort. So peaceful! and conveniently within walking distance of the Sepilok OrangUtan Rehabilitation Center. The center provides supplemental food for animals readjusting to life in the wild. Most monkeys at the center have been relocated from recently logged forests and rescued from homes where they were illegally kept as pets.

One sobering realization of our jungle visit was that the true jungle habitat is disappearing fast and many of the indigenous animal species are becoming endangered or even extinct. Our jeep drive to the river was through plantation after plantation of palm trees for harvesting palm oil. The orang utan population who only exist in Boreo and Sumatra are down to only 50,000 from the original 300,000plus.

I am truly glad we took this opportunity to see the jungle as it is NOW.I've attached a couple pictures. Hope you enjoy them.Love ya, Paula

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Great and Adventurous New Year in 2010!!

“Ahh.. Another Day in the Tropics.” We’ve been living here in Jakarta Indonesia for three years now and this phrase is actually a lighthearted comment on the sometimes frustrating but fascinating day-to-day life here. Our year was filled with new experiences and new places. It was also filled with family, old and new friends. We have had a wonderful 2009 and look forward to a fantastic 2010.

The year started off with us spending a week in Bangkok Thailand. The girls had a great time visiting cultural sites such as the Reclining Buda, Royal Palace, and various Wats. We took the MRT and river boat ferries all over Bangkok. Our favorite thing to do was eating the local cuisine on a floating restaurant.

We enjoyed several weekend trips to the ocean at our favorite beaches, Sambolo, and Tanjung Lesung. While in town we’ve succeeded in spending less weekends “going to the mall” and played in the pool more. One Saturday we were invited on a special trip to the orangutan house at the local Ragunan Zoo. Tia and Sara were allowed to climb in an outdoor jungle gym and play with the adolescent orangutans!

One of our best trips in Asia this year was to Sabah Borneo in the city of Kota Kinabalu, where we snorkeled in the crystal clear waters of the TAR islands under the bluest skies. Tia and Sara were thrilled when the fish literally “ate out of their hands”. We may have eaten some of the same fish later that evening at the fresh seafood market.J Near Mt. Kinabalu we took a “canopy walk” on a boardwalk rope bridge through the treetops, 200ft. above the forest floor. We also rafted down the Klias River of Sabah. What fun to raft in a warm river.

Tia and Sara continue to thrive at the Jakarta International School. They both have enthusiastically embraced their new favorite sport, gymnastics, and do cartwheels all over the house. The new highlight of the girls’ life is their kitty, Loui, who joined us in October. She snuggles with alternating girls every night, meows to wake them in the morning, and runs to be picked up and held as soon as they’re home from school. Loui is uncommonly vocal and has become an unwelcome alarm clock as of late.

As we do every year, this summer we “went home” to Washington to spend special time with family and friends. We went crabbing and boating with Grandma Barbara and Grandpa Del in Silverdale, and fishing and inner tubing at the cabin with Grandaddy and Hazel in Idaho. We even roasted marshmallows and played in the tree house with cousins, and went on a special nature walk with Great-Grandaddy.

An extra big summer treat was participating in the Giang family reunion. Over 75 Kay and Chi family members gathered at Fort Worden, WA. We all had a wonderful time reconnecting with family members, eating, visiting, and playing by the sea together. The talent show was an extra special treat for Quyen’s father.

Sadly, Quyen’s father passed away only 2 months later. The family gathered again in Washington to honor him in a traditional Chinese Buddhist funeral. A truly beautiful and moving experience to pay respect to Quyen’s father.

Quyen and Paula took a trip up to Alaska where they fished from their place on the Kenai River. They were thrilled to catch a 65 pound King Salmon, a new family record. It makes for an excellent fish story- until pictures are revealed.

We wish you a Great and Adventurous New Year in 2010!
Love, Quyen, Paula, Tia, and Sara

Thanksmas

2009-12-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

Hi Family so far away.We are really missing you this year!!

Hope God blesses you with a beautiful Christmas this year. We celebrated our own "Thanksmas" last Saturday and let the girls open their gifts that day too.

We're leaving for our trip on the 24th and decided to not make them wait until we return on the 2nd. The girls decided to get Daddy a gong to add to the family's collection of gamelan musical instruments. They've been busy playing with the gong and their own gifts for several days now.

Thanksmas dinner at the Penrose home was fun. The kids all had fun playing in their pool and decorating cookies.

We're leaving on Christmas Eve for Borneo. Flying to Kota Kinabalu Sabah. (same trip as earlier this year to do some more snorkeling).

Then we'll take a short flight over to another town called Sandakan where we'll spend a few days at a Jungle Camp. Lodging in a cabin and several boat trips along the jungle river to spot animals in the wild. It's the rainy season so they might be hiding but hoping to see orangutans, probiscus monkey, lots of birds, and maybe even the pygme elephants. I'm the most excited member of the family- this 2nd half of our itinerary is my Christmas present. :-)

Love you all!Paula

Gymnastics and Girl Scouts Christmas

2009-12-22T01:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!I'm behind in my email pictures because I've been busy getting ready for Christmas. And I STILL haven't sent out our Christmas cards. They're coming SOON!

The highlight last weekend was a gymnastics competition. We were so proud of how confidently both Tia and Sara completed their routines. Sara won medals (silver and bronze) in two of her events, and Tia tied with a friend for the overall prize in her group! (four medals but I think the stuffed animal they gave each overall winner was an even more treasured prize. :-)

Saturday their Girl Scout troop hosted a christmas party for about 40 children from a local orphanage. The scouts and orphans teamed up for making gingerbread houses for each orphans to take home. They had a pizza party, sang carols, and of course, Santa came! He handed out a present box to each orphan complete with clothes, school supplies, and a small toy. The Girlscouts had each contributed five dollars of money they had earned themselves toward the gifts.

When Quyen asked them afterwards if Santa had brought anything for them, Their immediate response was "No Daddy, Christmas is about GIVING. not getting presents!

" This weekend we celebrated our own invented holiday, "Thanksmas"! Our friend, Steve, is Australian so doesn't normally celebrate Thanksgiving, and his Indonesian wife, Lila, is Christian but didn't grown up celebrating Christmas much either, but we've all enjoyed getting together to celebrate our own "Thanksmas" tradition every year. They hosted this year with a wonderful dinner of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. The kids frosted sugar cookies and we all enjoyed lemon mirangue pie! Fun!

Hope all your holiday celebrations are wonderful!We miss you! Love, Paula

Paula Golfing

2009-09-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

I went golfing today with a group of gals at another course out of town Riverside. Cheaper prices during Idul Fitri (Muslim's time of year similar to Christmas is for us Christians). It was fun.

We're all beginners so had fun laughing and cheering each other on. My goal is usually double the par of each hole. :-) I just played 9 holes and the heat never got to me. Talked with my friend that played all 18 and she said it just wasn't enjoyable once it got too warm, glad I called it quits.

One scene you don't normally see in America- an entire squad of ladies were lined up resting near one hole. They were waiting to cleanup any debris on the green and pickup the plugs of soil a machine had left behind when aerating the green. Their bamboo sun hats were enormous!

Loui kitty

2009-09-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our family!

Tia and Sara are the proud owners of a 2 month old kitten named Loui. He's very gentle little sweetheart and purrs all the time. Needless to say, the girls are thrilled.

He was owned by a teacher who just had too many kittties (eight) in her house to allow one more to stay. Judging from his personality he got lots of loving attention at their house and I expect that'll continue. :-)

Girl Scouts Begins

2009-09-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Tia and Sara are both Brownie Girl Scouts again this year. I'm leading Sara's 2nd Grade Brownie troop (10 girls) and Tia's 3rd Grade Brownie troop (15 girls).

The Jakarta Girl Scouts Overseas opening ceremony was fun last Sunday. I led the event so lots of singing and parading by the girls and not much talking by the leaders. I know most parents attend these events to see and hear their daughters, not some silly ole' leader.

Tia's 9th Birthday

2009-09-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

I had fun watching Tia host her own birthday party today. She really enjoyed making her cake, creating the homemade invites and paper mache piñata, and planning the cute snowman game. About 14 little girls came over this evening and everyone had a wonderful time!

At least she let her Mom feel a little useful- I got to order the pizza. :-) We're going ice skating tomorrow as it's a no-school day.

First day of School

2009-08-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Tia and Sara just finished their first week of school and all went well. They were excited to ride their bikes to school on the first day and we'll probably do that often. (at least until the rainy season...)

Both girls report that they really like their teacher too so that helps the transition. Sara has her best friend in class and Tia is with one of her good friends too. As you would expect, they still suffered from jetlag the first few days but that just means they woke extra early (3AM) and were asleep early too (down by 4:30 on Mon)Luckily their sleep schedule worked fine with school hours and everything else is flexible.All's normal now.

The school held a "Welcome Back" picnic today and the girls had a great time with their friends on the bungee jump and dumping bottles of water on each other's head. Yes, it was HOT.

Both girls will be in gymnastics and Girl Scouts this year. Hopefully piano too but their Mom has to get on the ball with arranging a teacher.

Giang Family Reunion

2009-08-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

25 Randon Things about Quyen

2009-06-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the list Quyen created in Facebook.
I truly love this man.

1. I have very few friends because I don’t put out the effort and I don’t like rejection. I cherish the friends I have in my life (especially my wife).
2. I believe that love is unconditional, unwavering, and forever.
3. I am so very grateful that I am married to such a beautiful woman, wonderful person, and caring mommy to my children.
4. I believe in doing everything 100% or not at all. My wife is terrified I’ll become a born again Christian and she gets out of the way when I set my mind on something.
5. I am not religious or political because I see religion and politics divide people in the world. I like beliefs that focus on the common good in all and for all (but I keep them to myself).
6. I want to do business deals based on a handshake and a person’s word.
7. I am the eighth child of 10 in my family. My mom is an incredible woman.
8. I love to hold my children. I love it even more when they hold me back. I have never found anything more special than holding my child (especially when you can hear her breathing in your arms when she is asleep).
9. I want my children to know everything I know and start from there.
10. I have two pairs of cowboy boots I’ve never worn. They looked so cool in Mexico . I look like an idiot with them on.
11. Once I get something in my head, I can’t let go. Drives me nuts and keeps me awake at night.
12. I built my own cabin in the woods with a chainsaw mill 10 miles off the road system next to a salmon stream. My neighbors call it a lodge. I just love to build and couldn’t stop. And there is something about being able to make your own lumber.
13. I used to like dancing but not anymore. Don’t really know why. Probably because of Elaine Benes from Seinfeld.
14. I constantly worry about my children and my wife’s safety. This keeps me awake at night too.
15. I think my mother in law is an incredible person and does not see limits that most people see. I wish I could have spent more time with her father (my wife’s grandpa).
16. I love anything about fish. Especially fishing, filleting/cleaning fish, aquariums, scuba diving, fly tying, fly fishing, boating, watching people catch fish, books on fish, big fish, little fish, cooking fish, eating fish. Something about fish!!!!
17. I hate being in crowds but I also hate being alone. My family is my cocoon.
18. I speak five different languages. I have some really weird dreams in different languages.
19. I think having a successful career means you have less time for your family and friends. I work to live not live to work. Hopefully I’ve done a good job of balancing.
20. I love to read Louis Lamour books. Can’t figure this out either, they are all the same but I keep reading them over and over.
21. My favorite things to do include fishing, crabbing, clamming, snowmobiling, downhill skiing, golfing, traveling, boating (especially jet boats up into small shallow streams), building things (especially structures), scuba diving, snorkeling, and being with the 3 girls in my life.
22. I love standing around a camp fire with friends and family drinking beers and making smores (even though I don’t eat smores). Ok you caught me, I like to drink beer.
23. People say I am smart, but my little secret is that I just work hard. Although I wish I was smarter, then I wouldn’t have to work so hard.
24. I believe the only thing that can replace hard work and sweat is more hard work and sweat. More action and less talk.
25. I love to cook. I love it when people eat things I prepare and love it. I wish I could’ve been a chef.

25 Randon Things about Paula

2009-06-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is a list I posted on Facebook but thought I should include it in my Blog too.

1. I am usually a happy, positive person. I think it’s fun to be extra friendly to a grumpy person and have them grin back, despite themselves.
2. I think my positive attitude is a product of the blessed life I grew up with. I was raised by two nurturing and supportive parents, and surrounded by a close extended family.
3. I grew up on five acres where we raised horses, chickens, and lots of pets.
4. Who wouldn’t be happy?
5. I want to raise my girls with an inner sense of right and wrong and the self confidence to stand on what they believe, no-matter what peer pressure says.
6. I admire my husband for his passion. Everything he pursues with 110% effort and for-thought and I feel incredibly blessed to have found him as my soul mate.
7. I like people and make friends quickly. But I’m slow to develop close relationships. My husband and I were best friends first, and we still are.
8. I describe myself as an active, non-athletic person. I accept the fact that I have no natural athletic abilities but I still like to get outside and have fun.
9. My current favorite “sport” is walking, but I used to do a lot of hiking. I once climbed The Brothers in the Olympic Mountains with MY brother, Justin.
10. I was diagnosed with MS a couple years after I moved to Alaska.
11. I like to ignore ailments or frustrations and just assume they’ll go away. Usually they do but this hasn’t worked with MS. When my body temp. goes up, my legs get clumsy.
13. I’m kind of sarcastic but have leaned to be careful around sensitive people.
14. I don’t really like living this sheltered, spoiled life of an expat. We have staff to do everything but no privacy and really little independence.
15. OK, I’ve got to admit, having someone drive my car, do my laundry, clean my house, etc. does give more time to spend with my girls and pursue other interests. Who’s complaining?
16. I’m thinking about getting my teaching certification. Growing up as a teacher’s kid, I’ve always felt like I might end up as one some day.
17. I loved the adventure of living in Alaska and would like to get back someday, but maybe not permanently. I’m not sure I’m prepared for the winters cold enough to freeze the hair inside my nose.
18. I’ve caught lots of salmon in Alaska. Fly fishing for them is my favorite.
19. I think grandparent-grandchild is an invaluable relationship. I grew up seeing my grandparents at least once a month and they’ve always been very important to me.
20. I hope I can help my children form close relationships with their own grandparents and extended family, even though we live farther away.
21. I lived in Spain during my first 2 years of life and Germany during 5th grade.
22. I’m ever grateful that my parents raised me with a strong appreciation of the varied cultures in our world and an open mind.
23. I love being a stay-at-home mom, but can respect that it’s not for everyone.
24. I still love it when my 6-year old climbs in bed with me in the morning to snuggle, and when my 8-year old wants me to read a story to her.
25. My Mom has the best quote “I love every stage of your childhood; I just wish you’d stay in each stage a little longer.”

Climbing with the Orangutan

2009-06-06T02:53:00.000-07:00

Tia and Sara were invited to join some friends at a very special house in the middle of our local Jakarta zoo, Ragunan Zoo. A sweet older lady lives there caring for the orangutans. The children played with two young orangutans, climbing all over a big jungle gym and watching the resident kittens. Then Ulla took them on a tour through the zoo to feed treats of fruit and Yakut (vitamin drinks) to all the other orangutans. Amazing Experience! Love you, Paula

Sara's 7th Birthday

2009-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sara decided to have a balloon Birthday Party this year!

Girl Scouts Mother Daughter Tea

2009-05-18T02:25:00.000-07:00

Tia and Sara are done with their year of Girl scouts and there's only 6 more days of school left. Summer's coming! The girl scout troops had a "Mother Daughter Tea" earlier this month. Each girl had sewn a simple project for their Mom and they were requested to wear their "fanciest/ funnest hat". I hosted both troops at our house at the same time. All had fun.

Their closing ceremony was last weekend and we're done for this year.

Science Fair

2009-05-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

JIS Science Fair 2009
Tia made square bubbles and
Sara studies sugar crystals!

Easter

2009-04-15T23:39:00.001-07:00

Hope you're having a terrific Easter!

Sara and Tia woke me at 5:30 this morning as they were excited to hunt for their Easter Eggs. Boy is that Easter Bunny a good hider. :-)

I think a few of the 142 eggs are still missing but luckily the 9 hard boiled ones were found.

The girls both wanted to "make something" for Easter breakfast so Tia made some cinnamon rolls and Sara used the same dough to make brown sugar filled sweet rolls. Hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon, and warm sweet rolls. Yum!

Pulau Putri Thousand Islands

2009-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

We came home yesterday from a 3-day trip to Pulau Putri, one of the "Thousand Islands" located North of Jakarta.
Many of the "Thousand Islands" are privately owned or managed by resort companies. Our good friends, Steve & Lila and their two kids went with us. We took a 60-person capacity boat out to the island and stayed in a couple of the 75 bungalows. Food was cafeteria style, pretty basic but all-inclusive so just fine and each meal included several items that the girls were happy to eat.
There was a small patch of sand to play in, a decent dive shop, and great snorkeling in the bath-water warm water just off the pier. I don't think I've ever seen such a colorful variety of coral. And the fish made me feel like I was swimming in a giant tropical fish tank. :-)
Steve and Quyen rented a couple "kayak" boats one afternoon and rowed the kids over to visit an adjacent island.

One fun thing was the Kimodo dragons who wandered freely around the island. It wasn't uncommon to run into one on the route from our bungallow to the cafeteria. We leaned to identify their trail (wavy swishes in the sand) and as long as you moved slow, you could get pretty close. No Grandma, not TOO close. :-)

Two nights was just about perfect. White sand and tropical trees waving in the wind seem so idealic, the snorkeling is great, but the mosquitos were pretty fierce.

Overall, a great trip.

Dying Easter Eggs

2009-04-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend and hope that God sends lots of beautiful spring flowers to remind you of the joy he gives all this time of year.

Tia and Sara dyed Easter eggs last weekend. No Paaz egg dye kits here in Indonesia but we did pretty well with some food coloring and vinegar. Colorful eggs and fingers. :-) We have a 4-DAY weekend this weekend so we're trying to take advantage of it by checking out the "Thousand Islands" area north of Jakarta. I think we'll come back with some stories. We plan to be back by Sunday but if the weather's crummy we might be a little later.

Barbie has a Jilbob

2009-04-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

The girls and I were visiting the toy store in the mall and saw these very Indonesian "barbie dolls." Each of them is dressed in a head scarf, Jilbob.

Honestly, most little girls in Jakarta have Mommies, Aunts, and Grandma's who wear their Jilbob everyday so the dolls look pretty normal. Hit me as something unique to a Muslim country and worthy of sharing with my friends and family in the Western world.

Consider yourself culturally broadened. :-)

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

2009-03-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a week in Sabah, Malaysia and had some interesting adventures along the way. Our flight to Kota Kinabalu only took 2 hours and our hotel was right on the waterfront with a fantastic view of the South China Sea and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park Islands where we'd be snorkeling.

Only a minutes walk away was a wide array of food stalls. Warm waffles and Starbucks coffee for breakfast, flakey Indian canali(sp?) bread dipped in curry for lunch and the freshest, yummiest seafood all along the waterfront. The 'Phillipino night market' was amazing. Clear pavement parking lot by day but at night it filled with multicolor umbrellas and underneath were vendors were selling fresh veggies and fruit, fish just off the boats, and on one side, rows and rows of tables filled with people feasting on freshly BBQ'd fish, squid, and monster prawns. No utinsils, just lots of condiments to make your own dipping sause, and plenty of lime juice and fresh water for washing your hands when you were full. Mmmm... We were regular visitors. :-)

Our second favorite restaurant was just down the waterfront. We selected our live seafood from the wall of fishtanks, specified how we wanted it cooked, and sat down to watch their Malaysian cultural dance show. Sara was the proud expert at removing the snails from their shells with her long wooden skewer.

The first day we went on a white-water rafting trip. I thought I'd signed us up for a leisurely float down a river but when they started issuing helmets we realized it might be more exciting day. The girls were happy to sit in the middle of the raft and there were enough gentle rapids to keep things wet and fun but not enough to worry us. Quyen and the girls even joined others in floating down a portion of the river in just their lifejackets.

On two separate days we took a 20min. boat ride out to the islands of Manukan and Mamutik islands. Both of them were the classic tropical paradise with white sandy beaches, palm tree forest interior, and bathwater warm water for snorkeling! An area of coral had been roped off (about half a football field) for snorkeling only- no boats but LOTS of fish. Someone showed us a neat trick- we filled an empty plastic water bottle half full of bread bits and water. As we swam along, just one squeeze of the bottle and the fish would come running (swimming). What an amazing array of colors. My favorite were the multi-colored parrot fish; the girls both thrilled at seeing a family of about 8 clown fish darting in and out of the anemone (just like Nemo); and Quyen coaxed an 18in. long barracuda with our bread bottle so we all got a good look at his big teeth. Yikes!Not many other visitors at the island but we enjoyed visiting with a Korean couple who sat at the adjoining picnic table. They were there for a teacher's conference. Great location for some continued education, huh? Tia's show-n-tell she took back to school on Monday was some itchy and painful sores on her leg. Sadly, she and Quyen had an unfortunate encounter with some jellyfish. Owch!

We rented a car one day and Quyen drove up into the jungle of Mt. Kinabalu. It's interesting how similar the vegetation is to the rain forests of WA. Lots of ferns, vines, big trees and even a few evergreens. Of course, the bannana and coconut trees kept it pretty clear we were in the tripics.. We took a jungle canopy walk through the treetops. The entire walkway was made of secure ropes, netting, and a plank for our feet. Kind of unnerving to be walking from tree to tree 45meters in the air, but the girls had no fear. Sara kept skampering ahead to spot the next critter. I only saw one brilliant blue bird and no monkeys, but the butterflies, insects, and camoflauged lizards were sure interesting. The canopy walk was above the Pouring Hot Springs. We decided to not try the sulfur smelling ceramic tubs people were swimming and washing their feet in, but the girls had a blast in the simple water slide fed by spring water. Whee! Definitely nice for us all to cool off after that hot hike.

On the last day I got my wish. We went out to the Orangutan conservation center where the girls and I watched three 2-3 yr. old orangutan play in the trees. One even came right up on our viewing platform! What fun to watch them dip water out of a stump for drinking and practice their vine swinging skills. Sometimes one would lie on his back just at our feet, and the next minute two would be climbing SO HIGH in the trees! Just like three little playful toddlers. All in all, a great trip. I'd definitely recommend this vacation to anyone considering visiting Malaysia. Maybe we'll be back again... Love to all, Paula

February, the month of Celebrations

2009-02-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I feel like we've been celebrating all month here. :-) First came Chinese New Year. One benefit of living in an international community is people are always sharing the festivities and traditions from their home country. A Father brought Chinese treats to Sara's class and taught them about the tradional salad toss for good fortune. And just a few days later another Mom taught them all about the Korean celebration. Sara's been proudly showing us the proper Korean girls bow.

Next came Valentine's Day. Of course the girls had class parties & Valentine exchanges at school and Quyen brought home flowers for his three girls for the 14th.

But the biggest event was when Quyen took his two daughters on a date! They're going to the Girl Scout Father-Daughter Valentine Dance at a local hotel. No Mom's allowed. :-) Should be fun!

By the way, Sara's big news this month is losing both front teeth in the same week. She and her best friend lost their teeth within days of each other.

Love you all, Paula

Christmas presents early!

2008-12-18T23:09:00.001-08:00

Yup, we opened presents early this year. We're leaving for Thailand on the 20th so the girls voted for opening presents early rather than late after we get back home on the 28th. Kinda figured they'd vote for that.Sherilyn, your books and calendars were a big hit. Thank you! I made Sara a hugging pillow in the shape of a kitty, just like Tia's doggy hugging pillow I made her for her birthday in Sept. The theme of their other gifts was musical instruments. Awhile back our maid, Ibu Anis, gave them an Anklund so we thougt we'd add some more. The big item in the picture is a Gamlang and we've been listening to a concert all evening. :-)

Quyen and I bought ourselves a WII so we all had fun playing with our present too. Paula

Christmas Letter

2008-12-14T07:23:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from Indonesia!!
This year WE are writing the family Christmas letter. Tia and Sara

At school we have lots of fun festivals. On UN Day everyone dressed up in clothes from their home country. Sara (60 countries were represented. Mom)
In the Festival of Lights, I sang one song with my class and played the gamelan anklung
with the other song. Tia

At Sambolo we played in the humungous waves with our friends. I caught hermit crabs with my sister and we had a pet octopus. Sara
My best friend, Nicole, usually went with her family too. Boogie boarding was fun with my Dad. Our boogie boards had killer whales on them. Tia

We saw lots of Buddha’s inside huge bells at Borobudur. Most Buddha’s were about as big as my Mom. Sara
I thought the Mendut Temple was the prettiest one. Tia

Pondok Indah Water Park has really big slides. My favorite slide was the biggest one but it was really tiring to climb all those stairs. Tia
We never wanted to stop until we got hungry. Sara

We went home to Washington in the summer, and we played with ALL 23 cousins. Tia
We rode in an inner tube behind Granddaddy’s boat and it was SO fun. Sara
I learned how to stand on my head and my Grandpa Del made stilts for us. We learned how to walk on stilts. Sara
I was so good at walking on stilts that I used the tallest ones. Tia
We all went crabbing in Grandma’s boat. My Dad got bit on his finger. Sara

Dad played golf on some Saturday mornings and played with us after he came home. Sara
While Dad was off golfing, we swam with Mom. Tia
My Mom was the leader of our Girl Scout troops. Sara

Ho! Ho! Ho! Sara
Merry Christmas! Tia
We wish you a new year blessed with a loving family, close friends, and new experiences that fill your heart with happiness and peace.
Love, Quyen, Paula, Tia, and Sara

Making cookies

2008-12-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, Tia and Sara have been busy making Christmas cookies this season. Eating them with their friends about as fast as they're baked. :-)

Yesterday was frosted sugar cookies.

Monday I'll be in helping 1st graders frost MORE sugar cookies as part of Sara's class Christmas party. The class made sugar cookie dough together last week. Tia and Sara baked the cookies over the weekend along with their own to frost.

I think we'll be going to the Pondok Indah Water Park this afternoon.

Thanksmas

2008-12-07T00:19:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving isn't a recognized holiday here in Indonesia (surprise, surprise) and most everyone leaves town over Christmas so many of us were expecting to miss that big turkey dinner this year...Then our friend, Steve, had the great idea of celebrating "Thanksmas" together.

We hosted at our house so I even got an excuse to break out my good dishes. I'd found a nice recipe to cook a 17lb turkey in only 2-1/2 hrs, and we all added some yummy side dishes. Tia and I even made rolls with Grandma Burke's recipe and yes, of course we had black olives. :-)

The 6 kids were entertained swimming in the pool and making their own gingerbread houses while we adults had a relaxing visit. It was fun!

Jamu Gedong

2008-12-06T00:27:00.000-08:00

On Friday I finally got up the nerve to ask for a photo of one of the Jamu Gedong ladies.

These industrious ladies carry a bamboo basket of several "Jamu" drinks on their back a circulate through their neighborhood every morning peddling their herbal drinks. I see this specific lady most everyday after dropping off the girls at school as her route must be in that neighborhood.

Another funny INDO experience:While shopping for some last-minute items for the Thanksmas meal, we walked through the toiletries section of the store. A lady approached me with a tray of various deodorant and asked me if I wanted to try one. "Waah!! Put on one of your deodorant right here in the store? No thanks." In hindsight, she probably just meant for me to try a sniff or two but with our language barrier, it didn't come across that way. :-)

P.S. Here's something I copied off the Internet:

In Java these ladies tend to sling the basket on their backs and carry it somewhat like a backpack. They are known as Jamu Gendong. The word gendong means to 'carry on the back'. Early each morning well before dawn the jamu gendong prepares several litres of three or four different of jamu in her home, having purchased the ingredients from a local market. After the conclusion of the preparation, jamu gendong pours the fluid into empty plastic Aqua bottles. These are placed into a large round bamboo basket. The jamu gendong then hoists the basket on to her back and sets off on her regular jamu route.The word jamu covers a vast range medicinal drinks for various diseases and are available in ready-to-drink form as well as in powder satchets or capsules. Renowned brands of jamu include Iboe, Sido Muncul, Jago, and Meneer. Some people say to avoid buying jamu from the street as the water quality is dubious, but I have not had any problems from it in over 30 years!

Here are a few of the most requested jamu:

Galian singset — weight reduction)

Beras kencur (from rice, sand ginger and brown sugar) — cough, fatigue

Temulawak (from curcuma) — for liver disease)

Gula asem (from tamarind and brown sugar) — rich in vitamin C

Kunyit asam (from tamarind, turmeric) — for skin care, canker sores

Of course there are many more varieties available and include assisting impotency, improving sexual prowess and for women, helping with the monthly cycle.

Water Park at Pondok Indah

2008-11-15T03:56:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was fun.

We decided to try out a water park that's locate only 10 minutes away- right next to the Pondok Indah Mall. We've lived here for 2 years now and had never tried this place on several EXPATs negative recommendation but it actually was great! I guess some people are just a little more cautious. Slightly dated but no safety hazards that I could see and the water was clean. For five hours the girls scampered up the stairs to the top of one of the platforms and then Wheee! slid down of of the four slides. Quyen and I joined them of about half the slides but by the end, they were comfortable "all by themselves". My favorite slides were the two outfitted for riding on inner-tubes. Sometimes the girls rode in a single tube together- pretty cute. For about an hour it rained- HARD but we were wet already so didn't let it phase us. It was actually more pleasant to have overcast conditions and deal with a little downpour than the over-hot conditions that come with a fully sunny day here.

After so much activity, they were very willing to have a relaxing movie evening and let Ibu Anis get them to bed.

That evening Quyen and I went to a Shrimp Boil sponsored by the Petroleum Engineering Society here in Jakarta. Lots of familiar faces and table after table covered with yummy shrimp, baby potatos, and corn-on-the-cob. There was two live bands and we ended up dancing til the band shut down. Fun. Fun. Sunday was a quiet day of relaxing around the pool and finishing some homework. Sunday is our no-driver so quiet by nature.

Wayang

2008-11-13T03:22:00.000-08:00

I went on a Heritage Society field trip last week to a Wayang Puppet master's home. He put on a Wayang Theater show for the group of us gals and then gave us a tour of his collection. Tizar Purbaya had puppets from all over Indonesia and across Asia. Some were pretty imaginative- we all enjoyed the puppet who could stick out his tongue. :-) .
I think I'll try to organize a trip there for a group of kids sometime. They'd love it!

I've tried to attach a clip of a movie I made of the show to my Blog to show you but my computer's too slow for the download. Sorry.

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, we all had a fun Halloween here in Jakarta. I think we hold closer these familiar activities when we're living in an unfamilar land. It's fun to share our American traditions too; Carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating are foreign activities for many of the girls' classmates and friends.

The girls carved pumpkins on several occasions. Sara's best friend, Aina, was leaving home for Malaysia on the 25th, and was able to carve during their one last sleepover. Her favorite was the pumpkin seeds. Tia's best friend, Nicole is from Australia, and Tia was able to convince her that the "pumpkin guts" were the most fun. Half of Sara's Brownie troop wasn't too keen on the "guts" but they all ended up proud of their jack-o-lanterns anyway. The American family population within range of the schol organized themselves for trick-or-treating and over 150 kids came to our door. More than we'd ever had in America!The girls did their own trick-or-treating with a group of children in a housing development where we could walk from door-to-door. A little safer than the typical Indonesian streets with the motorcycles everywhere.

I hope all of you in America had a terrific Halloween and the kids got lots of candy. :-)I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of some great costumes.

UN Day

2008-10-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

The JIS UN Day celebration was on Oct. 30th and 31st. As with most International Schools, JIS really celebrates UN Day in a BIG way. The JIS grade school student body comes from 60 countries. Many students claim two countries as their "home" as their parents come from separate countries.

All the students dress in their home country's traditional clothing and most everyone participates. WOW! Some of those outfits were really beautiful. The Flag Parade serpentined through the campus with each country flag followed by the students from that country. Some smaller countries such as El Salvador were represented by just the one student holding the flag, and other countries were more largely represented. More than 30 students followed the American Flag.

The ceremony concluded in the theater where groups from several countries performed. All the countries with parents willing to help organize participated. I led the American group and it was pretty simple. The kids all sang along with a recording of several traditional American songs and we made up some fun motions to accompany. Another Mom collected photos from the families participating to put together a slide show of our home state, and it played on a screen behind the kids while they sang. We only had one practice but it went quite well- everyone already knows... Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,

I've Been Workin' On the Railroad,

Row Row, Row you Boat,

The Hokey Pokey, and

This Land is Your Land....

Student brought a food item traditional to their home country and each class shared their lunch from around the world together. Mmmm! Tia and Sara each brought chocolate chip cookies. The Students had a super day learning about each other's cultures. It was fun to watch them appreciate both the similarities and the differences; amazing how many countries have their own version of "fried rice".

Girl Scout bandanas

2008-10-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Family and Friends

My Mom just reminded me I hadn't sent any picture of the girls in their Girl Scout activities lately so here's a couple. The 1st graders and 2nd graders meet on every-other Wed but usually have very similar meeting plans. (easiest for their leader- me :-)

They recently learned a little bit about camping. Bed roll relay, brainstorming list of items one should bring on a campout, etc. Each girl practiced tying knots with their new bandana and as you can see, Sara's group were very creative in their chosen style. :-)

Some of the girls joined the Girl Scout organization on an overnight camping trip at an Animal Park last weekend but Tia and Sara missed out. Lucky they get to go camping and do fun outdoor activities in the Sates. Some of the girls had never slept outside before!

Tia's had Dengue Fever once already and a second bout is supposed to be much more serious- often requiring a trip to Singapore for proper medical treatment. Sadly this nasty disease is transmitted by mosquitos here in Indonesia and we decided to not take the risk of camping at an animal park where mosquitos are more numerous.

It's Definitely a Frustrating part of living in Indo, to be "afraid" of mosquitos but I've got the girls pretty well trained to apply repellant every morning before school and again after school if they're heading outside. So far, no problems.

Love ya, Paula

Indonesia continues to Suprise and Entertain

2008-10-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

I have a few new items to add to our long list of interesting and entertaining experiences here in Indonesia.

Yesterday evening we went to the locall mall, Pondok Indah Mall. It's our standard destination for getting out of the house, doing a little window shopping, letting the girls play on the various jungle-gyms, and eating at some of the 30+ restaurants and stalls in the food court.

As we wandered around the mall, there's always lots of opportunity for people watching. Ladies dressed in jillbobs and long draping Muslim garments, teens dressed in skimpy Western style clothes, spoiled toddler ever shadowed by an attending Nanny, and of course plenty of Expat and Indonesian families out for their evening stroll. (Remember- there are NO parks here in Jakarta)

We tried an Asian (Japanese/Chinese/Indonesian??) restaurant where the chef prepared our meal right in front of us. I was thinking it might be a "Benny Hannaah" style, but of course Indonesia loves to twist and turn anything they copy-cat from the West and we ended up a very entertaining interpretation of Benny Hannaah. The poor chef knew how to slide food around with his two little spatulas but that was about it. Definitely no eggs tossed in the air to be deftly cracked on a spatula edge. The meat was so tough he had trouble cutting it up, his hot metal cook top was barely lukewarm so he covered everything with a lid to get it to cook, and he used the same sauce for every dish- chicken, beef, shrimp, seafood and something else we couldn't exactly identify. My favorite was the tortured cringed face he made whenever steam rose from his cooking. :-)

Needless to say, the end product was barely edible but at least Tia and Sara had fun watching.

Later in the Mall, I was approached by four very polite and conservatively dressed teenage girls. They shyly asked if I was from an English speaking country and if they may interview me as part of their English homework assignment. I cautiously agreed and they proceeded to introduce themselves as students from a local Islamic High School and took turns reading some simple English questions they'd written on a student notebook. "How old are you?, What's your favorite type of music? Do you think Indonesia is a beautiful country", etc. Cute experience and another one to add to our list.

I almost forgot to mention one of my favorite sights showing how Indonesia likes to take foods from other country and add their own little twist. America has hot-dogs, and Japan has sushi, so why not sushi rolls with hot-dogs in the middle Sushi Dog! A booth at the grocery store I frequent has a booth advertising Sushi Dogs though I've yet to see anyone eating there.

Gotta love Indonesia. :-) Paula

Sambolo week

2008-10-07T00:42:00.000-07:00

We just arrived home from our week long vacation at Sambolo and it was great.

Sambolo is a string of beach bungalows surrounding a sandy cresent shaped beach. Each bungalow is, literally, only a stone's throw from the ocean with tide pools for hermit crab hunting and clear waves just big enough for body surfing and boogie-boarding, Several other families we knew and newly met were also staying in the other bungalows and since the units were all full, we welcomed one of my friends to join us in ours with her hubby, 2 children, and parents from New Zealand. Lucky they brought a tent. :-)

Tia and Sara spent ALL their time enjoying the sand and sea with their friends. We adults mostly relaxed but two separate afternoons, Quyen drove us to the markets nearby to buy some fresh seafood. Mmmm... we ate well. Monster prawns on the BBQ, squid cooked two different ways, and steamed fish cooked by my favorite chef and hubby.

The week long vacation was to recognize the end of the Muslim fasting month, Ramadan, and Wednesday was Idul Fitri. Most all Indonesians travel back home to their Kampung (village) to celebrate with relatives for a week and many travel to vacation sites such as the surrounding beaches over the weekend. Luckily our beach was private so we were only treated to fireworks each night, and a special all-night "call to prayer" Tuesday night broadcast from the adjacent Muslim mosque. Only children completely worn out from beach play could sleep through that. :-)All the public beaches were PACKED and the resulting traffic was gridlocked.

We drove home early in the day Saturday so had no problems but did we see the crowds headed the other direction. Hundreds of motorbikes, many of them carrying families of 4, buses overloaded with to the point people were hanging out the door, and of course, cars, cars, cars. Crazy. :-)

This was our fourth Sambolo vacation and I think we'll try to head somewhere in another country next time, but who knows.... :-) Wish everyone was closer so they could have joined us!

P.S. Our house helper, Ibu Anis, just finished telling me about her 11 hour return bus ride complete with no AC, crying babies, and only one seat she shared with her nephew while they took turns standing. I guess it's kinda like all the craziness we Americans go through at the airports to be home for the holidays. :-)

Poppe visit

2008-07-21T16:17:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are at Grandma and Grandpa Del's in Silverdale, WA again. Weather's still perfect.

Celina Poppe was wonderful enough to bring her crew (Elly, Henry, Tessa, and grandma Shirley) over for a visit. The Poppe's were close friends when we all lived in Eagle River Alaska and we still miss them.

Yes, the kids all had a great time renewing their friendships while swinging on the rope swing, picking carrots and peas in the garden, and perfecting their skills at walking on stilts.

Thank you SO much for making time for the visit!! We all had a great time!!

Stilts and Daisy crowns

2008-07-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

The other day Grandma made halo crowns out of daisies for Tia and Sara. Aren't they cute?

Grandpa Del made some beginner stilts for the girls too and they spent all day practicing their new skill. They're just like the ones I had when I was their age. Grandma remembers walking all the way around the block on stilts with her brothers in Edmonds when she was younger too.

After several days, they've even gotten good enough to convince us to raise the level a little.

Ta Da!

Kay Family get-together

2008-07-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Quyen was in Washington for one weekend this summer and the rest of his family was wonderful to plan a big get-together where we could see everyone! It was great!

We all met over at the house Tim owns by Vantage and almost everyone was able to come. It was an extra special treat to have Richard and Jasmine up from Houston so all 23 cousins were together. We caught them all in a picture except Travis as he was away on a golf lesson. I'll try to add you with PhotoShop later, Travis!

Perfect weather all weekend so the some adults and smaller cousins played in the pool, and others accompanied the older cousins tubing behind Tim's boat on the river.

We all tried to help out with the food, but of course Mom made sure every meal was delicious. As usual, I think something new and delicious emerged from the kitchen every hour. Yum!!

Quyen, Tia, Sara, and I really want to thank everyone for making this all come together. We miss you guys!

Dad and Hazel visit

2008-07-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful vist we had with Dad and Hazel over the 4th of July. Tia, Sara, and I spent a week with them at the house they were borrowing on Lk Coeur D'Alene and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The cabin was more than comfortable and as great hosts, Dad and Hazel had prepared the cabin with lots of fun extras- warm smiles, good food, their boat equipped with a tube for riding in, etc.

We took the boat across the lake the first day to a small town where we all 5 rented bikes to tour the "rails to trails". Sara was too small for the childs size bike so they even rented us one of those neat half-bikes that attached to the back of her grandaddy's bike and away we all went! It was great! And the homemade icecream we all enjoyed at the end made for a perfect day.

The following days were perfectly sunny and the lake water was so warm, even two girls used to swimming in Indonesian warm weather had fun playing in the water toys with their Grandaddy.

Justin,Joy, Emma, and Audrey arrived a few days before the 4th and Hazel's two children, Sue, and Matt with his new wife Kasie (sorry if I spelled that wrong) came too. We all had fun getting to know each other a little while water skiing and tubing, relaxing on the dock, and eating more delicious meals together. Emma even got up waterskiing for her first time!! The cabin had enough room for all of us, except for Sue who got to sleep on the boat. :-) On the 4th, we took the boat out on the lake and watched the numerous fireworks displays all along the shore. A very relaxing way to celebrate our nation's independence.

Dad and Hazel's house renovations were complete as far as the new cement deck and roofing when we arrived and looked very impressive. The inside work began in full-swing on the Monday we left. I can't wait to see pictures when eveything is completed. Good luck Dad and Hazel!

Overall, we had a terrific visit and I think Dad and Hazel really appreciated getting all their "family" together over the 4th.

Thank you for everything Dad and Hazel! Paula

Tia's Show and NO training wheels for Sara

2008-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tia's 1st Grade class has been studying Australian Animals as a unit in school and it culminated last week in a fun musical, "The Platypus from Patteson's Pond". The kids all dressed as cool kangaroos, sleepy opossums, sarcastic kookaburras, big-bottomed wombats, and Tia's class was the cutest- koalas. :-)They all did a great job.

Sara's big news is that she's gotten rid of her training wheels yesterday! Our living room has been rearranged with all the furniture stacked in the middle for several days. That tile floor made for a great training track and I from my vantage point through the office door, I just saw her zip by a dozen times. I think we're heading outside to try her birthday bike without training wheels next.

Sara's Birthday

2008-05-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

Sara woke her daddy with kisses this morning and told him "this is your first kisses from your new 6-year-old Daddy!"He was headed out to the field for several days so she'd gotten to open her family gifts the night before. Her favorite was the simple pink doll she promptly named "Pinkie Pie".

School was dismissed at 11AM today so I picked up most of the girls from Sara's class and brought them home for Sara's "Baby" birthday party. Each girl brought their favorite baby doll and decorated bibs for themselves and matching smaller bibs for their babies. They even played the baby party version of "pin the tail on the donkey", "pin the bottle on the baby" :-) Took their babies for a ride in the bouncy castle, toured them through the house on a treasure hunt, and even wore the bibs for their pizza, cake and ice cream lunch.Lots of giggling and cuddling today. It was fun.