Hidup Baru - New Life!

It is almost three weeks since my last post and I thank all of you checking up on me during that time - including a reminder from Kelsey telling me my Blog is getting lonely!! So, here I am!
As you see on the title this time it's a new life and indeed it is. I have turned a corner, taken control, relied on local friendship and had the ability to take pleasure in some fun.

Under the full moon Sureya Island, Flores

On return from Bali, re-worked my working schedule and set some targets with colleagues. I immediately moved in with friends Angela and Morten who have taken me under their Irish/Welsh wings, fed me well and housed me in their lovely home.

Soon after, it was Easter which is celebrated and recognized more than I've seen anywhere else. Large crosses on street corners, many church services and for many of us 5 or 6 days of vacation. So I joined 5 other VSO volunteers on the island of Flores for fun in the sun in Labuon Bajo, a seaside town and dive centre. We shared two to a room in a budget hotel which was quite adequate, took a boat to another island with white sand beach, stayed there a night and celebrated the Easter time on the beach under the full moon - we shared our cultures of how Easter is in Uganda,

Beach in front of our cottage on Flores with Sarah

Philipines, Netherlands and Canada. We played music, swam and snorkelled then boated back to town for the remainder of the ddays off, eating our way through town, all the food stuff we can't find in our placements as this is a tourist place but still with its local feel. Such fun!! Cost you ask? Shared room about $8 Ca per person. Fresh fish dinner - saw them bring the fish in - about $6.

Yesli & Berti Practicing Assessment Interview skills

Home of first girl and her family

Girl in foreground, siblings & Mom & Berti

Back to Kupang where I gave a workshop for staff on Assessment Interviewing, getting us ready to start meeting people in the villages who have disability of some sort. The next day I was off with my colleague Berti to Oelomin Village and we met with a girl of 12 with her mother, and talked about education possibilites that the family want for her but not sure how to get her into school for special needs in Kupang. So, we will be following up on that. The other was a young man of 19 who probably had polio at age 13 and was paralyzed in his legs and has now regained some strength due to some rehab but still unable to walk any distance due to his weakness. He laid in his bed from age 13-17. His was tough to interview and most uncommunicative but with me feeding Berti some ideas that she ran with, she got him to open up that he has an interest in small electronic repair. This may also open some doors as we try to follow up some possibilities. This week we are back at it again and will review how to open interviews and assess, using a conversational method.

Then, this weekend it was off to a small island again by a little single stroke engine boat with some contract folks working here in Kupang we call the Friday night crowd as we gather many times on Friday night for social time and speaking English. One of the crowd is going back to Germany so food and beverages on board, off to Semao Island we went, swam from the boat ashore and hung out on the beach, hitting the water to cool off. Swam back to the boat at the end of the day and very proud of my swimming, which I've never really tested like that. A sunset to die for as we returned, although the wind had picked up and challenged us on the return voyage. We had waves pouring over us at times, but these people here are so used to the waters, we trusted our skipper with our lives!

Boat to  Sureya Island, Flores

cottages on Sureya, Flores

Big news is I have rented a house with another woman who is working with CARE. It has 3 bedrooms, loads of living space, huge balcony looking out to the sea, fully furnished and an area I think I can

our boat offshore on Kupang Island trip

make into a workable kitchen. It has a view of the sea that is unbelievable as we are on a hill and an area close to many of our Friday night gang, including Angela and Morten. We move in May 1st all going well with the lease signing. We have made a deposit so hopefully that a good sign. Yearly cost? $3500 Ca.





So, yes, New Life - Hidup Baru! I'm feeling happy and feeling useful. Wow, what more can a person ask for? And, I have room for visitors for anyone looking for a holiday in Indonesia.