Friday 5 October 2012

teman teman tua (keluarga) - Old friends (family)


First off - It's one year ago this weekend Don and I shared Thanksgiving in our home with the whole family as the last weekend before clearing out our house to rent and get ready to send me off to Indonesia!!! WOW
Everyone enjoy Thanksgiving, usually shared with family and in our home, was often shared with family and "family", friends who are like family, old and new. The more people around the dinner table to share turkey and give thanks for the freedom and abundance we sometimes take for granted the better.
On the note of "family" you know how maybe as you were growing up there was a particular family friend who was so close to your parent that they became "aunt or uncle"? Well I have such a dear family. My mother's dear friend Isabelle, met in my first year of life and playing a big part as our families grew close. Well, her son I believe found me on my Blog post and has reconnected as we had lost touch in the last few years and his Mom is in her 90's and hearing of my adventures in Indonesia through him and my posts. Ah, the power of communication! This reconnect has given me one of my best Thanksgivings ever.The even better part was the connection happened just the day after my birthday - a double gift!

James in full gear
So, now an update on the athletes who have disabilites, heading to Riau, Sumatra for the national games starting Sunday. It was offered to me to accompany them and provide motivation and general support but as I have committments to greet new volunteers arriving the same week, had to turn down the offer. But, what I could offer was a possibility of my fellow volunteer who is a physiotherapist from Kenya with VSO, in placement 3 hours out of Kupang. James happened to be staying in Kupang this week to assist another organization and I proposed to him (the trip) not my hand in marriage - that's already taken although there is always the possiblity of multiple wives! BUT he is younger than my sons! Ok back to the story - James was over the top excited about the prospect of serving the team as their personal physio/medic as he also has some medical training; we wrote a letter of proposal to his organization in Soe, and VSO and received approval. Next step was to get my organization to arrange tickets and accommodation. This took a bit of organization and once delays, full planes and general travel plans were sorted - no mean feat here - James is finally off two days later than the athletes left but will be there for the opening ceremonies, dressed in full official track suit provided by the athletic association. He is grinning and stunning!

Riau, Sumatra is a long trip - Kupang-Jakarta with 5 hr layover then on to Riau. Just like flying across Canada, Alberta to Nova Scotia.
team and deputy governor in front
For this past week, James and I went to the stadium at 4 each day which is the evening training time once the sun is low and heat abated, and provided motivation for the team. They were so thrilled to have us "bouleys"(foreigners) there each day. James talked to them about their muscle pulls and aches and I went out and walked/jogged - yes I jogged for first time in a number of years since orienteering days! The trainer came out on the track when he waw me going to walk and encouraged me to start running with him so of course pride took over and I managed 400m before I needed to walk. But, each day did a little more and now that I have dicovered the stadium, can get there on my motorbike easily and that it has an excellent cushioned track, who knows, may do more!

James and I were invited to dinner at the hotel with the athletes and to attend the official send off by the deputy governor of our province, NTT. Speaches and formal introduction and good food and everyone is pumped for the trip.

repair work
 Of course the usual electrical outage has to happen just as the team jacket is being formally presented to the team captain but people are so accustomed to this, the presetnation went on the in the semi dark as everyone pushed the button on their handphones to turn on the little penlights in them! I sat and watched as a fellow went up a ladder looking for the shorts in the wiring which would scare any electrician in North America. The wiring here is done in very interesting ways! Even the way the ladder was placed on a decorative outcrop was pretty precarious. But, they managed to find the problem and with just a tool looking like a pair of snips, got it fixed for the time being! Generator then shut off and on we went!
Photos with the governor of course and the group as photos are obligatory here.

So friends and family, savour the turkey and pumpkin pie for me and hope you enjoy the photos.
As a PS - the new volunteers are NOT arriving this week due to delay in visas as usual so gi\ong a bit later to Bali  for the greeting and orientation days which will coincide with greeting my friend Laurie coming for vacation with me. (best laid plans!) She will get first had experience of daily life before we head off to Java for some sight seeing and hopefully great experiences - no doubt of that!!

Bye for now, teman teman tua dan baru - old friends and new - and my wonderful family. I give THANKS for all of YOU!
pointsetia tree by my house