LETTERS HOME: W. SUMATRA WRAP-UP

25th November, 1993

Dear Folks,

Just have time for a quick note since I want to hand this off to someone who is leaving for the states in the morning. Mom, would you please share yours with the Dallas gang and pass the photos around? Seems like I've been gone most of November, and although I really enjoyed Bukit Tinggi and Perth, it's awfully good to be home -- especially since I can officially start decorating for Christmas tomorrow! Bukit Tinggi was so fascinating. Believe it or not, it's actually quite clean up there! And cool, too, since it's up in the hills. Each little village has its own special craft, so we visited one where they all weave beautiful cloth with gold threads, another where they are all silver smiths, another where they craft brass irons and musical instruments, etc. The flowers were unbelievable. Every house, no matter how poor, had gorgeous gardens and window boxes. The most unusual thing about it was that the Minangkebau people are a matrilineal society. Everything, including the family name, is passed from mother to daughter, and the men don't own a thing! Brilliant, no? I'm not sure how they reconcile that with being Muslim, though. Our area of Indonesia is the antithesis of everything we saw in W. Sumatra. It is the most fanatically Muslim area in all of Indonesia, and for some reason, that seems to discourage beauty and creativity. (Note: all photos here are from W. Sumatra. Perth photos will follow.)

One of the underground tunnels left by the Japanese in WWII

When I returned from the trip on Saturday evening, John was pretty frazzled. The kids from the Medan school were up here for an exchange week-end, and they had assigned four little Malaysian girls to stay at our house! Luckily, we still had our temporary cook then, because they all had to have special diets. I was only home for six days before we headed off to Australia. Perth was wonderful, but one week in Australia just isn't nearly enough! I'm afraid we concentrated on all the typical touristy things, including a good bit of time at K-Mart and Target! While I was there, though, I did pick up a book about home-stays in eastern Australia. It includes everything from B&Bs to sheep stations in the outback. I just hope we get a chance to go back some day.

I'm really sorry that everyone has had such a hard time getting through on the phone. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do about it though. Mom, thanks so much for getting that book for me to instruct Alexis on communion with. We will start after Christmas. How much do I owe you for the book and postage? Is Dad's knee any better? We nearly died laughing at one of your answers on my "Christmas Memories" questionnaire. Modie's special Christmas dishes were dates and prune whip? Well, no wonder Dad had to teach himself to cook at such an early age!

Theda, how was your Thanksgiving with Betty, and the trip to Roswell? Hope you had a good time. Has Taz tried to pull down the Christmas tree yet?

Laura and Ruth got pulled on stage to participate in a cultural performance we attended. The native dancers are all barefoot. Wonder how often they get their toes stomped by clumsy tourists?

Prisi, how was Steve's wedding? Did everyone wear black and orange? When you described Megan's first visit home from college, it reminded me of a Donna Reed episode I once saw, where Shelly Fabares did exactly the same thing!

Guess that's all for now. We're about out of Kool-Aid here, and I couldn't find any in Singapore, so if anyone would stick one little package of the pre-sweetened variety (any flavor) in their next letter, we would be eternally grateful!

LAKE MANINJAU, SEEN THROUGH NEW EYES

To market, to market...

Dearest Friends,

Here is what I love most about blogging: it allows you to enjoy one adventure over and over again, each time with new eyes! Take this trip to W. Sumatra. Tucked into the pile of photos I have from this trip were many of a large lake -- a lake I don't much recall.

I remember this photo. This was one of the more "rustic" hotels we stayed in on this trip, and, hard as that was to believe, I remember everyone charging into our room wanting to see it, because it was so much more luxurious than the others! Perhaps we got the bridal suite? That, however, is just about all I remember of this leg of the journey -- nothing about the lake, not even its name. So, I had to do some research. I am now fairly certain this must be Lake Maninjau, the largest in the area.

Drying Fish

In the process, I discovered a lot of stuff which probably went in one ear and out the other of my forty-year-old self (who knew less than nothing about permaculture or local food systems) but which just delights my fifty-eight-year-old self no end! I read about how the lake not only provides hydroelectric power to the area, but is also an entire food system in and of itself! They practice aquaculture in the lake, using floating net cages. There are rice fields on the lower swampy areas. Then there are forest-like tree gardens on the slopes above, where they grow fruit (durian, jackfruit, rambutan, etc.), spices (cinnamon, coffee, nutmeg, cardamum) and timber.

The School Bus

Is that awesome, or what?

WEST SUMATRA: FIRST LEG

Dearest Friends,

In order to reach W. Sumatra, we had to first take the company plane to Medan, and from there we took a commercial flight to Padang. My friend Jane, who is British, brought "sticky buns" for the journey, Carol brought rugelach, and of course, we all brought our Shanghai bags -- little purses holding the coins we used to play our favorite card game.

Being the capital city of the province, Padang was fairly cosmopolitan, and our hotel surprisingly luxurious. Have I ever mentioned how much I adore hotels with open-air lobbies in tropical surroundings?

They should have called us The Belly Bag Gang!

I'm guessing the hotel gave us those pretty drinks upon our arrival, for the odds are slim that everyone would have ordered the exact same thing.

Here we are, ready for a rousing game of Shanghai, all wearing the matching nightshirts that our wonderful tour organizer had made for us. Did the hotel provide those beverages as well, or did someone bring along wine? Can't remember. I do remember two girls lugging a big ol' desk down the hallway in their nighties though -- one of the highlights of the trip! Hey, when it comes to playing Shanghai, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

We spent a couple of days there, and then it was time to load up into a motorcoach and head for the W. Sumatran Highlands, where we'd heard that each village has it's own specialty or craft, and that time-honored techniques and secrets of the trade have been passed down from one generation to the next.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME

Dearest Friends,

There had been lots of opportunities for travel since we had arrived in Indonesia. Groups of women were always going somewhere -- especially those who were there without children and didn't have much to do. Mostly I had declined their invitations, thinking my kids were too young to be left, we needed to save our money, there'd be plenty of time for that later, etc. However, as I slowly came to realize that this might well be our last year in Sumatra, a sense of panic set in. There was so much I still hadn't seen or done! What if I never got the chance to visit this part of the world again? It was right around then that one of my friends (I think it was Carol) announced that she was organizing a ladies' trip to West Sumatra. Traveling to such remote places without my hubby involved stepping waaaaay outside my comfort zone, but hey, it was now, or never. I took the leap. Oh my, my, am I ever so glad I did.

The Rumah Gadang, or big house, wit pointed roof tips resembling water buffalo horns.

West Sumatra is home to the Minangkabau people, a matrilineal culture where property and land passes down from mother to daughter. Men don't have much say in village activities, concerning themselves mostly with religious and political affairs. Padang, the capital and largest city of W. Sumatra province, was to be our first destination. It is a common transit point for surfers traveling to nearby islands, and for tourists, such as ourselves, headed for the W. Sumatran Highlands, including Bukittinggi (High Hill) and Lake Maninjau. I knew next to nothing about any of the places we were headed, but one thing I knew for sure -- I was headed for a grand adventure!

A DINO-RIFIC WELCOME HOME

Image from blol.me

Dearest Friends,

Have you ever heard of the book Dinotopia? Someone gifted my kids with a copy (Aunt Poo?) while we lived in Indonesia. Not only was it a great story, it had some of the most gorgeous illustrations I have ever seen! The kids spent hours pouring over it, and making drawings inspired by it.

Well, my hubby, as you know, is a great lover of gifting and surprising. Completely unbeknownst to us, he had contacted the fellow who painted all of our yard decorations, and the backdrops for the Halloween carnivals, as soon as he got back to Indonesia. He showed him the book, and as a result, each kid had something like this waiting for them, upon their return:

Dad really knocked their socks off that time -- and mine too! Too bad I can't find a picture of the one that was painted on Austin's wall -- a different scene, but just as awesome -- and ever so sad that they probably both got painted over, when we had to leave such a short time later.

LAKE TOBA

We just happened to arrive in Lake Toba on market day, which I thought was extremely fortunate. I'm not sure my sister agreed with me. I think the sights and smells were a bit much for her (that durian will get you every time). Even I, an hold pro by that time, was a bit disturbed by the stall where they were tossing live chickens into something akin to the spin cycle of an old washing machine, in order to kill and de-feather them in one fell swoop. Somewhat ingenious though, no? 

(click photos to enlarge)

The market area, seen from a distance.

Traditional Batak houses, with their peaked roofs.

Our hotel.

Hiking up to the ruins.

Hearing about the "good ol' days", when they still boiled intruders like us for dinner!

YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEGINNING TO ADJUST WHEN...

7th April, 1993

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry it's been so long since my last letter, but I was just way too busy having fun, with visiting sister Kathy, to stop and sit at the computer! We really had a blast, but I guess you could say her agenda ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. We started off by picking her up in Singapore and going straight to Penang. We stayed at the same place we went to last year -- the one with all sorts of organized activities for the kids, the great rock slide into the pool, massages on the beach, little flags to raise when you wanted another drink, etc. (you get the picture!) Then we took her to Lake Toba back in Sumatra. Carolyn is the only one who can fully appreciate what you have to go through to get there, for she has now "experienced" travel in Indonesia!

Sister Kathy, a.k.a. Gus

First we had a one hour flight back to Medan -- not too bad, although you might not recognize any of the foods they serve on board. The Medan airport itself is the real adventure. No air-conditioning, lots of clove-scented smoke, millions of little porters in yellow jumpsuits who scramble for your bags, whether you want them to or not, and then head off in ten different directions, etc. Then there are the mobs of people, none of whom believe in queuing up for anything! Assertiveness goes first so, of course, we are always last.

We were met there by a very nice driver with a van who, unfortunately, spoke not one word of English.  (sad to say, our Indonesian isn't so hot either) He took us to lunch at Pizza Hut, and to the grocery store to stock up on "survival food." Then we embarked on the four hour trip up to Lake Toba, and this is where words fail me. All I can say is, thank heaven I had on my motion sickness patch, and was able to sit in back with my eyes closed the entire trip. I thought I had developed nerves of steel with regards to the local driving habits, but this was a true test! It was worth it though (easier to say, now that I've come out alive) for the lake truly is amazing. The island in the middle of it is larger than Singapore (so imagine the size of the lake itself!) and was originally the home of the Batak tribe, who were cannibals (we got to see some of their ancient stone tables, chairs and execution blocks) and they managed to withstand the influence of the Moslems by isolating themselves on the island and eating any strangers who ventured in. At least one intrepid missionary must have managed to infiltrate the island without being eaten, for now they are all Christians. They really love music and singing, and you see "Batak Singers" listed as entertainment at clubs all over Asia.  We stayed in some really neat cottages that resembled Batak houses, with roofs that are pointed on each end -- no A.C., but you don't really need it since it's nice and cool up in the mountains. Oh yeah, did I mention that this lake was formed in an ancient volcano crater?

After spending a few days here, we had to do the whole tedious trip in reverse. Unfortunately, I had used up my last patch, so I was green most of the trip. We were convinced of our driver's excellence when he managed to find us a little minit mart type place to stop at on the way home that actually had a clean bathroom. No, the toilet was not western style, but at that point, we really didn't care. Hey! That reminds me! A friend in Jakarta found this in her book on culture shock:

You know you are beginning to adjust to Indonesia when...

• you spend the night on the toilet, and don't bother mentioning it the next morning
• you sleep through the 4:30 A.M. call to prayer from the mosque's loudspeaker
• you don't flinch when faced with squatting over an Asian-style toilet
• you are positive cars in American movies are driving on the wrong side of the road
• you go on home leave, and try to bargain in the department store

I guess you could say we are very well-adjusted now!

Poor Kathy thought she was going to end her vacation by spending the week here at our house being waited on by our staff, lounging around the pool, and having facials and manicures at the salon. Unfortunately, she arrived right at the end of Ramadan (I swear I didn't know this when Bud bought her ticket last summer), which meant the help was on vacation the whole week, and the salon was closed. She's convinced I planned it that way so that I would have her help doing all those dishes by hand, and having to hang laundry out on the clothesline, since the dryer quit working the day she arrived! We still managed to have lots of fun and sun, then had a great couple of days in Singapore (hey Gus, remember eating Boober Cha Cha for tea at the Raffles, and almost wetting our pants, we got to giggling so hard?) before she had to head home. All in all, this has been a fantastic year for me, but next year will be rough. We are fairly certain we won't be having any more visitors from home, and the longer we are here, the more homesick we get. Also, the older Alexis gets, the harder it will be on her at school, since there will be less and less kids near her age.

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for John's play. He's done nothing but moan and groan about it from day one, so I was really shocked when I finally saw a rehearsal and discovered that he was great! The director says he is the most improved of all the cast members. His only problem is that he has trouble keeping a straight face when he says something funny, but I think the audience will love it all the more if he actually loses it during a performance! He swears he will never do this again, but maybe it will be like having babies, and he will forget about the agony after a while.

Not much else to tell, except to update you on our plans for the summer. Looks like we will be arriving in Cincinnati around 6:00am Sat., May 22, then in Dallas Sat., May 29, around 10:00 am. John will probably drive on out to Odessa the next day, but the kids and I will wait and fly out a week later. Luckily, we will be there to keep George company so that Theda can fly up to see Megan graduate from high school June 10th. Around June 28th we plan to head for the hills! (Texas Hill Country, that is) We hope to stop in and see the Reeh's ranch in Doss, meet up with the Sanfords in Fredericksburg, maybe take in Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, and finally end up by dropping Alexis off at camp in San Marcos on July 4th. We've discovered what appears to be a great one at Southwest Texas State University's Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center. It's called Aquatic Studies Summer Camp, and they combine learning about pond, river and aquifer life with doing fun things every afternoon like tubing, rafting, and going to Schlitterbahn, Aquarena Springs, Seaworld and Natural Bridge Caverns. She's really excited, and it looks like her friends Lizzie and Jennifer Newsome will be going too (same one she went to Scout camp with last year).

Anyway, as soon as we drop her off we will head up to Dallas, since John has to fly out late on July 8th. Then I will have to turn around and go back to get Alexis the next weekend. Anyone care to go along for the ride?  It looks like July 16th will be the best weekend for our family trip to New Orleans, to celebrate Mom and Dad's 50th anniversary. May 1st is the actual day, but they are sneaking away on a cruise by themselves, and waiting until we get home this summer for the family celebration.

That covers just about everything, except for a 3 or 4 week orgy of malls, movies and restaurants, before the kids and I head back home around August 11th. Y'all take care, and let me know if anyone hears of any great activities for Mr. Austin to participate in this summer. We can't wait to see you all, and are counting the days until we head in that direction -- 43 to be exact!

P.S. I've got lots of pictures I'll be posting over the next few days. In fact, we took so many on these trips that I will have to sort through them first, and just pick out the best of the best!

LETTERS HOME: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO KATHY

Thursday, 4th March, 1993

Hi Gang,

Well, we are all counting the days, if not minutes, until next Friday when Spring Break begins, and we leave for Singapore to go get Kathy. Things seem to have gotten really hectic around here lately, and everyone is ready for a break. John is caught up in play rehearsals and school board meetings, and I've been busy with the scouts and with trying to get costumes for the play squared away before everyone leaves on holiday. We thought John would have one of the easiest costumes because the script just called for him to wear a trenchcoat, but then Julie saw an old Dracula movie where they were all dressed in period costumes. Now we are having to come up with a three piece suit with a long, Wyatt-Earp-style jacket, in green. It's worth it, I suppose, just to have this opportunity to see him on a stage. Can't wait!

The kids seem to be inundated with after-school activities right now. Alexis has mandatory sports activities after school two days a week (right now it's bicycling) and they have family sports night once a week, where she is playing water polo. Also, she has scouts and computer club every week. Austin has Cub Scouts, Newcomb (like volleyball) and soccer, which is great fun, but probably not any kind of preparation for what kids in the states are doing, since we have to clump everyone from 3 yrs. on up together. On top of all this, we found out that there is a tennis instructor available for free, so the kids both wanted to go to tennis lessons each Friday. I hope Austin keeps his interest up in that, because that is something he could play anywhere we moved. He may not always hit the ball, but when he does, he whacks the living daylights out of it! Now if only the kids had a little free time. I think maybe the school has gone a bit overboard, for fear the kids don't have enough to do here. The good news is that I trade off with Peggy Reeh each month, as Sunday School teacher for the 4 and 5 years olds, and I just started my month off. YABBA-DABBA-DOO!!!

In addition to just being too busy, this is also the "BAD" time of year. The closer you get to Home Leave, the more frayed everyone's nerves get. I thought this wasn't supposed to happen until late April, but there are several feuds going on already (no, none involving me!). The kids are all really sad because the Freels family is leaving. Their two daughters are Alexis' best friends and make up half of her class and half of my scout troop, and their son is one of Austin's buddies. Also, one other family and one bachelor have left this month, so we're all breaking our necks trying to do farewell parties, etc. So far there is no news of any replacement families coming, and that makes us all nervous as well, since the school seems to be dwindling away before our eyes!

Of course, add to all this the fact that it's Ramadan, and you will understand why everyone feels a bit frazzled. This is the month when all the Moslems must fast from sunup until sundown -- not even a sip of water is allowed. (It makes them more empathetic to the poor and starving, which is why, unlike we Americans, they always have pockets full of change --year round, not just at Ramadan -- and would never even think about ignoring someone with their hand out!) They stay up most of the night eating and visiting, so they are absolutely exhausted during the day. Also, the loudspeakers on the mosques go off around 3:30 each morning, to remind them that it's their last chance to eat before sunrise, so there are a few tired expats as well. I don't like to eat or drink in front of our help while they are fasting, so I have to hide in the bathroom if I want a soda or something! Needless to say, we can hardly wait for Kathy to arrive and to head out for Penang.

Guess that's about all for now. Take care, and we will see you all before you know it!

PHUKET

Dearest Friends,

Up to this point, we had only taken the kids to Singapore and Penang -- both places were we never strayed too far from our hotel or resort, and where we seemed mostly to be surrounded by other expats. During the fall school break of our second year, however, we decided to be a little more adventurous. We took the kids to Thailand! Our destination was Phuket (no, that's not an F sound, it's poo-ket').

Of course, we were still in a nice hotel filled with tourists (we had to ease them into the real world gradually) but Thailand as a whole was much more, well, raw, than anywhere else we had ever been. The poverty was less hidden, the disparity between cultures more obvious, and the people weren't nearly as happy and easy-going as the Indonesians -- or maybe they just weren't nearly as adept at hiding their dislike of all these foreign intruders.

On the other hand, there was magnificent beauty to behold, and so much history to be absorbed. I'll share a bit of that with you tomorrow, along with a funny story that somehow made it into the newspaper here in the states, when we head over to Phi Phi Island (again, not an F sound).