Friday June 5th, 2009 - Indonesia

Sheldon Nord (President of UPH) and Ian chatting at the dinner.

and coconut milk in the fresh coconut...yummy!

beef on a stick with spicy peanut butter sauce... nasi goreng

Jello (which is a favorite here) in all shapes and colors...

Rice and chicken in banana leaves...

After the ceremony, they put on a lovely dinner feast with all traditional foods enjoyed in this region.

Darrell's wife had to get into this beechak while he pedalled her to the front of the auditorium as they came to the celebration in their honor. It was really a sweet thing, quite fun for all, and the ceremony showed us how much they are loved and have been loved by the people they have worked with. They have helped develop an amazingly visionary system of schools which will address some of the incredible needs for education in this country. He will be sorely missed!

Willy and his adorable little brother, Anthony, sitting waiting for the farewell celebration of Darrell and Sue van Luceun, headmaster of the SPH schools, who is retiring to Bozeman, MT after 12 years of exemplary service. They will be sorely missed!

This is Benton Junction, just across the road from UPH campus. Benton...? Thought we had moved farther away than that!! Nice little restaurants and coffee shops there.

This is Matt Meyers, the coordinator of the English as a Foreign Language section and my supervisor. He and his wife Kim will be moving at the end of next month to another assignment. He's a good man and they are sad to be losing him.

This is Ellen Jacobs, one of our cohort, teaching psychology, from Salem, Oregon at Corban College. She's a real sweetheart - a widow who is traveling with her friend Lela, and lives next door to us in the apartments.

Ben. Willy and Kaslim and Ian, all enjoying a Chinese traditional lunch of dimsum - small select portions of multiple varieties of dishes. They are placed on a rotating "lazy susan" centerpiece and diners just choose ones that they fancy. It is a long and leisurely meal, washed down with cup after cup of oolong tea, and finished off with black agar jello covered with honey...very refreshing! Our chopstick use is certainly impressive! Even Kaslim commented on our proficiency!

Ben is hoping to study at OBU in the Fall 2010! He is Kaslim's nephew/Willy's cousin!

There's this sand art outside the cafeteria underneath our apartment. Every day it is redesigned! Nice little touches make life all the more fascinating and sensually satisfying!

Today's lunch at a Chinese restaurant with Kasmin Rasilim, Willy and his cousin Ben, was equally artistic!! How about the ducks carved from cucumbers!!

We have been told not to eat the garnishings as they are fertilized with nightsoil and may have some amoeba or bacteria present if not cooked.

Last night we went out to a Thai restaurant in the mall near us. The food was just delicious and beautifully prepared. This was fried chicken in banana leaves... and the carrot garnishings were a real work of art.