Home Sweet Home

There's no place like home, and nothing could be more true. I am now sleeping in my own bed, surrounded by all my 'stuff', and am reconnecting with my family and catching up with my friends. I love it! It has been a bit of an adjustment being home, getting used to Western living again. One good thing--I have lived on so little the last 18 months that I am now in full spring-cleaning mode. I am throwing out so much 'stuff', realizing that I don't need it all.
Friday I will go see my youngest niece play in her final basketball tournament... Next month I will go speak to another niece's class. There's also a confirmation in there to attend. Over the next week, I will go see my dad. All things I could not have done had I still been in Indonesia.
Don't get me wrong, being overseas was an experience of a lifetime, and I'm not about to give it up. But I also realize that I need some time to be at home and to get back in touch with the people who are important to me. Although I need to ask the question, does everyone's family drive them as crazy as mine sometimes does? :)

Human behaviour

I don't get human behaviour sometimes. My brother's ex is putting him through hell right now, denying him access to his 5 year son. She's accusing him of beating her, is threatening to tell the little boy about it, and in general loses it in front of Rudy quite regularly. God knows what lies she's telling him about his father. I don't care how much she may hate Paul---doesn't she realize how much she's hurting Rudy, her own son? Rudy loves his dad. They have a great time together. And now all of a sudden dad isn't there. He doesn't know why. All he knows is that dad has stopped coming around.
Paul has finally got the lawyers involved. The laws in custody disputes still favour the mother in Canada. Supposedly they are more nurturing. So Paul has an uphill battle on his hands. But the cops seem to be in his corner. And the judge seems fair. But until a ruling is handed down, it could really go either way. Something needs to happen to our laws. It's not right to just assume the mother is always the more appropriate parent for a child to live with. Each case needs to be looked at on an individual basis. Hopefully in this case, that happens.

Canadian Pride

I managed to catch part of the opening ceremony of the Olympics while at the gym today. I have to tell you, I was really gushing with pride. Even teared up a few times. What I saw, I thought was tasteful, varied, talented, and accomodating to many of the different nationalities that make up our great country. I loved seeing so many maple leafs! And KD Lang. What a voice! And in light of the horrific death of the luger from Georgia, everyone in that stadium did Canada and the Olympics proud with their respect.

It disturbs me to see people looking to find fault. I'm hearing comments that there was too much French. That English should have been spoken first, before French. Why do we have to complain? Can we not just, for once, celebrate our amazing country, and take pride that for the next couple of weeks, we get to shine in the world's spotlight?

We have so much to be thankful for in Canada. For some, maybe they should leave the country for awhile to see just how good we do have it. Then, maybe some of the frivolous whining will stop about which language should come first.

My own special Christmas

Well, I had an unexpected surprise today. I got a Christmas present! My mom had put a parcel into the post for me last November! We thought it had been confiscated, or just plain lost. But lo and behold, today, in walked the delivery man with the box tucked under his arm.
I was SO excited! You cannot imagine how it feels to be so far away from home, and then to receive this package all wrapped up in love and warm thoughts.
She clearly put a lot of thought into it. There was a penguin tree ornament (I love penguins), a key chain of a teddy bear with my name on it, a fridge magnet, cow candies from Poland (yummmm), a card, some chocolate, a tape dispenser shaped like a highheeled red shoe (don't ask), and, courtesy of my sister, Little Moo, a bag of Bran Flakes!!
Yippee!! These little bits of home go such a long way to making my time away less lonely.
I feel so loved today. And that is the best Christmas present in the world!

Holiday thoughts

What a whirlwind this holiday season has been. Hopped over to a nearby resort island for Christmas and enjoyed a fantastic turkey dinner (my first in more than 2 years!), courtesy of Freddie. Then to the city of Jogyakarta for a few days over New Year's. More on that to come. Then into the jungles of Borneo (Kalimantan) to hang out with the orangutans and the people of the local Dayak tribe (apparently they are head hunters!).

My senses were overwhelmed, visiting so many worlds so close, yet so far apart from eachother. The bright lights, noise, crowded markets and pollution of the big city, compared to the sounds of the jungle lulling us to sleep at night, fresh air, and inability to communicate with the outside world.

I will write more in the coming days. Just wanted to let you know I am still kicking!

Witness to a Slaughter

To watch or not to watch. That's the dilemma I faced on Idul Adha, a big holiday in the Muslim calendar. The wealthy are encouraged to slaughter animals and distribute the meat to the poor. I visited one neighbourhood where preparations were underway for the killing of 2 bulls, one cow, a water buffalo and 5 goats. The men were sharpening their knives. The young boys crept closer for a front row seat. I forced myself to watch. It took the strength of 12 men to bring one bull to the ground. But they treated the animals humanely and with respect, inflicting as little pain as necessary. The Imam recited a prayer before slicing the throat of each animal. The hardest parts for me were the sounds. The cow gasping for breath. One goat in particular screaming so loud he sounded like a little kid who knew what was about to happen. But I grew a little through this experience. We in the West are so insulated from the realities of food preparation. Not everything in this world comes prewrapped in tidy little celophane packaging. And these animals, although they suffered briefly, did not live worthless lives. The meat they provided is enough to feed 400 families. And that makes my witness to a slaughter, as difficult as it was, worthwhile.

Back from a disaster zone

So many memories and experiences to write about. I'm just back from spending 18 days in an earthquake disaster zone. My first big disaster. Thousands of people without homes. Thousands dead, some crushed when the buildings they were in collapsed, like pancakes on top of them. Others buried alive in landslides. I met some incredible people. Survivors like 82 year old Rosna who is all alone. Her house is destroyed. Her kids are trying to get her to Jakarta but they are poor and she doesn't want to become a burden. She cries as she tells me this. Survivors like Yuhendri who lost his wife when she ran back into the house to save their 6 month old son.

And the aid workers. Like David from Britain who for years has dashed away from his home life to help others in need. Like Kurniawan and other Indonesians from across the country who come to volunteer their time. They leave jobs, families and friends behind to help strangers they also consider family.

But it's the kids who hit me the most. Some still aren't sleeping through the night. Others aren't eating. But they are starting to laugh again. I shared many a giggle with the little ones, trying to make myself understood. It isn't much, but if I can get the kids forgetting about the hell they've been through, even for just a little while, well, in my books, I've had a pretty good day.