The Pros and Cons of My Father's Visit

Hellooo there, my lovely friends and family!

So turns out having my dad here isn't all sunshine and roses. It's close, let me assure you- having someone who speaks my language, who allows me the opportunity to show off my new language capabilities, and whose fresh excitement renews my own passion for what I am doing here, is the biggest blessing I could receive right now. However, there is a trade-off... My dad has always dressed and acted young for his age (keeping up with music, movies, etc. etc.), and I am now realizing (from the astounding number of people who have, upon seeing Dad, remarked, "oh! Masih mudah!"-"Still young!") just how youthful he still looks. So youthful, in fact, that during dad's church presentation today (we're stretching ALL of dad's comfort zones here- public speaking is NOT his thing), when he mentioned that he was Ellery's father, there was an audible "ohhhh" that echoed throughout the church. Then a little old lady behind me leaned over and said, "I thought he was your husband." Nice. Well, it probably goes without saying that Dad cannot stop talking about how wonderful the people here are. I'm looking forward to my mom's arrival with a new found anticipation. Perhaps once they see my (also very young-looking and current) mother, they'll see that that match looks much more appropriate.

Well, the days have been jam-PACKED with one awesome and exciting activity after another. They've gone slow, and yet flown by all at the same time. One awesome bonus of having my dad here is that I get all the special treatment of a guest, without feeling like a guest! We've done some things that I haven't yet had the opportunity to do, and the excitement that my dad has for everything, is so contagious! I'll start back where I left off, on Thursday.

Dad got his first opportunity to speak on the radio on Thursday, and took over "Relaxing Afternoon" with my co-host, Chris. He was SO nervous at first, but relaxed after he realized that it's pretty easy and there's no one looking at you (and, unlike my first time on-air, he was not forced to do some impromptu karaoke whilst playing a keyboard). Chris and him had a great conversation, and I think it was a nice chance for Dad to get to truly communicate with a local- I'm being reminded of the immense challenge that the first two and a half months here were, in trying to communicate and not having the vocabulary to do so.

From Ichthus FM, we went to Sedung Guwo, the rural location of PPA. We played games, and the leaders bought us each mango juice, and we enjoyed some food that the mothers there cooked for the kids. I didn't realize how much the people there truly care about me until I saw how they were treating my dad. I get the same treatment all the time, but have been blind to the incredible generosity and love that they pour out on me. It's Christmas break now, but after the break, I think I'm going to go back with a fresh attitude, and a new perspective on a lot of things here, especially PPA.

On Thursday evening, I had my angklong lesson ("Angels We Have Heard On High" hasn't taken off as rapidly as we had originally hoped, and practices have become more frequent and more lengthy), and following that, my host parents took us out for a beautiful dinner. We ate sitting on the ground, and were joined by a stray cat, who kindly ate the chicken head that had arrived at our table (they serve the WHOLE chicken here) so that it wouldn't go to was. We headed to bed after the movie was done, exhausted from a busy day.

Friday was the only opportunity we've had so far to sleep in, and Dad knocked on my door to wake me up at around 8:45. We got ready for the day at a leisurely pace, and then set out just before 10 on our first independent adventure to (wait for it!) the Java Mall!! For once though, we took the time to take a bunch of pictures on our walk to the corner, and back from the mall. I now have photo documentation of the things that I see every day! It is funny how ordinary things have become. Us human beings have an amazing ability to adapt to new situations and circumstances at relatively rapid speeds (though it doesn't feel so rapid when you're in the midst of it), and one downside to that is that we lose the sense of awe that we may have originally felt. Our sense of appreciation for the small things in life is dulled with time. I am really trying to see this whole experience through fresh eyes again, and gain that sense of awe and excitement back- that's how life should be, right?

Our Java Mall adventure included a long tour through Hypermart, which is the Indonesian version of Walmart. It was my first time just wandering through slowly, and it was SO interesting to wander through the food section in particular, and see just how many unique and unheard of products there were to be found. We also found things like McCain potato wedges (made in New Brunswick) and Royal Gala apples (imported from California), which added to the fun of it!

We were back from the mall in time for a short break before heading back to Sedung Guwo for PPA again. Friday was handicrafts day, and I made a stocking (sewed it together and stuffed it and everything!) while my dad visited with some people there, and ate purple cassava chips. It was one of the most laid-back and fun PPA days yet! After PPA, there was a cell group Christmas celebration at someone's home in the same area. My host family, my dad, and I all headed out there to sing songs and listen to a sermon. The cool thing about cell groups is that they invite Muslim neighbours to join in their meetings, which is a really awesome way to build bridges and relationships with those of another religion. The location was pretty unique (halfway through the service, there was a loud screeching noise, and then two enormous rats jumped out of the gutter), but it was just such a humbling and beautiful evening. We enjoyed dinner with the pastor and his wife after the service, and then headed home to bed.

On Saturday morning, Dad and I headed back to the TK because we were told that the parents wanted to wish us a Merry Christmas. It turned out that they had bought us a gift- both my dad and I received Batik shirts from TK-B and playgroup! They are BEAUTIFUL, and dad's fits absolutely perfectly, so he wore it to church today.

After our drop-in at the TK (the last one for the holidays- I found myself feeling a bit sad!), Ibu Linda and Pak Heri picked us up to go to the traditional market. IT. WAS. AWESOME. I had NO idea that such a cool place existed in Semarang. The market is filled with EVERYTHING- meat, vegetables, fruit, local snacks, clothing, glasses, kitchen supplies, art, wholesale products, shoes, bags... and the place was not even crowded with people! We wandered around for quite some time, and I bet that we still didn't see half of it. Ibu Linda bought us some snacks and some mangoes. I got called beautiful by more people than ever before (which almost makes up for the minor confusion at church this morning...), and took pictures with so many people! I hope to go back many times before the end of the year. What a cool experience! After the market, Pak Heri and Ibu Linda took us out for Mie Titee, which is a type of sweet garlic soup with noodles and pork. It was absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed it at a warung that is in a pretty quiet and tree-filled part of the city, near the ocean. They took us home after that, and gave my dad a shirt as a parting gift, which was an incredibly kind gesture.

We spent the afternoon taking a much-needed break (it has been non-stop since dad got here), and then headed to youth for the Christmas service. We all sat on mats in the sanctuary, and listened to the service and sang songs by candlelight, which was a really beautiful experience. We were asked to say something, and I wish I could have more adequately expressed my gratitude to the people at church for the inclusiveness, patience, and love that they have expressed to me since my arrival. My dad did a much better job at that than I did. There was nasi goreng and soto to be had after the service, so we ate that before heading home. At home, an inevitable experience finally happened- Dad tried durian. We got the cameras out, and counted to three, and watched his reaction. It is safe to say that he does NOT like durian. I also got roped into trying it again (I was assured that this one was more delicious than the last one, but found this to be a complete lie). The pastor of my church said that it's the fruit that smells like hell but tastes like heaven. I'd argue that there's nothing heavenly about it at all, and would revise that saying to state that the durian fruit both smells AND tastes like hell. But that's just my opinion- many people here LOVE it!

Dad took a break in the evening, and I headed to the mall with my host mom and host sister for the midnight sale! We just window-shopped, but it was really fun! I got interviewed by some girls from the university there, and they took my picture. I wonder if I'll ever see where that ends up!

This morning was church, where Dad stood up and introduced himself. I won't go over the traumatic details of that experience again. We stuck around after church for a snack (jelly and coconut milk- it has a special name, but I forget it), and then came home to get ready for my FIRST trip to a real beach!!

We all headed out to Jepara, which is a city about 2 hours away, close to where Lweendo and Riki are living this year. The beach was CRAZY busy, and we spent the time there just taking some pictures (locals wanted to get pictures with us too) and looking around in a relatively quiet area. From there, we headed to a warung that had been recommended to Pak Har and Ibu Vonny by several people. It was RIGHT on the ocean, and the seafood that the warung served is caught fresh there every day. (In fact today, they were unable to offer shrimp because the weather hadn't been conducive to catching shrimp!) We were not let down- it may have been the most delicious food I've eaten in Indonesia. We ate three different types of grilled fish, two different types of calamari, rice, and Es Jeruk. We shared the fish with some stray cats, who seemed quite grateful for the extra bit of food.

After that incredible lunch, we headed to another beach that was more similar to the marina in Semarang in that there wasn't any sand, but there was still lots to do and see. We drank coconut milk right from the coconut, and ate fresh cut fruit from the fruit vendor. We looked around for a little while, and then headed back to Semarang. We showed dad two more of the malls here (Ibu Vonny needed to pick up some things), and got back around 10 tonight.

The plan is to head to Salatiga tomorrow and spend the morning and early afternoon with Laura, and popping by MCC. I have an angklong practice that I have to be home for in the early evening, and then who knows? This week has been SUCH an adventure for both my dad and I, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next few days hold!

Thanks for reading! Have an AWESOME day!!
Love,
Ellery