Salamat Natal- Merry Christmas!
It is just so weird to think of today as Christmas day. I have never before celebrated in shorts and a t-shirt, eating a seafood lunch under a thatched-roof pergola overlooking the ocean. The turkey and mashed potatoes were replaced with shrimp and grilled fish, and the traditional "faspa" dinner was replaced with sate ayam (chicken satay), and homemade lychee ice cream. I also went out on a whim and tried the stomach lining and heart of goat, which was a one-time experience (though not so much because of the taste as because of the concept.) I found out that these parts of the animal (the parts we throw away in North America) are the most expensive treats. I wonder if there's a market in exporting animal innards?
The last week has gone by in the blink of an eye, with two trips to Salatiga (one of them a two-day endeavor), an overnight with the YALTers, the safe and healthy arrival of my mom and sister, Christmas practices, and little jaunts here, there, and everywhere, thanks to my incredible host family.
Monday was our first trip to Salatiga, and Dad LOVED it. Laura joined us for the day, which was just awesome, and Major and Karen took us out for lunch to Cosmo Cafe, where we often went during language study. We tried to wait out the torrents of rain that had begun while we were eating, but ended up having to catch a bus in the downpour, which left us soaking wet, but substantially cooler! It was Dad's first time taking the bus and angkota, and I think he found it pretty interesting. We had to cross the really busy street near my house in order to get home, and Dad said that when he crosses the streets here, he feels like he's in a game of Pacman, darting around between the vehicles. I'm impressed at his level of trust in me!
On Tuesday, Dad and I went shopping to Hypermart for ingredients to cook with on Wednesday. Tuesday night was the Women's Committee Christmas Program, where we played angklong. I won't even try to sugarcoat it- it just plain did not go well. We were thrown off by the beat and some people thought we were starting and others did not, and the poor guy who has been teaching us was standing in the balcony, frantically motioning the "cut!" sign, but without luck until halfway through the "song" (if one could call it that), since people did not realize that he was up there. Round two was slightly more successful, but our second performance (which was supposed to happen tonight) was cut from the Christmas Day program for one reason or another... It was all worth it though, because we were fed an incredible dinner of sate ayam and lontong, served in a banana leaf, as well as a drink with coconut and jelly in it. It was delicious!
On Wednesday afternoon, Lweendo, Riki, and Jason arrived from the Jepara/Kudus area. We had planned for them and Laura (who arrived later, around 10PM) to spend the night, and then all of us were driven to Salatiga on Thursday morning for the MCC Christmas party. We put the ingredients that Dad and I had bought, to good use that night, and made penne with chicken and peppers, and garlic bread. We even bought real parmesan cheese! The meal was SO much fun to prepare, with everyone- even my host mom- pitching in to help make it, and the result was (in my opinion) well worth the cost and time that went into making the food. Laura arrived later, and we stayed up until almost 2AM talking. It was an absolutely phenomenal night.
We headed off to Salatiga around 9 on Thursday morning, and were there by 10:30. We spent an AWESOME day together, decorating cookies, eating, and just hanging out with the MCC crew. By dinner time, there were 37 of us together, and we ate incredible homemade lasagna and bread, veggies, salads, sushi, cookies, fudge, and homemade cinnamon buns with maple frosting. It felt as close as possible to a family Christmas gathering, complete with a (very competitive) gift exchange, in which Dad was stolen from three times! I wound up with soap from Sacred Mark, which is an MCC-sponsored project in Bangladesh that provides an alternative employment opportunity for women who were formerly involved in prostitution. I was very happy with my gift. We spent the night at Karen and Major's, and then headed home in the late morning, arriving back here around 2:00. Riki and Laura left from my house around then, and Dad and I cleaned up and got ready for... MOM AND AUSTIN!!!
We were at the airport by 5:40 on Friday night, and they arrived at 6:20. It was so awesome to see them here, safe and sound and equally as jet-lagged as my dad had been upon arrival. We did a replay of the night dad arrived, stopping for supper at one of my favourite places (even sitting at the same table!) and then heading home to unpack. The unpacking experience may have been the highlight of my family's visit here so far (sorry, fam!)- it was as though they packed up a piece of Canada, and stuffed it into their suitcase for me. I wound up with snack foods to last me until after I return home, all of the books I asked for, a loaf of homemade brown bread, a block of cheddar cheese (that stuff is almost like gold here), every kind of chocolate under the Canadian sun, Christmas gifts from friends and family, souvenirs, and- this may be the best part- 14 boxes of Kraft Dinner!! I don't know how they did it, but somehow all of it managed to make it here. I think I truly was the happiest person in the world that night (and I continue to be!).
Saturday began with a practice for the service that night (I was to sing a solo, and then my whole family would be singing Silent Night). The practice was followed by a trip to the Mosque, where Dad and I had gone last week. I cannot remember if I blogged about this, but the Mosque is the biggest in Semarang, and I cannot explain accurately the magnitude of this place. I think the most amazing part to me is the 6 GIANT umbrellas (they look like mammoth columns) that open up like a flower to provide shade and shelter from the rain, to people who worship outside the mosque. There is also a huge look-out tower that provides an incredible view of the Mosque below, as well as right across Semarang. It is really cool to get a birds-eye view of the city I am living in (it's PACKED), and the mountains and the sea. I enjoyed it as much the second time as I did the first time. We stopped by Ichthus FM after that, so that mom and Austin could see where I co-host the radio show. Then we came home for lunch before heading out on another endeavor to the mall, where we found some beautiful batik products. In the evening, we headed to church for the Christmas eve service. It was beautiful, with everyone holding candles (real ones, not those electronic ones), and with a very calm and peaceful air about the church. The solo (Oh Holy Night) and Silent Night went well, and we experienced the wonder of a homemade "snow" machine that doused us in little styrofoam balls as we sang. We were treated out to a delicious supper in celebration of both Christmas and my host parents' 22nd wedding anniversary, which was a beautiful end to the day.
We awoke this morning around 8:30 and did a small family gift exchange while munching on grandma's homemade cookies. We got ready leisurely and then ate a late breakfast that was laid out by my host mom, and included mango, my favourite fruit in the world! We chatted for a long time after breakfast, and then ended up with only a short amount of time between our late breakfast and lunch, which we enjoyed at a beautiful place about half an hour away from my house here. We spent the late afternoon getting ready for the 5PM Christmas celebration service- and a celebration it was! The costumes and dance routines (particularly the choreographed break-dance to Justin Bieber) and singing were jaw-dropping. I found that the service FLEW by, and it blew any Christmas spectacle I've ever seen, right out of the water! We ended Christmas day with dinner at the church, and then came home exhausted.
Tomorrow we head to Salatiga for the day, and then on to Jogjakarta. I am sure that it will be a nice break for everyone, and a great time to just relax!
Thank-you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers. Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas, and a wonderful Holiday!
Lots of love,
Ellery
No comments:
Post a Comment