Names

I’m used to simple straight forward names. I’m sure this comfort was instilled in me by my parents, who after long deliberation, named my siblings Tom, Dick and Mary (in that order). Naming their 4^th Steve, seems like a wild stretch for them in comparison.

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When it came to our own kids, we kept it basic as well: Eric, Neil and Hope. While there are stories and meanings to their names (as there are with my siblings as well), short familiar names seemed best.

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Since coming to Indonesia, all the rules of naming seem different and complex:

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1. Up until recently, most Indonesians had no last name. This still holds true in some families and I have students with one name such as Devina or Evan. In fact, last year, our principal stated that often he has to verify to U.S. and Canadian universities that some kids have no last name. Some kids respond to this by choosing random last names or a middle name as a last name (Christopher Dave or Stephanie Elizabeth). While OK, I can’t figure out siblings or parents very well because everyone in the family has a different last name.

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2. Some Indonesians then go to opposite extremes and tack on 3 or 4 names for good measure resulting in names like Andreas Putra Willianto Susanto.

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3. Most Chinese Indonesians were required under the dictator Suharto to give up Chinese names, which they did outwardly (they all have Chinese family names which were and are mostly unused outside family circles). A few recently reverted back to their Chinese sur name (Wong, Ho or Tong for example)

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4. If all these layers of possibilities aren’t enough, then there are first names. Some first names are Indonesian (Tika, Etty, Enny or Henny), Italian (Giovanni), German (Hanzel) or an odd assortment (Hans Ignatius). Others have wonderfully old fashioned English names (William, Priscilla, Alice, Betty or Agnes). or English Biblical names (Grace, Lydia, Rachel, Samuel, Paul, Peter).

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All of this doesn’t apply to the Korean kids at SPH, who keep these things simple and stick with basic Korean names like Eun Jae Lee.

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Now…that’s more like it!

Off to the races

Hope and knick knacks

When most guys my age have a mid life crises, they buy a red sports car, a new bike, or get a new wardrobe (complete with trendy new beard :). A year ago, instead of all that, I dragged my family to Indonesia (and shaved off my beard). I haven’t had the guts to ask Janet whether she would have rather had me get a red Jeep Wrangler or Corvette. .

Although, I’m getting closer to asking her.

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As for me…I’d have to say I’m happy we are here.

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Year 2 here so far has been quite different. Last year, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, despite the fact that the year seemed a blur.

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While busy last year… I had lots of time to plan (I only taught Economics to Grades 11 and 12).

This year I have meetings and classes galore (I am humanities lead teacher and teaching 3 new classes). In addition, as students get to know me, they stop in my room more often to talk.

Last year, reflection was essential almost every day as we had to process all the new information about our lives (hence the blog entries).

This year we jumped right in without adjusting to new surroundings.

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Last year, Janet had a few weeks before starting work.

This year, like me, she has many more classes to teach (and in services to endure).

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Last year, kids were adjusting to new schools and new routines.

This year they seem comfortable with what is happening.

Last year, after work, we came home to an empty but clean house.

This year our house has continued to fill up with furniture, wall hangings, knick knacks and pets (hamsters, fish and a turtle currently).

This weekend (August 15,16,17) is a holiday weekend and I have a little time to process again. Feels good!

Round Two

For just over a week we have been settling in back in Indonesia. Challenges for us:

- surviving jet lag
- teaching new classes (Both Janet and I).
- finding a routine again.
- practicing good time management. At times, we feel overly busy. During some weekends and holidays, we are bored.
- dealing with mosquitos.

Ode to Alger Heights

Alger Heights was built primarily in the 1940’s with solid modest wooden frame and brick houses. It has remained on the edge of the “bad neighborhood” since the 1960’s (even though it’s not that bad). People at the time probably thought the neighborhood would slowly go down hill.—It didn’t. It didn’t even go down hill in the 1980’s and 90’s as Grand Rapids prospered beyond belief and huge new tempting houses sprouted in sterile developments on the outskirts of the city. In spite of this (or because of it), Alger Heights has avoided slipping into the conservative paranoia or snooty liberal gentrified attitudes common with many neighborhoods in America. In fact, it continues to testify to the durable middle class in the U.S. (something lacking in Indonesia), where teachers, engineers, and nurses live along side small business owners, electricians and construction workers. These folks come from many different backgrounds (though the neighborhood remains disproportionately Dutch American :).

Park across the street

New Library

2346 Blaine S.E. (notice the New Mexico state flag on the side)

Hardware store

In the middle of Alger Heights, across from a park and a school, down the street from the hardware store, CRC church, library and bus stop, sits a house that has been a small part of every different age of my life. I visited my Grand parents there from my birth until I was 14. Within a year of my Grandma Weeda’s death my sister moved in, and I baby sat my niece there while I went to Calvin in the late eighties. After my sister moved to Lansing in early 1988, I passed by it often when I drove a donation truck for the Mission Thrift Store in 1989-90 when my parents rented it to a GR policeman. Starting in the early 90’s my parents moved back into it and started fixing it up by finishing the basement, back porch, kitchen and yard. After my wedding in 1993, the wedding party crashed the back yard while we waited to go to the reception. Since then, almost every summer including this one, my family resides in the basement and attic of this special house and enjoys life this neighborhood very dear to me… 2346 Blaine SE in Alger Heights, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Tonight, after the kids decorate their bikes for the 4^th of July parade tomorrow, we will all walk down to “Sundae’s in the Heights” for ice cream.

Micro disasters

Here is a log of events of our trip to Michigan between June 13 and 16:

Janet wakes up Saturday, June 13 (our day to return to U.S.) not feeling well. Obviously, we are not going to postpone because of this. Janet takes Motrin and considers Imodium purchase.

In the Jakarta airport, Cathay Pacific will not recognize our reservation (which they have in their system!), until they get verbal confirmation from Northwest Airlines (our booking airline). We are finally processed with less than 30 minutes before boarding ends and have to hustle through Fiskal (travel tax), Immigration and other screening points to make our plane.

When we arrive in Hong Kong, a screening for Swine Flu flags Hope and Janet, both of whom have to clear an interview with a doctor. The boys and I nervously wait with no way to contact them. While loading up the taxi, our laptop falls on the ground, cracking the case.

Public transportation in Hong Kong is great and we enjoy taking taxis, ferries, trams and subways, however, each of these attempts brings a heightened level of stress around one of these events: getting to the correct location, figuring out schedules or maps, purchasing tickets, and finally ….knowing when to get off!

We stay in an incredibly nice hotel in Hong Kong. The second night there and within an hour of each other, Neil projectile vomits and Hope wets the bed. She never does this!

Just about every meal time, some one is upset because they are not getting something that they want… and this is over food like McDonalds, Subway, Pizza and Outback Steakhouse. As you can see, we are adventuresome travelers…not adventuresome eaters.

June 16 travel begins at 5AM Hong Kong time as we load up a taxi and head to the airport and it ends 38 hours later (still Tuesday) as we disembark in Grand Rapids. In the mean time we survive 4 airports (Hong Kong, Tokyo, Detroit and Grand Rapids), 3 airplanes (Airbus 330, Boeing 747, DC 9), 2 airlines (Delta and Northwest just merged), and 1 missed connection (Detroit to Grand Rapids).

In spite of all these micro disasters, we had a great time and are thankful to be in Michigan safely. Here are a few pictures from Hong Kong.

Hope on Victoria Peak overlooking Hong Kong

In the Hong Kong Subway

Neil in front of the Big Buddha

Harbor Lights of Hong Kong

Thank You

Thanks for sharing part of our year with us.

This blog was key in helping me process this huge year in our lives. I would have liked more time to piece together more complete, consistant and logical thoughts on an incredible year but unfortunately didn't have that luxury.

Blessings,

Steve on behalf of the whole Weeda family.

Graduation

Farewell Ceremony stage

Newspaper headline in North America:

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“86 graduates don cap and gown at School of Light and Hope”

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Same headline here:

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“86 students don kebaya and batik at Sekolah Pelita Harapan Farewell Ceremony”

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What’s different:

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- Achievement oriented Asians don’t call it a graduation ceremony because not everyone graduated. Certainly don’t want to give credit where credit is not due. It is called a “Farewell Ceremony”.

- As you can see from the pictures, the men all wear batik and the women wear kebayas. Read more about the beautiful kebayas at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebaya

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What’s the same:

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I heard a sermon once where the minister compared graduation receptions to heaven. While they seem hellish to many, including me (most of the time), as he explained, he made a good point. At big receptions there are all these circles of people around laughing and sharing stories. As you move around the room you enter and exit these groups of friends and family, conversing and laughing with them, maybe about old memories, maybe new ones. When you are done, you move on to new groups that welcome you in. Again there are good stories and lots of laughing. In this movement there exists great communion, something we will enjoy with the saints in heaven.

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As a new member in God’s kingdom at SPH, it was fun to move in and out of circles of friends at graduation.