The land of milk & honey

So I've got a tonne of work to do; report cards lurking around the corner; and a body suffering jet lag that doesn't know if it should be sleeping, eating or working. However, I am in desperate need of an outpouring about our latest venture - and due to it being a long time between blogs - I figure my blogging is justified!

So we have just returned from a journey through the Middle Eastern countries of Jordan and Israel. Together with 25 people, a tour guide, a bible teacher, and a tourist  police officer - we travelled, visited and contemplated the beautiful land of milk and honey, and followed the footsteps of the great Moses; the Israelites he was leading; the quirky John the Baptist; and of course, the earth-walking Jesus.

To say this experience was enjoyable would be the great understatement. It was so much more than that. It has profoundly rearranged the way I think, read and see Jesus and His human-inspired book. Discovering this lands' geography and its’ ancient artifacts acutely deepened my understanding of Jesus and His ministry. To walk in the footsteps of biblical and historical greats - & to see their culture and experience the diversity of this part of the world - was a massive spiritual encouragement.
  
So I've created a picture book for you below to lead you through some of our musings; but I wanna steal your attention a tad longer with a personal thought -

On this trip, it seemed grammatically appropriate to talk about Jesus in the past tense; and feel almost star-struck by the memorial sights that commemorated His fame and history. I'd honestly catch myself searching and wondering about the physical traces of Jesus - & whether or not His earth-ridden sandals set foot on a particular road or piece of land. But I had this prominent and consistent whisper going on in my head that reminded me that He’s not in the past nor caught in the future. He’s so very alive and well … & He was in this place .... but better than that - He walks with me everyday! You don’t needa go to no holy land to be part of Him. It was a nice lesson to take me home!

Please continue on if you you're interested to see some of our captures and related text.

 

Mt Nebo is the place where Moses ascended to look into the
Promised Land. You can see why it was called the land
of 'milk and honey'. The lush, green Jordan Valley
(top left corner ) is surrounded by the arid plains of Moab.

Petra has to be seen to be believed.
It is an ancient city that grew to the height
of it's power during the first century
thanks to it's place on ancient trade routes.
Paul came through here many times
both before his ministry years
and also during his ministry years.

Sitting outside John the Baptists 'prison cave'
learning about his ministry and
Herod's evil deeds. 

Sitting on the Mount of Olives, looking across at the
Old City of Jerusalem. Down the base of this hill
is the Garden of Gethsemane in the Kidron Valley.
Up the top of this hill (the direction that Nath is looking)
and over the crest is Bethany where Jesus would
stay when he visited the Old City.
It was home to Lazarus, Mary and Martha.



The western wall was a hive of activity.
Orthodox Jews were fervently reciting
the Torah as it was the week leading
up to the Passover Festival.

Orthodox Jews flooded into the city
for the Passover week.  

This is the pool of Bethesda where Jesus
healed the sick man in John 5.

A reenactment of how they think
Jesus spent His time working in Nazareth.
(in all truth He was probably more a stone mason than
carpenter but that is for another time)

Nazareths' country side - full of mustard
(yellow flowers) and olive trees.

Note that Port Power supporters are not
welcome in the town of Capernaum.
However, Jesus based himself there during
His ministry years. His best mate Peter
also has a house there.

This is the site of the Capernaum Synagogue.
No doubt Jesus spent many a day
teaching on this site.

Looking towards the Sea of Galilee down the
face of the Mt of Beatitudes.

Floating on the Sea of Galilee, looking back to the
shore line that Jesus first found the disciples.
Thinking about the many stories of what happened
on or around this area.

Hey, I'm impressed if you got to this point. Thanks for caring :)

Nomes

Assembly time!

I wasn't going to blog about this particular event due to lack of photographic evidence; but when I got sent some copies of this proud-punching moment, I just couldn't refuse. WARNING: The content and images you are about to witness are all school-related, so if this bores you ... look away now!

The panic, stress, organisation and logistical process leading up to this event was enormous. My new teachers' brain was completely over-awed at the thought of orchestrating twenty-four 8 year olds to learn lines; remember cues; speak clearly into a microphone (& not drop it); and put on a performance in front of their fellow elementary school goers .... ALL ... on my own (might I add). There was plenty of hair-raising, jaw-dropping and sleepless moments leading up to this time; however, like always in my life, the good ol' 'stress less' lesson reoccured; & as the big guy so graciously teaches me - 'It all worked out in the end'.

Still, I started this process pretty early and forced practise on my sweet grade twoers for an hour a day from Christmas break to Feb 8. But it was on this delightful day, that these little guys rock and rolled the stage so bright! All twenty four of em' totally blew me away with their clear speaking and expressive performing. Although just a snapshot, here is a picture of the much anticipated, much talked about (sorry fam) Grade Two assembly - entitled 'Health and Safety'.

I'd like to end and say a decent thank you to my sweet mother in law Lea (and of course you too Neil); my precious mother and father; and my loving sisters from Oz who sent me endless messages of encouragement and gracious words of prayer. You guys are great and def worth this mention!

xo

Happy Jak'Aussie day!

Last weekend, we managed to light up the Aussie day spirit here in Jakka's. Minus the beaches, beers and bikinis, we celebrated Australia with snags and flags; and proudly represented the land down under!

We devoured lamingtons;

 enjoyed good hearty meat;

and got all patriotic with Aussie hats, capes and arm warmers.

It was a sweet and meaty time of good food and solid friends; and we are very thankful to these fun American folk who ignited their patriotic spirit in selfless reverence to our homeland.



Happy post Australia day to those we know and love!

Nomes xo

  

The talented Mr. E!

So we're back into it again, after a refreshing break in Oz. We managed to leave the 40+ degree weather behind us .... & step into the biggest floods Jakarta has experienced in living memory (but that's a significant story for another day).

So I want to introduce you to someone. He comes to you in picture form. He is a beautiful soul that brings a tear to my eye & a smile to my dial. He lives his work day in a cube-like room mostly full of paper & photocopy machines; but from this room, he has managed to impact many a person, myself included. This man has faithfully served at our school consistently and with excellence for the past 14+ years. He works for all the teachers, both senior school and junior, & has perrrrr-fected his craft! The man laminates, cuts, copies, colours, creates - he basically does anything you so ask - & he does it in a blink of the eye & with delicate precision.

I am writing about this man to honour his attitude, his faithfulness, his patience, his generosity, & his silent but humble work ethic. He's not out to impress or win employee of the year; nor to seek promotion or human appraisal. This mans' reverential nature is an inspiration to me; & I am enormously thankful for him, & his time-saving assistance. To the children, he's known as the 'photocopy man'; to the staff, he's known as 'Pak Enda'. To me, he's known as a precious gift. So to my God for this man, I say thank you!

xo

Happy 2013

Excuse me for a little bit of silence on this blog. We have been understandably preoccupied. Amongst the cherry picking, donkey guiding, barbecuing and beach dwelling – we have been sucking up some precious moments with our family and friends - all in the cute town of Radelaide.

It was never in our plans to come back this Christmas. It was meant to be our largest time away from home. All close to us understanding this fact were expectantly shocked when we told no one that we were coming .... and just turned up on a doorstep looking for a place to stay (sounds very Christmassy don’t you think?!). Of course, we were kindly greeted with tears, hugs and love - & I think it is one of those times that we will all fondly remember.

So it’s been a gorgeous time here so far. We’ve enjoyed eating, relating and relaxing. We feel particularly blessed by people’s kindness; generosity; and various forms of interest in wanting to know about our new life and living abroad. I’ve been surprisingly okay about being back home knowing that this is not really my home anymore. I think I thought all too deeply about the ramifications of this visit and how my brainbox would react and respond to a new life away from my old life. However, it’s been surprisingly AOK; and I‘ve happily enjoyed the crisp of my favourite light and tangy chip without the feeling that when I go home, I’m missing out ;) 

We feel we’re still only in the early days of living abroad. My unique and complex mind is still rushing here and there trying to adapt to what’s different and what’s changed. However, it’s been good to come back here to reassess why we’re doing what we’re doing! Yes there are no light and tangy chips where we are now; nor is there the comfort of whipping from one side of the city to the other in a quick and orderly fashion. But I’m coming to realise that it’s these simple differences that we are learning to embrace; not because it is any easier or more enjoyable; but because it opens my mind and broadens my perspective; and kinda makes me think that I’m little bit more in touch with God who sees all of this. 

So, in a week, we leave this cute little holiday of delightfulness, and return back to our newly found lives. For me, it’s been a beautiful time of just being with people.  I’d like to end and say this – We are truly grateful for our family and friends. Thank you for your love, time and gifts. Our hope for everyone is that 2013 is good year; and we would like to say thanks to those who have supported us up until now, through simply talking, listening and good old’ blog viewing.
A very Happy New Year to you all from us Berry’s abroad!

Nomes xo

Food Glorious Food

Hi all!

It’s spicy and sweet, sour and salty and it is as diverse as the eclectic archipelago that we now call home. Indonesian food is a mixed bag based mostly around the staple carbohydrate of Nasi (Rice). We enjoy driving past the terraced rice fields that surround our satellite city and we admire the hard working farmers, who are out in force growing this little white tasty treat. The wet season is upon us and this means afternoon monsoonal rains heralded by booming thunder and flashes of blinding light. 

 

 Indonesian people eat rice for every meal. In the same way that we in Australia eat bread all day, e.g. toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and possibly garlic bread or the like for dinner; Indonesians will eat plain rice and a fried egg for breakfast, rice with side for lunch and the same for dinner.

 

I was told a statistic by an Indonesian colleague who explained that the average Indonesian will spend the largest proportion of their weekly earnings on rice followed closely by cigarettes. (Note that a packet of gaspers will only set you back about $1.30 AUD) The third biggest drain on finances is then education. So it’s Cigees over education......make of that what you will.

Anyway.....back to food. Indonesia is one of the Asian power house economies and is growing rapidly thanks to natural resources such as gas, oil and an endless supply of cheap labour. This means that the capital Jakarta is a modern mega city that makes my hometown look like a cute coastal village. This burgeoning economy brings with it, all the modern conveniences of food from around the world. In other words, any and every cuisine is available here in one of the many opulent themed restaurants. Talking about such places is boring because our Australian readers know these all too well........

Our truly exciting food experiences come from eating local food, made by local people. This is where this blog gets a little more interesting. So the famed ‘Emperor Nasi Goreng’ advertisement comes to mind on regular occasions. Everything is served with ‘Nasi’ or to a lesser extent ‘Mie’ (noodles). So a quick cheap bite is ‘nasi goreng’ or ‘mie goreng’, fried rice or fried noodles. Add to this some vegetables and a meat based spicy concoction and you have a whole genre of Indonesian food. Notice my school lunches below. This tasty fair sets me back $1.20 AUD and is the reason I love lunch time at school.

 

An assortment of school lunches. They are cooked fresh tasty.

  

 

The interesting difference here is that this food represents a proper meal. Indonesian people prioritise a hearty lunch and may go a little easier at dinner time. This is, of course, the way it’s supposed to be and is probably why they don’t experience the same obesity epidemic that inflicts our extravagant western society.
 

So I tend to eat muesli and pot set yoghurt for breakfast whilst Naomi will eat the same or fresh tropical fruit and yoghurt. Lunch will be whatever looks appealing in the school canteen. Note some of my table eating buddies and their chosen lunches.

Note the little fish in the bottom right corner.

 

 Hey Champ, can I take a picture of your lunch?
No not the lunch already in your mouth. hehe



My lunch time conversation is quite different
to lunchtime conversation in a Fire Station. hehe



Korean kids lunch and more below....




 



 

 

The large Korean population in the area that we live in, translates to a large proportion of our student population being Korean kids. Their food is fascinating and is incredibly different to anything that I have experienced. Having said this, it is healthy and the kids display a mastery with chop stix that would humble even ‘Edward Scissor Hands’. My favourite Korean food staple are these little deep fried fish that the kids eat with rice and vegetables.  They taste like anchovies, needless to say, that a close conversation with a Koreran student after lunch becomes a challenge of will-power to handle they ‘Zing’ being breathed out with every exhale.They have also introduced me to a number of different types of seaweed that are tasty and healthy. On a side note, we have learned as much about Korean culture including K-Pop, family dynamics and attitudes to education as we have about Indonesian culture. That country is also a power house as my Samsung S3 phone pronounces.   

  

Red meat consumption is lower here due to the price of importing beef and lamb however there is plenty of Kambing(Goat). If I was to pinpoint my favourite local street food it would be Kambing Sate. Skewers of goat cooked over hot coals until lightly charred served with cucumber, tomatoes, baby red onions some chilli, crispy grlic and a Kechap manis based special sauce. It is truly delicious! Following closely behind this dish is Soto Ayam. This soupee bowl of deliciousness makes my mouth water just thinking about it. It reminds me of a Laksa but with quite a different flavour base.Yumm!

 

Sate Kambing

 

Soto Ayam

Honestly, the food here is a pleasure to experience and we continue to enjoy the new flavour combinations that we come across on a daily basis. We enjoy the diversity of culinary treats available and love the richness this adds to our new direction in life.
 

Yes that is a 'pot of fire' being aerated by a small fan. It does the job!

 

Sorry it’s a little long.....if you hung around reading this far, thanks for your interest! 

Nath B  

The world of PYP

So this week, I was challenged with a huge assignment. It was altogether exhausting, enjoyable and rewarding. I brought it upon myself for the sake of my students, their parents and the summarising end product of what's called a PYP unit of inquiry. So PYP stands for 'Primary Years Programme'. It's an international curriculum model and teaching methodology that focuses on skill, inquiry and student-initiated learning in the primary school. Amongst the boundless jargon and its' detailed description - I'm learning that this PYP thing is actually helpful in the intellectual development of a young person.

However, it contains endless hours of paper-work and thought provoking learning scenarios; and as a newby in the world of teaching, the fluffiness of it all can be a little overwhelming. However, this week, my cute and lovable grade two's exhibited the result of their work in a PYP unit. There are six units that the PYP teacher organises throughout the year; and this week we completed the second. The unit was entitled - 'Here We Are. Where Are You?' - and in a nutshell, focused on the variability of physical geography around the world; and how where people live affects how they live!

So, although a whole lot of organising, it was a proud teaching moment. The kids showcased their work through song, dialogue and display. So I have for you a snapshot of this worldly occasion.

The Chinese

 

The Aussies

The Koreans

 

The Indonesians

 

The Russians

 

The Japanese

 

 

Thanks for travelling with me,

Nomes xo

P.s Next blog with be brought to you by Nath - and it'll be all things food-related