Rice Rice Baby

The wandering continues...

In the coming days I'll be heading to Thailand to pursue a long held dream of mine: to 'do' the whole rice growing season (or most of it anyway!) As a kid growing up in the hills and valleys, fields and forests of Maehongson, I was always home from school for summer vacation/holiday and so I've witnessed the initial field preparation, the plowing and harrowing and transplanting of rice. I've more than once fallen off the edge of the field into the mud. Before most everyone switched to plowing their fields with large oversize roto tillers, I would often go out with my neighbors and friends in the late afternoon and bring home the water buffalo that used to be used for plowing. But then I went back to school and I never saw anything  else...the growing... the actual harvest. 

A trial run 10 years ago in Napajat

So this year, I'm going to do it. 

Just because. 

First, I'm only able to to this because Andrea has given her blessing, and knows that for whatever reason, this hair brained idea/scheme/dream is important to me. For this I am grateful. It is not without some significant sacrifice.

With my recent job transition and the ability to work remotely I can do some virtual work for KonTerra so I'm not completely living off Andrea's continued full time labor while I'm 'outstanding' in my field:-) (She is also outstanding in her field by the way!)

After seven years of pretty intense work here in DC and around the world, I can tell I'm needing a bit of a break and breather. So I'm treating this as sabbatical and rest - even though I'll still be doing some virtual counseling work and a whole lot of physical work - which I think will be helpful for me. I'm hoping a few months away from living in the epicenter of craziness will help neutralize (?) and work out some of my angst at our current political climate and I desperately just need a break from it. This will serve both purposes nicely.

And let's face it, at some point, my young youthful body won't be able to do this as easily. Rice growing is backbreaking work - there's a song I learned in Tagalog that is translated - planting rice is never fun, you can't stand up, you can't sit down. 

And though I didn't think about it when deciding to do this, I realize that perhaps I can model what self care could look like to others. Maybe it won't be growing rice, but what does it look like to take a break every now and then, to be replenished and rejuvenated - even if in mid career?

And it's a chance to go to a place... places... I call home. 

A little blurry, but this is it, one of the places I call home (PaTyng) and some of the fields I will be working. 

So for all these reasons. It's time. 

That's the plan. Follow along here on the blog or on facebook. If you're the praying kind, I value your prayers for rest and grace in all I encounter, that I don't lose a toe, that the snakes stay away, you know the usual things. 

 Duncan

Israel

A last minute work trip took me to Israel for a week in March. The ticket was purchased Wednesday and I flew out of Washington on Friday via JFK to Tel Aviv, arriving Saturday evening and then departed the following Friday, arriving back in DC Saturday morning. Given that I only had two days notice, I hadn't done any research about anything so I quickly scheduled a one day tour of Old Jerusalem and Bethlehem for the day after I arrived, before the work week started. I wanted to take advantage of being there for sure!

I've known many people who have visited Israel and it has been a transformational life highlight, after all, this is the sacred center for three major faiths of the world. I didn't know what to expect, but I was expecting (perhaps hoping) to feel something...and... I really didn't. Whether this was because of the last minute nature of my trip and not having spent time reading through Old and New Testament scriptures in preparation or the reason for my trip (hello US politics - I could write a whole post about that) which certainly added a weight to the trip, clouding any spiritual/faith discovery, I don't know, but it was interesting to not really feel much of anything.

I will say one of the places I felt something was when we were at the site of the upper room and last supper. Our guide took us in and sat us down, read the passage of scripture and I thought, yes, I can imagine it. Then the guide said, ok, now I'll take you to the 'room' which was next door! We weren't even there yet! So much for my feeling anything! The other place I felt something was on the Via Dolorosa at the spot where they say Jesus fell and Simon of Cyrene was forced to pick up the cross and carry it the rest of the way.

I also appreciated Bethlehem as a town (actually more than Jerusalem) but the Church of the Nativity was too crowded and we had to wait too long and I was over it and wanted to go. Even as I write these words almost two months later, I think, wow, I was at (in theory) the exact place Jesus was born...and that was my reaction?! So perhaps a visit back to Israel is called for at some time in the future when I'm not working and have had time to prepare and the politics and backdrop of the current US administration don't spoil the reason for being there. Or maybe I need to reflect on all I saw and be grateful for having the opportunity to see a place where a brown skinned, refugee teacher once walked, setting an example of love and peace that will long outlast this current politics and also gives strength to persevere in the face of all that is going on in the world at this time.

The other place I really enjoyed was the ancient port city/town of Jaffa (Joppa). This is the port where the Cedars of Lebanon passed through to build the temple. It's the place where Peter had his dream that carries so many significant theological ramifications about what is labeled clean and unclean. I felt something here - the example of accepting something to be true that you previously believed was not true.

Many more thoughts, but that's all for now. Enjoy the photos. Hope it gives a flavor of what I saw and experienced. (Hotel review as always on Trip Advisor here)  - Duncan

Tel Aviv - city view from my room

...or if I looked toward the water...

Tel Aviv

Do you know what this is? Outside of many doors including my hotel room - see Deuteronomy 6:9

Starting point in Jerusalem - looking out to the Jordan hills

And then from the Mount of Olives - looking toward Old Jerusalem, graves in front

Graves - it is tradition to leave a stone on the grave when you visit. Though not at this cemetery, Oskar Schindler's grave is covered in so many stones as it receives so many visitors.

Where they say the 'Upper Room' was...

I believed it, and could feel I was there...until the guide said, ok, now I'll take you to it! What?! I thought this was it!

No, there has to be a church marking it...

Any guesses what this is and why it is there?

Western/Wailing Wall with a convenient diagram explaining what you are looking at...

Belize - Third time's a charm (- not that the first or second times weren't!)

January saw us getting out of DC's winter for a week and heading back to Belize, the third time we have been able to visit this lovely country. See previous more comprehensive post here. We were able to find really good mileage awards on Delta and bonus...got upgraded on all our flights! Frequent travel status paying off! We stayed at Treetops Guest House on Caye Caulker which is where we stayed our very first time in Belize fourteen years ago. When we were last on Caye Caulker, we were a little put off by some aggressive touts but this time, in spite of even more development, we found this lovely island back to it's charming self. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. It was so good to be warm, watch the water and sky through the coconut trees, do a lot of swimming and snorkeling and be far far away from Washington.

The view from our room

Our room

How every morning should start...

...followed by a walk along the water...

...to Glenda's where they still serve great Cinnamon rolls...

Continuing your walk after breakfast, you might pass this mural...

...or see these friends...

...and this colorful boat

If you arrive at the split, you'll notice some changes, it's all be fixed up!

Back to Treetops and some hammock time on the roof...this is your view

Christmas 2018

Ten years ago we spent Christmas in South Africa, three months into our nine month wander around the world, a journey that ultimately led us to North Carolina for three years and then Washington DC. This is the tenth year we have created our collage card capturing a few of our favourite photos from the year - something we first did after returning from our wanderings 10 years ago.  A lot has happened in the past decade. Whether you have walked with us all this time or are a new friend, know that we are grateful for your friendship as you have accompanied us on our wanderings.

Our card this year features photos primarily taken from our Bali trip. To see most of our other cards from past years go here. 

I have lots of thoughts as we end this year, another tumultuous year in this country and around the world, but I'll simply close wishing you peace and hope with this poem brought to my attention from my friends at Street Psalms. For the full link go here.

Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of Hope—
Not the prudent gates of Optimism,
Which are somewhat narrower.
Not the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense;
Nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness,
Which creak on shrill and angry hinges
(People cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through)
Nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of
“Everything is gonna’ be all right.”
But a different, sometimes lonely place,
The place of truth-telling,
About your own soul first of all and its condition.
The place of resistance and defiance,
The piece of ground from which you see the world
Both as it is and as it could be
As it will be;
The place from which you glimpse not only struggle,
But the joy of the struggle.
And we stand there, beckoning and calling,
Telling people what we are seeing
Asking people what they see.

- Victoria Safford

Vietnam

Some of my favorite photos and highlights of a recent two week trip to Hanoi...There were many highlights - meeting new colleagues, working with my colleagues that went with me, being surprised by how chill and liveable Hanoi is, great food (no pics here though), a trip to Halong Bay which was ok but the caves were spectacular, and finally attending this show at the Hanoi Opera House which was truly spectacular and so well done. Here's one more link. One last fun highlight was seeing the incredibly long and constantly changing beautifully created mosaic wall that runs along one of Hanoi's main roads for four miles certified as the world's largest/longest mosaic. Vietnamese artists and other organizations have each taken sections and created something really beautiful. See this link and a couple video's here and here. Two weeks in Hanoi definitely gave me an appetite to return again and see much more of this country.

A personalized welcome gift

The view I woke up to each morning - the Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi Opera House and Hilton Hanoi Opera

10 Years - A Decade in Motion

A quick note/update...

Long time readers of this blog will know that ten years ago we began a journey that still continues to this day, for what journey truly ends? It's a journey that in its initial year took us to Europe, South Africa and then Asia over the course of nine months. Of course for me, the journey began many years prior, growing up in South East Asia - a place that still holds my heart - and for Andrea, in 2005 when her heart was gripped by the issue of human trafficking and she dedicated herself to paying attention to this issue. This led to her decision to return to graduate school and three years in North Carolina which ultimately led us both to Washington DC where she continues in that work and I support humanitarians and diplomats who strive to make the world a better, healthier place. 

In our very first blog post, ten years ago, we wrote that  as we packed up our house in Tacoma and drove away in silence, we reflected on our years there and the community that we loved and were leaving without knowing what the future held. A lot has happened in the past ten years...it's interesting to pause and remember and look back on the miles traveled... 63 beds that first year of wandering...three amazing years in North Carolina...internships for Andrea in Geneva and Boston...and then to Washington DC...employment changes and opportunities...lots and lots of travel wanderings...and two weeks ago moving into our new home where we look forward to being part of a neighborhood and community and I can do a little digging in our garden patch.

It's interesting to note that it's been ten years since we lived in a place that that we called our 'own' and now literally ten years to the day we left, we are back in our new 'own' place. Here's to what lies ahead and the continued journey. 

Duncan

Bali

Bali was not on my list of places I really wanted to visit. Given that I grew up surrounded by rice fields in Thailand, I don't need to see rice terraces. Knowing that tourism is so key to Bali's economy, I presumed that I would find it very touristy and I wasn't interested in that, and I knew I would not find the Bali depicted in 'Eat, Pray, Love.' BUT...Andrea and I had decided long ago that if we are invited to an international wedding, we strongly consider attending. So when we received an invitation to the wedding of one of Andrea's former grad school classmates, and not just a wedding but a three day Indian celebration to be held in Bali, we knew we had to go. And... I am so glad I went! The wedding at the end of June (more on that later) was of course fantastic and Bali more than pleasantly surprised and delighted me.

Pura Batur Temple gate

We flew out on Korean Air with a stop in Seoul, a trek we are both getting used to making as it's now our easiest way to get almost anywhere in Asia. Knowing that we would be at a large resort for the wedding, we wanted to maximize seeing other parts of the island. Almost as soon as we began to do our research we found Taruna Boutique Homestay, on the north shore of the island. It was about as far away from where we were going to be for the wedding and knowing we really only had a eight days, we debated if it was worth the long drive there and back. We looked at other places but kept being drawn back to this place and so we decided to commit and again, I am so glad we did. 

To take advantage of our limited time, we arranged to stop at a couple places along the way with our driver from Taruna. We had narrowed it down to one waterfall, one rice terrace and one temple with others as options in case we ended up driving a different way. Our driver Mango was more than accommodating and though we weren't able to make it to the waterfall, we were more than happy with our long day before we arrived at our home for the next three nights. 

Unsurprisingly Ubud was not quite as picturesque as depicted in 'Eat, Pray, Love.' Although we didn't explore every street, we saw enough to reassure us that we didn't have to come back here at a later date. (Just my opinion - I'm sure others would disagree!)

Driving through Ubud

Surprisingly (given how many tourists there are), most of the roads in Bali are small two lane roads like above whether you are driving through Ubud, the jungle or from one town to another. There are wider roads in and around Denpasar but no real highways other than the toll road leading from Denpasar south. After passing through Ubud we continued on the narrow road until we knew we were at one of the famous rice terrace spots judging from all the traffic, street cafes and restaurants. Tegallalang Rice Terrace was indeed beautiful even in the rain and mud as we experienced it. Clamber down the side of the hills through tall coconut trees that tourists pay to swing on (swings are definitely a thing in Bali - although tragically someone did fall and die soon after we were there) and you can wander through rice fields and try to take photos without other people in them.

Note the swinging tourist

A little past the rice fields we stopped at Gunung Gawi Sebatu, a temple that illustrates how many temples were/are also key in controlling water systems in Bali. I don't think this is a temple that has too many tourists. There are more famous temples that the tourist books say are 'must sees' but we really enjoyed exploring this one. Unlike Buddhist temples in Thailand where you can always find priests living, Hindu temples in Bali don't have priests that live on site. Often (most of the time) priests have their regular day job and live with their family and just show up to the temple for ceremonies - or that is what we were told!

Looking down on Gunung Gawi Sebatu 

Offerings

Spot the dog

We continued driving north stopping briefly at Pura Batur, perhaps the 2nd largest temple in Bali and again, totally empty, to the point of being a little creepy. We felt like we were scammed here as we had to pay an entrance fee and then after paying that told we had to pay to rent appropriate clothing which often was available at other temples. Anyway, when you are a tourist... 

We continued driving along the north shore until reaching the town of Pemuteran where Taruna Boutique Homestay is located. Taruna is more than a homestay, though it was family run but it was definitely boutique. There are many places like it small and large along the beautiful northern shore which is much more arid than other places in the island. For full trip advisor reviews of all the places we stayed in Bali you can go here. 

Gate into Pemuteran

Our room during our stay at Taruna

Every day fresh flowers and flower petals were put on our bed - this was our welcome the day we arrived.

View from our room with the hills we climbed in the background

We loved our three days here. Taruna is a five minute walk to the beach home of what is billed as the worlds largest biorock/reef rehabilitation. Seeing that it is in need of rehabilitation, the coral is not great here, but the fish were! The fact that you can literally swim five feet off the beach and be in a fish tank was wonderful and I went swimming with the fish every day! One morning we also climbed up the hills behind the town for a pretty spectacular view.  And we made traditional Indonesian pancakes.

The beach at Pemuteran

Another swing...

One of the most picturesque lanes I have seen, heading to the beach next to Mata Hari Resort