Hari Kartini: School 2016

Kartini was an Indonesian lady who brought education awareness, for women, to Indonesia. The ladies of Tembagapura celebrate her every year. We also at MZS have been putting on a Kartini celebration, for the past few years. I was not here for the school's celebration, so these pictures come from friends. Thank you friends!

Enjoy!

6th grade girls. :). Missing one though. :(

Gabby and Afi. They led the celebrations. 

Gabby's 6th grade class. They led the celebration. 

One token picture of Gavin. He was so excited to be playing! Ok, not really. ;)

Poem By Ted

Amazing insight from a kid who had moved around most of his life. Great Job Ted! :)

I was born in South Dakota,
We weren't there for long,
One year later (2 months) my parents packed my sister's and My bags,
And off to Pennsylvania. 

No memories come to mind from Pennsylvania,
Black was all I knew,
Pennsylvania is only trapped in pictures for me,
After a year I was off to Montana. 

Montana was perfect for me,
Running, hiding and playing in the woods,
Made my first memories playing baseball with my dad,
I learned how to imagine and fly free,
After four long years of splendid memories, and two new siblings, 
it was time for us to depart,
Tears were shed for the lost that occurred,
And off to Nevada.

Nevada was a time of learning,
I started school but still was free,
I ran around the neighborhood with my brother,
We learned friendship and commitment with our neighbors down the street,
We could not be pulled apart even when their age separated,
The long hard games of football,
pushing ourselves to keep fighting and cleaning blood off our faces,
Almost two years went by but our family was not meant to stay,
And we where off to Wyoming.

Wyoming was a place I loved,
The open country and clear blue skies,
School was still teaching me, even when I did not want it,
I learnt how to work mowing a yard for hours at a time,
I got my Hunter Safety  and learned about the love I have for hunting,
But three years passed and it was time to go,
And off to Indonesia,

Indonesia, Oh so much to say,
I spent hours in the jungle bonding with my brother,
Spent hours with friends because that is all we had,
In the summer I learnt how to work when going back to the States,
I finished my eight grade year and it was time for me to leave,
I had to go to boarding school with my family staying back,
And off to Malaysia,

Malaysia is still teaching me for I live on its grounds,
I go to school day in and day out,
But it has taught me one of the most important things of all,
How to hang with myself,
My time is not over but I can't wait till it is 
Because I will be out of high school and a big kid,
But I do also dread the graduation day,
Leaving my friends and dorm family behind,
I might spread a tear or my eyes will be desert dry. 






Sent from my iPad

JSB

Also known as Junior/Senior Banquet. 

This is the event that the Dalat juniors work all year towards. They raise money through a few different avenues, mostly concessions, in order to put on this banquet that honors the seniors. Because Mersades is a junior this year, she was heavily involved in the planning of the event. 

I forgot what she told me the theme was, but it had to do with dragons, clans, and medieval weapons. Right up her alley!

Marz and her group were in charge of table decorations. I believe they did a great job and the committee was happy with their work. 

The dragon and the walls of arms. 

Now for the good stuff... The kids, their dress, and their dates. 

Teddy, who wanted to be different and represente his part of the world chose to wear a camo jacket, specially made in Malaysia. 

Mersades, who is great at finding a bargain, but doesn't look like a bargain, found her dress last summer in a clearance rack in the US. 

They both are beautiful!  Yes, I am probably a little bias. ;)

I LOVE this picture of the two of them! 😍

Teddy and his date. 

Beautiful and smart girl!  She was one of the few girls who would go to JSB with Ted. Believe it or not, most girls said no they would not go, with Ted, because of his jacket!!  Their loss... 

Marz decided to not have a date... Most of the boys are too short or not interesting. So she decided to go it alone!     Maybe next year Prince Charming will be there for her... Or maybe it will be a brother... 😉

Happy Easter!

All the kids were home in Tembagapura for Easter this year!  It's so fun to watch how everyone interacts when the kids are all together. 

Even though Marz and Ted only had six days at home, we sure did pack a whole lot of things in. 

Easter morning arriving on the chopper from Timika. 

Walking home from the helipad... The boys have almost become Papuan... ;)

Sunday afternoon we had a big open house for the Underground department and friend of ours who wanted to catch up with Marz and Ted. 

Mr. James, their language arts teacher and now principal of MZS, was even more excited to see the kids than I was. He hadn't seen Marz since she left school almost three years ago. 

Since Gav and Gab still had school, we walked them there every day. We were a little posse walking down the street! :)

Teddy also had to do service hours so he went and volunteered most days at school. :)

Marz baked all the time!  Everything was so delicious!

And then the week was over!  Boom! It went by way too fast! The only good thing about them being back in school is that every day, it brings us one day closer to being back together for summer break!  Special times! :)

National Honors Society

Congratulations Marz!  

A month ago, Mersades was inducted into the National Honors Society at Dalat. Chris and I were not able to attend, so Teddy and Aunt Becky were there to help Marz celebrate. :)

Great Job Marz!! 😘

Four Floors Of....

A couple weeks ago, I was on a quick trip to Singapore to meet Marz and Ted so they could get their visa to come home for Easter. I was on the ground for two days and Marz and Ted for one full day. 

The minute they stepped off the plane, we were on the hunt for passport photos!

We knew where to go because of doing this process many times before, however time was against us, and by the time we dropped their things off at the hotel, grabbed a taxi to where we needed to go, and drove there, the photo shop was closed!!  (This is 8:30 at night.) Oh crud! What are we going to do now?!?!  We have to get these photos done tonight!!  The agent is picking passports up at 8:00 am the next morning!!!  Whatdowedo? Whatdowedo? Whatdowedo?!?!?

We go eat!  Because that's what any rational mom would do in an emergency situation like this!  Remember we only have one day to get these visas for Marz and Ted so they come home to Papua!  But more importantly, when you have a 16 year old boy staaaaarving, you feed him, regroup, and come up with a new plan. So that's what we did. We went to Dan Ryan's for a big juicy steak and the best apple pie and cheese cake, according to the kids, money could buy. 

Thank goodness for my Global Communication Device!  As we sat down for dinner, I will admit, I was rude, and was googling where to find passport photo places in Singapore late at night. It is now about 9:00 pm. Dinner took longer than I wanted it to take, but at this point, it didn't matter because most photo places were closed and not opened until 9:30 am, way way after the time we had to have the kids passports to the agent!  So I'm trying to stay cool... It's now about 10:00 pm...  Tummies are full. Now it's time to panic!!

I have not come up with one good solution to find a photo place!!  

The kids and I decide to start wandering down to a dodgy money changer place, where we had taken out very first passport photos, five years ago!  Maybe we would get lucky and they would be open...  Well, NO SUCH LUCK!!  

Now I'm getting really nervous!!

Next plan.... There's an even "dodgier" (if that's even a real word) area down on Orchard Road. There are many money exchangers, camera stores, 7-11's, toy stores, and I'm telling you not "kid" toy stores, all sorts of questionable businesses...  But I am getting desperate!!  So we go into one money exchanger and ask if he does passport photos and he says no and gives me the look like "are you stupid or something?Look around you..."  Yah yah, I get it, we do not fit in here at all!!!  But I am desperate... 

So we go back out on the street and I am saying to myself, think, Think, THINK Robin!!  This is Singapore for crying out loud!!  There has to be something!!!

So I look up and across the street is a "not-so-dodgy" shopping mall. The Far East Plaza. There are lights on, and I know they have camera stores and money exchangers, maybe they will have what we need...

Well no such luck with having what we needed, but they actually have a human, behind an information desk, that I can ask questions!!!  Maybe the night isn't going to be so bad after all... :) Ha!

Me, "Sir, excuse me, do you know of any place open at this time of night, that can take passport photos?" Sir, "Why yes there is!  If you just go across the street to Orchard Towers, level 1, they have a photo taking booth and they have passport size photos there."

AWESOME!! 

Stop right there!  Just a word of advice, GET MORE INFORMATION the next time!  I know what's in Orchard Towers this time of the night. It's now about 10:30pm. Yup, you guessed it... If you paid attention to the title... And can finish the title... But I'm just hoping it's really early and not many "ladies of the night" are out... And my 16 and 17 year olds don't know what's going on... LOL, right!!  No one can be that stupid.... And we can get in and get out FAST!  LOL again, right?!?!

So the kids and I quickly cross back over to the other side of the road...  I am dreading every second of this but now I am totally filled with DESPIRATION and a little sense of relief... 

We get to the Four Floors of.... and it's almost like I duck my head down and just push through... We need to get this done!  I am now very determined!!

1st floor:  (Soooo many stares from everyone... Three fish out of water...) We quick have a look around for the photo booth. We can't spot it, so like any good woman would do, I start asking for directions. First money changer, "I have no idea." Second, Third, and Fourth, same, same, same. No one seems to know where this BLOODY thing is!!

"Keep going Robin, Keep Going Robin" I tell myself. Someone has to know where this booth is!!  

So the kids and I find an escalator...  Remember, EVERYONE is looking at us!! Some are even SNICKERING behind hand at us!!  But the best was, as we were going up the escalator, a group of 5-6 men were following us up and openly laughing and pointing at us!! "What are they doing here?" "They must be lost." Hahahahaha heeheeheehee! 

The kids and I are trying to not laugh, because now it's just getting rediculous!

2nd floor: "Teddy and Mersades, just stand right here! I will go in to these two money changers and ask them."  Go in nothing!  They haven't a clue!  I come back out to Marz and Ted, and this is where the fun begins....

Ted, in a small child like voice, "Mommy, she touched me!!" Me, "What?" Ted, "Yah, she touched me on my arm!  Now I have an STD!" (I am truly laughing out loud as I write this!) An STD Ted... Huh, it will take more than that to get an STD... Are you learning anything in that health class you are in...?!? 

But seriously!!! We still haven't found this photo booth!!  Come on kids we have got to keep going!! And then all of a sudden, like manna from Heaven, I turn around and there is a photo.... Shop!  Not the booth we have been looking for, but at least it starts with PHOTO!!

I run in and ask them!  Of course, not in that shop!  BUT, if you go across the bridge and down the stairs, there is a photo booth at the bottom of the stairs!  Oh ThankYou, ThankYou, ThankYou!!!

So I go out, gather up Marz and Ted, who now has more STD's because he was "touched" on the arm again, (like really Ted, if someone is walking toward you, move so they can't "touch" you!) and we head to the bridge!

Now I really wish I had a picture of Ted doing this... But Ted, being the gentleman that his dad raised him to be, went to open the door for his sister and me. But because he has STD on the brain, kind of like Rainman, saying over and over, STD, STD, STD, Ted pulled up his shirt, covered his hands, and opened the door for us. That kid really needs to learn how STD's are transmitted! :P

We go across the bridge, opened the door, "Ted's way", and EUEREKA!!!!  There is the most wonderful photo booth I have ever seen!!!

So finally we get the photos done and major relief has washed over me!!  We pretty much came out of Orchard Towers "unscathed ", maybe not "untouched", but laughing and making fun of Teddy and having a great story for the books! :D

Truly Teddy, be serious!  I think he was still having STD's on the brain! ;)

"Yah knowTeddy what goes on in those booths when the curtains closed?" "Ewweeeeeee Mom!! That's gross!!" LOL!! :D

Marz was way more calm!

Ted's proud photos!

So when I was saying get more information.... Orchard Towers Two, first floor!

The story doesn't quite end there... As we are walking back to where we know a taxi pick-up will be Teddy is J-walking acrosse the street!  I am getting irritated with him and telling him if he gets hit by a car, I am not going to the hospital with him!  I am going back to the hotel!!  He says he doesn't care because maybe if he gets hit and taken to the hospital, he can get DISINFECTED!!!  

What a nut! :D

Life As We Know It...

Well, it's visa time again!  

In order for us to get Marz and Ted back to Tembagapura for Easter, I had to make a quick trip to Singapore to meet Marz and Ted for a whole 34 hours!

I flew in yesterday, Wednesday, to meet Marz and Ted at the airport Thursday, to get visas Friday, to put them back on a plane Saturday, so I can also leave to get back to site Sunday morning!  What a busy few days!

First things first. Ted needs to be fed! :)

Chris keeping the home fires burning back in Tembag with Gav and Gab. They needed to go for a late night walk so Chris could get his 20,000 steps for the day in. :)