This Week has FLOWN by.......

 On Sunday "the Dutchies" got together at Kawan Kitchen!  Yes Ewout & his wife Liesbeth and Albert have been in Bali for 3 months - and just returned back to Salatiga!  So of course the Dutchies had to have a little "reunion" together! 

 It was fun to get caught up with one another again!  We had a great evening ~ coming for dessert "toetje" and coffee/tea -  at Kawan Kitchen.......sweet fellowship!

 Beppie had spoiled us with a delicious cake she had baked for us!  Chocolate cake with nuts and even some chopped carrots in it to...why you ask?  Because it was May 5th - The Dutch  celebration/Victory day to celebrated the freedom from the occupation 5 years May 5th 1945! World War II - I so remember the stories Mom would tell us each year on that date....all the people coming out on the street - the American tanks loaded up with children & girls - oh they were liberated after a very bad war!

 Because of the soccer ~ World Cup 2014 coming up - the stores are selling shirts from all the teams - yes even the Dutch team!  So Kris & Lianne arrived at the Dutchie gathering with the new shirts they had just purchased - of course -  

Go! Holland!                Natuuuuuurlijk!

We had a fun time - Elisha & Beppie are so' hospitable - all the time!    And .....Thank you everyone for showing up ~

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On Wednesday -  Elisha & Beppie's day off they invited Nick & I to come along with them to Solo (Surakarta) to look for some "smaller" suitcases that we decided (after my surgery (ding-dong!) we purchase and make it a little easier on us for travel when we leave Indonesia next month!
Smart huh?  Yes!  

So we went to their place and Bep offered us a cup of coffee - and we chatted and then we were on our way to Solo!

Do you see what I see....yes the magazine "Libelle" ~ a Dutch magazine. We both enjoy the magazine &  browsing  through it!

(it might be a old issue - no matter at all...ha!)

(In their yard Elisha enjoys his orchid collection - and the fish pond is also so pretty!)

 Did you know that orchids stay in bloom almost 6 months at a time?  I sure didn't ~  But what a beautiful plant God created - so refined and so pretty!  He sure has good taste!  My Heavenly Father!

 When we arrived into Solo, Beppie suggested we stop to inquire about that hotel Nick had mentioned about after the war was over here in Indonesia!  Gosh we spoke about that with you a while back Beppie...you still remember that conversation girl? - Sweet!   

Beppie knew that Nick was interested to find that hotel he & his sisters and mother & family were brought to in Solo after the war by the Red Cross when they were taken out of the camps in Banyu Biru  ~ so Beppie & Elisha suggested we stop at the local Tourism office in Surakarta/Solo  and ask if they might know or have heard of "Berg en Dal" or the other name used was Sinkakon
 Sinkokan Berg en Dal     
read up on this ~ 

"Patrick" at the counter was friendly & said he was willing to check it out! ~ he would do a little research for us he said - and let Nico know by email or text!  

 OK ~ we were pleased for Elisha & Beppie's kind efforts and who knows....it is part of the "link" of doing the research we had hoped for the family!  We will see what comes of it!  

We had a good afternoon - Beppie & Elisha knew of a Mall that we should look for suitcases - and there was some sales going on too...good sales.... 50-70% off - a blessing!  The suitcases we found are smaller - and both have the 4 wheels under it to roll UPRIGHT it around at the airport!  Then when you get ready to check them in - you can remove the wheels so that they don't get broken off - like one of my suitcases did - !  All Right that was a worthwhile adventure!  We shared a nice meal together and did a little shopping in the grocery store at the Mall and home we went!  

Thanks Elisha & Beppie for your kindness to take along the two of us on your only day off!  Very sweet you guys!!!!  We sure are thankful for your love & friendship!

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We received a text message from Kristiani - that Babis her husband would be leaving on May 9th to Greece - "Oh we want to say our good-bye's to Babis before he leaves!"

So off we went on Thursday morning to the warung where Kristiani has a little toko she runs~ 

Frans also arrived, another friend~ Both these men have served for many years on the Cruise Lines - a Greek ship and the Holland American Line - Nick & I had introduced the families to one another - 

 Babis on the far right - goes back to Greece to visit his family once every year or every other year.  He has 2 adult sons there and one is getting married at the end of the month! Wow can you imagine what a Greek wedding might be like?????  Both Nick & I are invited to join them - but we will not quite be there yet at the end of this month ~ but how kind to invite us!!!
  He & Frans have both retired from the cruise lines ~ We had a very nice visit - and we received from

 Babis his address in Greece - he is about 2 hours south of Athens on the Mediterranean coast - sounds nice!

Adio Babis!   We hope to see you in your beautiful country! 


Below is their warung ~  right across from a school - and the kids come over for snacks after school.   Kind of a hang-out place so to speak!

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 Jessica and her sis, Joy, both students at the University and Frans our friend  - enjoy painting and wanted to learn more techniques ~ so Nick invited them to come over and he would share with them  - using acrylic paint ~  They had fun sitting on the porch learning to mix colors, putting in a background and then paint a scenery~Nick enjoyed sharing his beautiful gift  (Yes my Nick is so gifted...what a blessing he is!  I am always proud of him how he loves to help and share anything he knows to do with anyone who wants to learn!) of painting ~ how fun it was to just sit together with Frans & the girls - they were great students!

 

Not completed - but a start, showing some cloud formations, rice fields & mountains in the background -

...... hey only 1 leaf on the tree Nico??????    
We definitely love the sawah's here in Indonesia! 

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A very special fruit!  ???????????

  
 Does anyone recognize this?

The outside is green - looks like a melon - but it is from the grapefruit family we are told.

Yet it does taste a little sweeter - we think!  The rind around these pieces is very tough...protecting the fruit - the fruit is juicy but you have to pull off all the rind piece by piece to be able to eat the fruit...so a bit of work to prepare it!  Once you pull the rind off of  (like I said hard to pull off!) it...well then it is enjoyable and refreshing too! 

It is good - but so different don't you think?  I bought it like this  - with the green outer shell part already cut off - not sure why they do that in the store - maybe to show it was ripe?

But most likely because it takes a bit of effort to make it ready to eat. 

Anyway....... - anyone out there .......do YOU know the name? 

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So here it is Friday already - Wow~ Already a week ago yesterday (Thursday) that we returned back from Bangkok!  Time is flying by! 

We need to do a little shopping this afternoon & then  tomorrow Saturday we have our English Language Club meeting again in the neighborhood from 3:30-5:30 pm - afterwards we have some  friends over for a bite to eat~  

Sunday church - weekend Here we come!