A palatable venture of success...

Home cooked meals and my overall talent of such are severely lacking. So Mike and I came up with a few ingredients to combine to make, hopefully, a successful meal. I hope to add them by picture in chronological order.
Step 1: Good wine- to drink while cooking (a necessity)
Step 2: Egg noodles (a safe bet as it's loved by all)
Step 3: The common fresh ingredients- tomato, basil, garlic (from the bazar), beef broth, paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes
Step 4: Pan fried meatballs (which were actually veal meatballs- we think)
Step 5: Simmer
Step 6: Enjoy! 

It was so delicious and easy! A new favorite.
Always interesting...
Bon appetite! And cheers to more easy, yummy meals!

Bazar and bule...

This morning Hannah and I went to a tiny bazar that originally promised food, jewelry, fabrics etc. The bazar was rescheduled from a different day so we were unsure of what to expect but hoping to find some hand-carved sculptures. We got there and it was all food products. Fresh food consisting of bananas, eggs, garlic, nuts, fruit, fish, calamari, prawns and crab. I am still learning (or unable to retain) the names of some things so I am omitting them on the side of caution. I am sure Mike would appreciate me being more audacious when it comes to food and I am sure he would love to try the crab and fresh prawns but my adventurous spirit (and belly) just aren't quite conditioned yet.
Hannah was a little overwhelmed by the fish and disappointed by there not being any sculptures but woe is life. We looked around a little bit but it was obvious by some women there that we (I) was not exactly welcome. I am (we are), what the Indonesians call, a Bule. Bule means Albino in Indonesian and it can also carry somewhat of a racial connotation. However, if I have learned anything thus far is there will always be good with the bad and I (we) just have to muster through it (applies to everyone everywhere). I bought some fresh garlic and very excited to cook with it- what I will cook is the question but none the less excited. As we were checking out the woman who put the bazar together and the gal helping her gave me and Hannah a sweet smile and the negative Bule cloud diminished like the clouds that come and go here on the jungle mountainside of Tembagapura. As I am writing this and all my blogs the struggle for me to be politically correct is needlelike. All that I feel and perceive is real- they are my real emotions and perceptions. However, the actual legitimacy to said emotions and perceptions given from the Indonesians or other cultures maybe different. I have found that some cultures here aren't really all that considerate- it's not that they're being rude it's just not in their culture- like holding doors for each other, standing in line or waiting their turn etc. So this Bule may or may not be such a Bule- eh confusing, right!? Either way my role here is to be a good, kind person and emanate as much of that as possible and accept the uncontrollables as what they are. So we continue on in this crazy, one-of-a-kind place...
Here are some pics from the Bazar...

   

Pembantu and Bahasa Indonesia...

Oh the joy of a Pembantu has come to fruition and we've been here not even two and a half weeks. A Pembantu is a maid/nanny. I am taking a Bahasa Indonesia class and in order to do so needed to hire a part time Pembantu to be here for my kiddos for a few hours a week. Easier to do part time at this time of the year as most everyone is away on holiday. She is amazing. She speaks good English and very, very sweet. Additionally she is helping me speak Bahasa Indonesia when I try to speak it to her. On an embarrassingly impressive note she whipped our house into shape in very short order. I come home and she says "Ibu, I change. Let me show you" and she shows me what she has changed- like putting foil on the stove burners or putting the kids' pants in a different spot- all that makes much more sense. Last night we were supposed to have dinner with our neighbor but I was under the weather so he and his Pembantu brought dinner over. The food was delicious and validated a culinary benefit from having a Pembantu (and fabulous neighbors). I actually think the food made me feel better. ?
I have immediately enjoyed the class and the ladies I am with make it even more fun. Bahasa Indonesia is a nice language to learn as it's not too complicated and totally phonetic- it is pronounced exactly the way it looks!
On our way to a play date with,  I think, one of the last kiddos here who leave in a few days. Sad but I am excited to have some alone time with my family.
As always to be continued. ..

Yummy-like-heaven-ness...

I haven't enjoyed such a home cooked taste since we left until just now. Betty Crocker oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!
Mike bought a packet of Betty Crocker cookie mix, baked them up and yummy-like-heaven-ness filled our home (and he was pretty cute at the task). Mason kept saying "that sure smells delicious". It's a sensory overload that is welcome and totally missed! Nothing tastes or smells the same here- the culinary risks have been great and rewarded at times yet a gamble. Our tummies are still adjusting and we have all had tummy moments of non-agreement.
In addition to our yumminess, yesterday we got to enjoy the Rimba Resort after going to the immigration office. Which I must say the office was clean, friendly and speedy compared to the motor vehicle offices I have seen in the US. The resort was an amazing and we got to meet up with some amazing people from the mine and the children enjoyed each other's company (pictures of the Rimba below). The remainder of our air freight being released is contingent on paperwork from immigration.
We are happy to be home now after a good helicopter rides, with our cookie aroma and family movie night on a tv borrowed from a dear expat.

Development and Christmas...

We will be here two weeks tomorrow and we have dynamically developed. This place is one of a freaking kind. It is truly impossible to portray Tembagapura in pictures and words- really, really impossible. The beauty, uneasiness and logistical implications are abundant. The only moments of peace for me are at night when everyone is sleeping and the rain is falling.
The kiddos finished school (again) which was good for them. They got to interact with their peers and create relationships before they all leave for holiday. Looking forward to being apart of the school year in the Fall.
I think my personal challenge has been the issues with the locals. Things have progressed and created more challenges up at the mine, trickled down to town and therefore heightened security and personal awareness. All to be expected and forewarned yet still a challenge. I feel so bad for the employees here who just want work but can't and suffer consequences from not.
The cultural separation (again to be expected) is huge. I find it difficult to be patient and understanding at times. But I am the foreigner here and must remember that. And most of the locals are so very sweet and kind.
Tomorrow we chopper down to Timika for more paperwork and logistics for our Visas. Funny to most here when I say I am not ready to go anywhere. But the kiddos get to swim (hopefully).
We have surprisingly received a lot of our air freight. It was just as everyone here has described- Christmas! We got some random things but happy to get them.
I am exhausted and have to catch a helicopter in the morning. So good night! (Good morning)....

One week down: feeling far away, a smile that saves, letter from an angel, familial ties, social butterfly and machetes...

It's been a long fabulous week living in the jungle- hence the title! The kiddos have done so extremely well! 
My first dose of feeling far away came when I heard news that a dear friend back home was diagnosed with cancer! I just wanted to be there, at that moment, to help and for the first time in a long time I cried. I felt so isolated and alone. Still upset I walked to the grocery store and saw a woman paying at the register who I met once before, briefly. Instantly she saw me her face lit up, her smile stretched all the way across her beautiful face and she says "Kristen,  we have M&Ms. Here let me show you!". My loneliness melted and I knew at that moment that I was going to be okay! I know that I have people here who care about me and my family!
That night Hannah was upset about an incident at school and she asked me how to deal with bullies? I said the best thing, for that situation, is to ignore them and we role played on how to do it and how and why it works (note to self- follow up on said incident). Shortly after I crawled into bed and swiftly fell asleep- easy to do when the rain basically sings one to sleep. Mike woke me up and said "you should read this" and handed me a letter. The letter was from Hannah. She must have placed it next to me while I was sleeping. It said "Dear mom thank you for the advice love Hannah". What a sweet angel! Again saved by the reassurance of non-failure.
So the random coincidence of my familial ties are creeping in. Hannah came home from school and said "mom, I made even more friends today; a girl named Phillipa but everyone calls her Pip". Pip was my Papa's nickname and when I was pregnant with Mason we struggled to find a name for (Mason) our second to nickname Pip. The next oddity was picking a book at the library and the first book we see is I Spy. The exact same book that my mom read to Hannah and Mason since always and forever. Coincidence maybe but I will take lovely-family-reminding smiles any day!
In our transition of this journey Mason has turned into this amazing, outgoing social butterfly! He can't play with any new kiddo fast enough! Coming from a kid who wouldn't even let you take his picture but a couple weeks ago! Successful non-failure again!
Our adventure hasn't been without weary moments. The mine has been shut down since the collapse and has caused various issues. One was the Union threatened to strike which threw us (me) into a slight panic. I had to buy extra water and food just in case. There was also talk of tribe members coming into town armed with machetes (yup totally just said machete). Which apparently did happen but it's what they wear (right to bear arms comes to mind) and they just want production to start!
Ahhhh apparently life will never be dull in the jungle!
As always to be continued...

Accents...

My humor of the day is Hannah developing an accent- an Australian/English one. She says she just can't help it! I understand completely as I find a random accent slip in my conversations every once and a while! However,  I remind Hannah that we too have accents to everyone and she says that she wants to be different (different from who she is a similar to those around her). We remind her that she is different and special especially being a kiddo from Colorado- I think there is four total (a really high percentage)! Either way she will progress through being who she is,  fighting against who she is and settling on who she always has been!
I wonder how Mike's first day went, speaking of accents? I made reservations for dinner tonight and had a very short conversation and struggled tremendously! My five minute convo must be so miniscule to Mike's ten hour day of "accents"! There was an interesting comment made from people we met here who giggled about how almost everyone here speaks (broken yet appreciated) English which is fabulous and definitely not expected but when you go to the US people only speak Spanish- interesting comment.
As always to be continued. ..
(Pic from the mountain today)

Jungle kids go to school. ..

Hannah and Mason became International students today! They both had an amazing time! Mason played with the big boys as there aren't many little boys. Hannah made another new friend named Ruby - Ruby from Bali who's mom is from England (not sure of the complete validity of that) but add that to South Africa, Canada, USA, Australia and Scotland.
Hannah had a play date at a new friends house and Mason helped me pick out some new plants from two teachers who are moving to go teach in Vietnam. Pretty cool stuff!
Today will be my first day of being solo as Mike goes to work so wish me luck.

To be continued. ..

Surprises and letting go...

Been in the jungle for 72 hours and I am pleasantly surprised by many things! One being the things you can buy here! I am clearly aware that things you can buy today you may never ever, ever see again but it's here at the moment. I have been told by several people that if you see something special and unique you buy all of it and you don't feel bad about it! Strange feeling for me!? Not sure I can pull it off? Taking all the milk or something and thinking that a little one here needs milk or would enjoy that item too?  I might leave at least one for my own conscience. Ask me in 6 months if that's still the case!
I am also surprised about the little things- we bought a cute, random scrub brush that we found because the kids say it looks like my sisters and me in one little item! I also found in my luggage, a spoon my mom gave me that, to be honest, holds wayyyy more importance and significance than before.
There is also this immediate necessity of letting go. Letting go of control, clean and orderly bathrooms, other peoples' body oder and my all important, overly-used bubble. That bubble is loooonnngggg gone!  And I am better for it and wouldn't have survived with it!
The kiddos get to go to school tomorrow manly just for exposure and fun!
Our journey to get here was tough but most worth it! There will be many more adventures to come....

As always to be continued. ..

Home sweet home!

We finally arrived to our new home! It's been such an amazing journey and the real fun and adventure is just beginning! We have been here 48 hours and feel like we've been here for awhile now- just completely immersed right away into the community! I love it here! There are so many layers and dynamics that it freaks me out a little! I am smiling as I am laying here typing because a chopper is flying overhead- radical!
The people are so fabulous here. We weren't here but an hour and had visitors to welcome us and make sure we were ok. Our "condo", as Hannah calls it, is HUGE! More space than I know what to do with! However none of our stuff has arrived yet and fear it will not be necessary once it does!
The kiddos are doing so well!  They did incredible on all the flights and enjoyed their first helicopter ride! They have met a fraction of the kiddos here and already have made friends! We hope to get them in school this week as it's the last week before break and then almost all the Ibu's (wives) and children leave for holiday until August.
This is not an ordinary place- obviously! We all had to get fingerprinted and the guy took our passports for, yet again, more processing and that totally made me panicky! But it's the way it goes when you a) live in another country b) live in a compound in another country  c) live in a jungle and d) live in another country in a compound in the jungle.
We will keep very busy here as the community is very close and highly social- I think I am going to have a hard time :) ha ha there are lots gatherings and events! You would think I dreamt this place up!
The view is to die for!  Pictures don't do it justice! I didn't remember it being as beautiful as it is! There are more eyesores, however,  than one would like but it's just part of the deal and it seems the company is working on it!  I have to remember too that this is a work site not a resort!
Today we will be going to the Lupe (the restaurant) brunch and hope to have a play date at the park.
As always to be continued...

Official little international travelers!....

We made it to Hong Kong! My kiddos are officially international travelers! They are loving it! They did so well! I met a beautiful 84 year old woman on the flight and she said she has never seen such good kids on a long flight like that before (not screwing them up too bad yet).

Now enjoying the lounge and will eat, wash up and head to flight #3. 

On our way...and holy sh....

After months and months of waiting! We are finally on our way to our new (temporary home (clause for my family as we will be back)). 

It's been a process to say the least and one I know will be worth it and pay off! 

It's amazing how much we, as a family, have changed! I am so very proud of my sweet husband and sweet angel children! They have been so amazing through this process! 

We arrived at DIA after many tears and goodbyes- THE.HARDEST.THING.EVER! Hannah asked me on the way to the airport "mom, why aren't you sad?" And I said "Hannah my heart is sad but I know I need to be strong for you!" (hero-wanna-be enters stage left :) ) 

So we arrive at DIA to check-in with 5,000 bags and probably 2,000 short :) as we are checking in there seems to be a problem (they must know me) and we aren't allowed to check in or board the plane unless we have a return flight (my mom must have called them!). The gal (at unsaid airline) says "most people in these situations just buy return plane tickets and then cancel them for full refund" I wanted to express to her with my fists that if we could afford return tickets from the jungle on the other side of the egging world I may not be here right now. I am not a violent person but given the situation I may have had to hulk it out! So Mike's amazing company figured it and we ran all the way to the gate with 10 minutes to spare! 

Ahhhh now on 1st class on United Airlines (said :) ) and the kids are settled right in, almost to LAX, a few mixed drinks down and this is going to be amazing! 

As always, for sure this time, prayers appreciated, to be continued!!