TEAMspinella: April 2006

Friday, April 14, 2006

Friday afternoon

you can't push a string, don't expect people to jump into your lap, nobody bats 1000

I'm 100% today (I round up!)

Quotes from the experience

I'm feeling good about how things are finishing. I didn't get to the inet cafe last night--went for a bike ride before supper, then did a small group meeting on crisis management at night followed by a conversation.

The bike ride was cool--I did get back to the lighthouse and rode all the way up without stopping. When I got up there, I locked the bike and took a walk around the lighthouse--it is built up with a stone wall and a sign saying no entry. There was someone sitting on top of the wall as I walked by and I wondered who he was. There was also a monkey near the steps who was threatening me--just gestures and talk, no action. He/she had a little monkey alongside.

As I finished my circle and passed the entry, the guy on the wall (now sitting inside the wall on a bench) got my attention. When I looked, he made some offer and I showed my acceptance. The offer turned out to be to go all the way up into the top of the lighthouse! So I did. We could see 360 from around the large reflecting lenses, just above the electronic beacon next to us. Indonesia was across the straits, Malaka to the south, Port Dickson to the north, and the hills of Malaysia to the east. Up the coast I could identify about where the camp was. Very cool, though we shared very little language in common. He basically did not understand any question I asked! A cool experience, made me feel special.

On the way back I couldn't ride the beach because it was high tide--all the way up to the edge someplaces, no place to ride. The night before though, about 9:30 I went out on the beach under the full moon with the tide receding for a couple hours and walked a long ways up and back in the moonlight. Over the ocean on the other side I could also see the stars! But L was nowhere to be found! (And there weren't even any mosquitoes out there.

On the other hand, there were mosquitoes in my room. Every time I woke up that night I heard a mosquito humming over me. It turned out they were feasting on my chin and lips. I have about 6-8 bites there! At least they don't itch or swell a lot, just red dots. Last night I don't know if I got any bites, though, so I feel glad about that.

Since I was taking pics for L, they ended up on the "resource cd" for everyone. Including the pictures I took yesterday morn of the monkeys outside our session. Too bad I just had the dinosaur! Oh well, they take less space that way.

Today is the last day and it's good friday. Greg is doing a last session in which he communicates his heart and his respect for others as well. God has given him a heart of humility more than ever. They're about 10 years ahead of us in age.

My main task for today is saying goodbye to everyone. I started this morning as I know I won't have time to do it all at the end. Some people have developed a significant connection, but I'll make no assumptions about what will develop from here. (There is also a staff debriefing they want to begin tonight--G wants me to be a part of it and I leave here about 5:45 am tomorrow. And at least one person may still want to talk.)

This morning I had to ride out for more cash--just a few dollars short to pay the bill, which is to be paid in cash. The first machine didn't take my card, so I ended up going some 10-12 km, or at least that's what it felt like on the little bike. i need to remember to take a picture of it! Perhaps I'll ride it on the beach late tonight if I have time, one last ride. Maybe I won't have time.

If I don't get this out to you tonight, I'll look for an opportunity to do it at the airport. sometimes there are open networks there.... Hopefully I'll get over there tonight, though.

This afternoon we did a cd burning party--five or six laptops copying files onto cd from a 1 Gig thumb drive. This computer did it's share--probably five or six.

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.640.1261
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60189, 800.343.3144
<www.team.org.tw/spinella>, <www.team.org.tw/ccg> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TEAMspinella/>
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu>, <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Monday night feedback

Today was a long one. It's after 12 now. I was meeting until after 11. I did get a bike ride and a swim in before dinner. I also started taking a few pictures. I got Florence to take one of me on the bike on the beach, I'll see if I can get it from her.

I tried to go back to the lighthouse, but I apparently turned in one turn too soon--and came out much further back on the beach--after riding first by a military base, then into what I thought was housing that turned out to be more of the military base. I just kept on riding right down to the beach and got on the beach. That's when I realized I was much closer to the camp that I anticipated. I obviously don't have a GPS! Earlier I had thought about going into that area to find an outlet to the roads--again not realizing it was military! Now I'll be more careful.

Tonight I had a couple nice interviews with fellow participants that seemed to go well, but took me again as i said too late to get to the internet cafe. My apologies! I did drop off my laundry though--about 40 NT for 1.4 kg, that hopefully will all be treated appropriately to the fabrics?! I'll find out tomorrow. I didn't put the shirt that bleeds so badly in.

Hope you had a good day, too! Steve

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Sunday

Last night after I talked to you, I talked to Sharon, and then Mom & Dad. While I was on with Mom & Dad Christina raised me on chat, but by the time I got off the phone with them she was gone again.

Then before I left, the laobanniang came out with a little 2 mo old monkey (in a diaper) nestled in her hand. At first I thought it was a Taiwan style dog.

She and her son said we should come back to Malaysia and to some beach called Tamoun? started with a T anyway, she said it was better than Lankawi for snorkeling....

Now my room is getting infested with flying ant-like bugs that swarm after a rain--it poured early this morning. I realized the light by the door was on, so I turned it off, hopefully decreasing the gathering swarm. I also killed two bloody mosquitoes this morning. I don't know what to do about them! I checked the convenience store for poison and they only had coils to burn or aerosol spray. Every time the bugs land on the wall under my single light, I get up and kill them. Hopefully in this way the overall population is decreasing....

After it stopped raining this morning, I got up and rode. The Internet cafe folks suggested i ride to the light house and blue lagoon. Blue lagoon wasn't much--it's main feature seemed to be that it's where the locals gather! But after walking that beach I got on the bike, rode down the beach the opposite way, [break to kill bugs,] exited the beach onto some roads and saw signs for the lighthouse. It turns out there is an isthmus (sp?) followed by a rather steep mountain rising out of the sea. There is a road (closed to vehicles) up to the lighthouse (steep, I walked part way due to my less than adequate wheels) and the whole area is a wildlife sanctuary. Lots of birds, big trees, beautiful shade, and some monkeys I heard, saw the motions, but didn't quite see the monkeys. Very nice.

Coming down I checked out another direction and discovered the very end of the stretch of beach we're on, so I rode back on the beach. This required some hauling the bike over rocks, but it made me feel manly :-) So I ended up on the beach in front of the camp! About a 2.5 hour adventure including eating a tangerine on the steps of the lighthouse.

I got back when it was almost time to start the 10:30 worship, rinsed off the bike, headed to the shower and discovered the folks across the bathroom--just here for the weekend--had locked me out! So I went down to the meeting room, borrowed a key to someone else's room--Doug, my first night roommate--and came back to get ready to haul my stuff to his room for a shower. Then I thought I might as well just get there sooner and not shower. So I put on cleaner clothes and let it go, getting there during the first hymn (I think!).

After the worship, Doug invited me to join he and his friends for some lunch out. The intended spot was closed, as was the alternative mexican place. [Why won't the latest swarming mosquito just land on the wall under the light like the ants]. So we ate at an outdoor, beach dui mian string of zi ji fan places. The food was interesting and the spicy sauce hot! I can't say it was worth it, but it was interesting company anyway--with a couple newly arrived here with a 16 mo old. Then afterward they asked if I could go with them shopping. When we didn't find anything remarkable in Port Dickson, we headed to the next town down a toll road, where we found a very unremarkable spot to look around. About the most I can say is it was time with people. I did buy some fried bananas and a vanilla coke. They were about the same price. Actually Doug bought the bananas.

After i got back, it was already about 4, so I went swimming and took a mango down to the beach, where I swam with David--from Beijing, works for company I consulted with in Qing Dao I think. He's from inner mongolia and this is the first place he has ever swum in the ocean. The mango was delicious, too.

Since my bathroom door was no longer locked, I was actually able to shower and then went to dinner--back to the fish, beef, rice, cabbage, and kong xin cai. It's actually pretty good, though.

Now off to the internet cafe before coming back to the mosquitoes.

Bye bye, Steve

PS If I at least had a mosquito racquet!

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Saturday update

Last night after you all went to bed, I got an email Jeff Whitaker had just sent, and ended up getting the chance to talk to him for a few minutes before my computer battery went dead!

Today, once I woke up, I got on the bike and rode south. Unbeknownst to me, the road had turned and I was headed east. Thus when I took a side road through very humble country side, I ended up in a big loop. I emerged right near the internet cafe, before I realized where I was! Then I rode north toward Port Dickinson. On that lousy bike, I wasn't so fast, though, and I didn't make it all the way--about 16-20 km to downtown. The road follows the coast with lots of beaches, camping, resorts, etc. one after another.

After I returned, I rehydrated, cleaned up, wrote a little more email, and went to lunch with Greg Thomson, the main leader of our event. We asked the camp manager where we could go and he suggested we walk down the beach to a resort hotel south of us. We did. What fun! When we arrived, it was like stepping into a different world. There was a huge pool, large lawns, etc., and of course, an expensive hotel buffet (actually cost about like Chili's!) I ate a very interesting smattering of foods that were all delicious, though the deserts won't make any american 4-star list. Of course, we drank water.

After lunch, the shower to cool off, then more email, and then, the requisite rest. Now a little more writing, then something for supper, perhaps some skyping with you, and that's my not so intense day! (Well, I admit to some "business" discussion while rehydrating and an email interview response to someone from Rice for their graduate magazine.)

Later, the sore old biker who's looking forward to getting back to his family and his bike in another week, Dad

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Thu night at SEALLAW

The debriefing session tonight seemed to go very well from my perspective. There were some surprises, but mainly the process of people being able to speak more where they were at should open up more learning in days to come, father agreeable.

I wrote a few things today which I will attach.

Rode bike briefly on the beach before supper, then went swimming again with my friend from "Inner Mongolia" who had never swum in the ocean before this week. I also bought more apple bananas, but they didn't fare well in my back pack--i forgot about them tonight in preoccupation with leading the session, or I could have put them out as intended and they probably would have been consumed like the ones last night.

I'll call on skype now before it gets any later.

Love, Dad

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

report in

Did I tell you I shared a bed with another adult man the first night? Turned out it was a mistake and now I have my own room. But the toilet is about the right height for squatting and I had a 24 hour floaty! It's finally gone. I went to a night market tonight, briefly, and road around yesterday morning looking for a fruit stand, which was closed.

Today has been ultra busy. There was a 2 hour team meeting tonight after the meeting where they were getting help from me figuring out how to train Asians better. I hope God used what I said.

So long for now, I'll try to skype!

Monday, April 03, 2006

SEALLAW1

Well, yesterday I made it here and we got started. Now we've finished the first full day. It's been an interesting blend of worship, experience, a little theory, and a little practice. But beyond the sessions, the highlights have been swimming in the ocean, seeing the sunset over the ocean, and buying a bike.

Yes, you heard right. When I enquired about renting a bike, I was told that it would cost 20 ringitt a day(sp, Malaysian money, about 3.8 to a dollar, or about 10 nt to a ringitt. On the other hand, it would cost 170 ringitt to buy a new bicycle. So I bought a new bicycle and will likely give it to the camp, or someone else, when I leave. That's about $50 US or about $5 a day, so i'd better ride it now. (Of course, if I could sell it for half price....)

Let's see, Joey, that would be $1 a km if I ride 5 km a day, 10NT a km if I ride 15 km a day. I guess it's a luxury, and Sarah will tell me I shouldn't have done it. It's one of those cheap bikes with probably 18 speeds like they sell at RT Mart.

The swimming in the ocean was most notable in that I was swimming with a Korean and a Chinese from mainland. The chinese brother had never swum in the ocean before. Even though the ocean was very calm, the beach was very gradual, no visible coral, and there were a few irritations from jellyfish like stuff, he was like totally awed by the experience, which also made it more fun for me!

I now have no excuse not to ride 1 km every day anyway, as that's what it takes to get to the internet cafe, where I'll be going shortly. I'm writing this first as I don't know how much he'll charge if I just get on for a few minutes. That costs 2 Ringitt an hour, I'm told.

I hope all is going well with you. The first night I shared a double bed with another man. Then today it came out that the person who assigned the rooms didn't know there was only one bed in it, and most of the other rooms did not have double beds. Result: I've been moved to another room and now have it to myself, as does he the first room. The accomodations are a step up from Dajia, but not two steps up :-)

Everything is clean, there is an old AC in the room as well as a cheap ceiling fan, and I actually have a bathroom with the shower separate from the toilet, unlike the previous room, where it was all together. The shower head does leak out the top where it's cracked, but I just put my index finger over the crack.

It's hot here and i have not used hot water for a shower and not missed it at all.

Love to you all, and I hope I am rewarded with some email tonight. I'll try to skype, too.

Steve