If you are curious how Indonesians sing Happy Birthday, then watch the video below! We sing Happy Birthday, then they sing "Panjang Umurnya"...or "long life."
Earlier in the day we had invited our MAF friends who have kids to join us at a local indoor playground, for a play session to celebrate Ian's big day!
It's a fun place! Indonesia is big on having places for kids to play. It seems every shopping center has a kids play place. This one is conveniently located right next to one of the town's best "supermarkets," so sometimes one of us lets the kids play while the other does the shopping we need to do.
On Ian's actual birthday one week ago, we did have a party, but it was an impromptu thing as we had gotten home from a week in Jakarta the day before. Our friends the Perezes joined us that night for cake and ice cream.
Mommy and Elise worked hard to make Ian's cake.
Random pics from the last several days....
I've been taking a few more pictures than normal over the last week. I cleaned the mold out of my camera lens....
Notice the whitish spots forming on the surface. That's something you have to think about here in the tropics, and apparently I didn't pay enough attention. I thought it was going to have to be junked, but a you-tube tutorial taught me how to open my lens and clean it all in about twenty minutes. Like new again!
In addition to that, I have been having a little fun with a used telephoto lens I bought from one of our language school teachers.....
Elise with our friend Jared. Elise really likes Jared! A while back Jared had knee surgery to repair a broken ACL, and Elise is always sure to ask him how his knee is doing. She is a compassionate little girl! Jared and his wife Teresa have a dog named Ada (below).
Dogs are not common here, so it is a treat to see Ada once in a while!
My friends Jon (left) and Ben (middle) (also MAF folks) playing soccer. Every Wednesday they play at the international school. Sometimes I join in. It's a great way to get some exercise and hang out with the locals.
Ian doing his signature point and "ooohhh!!"
At a "cultural expo" at a local college with our friends Aaron, Katie and Andrea (in the background).
Lastly, we decided to make the jump of turning Elise's afternoon nap into a "rest time" where she can sit in her bed, read her books, and play with her stuffed animals, etc etc. The other day, we went in and saw this......
