(continued from part 1)

The Tzu Chi experience🏯

I’ve always been curious about Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation as I often drive past their building when I’m in Indo. You don’t often see a Buddhist organisation living a strong cultural mandate, yet I see them with their school and hospital on each side of their massive building. During this trip, Mom asked if I want to join her and her friends on a Vesak Day celebration for the elderly which happens the next day after my arrival to Jakarta. So we went.

It is quite interesting how much of it is reminds me of Christianity (even the table cloth and their uniform are Presbyterian blue! 😆). Here are a few other things:

• Before entering the building, we are required to take off our shoes (they have a bag for you to keep your shoes that you carry with you). Standing on holy ground (Moses)? Or it could be just for cleanliness’ sake as they like to keep things tidy!

Mom’s friends certainly think it’s a sacred place. When we couldn’t finish one of the snacks (with a sour taste not for everyone), one of them reprimanded us,

‘You can’t discard Tzu Chi’s food—you have to eat it all!’

Later at lunch, when the same lady left the egg yolk on her plate, I asked her,

‘I thought we have to clear the plate?’

Pausing briefly, then with total conviction she popped it into her mouth and said,

‘Tzu Chi’s egg yolk won’t cause cholesterol.’ 😶 I was amazed.

Well, that part is different from churches. Not only is the church building not sacred in itself, it is filled with ordinary people. No, even flawed and very problematic people. Church is a place for the sick and broken, certainly not any holy and lofty.

• There’s a feet washing ceremony, i.e., you do it for others (remember Jesus washing the disciples’ feet?)
• They had a tea ceremony where we’re instructed to wait as the volunteers in blue served everyone tea, then we had it altogether (the communion? 😅)

• The language they use, values they identify themselves with, the terminologies are familiar. Here’re the two lists I saw upon entering the building:

• The choir (they can sing!). And also especially the song they get everyone to sing along. The lyrics include words like:

Your love and care strengthen me
We are one family
We need each other in this world 
We give thanks and believe together 
United in love 
The world filled with love and peace

My favourite part of the day was the an elderly performance by the Indonesian Senior Club, with ukelele and all:

Whatever else they do, Tzu Chi is selling it.

They are certainly buying it. It meets their need for a community, activities, and a sense of belonging and significance. These people sit quietly and listened to the messages from the founder and others on stage, and follow whatever is asked.

They connect very well with their audience and know what interests them. And we are there for 5 hours! Reminds me of the 33rd anniversary thanksgiving service at GRII church service that runs for what felt too long.

So, those are a few things I observed in this Indo trip. Moving on, some things I thought about in the few weeks there:

Things I think about

Self-denial is hard work

I found an inability, or more unwillingness, to put others’ interest before mine. It’s difficult to put others first, it’s always easier to just think about yourself and do what pleases you. But if we are in Christ, then that’s exactly where we have been changed. At least the realisation and the desire to do better is there, to continue to be kind regardless.

A simple thing as when I sit down and wanted a time on my own (not that it’s any wrong), but the kids come, or Mom, or something else that you think is happening at an inopportune time.

But what is the point of coming back if it’s not to be with them? I do put aside things and prioritise them, but I could hear me say to myself I’d prefer to do my own things first. I guess that’s denying yourself, but wouldn’t it be great if your heart do it more gladly?

Easily disturbed

One other thing I noticed is just how easily we can be unsettled by the smallest things. For me, one of them would be mozzies! 🦟🦟🦟🦟

I could say that’s because they do really feast me alive for whatever reason. Even so, that’s actually a small thing still. But it’s significant enough to me that I will choose to go places where I am relatively safe from them. Not interested in souvenirs from the Indo mozzies, please.

Also, being impatient when I think people are behaving unreasonably, including being impatient with impatience.

Just surprised by how little it takes to unsettle us.

More than a hotel upgrade

We had a free hotel upgrade in Malaysia this time due to full capacity. Mom and I were delighted and appreciated it very much. Mom said, we paid this much and get this much more worth!

I was telling her, imagine if we hadn’t paid the initial price. Actually, imagine we paid nothing.

No, rather imagine we are actually in debt, we owe them money. And then we get to stay in the upgraded hotel room. How much more grateful we would be?

Well, isn’t that kind of what happened with the way God treats us? We are in debt and He’s given us everything. Only we don’t truly realise it to be grateful to Him as we should be.

Someone’s watching

I received an unlikely WhatsApp group call from one auntie. Initially I thought that’s meant for Mom, so I picked it up and passed it to her saying it’s from this auntie, a group call. She said ‘hello’ but they didn’t seem to be able to hear her while carrying on with whatever they’re saying.

Soon, we realised we are not meant to be in the call. So I told Mom it’s clearly a mistaken call and hung up.

Later on, that auntie called Mom and asked her if I called her earlier. Mom said she’s the one who’s called me from a group call and must have included me in by mistake. The auntie was a little anxious and asked if I heard what was said. The fact is she’s talking about and elaborating on some people she’s unhappy about in the extended family.

I was thinking, isn’t that a scary thought? Imagine it’s not me but it’s the people she’s talking about who had been accidentally included in the call.

But in this trip, I have heard quite a number of gossips I’m sure are not meant to many ears to hear. And haven’t we all done that too?

If we know not only we are heard, but that we are watched at every moment, we will be more cautious not to offend our loving Father.

Miscellaneous

Confidence that brings doubts

Our two pet turtles have grown so big in the last few years, and while my nephew had lost interest in them, they remain an entertainment for the neighbours’ kids. They come around in the afternoon to watch the turtles cleaning time by the maids. I heard my next door auntie asking Mom if they’re male or female. She said if it’s female, it can produce more baby turtles and we can sell them. She told Mom you don’t need a male turtle, if you have only a female turtle they can lay eggs 🥚🥚🥚 that turn into baby turtles 🐢🐢🐢

That is the most amazing thing I’ve heard in this trip.

She’s so confident while saying it, it makes you doubt yourself. Mom said, ‘oh, really? I see.. I see.. that’s interesting. Wow.’ I tell Mom later, I don’t think you can have a baby turtle from a mother turtle alone, you need the male!

Now think about the gender confusion going on even with us humans, so my next door auntie’s just catching on with the time on the turtle’s end (not too ridiculous if you compare it with our own confusion).

Unique to Indo

Karaoke vs mosque’s call to prayer

One afternoon while playing board games with the kids, the neighbours were blasting on their loudspeakers, karaoke-ing old Hokkien songs. I asked the kids, ‘Do your neighbours do this often? Why must they be so loud, the whole neighbourhood can hear them.’

My niece said, ‘Oh, that’s not the neighbours, I think that’s some Islamic chanting. It happens.’

I just laughed so hard 😂😂😂. She’s mistaken some aunties singing Hokkien karaoke to the call for prayer that’s broadcasted by the mosques loudspeakers here in Indo. I have forgotten how that is a regular everyday (a few times everyday in fact) thing here in Indo, to hear the prayer coming out of the mosques.

Another thing I’ve almost forgotten is how people use umbrella here.

Tooth business

It still makes me cringe each time I drove past the sign that says ‘Ahli gigi’, or worse ‘Tukang gigi’. This is how they look like:

My nephew’s gibberish language

My nephew as a normal kid goes through phases with things. It was the dinosaurs, then capybara, and now it’s Mario. He told me one day he’s learnt a new language. I asked him how does it sound like, he went, ‘siki siki, suku suku, song su sah.’

What in the world? He asked me if I’m proud he’s learnt a new language, his sister said, ‘I have a mixed feeling about this.’ 🤣🤣 I’m not sure what I felt about it either.

Turned out it’s something Professor E. Gadd says. Do you know who that is? I didn’t even know until he told me. The things I learn here haha.

But good times with the kids 🙂

Alright, so much for this trip now.