Rainy Days, Rainy Nights

©StudioDeeba

Crrack!  Rumble, rumble.  I snuggle under the covers a little more and tuck my pillow a little tighter under my head.  With all my drapes open in my hotel room, I have a 180 degree view of Jakarta.  Indah!  All the pretty lights of down town softened by rain and heightened into an eerie state of electric beauty when the lightening strikes.

It's that time of year when the monsoons grace the shores of Indonesia.  It rains at least once or twice a day, sometimes more, for several months.  It cleans the air and eases the daily onslaught of mosquitos that greet me each morning on the project.  You know the rain is going to start when the sunlight dims, the winds pick up and the air is electrified.  It is the coolest feeling to see the hair on your arms raise when the lightening begins to strike.  :)

©StudioDeeba

I think Indonesia is stifling and hot and the monsoons really cool things down.  Of course, I'm a girl from the Northern Tundra in the United States where temperatures can go as low as -50 degrees fahrenheit.  

©StudioDeeba

The Archipelago of Indonesia is cut in half by the equator and this tends to attract the monsoons.  Rivers swell, homes are demolished and streets flood.  Every estate or large home has a drainage ditch around its walls and the city of Jakarta just installed better drainage along the avenue of Surdiman; all essential in managing the short but heavy storms.

Snuggling in
©StudioDeeba

I like the weather when it is happening.  Having grown up in Minnesota, I guess you could say I am a bad weather junky.  whenever there is a sever storm (and there's a lot of it), people band together and help each other.  There are services providing staples for "shut-ins" or the elderly, who cannot get to a grocer, guys helping girls get their cars out of snowbanks and kids earning extra money by shoveling snow for their neighbors.  It's great to have the feeling of safety within your home while mother nature rages outside.  Be it a snow storm, sleet, wind or rain, for me, it's a time to curl up with a good book, hot cup of tea or a glass of wine and a movie.

If you are interested in the weather of Indonesia, I recommend you go to this website for more. .Indonesian Weather I'm not sure why they say Indonesia is not hot.  I've been here almost 6 months and I know there have been plenty of days where the temp was above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Well, I think it's time to make some tea and watch a movie.  :)  ahhhhhhh....now, if I just had a handsome man (like George Clooney) to snuggle with, life would be perrrrrrfect.  :)

"Surrender!"

my first chalk painting©StudioDeeba 

During the holiday I took a flight from Jakarta to Taipei as the first lag in my journey to see family in Minneapolis.  Finding my seat, I was greeted by a happy, friendly face looking up at me.  Immediately, she understood that I was to sit next to her and got up to make room for me to squeeze by.  Getting comfortable for the long flight, we introduced ourselves and settled in, "Hi!  My name is Deeba."  :)

"Oh, hi, I'm Fanny."  And so began our discussion.  The time flew (ha!).  I learned that Fanny was studying for her doctorate in Family Medicine (forgive me Fanny if I'm not phrasing this correctly) and had just spent several months in a remote community helping the sick heal.  This is part of the requirement for her degree.

What an interesting and accomplished woman.  We compared the practice of medicine in the U.S. to Asia; my information coming from a patient's point of view and hers from both patient and Doctor.  We were discussing the challenges for doctors who wish to practice in countries other than the one where they obtained their degree when over the speaker we heard the pilot announce a delay due to weather in Taipei.

"Earth Goddess" ©StudioDeeba

Ugh.  :)  I was expressing concern because my flight from Taipei to LAX was tightly scheduled.  Come to find out Fanny was taking the same flight.  We started to laugh when I said, "Well, I guess it's out of my control."

"Yeah," said Fanny (who is incredibly funny) "We're in the system now."

"In America, we call it releasing and letting go."

"Ha!  In Asia, we call it Surrendering, not releasing!"  We both started to laugh so hard, it eased the tension of the hustle and bustle we were about to experience in getting to the next gate and ready for a 14 1/2 hour flight.

"Bad Hair Day"©StudioDeeba 2001 

Little did I know how I was going to understand the true meaning behind her words.  The last month has been one of "surrender" for me:  Fighting the day-to-day struggles of being creative-on-demand; competing for bids, and nightly negotiations with servers for true vegetarian dinners.

Even the last 48 hours have been hugely plagued with my consistent and constant surrender:  Paying for a cut and color (hair) that turned into a fried mass of orange, burgundy and black hair, to the loss of a debit-card (my fault).  And!  I have a cranky disposition due to challenge after challenge in coping with these issues.

Now here's the good news, I had help.  From the Concierge at my hotel who helped me with the hair fiasco, to my friend Kathy, the good people at my bank (Chase) and my mother who assisted with my lost debit card; I had help.  And, to my client's assistant and my friend, Fi Fang, I was not a helpless victim: I wasn't alone.  They all helped me to feel more in control when things weren't.  And for this I am so grateful.

©StudioDeeba

Toward the end of this morning I really did detach and just went through the challenges with as little anxiety as I could...I was upset at the circumstances and myself.   I mean, come on people! I'm menopausal - that means there is no "pause" button between my feelings of frustration/irritation and my actions/words.  Anyone who has gone through this (male or female) can totally relate.  !!!!   Surrendering is the last thing on our minds!  :)  (ha!)

Being in Asia is softening my rough and stubborn edges, making me more patient (detached) during the experiences that shock and surprise me from time-to-time.

I saw Fanny as we quickly moved through Customs at LAX and took note.  There wasn't enough time to say a proper goodbye, but I'm wishing her all the best in her efforts to help the villagers in remote Indonesia be healthy and strong and to live life well... :)

Surrender: (suh-ren-der) 
(v.) To yield to the power or control of another
(v.) To give oneself up
(n.) Surrendering 

I Will Miss My Friends in Jakarta

Enjoying a night out at the mall

As my time in Jakarta draws to an end, I think of all the people I have met who have welcomed me with open arms and smiling hearts.  I can't help but get a little melancholy.  I have spent half a year here and have made friends with quite a few people.  It's easy to do in Jakarta.  The people are kind and friendly.

Friendly colleagues

The professionals I have met on this project have made an impression on me;  their desire for a successful project has reminded me of when I was in corporate and how the pressures and the timelines were constantly in the background of the daily grind.   (I'm not saying I still don't experience that pressure as well, but it's different for me as an artist compared to when I was a stock trader or a Project Manager in Marketing.)  I see the challenges this team faces and it amazes me that they can keep the project moving forward.   They handle the pressures with grace and a desire to do what is right and in the end, they have produced a beautiful estate for their client.  Projects like this are always difficult because they go on for a long time and sometimes you just don't see a light at the end of the tunnel, especially when there are so many changes and so many people/contractors involved.

Always time for a photo!

I walk through the mansion and look into the faces of young people who are putting food on the table for their families while providing beauty for their patron and I think of how I will miss them.  The bright joy and the hard work.

Even my competitors are friendly!  Nomura has been kind with advice and Riko has become a good friend.  Wow!  We all know that this isn't about someone taking work from another; its' about working together to deliver the best product possible.  And if today, our client feels like hiring Riko for this, or Deeba for that, well, we are all cool with it.  We are professionals...good people.

Has there ever been a moment when you take a "mental snap shot?"  A time that you will remember for the rest of your life?  I have had these moments and they usually mark change for me.  Today, I was walking across the Grand Hall and heard all the activity from the creaking of the scaffolding (two stories high) where Paul Strong was painting another one of his masterpieces, to the sound of men in a room down the hall yelling and laughing (I have no idea what they were saying!) while installing wood paneling.  Approaching my apprentice, Iden, painting out another niche that I am to repaint (changes, changes, changes), I thought, Remember this moment, it is a part of you now.  After all, aren't we a compilation of the experiences we've had in our lives?  Now, Jakarta and its people are a part of me.

Fi Fang and Deeba
 at Christmas

Me and the Drivers - Protectors

Maria!  

A thank you dinner for Iden, my apprentice,
and Ghofire, my driver - we went to Potato head!

I will never forget this experience and hope it is a door opening to additional opportunities in this city that I have come to enjoy.  And if not, well....I will just have to start taking my bi-annual vacations in here - in Jakarta (and bali, too!  :)

The Year of the Dragon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! Or as is said in Indonesia:

Kionghee...... Kiongkee...... Xin Nian Kuai Le.... (This year will be better) Wishing You and Your Family Happiness, Good Fortune and Prosperity in the Lunar New Year....... God Bless You. It is the year of the Water Dragon!  How wonderful.  Yesterday was the Spring Equinox and the beginning of the Chinese New Year.    In Indonesia, women are trying to have a baby because of the luck that is found in the year of the dragon.  C-razy!  Right?  Well, perhaps not.  There may be some credibility to this idea of bringing forth a wee soul this year. water dragon ©StudioDeeba The Chinese consider themselves descendants of the dragon.  China has influence and affluence in Indonesia.  A lot of my friends are of both Indonesian and Chinese heritage.  A beautiful people.  The Water Dragon carries the serenity of water with it, making it a more tempered dragon.  It is said that the strongest yang appears in its calmest form.  What does this mean to the average American?  It means we are ready for a good year.  Strength without aggressiveness.  It will be an exciting and energetic year and is always a good time to make change and take bold risks.  Be brave but thoughtful. Intentional but break out and do something new and fresh...be bold.  The dragon's body twists and turns, opportunities and challenges, so be prepared for a great ride! Some say it will be a good year for turning our world's economic crisis around. I sure hope so.  We could all use the luck found with this Dragon.  The Chinese Dragon is a called a "Long."  It is considered a force of good and the mythology behind this mystical creature goes back several thousand years.   There are more than 100 classic references in Chinese to "The Long."  I have been advised not to use the word dragon with the word "long" as that would not be correct, even though The Long is a Dragon.  :) It is more a snake-like body than the kind of dragon depicted in the European references.  The Chinese take great pride in their Longs and so this year has been celebrated with great anticipation and excitement.     Oh! And, I found my own little dragon crawling up the glass door to my shower!  This is the second one I have found...:)  I captured my fierce little dragon and released him in the stairwell of the 43rd floor of my hotel. What a fun experience on New Year's Day.   After I released my dragon, fireworks began.  And what a show!  I could see the flares reflected on the glass of surrounding buildings.  It was cool to see them from the top down instead of the bottom up.    I think the shutter opened after the flares but it is still a beautiful picture of New Year's Night.   Overlooking Surdiman (road) My mother is a Fire Dragon and my friend Amanda is a Dragon, as well.  They are strong, independent women who have always lived what I believe to be charmed lives.  Always ready to smile, and have a fun time. Oh how I love my dragons!   Once again, Happy New Year, my friends! ©StudioDeeba

Happy Times with Friends and Family

Me and my sisters Michele and Brenda having fun in the snow.

I went home for the Christmas Holiday and New Year's.  It was wonderful.  I had a chance to see my friend Karen and meet her three sons.  What a nice time.  Another friend I hadn't seen in over 25 years, met with me for lunch.  Wow!  My friend John and I worked in Radio after college and really had a great friendship.  Alas life happens, he got married, I moved to Chicago and we lost touch.  However, we seemed to pick up just where we left off and what a great time we had catching up.

Seeing my family (over a year had passed since we had hugged and laughed together) seemed to lighten my spirit and lift my heart.  I even had a chance to eat breakfast with my Aunt Orpah and Uncle Dick.  How nice is that?  I kept pegging off my dad's hands in cribbage, winning quite a few games (I'm lucky that way) and talked about everything under the sun, and snow, with my mom.  About the third day into my vacation I picked up a cold - so did my mom and sister, Brenda and her daughter, Lauren.  ugh.  Only we made the best of it.  :)  Took long naps by the Christmas lights, snuggled in at Brenda's house and had a movie day which turned into a pajama party and donuts the next day.  Christmas brought in my sister Cheryl and her family, a few nephews and their children (yes!  I'm a great auntie!) and boy was it fun to see them playing with Lauren - she gave them rides on her back through the living room - poor thing!  I made phone calls to family in Chicago and friends in San Diego whom I miss so very much.  All in all, I recharged my batteries.  I have to say it was just what I needed.  Landing back in Jakarta, I hit the ground running and have been working very hard.

Yesterday was my birthday.  I always take time to reflect and take note of just how I am so blessed.   My friend Fi Fang took me to lunch (Fun!) and the GM at my Hotel and his house-keeping crew surprised me with a birthday song (sung quite well) and a chocolate cake!  It was fantastic!  I told them that the Harris FX Surdiman is my home away from home.  It was nice.

My friend John wrote about our getting together on his blog.  Here is a link to what he wrote.  I couldn't have said it any better.  What a great writer he is.  Read and enjoy:  http://johnbolduan.blogspot.com/2012/01/meeting-old-friend-and-marking-time.html

Jakarta: Land of Extremes

Looking out over Jakarta from a shopping mall -
©2011 Studio Deeba

Near Puncak ©2011 Studio Deeba

I look around this vast city and I must say it is easy to see everything in opposition.  The wealthy build their estates next door to the poorest of poor; They will pay thousands to install a chandelier but haggle over a two dollar variance in the installation fee; a family sleeps out in the open on the curb next to fast moving traffic and in front of a large home;  the young cannot afford shoes, but they own cell phones; Coffee shops aren't open early in the morning but instead are open until late hours of night. There are so many poor people that this has been, and still is, the norm for Jakarta.

The contradictions are interesting:
An old shed with new crates of
Coke, Pepsi and yummy Guinness,
The Old man walking with a cane versus
 the current mode of transportation for the younger generation.
©2011 Studio Deeba

My first impression was to believe this observation extremes was unique unto Jakarta, but after further contemplation, I know it's the same anywhere else in the world. In Chicago, Paris, New York, LA, Egypt, or in any community, you can see something similar, it's just not as obvious or perhaps as extreme.

What can I do about the poverty?  How can I help?  I think it happens in small ways.  I feel it is my responsibility to improve my life, my surroundings and my communities.  To protect and help those who cannot do for themselves (I mean REALLY can't do for themselves).  And to do it with no other agenda attached.  To live by example which, I have learned, is harder than the words describe.  

Vendors camp outside the front gates to homes
Here, thee security for the home is drinking
 coffee  ©2011 Studio Deeba

Prior to my arrival in Jakarta, I was supported through the kind and generous actions of my friends and family.  In return, I have tried to pass the giving on - pay it forward - to those in need in Jakarta, and not with money.  Sometimes it has involved listening to a colleague talk about the stress of the job, supporting a friend who quietly cried over the loss of her son to cancer several years ago, or encouraging the hopes of another through action, like training my assistant, Iden,  to become a decorative painter.

A construction site ©2011 Studio Deeba

 Jakarta is growing and its promise of a better way of living is on the horizon.  Pride and good work ethic are fast becoming the way of being for this society.  Construction is everywhere and the people of Indonesia are beginning to realize their independence.  Forty years ago they fought for Independence from the Dutch and won.  It's this determination that will help them continue to grow into their newly found freedom.  Forty years is nothing when we think of the opportunity for a better way of life.  They've also had recent struggles against those they might believe to be their foe but may turn out to be their best allies; the Chinese and Japanese who bring much opportunity (along with control) and money to this land.

A peaceful Vendor providing for his family
©2011 Studio Deeba

The headlines of Friday's paper said that Random Murders were on the rise and that theft is increasing.  The poor are getting more and more angry as they look at the development of their land and realize they don't have a "profitable" hand in it. Corruption in the government is everywhere, even though they are trying to eradicate it.  And to make matters worse, there is a definite cast system here.   Sound familiar?

This is not endemic to just Jakarta, but this sentiment is going around our world today.  We have to realize we are all in this together and begin to see those who have "something" are not always better off.  We must look within and be the best that we can be and quit looking at the next person and wanting what they have or feeling "less than" because we don't have it.  

A woman beautifully dressed,
 picking up twigs in the rain forest for a fire
©2011 Studio Deeba

But!  As in the rest of the world, in Jakarta, the beautiful people who work hard to provide for their families. Only they do it with a smile.  I have never experienced such a desire for happiness as I have here in Jakarta.  This is beautiful.  I can always just walk around outside or in the mall and people are so friendly.  It's a good foundation to build upon.

If we want to effect humanitarian change, why not within ourselves first?  Quit pointing fingers and just get on with being the best persons we can be.  Take responsibility for our actions and stop blaming others.  We need to have the courage to say "I am responsible."  We need to take action for not only our betterment, but for that of our fellow man - no strings attached (i.e. getting religion involved or political agendas supported).  Get involved to effect change, not just complain about it or use it as a reason to riot.  Move into the arena and participate.  Become a politician if you believe politics are not going in the right direction.  Pick up litter if you see it.  Provide shelter for a friend in need.  Help someone cross the street...you get it.  And, we need to see beauty in the least beautiful of places (it could be within our own heart) and support it to grow.

Change can begin within myself and then move outward not for any other reason than it is good and the right action.

Just a thought I had while being driven to work one day.  hmmmmmmm.....

The Magic of Wood-graining

Some of you have wondered what I've been up to so I thought I would post pictures of some of my work:

To begin I painted the door a pink color and then proceeded to work with stains and sealer to achieve the look of wood, working from the innermost part of a door and then out from there.

Final result.  ©Studio Deeba 2011

These doors are made to replicate Maple Burl Wood ©2011 Studio deeba

This was a sample that didn't make it.  I lost the work because the gold highlights were too bold.  But, I like it!  I think it's very french.  ©2011 Studio Deeba

©2011 Studio Deeba

Close-up on Maple Burl.  ©2011 Studio Deeba

Ceiling Detail.  ©2011 Studio Deebea

Sample of stone above to real stone below.  Lost the bid because the sample was slightly darker...Easy change, but I lost it on this technicality.

Right now I am finishing work on the detail of another ceiling.  I probably have enough work for about 20 more days in Jakarta and then it is on to Minneapolis for the christmas Holiday.  I had hoped to see Bali but am not sure if I can.  So maybe a trip to Jobja will suffice.  :)  Later my friends.