Guest post by Lesleigh Memmel
Love this Indonesia Tour banner! Photo by Alison Weakley Photography
To say that Indonesia was a whirlwind would be an understatement! We had 2-3 events per day in 6 cities over the course of 12 days, with one rest day! Our days were full, and we changed our “home base” every few days, but we dove right in from day one and had an incredible tour through Indonesia.
The local people have been so curious about our experiences in Indonesia:
Have you tried the food? Yes. All the food. So good!
Do you speak Indonesian/Javanese? We loved picking up the language in our 12 Days here. “Terima kasih” (thank you) was used too many times to count. “Matar Nuwun” (“thank you” in dialect specific to the region of Java) was a phrase that often got a big smile and a laugh when we used it in conversation, as they were surprised that we knew such a specific and local way to express our gratitude. One of our favorite words was “mimpi,” which means “dream.” Tony would talk about how long it took him to learn how to play the guitar… he’d say, “I am so glad that I didn’t give up on the hard days… because if I had, I wouldn’t be here today in Indonesia, making music with my wife and my friend. Being here is my dream come true… my mimpi.”
Speaking of mimpis (actually it’s “mimpi mimpi” for the plural form!)…
People have also asked what our most memorable moment has been in Indonesia. We all agreed that it was day two in Medan. We performed a concert at a Children’s Hospital – specifically for kids with cancer. There was a stillness in the air as patients and their families filled the room, and sat quietly and patiently waiting for our concert to start. When we started playing “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake, the patients, parents, and nurses rushed the stage to join us for a dance party. A nurse monitored an IV infusion while smiling and playing my tambourine. Kids danced and sang behind their face masks. For that few minutes, it seemed like all of the worry and pain left the room, and we were all just singing and dancing. That is the awesome power of music.
Dance party with the patients and staff at a local children’s hospital
Our next several days were filled with too many moments like these to count… we will blog more about Indonesia soon. Right now, we are enjoying a long-awaited day off in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. So much to share with you (soon!). Thank you for reading and sharing. Sending love from Cambodia!
Cheers from Cambodia! – enjoying a fresh coconut in Phnom Penh