TRANSITION WEEK IN SINGAPORE

Miduk learning to iron at Linley's house in Singapore

Miduk cutting fabric to make an apron

Learning to sew!

Miduk's finished project - an apron!

Or, it can be a cape for a super hero costume! haha Silly Miduk

Miduk flew from Dallas to Singapore to spend a week with Linley before returning to his village in Indonesia.  Linley wanted to spend some time with Miduk before taking him back to his family, feeding him and making sure he adjusted to the 12 hour time change and getting caught up on his sleep. They discussed his future and she offered options, making sure that he knew he actually HAD options and wasn't being forced to do anything.  He could choose to return to school (he does NOT want to do that), he could learn a trade such as sewing or perhaps learn to make braces from Linley's friend, or he could simply return home and continue to do farming work with his family.  His displaced hip will make for a short future in farming, and we have been talking with Miduk about learning a trade and planning for his future so that he can support himself one day and help his family out as well.  Linley told Miduk that she wants him to take a couple months to think about it while he enjoys being with his family and friends again.  She had a pile of fabrics at her home and got her Bernina Sewing Machine out and asked Miduk if he would like to play around with it.  He was keen to learn and told her he wanted to make me an apron!  Linley said he measured the fabric and cut it out himself, including a contrasting fabric for the front pocket, and took his job very seriously.  He had a good time using the foot pedal to operate the machine, and told her "It's like driving car!"  :)  Linley mailed the apron to me and I love it!  Best Mother's Day Gift ever! :)

Linley said that the first night Miduk stayed with her he slept with our photo.  It still makes me emotional when I think about that.  They called us and we got to see him and talk with him via Skype on the computer so that was really neat.  Wesley was home at the time so he got to talk with Miduk too (he arrived home only six hours after Miduk departed, so I still have a hungry boy to feed!).   And before I went to bed he texted me and said "Night mom I love you". I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you about what I now call THE BIGGEST SCARE OF MY LIFE.  I don't even like to think about it anymore and have pretty much suppressed the memories, but in a nutshell the airlines lost Miduk.  I am not kidding.  Thank God I wasn't aware of it at the time. When Linley called me late Saturday afternoon (Miduk left here Friday morning) to tell me that Miduk had not arrived, I pretty much lost it.  In the Walmart garden center where I was shopping.  I remember screaming at her, "What do you mean he's not there?" and running out to the parking lot crying like a crazy woman.  Which I was.  Miduk was my responsibility and I was already feeling uneasy about him flying solo to Singapore.  We had changed his return reservations in an effort to hopefully make his connections easier, sending him thru Shanghai via China Eastern Airlines instead of having him change airports in Tokyo by himself and having to recheck all his luggage which would be nearly impossible for him to do.  Before he left, Miduk and I spent a lot of time going over his flight details, and I made a notecard for him with all the necessary information including my name and contact information in case of emergency, and helpful phrases in English/Bahasa translation.  As it turned out, the story has a happy ending because of course Miduk finally arrived safe and sound. He was put on a Singapore Airlines flight which was great and he even had  flight attendant who spoke Bahasa so he was happy clappy.  And he did follow all my instructions that I had written out and he asked to use someone's cell phone when he arrived in Singapore and phoned Linley to tell her he was in customs (she was frantically filing a missing persons report with the Singapore police).   I won't even go into detail except to say, note to self:  NEVER fly China Eastern Airlines!!! It would have been nice for them to contact me and let me know what they had done.  When I called them to try and figure out where Miduk went missing, they couldn't even pull up his name in their records!  I cried for hours, even after he was found, because it scared me so bad. 

OUT OF SIGHT BUT NOT OUT OF MIND

Well this picture says it all........We are all missing Miduk in our own way.  Sugar walks all over the house looking for Miduk and usually ends up in his room laying on his bed.  I feel like I hear him and see him every time I turn around.  I can still hear him in the car shouting "Mom oh my gosh did you see that?"

 Today as I blog it is 10/24/12, almost six months after Miduk left us to return to Indonesia.  I spoke with Miduk on the phone yesterday morning, and he sounded great.  We usually text or talk every week or two.  I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand Miduk when we talk on the phone-sometimes the connection is poor or there is too much background noise, but most of the time I am unable to understand his English!  I do believe that we are the only people with whom he speaks English.  He is currently in a vocational training program to learn some sewing skills, with the hope that he will become a tailor someday.  This was Miduk's chosen vocation and he tells me he likes it each time I call.  "I like it very very a lot!" he tells me.  When Miduk initially returned to his village in mid May, he spent his days playing soccer with friends, fishing, hanging out, helping his brother with the tomato gardens.  In late July his friends all went off to "college" in another village, leaving Miduk very lonely and bored.  At that point he told Linley that he had decided he wanted to learn to become a tailor.  Linley was familiar with a tailoring program designed for handicapped students that is in a village about two or three hours away from Miduk's village.  Miduk's parents gave their approval and were very eager for him to begin, although it would mean saying goodbye to him again and not seeing him for six months.  In August Miduk arrived at the school and made friends easily.  I'm pretty sure he is the youngest student there, and most likely the least handicapped.  He turned seventeen years old on September 30, and enjoyed the care package that we sent: beef jerky, soccer ball and pump, hair "jelly" which he had requested, and assorted snacks and cards.  He is also telling me that he has a girlfriend now (Maryjuliatta) who is not in the sewing program but attends "college" a couple hours away.  Now I REALLY wish I could communicate with him a little better!  :)