Greenway Mission Blog: To the Carlisle Rotary...

Hello again from Indonesia! Because we spend so much time here in the city, we are getting to know our way around and doing more without a "guide." I thought I'd send some photos of Pasar Gede. A pasar is a market. And there are all sorts of markets, clothing pasars, material pasars, open-air, and night-time pasars. You can buy just about anything if you know the right pasar. This is a meat and produce pasar, but there are other commodities available. The street outside the pasar has a huge variety of shops. We were able to buy a stove-top oven at one. Sister Greenway (Melanie) has been baking because here they mostly fry. All of our new friends and acquaintances are thrilled and relish nearly anything she bakes - cookies, cakes, pies, etc. because they really don't have them easily available. That's not to say they aren't here, just pricey by their standards.

Yes, we have eaten at McDonald's (no we didn't eat the McGhetti - spaghetti), KFC (its pretty good - with each meal you get rice), and Pizza Hut which is in direct competition with Papa Ron's (yes, I wrote it right), and the other day we passed a Dunkin Donuts! The local food is good, sanitation is sometimes in question, but its nice to eact "American" from time to time.

I am currently working with a fellow with a severe cleft pallette - trying to get him surgery. He lives in a distant village, Jenawi (where the clean water project was) and we needed to get the chief's assent along with his family's permission. That is all taken care of - now I am trying to link the surgeon with Pak Sukiyo so they can talk over the phone and arrange to meet and schedule surgery. Distance and communication are challenging - Sukiyo does not have a phone - he has to use the chief's. I am also trying to meet with a fellow associated with United Cerebral Palsy. Our church has developed a wheelchair designed for primative use and we've got an Indonesian manufacturing company to build them and I need to meet with UCP periodically to set up distribution points and clinics.

Well, here are some photos of Solo. I hope all will find fun and interesting. Love and may God bless you all from Indonesia. - Ron Greenway

This is Pasar Gede . It is the focal point almost a town square.

Need some cuttlery? Pots, pans?

Fresh veggies?

Chicken

Salted fish?

Fresh spices?

Fresh (?) meat? Hey Mister - take my picture!
It's red and it's meat - ask no more!

Or how about seafood? Crabs, tiny clams, squid, shrimp, fish ?????

Earlier I mentioned Jak Fruit. When it is small, yound and tender, it is used like a vegetable. When it is fully ripe it is baked and looks like beef but is very sweet.