Tradition Tuesday

(I had to flip the wording order in the title, because "Tuesday Tradition" sounds like a tradition performed on Tuesdays. Which this isn't.)

Monday we were invited to a Death-iversary dinner. Our landlord stopped by in the morning to say that the guy a few doors down - a friend, talented wood-worker, we've bought custom furniture from him - was having a Death-iversary dinner at 11 and we were invited. This is a Vietnamese tradition to honor their dead family members. 

We got there a little early, because we are punctual Americans and still after almost five years unaccustomed to the fact that a given time is actually a roundabout number and not precise. The people hosting it own a... villa? homestay? hotel-ish set of bungalows? During Covid the property slipped into disarray but we wandered the property and saw the signs of new work beginning as they get it back up to proper shape. They have some guests now, but I don't know how many rooms are even really ready for guests. 

I know there are guests because by the time people started sitting at the newly set up tables full of catering, two more foreign couples showed up. One couple for sure is staying there, but they'll be leaving soon. They had questions about this event:  

Is there a presentation or speech? 

Are we supposed to do something or bring something? 

The answers: No, and no. The tradition is to share food with as many living family members and friends as possible. The greater the number of people enjoying themselves and eating well, the greater the honor for the deceased person. (As I understand it)

So our table had Brett and myself, the French couple staying there, another foreign couple (I think she might be a guest there) a Japanese visitor, an Australian guy who's lived here for years, and three Vietnamese people. We were the English speaking table.

When the food slowed down, we were ready to go. (It's truly just about lunch. Even people who are working just come in when they can from work, eat out of respect to the family, and then return to work.) Brett teaches Monday night, and after the beers served with lunch, he wanted to have a nap before tackling students. 

But we got home and he said, "I kind of feeling like going for a ride!" So we did. It didn't take long to realize that it was getting too cold for a motorbike ride. It was supposed to rain all day, but the rain had so far held off. By now I wanted something sweet, and I had only had one cup of coffee before lunch, so I had him drop me at my favorite coffee shop for a coconut coffee. He drove off and I sat there and wrote this.

After my delicious coffee I walked home. 

It started to rain.

I think it will be a cold week.

Fiction Friday - Organization

"C'mon, Dad. We've said we will lead these people through the desert. We can't just show them where to go and hope they'll follow. You think this mob will just go as a big ol' crowd together? There's already been infighting and it's only been weeks since we left Egypt." Jesus looked at his father, knowing the answer was there, just waiting for inspiration.

Jehovah sighed. "Son, they are just so rebellious. We parted the sea for them, and it's like they forgot already. I'm beginning to regret the covenant." Nevertheless, a covenant was a covenant. He had to do something.

"Yeah, true. We'll have to sharpen that up a bit. Show consequences. Let them see that we're on their side. Meanwhile, we have to find a way to get them moving without sniping at each other. And without driving Moses distracted with petty squabbles. If he's going to lead, how can we help?"

Sanctu sat off to the side. "Sat" might be an exaggeration. The white vapor floated above the discussion, looking down at the tribes of Israel settled in disarray far below the Holy Trinity, trying to survive, always on the edge, tensions running high. Even in a random clump, Sanctu felt the chaos within the camp. She descended to hover between the Father and Son. "A little organization goes a long way."

Jehovah and his son looked on, inspired by the short statement. That was Sanctu's role, after all - inspiration. "Yes," said Jehovah, and he leaned back, bracing his head between interlaced fingers. In a minute he added, "Tribe by tribe. Call Moses. We'll talk."

"Are you sure?" Sanctu asked. "Tribe by tribe is great, but which tribe by which tribe? In what order?" She had another good point. These were not just going to be marching orders, but camping orders. It was a good idea that needed fine-tuning.

Jesus placed a plexiglass grid over their view of the mess of tents and herds and people that sufficed for the Israelite camp. "Shall we do the camp first?" He looked at his partners. "If we decide how the camp should be arranged, that will inform the order they travel." The others agreed.

It took hours. 

"No-no! We cannot put the tribe of Simeon next to Benjamin! Simeon was forced to stay in Egypt while Joseph waited for his mother-brother Benjamin. Do you think it's forgotten?" Jehovah knew their hearts and minds.

"I really think Rachel's descendants are best kept together." The rivalry between Jacob's wives, Rachel and her sister Leah, might reignite in their descendants at any time. Sanctu was, as always, on point.

"What about the handmaids?" After Sanctu's comment, Jesus was thinking more broadly. Israel had two wives, but their two servants had also borne children for him.

In the end, the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Spirit - looked at the grid. The tribes descended from the two sisters would be on opposite sides of the tabernacle. "I think that's the best we can do." Jesus looked around for confirmation.

Jehovah smiled. "Wait a few centuries. We'll be watching them going through this 'who can be next to who' issue for personal events like weddings." They all laughed. "Now. Let's get Moses up here on the mountain. We have some explaining to do."

Reference: The marching orders for the Israelites are given in the book of  Numbers, chapter 2. It was during my recent rereading of this passage that I looked up - Genesis 29:31 - 30:24 - and realized which tribes came from which mother. Seeing that the layout of the camp separated sister from sister and handmaid from handmaid was too amusing not  to write about it.

Try Anything Tuesday

Hey there, happy people!

I tried a new thing today. Have you heard of Reiki? It's a Japanese energy healing technique. I just so happen to have a friend here who is a Reiki practitioner. I've known her for a couple years but it never really appealed to my logical brain.

Then this fall, I did something to my shoulder - slept wrong? I don't know. For a while it was distractingly painful, but not debilitating. Then, throughout the rainy season the pain would come and go. It hasn't been as bad for a while, but I can't sleep on my left side.

It turns out, a friend of mine back in the US goes to reiki regularly. (I don't know the verbs. "does" reiki? "Has reiki done to her"?) She sent me an article about how it has been used with some success to treat pain and trauma. Bingo.

So today, I had my first reiki session. Afterward I was told to pay attention to how I feel over the next few days, starting with today. Here's what I wrote today about the session:

Took my brain a while to relax. "Am I doing this right? Where should my hands be? What do other people do?" I felt her warm pressure in various places, but no emotion or build-up.

Tried to relax.

Tried to relax.

Trying is the antithesis of relaxing. Let my mind wander. I wondered what was happening, and associated different touch points with different chakras.

Did I doze off? I noticed a prayer-like lifting sensation. My hands felt they were rising (they weren't). My body felt lifted and pulled like taffy (it wasn't). Then I know I dozed. The place where my body was (head-to-toe) became a pool of shifting colors. Liquid violet, red, pink - jewel tones in a sea of darkness. As if someone was pouring swirls of paint together. Next I was a pool of milky-liquid (like that one Doctor Who episode).

After I thought I heard a rain storm starting (wasn't happening), I was conscious of myself again. My hand slipped involuntarily. I had a coughing fit for no reason.

Afterward, she told me the coughing thing is not uncommon as the body releases toxins through the process. She said to drink water, and that I'll probably want to go to bed early tonight.

I was so thirsty. 

Hours later, at home, after drinking more water, I felt light-headed.

When I sat to work at my computer, it felt like I'd had an injection in my shoulder.

I should explain, she knew my issues were insomnia, joint pain, and "a shoulder" but not which one. My shoulder hasn't been acting up lately, either. When we finished, she said she kept being drawn to my left ankle, and asked if I had injured that sometime in the past. No, but for the past couple weeks that ankle has felt bruised. A mild pain, so I never mentioned it.

Weird!