Financial Support We had an interesting day yesterday. She was grumpy with me most of the day, because I said that a one-day, uncertified strength training course in the capital city Jakarta, was not worth the expense. For the same money (including air travel and hotel) she could complete a certified personal trainer course that would benefit her when applying for immigration to Australia, and would also enable her to work as a personal trainer when needed. I wa...

Communication across cultures and across languages is always a challenge. These challenges are the focus of my professional life and so I enjoy the process of meeting these challenges. For my partner, however, these challenges are extremely frustrating and cause her to be become very angry with me. Because we communicate in Bahasa Indonesia and because we are often in Indonesia together, the problems can be more acute. She does succeed in using correct Indone...

Philippians 2:3-7 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. [4] Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. [5] Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, [7] but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in...

Yesterday in the gym, I was wondering how I could 'add value' to my partner's life. Sure enough, she relies on me for finance, travel, enjoyable international holidays, and liaison with the IFBB. Now that we are in her home town, it seems as though the only value I add, is finance. Unfortunately, that means that I am easily replaced. There is nothing within me that makes me unique and worthy of lifelong loyalty. I thought we had something unique in the bedroom, ...

Am watching an Indonesian love story movie - Pupus. Seems like fighting and sweet and sour is a part of romance in Indonesia. I have seen it in couples here in Indonesia. I often wonder about why we are often fighting over small things. The persistence of love is a theme of love in many countries. Let's hope my love story has a happy ending.