Salamat Natale: Merry Christmas

rice paddies beside our study area

Six hours a day of language training plus homework and review but in Ubud, Bali; what more can I ask for? Well, to have my friends and family here but that aside, this rural setting for my home stay in a villa style spot in the countryside outside of Ubud fits me perfectly. This is the last push for language to get me ready to study on my own in the New Year and to start at least basic communication with my colleagues as we begin to assess their expectations of this placement and what they want for their disability inclusion programme which will be new for them.
BUT, let's talk Ubud, rice paddies, slow country living. I sit on my open porch outside my room looking  at the Bird of Pardise "plant" more like a small tree, and the Lobster Claw plant again like a tree and orchids growing all around in the garden. The young woman upstairs who has been staying here and studying advanced yoga at the local ashram a 4 months has offered to lead us right here on the porch overlooking the rice paddies and the distant mountains (volcanic).

study porch

So, overlooking garden and  rice paddies with very intricate hand made irrigation ditches running off into the fields and men and women harvesting the rice stalks all around. Temperature at night is about 22C and in the day about 25 so very pleasant next to Kupang and the high humidity and heat. I will be back on a long weekend into the next year I'm sure. Also supermarket with all North American foods, so bought muesli and Greek Yoghurt!!! I've only been here about 7 weeks but already really appreciating those items not available in Kupang .

Buddist Shrine

So, to all of you who are following me and my adventures,  A very peaceful Christmas and may the year ahead hold good health, togetherness with the people who enhance your life, and may your dreams advance the way they are meant to. Sometimes we don't know what lies ahead, but isn't that the adventure in itself?

irrigation

other end of study porch look out over fields and garden

porch outside my room 

Berti and I at Rotterdam Steak House Kupang

James' sitting room in Soe

I will post my latest pictures, a few are of my visit to James, fellow volunteer in Soe, a 3hour bus ride from Kupang up into the mountains in his home, then shots from a night out at an expat bar with Berti and Rachael who departed this week for good back to London, England. Other shots are round the home stay I am in now. I saw the rice harvest, sheaves lying on a big bag that someone will carry on their head, cloths hanging and waving on a line that is wriggled by a man or woman standing at the end to scare the ducks off from eating the harvested sheaves before they are picked up, and just scenes from the porch where we study and look out of the open air room. VERY conducive to working hard and not feeling dragged out at the end of the day!
Hope you enjoy. Sorry, no Balinese Christmas trees - Just a Hindu shrine and offerings placed outside the entrance to our place. Offerings are on every doorstep, hood of their car and on the motor bikes too. the Hindu people are so very gentle, quiet and respectful. they are a pleasure to be around. Til the New Year, I am thinking of all of you and thanks for your comments and emails to keep me going on those tough days. I am truly blessed with the people in my life.