Salamat Raya Nyepi - Yearly Day of Silence

This is not a great translation but it’s the best I have! As I said in my last Blog, I was booked to come back to Ubud, Bali for this very interesting way to welcome a new year. This is the 3rd new year celebration including the one I was here for December 31. The second was Chinese New Year and now this very special Bali New Year for those of Hindu faith and distinct for Bali only as I learned on arrival.

Meeting with Disabled Person's Organization

But as usual, a little filling in to lead up to this weekend as it has been some time since I blogged. The last part of February and start of March was a rough time for me and it turned out that on top of some emotional downs, I also had Dengue Fever, missed in my medical tests in Kupang. I continued to slide over the following week and eventually realized I needed to get myself out of Kupang and to Bali with its International Medical Centre. Tests showed I had the Dengue antibodies so was in recovery from that but also battling related emotional stuff so meds in hand and orders from the doc to take off until the end of March I headed to the welcoming arms of my friends Lori and Bob who had just moved to Adelaide Australia.

half a block from L&B's; Adelaide

Being with friends and having conversations was a great help along with lots of hours of sleep and slowly getting some exercise walking the nearby beach - exactly what I needed for 10 days. That brings me to now picking up the original plan of a long weekend in Bali then meeting a new volunteer arriving from Canada who will have my Malarone anti malarial with her. As she was leaving from Vancouver, Don was able to get my precription filled and passed on to Kelsey on his visit to Vancouver for work and Kelsey then to Margaret the new volunteer! Isn’t family great???

Now to Nyepi! Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa, new year. It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year. Tonight, the eve of Nyepi, effigies are paraded around Bali, some very big and scary ones by some of the more creative folks and some small but equally scary prepared and built by the kids. Loud firecrackers and some type of home made canons are being lit - all to frighten away the evil spirits. As of 6 am tomorrow, there will be no noise or signs of life on the island of Bali for 24 hours. The airport will be shut down and only essential services will be working such as hospitals but lights will be kept low. There will be security police in the streets to be sure no one is walking about, no fires are lit and as night falls, it remains dark to the next morning. As Ubud is a major tourist area, our place, the Honeymoon Cottages, will provide complimentary meals for us tomorrow, and we may move about the compound within, including using the pool, but we are to talk as little as possible, and quietly, keep our room lights low and not leave. For the Balinese people, it is 24 hours for self reflection, and a time for people to review the year behind and think about the one ahead.  Not so bad an idea for the rest of us either! The additional purpose for this day of silence  is so that the evil spirits that were frightened away the night before won’t return as it will appear there is no sign of life here on Bali.
How cool is that?? The day after Nyepi is spent visiting with friends and family and apologizing for any wrong doing over the past year. Now, this is a foreigner’s acount from what I have read, so I apologize for any misrepresentation of this lovely ceremonnial time on Bali.



So, the 28th of March I head back to Kupang after a visit with my doc in Bali and I will kick start this next phase of the adventure. I have talked about the roller coaster and it keeps going in its funny and not so funny circular pattern.

I have a couple of ideas to get things moving in the work I have been sent here to do, and an idea of how to get myself more comfortable. Time will tell as I stay open to all possibilites the universe presents.

Selamat Hari Keluarga - Happy Family Day

avoc

Family Day in most of Canada, so happy long weekend to all of you! Our next long weekend is March 23rd and it will be the Hindu New Year. I have booked myself a nice room in Ubud to take in the festivites because by the sound of it, in Bali, this is an extreme holiday, the most extreme being that all goes black Friday night, no electric of any sort, no planes are flying in or out of the island, no cooking and children have spent weeks building large effigies of monsters that they parade through the streets to scare each other, but also to let eveil spirits know they are not welcome. Read up on it - lots on the web!

As for me, I have had several activites among many slow days - it all balances out; so here are the bits and bites of my more active, and subsequently, upbeat days.
A market shop that found me with an avocado like I’d never seen before! Large and of reddish hue. There is a lovely drink that I’ve had which is an avocado juice. Sounded awful but it is avocado blended with milk and sugar then drizzled with chocolate syrup. It is absolutely delicious! So, we will back up to Valentine’s Day. Began with Berti coming to my door with the most cute card of Micky Mouse valentine with a personal note inside summarized here, to tell me how happy she is to have me as her friend, giving her confidence in the work she does in our organization by letting her know that she is working in what I think is a highly professional manner and great work ethic. (She often doubts herself as some of her colleagues don’t understand why she works the way she does.) Her note went on to say that although she guesses my family and friends miss me, she hopes they will be patient waiting for my return because she and the people here need me. She assured me I am not alone here, and I should know I have a friend to call on anytime. I was SO touched - what a way to start a day and I look at her note when I have those days that I need a lift to carry on. She joined me for leftovers in my little sitting room, and soon later another colleague, Yeni came by and the 3 of us ate togehter and enjoyed my leftovers together. They laughed that us 3 women were sharing Valentine’s and I let them know that this brings memories of sharing a few such Valentine’s with my women friends when Don was away working. Thes young women make me laugh and they coninuously laugh, not matter what they are facing in their lives personally. Such a warm and fuzzy day with a love note text from my honey to boot! Now to tie this in with the giant avocado. I hauled it out of my fridge and asked Berti what to do with it so she proceeded to scoop it out and mash it with milk and sugar in a glass and we yummied it down with spoons!! It was scrumptious.

view from Farm School to the sea

students prepare land

Another day our coordinator took me out to the organization’s Farm School - Sekolah Lapangan Nakamese, built a year ago by the founder of INCREASE and now takes students to learn animal husbandry and crop production. The bulding is ultra modern and animals from goats, to cows to pigs and chickens and several plots of vegetables surround the place. All stock are in barns and clean pens. Some high school students there for a 3 month practical were preparing the ground for another plot of vegetables - backbreaking work as it is all prepared by hand and the earth is very solid and the last step is to break it down to finer soil for planting. It was a stinking hot day and they were working hard. But out there in the rural area in the hills above Kupang there was a cool breeze that in the shade was SO refreshing after a day in the city with not a breath of a breeze and 31C in the shade. It was also QUIET! I just sat and looked out at the vista to the sea over the forest and it was a moment of pure bliss. Reminded me of early days at the Newsham farm when we would work in our garden and I would just stand and listen to the quiet. Some students went and picked us some guava and they all laughed when I had no idea how to eat this fruit - do you peel it or just bite in? You can figure it out I bet or do the research. Happy to give them a laugh once in a while!

groups at work

community process

A day in the village I was witness to an amazing priority setting process by the village we are starting with for the diability incusion  work. At this point I am just observing and letting people become adjusted to seeing me there with Berti. A fully democratic process so similar to what we have done at home, gather community input ato set the next year’s priorities. But the difference was they needed quorum so the meeting was to start at 9 am but we visited and waitied til noon for the numbers to add up as many people were still planting in their fields. Then off we went with powerpoint reports, lists of possible needs that were identified in earlier meetings then 5 small groups, each taking education, health, infrastructure, governance or economy as their assigned talk to identify the top priority. (Berti told me it was good to see gender, age and professional balance in most groups! Everyone from the aged farmer to the young head master of the elementary school and young and older women participating.) Then the groups reported back and started yelling out why they thought it was a good one, others interupting to say why it was not, others yelling other ideas or needs as most important. So lively and interactive - this was NOT like a meeting in Red Deer Alberta. But they did arrive by 6 pm at their top 5, with all interest areas covered. One is a new multi pupose building - started out as a kindergarten as they have funding for the building but one woman called out that her local district within the village did not have a meeting place so if she donated a portion of her land, how about they have a multi purpose building and get more use out of it!! How is that for participation and cooperation? To get the funding they have to show right to the property and this covered that need as she is the owner. So cool. Now Berti and I are going to try to stick our noses in and suggest we look at a fully accessible building - “universal design” toilet and all - for those with disabilites. This will be a cautious process and we haven’t figured out how to start quite yet, although her suggestion of asking to hold a focus group when they start their planning might get us there.

Next bite is that I was invited Saturday evening to dinner with a couple I recently met at a local gathering spot for those of us far or not so far from home. These lovely people originate from the UK - Ireland and Wales but have a home in Sydney Australia but Angela is on contract here with the Health Dept and Morton is retired. It was an evening of memorable proportions as I realized how lonely I am for socializing with people closer to my age, background and interests. They invited another friend as well, started with appetizers with Camembert cheese! vodka martinis, follwed by a fantastic pasta dinner with the best vegetarian sauce you can imagine and real parmesan cheese! And to top it off - RED WINE! You can see cheese of a real sort - not Kraft singles and red wine have not been past my lips for some time! Great conversation rounded out a night that just felt like home. They have a real house with a real kitchen!

bar b que bananas

Berti

drinking coconut juice

Now this evening was followed by Berti taking me to the beach Sunday as she felt bad that I hadn’t seen it yet. It is a large stretch of sandy beach, the gathering spot for people, families, barbque picnics etc. Lots of kids in the water which is warm like bath water. Reminds me of the Indian Ocean which must be attached to this water. Will have to look back on my map! Laciana Beach is superb, clean and a place to get back to. It started to rain so we headed into a little covered spot with benches to buy fresh young coconut juice - vendor just punched a hole and stuck a straw in - then after split it for us to eat the soft slimy coconut inside. Not like we are used to at home - I think we get “old” coconuts that have dried out more and I must say I do enjoy those more. Then we ordered barbqued bananas - done over the coals of coconute shells, the fuel of all barbques here - and smeared with our choice of palm sugar - like brown sugar but better!, fresh ground peanuts or chocoate or grated cheese. Since I had overdosed on cheese the night before, I had the sugar with nuts and Berti had palm sugar with cheese. Oh my gosh was it good! She insisted this was my treat day as she had finally gotten paid! I feel so guilty letting her do this but it does please her and I find ways to reciprocate. Our stop on the way home was to buy fruit for my week and we found Tamarind pods - another great find that I will return to - sort of like dates.

So my friends and family another week or so in the life......
Happy Family Day whatever you do - enjoy those around you and the simple things of life! Sampai lain kali - until next time

Satu Minggu - One Week

A variety of happenings since my last post, so will try to re-cap without too many long stories. It’s a bit of a stew of events. Went to the engagement party of a colleague's brother, where family talks of the plans for the marriage ceremony; friends and family gather in the home of a family member who has the most space, in this case my colleague's aunt and uncle’s home. Everyone sits around the perimeter of a mostly empty, very large room - many homes are built with cement as this one is and it is very new and large - two floors. Plastic chairs are brought in - you see pickup trucks and even motorcyclists carrying a stack of plastic chairs on a regular basis as there are many gatherings needing seating in people's homes or yards. Then a meal was served buffet style and thanks goodness for my friend Berti who asked me at one point if I knew what I had just put on my plate. I said "beef" but the look on her face told me it was maybe important for me to know, so I asked the question. She leaned in close and quietly, so others wouldn’t hear, said “it’s kinda like Kiko Mrs Pam”. Kiko is her dog!!!!!! I had forgotten in orientation we were told that this delicacy could be on the menu in some areas. OMG! Well, politeness prevails when you are out to dinner, so finished putting food on the plate, asking beforehand for Berti’s confirmation of edible for me. Tried to keep my eyes averted while I ate everything else on my plate, covered the rest with my paper napkin and set it aside for pickup and I think no one was the wiser. Man, that was that a close one! I suppose if I weren’t the wiser maybe I would have been ok but so glad NOT!

Berti dressing Kiko for the outing

hangin' around!

So our next adventure was Berti telling me she was ready to have Kiko spayed after many chats about having too many puppies - Kiko is 2 and has had 3 litters already. Indonesia is dog capital of the world I think and she does love this dog so wants to keep it healthy. She thought maybe we could take Kiko both ways on the back of her bike on my lap but I nixed that idea and we booked a driver with car and off we went with Berti laughing all the way about a dog riding in a car and how Kiko took right to it! The vet clinic was just like at home so my guess is it is mostly foreigners who use it. No appointment needed and no clients/patients around so they took us at 3 in the afternoon when they normally close at 4 and did the deed. I was terrified that if anything happened to the dog I’d really be in trouble and started to doubt the wisdom of my education on animal control and care! But all went well and after 3 hours we were on our way home. Kiko has recovered well, with Berti keeping her inside for 2 days which is a feat in itself as doors are always open and dogs run free. Berti’s comment on the whole thing was that this animal hospital treated her better than she’s ever been treated when visiting a "people hospital". She said how friendly and kind these people were including the doctor. Causes me to imagine how health care happens here for local people. I am so very fortunate to know I don’t have to experience that if I need care. But then of course feel so bad that local people have no choice and have "white priviledge"

some of the health clinic Moms and kids

Next adventure was to the monthly health clinic in one of the villages - Oelomin - with Berti where she has trained a volunteer facilitator to run the local health clinics and women’s education on health. So much fun seeing these lovely women, sitting on the ever constant plastic chairs around the perimeter of the room, chatting and I'm sure comparing child stories, a tarp on the floor was a squirming mass of children from toddlers to 5 year olds playing with the few toys provided. Flip flops were kicked off and they squeezed themselves onto the play surface.

baby in a bag

Following a presentation by a guest speaker on HIV/AIDs - complete with condom demo with a penis model which the speaker pulled out of her kit, setting everyone howling with laughter! Then the weigh in of all the kids. A bar with counter weight hung from the ceiling and bags to hold the babies and step in cotton harnesses for the older ones. You could tell the kids were used to holding still and just hanging there while the weight was moved carefully along the balance beam. All records are written by hand in a ledger book- no laptops in sight!  A volunteer keeps the record, calling out the kids by alphabetical order. A few litle boys did NOT want to be weighed and kicked up a storm - but all had to be processed! The two weighin moms, also volunteers, tried to soothe the naysayers, even pointing at me to try to take their attention away, all to no avail.

nurse preparing slides to go to the lab

 Our director wants me to start teaching interview skills to the staff so that will be a task as I try to simplify and translate AND present with eough exercises (activites) to keep interest! Off to the village 3 times this coming week, just to get my face known and to hopefully build some relationship - so hard to do when mostly I can smile and make very small talk!! But, with Berti at my side giving me the cultural tips on when and how to address the Kapala Desa - village head - and many other tips to keep me reasonably polite, I should not stumble too badly!

village woman selling cucumbers at our door

So, that’s my week - lots of variety, still trying to get the language to a workable level but not there yet.
Time to go and cook up supper of some kind of potatoe - (I hope)  bought at the market today, carrots, eggplant that I’m going to stirfry with chilies, turmeric (fresh) ginger, shrimp paste and tomatoes. Gotta love all the fresh spices and herbs - lots of fresh lemon grass too, and mny things I don’t recognize!


Bye for now and “Sampai Jumpa” “til we meet again”

Hal hal sedikit - LIttle things

It has been an interesting few weeks since my last Blog post. A bit of an emotional roller coaster is the best description I can give and even though we are intellectualy prepared for this, still not a reality until it is experienced. Thanks to my friends and family, I feel very supported! I keep being surprised at who is reading the blog and it really makes a difference there are so many of you out there!! And thanks to Kelsey for her little packages she sent with me to open on those tough days. Last evening's was a lovely note and 3 Stash herbal tea bags! I SO enjoyed one before bed and re-grouping my emotions!

mom and kids at the well

Since my last post I have been back to Bali as part of my elected position as a volunteer representative along with two others from another island, on a committee with VSO staff. This also entails greeting new volunteers when they arrive in country, so I had the pleasure of picking up a new Canadian volunteer from Vancouver Island, Meghan Larson two weeks ago and helping to greet two others, Nyamburu from Kenya and Charles from Uganda. They will all be placed on Flores Island so after our 5 days together while my colleagues and I did some orientation,  I had to say so long until we meet again! I was a bit envious of them having fellow volunteers in their towns on Flores. I think I miss that, but on the other hand, I am forced to make friends locally and establish a local life, and that is what this is about in addition to our formal work. I know that takes time too.
The "little things" of daily life: walking to work along my broken and rutted road saying salamat pagi - good morning to the same people each day. they look so serious as I approach but as soon as I smile and call out to them, I get a huge warm smile back! That makes my day. The boys on the motor bikes who pass me both ways coming and going morning and afternoon, always offering me "ojek" lift even though now they are used to me saying I like to walk. Here, walking means you are so poor you cannot afford a ride in a bemo bus or the more expensive ojek, or a spedomotor - motorbike, of your own, and they see my hwite face and it doesn't compute that I might be too poor to afford a ride.

village home

Noticing something new each day - today was a sad looking pomegranate tree in someone's front yard. Took me back to our hike in Turkey but those pomegranate trees were SO healthy. Yesterday was the various colour of hibiscus flowers along the route. I don't know if they are just starting to flower more, or if I'm looking around more! I think the latter.

The not so little thing is not being sure of anything, not really getting the lay of the land, people's routines and just generally not counting on anything until it really happens. Not easy for a North American used to pretty much knowing how things go, counting on timeliness, and being abe to understand the fine detail of what people are telling me.
For example: Last week our Director told me staff were ready for me to "do some knowledge transfer". I felt I might be able to do something even given my limited language but he followed with asking if I wanted 2 or 3 days for this workshop! (I'm thinking 2 hours will stretch me at this point). So of course I opt for the 2 days. But I do know to ask the manager what time we will start, and she confirms my suspicion by telling me 10 am. Now I know that we might sart by 10:30, an hour for lunch and finish no later than 4. Reality? Started at 11 am when most of staff are there - one staff - the one who I rely on for interpretation had a prior meeting she could not get out of. Problem being, I didn't know she had this meeting or we could have chosen another day.  It might be culturally not acceptable to ask for this to happen - makes for a problem now and then. We stumbled through day one with my language, a dictionary on the table and a couple with Blackberry translation! We did laugh a lot too! (oh, lunch went for 2 hours as the felllows had to go out to pick lunch up for those who didn't bring a lunch and took longer than expected). they tell me I was fabulous!! So very generous of them. They reminded me I have been here only two months and a bit.

family kitachen 

The way sentences are formed changes the meaning just like English. I often don't know if I am being told something is being planned, looked into or if something is definitely scheduled, or if someone will consider checking into it for me or if they think it is a good idea I do it. Example: I say that I would like to meet with Handicap International here in Kupang to find out about their disability inclusion program. I say I don't have a name or contact and ask if someone does. I had to triple check to see if I understood that my manager is going to call the person who's name she has and will take me with her to be introduced as the new volunteer with INCREASE (my org).  Not sure though, will see... Was told two weeks ago that they would take me this last Monday to meet the government people, then when I arrived at work the Friday before, they told me Monday was a holiday so they were trying to set it up for tht very day. I am NOT dressed to go to meet the government folks! Good thing was, it was last minute and the Gov folks were too busy. Not sure when that will happen now. Not sure how meetings happen here - not sure if they are planned well in advance and put into daily planners. Don't yet know how to ask! would be helpful for me to have some advanced planning for outings.

new mom and babe - and me

I've always prided myself on being able to "go with the flow" but there are days when this ability is surely tested! Was supposed to be picked up tonight at 6:30 to go for dnner and a meeting with our staff and their Australian funder. BUT, my ride is a no show and although I sent a text, no answer as to the problem. Since I'm not sure where the meeting/dinner is, no way I can catch up. Good I had my chicken dinner left overs to warm up! I gave it 11/2 hours as that sometimes is the time difference, but no go tonight.

In no way is this story that I ramble on meant to be negative nor to put my Indonesian colleagues in a poor light. It is the cultural reality here and I am the one out of sinc. I know some of my roller coaster is the not knowing, not being sure and still feeling like an infant some days, and probably some lonesomeness.
I am hoping a couple of my colleagues - maybe the guys, are taking me out to a local practise field for my first foray on my motorbike which has now arrived via post - yes post - all wrapped up like a parcel. We had to go to the Post Office to pick it up like a registered letter. It had come from Bali on a boat in a Post Office truck. Imagine that! BUT, although I am really hoping we have planned to  get me and my bike out for my practise session, I won't count on it this week - everything seems to have "belum" "not yet" - attached when one asks if something is really taking place, or there's no comment at all, it just happens on another day - never know when til it happens. 

role playing "inclusin"

SO my friends and family, I continue to truly live one day at a time, which has taken on a brand new meaning for me. I have done day one of my first workshop in another language; I heard some insightful discussion around inclusion and diversity and I think I saw a couple of "lightbulbs" go on as I asked people to reflect on removing the barriers to inclusion that people with disabilities experience.

pantomime facilitation!

Also had my first visit to a village this week and look forward to getting out to more. I was lucky, it was pouring rain so we had to have a driver take us vs motorbike, as we had two visitors from the funding organization who wanted to do some filming of the program they are funding through INCREASE. THAT was a luxury I won't have next time. Rainsuit here I come! Tropical rains are something to behold.  Will include some photos of the family we visited with their new baby and some of our workshop today.

 Bye for now teman-teman (friends) dan keluarga (family).

Hari Minggu: Sunday

musicians at political event

Happy New Year to all of my friends and followers of the Blog. I hope all of you brought in the New Year in a way that suits you best at this time in your life. I know that I did! I once again was invited to  (and approved to attend by Shri Guru), the New Year celebration at the Ashram by my friend Mandy. It was held at the "mother Ashram" rather than the Ubud  one, so entailed a 1 1/2 hour drive by car to the foot of the mountains outside of Ubud. All I can really describe is the hour of midnight when after about 3 hours of prayer/dance/singing with both Gurus and their folllowers,  people - about 100 of us, moved about with gentle hadshakes wishing each other happy new year. It was a moving experience and I felt so very priveldged to be accepted among them, wishing each other love and peace and wishing it for this world. How great to share this wish and hopefully, joining our worlds as we share our cultures and experiences. I think that's what a big part of being a CUSO volunteer is all about. In Bali during language training we visited a school for youth with "different abilites" - don't you love that term much better than "challenged" or "handicapped"  which is the term most often used here. Will include some pics of these lovely young people who are working so hard at learning alphabet and numbers the day we were there. We talked - of course in Indonesian and helped with today's learning, sharing with the teacher our experiences in our home countries.
So, as my title today suggests, I'm sharing my Sunday - a day in the life of a CUSO volunteer in Kupang.
Up about 7 am, my room registers 29 C on my little clock/thermometer. I got it down to 27C last night before bed by keeping my door open during the tropical rain and my fan in the doorway blowing some of this lovely cool outside air into my room. where does it go overnight though is what I am wondering as it just gets back to hot overnight! Thus the early wake up.
Talked to Don on Skype, then friend Laurie, washed my laundry including my bed sheet - only need a bottom one! and after soaking everything for an hour in my bucket lots of rinsing then out to the back area clothes line. Just have to step carefuly around the chickens!
Swept and washed my floor and tried to scrub the kitchen corners. I think its termites that leave a little pile of dust in the corners that is so fine, it's hard to get up.

from the market - stack of pam sugar in fron

Then off to the traditional market for a few days of food. If I was more energetic, I'd go each mroing and be outof the door about 6:30am to get each day's food but I'm pretty slow getting up but also slow at the market as I  have to use my translations for asking what I'm looking at. Nothing looks familiar except carrrots and cucumbers right now!
I'm sure there are well over 300 stalls selling everything in food and dry goods. I copied some Indonesian receipes but then I had to use my dictionary to translate so I could ask for the right things at the market. Even then, not sure I got the things I was asking for in one instance but I'll ask my buddies here what I DID end up with. I did buy fresh ginger, lemon grass, pepper corns, palm sugar, chillies, lime leaves and water spinach. Also had a fresh coconut shredded for me. It was fun this time, ot as intimidating as my first two forays into the market when it all felt very overwhelming and foreign. I didn't haggle as I think it was local prices I was getting but will check with my pal Berti to be sure. No matter what, nothings costs very much when converted to Ca. dollars. Then back home to cook upp my lunch.
Lunch today was  some left over red rice mixed with white rice and black eyed peas heated up with sliced ginger, freshly shredded coconut and sliced bananas. Imagine that - no recipe - just had a look at what I had! I'm getting more used to cooking camp style with my one burner and small work space/table. Being tall, I have to sit on a stool as my stove is on the floor practically, and the table is low! I am a giant among these delicate, petite women and men.
I have been to some lovely events this week locally with my work mates where of course everyone wants a picture with me and I am treated very well. I so appreciate their generosity of spirit and just hope I can return it over this time here.
Pictures of musicians and a curious stringed instument that I need to ge the name of and the ingrediants for tonight's dinner including the stone mortor and pestle borrowed from my neighbour.    Have to get one of those!
Salamat Siang: Good afternoon to all of you, wherever you are - US and Canada now and coast to coast!

Salamat Tahun Baru: Happy New Year

dancing in the rain before changing into whites for the Dark Moon Ceremony

Didn't think I'd post before the New Year but it has been such a full time in Ubud I had the fortune to have another woman staying at the home stay who is studying yoga at an Ashram here - she is 26 years old, from Neslon BC! she has been great to be around, invited me to come with her into town on her motor scooter and given me a lift to get a few groceries. We've had such fun together. She invited me to come with her to the Ashram Christmas Eve for the Hindu Dark Moon ceremony which is very special ceremony each new and full moon. It is held in the temple area of the Ashram which is so amazing to be in let alone part of the worship/ceremony. Mostly Balinese people there with about 15 Europeans who are studying there or have moved here and participate in the temple. It was about 11/2 to 2 hours long - lost track of a variety of singing/chanting to music on a congo drum, huge accordion type instrument sitting on the floor, then up on our feet - I was grateful as I do not sit crossed legged well for long! I followed some very graceful movements that al had meaning and were similar to other Hindu worship movements I've seen int he movies. I'm afraid I was not as graceful as them but did my best. Then moved on to the centre of the temple with many shrines with very significant meaning, again more dance type moves then circling the shrines with all the men and women single file moving and pausing at each to acknowledge its meaning.  Under the Dark Moon, following an afternoon of intense rain it was so fresh in the air and temperature about 25C. It was truly magical. Then onto the area for general gathering and the music began again and the musicians sang and led us in song and the Guru led us in singing and the party began with much laughing, and dancing around the raised platform SO much fun, love and sharing exuding from everyone there. We sang Hahlleluia  (how DO you spell this?) over and over to music led by the Guru to acknowledge those of us who celebrate Christmas which was very kind of him and the local people. They sang Silent Night with us and Away in a Manger as those were the only written carols we had with us. I just kept pinching myself for a reality check and was so very moved to be accepted/invited into this gather ing of people. I am uploaded - oops can't seem to get it so will have to research how -  a video of one of the celebration songs/dance honouring the servant in all of us and in the Guru in his work at he Ashram.

ready for the Michael Franti party

THEN, Mandy ran into Michael Franti while I was shopping at the market, introduced herself and the upshot was he invited her and a friend - ME - to his home/retreat centre here in Ubud for a small party Christmas night. Don and I saw him perform in Ottawa summer of 2006 when I volunteered at the Blues Festival. WE loved his energy and his music. He is a really kind individual, and we arrived in our little black dresses on Mandy's motor scooter and he created us warmly then carried on being a normal host with his friends. We ate snack food, tried a drink of Arak (rice wine ) and 3 ounces was enough for me! No more to drink that evening for either of us. Potent stuff if one had more. We bopped and hopped to the dj above the pool on terraced areas. Go to his website and you will see the retreat centre in Ubud. It was like going to a movie star home party in Hollywood although these people seemed very genuine and real. Many are studying or practicing yoga as Michael is known as a practicing yogi. Well, enough for now my friends - this little reprieve in Ubud has reinvigorated me for my return to Kupang next Tuesday, ready with more ability in language and ready for some work. Will keep you posted as always. Love to all as you journey into this new year.

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.