Horsetrading
older, wiser, more cutthroat than ever...
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October 21, 2010
KL revisited
Yesterday completed our 5 month Balinese time warp. It took eating the same breakfast in the same hotel with the same irrepresible two small people to feel like the circle had been completed. This may, in part, be because Egg has been going on about the breakfast at this hotel almost daily since we left. And so it was with a building sense of anticipation that we dragged ourselves out of the first real airconditioning we've had since leaving here last May, and down to the poolside breakfast room that offers such Egg-friendly fayre (as we were to discover, precious few other places would meet these exacting standards). Prior to this, we spent a week at with 'Uncle Timmy' and 'Auntie Brenda' across town in the shadow of the Menara KL. Theirs is a lovely, spacious flat, in a great part of town. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there, although we might have been just a little on edge owing to the unpredictable playing habits of two energetic boys under six. Still, it was great to catch up with Tim, who was our first first flatmate(and BFF) after we got married in 1996, as it was to meet Brenda and get a my ass whipped in squash (although yesterday's rematch has us back at evens, and me staggering around on stiff legs and groaning like Homer's dad) Continued visa wrangling looks to be the forecast for the rest of this week, then we will be back on Goan service with Uncle Chancey from Friday. bing bong! Three Imaginary Boys wreak havoc with one hose (called the Bum Blaster, apparently) Tash sporting the latest Two Ringgit timepiece chic Uncle Timbo and his skyline. One of these three kids still finds Toy Story amusing Caught wet-handed Water fighting is exhausting work The deep sleep of the very naughty My new camera has smile recognition. struck dumb by my first pint of real…
October 20, 2010
selamat tinggal Bali
Somewhat belated, owing to the sporadic availability of time/internet/functioning brain cells, but this a short and heartfelt word of thanks to the Balinese massive, who made our time there such a special one. Difficult to say when we will be back, but be back we must. Here are some reasons: Agung: Bali's towering centre (more in a basketball than a geographic sense.) National Geographic unfolding on the wall in front of you Batur - the more likeable, bikeable volcano Having coffee here every morning... and going to bed here every night and looking down from here generally... on our very own slice of the Campuhan river the fabulous Nyoman. Salad-maker without equal. doesn't bode well, does it? kids in bali: the graph is ridiculously skewed farewell karaoke my all time favourite person in Bali...and possibly anywhere. just a shame i couldn't get him to bust out his usual, single-toothed smile for this photo. it changed my day every time i saw it. trouble masquerading as innocence peanut butter parfait the daily cartloads of artwork from Pelangi school. the fantastic friends we made. thanks for such a great sendoff (all of them). you'll be sorely missed. ...i found the tooth.
October 17, 2010
The Month in Pictures: two for the price of one.
i have been a little remiss in posting pictures to shambolic lately, but have finally gotten round to doing the last two months. so, here are July and August respectively. my favourite (among many) is still the old Sasak woman from Lombok. captions?
September 13, 2010
From the top rung of Mount Agung….
I was lucky enough to be let off the leash for a night and a day last weekend to go and climb Bali's highest mountain - the sacred Gunung Agung. four days later, i'm still mesmerised by the experience...and my thighs have only just stopped abusing me at every step for cranking them up and down 2000m worth of hill . i went with some friends from the East Bali Project, ten of us in total: half Bule and half Balinese. i confess, i was a little paranoid about not having the right footwear, and so splashed out $30US on a pair of indonesian-issue hikers, only to see some of the group turn up in battered old converse cut offs. As it turns out, i was very needful of the heavy duty boots, especially on the way down when my knees conked out and it became more of a plunge than a descent. Only one of my converse-wearing friends made it, although all of us were fully shamed by the old women who passed us on the way up at about three in the morning, carrying a basket full of offerings and going barefoot! after failing miserably to get any sleep at Pura Pasar Agung on account of the local arak that was making the rounds, we set off at about twelve thirty...in the morning. we were the first group to really get underway on the mountain, and given the pace we managed, this was a sensible move. our 'guide' was Ardika, a friend of a friend who claimed to have made the climb four other times. within an hour of leaving the camp, his sandal broke in two pieces, and, when we couldn't fix it with some electrical tape, he decided to turn around and head back down.. it took another four and a half hours to reach the summit after that, with the last hour and a half…
September 2, 2010
Happy Phoniversary
trying to keep the signal to noise at a minimum, here are three semi-related news items. Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife, who has put up with me a good deal longer than i would have done (given a choice in the matter): 14 years in a conjugal capacity, longer if you count the years of prior goofing. to celebrate we had a slap up, six course dinner at what must be the nicest restaurant in Bali and are now completely cured of the need for food, wine, or exotic citrus fruits for the foreseeable. Happy Anniversary to those in my family that share the same date as Tash and I. Mom, Dad, Jeff, and Cyn: selamat ulang tahun pernikahan! and, on a slightly more upbeat note: i've lost my bloody phone. it bounced out of my pocket yesterday while riding the bike somewhere between here and there. here's my new number: jay-indo:+62 852 1358 0578 deliberately starving yourself before a big meal is not necessarily the greatest plan: 1) you can look a little too keen beforehand 2) you're drunk after the first drink and 3) your stomach gets the pregnancy treatment as you require it to triple in size and workload in the space of a couple of hours drunk on fumes: the deleterious effects of a chocolate martini Tash finds the transplanted monkey brain hilarious (it's actually a lime, dear)
September 1, 2010