Bali

Bali

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.

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October 17, 2010
Bali / Uncategorized

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…

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September 2, 2010
Bali / Uncategorized

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)

5 Comments
September 1, 2010
Bali / Uncategorized

East Bali Poverty Project

I've been doing a bit of work for a charitable foundation that has been setup here in Bali to help people living on the remote slopes of the Abang and Agung volcanoes - a particularly challenged part of the island where health care, education and decent roads have only recently been introduced. a lot more information about the villages of Ban and the work of the foundation is available on the EBPP website. (my sharp-eyed metro brethren may spot the wordpress/atahualpa/hostgator combination running the site. a pleasant surprise, in that i would have picked all three of these things myself if starting from scratch. also a good thing, since it looks like i will be in the frame for tidying up quite a few loose ends). i was lucky enough to be invited to the Independence Day celebration this week, which is the highlight of the calendar for the kids. People came from miles around, packed into trucks and dressed in their best. After games of sack racing, and an enormous Rice Cracker Eating contest, the kids put on a variety show, where kung-fu, rap numbers and gun battles featured almost as prominently as traditional balinese dance performances. It was also a chance to showcase some of the artwork from the up and coming talent and award various prizes for performance over the course of the year. there were about ten of us Bule (i.e. foreigners) there, and we were made to feel very welcome throughout. at the end, everyone sat down to a meal of nasi bungkus and families were given a package of household basics (from towels, to vitamins and toothbrushes) to take home. a good reminder that, despite the cheerful occasion, most of these people are living in incredibly challenging circumstances, without many of the basic amenities. below a few pictures from the day. i took many more, but some are of variable quality. the heat and…

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August 21, 2010
Bali

Hey Messrs. DJ

the other night (actually, quite a long time ago now, given upload speeds and perambulations in lombok), weakened by drink, and with a little encouragement on my part, my friend John (DJ professional and all round nice guy) conceded to playing a few tunes on my portable mixer after the girls had disappeared upstairs to watch the latest vampire romance on dvd. what started out as an attempt to mix a few tunes turned into a 3 hour, track-apiece session with neither of us quite able to resist the challenge of turning out a one-better mix on a blinking piece of plastic. you can be the judge of whether it was a good thing that someone pressed record along the way, but since the marvels of t'interwheeze allow us to share these things, then here you go. [audio:http://shambolic.com/tunez/john_vs_jay_july_23_2010.mp3] (right click here to download) needless to say, John fashioned most of the silkier mixes with the worldmusic-and-dancefloor friendly vibes, whereas i showed a predilection for dirty, old skool sounds, which, thanks to the whisky, the time of night and my trademark kak-handed amateurism, tend to be introduced by way of the ropier mixes. enjoy, or avoid: you have been warned.

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August 13, 2010