The place and the Players

The compound- The house we live in is located in a traditional Balinese compound with 6 different family households.  There are always people or kids around.  Two older men watch the front entrance.  We lovingly call them the old man and the grandfather.   We see them when we come and go and they seem to always be holding or caring for a young child.  They always happy to see us or maybe they are laughing at how much we come and go.   Some of the women of the households help the main house where we are staying. (pictures coming)  They cook, clean and keep the household running smoothly.  Most important they make the offerings that are placed about the compound.  Beautiful and fresh every morning.   The women speak a bit of English and we are working on our Indonesian (they love when we practice in the kitchen.  It  is a source of true hilarity) allowing us to slowly get to know one another.  

The lovely ladies we live with.

Hope (left) Student midwife.  Homeschooled on a small island off the Maine coast.  Stealth-like, sometimes called “the ghost” for her ability to appear out of nowhere.

Sarafina (right) midwife from the Boston area.  Very dry and wry sense of humor. She even owns a hairless cat!

 Jesse on my right. Amazing optimist, free spirit acupuncturist from Australia.  (Some might call her a hippie) Can score great deals at the market and solve your digestive issues with 2 needles and love.

 Clare  from Iowa and very sweet.  Worldly beyond her 19 years and always up for yoga, dance, wedding, pedicure, or cremation in the Monkey Forrest. 2 terriers at home.  

These lovely ladies all live in the big house with us.  The boys love having so many adults to relate to and chat with.  I think some of the adults are surprised but the amount and intensity of their energy at 7am. (or 8pm for that matter)  We have figured out how to be a temporary extended family and support system.  We eat meals together and I am so appreciative that everyone keeps and eye on the boys.  Someone is always around for a laugh or a game.

KIDS KIDS KIDS. There a bunch of kids that live and play in the compound.

Our boys play with Eddie, Elleanna, Jamila, Putu and Bodie.  I see some other kids occationally as well but I don’t know if they live here.  Because their aren’t really any toys, the kids create their own games like taxi, restaurant, chase, or they try to catch the fish in the coy fish pond.  They do quite well at that.  We did bring some Lego’s and they are popular.

 Kids watching something on you tube.  this takes incredible patience because it loads at a painfully slow speed and often stops.  But these true die hards won's give up!

a water game? in the courtyard

 

Most of the common areas of the house are virtually outdoors in order to take advantage of the afternoon breeze.  The “enclosed” rooms do not have walls that meet the ceiling.  This is good for air circulation and it lets the geckos roam a bit more freely.  The architecture is gorgeous with amazing attention to detail.  Every building and room is hand crafted.  It’s breathtaking.

On the right is  a day bed for lounging on the second floor.  You can see the trees and a bit of the rice paddy.

a door to Clare's bedroom

lounge spot with a view of the courtyard.

the kitchen to Finn's Right and above is the open living room.

These are the rice paddies behind the house (just past the ducks)

In a future post I will write about the various animals who add much flavor to our lives.