White Sand beach

Today we got a van and driver to go to the beach.  We crammed 11 people (5 adults + kids) in the van and tore off across Bali.  The driver was incredibly competent but the passing on curves and into traffic was intense to say the least.  I know what you are thinking "Really they are going to talk about driving again when they are on a beautiful island."  And the answer is yes.  Why because it is an amazing dance.  They are not unsafe or aggressive drivers and I think it is best explained that until recently there were not cars here only scooters.  Now people who drive big vans still drive like they have a scooter.  The system of driving here would not work anywhere in America.  The aggression and need to be right or first would cause an incredible amount of crashes or road rage.  Accidents are rare here and yet there seem to be virtually no rules.  This works because the people are kind and helpful.  We passed many exciting wonders like monkeys on bikes, big dump trucks full of people going to temple, and funny signs like "tanks for coming". 

First a monkey on the back of a bike

 What we saw on the way. 

 a few pigs on the way to market.  We also saw chickens in baskets on top of cars as well.  Amazingly enough they seemed so calm flying down the road. 

all the kids peeking out the front van window.  no car seats here

The final road to the beach was not much more than a dirt path.  this did not discourage the driver at all.  The kids loved the roller coaster like ride.  My full bladder was not as excited!

ahhh the beach.

clare is sunning out on the point.  watching tropical fish

Pigs at the beach.  We also saw calves.  It was kind of like a farm beach.

 Vaughn spent lots of time covering Zion's feet in the sand and making "snow balls"

 Here I am wearing my swim shirt.  The locals were concerned that I was cold!

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 After a day of swimming, eating fresh fish and drinking coconuts and coke colas we made our way home.  Safely.  For the first time in my life I was perfectly happy not driving.

monkies having fun

 Beautiful walkways in Bali.  Many walkways are decorated with stones.

love this.  but wonder if it would with stand up to shoveling

Monkeys picking cicak (cheechalk) poo out of hairs

click to see monkey fun

2 of my favorite monkeys on the snake wall

Check in tomorrow to read about our adventure to White Sand Beach.

pictures speak louder than words

opening presents before breakfast

 

For this post I will let the photos speak for themselves.  First Harmon’s Birthday with a group trip to the bird and reptile park.  

at the bird park

Get them off me

Whoa! Clare you are on the wrong side of the cage!

Guardians of Hell aka pelicans

Is this poisonous?

Owl bringing me a message. NO not a howler.

getting close with the komodo dragon

discussing which birds look like they need coffee

bonding with reptiles

ending the day with cake and friends

A few days later after ridding Vaughn of evil spirits, we went to the Monkey Forest.   We have to walk through monkey forest whenever we want to go to town.  The monkeys are very cute and sweet but when you see them bare their fangs you feel a bit different.  They sell bananas to feed the monkeys and even encourage tourist to let the monkeys jump on them.  Hmmm.  I was content to watch the other tourist do this.  If you have something hanging from you or anything shiny they will try to get it and its hard to discourage them…

James thinks "I know your not innocent.  Don't even think about it."

Surviving

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Vaughn got very very sick with a high fever, hallucinations and diarrhea.  I had more advice than sleep.  The illness followed an intense acupuncture treatment he had to resolve some belly issues.
Some advice I received
Give him belladonna every 2 hours around the clock
Have him drink hydrogen peroxide.
Cleanse the room of evil spirits
Help him to feel more secure
No more peanut butter.
Cold baths
and so on and so forth.

I went with the removing of evil spirits from his room and his fever did break and he seems a bit more firey today.

no pictures because they would scare my mom

Beginnings of Cultural Insight

After a few brief weeks I do not claim to understand the culture here but I am gaining some insight.  Pondering the differences here is like being an armature anthropologist.  First I notice something or lack of something and wonder why.  I have quickly come to see that most things here are done (or not done) for a good reason.  Makes me think of the missionaries and travelers who went to Africa and brought all their lovely Western objects of civilization only to have them devoured, ruined and destroyed by the environment, bugs and animals.  A major influence in of life in Bali is humidity.  Bali’s humidity must be around 70-90% everyday.  Thus the moss grows quickly and thickly on everything.  I love moss.  I love looking at the different kinds and I love the vibrant green of moss.  I was sad to see that it is someone’s job to scrape the moss off the walls and statues but it was pointed out to me if they didn’t that moss would quickly take over.  Even with my great love of moss I can understand this issue.  A less lovable lover of humidity is mold.  Things mold here very quickly.   One of the first things that struck me is the lack of photographs in Robin’s house.  What fun to look at peoples pictures of family and friends and wonderfully dated wedding photos.  Why no pictures?  Mold.  The few that are here are molding.  I have seen mold on paintings too.  So humidity has influenced the kind of art here, which is mostly statues and carvings and fabric.   Anything that can’t dry quickly gets moldy.  Within a week of being here James’s dop kit was covered in mold.  Eeewww what was on that thing? Clothing is light.  Homes are airy and windows have no screens letting afternoon breezes wind through.

fancy villa pool.  Harmon is in there somewhere.

So other than anthropological pondering we have been swimming in at a very fancy villa.  It seems there are no guest staying here and the door man is happy to let us swim for a tip.  Finn has started swimming like a fish.  He just started lessons this summer and wasn’t particularly making fabulous progress.  After a week in a pool in NC and now here he has taken off.  Harmon is a bit more reticent but I imagine but loves going to be in the water.   After this extra 4 mos. in water I am sure he too will be swimming.

Finn swimming.

Vaughn on the other hand is fearless and love jumping in.  I am not sure he is clear that I need to be in the water, looking at him and ready to go.  He might be swimming by the end of the trip too.  Pictured here is Vaughn in the bath.  Big enough to swim in.

I have decided to learn only cliché sayings like-

Ada gula, ada semut (where there is sugar there are ants).  This is an excellent way to reply when I need to respond to conversation I don’t understand.  I am also committing to memory all the double word.  Kadang-kadang which means sometimes.  Another great reply I use when I don’t have a clue as to what is being asked.  I have almost created a sentence using all double words.

Kadang-kadang saya suka jalang-jalang  hati-hati- pelan-pelan dengang anak-anak imut-imut.

Sometimes I like to walk carefully and slowly with cute children.  There are more other doubles we add to this sentence but it gets pretty silly. 

Tomorrow we celebrate Harmon’s birthday with a trip to the Bird and Reptile Park. 

Stay Tuned….

todays thoughts

lounging in the loft

I have heard that life in the tropics is slow and easy but I have never been one to sit around.  As much as I like to do things, I find my slef just lounging in Bali.  It makes sense that in a place that has 12 hour days would be consistent.  6:30am sun rises and so does Vaughn.  6:30pm its dark and we wind up the day.   Slow and easy.  As those of you know who have lived in very hot humid places moving quickly about is not a reality. 

sometimes we just watch the geckos

 I go to the clinic everyday and of course rush there for any births but other than that I don't have many responsibilities.  All of my regular and daily chores are all taken care of.  3 women cook, clean and do laundry.  I would have told you this would be a dream come true and I do love it but there are times when I need to do the dishes.   I realize how grounding washing dishes can be.  I stand in one place, doing a repetitive motion with the sound of running water.  A domestic meditation if you will .  I don't think Lihat minds at all when I do the breakfast dishes.  I have also somewhat befriended the ladies them so I try to be respectful with how much mess we leave.  I am not bu nature a neat and tidy person but I feel so conscious of if now that Ayu comes in my room everyday to sweep, mop, and make the beds.  I try to tidy before she gets there.  I hope she never looks in the clothes closet. 

completed monkeys

I have taken language before.  I have taken and failed German.  I tried Spanish and did a little better.  Sign Langaged I did excell at but I hear it is not considered a forgien lagnuage.  Now I am taking Indonesian and I am good at it!!   I love learning Indonesian.  SO easy- no past, present future.  no he/ she.  No male/ female words. One word can mean many things.  For example di I am doing pretty good.  Everyone is happy when you try at all and most people here speak some "Ingrish".  Finn and Harmon are motivated to try speaking Indonesian if they can buy junk at the shops.  They have figured out for about !,000 rupia (12 cents) they can get 3 oreos.  Finn suggested he might find some work so he could have a little spending money!  Both  will probably become expert market goers by the end of the trip.
The boys are continuing on with woodcarving.  The monkeys are finished and now on to cats.  Harmon really wants to do a gecko but apparently that's really hard.  He is persistent so I am sure he will get Dadee to help him make one.  We also found out Bapak (which means elder man/ grandfather) from the front of the compound is an accomplished carver.  He saw the boys monkeys and brought over one of his own.  I think he was confused why our monkeys only had hair on their heads.  He kept gesturing that there was more work to do!  

blessing the bikes

A few days ago was a day to bless all things metal.  What we have learned is they don't celebrate individual birthday's but they so birthdays or blessings of everything else- animals, plants, objects, places ect.  So on the day of blessing everything metal all the cars and scooters were covered in offerings.  This guarantees safe transport on your bike or car.  I do not know how to make offerings yet and was feeling quite concerned that i could not bless our wonky scooter.  If any scooter on the road needed blessing it would be ours.  Luckily someone- probably Ayu made a blessing for our bike and I feel much safer riding it. In fact I drove on my own today.  It was so fun and hard to drive on the left.  I think I will tie a ribbon on my left wrist as a reminder!
love to you all
erin and family

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.