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Published: June 21st 2017
Geo: -8.51927, 115.263
...I guess I'm getting onto local time. =) Which is really unmeasured.
On Sunday night there was a big fair type thing in the main soccer field here in Ubud. Apparently the Governor was giving a big party to thank everyone for his re-election. There was free food, and a couple Gamalan Orchestras and even fireworks. I went and enjoyed the scene and felt right back at home as if I was in New York City. I hadn't realized how quiet Ubud was until I was back in a big crowd again. This is definitely small town living here, everyone is approachable (and always approaching!) to know everyone business. Privacy? What's that?
I met a girl from The States at the fair (she found me actually) and we went for lassies* after the fair and swapped travel stories. Her name is Faith and she just came to Indonesia from a month in Thailand, so I had to pick her brain to find out all the great spots to visit while I am there. Turns out she is on a spiritual quest (as a lot of the ex-patriots in Bali are) and spending a lot of time doing Yoga and meditating. Yoga
over here has a lot more facets to it, apparently in the States we've stripped it down to just an exercise, but originally it has a balance of mind body spirit in its intent and incorporates a lot of meditation and stillness in the practice. I took Faith up on an invite to a meditation workshop on Sat night at the local Yoga Barn, and spent 2 hours in guided meditation, and call & return mantra singing with a group of very healthy looking folks. (Yes, I was still the whitest person in the room, why don't I tan faster!) It was a really nice experience, I liked the singing/chanting part, and I left there SO relaxed. I slept like a baby an my body felt great the next morning. It was nice to be part of a group, and I met a few other folks who spoke English while mingling after class.
On Monday Faith and I (and a couple other folks from class) met up for lunch and then tooled around Ubud together. I mentioned that my head cold had decided to land itself in my right ear, and I felt a little like I was underwater and talking
Gala Shop Chickens
So as Wyan from the shop told me, 'These chickens import from Japan, they are for decoration only not good for eating.' Love it...loud. Faith mentioned she has seen Wyan-the-healer a few days before for a burn on her leg and offered to take me over to see if she could help me out. (Wyan for those of you who haven't read 'Eat, Pray, Love' is the healer that Liz befriends on her travels in Bali! I just finished reading the book a couple days ago, and didn't even know when I chose Ubud that this is the town that the author had spent 3 months in - interesting.) So the chance to meet the famous Wyan from the book, and possibly get my ear unclogged at the same time sounded great.
We walked over to her shop and sat right down, she came out and after I mimed/described my ailment she set her assistants to task. One came over and ground some fresh turmeric on a palm leaf at our table, and combined it with some brown powder, a wedge of lime and some hot water and slid it over for me to drink. Another took a crazy-hot lime (they are really little here, like the size of a walnut) and rolled/massaged all over the side of my head and around my
Gala Silver
I got a tour of this mans silver shop where his families make jewlrey. Mom, I bought you a beautiful pair of onyx and silver earrings, but that's all because this was a really expensive shop! ear with it. Then another took some hot wet leaves that were soaking in something that smelled floral and spicy, and put them on my cheeks and under my ears. Finally, another came with a leaf rolled into a funnel and blew some hot smoke into my ears. After another cup of the orange turmeric tea, and some little seeds that Wyan gave me to swallow, we sat there for a while (2 hours all together) and she rubbed my neck and we talked with some of the other patients who were a little star-struck by her too. I took a couple pictures and we were off. ((My ear is a little better today, but I don't really think it's as a result of any of the treatments, but it was a novel thing to do, and I liked the attention and nurturing. I think my Benadryl and a couple more days will do the trick =))
I got an invite from a girl named Jenny to join her and her family on the beach this weekend. Jenny is originally from New York and still has an office on 53rd street, her husband is Balanise, and she has the most gorgeous
little 2 year old boy Gabriel. She lives here, but goes to NYC a lot, all her family lives there. Faith and I stopped by her fantastic little house for tea yesterday and we really hit it off. (She was having trouble with her website and I helped her out with a little fix, and then came the invite! Yay!) Today I was having lunch on the main drag in town, and she swung by on her moped (man this really is a small town, when I bump into folks I know all the time, it's really strange for me after living in Manhattan where that never happens) and she strolled up to the deck/patio I was eating on and said she'd reserved us two adjoining bungalows on the beach for Sat night, and to meet at her house for the 2 hour drive. I'm really looking forward to it!
Also, Sha my sista-from-down-unda (YAY!) is coming up to Bali for Easter with her husband and sister! So now I have to stay so I can see her! We were inseparable when we both lived in London and I haven't seen her since, so we are going to fix that right
up. I can't wait for a couple nights on the town with my girl, Kuta isn't going to know what hit it! Yay!
Ok, I've been at this Internet cafe WAY to long, it's going to cost like $4 for all this time. LOL! Thanks for reading and thanks for all the comments. I love hearing from you guys! Miss you and I hope some of this sunshine I'm sending is melting the snow!
*A Lassie is an Australian drink made from yogurt and and palm sugar with any kind of fruit you'd like to add. It's become a daily staple for me, and my favorite have become the Banana Lassies, although the Strawberry and Mango ones are really great too.
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sofia_leo
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From Sofia + Leo Glad you are having so much fun. We miss you!Love, Sophia + Leo