365

Yeah...we made it.

We crossed the threshold of apprehension,

convinced each other of the value of new experiences (rough or otherwise)

and decided to make the leap.

After landing rough and reducing our needs to almost nothing,

we can say, for now at least,

our vision was spot on.

Like all big dreams one must adjust

when the forces of nature and time..

wreck the original adventure concept

only to present some random wrinkles in time and opportunity.

We thank those folks who gave us a life ring or two over the course of the year

allowing us to take a few happy breathes of oxygen (and scooter fumes)

deep enough to intoxicate us to the point of committing to another lunatic....

post Christmas fatigue

We are experiencing post holiday boredom that can only be explained through the lens of biological clock theory because we skipped Christmas. How can it be that we feel a bit depressed?

Perhaps we have Christian blood coursing though our veins registering the time of year as post christmas fatigue combined with post consumption fatigue. We did consume a bit of beach food on Christmas day.

Or it could be explained that all our new friends left for the holiday break and we are lonely.

Anyway, a new year is upon us threatening to start the clock again. Our blood is becoming thinner in the tropics, as they say, so maybe end of 2011 won't be so depressing.

Pretty Elena

Christmas in Lembongan

Had cheeseburgers on the roof top for Christmas Eve. We have assured the girls that spending Christmas on the beach in Indonesia with just Pete and I is much more fun then having Santa come with gifts. They are not so sure about that. We missed home together as a family and watched a nice sunset followed by local fireworks.

Bali street food- it is goooood!

Kuningan

calling it as it is

Brooke is good at targeting the heart of the issues here. I like the way everything is crusty and slimy and confusing. lots of truth to all that but the bottom line is we are invaders and colonialists who are slowly and quickly altering the old social fabric here. It's a privilege to live, play and work in such a unique asian destination for awhile but we are also in need of humility. It ain't our country no matter how nice the locals are to us. Just visitors. I will learn from them just as they learn from me. And then I will give back in a gesture of thanks somehow, some way.

It's a good thing I am working with bamboo and not.... neon, cable vision, car sales, cell phones, back-up cell phones, plastics sales, cigarettes, bad t-shirt and indo brick-a-brack sales or motorbike gas in a bottle.

I'm trying to help reforest the country with timber bamboo by way of creating demand for it locally through building projects. We have also immersed the family in a bizarre, yet, in my opinion, predictable ceremonial land.

Update

Drama. There is a lot of that here in Bali. It’s a small island with too many people. We have had our share of really intense drama here. There are some powerful people here that have built empires and have a monopoly on certain industries. These folks have egos the size of Texas and are threatened by anyone new to the island with talent and a good work ethic. Pete is sought after here. Business is never straightforward here however. It is complicated with cultural taboos, ceremonies, poor infrastructure, and egos. Business can be so frustrating in Bali it is no wonder the big names are so protective. It is hard to say what will unfold here for Pete. There are so many opportunities here for him but again, nothing is easy here in Bali and some days we just want to say “fuck it”. Those days we dream about coming home to America where people work too hard but business is straightforward and predictable. Time will tell. Patience.

For now we try to enjoy the day-to-day life here in Bali. Life is simple and not too stressful if we keep our expectations low and our desire for accomplishments realistic. The kids are having an artistic explosion. Art is everywhere. Boredom creates creativity. The girls sit and draw for hours. They also cruise the property searching for creatures to nurture and love. Judy has become fascinated with Balinese culture and Hinduism. She sets out offerings to the Gods everyday on our property.

Today Judy and I participated in Galungan. Galungan is the most significant holiday for the Balinese. It is the day of worship and prayer as the Gods battle the evil spirits. We visited the homesteads of our staff after the ceremony in their village. They served us tea, fried bananas and rice cakes. Everyone in Mas village came to see the “Bules” (that’s us) celebrating Galungan. We wore traditional Balinese ceremonial clothing that endeared us to the locals but was also the source of hysterical laughter. Elena and Rian skipped the Galungan festivities to go see Harry Potter in the one and only movie theater in Bali. However, the driver’s car broke down and the kids spent half the day on the side of the road in polluted Denpesar.

Big Balinese holiday

Galungan holiday

Big time fun at the Javanese fair. Ride at your own risk!

Freaky third world carnival. Tetanus shot required!!!

John Hardy Biking adventures