Category: Bali

Having finished an extraordinary final meal at my favorite restaurant in Bali, Lamak, I was looking forward to a quick ride home, an hour of rice field and lightning bug watching, and an early bedtime. We walked slowly down the half flight of steps onto Monkey Forest Road, the main shopping and eating street in Ubud. My driver of five years, Wayan, had dropped us off in front of Lamak and headed up the street to find parking. We walked uphill, window shopping and making final plans for completing the to-do list before I had to fly home the next day. Continue reading Wayan

Hi Folks,

On a whim, thought I’d send a few shots of my non-work life in Bali.  Here are a few photos I took this week:
 

Continue reading A Few Photos from Bali

The rice was planted two different times in front of the villa this season with some fields being harvested a few weeks before the others. The harvested areas are being gleaned by huge squadrons of ducks, while the rest of the rice is still ripening and awaiting the scythe.  Continue reading Bali’s Beloved Ducks

After the opening of the “Take 99” show, featuring nearly 100 decorated elephants made by Balinese people from all walks of life, I knew on my return to Bali I would be handing out the prize money to the eight winners.  Simply asking these people to stop by and pick up an envelope with cash felt empty, given the community-nature of this culture.  So many people took their time and energy to create beautiful elephants, I knew the acknowledgment needed to be public and include a lasting award. Continue reading “Take 99” Award Ceremony

David: “Why all the huge offerings at the house this morning?  There’s fruit, cake, candy, and extra flowers along with the usual offerings. It must be a big Day!” Continue reading Conversations with Wayan: Part IV

Wayan:  “Big flood at my house last week.”
David:  “What did you do?”
W:  “Just watching, watching. Dead motorbike, dead car out in the road.”
D:  “Any dead animals?”
W:  “Ha ha, yes! Dead chicken came floating down in flood. North to south. My father and his friend went after chicken, but my father lose. Friend got chicken. Next day friend brought chicken soup.” Continue reading Conversations with Wayan: Part III

I’ve just stepped back into the surreal world of Bali.  The ice-cream man just rode by on his bicycle with his recording blaring “Jingle Bells,” alerting kids from miles around that he’s here and ready to sell. Invisible ants are carting off a six-inch dragonfly across the living room floor, my spayed cat just had kittens (I thought the stitches were in an odd place), and I just relocated my coffee tree forest to a new area of the living room. Continue reading Bali Again

When I hop in the car with Wayan Balik, my driver, I know within minutes we will have some outlandish conversation about Bali, life, or the Gods.  We egg each other on until some aspect of life becomes a take from my new film, “The Three Stooges Meet Fellini.”  Anything is fair game, no matter how serious the subject, and the goal is to make each other laugh. Continue reading Chickens

I arrive in Bali, poised for action, ready to do, do, do. The must-do list is already too long to accomplish, so I set out at madman speed to get it all done. Continue reading Bali Arrival

I’m tired.  I want and need to sleep but something’s demanding attention now.   I must write about this evening’s delight….

Once in a while I hear music that so fills my heart and soul I need to shout.  I’m the English gentleman who claps politely, even enthusiastically upon occasion, but tonight I am barely able to speak.  I just returned home from dinner at Made’s Warung.  My hoarse voice is partly from joy and partly from shouting (enough to kill it for the evening) in repeated appreciation for the jazz I heard after dinner. Continue reading I’m Tired