Category: ASIA

DAY 12 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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DAY 12

I asked Ezra and Viena if they wanted to go to a beach or a swimming pool. They both said swimming pool. So we walked up the street to where our friend David is working and we paid for use of the swimming pool for the day. The pool was right across the street from a preschool playground. We must have arrived after 12:30 PM when the children go home. School goes from 9:00 to 12:30. This morning we made some oatmeal and soaked some mung beans.. Went to the market to but 4 more eggs and 2 more tomatoes, but we did not eat them. Tomorrow. Learned the Indonesian word for Eggs – TELUR. We played on the soccer field with the new soccer ball. Viena really loves to kick the soccer ball hard.. Ezra loves running away from the ball. The day was overcast a little. Viena mentions that she is cold here laying in the tent. Amazing. I was just tring to decide what trip to do here on Bali, but nothing shows up as so important. Just be where you are. I guess I would like to see the Volcano and the Market of Kitamani and Bendgal. I wonder what wil provide me the most inspiration for later life. A full moon walk through the volcano. I would put that high on the list. Maybe I will consult with Steve Mason on this one. I sure would like to walk throug some rice fields and take advantage of the markets of Bendugal. Everyone played well in the pool. Shaky for a little bit with Viena almost throwing in the towell., but we made it.

DAY 11 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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The writings have become less and less maybe because I have not been running back to my tent for a timeout that I should have given Ezra or Viena. Today we went to the market and bought 4 eggs and 2 tomatoes for 60 cents. I was able to cook up the eggs. Yummy for Ezra and Viena. I am becoming quite the egg chef.I also put a pot of rice on for later. And then we went walking through the Mokey forest. We actually paid for a ticket this time. Earlier this morning at first we did a walk around the block. All the fast scooters in the morning made the walk not so enjoyable, but something to do in the morning. Lots of offerings still being placed on the street and at the Temple. We wlked where Putuh and Kadek went to school. Interesting how the names Wayan/Putuh, Madi/Kadek, Nyoman, Kutut and then they start all over again with Putuh/Wayan. Just like the Weems family and the Selanoff family for that matter. I grew up with Mason, Foley, Cayce, and Logan and then we start all over again. So, today the monkeys were incredible. They did not bother or pester us too much and their antics and tricks performed were marvelous in the water. Both Ezra and Viena were mesmerized and even I had never seen such a display. Well worth the $6. Viena had a monkey crawl on herand one climbed on me as well. Ezra was scared by a monkey. Both were mesmerized by all the activities of the monkeys and then to see the little baby monkeys walking and jumping around. into and out of the fountain. Wanting bananas. And then we went to have snack at the local market on the corner.

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We found a playground. Ezra and Viena were so excited. They played like monkeys. And we are very familiar with monkeyplay by now.

DAY 10 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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I tried to make plans with Nyoman to pick us up early and go see the sunrise at Sanur, but the rains started late at night and I texted him at 1am to cancel. Nyoman set up my phone so I could call and text and use the internet. The rains actually stopped and the sunrise seen from my veranda was quite satisfying and beautiful. Who needs a beach to ooooh and aaaaaw about. Tomorrow is the new moon. And so we lazed around until noon when Dwana decided to give everyone a haircut. So she cut Ezra’s and Viena’s hair. She felt much better after that. We actially sat and talked in the tent for the first time since our trip began. Things have been that surviving like. Who can talk when you are surviving. After some rice and beans and a few trips to the market. Viena paid 8000 Rupiahs from some ice cream. “Why are things so much more expensive here?” I went on a run to buy a soccer ball and soccer costume for Ezra since he mentioned not receiving any presents but a ride on an elephant. Oh, poor Ezra. he loved the soccer costume more than the soccer ball. We played on the soccer field but mostly the Balinese children indoctorinated the soccer ball. The run felt good. So hot. So hot. I hurdled a scooter. Even in the tent. So hot. The bells still play. A fountain runs beneath. Dwana is in the ballet – her women retreat.

Kuning means yellow.
Drums of steel play.
Crickets and birds accompany.
Ezra dreams of superheros.
Viena dreams of baking chocolate cookies.
Dwana dreams of uninterrupted sleep which is uninterrupted which creates more dreams.
The heat stays with us through the night.
I could never have dreamed a place like this existed.
The steel drums play on putting all to sleep one by one.

DAY 09 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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On days where I have nothing to do, how can I not have time to complete a journal entry. Because on this day, a mere one week into our journey around the world, we hit a low spot. Blame it on the monkeys. The harmonis bells from the Temple are playing . So melodic. Who could think of anything else. So much better than the sounds o cars or scooters or televisions or radioes. So peaceful in a sense and so full of real life and not so preprogrammed or maybe the sounds are. The sounds f steel. Much better than hearing a trombone. The tent arrangement is working. Well Ezra is asleep at my feet. If I were the size of most Balinese people, we would have no problems fitting in this tent. So, we rest. Ezra asleep by 7:30PM. A night. The bells of the drums go on. A chopstix of sorts now – not as peaceful. Maybe we need some more incense. Incense makes everything smell and sound better – better.. Today we lazed around the house in the morning. Ezra has not been eating well. He must be addicted to his birthday. I cooked up some mung beans and some rice that were very good with some salt and soy sauce, but no one except me ate them. Oh well. We need some broccoli. We started in the afternoon and walked into Ubud. So different walking in the PM when all the people and hawkers are out. I like the quieter time. Remember the markets of Ubud. Yummy. So we ate at our favorite local place Warung Lokale which is on the street to the market. A short cut of sorts if you are visiting the library, which we did. The library was quiet and we even were able to see a Russian lady learning how to dance Balinese style. The walk was longer than usual and late in the afternoon. Ezra was fading. Ezra and I tried on some traditional sarongs. Ezra looked so cute. The monkeys scared Dwana and she went right to bed as soon as we arrived home via taxi.

The warm rain softly falls.
Daytime has passed.
Lightning.
An ancient ceremonial bell plays.
Ezra and Viena sleep at my feet.
In tents.
Inside a bamboo  hut.
Indonesia.
The rain falls harder.

DAY 08 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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Sunday. So much to see. Both Ezra and Viena woke up like children. Needy. Desiring things that they really did not want. I’m hungry. And we live on yet another day. I took my camera and headed off through the streets. Today Snday. The day after the celebration. Very busy day. I took photos of many of the statues and offerings. Everyone was waking up. We could just see so many more things if the children were alot more like dogs and just followed along all the time contently – but they do not. Does my talking help them. I do not know. How could one day we ride elephants and the next day we can not walk 5 feet down a street without tears or screams of saddness. The local people all know Ezra’s name by now and Vien’s name is lost like a butterfly flying by the trees.  A leaf was falling slowly yesterday. I saw this leaf meant for only me to see. Falling so slowly – avoiding gravity. I saw this leaf floating, twirling –  a big leaf on my side of the car. I was the only one who saw this leaf. This leaf meant for me. Now Ezra, Viena, Putuh, and Kadek are playing in the soccerfield. I can no longer say, “Oh, he is just 3!” Because he is 4 now and almost to the big boy world. So when do you let go a little more? The chickens sound like cries of a 4 year old, but the children have only been at the soccer fild 5 minutes so the cries could not be Ezra. Must have been my imagination. Once again we awoke to early morning chanting. Well, I guess the chickens were right. The crying was Ezra after all, after just 5 minutes of being released into the wild. Apparently Ezra fell and hit his fingers while trying to wrestle Putuh and Viena. Welcome Day #2 a a 4 year old. Now he is resting on my head. Hot as can be. “Ezra” He notices his name. This pen is fast. Kadek comes over and demonstrates how to eat “bosu” or chicken. Kadek is all dressed up. We had rice or Nasi for breakfast and Kadek made sure he told his mom that we were having rie for breakfast. Ezra has spots all over his chest like an allergic reaction to something. One of the Green School teachers lives in this area. He was the Australian soudnig teacher who spoke to the entire child. Reminded me of Kent. The songs of the Lion as I will call it plays on. The sun has finally set. The heat continues to stay around. I guess you could become used to this heat after a couple of years. But for us now the times are trying and hanging out with childen all day long can be trying a bit as ell. We had things a bit easier in Brasil. We were not outnumbered. Not that 2 is greater than 2 but I believe the ties goes to the youngest. We practiced “do nothing all day” or at least I tried. A strange sound PI_TOAR. Viena says it is a frog. We need a fan at the very least. A fan and so tomorrow I will go and buy one or two or three, but that will create a different sound in the evening. Even that portable fan would work. After every shower I still begin to sweat. I am trying to remember if we had ceiling fans in Brasil. I think we did. We had it made there. But we were called back – off that island.

DAY 07 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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Ezra’s birthday. Ezra turns four today. Yeah Ezra! I am glad I took many photos today because I would have had much difficulty fitting everything we did into this little space in my journal even with this super-fine Balinese pen. Lots of smells of smoke The rain quieted the ceremonial circumstances. Viena and I are in the lower tent with Ezra and Dwana upstairs. What a good set of Karma to have. Good Karma. And now it all makes sese. Good Karma. Bad Karma. And how the universe works. The battle between the two with Ezra and Viena all involves. Amazingly involved to see the hundreds of Hindu worshipers walking up the stree of Nyuh Kuning. Simply amazing.Unforgettable for me and for Dwana I am sure as well. A procession surrounded by spirit and not the intoxicating spirits of Madri Gras. How that must ahve been when Mardi Gras was more pure. But alas, again I jump ahead and forgot to mention the Green School principal playing baseball or the elephant slam dunking basketballs. We fit it all in on Ezra’s 4th birthday. Happy birthday Ezra. Happy Birthday. One to remember – forever. Amazing how the hindu celebration and Ezra’s birthday coincided. But I guess that is how Bali works. The heat never seems to go away. And the rains fell again today and pounded. And Ezra smiled upon an elephant.

DAY 06 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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The day before Ezra’s birthday. The rains fell hard last night in thinking that Ezra’s birthday will be here soon. And what should we do? Go to the Green School! We met Dani, Carolina and Ian from Santa Catarina Brasil. Amzing the ebb and flow of the universe. Might I have.Might I be. Ia want to go. I don’t want to go. The waves, oh the waves. We went to the Green School and met Adam, Tim and Ben. Ben I guess is my 1968 Monkey Brother from New York City. The connections just keep rolling in. Wayan Bebas hooked us up with Kutut Sabar who drove us to and from the Green School. We had a great time. Kutut is a fine driver that drives very slow and has Balinese Music playing – more our style. The Green School was simply amazing and amazing is too much of a cliche. Amazing to see all those amazing parents waiting to ick up their amazing children. And we were the next batch. And so here we are waiting to see if the island will select us. But we have it all here. What about the drive? If we could meet one person, maybe we did and that was it. Move on from the experience. 6 year old daughter. Pink hat. Pink phone. Yoga teacher that did not like UBUD. Too much for me. Too much fo anyone. Always easier to move on. Always easier to make due. We wait and wonder.Not. We are not of this window. We wish and want to continue. Knowing this is only a brief place and to make th most of the connections that we have. I want to buy a soccer ball. And a kite. The cares of the little ones. I lost it with Viena today as we were going and trying to do her early morning lessons. She could not write the number 17. She has been so excited about Ezra’s birthday. I have been so excited about Viena’s learning. ‘ At the Green School we spend time teaching the entire learner: Kinesthetic, Emotional, Academic, Gender, Spirtual. Where do you go from here? I don’t know. But many people are lost that come to Bali, but they smile more when they are lost. A monkey forest for a monkey brother. My connections to Garopaba. I need to write them down now. The sun it up. The temperature is hot. The clouds rumble and we might have another downpour. Maybe. Maybe.

DAY 05 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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The pages of the great novel remain unwritten in the mond of my sleep. 6 O’clock. The musical beats of the Temple heard. Of course we have been awake for so much longer. This is definitely an early morning culture. The question of the day. “Why do people wake up at this time?” – Viena. Because the Sun rises and the people wake up to the Sun.Last night was better sleep. I slept in the upstairs room and Dwana, Viena and Ezra slept in the downstairs tent under the Balay. I am pretty sure the balay area has never been used for this, but I could be wrong. The chickens are calling – the birds answering. The souds of the Temple flutes are playing. Morning has risen. The rains fell hard last night. “I’m scared of this song. We played in the soccer field. All the little children we played with last night wake up like happy birds. We are so hoping that the sun is going to rise. The older Balinese men were playing soccer while the boys and girls playing games of running and wrestling. A game of nanny nanny boo boo. The young boys would say something many times and srat running and wrestling. The girls would chase them and take them down and tickle them. Putu and Kadek were their and made Ezra feel welcome.

DAY 04 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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We walked again through the Monkey Forest. The monkeys jumped up on Ezra and carried off their young while nursing. They were curious and they were interested in us but somehow they knew that they were protected by being in their forest sanctuary in side their boundaries. We saw some moneys climbing power lines and raiding a home through a hole in the red tiled roof. I can see how these cute little creatures especially the ones with babies could become nuisances real quickly. The scooters were roaring down the walking path and prooved more dangerous than the monkeys. Everyone seems to have and use their scooter for transporation. No crosswalks on the roads. Very busy traffic. Very few walkers. The Dutch with their bicycles. The Balinese with their scooters. They should have left the bikes and the trails would be great for walking and for biking. At 4 in the morning very few people on the road, but some scooter riders were taking the short cut into UBUD through the monkey forest. Ezra fell asleep in the 10 minute taxi ride home from Ubud – $3. Not a bad price. to pay for the sanity of things.I need to go to the store to buy some necessities. So now Ezra is awake and the necessities will have to wait. What is really necessary anyway?

DAY 03 Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali

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April Fools Day is over for us. The jokes came and went, and here we are on the tarmac taxiing for takeoff to Bali, Indonesia. Take off from our day in China, in Shaghai, in yet another airport. We aare definitely otnumbered and sleep deprived. I woke up once in the airport during our 8 hour layover and then once again to notice all the people gathered at our gate, boarding the aircraft. Thanks for waking up. That would not have been a good April Fools Day joke. Shanghaied in Shanghai. Night time here. Midnight on the tarmac. And we wait our turn which is now, The jets roar. The plane shakes, and a tighness flows through our body. We have awindow seat. “We got off the ground Mom!” No problem it seemed. No city lights of Shanghai yet. Maybe the city does not even exist. Only for us. “We can’t see anything!”” and she is right. All day we could not see the city of shanghai. We stared into the greyness of the environment. The people dressed for colder weather Colder shoes. Colder clothes. Colder. “No stars yet!” i am still tired . Faitgued. But at least I am not driving a road, and hopefully will go a year before driving again. Sleep comes easy. If I fast forward I arrive at where I am in Nyuh Kuning Ubud Bali Indonesian next to the soccer field. We are here. We finally arrived. The neighbors came over and welcomed us to house that will be our home for a month. Ebuthree, Putu, and Kadek. We are here and the children are restless. How do you say, “How do you say?” in Indonesian? The neighbor children Putu and Kdek came over to play and tried to fellowship and make things happen. The children all played together for a little while, but we are all so tired from our travels to arrive here at Eric’s bamboo tree house in the rain forest. All the candy that we used for bribes along the way during our transport is gone hopefully, Coming to this warm pace makes my cravings for sweet go way down. Way down. “Ezra came and pushed me.”, “Viena, you are doing a great job!” We had to complete all the VISA and immigration/customs paperwork for this place . Sort of scary. I don’t know why. Kinda of like a test of some sorts that you must pass in order to gain entrance into this land. Do i declare all the energy bars that I am bringing in. They are “food” and the application says “food”. I decided not to. Ezra found a toad under a rock. Viena found a frog in te shower.  This morning Viena was so excited. Viena was so excited about food this morning. Early morning and already the temperature is hot. Ezra is passed out after waking us up early in the morning –  a Balinese morning. Must have been 3 to 4 in the morning. Viena is so excited to have her pet dragon, her new hat and her new dress. All for cheap. We woke up and walked t the market in Ubud this morning. All for cheap, but then I think would I even be buying these items if I were another place back in the States. But she is happy. Ezra is going to the one that makes or breaks this travelling thing. How will world travel affect Ezra? They are working on the house next door. Hammer. Hammer. Hammer. Viena’s dragon just ate an ant. I could speak of the two dogs in the soccer field and why no one walks across the soccer field, but how scooters will drive on a perfectly trvelled walking path. How the world seems different. All of the Balinese people on scootters are wearing long pants and long shirts and a jacket or hooded sweatshirts – for sun protection? – in case of an accident? – for style? We ate for $6 yummy food. And that is all. We do this and we do that for a smile. The early morning market is the best. I do wish Ubud was a bit closer as the walk through the monkey forest lots of scooters and lots of Monkeys if you do not pay to go by the temple.  The monkeys were following Ezra and showing their fang teeth.

Day 01 Honolulu – Shanghai – Denpasar

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Must be two in the morning. Pile it all in and Viola! Off we go. The moon waning. My thoughts more aanxious than melancholic or excited. Anxious everything going without incident, without any hic-cups, without any obstacles. Only because the unknown awaits. The unknown that the ticketing agent at the China Eastern booking desk almost did not give us a boarding pass because our onward passage was 31 days later and people staying over 30 days need a special visa before boarding the plane. The unknown that in the airport in Bali before we were oficially granted a Visa and entrance into Indonesia, my ATM card would not work and the credit card machine was not working and so I am thankful they accepted US dollars for the VISA. The unknown that everyone was so tired from our 12 hour flight to Shanghai that we almost missed our Midnight flight out of Shanghai because we were all sleeping next to the gate as everyone else was boarding. Luckily, I woke up and with blurry vision went to check out what was happening. So, I was a little anxious about the unknown, because with life the unknown always exists and with travelling the unknown increases and when travelling with children or soing anyting with children the unknown is magnified by an unknown factor, which left me with an unknown unknown amount of anxiousness. Dwana and I have been through moves. We try to take time to congratulate ourselves once again for another step. This trip feels different though. Not like crossing the border into Canada, not like driving so far away from home in Newfoundland, not like leaving Texas or California in the middle of the night and driving straight and not stopping or looking back until the sun rose to begin another day another way. This was different. We were both making the trip across the Pacific pond for the first time. Now we are over an ocean, away from land trying to connect to the Earth to the people of the Earth. Chinese B-movies are playing. They were actually pretty good. Better than the movies we were trapped in front of a decade ago on a bus in Peru. Nevertheless, we are trapped, held hostage to the entertainment. Viena is putting a puzzle together. Ezra is painting on the Kindle Fire. Flying above space. The check-in process was especially hectic since they almost did not let us on the plane because we did not have the appropriate VISA. For 30 days you do not need a VISA to board. The ticketing ladies counting once and then twice and then decided that a day in the airport did not count as a day so off we went –  to Shanghai. We do not have much stuff, but we have too much stuff. And the stuff we have I am trying to take advantage of.  We are some of the few Americans on this flight that flew out of Honolulu heading to Shanghai. No English spoken here on this plane, and I am sure it does not become any better once we arrive inShanghai China. The flight to Shanghai is 11 hours from Honolulu. We are loaded down with 10 bags. One bag has all of our food to bring – mostly energy bars. One has electronics. One has clothes. One has entertainment stuff. Ezra and Viena are travelling so well. Ezra was first to take advantage of the sleepng rule. We had just enought itme to make our connection in Oahu. Three hours should give you enough time, but we had to check in again with China Eastern. We were middle of the line of a bunch of Chinese people waiting to check in, but by the time we had counted days for our visa and checked all of our bags in we were one of the last to head to the security agents. We have already had to go through TSA twice, hopefully not another time. They always seem to pick me to do the full body scan. The plane ride was so quiet. Not many people talking even though it was daytime. Viena was finally clueing into what was happening in her own way. She said, “Dad, we are going to a place where there are alot of people!” She noticed as soon as we were standing in line at China Eastern for our flight to Shanghai that there were alot of people an dthey took notice or her and her light hair and the plane was full of people with darker hair with a different language and we were heading to China. The place where everything is made. And what about all their stories of their lives. Imagine if I could just record one, And to think back about when I worked at GetTogether and the inflence of Chinese culture on me from that job. And so we go. Ezra and Viena both have been practicing caligraphy with the magic paper we purchased in Chinatown San Francisco with Cousin Julia. Here we go again. This cultural experience. this is why we are doing what we are doing. The adventure starts here. Our semester has begun. After a few more whale sighting, after a few more roads. What wild places are we going to go now. I am going. The world is spinning. I am awakening. Spoke with Bob about his trip to HondurasI tried to connect the dots of all the stories in my head of which this is the one that I am living.What will happen? What will we do? How will we stay connected? What will fall through the cracks? How will I ever know anything? Where is my passion?  When will we find the day that we lost?