Wifi at last!

Hey all!  It’s been a while since I last posted because I don’t have wireless at the house, and it’s taken me a while to find somewhere else to post.

Lets see, so much has happened since then:

Things I’ve learned: Geckos chirp like birds, dogs can learn to look both ways on the street, the part of Ubud where all the tourists are isn’t really Ubud, and it didn’t exist 30 years ago, it’s really just an outer suburb that has exploded to accommodate them.

I had my last night/day at Kebun Indah. They are so great. Got a tour of the Ubud Kaja rice fields  on Sunday morning, a big loop past rice and coconuts, and a surprising number of random cafes and tourist bungalows and even a “fine Italian restaurant”. Apparently foreigners  buy up random rice fields from Balinese that want/need to make fast cash, and then tend to turn them in to proto-businesses. They fill in the land, run some wiring out, and turn it into “ an authentic, scenic Balinese rice field experience”.  I’m sure it looks amazing on the website photos, but in practice it is beyond bazar.  My guide obviously had mixed feelings about it too. He wasn’t psyched about how the tourists have taken over in the last 30 years, but on the other hand, he makes his living giving tours and running a little café/guest house/etc. Interesting guy.

I am learning to drive a scooter! Yesterday it rained for a bit, so fewer people were out on the roads. I jumped at the opportunity. Within a half hour  the roads were busy again, but I had made five or six laps of my tiny little neighbor hood of Nyun Kuning, and could now turn right. There was a group of women moving bricks at the one major intersection, and they got to see the whole process. On the first lap I almost ran my bike straight at their brick pile, and they all jumped. The next lap was more successful, and by number five they were smiling and cheering my progress.  (this might be an exaggeration, but  they definitely at least grinned and remarked. I was proud enough of my right turn into traffic that I’m pretty sure I cheered out loud for myself, so I’m going to go with they were cheering with me. )  Right turns are haaard. Remember they drive on the right here. 

Today Putu drove me out to Sibang Kaja, partly to see the Green School and partly so I can learn my rout to work. The ride to work  sticks to a few large-ish roads, which is uncomplicated,  but traffically intimidating.  We’ll see how I do on Wednesday.  The Green School is … stunning. I mean really, wow.  I will dedicate an entire post to it some time, with pictures, because, … just… wow.

Ooh! I went SHOPPING! For real things! In the actual shopping road, not the tourist area. Ibu Wayan, my awesome new housekeeper gave me a ride and helped me out. There is NO WAY I could have managed without her. Too much traffic, to much to stare at, no interpretable signage anywhere.  I perched on the back of her bike and we set out in search of 1) a mosquito net and 2) a lock for the door.  The security measures at my house include a stick with a nail through one end used to bar the front gate against dogs, and a padlock on the porch door. Except that the padlock had been misplaced. So I had a stick with a nail in one end. Not sketchy at all. (actually, weirdly, not one person seemed to bat an eye at this, so I’d like to think it’s not quite as sketchy as I think? Unclear) 

Anyways, Wayan and I went out, and wandered from stall to stall until we found what we were looking for. The mosquito net we found on the second try, and was fairly straight forward, except that I have no idea if I paid a fair price, since Wayan has never bought one, or really ever considered using one.  The lock proved trickier, and eventually we were pointed towards a large-ish supermarket things. They did have padlocks! And also a Dairy isle! So I grabbed some essentials in my first grocery haul! Woo! I now have milk, eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, fruit, butter and tea. I can now officially cook for myself in my very own kitchen! WHAT!?!?!?! Woooo!

today i am eating a delicious breakfast of fruit, rice porrige and chicken curry-ish-thing at the little hotel restaurant across the way. Finally! Free Wifi! 

ok, love to you all. Will try to answer the emails i got in the last two days, but it might take a while. 

Ari