These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

It was so hard for me to leave Nusa Lembongan and in turn Bali. I truly felt at home there and enjoyed it so much. I have cried a lot in the past two days as I prepared and began my departure. Looking back at the culture, people, and country, I have comprise another list of the things I will miss or do already. It will be hard without:
-Bintang (the local and only brew)
-speaking Bahasa Indonesian (or at least trying to and learning everyday)
-peanut sauce
-Balanise "crackers"
-diving everyday
-the four Dive Masters at World Diving: Wayan, Made, Made and Nyoman- without these four boys my entire experience would have been different
-Big Boat
-the boat captains
-motorbikes
-learning about the Balanise culture everyday
-Nusa Lembongan
-All my friends at World Diving, Linda's, and in Lembongan, Sanur, Amed, and Tulamben
-sunset time
-kites
-the children saying hello
-the DMs making fun of my "Good Morning Everybody" and "Mengapa???"
-mie and nasi goreng; sate
-walking down the beach each morning
-Thai-Bali curry with 2-3 chillies from Linda's
-being tan
-waking up each day relaxed, making my bed, and enjoying a stress free breakfast/morning while watching the tides change
-fresh fruit juice

I think this list is just a beginning and as I go further and further away from Bali more items will pop-up. My stay in Bali has deelply affected me and my perceptions; I hope I keep part of Bali in me for a long time.

Communal Living

The Balanise sense of community is absolutly amazing. I am not sure yet if I have even gotten used to it. There is this concept of shared pretty much everything. If you are drinking water, anyone around you can and will have some. When eating, it is completly acceptable to put your fingers into your friends dish and have a bite. When working, you may do all the work one day, and your coworkers may do it all the next. There does not seem to be any feelings of jealousy or unfairness towards each other or over things. Your things, like an Ipod for example, can be used by anyone if they know where it is. Asking permission is not necesary, either.

I think it is based on this idea of Karma, combined with a sense of duty and obligation.

Money is the best. If you don't have any, just ask someone and they have to give it to you if they have it. If someone asks you for money, you have to give it to them if you have it. Those who have more money pay more. Those who have less money, pay less.

The idea of "no" is very rare. Even when they may get upset over something or do not want to do something, the feeling is quickly replace with acceptance and "no problem." I would say 'no worries.' But for them it is said much mor efrequently than any idea of negativity or unavailablity. "Tidak apa apa" is what they say, which litterally means, No, what what. But for them, they simply accept, deal, and move on. There is always a positive and optomistic tone in everything they do.

Physical affection is also very great. Especially between people of the same gender. They out thier arms around each other, lean on each other, share food, ciggerettes, drinks. What is actually rare is romantic physical contance between opposite genders. Everything is so platonic and accepting. Very often I will get patted, hugged, fake-punched, my tea drank from, my dive gear used, etc.... which all means that they like me, accept me, and view me as an equal. I think it will be hard to return to a culture of mine, mine, mine after I have shared all of my possesstions, actions, and even bodily contact for so long.

The End of the Road

Today I finished all the requirements for the Dive Master course. I have done over 70 dives since I fist came to Indonesia and I have learned a lot. I would ideally like to practice guiding divers on my own for 2 more weeks to become REALLY comfortable, but since school starts in 1 week, I don't think that is a possibility. I will fun dive here in Lembongan for the next few days and have a few celebrations as well. I may head back to Amed/Tulamben for my last day and a half in Bali... but I am not quite sure. This week has been a little stressful finishing all my course work and tests. Plus, I came down with a head cold, which in diving means- you can't dive. I hope it clears so I can enjoy my last few dives here. Today was not good and I could not make the second dive at all.

I am beginning to get sad that I am leaving soon. Not just because that means I have to work, but because I have met so many great people here and I have learned so much about the Balanise culture. I do know that I will be returning on Tuesday, August 29th at 6 pm. Can anyone pick me up at LAX???!!!??? Please email me directly if you can.... I would Greatly appreciate it. But for now, I will try to enjoy my last 5 days and I will speak with everyone next week!

Monkeys and Roosters and Dogs! Oh My!!

Animals in Bali are everywhere. How the Balanise value animals is also quite interesting. Firstly, animals roam free pretty much everywhere. Now when I say animals, I am talking about dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, cows, monkeys (in certain areas), goats, birds, geckos, sankes, not to mention wild animals that simply are around the area. I may come across these animals walking down the street, on the beach, at the airport, in a restaurant, under my bedroom window, and anywhere esle I choose to go.

The Balanise do not really keep pets. If they do, it is usually a caged bird, but they are not always kept in their cage. Sometimes, they might keep a monkey (like the boys at Baruna). They will feed "srtay" dogs and cats sometimes, but not really have any emotional attachments to any of them. I have only met one man that actually takes care of two puppies.

What is the most interesting/annoying, are the chickens and roosters. Now we all think they "cock-a-dooddle-doo" at dawn. Let me just tell you that this is a grave misunderstanding. That or Balanise chickens have ALL forgotten their watches somewhere else. They bawk, caw, cock-a-dooddle-doo, wobble, ruffle their feathers at ALL times of the day. In Amed, I found it really disturbing.

Here in Lembongan, the locals who live next to Lindas have many chickens roaming around their property. At about 3:45am they begin their role call. That is, each one in turn, says "hello, I am here and ready to go." This takes about an hour and 30 minutes for them all to have a little solo time. From about 5:15 to 6 am they form little groups and do warm ups with about 3-5 chickens at a time. Then, as the sun is rising around 5:45-6 am, they all begin the morning, daily ochestral wake-up call. This lasts untill about 7-7:15. If they have not woken you up by 6:30, the smoke from the burning rubbish will. I can usually tell what time it is within 10 minutes betwee 3:30 ant 7:30 based on my clucking feathered friends. The first few nights all I could do was crave the Balanise dish -chickent sate (chicken skewers with peanut sause- Yummy!!)

At night, I am "gently" lulled to sleep by the gecking geckos. I am not really sure how to classify their sound, but it is probably in the catagory of a frogs croak, but it sounds like the word "gecko." Now the little ones repeat their pharse about 5-8 times in succession, take a few minutes pause, and start again. Some of the bigger ones can get to 14 and I have heard even 25 (the one that lives at the house of the owner of Linda's). So this is like listening to someone with repetitive bursts of the hic-ups until you mangae to fall asleep.

Now the people inland may not have it as bad with the chickens. What they listen to at night are the bells around all of the cows necks clagging back and forth while they eat. At the end of the day, it is easy to see that animals definately have a distinct place in this society.

Environmental Concerns

Well, I could not go away from Bali without at least discussing some of the environmental issues this country faces; you all thought you would be spared from my tree-hugging, pro-recycling, make the planet a better place, ranting for 2 whole months. Firstly, the only people concerened for the environment are primarily tourists, which is ironic because without the tourists there would be less damage to the environment.

The majority of the locals burn their garbage. Now that means that they put it in a pile anywhere outside (but not always), light it on fire, and walk away. Sometimes it is not even in a pile. They begin at about 7 am, so if the roosters have not woken you up, the smell of burning rubish will. Thorughout the hillsides you can see white smoke in various clouds scattered about. While driving down the road, you will see people burning garbage or fires lit with no one around. In all the hotels and restaurants, there are garbage bins, but that is just to help them collect the rubbish for buring. Behind World Diving there is one "dumpster" like cart that people put trash in. It is constantly full and fly-infested so I am not completely sure what happens to that garbage.

The locals simply throw trash on the ground when they are finished with it. This is find for things like banana peels and watermelon rinds, I guess, but it is still emotionally hard for me to see chip bags, lollipop wrapers, and what-have-you quickly tossed on the ground without a thought of a garbage can. Maybe they think it will eventually get burned by someone's rubbish fire?!?!


Rycycling does occur for glass bottles only. And by recycling, I mean collection and reuse. Beer, Coke, Sprite, and Fanta bottles are collected at the "recycling" center and sent back for rebottling. For this reason, you cannot buy a beer and walk down the beach with it. Well you could, but then that resaurant would have to pay for the bottle. Many tourists do not understand this. So for locals, the beers are a bit cheaper because they return the bottles. Additionally, the reusing of bottles often means that when you open your Coke, it is rusty around the edges.


With garbage lying around, especially on a small island, the water and beaches are not completely litter free. Thing things I find washed up after high tide would amaze you! Many Indonesians do not swim and have little regard for the oceanic enviornment. They drop anchors all over the reefs often killing large portions and throw rubbish directly into the sea. In many areas thew would fish with dynamite which killed huge amounts of coral that has not grown back. They fish for whatever aquatic animals they can catch and have no regard of size (ie: throwing the small ones back to let them grow and reproduce). They will also fish for rarer animals with no regard to the species. This happens with sea turtles, although I have heard they are supposed to register with the police when they catch one, and it must be used for ceremonial purposes only. But I am not sure about how well or if that is regulated.

In some areas, they are learning about enviornmental issues and depletion and are trying to combat it. But mostly the Westerners as doing the teaching and making the necessary means to actually make some differences. But in all fairness, the lifestyle here is so different it is really unfair to judge; on Lembongan, many locals cook over and open fire and they only got electricity last summer. I am simply reflecting on what I have observed over the past 8 weeks. But rest asured, I do pick up trash while diving, reuse my own plastic bottles as much as possible to save them from being burned, and I will pick up trash if my local friends throw it on the ground. I guess some things never change!!!!

There's No Place Like Home...

So last week I was feeling a bit homesick. Well, it is not like I actually wanted to come home, per se, but I got to thinking about the little things I have back at home that I cannot get here. You always like things the way mom makes them, ya know??!!? I began to comprise a list of these trivial "luxouries" to remind me that life in Bali is not completly paradise. These are the items that I crave...
-hot water
-cheese
-milk
-red wine (you can get some here, but it is dreadful and quite expensive)
-my couch
-driving (not on the 710, or th 405, 105, 605, or anywhere in s. cali traffic, but just for the freedom of a nice sunny drive with the moon roof open without haveing to negotiate, bartar and beg for a rid somewhere)
-sunday brunch
-sunday afternoon cocktails continued after sunday brunch
-Hennesy's Lemonades
-Kettle One dirty martinis
-being able to pick up the phone and talk to anyone (but I don't miss the phone ringing at all)
-happy hour at Sambi's
-Internet at any speed faster than 12,000 AHHHHH
-Internet where I live, not 250meters down the beach
-my friends
-salad
-my electric toothbrush
-my kitchen (not that I want to cook, but it would be nice to fix myself something or grab a beer without having to order and wait for service in Bali time)
-non-smoking anythin g
-sushi/Sushi of Naples
-dinner with Meghan et al...
-electric razor


.... I guess the list could maybe go on, but those are the big ones that I miss.

Volleyball... Continued

So, every afternoon I walk to the volleyball court and watch. I have turned into my friend Meghan, however, and feel the need to pack my own Absolut cocktail in a waterbottle for the journey. I go down to the Kitchen at Linda's (where I live) and ask the girls to chop ice, make some juice and sprite and mix it with the peach absolut I have already been chilling in their freezer. It all comes together quite nicely and they all smile, as women don't really drink any alcohol in Bali, let alone vodka. I then walk the 10 minutes to the game.

I have a good Balanise friend, Putu, who saves me a seat front row, center, every day. She is the co-owner of World Diving and gets into the games just as much as I do. She is in it more for the tall, tall men from Bali and Java... me for the sheer sport and interesting cultural scene. I have begun to be recognized by many locals and they seem to accept me after a week+ of sitting with them. Even their children like me sitting in their group.

Today I was late and could not get to the court on time. Halfway through the second game Putu saw me standing across the court behind the teams... as that was the only place I could see. She told me to come sit with them (in one of the kids seats). Well to do this, I had to wait till the 8 point time out- and then run around/across the court. I had to push through the men to get to the front which caused a big comotion, then walk onto the court infront of the whole crowd. Everyone cheered at the funny white girl running with her water bottle and backpack. I did get to watch the rest of the match from the front, but my favorite team lost today and are now out of the tournament. 2days more to go... so we'll see what happens.