FULL MOON

Yesterday was the Full moon in Bali.

We went to Wana Giri to put offerings on the land.

When Full moon fall on a wednesday it is called Budha Kembang, which means flowers.
According to balinese belief>
This is the time when you should put seads in the ground and you will have beautiful flowers in your garden.
It is also the time when you should start a business and you will have great success.
The day is dedicated to Dewi RATH, which is in charge of the flowers.
They say she is beautiful and make sure humans are happy. She especially take care of women.

2 days ago we spent the whole day working on the land.

Agung (Bruce son) was probably the one working hardest.
He was promised a puppie if he was helping out. The boy would not stop.

Wayan (Bruce brother ) went around the foundation with pen and paper and made notes.
In the end of the day Wayan told us that he would cut tree of his Bayar trees to us. This we will use for the ceiling of the house.
You get very humble towards a man that hardly can pays his bills and are willing to give up an income just to see the project go on.

That day we managed to finish the foundation. In the end we were all standing looking over the jungel and just was listening to the peace and quiet of Wana Giri.

The men from Wana Giri will now have some days off and focus on the Odalan for Pura Desa (The village temple).

Odalan is the temple festival which is held once every Balinese year. (6 months)
Every tempel has their own Odalan.

I heard that one ma tried to count all the temple in Bali.
He stoped when he reached 11000.

So, MORE than 11 000 temple cermonies are held every balinese year.

Very hard to belive when a tourist say he missed a cermony during his stay in Bali.
You wonder if he actually has been in Bali.

TUMPEK Pengarah

Yesterday we had the Cermony for plantation

In Balinese we call it Tumpek Pengarah or Tumpek Bubuh.

It is a cermony when you just pay a little bite extra attention on the plants and flowers.

This day Wayan (Bruce wife) went to diffrent trees and plants and put a small offering to show gratefulness. (see picture)

Agung started playing with Komang and Ayu.

They decided to make a Ogoh Ogoh doll with wood and small pieces of bamboo. (see picture)

When they were done they ran around and made noices as you do during NYEPI (balinese new year).

The whole day we worked on the land.

The men from Wana Giri worked on the foundation.

and Bruce, Wayan and me were carrying rocks.

Once the first pile was done Bruce said...-ok, come here...just one more pile of rocks....

The typical comments from Bruce and which you hear about trimillion time a day are

-step by step and pelan pelan (slowly )

So that in mind, I tried not to see the big pile and just the "small" rock that JUST had to be thrown over the edge, 2 m above my head.

My hands were so sore and full with blisters. When I came home I was so tired, dirty and amazingly happy.

There is something magic with this land. You just spend a few hours and you become happy.

All your worries and stress are way gone.

little KAIKO PUTU

After spending the day in the mountains we decided to visit new born baby girl Kaiko Putu.

Laba laba (Spider) , one of my old local guide, just had his first baby.

To show respect and make him and his family happy we went to the hospital to see the little wonder.

There was this half Balinese -Japanese girl sleeping wraped in a sheet.

She was stunning!!

Unfortnately Laba Laba was not there. He was at the family house to barry the placenta.

According to Balinese belief you have to barry the Placenta infront of the house door to protect the baby from evil spirits.

If it is a girl, you put it on the right hand side. If it is a boy vice versa.

The placenta is put in a coco nut shell.

Inside you put 33 chinese coin (which symbolize the Trinoty), Flowers ( show gratefulness towards the Gods), Piece of pandanus ( which will with the sharpness protect the baby from evil spirits), skin of the bamboo tree, the balinese alphabet (dasa aksa) on palm leaf (lontar), Onk Kara (Symbol of god).

Some of the placenta is dried and kept in a small box, that you hang around the babies neck. (see picture of little boy)

Some of the placenta is kept for medical reason. You will dry it and once the baby is sick you mix it with water.

It might sound strange..............BUT who are we to judge

Kaiko has loads of cermonies infront of her..

On is when the belly buttom falls of.

After 42 days there is another cermony. This time is for Kaiko´s mother. She will now be able to go to the tempel.

After 105 days (3 months) Kaiko´s hair will be cut and put on the soil infront of the tempel.

After 210 days (6 months) you will have a cermony to protect Kaiko from the 6 evil temtations

I don´t know all 6, but they are inline with laziness, anger, jealousy, drunkness, materialistic jealousy...

Dog soap Opera

This is my morning..

I wake up with a Asha pushing my feet and making the strangest sounds..

Not sure what she i saying, but something in line with - Get up!!! NOOOOWWWW!!!!

After opening the gate Asha runs out to her friends. Then the soap opera for dogs starts.

There is drama every morning!

Wise Bob (my neighbours dog) is the leader. Trying despertely have control of the street and the other dogs. No other dog is aloud on his territory.

Little Goldie (the naughty ) is Bob's pain in the ass. Usually gets beaten up atleast once a day by Bob. Has no id'e where his territory is. Crazzy in love with Asha. Will do anything to sniff the Asha smell. Unfortnately is Goldie not that strong and usually gets beaten by Asha aswell. Girl power!

Blackie with the hazel eyes. She always stands on the same spot. She does not bark. She only wiggle her tail and watch over the tinny ones as they run in front of her. It looks like she has this grand-mother smile and just enjoy her view.

Big Goldie (Goldie's dad) and the most handsome Golden you ever seen. Such a nice dog. Unfortnately more interested in food that in bitches.

Before we had Ying- Yang. He was a mix of a sausage-dog and Dalmatine. He had red eyes and half of his body was white and black. Unfortnately Ying Yang disapeared.

His buddy is the evil dog. He has absolutly black eye and stare at you like a Zombie.

His companionship is this little small annoying barking Bali dog, who is affraid of everything and everybody.

And than we have Asha...
Has no id'e that she is a lady. Has been brought up with Goldie that quite early showed what a man-dog does. Probably one of the few bitches that hump your leg.


We used to have more dogs on the streets, but they were killed by the " killing -dog -people " in Bali.
In Bali, If a dog has no collar or owner there are men who come and kill these dogs.

On of them was Chubby. He was just the most kind dog you ever met. All he wanted was a little bite affection och love. Asha used to jump on his back, bit his ears, pull his tail and Chubby just looked at her with these big brown eyes.

The other one was the Clown. His body was way to small for his skin. When he ran his whole body was wobbeling.

There are organizations in Bali that doing such a great to stop this cruelty. One of them is BAWA.
They trying there best with not much money to find owners for the streetdogs and especially steralize the dogs.

Contrast

After returning another of my neighbours newly chewed shoe from Asha to my quite upet neighbour.

I closed the door and sat on the edge of my balcony and watch the beautiful evening with the sounds from the "animal kingdom" in my garden.



In the Banjar " community" there was a cermony. Not sure what it was for, but the Legian was decorated with colorful entrances to the Banjar hall and beautiful offerings.



From far away you could hear an old lady chanting. Her chanting was so powerful.

Hard to put words on it.



After a while the rest of the crowd started chanting with her.



even more powerful!



Suddenly the old lady's beautiful voice full of vibrating energy & transforming vibes changed to a band that were playing HARD ROCK from the 80's.



And to tip it up...they started playing EUROPE and the "Final count down"

I thought Europe nicely was packed in a musicbox, sealed, wrapped up, packed in an even bigger box and stamped with "Do not open".

The memories of Europa are a bunch of young boys with teased hair in Mullet-style.
How could they?
and more important
How could WE?

The Final count down defently brougt back memories with me in teased hair, scary make up and doing the moves on the dance floor.

Kebaya

Last night I drove to Bruce and his families house.

I love coming there. It is such a relaxed vibes.

Normally...
Agung sits down with me and we practice a few words and numbers. He proudly counts to 10 and after that it gets a little bite complicated.
Made runs around and screams- Leeeetttsss gooooo, which he picked up somewhere

After dinner we sat down the whole family. I had brought some fabrics that I got from Lisa. I planned to make some tunikas at the balinese tailor (cheap!!)

I told Wayan (Bruce wife) and Kadek( Bruce niece) that they should pick one material and make a Kebaya.

You should see Kadek's eye. Suddenly her eyes were shining, pulled out the fabric, wrapped them around her and started making design for her new Kebaya.

(Kebaya is the blouse you were during cermony)

You see...these kebaya are not just a cloth to were during the cermony. This is a highly important fashion thing for the young balinese girls.
Just like fashion in the west, Kebaya designers design new Kebaya with the right color, cut & pattern of the season.

As a balinese, you spend alot of time at the cermony.
It is there fore important to look good as you might catch a glimp of your future boyfriend and husband.

My friend Kesuma is the expert in Kebaya. She has two huge closets full with Kebayas and know exactly what the latest kebaya fashion is.

This is usually the welcome greeting when I come to Kesumas house and we go for a cermony

-Pinglan....yooouuuu laaa...(Shake her head because I do not wear the right latest fashion shoes for the outfit, which she later complains that she get sore feet of.)

Than she points to the perfect folded Kebaya, sarong, hair accessories, make up...

When it is a important cermony there will sometimes be a make up artist, who fix your make up and hair.
In the begining I looked like a ghost!
You see, for the balinese it is fashion to have white skin.
You do everything to make sure that the sun-rays do not reach your skin.
Most balinese people look at you very strangely when you say that you love to have there brown golden skin.
So when the make up artist prepare you make -up, she will also make sure that the already white person becomes even whiter.

One day after a cermony Kesuma and I went to Tierra Grosir (like a supermarket).
As we walked in Kesuma says to me
-The people might stare at you
I said to her- That it is ok! (usually some suprized balinese who is looking as a "bule" wear a Kebaya)

We walk through the supermarket and this time it felt totally diffrent. People would seriously stare and I kept on hearing how people were talking and whispering. When I looked back, they would given me this cheeky smiles.

I went to Kesuma and I said - You were right, they are actually really staring.

Where Kesuma turns to me and says:
-They are not staring at you! They staring at your Kebaya. You wearing the latest fashion in Kebaya.

at Earth cafe.............

I have a half day off and I went straight to earth café to enjoy there amazing food.

In the middle of the soup two ladies come in ....and there is a lot complaining, whining about how inefficient the balinese are.

One lady orders a juice.
The Apel-Carrot juice arrives....and the women says- But how can you not make it right !! I told you Ginger and apel

The waiter bow and appologice

Comes back with a Ginger -Apel juice

The women makes another freaky noice and says- You are absolutly something...I told you Apel, Carrot with Ginger

So the waiter says
-So why did you not tell me before and I would just have added Ginger...

Where the women says
-But I wanted you to add extra Ginger

Seriously...I am sitting 3 m from them and do not understand a word what this women is going on about.

All praise to the waiters at Earth café.....

Excuse me...

I am just sitting at the ISLAND and waiting for my next class.

The cafe is full of people eating breakfast, preparing for the daily activities, looking at maps, giving eachother hints and suggestion, waiting for guides to pick them up, organizing motor cycles, checking internet, reading books...

Really good vibes!!


Suddenly I watch this englishmen with a upright spine and proper english accent calling Dina (Island-staff)

- Excuse me, Sorry, I beg you pardon, Could I possible bother you by asking for another pot of Te, please....Thank you very much!


I mean ...how many words do you need for asking for a pot of te?

I love Dina's answer
-Sure...(easy and short)...and than she walks of with her high heals, short skirt and sexy catwalk-walk.




Next secong Sri and the team walks in (Island-staff)

-PAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!! (God morning)

Clone Shashi husband

Three days ago Bollywood dancer Shashi and Alexandra came to the Island.
We went home and after that I totally crashed.
Shashi and Alex decided to go and have a bite.

At midnight a paniking and upset Shashi runs in to my room
-They stole my purse !!

Shashi had been robbed by a motor bike guy. This guy had driven on a bike and roughed the small bag of Shashi shoulder.

This stuff is so sad and gives Bali a really bad reputation which generally speaking is a very safe place.

The next moment 3 womenn tried desperatelly to contact Shashi husband, so he could cancel her documents and cards.

We sat on the floor, in the middle of the night, with a dog trying to chear up Shashi, 6 phones & good knows how many SIM card.

Unbeliveable..when you really need to make that call your
-credit is out
-battery is low
-you can not opem the case to change the SIM card
-No coverage
-Wrong network


Finally after changing phones and Sim card God knows how many times...we got hold of Shashi husband

What a MAN !!!!What a GEM!Where do you find these men ??
He was so calm and just reassured her
-Do not worry! I fix that !! ohh that is ok !! Do not worry ! Everything will be ok! as long as you are ok !! I take care of that ..

The next morning I finally had to wake up Cinderellas so we could go to the police.
First we came to the Tourist police in Kuta where they said
-Maaaddddaaaammmm....we can make a report but it will say that you lost your bag
We looked at them and said- But it was not lost , it was stolen !

-So then you have to go to the Police office where they will do a investigation

So we went to the " Police investigation office "

So again we sat down in front of mr police who said
--Maaaddddaaaammmm....we can make a report but it will say that you lost it
We looked at them and said- But it was not lost , it was stolen !

-Maaaaddaaaammmmm in my country we have a model A & B. You choose model B (investigateion ) it will be very complicated. When we catch the man who did it you will have to come back and it will very complicated, and you have only 10 days....so lets go for model A

And than he gave us a cheaky smile, claped his big stomach and looked at Alex.
-So you have a boyfriend?

So I told the cheaky police office
-Hey...so wait a second. You want Shashi to sign a form that says that she lost her purse. Do not the police have any ínterest to make a the right report.

He tried again with......Maaaddammmm...in my country

So finally we said...but in our countries we go to the police and if we got a purse stolen we make a " stolen -report " at the police

He did not look to happy until he started talking Bolly wood dance with Shashi and did all the moves and started singing.

So finally a man started writing the report.

After another hour we got in to bald mister investigation officer.
He looked like a brown hulken ...

The police knew no english, so it was just nicely trying to work as a translater for Shashi.
I never understand the Indonesians. i always feel like my Bahasa indinesia is crap, but they always seems to understand what I am trying to say. Maybe it is the big circles with my arms or my face expessions.

In this room the TV was on and showed Tommy and Jerry.
Havn´t seen this guys for a long time. They are hilarious!!
So while Jerry smacked Tom with a pot, one million birds circuling around Tom´s head, Alex and Shashi fell asleep and I tried to understand what brown hulken was saying...

After 3 hours ...we walked out with big smiles.

It was entertaining...



The afternoon Shashi got readdy for the Bollywood dance class and I started thinking about mr Khan and me under the raincirculing around the tree and do all the proper moves ....:)

The class was so much fun !
Of course the dance was about love and how beautiful the man thought the women was....
The end of the dance we came to the signature move!!!
So suddenly we stamped, moved the armes, twisted the legs, walked forward backwards, circles.........

the SAKA calender

Today we went up to the mountains.

It is such a relief to come up there when you live and work at the coast.

The air is fresh and you just relaxe when you get up there.

Found out today that this month is the absolutly best month to build a house according to balinese calender.

Right now we have the month called Kedasa-October.

The last month we had the " Nyepie" , which is called the Balinese new year. Most people would think that after Nyepi you start from scratch with month nr 1, but it is actually month nr 9 (getting complicated??)

The reason why you celebrate Nyepi and in the 9 th month is because 9 is the highest holiest number and there fore one of the biggest cermony during the year of SAKA.

According to balinese belief the uneven number are the holy ones.

That is why when you see a balinese tempel and the so called " merus" (roofs-tops) they always have a uneven number.(see picture of Ulun Danu tempel)

According to Balinese calender we are actually in september month and the year is 1932.

The Saka calender has 12 months, but is has not 365 days, but works according to the moon.

Month nr 1

Kasa

Month nr 2

Karo

Month nr 3

Ketiga

Month nr 4

Kapat

Month nr 5

Kelima

Month nr 6

Keenem

Month nr 7

Kepitu

Month nr 8

Keulu

Month nr 9

Kesangah

Month nr 10

Kedasa

Month nr 11

Jiesta

Month nr 12

Sadeh

Yoga

Today I had a class with this beautiful young girl with a amazing personality.
Being with her during the class and speaking to her after the class also saw alot of conflict with her own body and had developed eating disorder.

I realized she was just not happy with herself. It was like she wanted to be someone else and did all treatments, surgery and diets to become something she was not.

It just made me realized how hard it must be to a young girl and boy today.(as well adults)
To constantly be faced with marketing adds that show the happy, perfect wife & husband, perfect lover, perfect body, face, profession, car and etc.

Imagine if we just could teach everyone to just like yourself and stop comparing yourself to people around you.
Happiness will never come in your body, status or your material items, but just by accepting yourself and loving who you are.

Imagine if we could teach the young kids the true Yoga and teach them not to fall for the traps and temptations that are out there.

It would defently be a better place...