My Day

It was a typical day for the most part.

First of all, my blog title reminds me of the name Made (pronounced ma-day), a very common Balinese name, typically given to the second child in a family. I have met quite a few Mades, and tonight one more. I actually had a neighborhood child I had never met before in my little home, before I was home, named Made. But more on that later.

Awoke to the local temple prayer tape at 5:50am and was off walking to school by 7:25am. It was already a hot one. I decided to wear loose, light cotton tunic/pants that look more Indian than Balinese and that I bought at the local grocery. Although an all black outfit isn't so bad, today it was hot! I now carry a little towel on my way to school so I can casually wipe off the waves of sweat from my body so when I run into someone before I can reach my third story classroom fan, I don't look like I just came from the shower. Literally.

We always start our mornings with a staff meeting for ten minutes then move to the classrooms to teach. Mine happens to be right above the staff room, also sharing the large bamboo poles that run right in the middle. Logistically a challenge to teach in. I reminded staff that any conversation they have, we can hear. With the ambient noise of the entire building rising up to my room, the first 1/2 hour of the day can be the hardest. I hear entire conversations two stories below as well as my neighbor below teaching, the kids playing on the field, any music playing in the building across the gardens, parents on their phones, etc.

But the kids and I have settled into a routine for the most part, where I ask them a "would you rather" question for attendance. Today's question took one class much too long as they argued if a cucumber was a fruit or a strawberry was really a berry. (Would you rather be a vegetable or a fruit and which one?) The sixth graders, smart, dynamic and entertaining sometimes struggle with group decisions, listening and paying attention. So today's lesson after writing their fables, was Impromptu speaking. That should be a fun journey over the next few days. Pick a topic, take notes, speak and listen to the feedback. So simple...

But all in all the morning passed with little excitement if you are used to the noises, breezes, bugs and hormone levels of middle school kids.

Right before lunch was Grade 8 class. The students are building shelters today made from whatever natural material they can find on campus and in the jungle. Needless to say, they did a great job finding bamboo poles, palm fronds, banana leaves, and such to construct a myriad of designs. I was impressed. No snakes were seen and it beats giving them a role of tape and a stack of newspapers to build a free-standing shelter in the hallway. (We're reading Lord of the Flies in case you are wondering). My point in this exercise is to explore themes in the novel, teamwork, creativity and connections to our surroundings. One group confessed they had to move locations only after building on a red-ant hill. Bummer.

But after this during lunch, I ran down the hill, across the bridge and up the other side to have lunch at home and feed the kitties. It was scorching hot and I had about 20 minutes to make it round trip. Ahhh, but little did I know there was a cremation in the village. So I looked up as I am crossing the bamboo bridge and see the entire local village coming down the stairs in their ceremonial dress carrying the remains of some dear relative. I stepped aside. I watched all ages come down, saying "selemat siang" or good afternoon as I was passed. There I am in my all back Indian outfit, with a cowboy hat on, my very worn out flip flops full of pebbles, sweltering in the sun. The elders stood near the stairs smiling at me and the youngsters took their clothes off immediately and jumped into the river. The actual cremation is above the temple near my house and then the remains are floated down the river with many flowers and prayers.

I finally made it home, too hot to eat and fed the kitties and turned around to head back to school for my next class. It was so hot I changed clothes so I wouldn't be absolutely dripping. The cremation site is right next to my bungalow, so I was glad to head back to school and avoid the smoke billowing inside. I just left the ceiling fan on for the kitties.

I made it back a few minutes before the kids and was off into the land of seventh graders and Outsiders, trying to explain what 1967 Oklahoma might have looked like with: Beatles haircuts, Mustang cars and slicked back Greasers fighting poverty with their determination and switch blades. Good luck on that one. I forget sometimes that most of my students have a world perspective, not a US perspective.

At the end of the school day I was in my classroom grading some homework when my phone beeped. Nobody really calls anyone hear because text messaging is cheaper. And since there are no school phones, we communicate with texting. The message was Bamboo Village related. The neighborhood kids were building a fort next to my house, were in/out of my house and the little kitties were escaping. (They are so little they can't jump down from the open walls/windows so are still indoor). I thanked Sarah who said she would stay close and help. I raced home again over the bridge and up the hill. Still hot out, by the way. And I was told today that when the rains come, it is really hotter, stickier and harder to teach with the pounding rain. Yes! More challenges. (sarcasm)

All the kids (about 9?) were playing by my house and few were inside. There are no locks and privacy doesn't really mean anything here. So after a few minutes of saying hello, I had all the kids (ages 4-9) inside (800 sq ft bungalow) lying on the wooden floor, sprawled on the couch, sitting on my Nepali stools, eating snacks and playing with the kitties. It was fun. I think the kids are loving this living environment. I even had two children in my house I had never met before. They live behind me and are Balinese. The sisters, Navali (sp?) and her brother Made were quiet since they don't speak much English. But good to meet everyone in the neighborhood.

About 15 minutes into this I had to leave since as I was walking home (over text) I was offered a car/driver for the night to head into town. So I jumped on that opportunity, told the kids to play outside and found the car waiting for me. I ran out of milk this morning. Not good for the am coffee. But I always seem to forget a quick trip into the grocery turns into about four hours. I left at 6pm and got home by 10pm.

Another teacher came with me at the last minute, we had dinner and as usual ran into GS families and an intern, whose motorbike was broken. So another hour went by looking to fix the motorbike, shopping for my neighbor who loaned her car/driver to me and buying my milk, and the 1/2 ride home.
And when I finally walked in tonight, with my milk and meowing kitties I knew I had to wash the dishes  before bed. Otherwise, you invite the outside in. And low and behold, I stopped a pile of tiny ants miraculously carrying one piece of kitty kibble out of my sink. It must have taken them hours. Very determined but I did wash my dishes. Enough said.

A full and vibrant day altogether. And tomorrow comes in about seven hours. Have to move the sleeping kitties off my lap and head to my world of mosquito net, fan and dreams.

Connections Home

It is 1:30am and is quiet here with the exception of the occasional rain shower and general nightly buzz from the jungle. I had no intent of staying up this late, but I am glad I did. Right as I was about to go to bed, I decided to try and make a few phone calls home through the computer. This time of night is perfect for the 15 hour time differences. And it worked! I can't express how wonderful it is to stay connected with everyone. Thank you to all that I cold-called for answering your phones! I love it. The phone rings and rings and the anticipation grows. Will she answer? Does he have a clue that it is me? Aside from my twin brother, no one intuitively knew I was calling. And to see a weird number appear on your phone, that looks like its from unknown town USA, it can be easy to ignore.

 I learned that the Sisters Folk fest is in full swing with two more days of music, dancing and friends festing. And I loved hearing about various outdoor adventures, weddings, birthdays, that my house is in good hands and all are well in Bend. It is somehow comforting to know that not much has changed since I have been gone. I can visualize the rush of school starting and the dry (somewhat smoky) days lingering a few more weeks until the fall chill sets in for good.  Thank you. Love you all and will continue to cold-call at random. Although the connection is clear and I sound like I am next door, I am just an ocean or two away.

So if your phone rings... :)

Groceries

After a long day of teaching, I came home with the intent to feed the monsters, and head into town for dinner and groceries by about 5pm. My food is critically low at the house and I knew that I specifically needed milk for the coffee in the am (sadly no 1/2 & 1/2 here). And no easy task buying good quality Australian milk. The nearby local IndoMarts don't sell it.

But to grocery shop is a serious journey for me right now. Helmet on head and close-toed shoes on feet, I left my bungalow for the 30 minute drive in, following another co-worker so we could have dinner. The after work traffic is the worst. It is crowded and with no signals and small streets, it can be stressful. Never take your eyes off the road, look left/right/behind in mirrors and don't panic when honked and passed by big trucks. Stay steady and look out for potholes.

We made it and she showed me a new area where she now lives. We parked our scooters and walked up these hidden cement pathways flush with foliage, a running stream, rice paddies and yoga studios hidden amongst organic restaurants lit by candles and dripping with expat atmosphere. It was yummy and surreal at the same time. And afterwards she directed me the "back way" to the grocery store. It was a narrow and steep (at times) road, leading to the main road in Ubud. We only got turned around once. Ha! It's all so new to me, that I am sure anyone reading this from Bali is laughing. But seriously to get around on a scooter, in crazy traffic, or in the dark through unfamiliar territory is a trip.

So when I was finally riding home and in this easy pothole-less patch of the road with rice paddies on either side of me, I thought what was actually in my backpack? What did I buy that could fit on my back that I so desperately needed? (I bought a school backpack the other week so I could do just this: grocery shop on my scooter). Well, here is what I thought were the essentials for the next few days until I do it all over again:

mangoes

milk

cucumbers

cat food (two cans since weaning off the bottle has begun)

mini bananas    

two kitchen towels (the kitties are cleaning me out of all my towels)

olive oil (small bottle)

1 paper towel roll

humus

baby wipes (for the kitty butts)

feta cheese

ant chalk 

small loaf of bread

1 tall beer

pineapple juice

 It seems like a strange list to me too. But the kitties are seriously messy and learning how to become cats and I have some basic stuffs at my home already: coffee, rice, beans, coconut milk, etc. There you go, my evening eating out and grocery shopping. It only took about five hours since I made it home by 10:00pm. Sometimes I miss the convenience of Trader Joes. 

Labor Day Weekend?

Besides not being celebrated, this is what Labor Day weekend isn't in Bali...

1. It isn't worrying about covering your garden at night with the oncoming frost. There isn't any frost.
2. It isn't saying goodbye to summer. It is saying goodbye to the tourists that swarm the streets with guidebooks and sunburns.
3. It isn't getting ready for school to start, after a short orientation week full of meetings. School is in the third week, after three weeks of orientation.
4. It isn't having one final camp out by the lake with friends, huddling in down puffy coats. It's figuring out how lovely the beaches will be when it is less crowded.
5. It isn't getting excited about the upcoming Sisters Folk Fest next weekend. But it is more contemplative about not being there and being present here.

What Labor Day weekend is in Bali...

1. A reminder that my home has temporarily shifted around the world.
2. A weekend to swim in the Indian Ocean with new friends.
3. A reality check that I can either live for work or work to live.
4. A milestone in the short lives of my kitties that I now foster/own. Two finally used a litter box today.
5. Saying goodbye to my SHS email. Officially out of the loop now.


Yes, another weekend and another blog entry. A few reality checks that I have had today connect to Labor Day weekend. Where was I a year ago? I was scrambling to leave for a two month trip to Nepal. I was organizing what Ten Friends projects Sally and I would check on while there and what treks I wanted to do. I was excited about Otis and my sister Thea meeting me there. I was getting my curriculum in order at school for all my classes so the sub could come in and take over easily. I was worrying about the Yearbook getting off to a good start without me there. I was organizing my house so two strangers (to each other) could move in and take care of my life while I was gone. I was worried about my dog. She misses me when I am gone too long. I was packing for my cousin's wedding in Mexico, right after Nepal. I was excited about the adventure change brings.

And here I am now, over a month living in Bali. I had no idea I would be here a year ago. If you had said, "Mary, you're moving to Indonesia next year." I would have laughed, "yeah, right!" But here I am. The funny thing is, I I don't think I had a choice to come here. I needed to move here. I didn't know it a year ago. But now I do. I am not sure what I will find while I am here, or what I will accomplish. But despite my fabulous community, friends and family, I needed this change. I called my twin last winter and said I need something more. He said, "Move out of Bend. The world is waiting for you." And I laughed, "Sure what will I do with my house, life, job, dog, etc?" Change is hard for me. And little did we know, I would end up here in Bali. And that is where my thoughts are today. Still in awe that I live here, excited about the possibilities that are out there and willing to make the shifts to change what I need to change.

So a year ago this weekend, I was camping on a lake, enjoying the cool night while sitting around a fire, passing the whiskey with friends. Loving the crisp change in the air. Excited about fall, the Sisters Folk Fest and my flight to Nepal the day after. I was alive. And now I am here and having swam in the ocean and walked on the beach, I am back in my bungalow with the sounds of jungle all around me and the kitties are asleep. Wild.