Writers & Rain

Right when I feel like I am sinking into the rainy jungle battling moldy clothes, gecko poop and mosquitoes, I had the exciting opportunity to attend the opening gala of the Writers and Readers Festival in Ubud last night. It was at the main temple on the main street and was a stunning glitz and glamour presentation. There were various speakers: from the temple chief (a descendent of kings), director of tourism, Festival founder/director to various sponsors, local authors and even a beautiful Balinese dance performance. Of all the nights to forget my camera! The festival hosts famous authors from around Indonesia, SE Asia and all over world for that matter, presenting workshops and lectures for five days. It is lovely for the soul. I think I need it.

I happened to meet up with the Festival founder/director last night, whom I admire immensely. For eight years now she has created an exquisite literary event, with a tight budget and large overhead. And all on the island of Bali, where I know things take shape in a whole different form. I mentioned to her that I might want to get involved and volunteer next year. I can't stay in the jungle for ever you know.

I am going to two luncheons this weekend with Alexander McCall Smith (Lady's #1 Detective Agency) and DBC Pierre (Vernon God Little). I also hope to buy a day pass for either Sat, Sun or both days. Since I work and don't want to commute in at night, I am stuck home until the weekend. But what a treat! We also invited a few authors to speak at the school for the students. Two have already come and presented on how to write a fantasy novel and the value of organic gardening while helping street kids in Jakarta. Two more speakers will arrive Friday that are equally as interesting with one young dynamic woman called Climate Girl sharing her conservation work and another female photographer from Australia, who has created children's books on endangered animals after running into a mountain gorilla in Rwanda and learning there are only 600 left in the wild. Very intriguing indeed. I will recap that event after this weekend.

And on the subject of cool women, my sister Thea (from AK) is coming for Christmas! I am so excited I can't stand it. We will not be running around rainy cold Portland trying to sustain sanity with the family chaos but traipsing around beautiful Bali, dodging buckets of warm rain, humidity and loads of tourists. (December is the other high season). I will be moved into my new place by then and have good handle on temples to visit, beaches to walk and reefs to explore.

Speaking of rain, I think it might be here for a while. It has rained for two days straight now and I am a bit nervous. Apparently it doesn't stop raining until April. I thought we had another month before it came  but we'll see. It rained today at school during my prep and I had to move from my room (upper level) because the mist and droplets were getting on my computer. I experienced Monsoon season in Nepal but apparently this is nothing like that brief torrential spell. Here the classrooms become louder, lightning is a concern with sports and things turn into mold. I went to bed with rain, woke up to rain and put on a pair of pants this morning. Although clean they appeared dirty. I looked closely and discovered it was mold! Yes, bring on the vinegar squirt bottle. I think moving out of the Bamboo Village soon might help since I will be living in more open rice paddies. Then I just have to keep an eye out for the snakes that like the rain in the rice paddies. Another tip I received today was don't bring your Bali clothes home. Once you get home, you realize how gross your Bali clothes can get. Ugh, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

That's it for now. The geckos are chirping (and pooping) in my ceiling, the kitties are asleep (until they decide to play soccer on my head at 4am), the rain is pounding outside (and inside dripping on my laptop) and I am going to watch a movie from my care package! Yahoo! One that wasn't pirated from the theaters, stops 1/2 way through or ends in another language.  :0