After a restless night Friday, I woke Saturday morning groggy and unsettled. I woke often, hot and thirsty, drifted back to sleep, woke again, was up from 3;00 until 5:00 am, and finally got up at 6:30. My energy felt unsettled to say the least.
The day before, I’d heard something about a baby naming ceremony for Dewa’s one month and one day old son. I wondered if that was why I woke questioning my indecision about leaving on the 11:30 bus for Lovina. Whatever the reason, I didn’t feel like it was time to go?
I asked Miki about the ceremony. It was starting around 1:00 pm and I was welcome to attend! Clear that I wasn’t going to leave, I walked to the Perama office, changed my ticket until the next day and went back for my computer. I went to my favorite little local restaurant at Artini’s, ordered a chai and sat down to write. Two hours later, I was finished and on my way back to Dewa’s early enough to change clothes.
Their compound was reorganized and decorated with offering baskets all over the area near the family dwelling area. I stood in the background observing, listening and staying out of the way. A “holy man” began the ceremony and I took a lot of photo’s.
They prayed with string, with rice, with Balinese money, with chickens having a coin tied around their neck, lots of flower blossoms and incense. Unlike ceremonies in the US I’ve been to, this one was very light hearted and fun. They laughed, joked and smiled a lot. I was happy to have been there and witnessed it. I’ve got a lot of photo’s to make copies of for them!
Once the ceremony ended, I had a very lazy day reading a little, writing some, having a nap and then walking out to find the “honey man”. A few times, I wondered if I should have gone on the bus? When I thought that, I reminded myself two things. First, I felt to be here so be here. Second, I couldn’t change it now so enjoy THIS moment.
I couldn’t find the honey man, he wasn’t out. An older man with pan of honey comb, jars of local honey and a huge smile has been sitting along the main road not far from the market. He offered me a jar of honey one night for $3,000 rupiah. I wanted to get some from him for my trip to the North but had no luck. Then, I went looking for the musician my friends Don and Brit told me about. I misunderstood their directions really well apparently as I couldn’t find anything near where I thought they had directed me. So, I headed to the Laughing Buddha after my friends from Montreal told me there was music and a really good singer. I found it, it was packed and it started raining.
I had a very nice walk, listened to music there for a while, found three other places with live music, weathered the rain and headed back toward Dewa’s. I stopped in at Kafe to see if they had chamomile tea? They did have so I ordered a pot.
As I was finishing up the tea and closing my book, I noticed the young woman who had sat at the table near me smiling into her camera as she looked at her photo’s. She put the camera away and I asked if she got some good ones. Not understanding what I was asking, I clarified.
“I saw you smiling into your camera. It looked like you got some good photo’s today.” She smiled and we began talking. I moved over to avoid shouting and had a lovely conversation with “Jinju” from Denver. She’s building a business as a personal coach, is involved in a documentary project about “22 ways 2 love you” (www.22ways2LoveYou.com) and we had a wonderful connection.
As we were finishing, Chloe got involved. She’s also from the US, is visiting her father and her birthday is today. As she said, “my birthday is an hour and half away”. I felt this was why I stayed today. The baby naming was very nice, my conversation with Jinju was great.
It was now 10:30 as I walked back to Dewa’s. As I was approaching the entrance to their courtyard, I heard honking in the street and saw a car that had stopped to let off a passenger causing a brief traffic jam behind. I recognized the woman from Dewa’s but hadn’t talked to her.
As she approached the sidewalk, I “honked” at her. She smiled and we started talking. She had been to a club for music and then shared that she had sung a few songs. I asked the obvious question about her being a singer and realized she was the woman my friends had told me would be singing at the “Laughing Buddha”.
Our walk slowed, our conversation deepened quietly as not to wake the other guests and I had a great connection with her. What a wonderful lady and another reason I had not left earlier! You can listen to samples of her music at www.laciedesoul.com, she has a CD coming out.
She was in India for an Ayurvedic cleansing and meditation retreat before coming to Bali. I’ll be in touch with her for recommendations before I go to India. A very spiritual and grounded lady, I’m sure her CD will be very successful. It has to be to reflect the strength and clarity of her Spirit and presence!
Listening! I’ve written about it several times. Once again, I listened, changed plans and have more marvelous friends!
This morning, I had coffee with my new “road family” at Kafe before getting on the bus and arriving at Lovina. I forgot how lovely the drive through the country is to get here!
I met two people on the bus, both Indonesian, and we went hotel shopping together. The man operating the hotel I stayed in last time came by on a motor bike trying to entice us to his hotel when he recognized me. I didn’t stay there even though it was half the cost as Hotel Angosta. I was hot and sweltering today and opted for the POOL and an air conditioned room. Now, with the rain storm that just passed, I won’t need the AC but the insulated room will be great for quiet sleep.
There are very few tourist here. Everyone on the street from the dive or snorkeling trips to the drivers to the ladies selling sarongs are very hungry to sell anything. They are more aggressive and annoying than I remembered last time. By tomorrow, they will know I’ve been here for a day and will ease off in their eagerness to sell me a trip, rent a motor bike, find me a lady, offer a taxi, what are you looking for mister….it’s sad really but I can’t support all of them.
I just got back from the Sea Breeze Restaurant and my calamari. It taste almost as good as I remember it. The price has gone up and the portion down but it was still very good and the view at the edge of the beach was unbeatable. The gentle surf ebbing and flowing, the sun setting, the lights of the fishing boats coming on, a great way to end the day. But it didn’t end there.
This afternoon, I went for a short walk to get oriented and saw two very sparkly ladies on the street and said hello. About ten minutes later, as I was returning, they were using an ATM and one was standing outside. I met Sage and we started talking. She and Heather are facilitating a women’s retreat with one other facilitator on the outskirts of Ubud. They are from Santa Cruz. Sage is a personal coach, Heather is a singer and they both are very alive and present ladies.
When I was finishing my dinner at the Sea Breeze, they came over and we visited for a little while. That was a perfect ending to my dinner and day. Human beings, growing and evolving, living live more fully, sharing and exploring together and nourishing each other in the process, it doesn’t get any better than that!