To busy to blog

It's the truth----my days are too full with yoga, mango pie, big salads, fruit lassis, delightful conversations, walks through the markets, pedicures, massages, dips in the pool, the occasional reading session, and sleep. Such a delight.

Almost Heaven, West Virginia

That’s right—John Denver’s timeless tune graced the lava path of the volcano I climbed this morning—and it wasn’t the Americans who were singing it. Our twenty-something guide, Mr. J, was the source. And just how did I get to enjoy this lovely moment? It depends on how far back you take the connections, but for this bit I’ll just take them to yoga on Monday morning. It was there that I met Elizabeth (a 5th grade teacher whose been teaching in Saipan for 2 years) and her sister JoLynn (a student at Univ. of Wisconsin). We met again at the Howard Zinn movie—afterwards they mentioned they were going to climb the volcano the next morning.---a serendipitous connection since I had decided the day previous that I’d like to climb the volcano. And so 3 hours later, at 2 am—there I was in a van with them, our driver, and a guy named Jason (he’s from New Zealand and has been traveling the world for over a year). The volcano is the smaller one on Bali---but it was a good jaunt all the same. After 1 ½ hours of steady climbing (in the dark) we arrived at the top and were treated to a vibrant, cloud-wispy, sunrise. Our guide made us banana sandwiches and cooked eggs in the hot volcanic soil. And Liz and I joined in an impromptu singing of Both Sides Now---a song just as fitting as John Denver’s I guess.

I’m One of Those

Tonight—after listening to familiar ideas at Philosopher’s Notes LIVE, and while eating a buffet of veggie food on banana leaf plates and waiting for a Howard Zinn movie to play at the yoga barn, I was sitting with a group of expats—one lady from Switzerland, one from Sweden, two people from San Fran, and a guy from Michigan named Patrick (a absorbed writer who told me his short stories all night and of whom the other expats kind of ignored—kind of the loner guy at the junior high dance). And I got the usual question: “What brings you to Bali?” And instead of just saying, “Summer vacation,” I spilled it out---“I’m one of those Elizabeth Gilbert arrivals.” And we all laughed a bit—which felt good. And then, of course, I had to spew out that I my marriage didn’t end badly, that we’re good friends, and that I knew I wasn’t here on Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey—and that really I wasn’t seeking anything, just enjoying being here. To which they smiled, nodded their heads and seemed to give me that very yogic approval about my explanation.

And then I mentioned how I had gone to see Wayan just to thank her---and I didn’t even have to finish my sentence before they started shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. I guess it is known around here that both Wayan and Ketut have both been affected, should we say, by the fame from the book. The consensus among the expats was that the increased demand for their talents got to their heads---and their intentions are now too clouded by being opportunists. They said I shouldn’t even bother going to see Ketut---said he tells everyone the same thing and charges way too much money. After thinking about all of this some more, I had to laugh at myself. For I had walked away from my strained encounter with Wayan thinking that her reaction to me said something about ME. What a breath to realize that she was really just revealing her own perception and wasn’t making some cosmic evaluation of me. Whew!

"Take naps, read books, wander about."

That's a direct quote from Lonely Planet's section on Ubud. I love it---it feels liberating to know they recommend doing what I'm prone to enjoy doing! For the moment, I'm hanging at an internet cafe off of a busy Ubud street. I've got some treasures of pics and videos to post, but they are on my laptop back at my little abode on the rice paddies. So, for a quick a dirty list of interesting things I've experienced so far, here we go:
-on the drive from the airport (at about 1 AM) we were stopped by a long ceremonial procession of men and women headed to their temple. Every family unit in Bali has a temple and performs pretty elaborate ceremonies there every 6 months.
-met women at the local market who have been making the same morning drink (which is an interesting blend of green goo stuff, pink rice milk, and coconut put into plastic baggies) for over 30 years. I tried to wrap my head around her daily life---but not sure I've got the words for that yet.
-drank hibiscus tea (and learned how to make it)
-made chicken curry (and it tasted just like the curry we made at home! Yahoo!)
-brushed my teeth with tap water from the house without even thinking about it. so far--i've not gotten sick. whew!
-took a shower outside among ferns and flowers and watched a big blue butterfly dance about
-learned that I should say "Belum" if someone asks me"Sudah Kaurin" which means to say "Not yet" if someone asks me if I'm married.
-met Wayan from Eat, Pray, Love---and she seemed quite gaurded. I sense things have been tricky for her. One of the first things she said was, "Sorry--I was bad and good in the book." I said--aren't we all. I think she thinks I'm expecting something from her---like she should be able to help me in the same way she helped Elizabeth Gilbert. But that's not how I feel at all. I've got no expectations--just thanks. I'll call her up and arrange a time for a body read and a vitamin lunch. I'd like her to know that I understand that life goes on (with all its grace and messiness) beyond the beautiful stories in the books.

It's such an amazing place---the only thing that would make it perfect is if everyone I loved was here too! I'm off to find a bite to eat and to watch an evening of gamelin and dance at Ubud's palace.

Selamat Malam,

Carrie

High on Senses

My companion for the day in Seoul--A Natural History of the Senses--words rich as dark chocolate--to be consumed slowly as it melts on the roof of your mouth. Really--listen . . . "Smell is the mute sense, the one without words. Lacking a vocabulary, we are left tongue-tied, groping for words in a sea of inarticulate pleasure and exaltation. We see only when there is light enough, taste only when we put things in our mouths, touch only when we make contact with someone or something, hear only sounds that are loud enough. But we smell always and with every breath. Cover your eyes and you will stop seeing, cover your ears and you will stop hearing, but if you cover your nose and try to stop smelling, you will die. Etymologically speaking breath is not neutral or bland--it's cooked air. We live in a constant simmering. There is a furnace in our cells, and when we breathe we pass the world through our bodies, brew it lightly, and turn it loose again, gently altered for having known us." Chocolate huh?

Beyond Special

Silly translations are always good for a laugh---and I adore this one. Korean Air's label for the really old movies is "Beyond Special". Who knew Charlie Chaplin and Agatha Christie would ever be given such an honor?