always look on the Bali side of life...

coconut soup?

2012-01-05T02:26:00.001+08:00

this has got to be my favourite soup to eat in Bali. sop kelapa from Pondok Kuring restaurant in Renon. it is absolutely delicious. a seafood and vegetable soup cooked in a coconut and with slivers of coconut in it. this goes down a treat. a real comforting dish at any time of the day. and I just love the way they serve it still in the coconut.

traditional fabric from Flores

2011-12-24T01:13:00.001+08:00

the vibrant colours mingled with the black cloth create a stunning contrast in this traditional fabric from Flores...hand woven on looms the fabric is strong and thick acting as both sarong and blanket...

a wiry sunset...

2011-12-02T15:22:00.001+08:00

taken on Jl. Imam Bonjol...the sunsetting on another regular crazy traffic-fuelled day in Bali...it just seems to be getting worse...thank goodness i won't be around for december when traffic here goes through the roof...

a little square of heaven...

2011-12-01T11:08:00.001+08:00

i'm a cake snob...yes, i am, i freely admit it because i bake my own and i know what should taste good. personally, i find that in Bali there are not a lot of great cake options. so where do i go when i get that rumbling in my tummy for something sweet? to Bali Deli of course on Jl. Kunti. and what do i order? the lamington square. it is a little piece of heaven captured in a cake...jam, cream, sponge and coconut. delightfully addictive!

mozzarella restaurant...the perfect spot

2011-12-01T11:01:00.001+08:00

when you live in one of the top tourist destinations around, you are constantly overwhelmed by choices of places to eat. places open and close all the time but eventually you get to have your favourites. for me, mozzarella is such a place. located at the beginning of Jl. Padma in Legian, the staff always greet with a smile and show you to your table. the service continues to excel throughout the evening, staff are attentive, warm and friendly. the menu is varied, focusing on mediterranean cuisine. i must admit that i always have the minute steak with blue cheese sauce. it is delicious and always satisfies. did i mention that the cocktails menu is buy one get one free too? just another reason to get yourself down to this restaurant for dinner. again it is their attention to detail that impresses. when you make a reservation they write your name in gold ink on a leaf and leave it on the table. it's always these little touches that delight me...

this time a late night visitor...

2011-11-30T09:53:00.001+08:00

I came home late one night to find this moth on the floor outside the door. truly, a beautiful sight. it was as big as my hand. the design on its' wings was magnificent.

spot the birdy...

2011-11-28T11:59:00.001+08:00

look who flew into our garden and perched happily in out tree and sang numerous tunes for us...

white sandy beach, candidasa

2011-11-28T11:48:00.001+08:00

another beautiful little discovery...this time in Candidasa. this is White sandy beach in a village called Prasi. you turn down an alley and drive about 2 km and then you reach this. a peaceful little spot sprinkled with colourful umbrellas, a few warungs and beautiful blue waters. well worth the two hour drive to escape the craziness of Kuta beaches. two thumbs up for this spot!

and then there were balloon flowers...

2011-02-21T22:44:00.000+08:00

now, what do you make of these? they're called 'balloon flowers', yes they are actually considered flowers and such strange creations they are...i won't be so rude as to what i first thought of when i saw them...i shall leave that up to your imaginations...extremely interesting ;)

God's paint palette...

2011-02-20T21:58:00.002+08:00

standing in front of this is somehow what i imagine it would be like to stand on God's paint palette. the stillness and vividness of the water made it look like it had just been squeezed out of a paint tube. that contrasted with the rustic red of the rocks made it a perfect colour combination. the Danau Tiga Warna are truly one of the wonders of the world, a sight to be seen by all to really appreciate its beauty. they have made such a deep impression on my memory and i know i will be back again to see them and stand before their immense wonder...

words of wisdom...

2011-02-19T20:06:00.003+08:00

a little bit of information about the Three Lakes...

floating away...

2011-02-18T19:42:00.001+08:00

i won't keep reminding you about how many photos i took of the clouds...and i promise this is the only other one i'll share...but crikey...i mean how can you not feel like you wanna just float away on these...

coffee at the top of the world...

2011-02-17T13:50:00.003+08:00

yes, there really was a little man sitting on top of the world, selling little glasses of coffee...ain't life perfect when you want it to be? i mean...what a perfect view for sipping your morning cup of coffee...bliss!

black as ink...

2011-02-15T13:41:00.000+08:00

no matter how much sun shined on this lake, it always looked so mysteriously dark and ominous...the whole place generally had such a magical feel to it that i'd felt like i'd walked onto the set of a movie...something out of Lord of the Rings, perhaps...

and then there was light...

2011-02-14T13:26:00.003+08:00

yes, then there was light...the mist lifted and out came the sun and with it a first glimpse of the blue and green lakes and the magnificent splendour of their colours...breathtaking...

top of the world...

2011-02-13T10:48:00.000+08:00

i'm not going to tell you exactly how many photos i took of the clouds...i couldn't help myself because they were spectacular...i felt like i was at the top of the world...such an exhilarating rush being up there...

onwards and upwards...

2011-02-12T10:44:00.002+08:00

anyway, so as not to let the disappointment break our stride, we headed up to the puncak or summit. thank you to the very thoughtful and considerate person who made the stairs...now if i could just find a guy selling some coffee (all this, so far, and not a drop of caffeine to show for it) otherwise i wasn't sure how much longer i would last...

and then there was mist...

2011-02-11T10:41:00.000+08:00

when we finally got up to the first lake...you can't imagine the disappointment...waking up at 4am, hair-raising trip on the back of an ojek, a walk in the woods...and then...mist, mist, MIST! it was so thick that we could hardly see in front of us. i really couldn't believe it as it cast shadows over the colours of the lakes and they didn't seem half as spectacular as i'd imagined they would...so much for the sunrise...

almost there...

2011-02-10T10:38:00.002+08:00

and what a path it was...the moment i started walking i felt like i'd slipped down the rabbit hole and landed in the woods near my parents house in Dublin...lush, beautiful and cool...and even better because it was just starting to get bright...

4am...Moni to Kelimutu by ojek...

2011-02-09T10:26:00.002+08:00

so with the Three Coloured Lakes as our destination we booked our ojek drivers for 4am. let me tell you a little bit about ojeks. they are a form of transportation in Indonesia, they consist of a motorbike and a driver and the way it works is that you sit on the back, they can be pretty scary, the drivers don't really like to go slow, they are a much cheaper form of transportation...

so with this in mine, the guys designated to pick us up knocked on the door to give us our wake up call. we got ready and in the pitch dark rocked up to the bikes.
'where's my helmet?' i ask
'uhhhhhhhh' came the response
'dude, i ain't going nowhere without a helmet!'
'uhhhhhhhh' we have reached a standstill
so rather than hang around, one of the drivers gives me his helmet (pictured above!) but this is obviously one to add to the list above...drivers do not really give a crap whether passenger lives or dies...
so off we went...the roads were twisty and windy and oh, did i mention it was pitch black? you could see about 1 metre in front...street lights are not yet a part of this landscape...and after a 45 minute drive, we arrived in the car park...
'i'll wait here' ojek driver says
'hmmm, that's considerate seeing as there doesn't look like too much passing traffic!' i think
and off we set along the path to the lakes...

under a pink hazy sky...in Moni

2011-02-07T09:45:00.002+08:00

there is something so deliciously divine about sleeping under a pink mosquito net. this was what greeted us in our room on the first night in Moni - our stop-off point before heading to Kelimutu...i felt like i was all wrapped up in candy floss...you gotta love those local tastes!

falling in love with Flores...

2011-02-06T16:28:00.007+08:00

Sunday 6th February 2011

so it's been awhile, but that doesn't mean that i haven't been busy. i spent the first two weeks of january on a two week trip in Flores, an island to the east of Bali in Nusa Tenggara Timur and what a trip it was...incredible, incredible! i haven't seen such beautiful scenery in a very long time. i can honestly say that i have truly fallen in love with the island, it's landscapes and gentle people. we arrived in Maumere in the east of Bali and our first destination was a place called Moni, which is the starting point for all those travellers looking to visit the Danau Tiga Warna or Three Coloured Lakes. they are one of Indonesia's hidden treasures and i had heard so much about them that it was only fitting for them to be the first stop on our trip...along the way from Maumere to Moni, i couldn't help but chuckle at the means of transport between towns in Flores. these are called bemos and are little mini-buses that traverse the island stopping along the way whenever anyone wants to get off. i had a burning desire to sit on the top, but was informed that you still had to pay to sit up there! hope no-one's luggage fell off along those twisting roads through the mountains...or passengers for that matter!

green ginger noodle house...the quaintest little cafe you ever did see...

2010-10-26T21:40:00.003+08:00

Tuesday 26th october 2010

ok, so at number 46 jalan pantai brawa, a new little cafe has opened. it's called Green Ginger Noodle House, and it is the most adorable little cafe to hit the Bali shores. as you can see from the photos, it is steeped in charm with a beautiful interior and delightful trinkets scattered throughout the cafe. a rack of vintage clothing for sale just adds to the overall charm of the place and you feel like you have walked into someone's home rather than a roadside cafe. the menu is succint offering a variety of asian dishes including laksa, papaya salad and miso ramen noodles. i tried the papaya salad (a favourite of mine from my days of living in Lao) and it was delicious - tasty and full of that particular flavour that comes along with a papaya salad that leaves a tingle in your mouth as your tastebuds are tantalised by the combination of flavour and spice. an orange juice to wash it down made sure that a return visit to this new addition to the Bali cafe scene is a must...

Green Ginger Noodle House,

46 Jalan Pantai Brawa,

Canggu - Bali

photos taken from Green Ginger facebook page

roots, rock, reggae...Gili T-style

2010-10-14T20:54:00.002+08:00

Thursday 14th October 2010

if you're in Gili T, don't forget to drop into Sama-Sama Reggae bar to catch some live reggae tunes being played by the local band. a great way to unwind after a hard day at the beach...the singer who is originally from Lombok, sings in a mixture of Bahasa Indonesia, English and Sasak (the local dialect) and is downright rockin'! there are bungalows out the back of this restaurant where you can also stay...pretty convenient after a night of dancing away to reggae music...

just look to the rainbow, you will see...

2010-10-13T20:30:00.004+08:00

Wednesday 13th October 2010

taken from the beach at Gili T, where it was a sun-shiny day looking towards Lombok where it was obviously pouring with rain...and lo and behold a perfect rainbow with every beautiful colour of it shining through in all its' glory. i haven't seen a perfectly coloured rainbow ever! and it's shooting straight into the ocean...wonder if there was a pot of gold down there?

Gili T sunset...

2010-10-03T20:50:00.004+08:00

Sunday 3rd October 2010

truthfully, it didn't blow me away half as much as some of the bali sunsets. there's something about the sun setting over rice paddies and i'm a sucker for colourful sunset skies...i need red, purples, oranges...

transportation...Gili T-style!

2010-10-02T20:40:00.000+08:00

Saturday 2nd October 2010

the famous Gili Trawangan cidomo...view from inside and out. NOT for the faint-hearted or weak-backed!

another day in a different paradise...Gili Trawangan...

2010-10-01T20:12:00.004+08:00

Friday 1st October 2010

ok, so one would imagine that living in Bali, one would not need a holiday away from their holiday...well, think again! sometimes it does get a bit hectic here, especially during tourist high season, where the roads fill up with traffic and one feels like locking themselves away in their homes until the tourists have all gone back to wherever it was they came from...hence Gili Trawangan, one of three small islands off Lombok, the other two being Gili Air and Gili Meno. They are a short plane ride from Bali and a complete paradise in that there are no cars and motorbikes allowed on the island. this means transportation is down to bicycle, feet or something called a cidomo which is a horse drawn carriage.

it's pretty idyllic, with crystal blue waters and and white sandy beaches. life is very very slow and night times are one big party after another, with the location changing every night from one bar to the next. however, on the downside (if you can possibly imagine one!) food and drink is very expensive. with being such a small island everything has to be imported from the mainland, hence in some places there is a 21% tax charge! and most of it doesn't really taste that fantastic.

however, if you need to get away from it all and get a feel for what Bali might have been like 20 years ago, this is the spot. it's peaceful, you can find quiet beaches, swim in turquoise blue water and completely unwind. i'm thinking next time a trip to Gili Meno and Gili Air is in order as they are even less populated than Gili Trawangan.

if it's good enough for anthony bourdain then it's good enough for me...

2010-03-28T09:38:00.001+08:00

Sunday 28th March 2010

no trip to Bali would seem to be complete without a trip to the now-famous Bu Oka's Warung in Ubud. made famous by that most adventurous of food gurus - anthony bourdain, the warung sells only babi guling or in english, suckling pig. the dish comes with an interesting array of bits and bobs of the pig and some vegetables. the meat was succulent and soft and super tasty, the crackling was crispy...no, that's not the word...it crackled in your mouth...i don't really know any other way to describe it! the soup was full of flavour and the meat in it soft and just seemed to kind of dissolve in the mouth. for Rp. 40,000 you get the whole set of soup, rice and meat and if you haven't tried it then a stop off here is something to put on your list. it gets very busy around lunch time, so i'd recommend going a little later if you want to avoid the crowds. there are two locations now - one in the centre of Ubud and one just outside in the village of Mas. i went to the one in Mas and it was a little quieter with a lovely seating area upstairs, with floor seating.

lions and tigers and elephants...oh my!

2010-03-27T08:44:00.006+08:00

Saturday 27th March 2010

ok so if you really want to have a good time at the Bali Safari and Marine Park, don't bring 125 children from the school you work at for a field trip! apart from that, this is a lovely surprise attraction located in Gianyar about an hour away from Kuta. the Park is well maintained, the staff are considerate, welcoming and happy to help. the place is run with an air of professionalism that shows they are enjoying what they are doing. the safari itself, was very well structured and we had an excellent guide, called Nila, who did a wonderful job of entertaining my unruly bunch of students! the grounds of the safari are beautiful and there has been a lot of attention to detail with rickety bridges to cross and swamps to drive through...such fun! the animals have space and freedom to roam around and the Park itself is a member of a conservation group, so standards must be maintained. there is lots to explore and even a Safari Lodge to stay in where you can wake up to animals grazing outside your window. if you want a change from the usual rigmarole of bali sights - beaches, temples, markets, then this place is well worth a visit. i didn't get a chance to see the white tigers (my absolute favourite) so a return visit is a must.

this is where the real 'wild things' are...

2010-03-20T11:23:00.004+08:00

Sunday 21st March 2010

the night before Nyepi, Bali's day of silence, which took place on Tuesday 16th March...the real 'wild things' came out to play. called ogoh-ogoh, they are huge statues created in every village across Bali and paraded through the streets to scare away the evil spirits. a fearsome sight indeed!

just another beautiful sunset in paradise...

2010-02-05T20:15:00.003+08:00

Friday 5th February 2010

i must have...hmmm, let's see...way too many sunset pictures at this point...but the crazy thing is that i just can't stop myself because when you are riding along on your motorbike and you glance ever so quickly to the side and see a sky like this...how can you NOT stop and grab your camera and take a picture. that sky...reflected in those rice fields...it's beauty on a whole other level, really. it's been awhile since i posted...had to move house and get through all that involves and well now, i'm settled in to the new crib and back out looking for trouble on my bike with camera in hand. so here's to 2010...my first posting for this year and hopefully many more to come...

in the shadow of things...

2009-12-03T08:56:00.001+08:00

Thursday 3rd December 2009

a shadow, something indeed so intangible. we remember when we were younger chasing our shadows around the garden and using our hands to create the shadows of animals on our bedroom walls. in those times of such innocence we are shielded from the shadows we later learn about. the shadows in the corners of our minds where our deepest fears lurk like predators, haunting our dreams and holding us back from what we know we can do, the shadows that fall across our hearts, for every love that is loved and lost and takes with them a part of our very being and the shadows that often encircle our souls, squeezing out the very life force that sustains us and brings us to our very lowest point. these are the shadows that cast the darkest force and these are the shadows that remind us to search in every part of darkness for the light, to embrace the glorious rays that dance across the earth each day and that we fail to truly bask in for lack of time, lack of energy, lack of love, lack of money. that light is the very brightness that shines from within us. because life really is a dance filled with steps that bring us dangerously into shadow and yet in the next pivot, back into the luminous light. it is remembering that light always follows dark, that one step always follows another and that this glorious dance happens only once so shake your hair down and let loose...shadows, light, come one, come all...we are ready with toes pointed and palms out-stretched...let the music begin...

how sweet it is...

2009-12-01T22:26:00.003+08:00

Tuesday 1st December 2009

palm sugar is the most wondrous of substances. whenever i see it like this piled high in market baskets i have this overwhelming urge to just pick up a piece and take a gigantic bite out of it. of course, this would not be the wisest thing to do because it would be insanely sweet, but it just has this bite-able look to it and it also reminds me of chocolate.

these sections of palm sugar have been made into this shape from coconut husks and palm sugar is used as a cooking ingredient in all kinds of dishes here both sweet and savoury. It is made by making several slits into the bud of a coconut tree and collecting the sap. then, the sap is boiled until it thickens after which, in the traditional way, it is poured into bamboo tubes or coconut husks and left to solidify to form cake blocks. rather ingenious, don't you think?

there's a hole in my...tree? there is at bunut bolong!

2009-10-18T21:52:00.005+08:00

Sunday 18th October 2009

so i heard about this tree, that's supposed to have a hole right through the middle of it where cars can pass through. hmmm, really? this was something worth checking out. the fact that aforementioned tree is in Negara district didn't bother me at all. an hour and 45 minutes later on my humble little moped i was beginning to wonder whether it was worth it, when at the turn of the bend...the tree came into sight...bunut bolong. bunut is a kind of fig tree and bolong means hole in bahasa bali - so the name means hole in the fig tree. and it was rather a spectacular vision. the tree itself was huge, with its gnarled roots creating a beautiful tunnel that in my childhood would have been the perfect place to create secret worlds and fantastical hideouts. from there it stetched its branches way up into the sky and it was very quiet, very peaceful...a calmness around it that felt quite comforting, this tree that embraces the road with a temple on either side of it. and sure enough, just about everything was passing through it...cars, motorbikes, people, dogs...and the best part...no bus loads of tourists piling out of their giant coaches...snapping their photos and then bussing off to the next location on the list of 'must-see's'. it was just me...and a tree...and oh, what a tree!

Bunut Bolong,

Manggisari, Negara

pura tirta empul...temple of the holy water

2009-10-16T08:37:00.000+08:00

Friday 16th October 2009

in Tampaksiring, there's a temple named Tirta Empul. tirta empul means water that comes from the earth naturally. And until this day Balinese still believe in the miraculous healing powers of the water. i have wanted to visit this temple for a long time because i have heard so much about it and it totally lived up to expectations...apart from the inevitable troupes of tourists, i found this temple a haven of peace and calm, with the sound of the running water into the baths a great soothing for the soul. the gardens are lovely surrounding the temple and you are not bothered by people selling sarongs, trying to be your guide but instead left to wander at your own pace and take in the beautiful, calming energy of a very special temple.

it's galungan again...

2009-10-14T08:23:00.001+08:00

Wednesday 14th October 2009

on the road for galungan and every village is a beautiful display of colour and decoration as each home puts up their penjor to celebrate this special time.

The penjor is a tall, curved bamboo pole decorated with coconut leaves with an offering at the base. This is one of the media used by Hindus in Bali as part of almost every important ceremony, especially for the anniversary temple celebrations.
The Sri Jaya Kasunu manuscript states that the penjor symbolizes the mountain and the mountain itself is the symbol of the universe. Therefore, for the Balinese the penjor is synonymous with Mount Agung, the highest and holiest mountain in Bali.
The aim of erecting penjor at Galungan is to show devotion to God in His manifestation as Hyang Giri Pati (the God of the mountain). Mountains with deep forests hold a lot of water, which flows into rivers. This then fulfils water needs for irrigation and drinking water.
During Galungan celebrations, each family erects a penjor outside their gate, which makes the whole neighborhood look splendid.

The basic material of a penjor is a curved bamboo pole. The pole is then decorated with yellow coconut leaves, pala bungkah (roots - sweet potato or cassava), pala gantung (fruit - cucumbers, oranges, bananas), pala wija (cereal - rice, corn), plawa (leaves), traditional cakes, 11 Chinese coins, and a small shrine with some offerings.
All materials for a penjor constitute peoples' basic needs, signifying that we should take care of those things.

Selamat Hari Raya Galungan dan Kuningan bagi teman-teman yang merayakannya...yang jauh dan yang dekat!

kintamani...there and back

2009-10-13T12:00:00.004+08:00

Tuesday 13th October 2009

absolut explosive...

2009-10-10T09:12:00.005+08:00

Saturday 10th October 2009

ok so when you're out late and you feel yourself fading and like you need a bit of extra juice to help you go the extra mile and last the night...you know that this stuff is gonna do the trick and give you that injection of power you need. not yet available on the general market but available at all good roadsides in Bali...

the red sign translates as 'your love is not as pure as my petrol'! absolut explosive...not for the weak-hearted! get yourself some NOW!

twin sons of different mothers...

2009-10-07T09:36:00.003+08:00

Wednesday 7th October 2009

so, last night i was up in ubud for the opening of an art exhibition at gaya gallery. the exhibition called 'twin sons of different mothers' was by two artists - one balinese and one irish who have come together to share with us this amazing stimulation of the senses through both 2D and 3D installations, sound, scent and music. i was awed by the richness of the colours that greeted me with every blink of the eye and particularly felt so proud to be a woman as the many paintings of the female form danced, paraded, gazed, peeked, flirted and blushed at me from their places on the wall. this one below being my particular favourite...

the show runs from 6th to 30th October so if you are up in the Ubud area you should definitely drop in to take a look. if nothing else, but to feel that you are being given this rare opportunity to catch the tiniest glimpse into the great mystery of women and perhaps come away a little wiser for it and also to share in private moments like a bride dancing as if no-one is watching, someone returning home, two dancers surrounded by the energy and soul of their music...there are many...so many beautiful moments. certainly not to be missed...

long, lazy boulevards...

2009-10-05T07:46:00.001+08:00

Monday 5th October 2009

on my recent trip to Singaraja, a few weeks ago, one of the things i particularly enjoyed about the small city were the many long boulevards throughout the city. they gave such a feel of an old european city. add to this some very old dutch architecture, due to the fact that back in the day it was the Dutch colonial administrative centre, and you have a little city that is steeped in history, tradition, a melting pot of cultures and a quiet sleepy atmosphere that makes you feel like you wanna cruise along those lazy boulevards forever...

variety is the spice of life...

2009-10-03T11:14:00.006+08:00

Sunday 4th October 2009

there's nothing i love to see more when i'm walking around a local market than a big basket of ripe red chillies. and of course there's no condiment i love more than a nice big squirt of chilli sauce on anything and just about everything. i am addicted to the stuff and if the truth be told it has probably forever ruined my taste buds as since becoming highly addicted to the delightful chilli i find it hard to eat anything that is not super-flavourful unless it has a big blob of chilli sauce on or somewhere near by. chilli truly makes the taste buds explode with such intensity that you either love it or hate it. i fall into the former category and life without chilli is a life without excitement, adventure and mischief! so i wanted to find out a little more about this huge presence in my gourmet habits...

chilli ; One of the wonders that Christopher Columbus brought back from the New World was a member of the Capsicum genus, the chile. Now this pungent pod plays an important role in the cuisines of many countries including Africa, China (Szechuan region), India, Mexico, South America, Spain and Thailand. There are more than 200 varieties of chiles, over 100 of which are indigenous to Mexico. They vary in length from a huge 12 inches to a 1⁄4-inch peewee. Some are long, narrow and no thicker than a pencil while others are plump and globular. Their heat quotient varies from mildly warm to mouth-blistering hot. A chile's color can be anywhere from yellow to green to red to black. Dried chiles are available year-round. The availability of fresh chiles varies according to the variety and season. Choose those with deep, vivid colors; avoid chiles with any sign of shriveling or soft spots. Fresh chiles can be stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. As a general rule, the larger the chile the milder it is. Small chiles are much hotter because, proportionally, they contain more seeds and veins than larger specimens. Those seeds and membranes can contain up to 80 percent of a chile's capsaicin, the potent compound that gives chiles their fiery nature. Since neither cooking nor freezing diminishes capsaicin's intensity, removing a chile's seeds and veins is the only way to reduce its heat. After working with chiles, it's extremely important to wash your hands thoroughly; failure to do so can result in painful burning of the eyes or skin (wearing rubber gloves will remedy this problem). Chiles are used to make a plethora of by-products including chili paste, tabasco sauce, cayenne and the dried red pepper flakes commonly found in pizzerias. Chiles are cholesterol free and low in calories and sodium. They're a rich source of vitamins A and C, and a good source of folic acid, potassium and vitamin E.

i think under benefits, it might have been important to add one more - general all-round natural body cleanser...after a night of hard-core spicy chilli eating, you sure ain't gonna need to go for no colon cleansing!!

the bearers of baggage...

2009-10-03T07:00:00.001+08:00

Saturday 3rd October 2009

ok, so a couple of weeks ago i had a rather strange encounter with someone who thought they could read the very details of your life from a glance at your palms. and who am i to say they couldn't? but he said some things that bothered me for days after. i mean, one thing (of the many spoutations and declarations) he told me was that i am carrying baggage! baggage? BAGGAGE! i mean come on...please someone find me a single soul on this planet who is NOT carrying baggage. i think you would be hard pushed to find such a person because from the minute we are born, no, conceived in the womb, we are already carrying baggage. we are carrying the baggage of all those who have gone before us, our parents, grand-parents, great-grand-parents and so on down the bloodline back to the very beginnings of who we are. whether we realise it or not we are carrying that baggage. we are all constantly making up for the sins of our forefathers in some way or other. it sounds absolutely suffocating when you look at it like that...but let's face it, it's the truth. no one is born free from who they are and where they have come from. no matter how hard we try to run away from it. at some point it will always catch up with us...so when you meet a stranger and he proceeds to tell you (as he tries to read your palm) that you're carrying 'baggage'...think about it...

habis, pak...in other words...we're all outta petrol!

2009-09-15T21:36:00.006+08:00

Tuesday 15th September 2009

ok, so you look at the petrol gauge on your bike and you think...oh ow...i'm almost outta petrol so i need to get my motorised ass to the nearest pump and top up...you drive for awhile and the panic sets in because you are coming dangerously close to push mode...where you're gonna have to work up those arnie schwarzenegger muscles into a frenzy as you potentially push your bike a kilometre or two or three. then up ahead, you catch sight of the equivalent of the golden arches in petrol terms...the red and white sign that equals pertamina aka the pompa bensin aka the petrol station. you cruise in...all smiles...all pleased with yourself because you made it...with still a few drops of precious petrol in the tank...and you're greeted with a sign...a sign that says 'habis, pak'...wtf??? for those of us lucky to understand it simply means, 'finished, mr' and when you translate it into the reality check...it means...no more PETROL! huh? what? no way! oh yes...this is indonesia...petrol runs out, things don't run on time, people get paid under the table...you know...the usual...however, although the petrol station has run out of petrol...the good news is that the little warung...just next door is stacked with bottles lining a shelf FULL of petrol and ready to top up any depleted motorised traveller who's thirsty machine is in need of some juice! thank god for the little people...you gotta love this place...it makes millionaires outta the little people! (mind you, millionaires here do not translate into millionaires in the real world! but you get the idea!)

once upon a hill...

2009-09-12T22:49:00.003+08:00

Saturday 12th September 2009

...there was a little church, just outside of Singaraja, ever so cute, ever so balinese, ever so unexpected...

Happy Independence Day, Indonesia!

2009-08-17T08:06:00.002+08:00

Monday 17th August 2009

Tumpek Landep...a day of celebrating the metal in our lives

2009-08-15T13:11:00.005+08:00

Saturday 15th August 2009

today in Bali it is Tumpek Landep, which is a balinese ceremony that honours metal objects. i figured therefore, it was the perfect opportunity to bless the most important metal object in my life - my motorbike.

Desak, my wonderful balinese friend ordered offerings for me and came today to help in the ceremony. she started off by getting all the offerings ready and placing everything in its' rightful place. we then proceeded out to the motorbike (otherwise known as Fifi) and laid a cloth over the top of her. the offerings were put on top, incense was lit and the ceremony began. the ceremony itself is a nice simple one. Desak began by rubbing some powder on Fifi, then she tied lots of beautiful decorations on the handlebars and on the front of the bike. then we sprinkled her with holy water. we finished up by praying beside the bike to ask for protection and to keep out of danger.

it was a lovely little celebration to show thanks for the things that are so important in our lives like our vehicles and i truly love the way the balinese remember to honour them.

Huge thanks to Desak for making this a day for me to remember...

what can you do with $147...?

2009-08-08T11:44:00.006+08:00

Saturday 8th August 2009

ok, so i'm in singapore this weekend for my brother-in-law's wedding. and what do you do when he hands you $147 and requests you to do something special with it...? you initially rack your brains because you are so honoured that he has given you the very important job of aranging his mas kahwin...and let me explain a moment what mas kahwin also known as mahr actually is...

Mahr is a gift given by the groom to the bride after the malay solemnisation ceremony. It symbolises the beginning of a husband's responsibility towards his wife in fulfilling her everyday needs.

Mahr can be in cash or benefits, such as gold, silver, money, land, a car, or an apartment.

Mahr is the bride's right and she owns the Mahr. Thus, she has the will to dispose of it as she wishes.

The current minimum rate for the Mahr in Singapore is $100 cash.

my brother-in-law and his wife chose $147 as it is a combination of their favourite number 14 & 7 (lucky the bride didn't chose to arrange the numbers the other way around!) and because they decided on money, my brother-in-law wanted it displayed in a most eye-catching way. this is where i enter the picture...

ok first things first...singapore money is almost of a plastic consistency...so i ask you...have you ever tried folding plastic money and actually getting it to stay in formation...super difficult. anyway after much folding, taping, pinning and various other activities of a not-so-PG quality...i decided to fold the money into a bouquet of roses...

this was made easy by the variety of notes i requested as $5 notes are green - they became the leaves. $10 red and $50 blue became the roses and the purple $2 notes became the added foliage. what a job! but worth ever pin prick, bead of sweat and moment of stress for the bride and groom...

and who knows? maybe i have a new career...mas kahwin folder and decorator pte ltd!

the road not taken...

2009-07-19T08:59:00.004+08:00

at times the way foreward may diverge and while one may lie in shadow and appear to be held together by mere fragments of thread and the other lie in the light and be easy underfoot. we have to choose. and which one will we take? for me, the more precarious route will be the one to reveal in ourselves who we are, for we persevered where others might have given up and gone back, we faced our fears by passing through the darkest shadows and we trusted in the universe to hold our path together where others might have not believed.

as robert frost so eloquently writes in his poem The Road Not Taken...

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

warung litut...a breath of fresh air

2009-07-11T21:58:00.007+08:00

Saturday 11th July 2009

warung litut opened about 5 months ago along my absolute favourite road in the whole of the kuta area...believe me, these days in kuta it is rare to find a road lined in entirety by ricefields, but this road has it and it also just happens to be the road i travel along every morning to go to work. so having passed this warung every day for almost 5 months i decided it was high time to give it a try and see what it was like. first things first...the wind and the view. the wind hits you like the coolest and most refreshing gulps of air you feel you have ever had in this crazy maze of life called kuta. it takes you by surprise. you're just not expecting it...and then you gaze out across the landscape and see the ricefields and realise..ah-ha...that's why. but seriously, there are not many places left in this area that can compete with the breeze and the view at this spot.

at this point i'm kinda feeling like...you know what, they could serve me up dirt and rocks for lunch and i wouldn't really care because that wind...that wind...is just caressing my cheeks and hair and...you get the idea.

anyway, i give in and order nasi goreng ala litut (fried rice) and it's good. a decent serving, a nice dollop of hot sambal on the side, crackers and a fried egg and hey, i'm good. it's a firm favourite with both locals and visitors alike on this island so you can't go wrong.

my friend orders cap cay (mixed stir-fried vegetables) and is served up a very healthy sized portion that she assures me she will not be able to finish, but does and enjoys it.

and then comes a kinda speciality at the warung...deep fried ice-cream, which i can't resist and when it is served up, it looks delightful...almost too adorable to eat. the base is white bread with ice-cream sandwiched in the middle, rolled in coconut and deep fried and another blob of ice-cream on top. i swear i want to share it...but just can't...this is all for me.

the visit is all in all a great success, the service is friendly and welcoming and the vibe is both chilled out and relaxed. you want to come back again and not just for that breath of fresh air.

Warung Litut, Jl. Mertasari, Kerobokan

relak one pempek corner...

2009-07-08T10:35:00.002+08:00

Wednesday 8th July 2009

on the side of the road along jl. sesetan in denpasar is a delicious little warung that serves pempek. pempek is a delicacy from Palembang made of fish and sago. pempek is served together with a dark, rich sauce called cuka which is made of brown sugar, chilli, garlic vinegar and salt added to boiling water. there are many varieties of pempek as can be seen from the menu on offer at pempek corner...

and you gotta love those pictures...i mean if you've never eaten pempek before then this gives you a pretty good idea of what you are letting yourself in for. dishes ordered included rujak mie tahu, mie celor and pempek tahu and pempek kapal selam...

rujak mie tahu

mie celor

pempek kapal selam (foreground) and pempek tahu

the pempek is delicious, a fish cake with an egg in one and tofu in the other. it has a bit of a chewy consistency and you dip it in the cuka, which is tangy and sweet at the same time.

the mie celor is reminiscent of mee rebus, a rich gravy with noodles and seafood in it while the rujak mie tahu is eaten with the cuka and has that tangy taste.

this is a great spot to try some indonesian food for a very cheap price. of course, being in denpasar, the motorbikes stream by just steps from the warung but the food makes it worthwhile.

Pempek Corner
Jl. Raya Sesetan, Denpasar

way down south...

2009-07-07T10:02:00.002+08:00

Tuesday 7th July 2009

way down south in bali is one of the sacred directional temples, pura luhur uluwatu. the temple itself is rather small but it is the location that makes this a stunning spot for anyone who loves a good view. perched atop a cliff, with beautiful blue ocean crashing below makes it truly breathtaking and more than worth the trip. entrance fee is a minimal Rp.3,000 and sash and sarong are provided if you are not appropriately covered. you can walk around the temple complex at your leisure and there are numerous spots that make for great photographs. there are a number of monkeys who have taken up residence and are known to be quite an annoyance but nothing a stick picked up along the route won't deter. i believe that sunset is one of the best times to go but when i was there about midday the sun was shining directly on the ocean and the blue, aquamarine, turquoise kaleidoscope of colour that appeared everytime a wave broke was really pretty amazing.

lazy lunches at warung batavia...

2009-07-06T21:25:00.001+08:00

Monday 6th July 2009

a favourite place for lunch these days is at Warung Batavia. there are a few around but i like to go to the one just off Jl. Kunti II as it has a great selection of food on the menu and in the nasi campur buffet and i like the vibe, the staff and the furniture! Warung Batavia is different in that it serves Javanese food...and it's good. first things first...the drinks...served in giant mugs and you can't go wrong with an es jeruk which is a kinda orange juice served with ice, sweetened a little and just so refreshingly good that you have no problem polishing off the amount in the giant glassware.

then when it comes to the food, two favourites of mine are karedok and ketoprak.

karedok is a raw vegetable salad. it is made from cucumbers, bean sprouts, cabbage, legumes, thai basil, and eggplant and served with a spicy peanut sauce. at batavia you can request the sauce to be as spicy as you want and i like it hot, hot, hot!

ketoprak is another kind of raw vegetable salad but this one also has tofu, bean sprouts, bihun noodles and chopped up rice cakes in it. the sauce is slightly more peanut-y and again you can request how on fire you want your mouth (and stomach) to be when ordering.

both dishes are delicious and firm favourites of mine so that i specifically go there to eat them. you can actually see the guy make the dishes right in front of you and the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

this is a great little warung to hang out for a lazy lunch. you can sit and watch the world go by and yes it's a little more pricey than your average road side warung but worth every penny for the service, the food and the atmosphere. Not to be missed!

Warung Batavia,
Jl. Kunti II,
Seminyak.

the latest discovery...

2009-07-05T09:02:00.006+08:00

Sunday 5th July 2009

headed off on another road trip yesterday and made the most amazing discovery...after a very bumpy, dusty ride down a long winding road...we reached a temple with a staircase...and as we descended the staircase, we caught glimpse upon glimpse through the trees of what would finally greet us when we reached the bottom of the descent...the most beautiful, peaceful beach i have ever had the luck to set foot on in bali. beautiful clear blue waters, white sand and best of all...hardly any people. it was a most welcome sight, especially after the walk down, which made my legs wobbly...but a dip in that crystal clear cool water was enough to ease away any pain. i believe there will be many return trips made to this spot...

to bedugul and back...

2009-06-27T20:37:00.006+08:00

Saturday 27th June 2009

snapshots from a road trip to bedugul, today...27 June 2009, the wonders of bali never cease...

a peek at mt. agung...

2009-06-23T08:16:00.006+08:00

Tuesday 23rd June 2009

the view from Patal Kikian Homestay,

Sidemen, Bali

i was in Sidemen over the weekend for a wedding and nothing anyone said could have prepared me for the view from the homestay that the wedding was held at...i walked up the stairs and turned to see Mt. Agung in all it's mystical greatness laid out before me. if you are ever in the Sidemen area i would truly recommend stopping in this homestay for some lunch and just taking in the stunning vista.

oh blessed sunbed...

2009-06-22T07:58:00.003+08:00

Monday 22nd June 2009

living on an island that is full of offerings in the most interesting places...i just had to get a photo of my latest discovery...offerings for a sunbed...gives a whole new meaning to sun worship, huh?

the sea is a hungry dog...

2009-06-18T10:20:00.007+08:00

Thursday 18th June 2009

taken at Batu Belig beach 18/6/2009

The Sea

The sea is a hungry dog,

Giant and grey.

He rolls on the beach all day.

With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws

Hour upon hour he gnaws

The rumbling, tumbling stones,

And 'Bones, bones, bones, bones!'

The giant sea-dog moans,

Licking his greasy paws.

And when the night wind roars

And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud,

He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,

Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,

And howls and hollos long and loud.

But on quiet days in May or June,

When even the grasses on the dune

Play no more their reedy tune,

With his head between his paws

He lies on the sandy shores,

So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores.

James Reeves

woman's best friend too...

2009-06-15T23:38:00.002+08:00

Monday 15th June 2009

there's a new addition to the family...Diva, the golden retriever, currently aged almost 7 months...and this is what we've learnt living together so far...
A Diva and a Drama Queen can get along under one roof...except when one chews up the others flip-flops...no prizes as to which one does the chewing!
A Diva thinks it is perfectly acceptable to chomp on whatever is nearest...favourites so far include stones, vaccination booklets, flowers, phone chargers and we could go on...but let's not!
A Drama Queen does not enjoy trying to decipher what each chewed up blob left lying on the floor was in a past life...no, no, no!
A Diva made a Drama Queen very happy when she stopped peeing and pooing all over the house
A Drama Queen makes a Diva happy when she brings home doggie treats and fresh meat...
A Diva and a Drama Queen can have long luxurious walks on the beach together that neither ever want to end...
A Diva and a Drama Queen can give each other lots of love...but expressing this love does not always have to be in the form of jumps with dirty paws on white skirts...

a golden sunset...

2009-06-13T23:01:00.007+08:00

Saturday 13th June 2009

with sunsets that are generally full of pinks, reds, blues and purples here...my breath was taken away all over again this evening when i had the pleasure to experience my very first golden sunset...and what a sunset...i'm at a loss for words (rare thing for me!) and am, as always, humbled and awed by the wonder of the planet...

never-ending sky...

2009-06-04T20:30:00.003+08:00

Thursday 4th June 2009

one of my favourite views on any given weekend...a little bit of umbrella and a whole lot of blue blue sky...with my feet in the sand, salt on my skin and sun in my hair...it just doesn't get much better than this...

things that make you go mmmmm....

2009-05-15T13:52:00.004+08:00

Friday 15th May 2009

so what do i do when i've had a bad day? i head on down to the supermarket with pizzazz...also known as Bali Deli, where one can get a plethora of gourmet treasures, and treat myself to some chocolate. chocolate makes my world go round...and after a day full of dealing with over and above the normal level of what one should have to deal with...chocolate makes all the pain go away.

and of course, the best part of the pleasurable experience is in the selection. i mean, most women find joy in browing brands of shoes, bags, clothes...but for me...it's chocolate. i could spend forever, lingering with intent in the chocolate aisle...could that mean i might earn the label of chocophile???

anyway, i digress...today i decided i'd go local and try some chocolate from indonesia. i had heard of this brand called Chocolate Monggo and seen it for sale. this was chocolate made by a Belgian, but from Indonesian cacao beans. as it says on the website "This adventure begins in Yogya in 2001 when a Belgian man, 35 years of age, arrives in Indonesia without a plan in mind. Disappointed by the lack of quality chocolate in the shops of the world's 3rd largest producer of cocoa, the Belgian decides to take matters into his own hands and endeavors to make some specialties of his low-land country using limited resources."

i was attracted to the packaging - very earthy and recycled looking and figured ok, give it a go...i mean support goods produced in the country, right? rather than being a spoilt rotten expat who shops for all their favourites from home without a care less for local made produce.

i chose the dark chocolate bar...there was also a bar with cashew nuts and another with praline...but i decided on the pure form just so that i could get a feel for how the chocolate tasted.

on opening it up, the first bite was rather blissful (this might have been a combination of both taste and the release of a weeks worth of tension in a day!) the taste was good - strong and bitter, which is just the way i like my dark chocolate. there was that lovely, almost crumbly texture to the chocolate that one gets from dark chocolate. it was delicious. i was very content. and the best part, it was so rich, that my usual ability to finish a whole bar of chocolate in one go was stopped in it's tracks. i ate half the bar, and the other half was preserved for the next day!

the bar cost Rp. 31,000 which although sounds expensive, is not for chocolate here. a bar of Lindt chocolate will set you back over Rp. 50,000 and i am happy to spend the money knowing that i'm supporting a local enterprise...yeah, yeah, i'm happy to spend the money to get some serious chocolate pleasure and drive away all the stress of a day...what am i saying i'd have spent Rp. 130,000 for goodness sake!

catching your breath...

2009-05-06T18:43:00.004+08:00

Wednesday 6th May 2009

doesn't it always seem like everyone is always rushing on to the next frantic moment life has to offer...so often you find people wishing their life away...counting down to the next birthday, anniversary, holiday trip, whatever...why have we forgotten how to enjoy the moments for what they are? the here and now...this very second. when we pause, and breathe and look around, we appreciate where we are and what we have so much more...

if there is anything i have learnt this week it's that life is too short. life is unexpected, providing us with moments of such happiness and yet also moments of such sadness. we are constantly reminded of the fraility of this life we are given, when we hear of others losing that gift so unexpectedly. we need to feel thankful every single morning we wake up for everything that we have. i don't want to rush thorugh life, barely blinking an eye, always looking to the next project...i want to be in the here and now, to relish every moment and remember how lucky i am to have fallen down the rabbit-hole into this beautiful place called Bali, where life almost seems to stand still and every day is a blessing. i want to have my eyes open and see everything around me, absorb it, appreciate it for everything that it is. i don't want to miss a thing...

soto, oh soto...ay-am a big fan

2009-04-25T14:26:00.003+08:00

Saturday 25th April 2009

ok so one of my (many) favourite dishes to eat in indonesia is soto ayam. soto translates as soup and ayam is chicken. so it is basically a chicken soup...but to bring it down to such a basic level is truly shameful, for it is oh-so-much more than just that. it consists of vermicelli, chicken, chopped cabbage, hard-boiled egg, fried shallots, spring onions, lime and chili. and that's just the toppings. let's not go into the stuff you need for the spice paste which gives the flavour to the broth...or maybe we should...ginger, galangal, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic and shallots...the flavour of the broth is divine...i could just have it all on its own. but added together with the toppings, it all comes together into a very exotic chicken noodle soup.

so naturally at this stage, i consider myself quite a soto ayam connoisseur...i mean i've eaten it countless times in any number of places and constantly compare, complain or compliment depending on how i feel about any given bowl. so, today i decided...ENOUGH! time to make it myself. shopped last night and got everything i needed (point to remember...it really is far more intelligent to cook indonesian dishes when living in indonesia as all ingredients are readily available in the supermarket...as opposed to something random and far-away where none of the ingredients are on site!) and this morning set about bringing it altogether. it happened with relative ease and apart from developing arms like arnold schwarzenegger pounding up the spice paste, things went off without a hitch. i followed a recipe i'd located at a favourite asian food blog of mine Rasa Malaysia and was delighted with the end result.

the broth was delicious and full of flavour and i have just finished the nice big bowl pictured above, right down to the last drop...what a lunch...now thats what i call chicken soup for the soul!

happy earth day...

2009-04-22T06:01:00.002+08:00

Wednesday 22nd April 2009

c'mon everyone, pull your socks up...do your bit before there's not much left of our planet to do our bit for. we're having a bake sale this friday at school to raise money for a great recycling programme from Eco Bali that we want to start using. cakes and fundraising...what a great combination! my darling little kindergarteners painted these fabulous posters that we are going to hang up around the school to remind everyone else to do their bit too! if they can do something to show their love for planet earth...so can you!

who needs cable...?

2009-04-19T00:12:00.005+08:00

Sunday 19th April 2009

when you have a sunset show every evening starting at 6pm til dark on a tv screen as big and far as the eye can see...and no two shows are ever the same...the wonder of nature never ceases to take my breath away...i can't say the same for soap operas! so switch off the box and get your backsides outside and fall in love with the planet all over again...you just know you want to!

Batu Belig beach,

Kerobokan, Bali

the bridge to...

2009-04-15T10:42:00.005+08:00

Wednesday 15th April 2009

...happiness. that's what this is! behold the beautiful, wobbly, bamboo suspension bridge at the end of my road, that leads to batu belig beach and beyond. once across this suspended piece of either mastery or craziness (depending on your sense of balance and trust in the universe) the whole of the coastline from Kuta to Batu Bolong is at your fingertips.

to make matters more perfect. if you look back across the bridge you can see a little warung nestled quietly at the end to the left. that is Warung Agung Kayu Putih, one of the most relaxed spots to have a beer and watch the sun drop serenly into the ocean. it's all too convenient, really...

photos courtesy of Rebecca

lost...

2009-04-11T22:24:00.003+08:00

Saturday 11th April 2009

i want to be lost forever in the ricefields of jatiluwih. was back there again over the weekend with a friend. i can never be bored of such vastness. for i think we always needed to be reminded of how truly insignificant we are in the presence of nature and all its glory and constantly think about how we can protect our precious planet. we are mere specks...but yet can wield such evil, can wreak such havoc, can cause such destruction. what has happened to the human race? sometimes i feel so shielded here in Bali from all that is happening 'out there' in the rest of the world and although most days i am thankful for that. when i eventually do catch up with the news, i feel such intense sadness, such dismay, at what is unfolding just beyond the horizon, just out of reach. with the approach of Earth Day, i am hoping together with a colleague to instill a little bit of love for the planet in my students...a few moments in jatiluwih seems to do it for me...for my 4 year old students, i might need to get a little more creative...!

getting misty at kebun raya, bedugul...

2009-04-05T13:36:00.002+08:00

when in bedugul, a visit to kebun raya (or the botanic gardens as it called in english) is a must for me. first and foremost, the weather is completely different to what one experiences in kuta. bedugul is cool, foggy and almost jacket weather. the botanic gardens themselves are lush, green and a mixture of tropical and forestal (is there such a word?). there are beautiful big forest trees next to ferns and bird of paradise plants. it is a beautiful spot. full of plenty of nooks and crannies where one can unpack a picnic, unpack life, lay back and just enjoy being at one with nature. i love sometimes the way you can be sitting there and suddenly the mist will descend out of nowhere and blanket the area and then just as quickly lift and disappear. it is due to the fact that you are up in mountain country. and boy, is the air refreshingly clear and clean. you feel like you want to be able to bottle it and store a couple in your bag for those trips you have to make through denpasar, where the air continues to be somewhat less clean and clear these days.
on the way into the botanic gardens there is a food market selling everything from fresh herbs, to rose plants. the strawberries are a must...i can buy a couple of punnets (not sure that applies to what i actually get mine in here!) and scoff my face with them, be smeared with strawberry juice and then have a vile stomach ache or be covered head to toe in hives, for my disgusting gluttinous sins! but it's worth it, because the weather, the strawberries, the trees...reminds me a little bit of home and for a moment, just a moment, makes me miss ireland - gloomy weather and all!

rock on...nasi rawon!

2009-04-04T08:19:00.002+08:00

Saturday 4th April 2009

nasi rawon consists of a special spicy beef soup served with rice. it is a traditional food originating from East and Central Java. commonly, the beef consumed in rawon is cut into bite sized pieces. the very special spicy soup is prepared with a grinded mixture of spices. the grinded spices are first cooked in some oil till aromatic. then this cooked spice paste is put into boiled stock along with the beef and the special dark/black colour of rawon comes from the addition of keluak nuts (fruits of the kepayang tree - which i believe is a mangrove tree native to Malaysia and Indonesia). it is then completed with small bean sprouts, sambal and salty duck eggs.

i tasted this while on holiday in Yogyakarta. the soup was delicious - it reminded me of the taste of oxtail soup and tasted great with even bread just dipped in it. rich, flavourful and aromatic...a very interesting breakfast!

monkeying around at alas kedaton...

2009-04-03T15:08:00.001+08:00

Friday 3rd April 2009

Bali seems to have its fair share of monkey forests and there i was thinking there was only one...Monkey Forest in Ubud. but alas, no...it seems there are a plethora of monkey forests lying in wait around the island for us to wander into and be attacked by aggressive monkeys!

Alas Kedaton is located in Tabanan, and is quite a sizeable forest, with a temple located at the site. there are of course, hundreds of monkeys, running freely around the location and their 'tame-ness' is in large part to the fact that bananas and nuts are readily for sale which people buy and give to the monkeys...they are beautiful, with their brown eyes and ash grey fur. but one feels the necessity to hold tight to one's belongings for fear one might be held to ransom - camera or a bunch of nuts...

the site is also home to hundreds of bats, who were sleeping rather unpeacefully in the trees whilst i was there. the sound of them is quite eerie and frightening...like high-pitched children's screams. (i realise i'm not doing a great job of selling this spot!) but the bats are huge and some with a wing span of up to 1 metre. i was quite mesmerised looking up at them and at the same time wondering if bats poop while sleeping and hoping that i don't get one in the eye!

it also didn't help that i went here on a public holiday and so the place was full of people out for the day...i'd definitely recommend a weekday when one can have the cheeky monkeys and the squealing bats all to oneself!

serenity at pura ulun danu...

2009-04-02T12:43:00.003+08:00

Thursday 2nd April 2009

one of the most beautiful and sacred temples here in Bali, is Pura Ulun Danu at Lake Batur. this beautiful temple gently nestled on the shores of the lake, cannot be reached under normal circumstances. a bridge is only erected when there is a ceremony at the temple. otherwise it looks like it is serenely docked just out of reach, away from the trampling feet of the many visitors that make their way through here, both of the domestic and international variety.

for me, it is certainly one of the prettiest temples...with the stormy mountains behind, the beautiful gardens in the immediate surroundings, full of flowers and trees and the lulling lapping of the water at the shore. what a location. it would make anyone want to get down on their knees and give thanks for just being alive and in the here and now.

jatiluwih...a hidden paradise...

2009-04-01T13:51:00.001+08:00

Wednesday 1st April 2009

Jatiluwih, i am thinking of the way your name rolls off my tongue like the very whispers of the wind that caress the padi that grows on your beautiful terraces...

Jatiluwih, i am thinking how your vast expanse, stretching as far as the eye can see, makes me feel like the merest speck on this planet...tiny and insignificant...

Jatiluwih, i am thinking how i want to be lost forever through the tiny paths that separate your lush green growth, running my fingers through the gentle leaves...

Jatiluwih, i will never forget you, your breath-taking immensity, leaving was so hard...i promise to return...soon

Jatiluwih, Tabanan, Bali

tarian topeng...

2009-03-31T14:11:00.001+08:00

Tuesday 31st March 2009

i had the greatest of luck to see tarian topeng (mask dance) while at the temple recently in Tunjuk, Tabanan. the expressions on the masks are quite mesmerising, especially those eyes that appear to see right through you.

some of the masks in these dances are full face, where the body is purely used to express oneself in the dance in the one pictured above, you can see how the dancer started with a mask where the face is younger and thus his movements were freer, and then changed into a mask where the face is aged and his movements became slow and laboured. other masks are half-face, and these allow the characters to speak and poke fun at each other...they are highly entertaining and later on in the evening at the temple when this took place it was particularly enjoyable, as one of the characters came out with a bowler hat and blond wig and spoke in English - a first for me at a mask dance performance where there were no tourists.

the long way round...

2009-03-30T17:01:00.004+08:00

Monday 30th March 2009

Remember me my love,

I'm the one you're dreaming of.

Going for a ride, I'll keep you warm inside.

I'm gonna roll up the sidewalk,

I'm gonna tear up the ground.

Comin' round to meet you,

The long way round.

Bah, Bah - rah - rah - rah!

Sooner or later, I'll get me off this track.

Gotta do what it is that I do and then I'm - coming back.

Got sun in my face, sleeping rough on the road.

I'll tell you all about it, when I get home.

Gonna roll up the sidewalk,

I'm gonna tear up the ground.

Comin' round to meet you,

The long way round.

Bah, Bah - rah - rah - rah!

From 'Long Way Round' by the Stereophonics

when i'm on my bike, this is often the song whizzing round in my head and that i'm humming along to as i pull up at the traffic lights. i guess it's from too much watching all those episodes of Long Way Round and Long Way Down with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman...but truly it is the best feeling in the world to be able to jump on your bike and get yourself around...and with that wind in my hair and the sun in my face...i feel like i wanna take the long way round to everywhere i'm going...even amidst the craziness of bali traffic...whatever, man...just go with the flow and remember the rules of the road are...there are no rules :)

kuningan at tabanan

2009-03-29T21:39:00.006+08:00

Sunday 29th March 2009

I had the good fortune to be able to join another Balinese family in their Kuningan celebrations, yesterday...

If Galungan is the welcoming of one’s ancestors to Earth, then Kuningan is the time to bid them farewell as they return to heaven. Kuningan is officially a tumpek day and means “yellow”. Like all the other Tumpek days, it always falls on a Saturday, in this case the second one after Galungan.

On the morning of Kuningan, Balinese pray to their ancestors. They believe they should do so before midday, which is said to be the time when their ancestors go on their way. Offerings are made to the Gods as well as their ancestors. The yellow rice placed in a bowl made of coconut leaves called endongan. This is accompanied by small offerings of peanuts, spiced grated coconut and tiny salted fish. The food is for their ancestors to take with them on their journey. The Balinese hope that with this offering their ancestors will continue to protect and guide them in their daily lives.

Temples and house fronts are decorated with coconut leaves and flowers. The leaves are carved into delicate shapes and draped over objects, particularly shrines in the family temple. Some modern Balinese even dress up their cars.

Manis Kuningan is the day for visiting family and friends. You will see many families travelling around the island together. The beaches and recreations spots are always full on this day.

i travelled to the village of Tunjuk in Tabanan to meet the family of a friend and celebrate Kuningan with them and one of the main temples there was also having it's Odalan (birthday) so there were great celebrations. it was amazing to be back in a kampung (village) which was quiet, peaceful but yet full of the happy chatter that goes hand-in-hand with balinese ceremonies all over the island. the temple was full of people bringing their offerings to pray. and there was dance and gamelan. as usual, i am blessed with the people i get to meet here and how they so readily open up their lives and homes to welcome outsiders into the daily rhythm of their life...

warung italia...mama mia!

2009-03-28T10:08:00.004+08:00

Saturday 28th March 2009

one of my favourite spots to eat in the Kuta area is at Warung Italia at Jl. Kunti, Seminyak. what i find myself craving for at various points in any given week is there fabulous italian tapas that they serve up with fresh bread. my usual indulgences would be the meatballs, squid, carrots, spinach and potatoes...generous servings of each on a nice big plate. you choose them from a display case located at the back of the restuarant. then of course, there are the pizzas. delightfully thin, floury crusts and perhaps over 40 different selections to choose from. i adore the pizza italia with rucola, sun dried tomatoes, olives and ricotta...fabulous, flavourful and all to soon finished. as of yet i have not yet branched into exploring the pasta dishes, though they are numerous and range from traditional favourites such as bolognese to gnocchi. with the number of times i frequent this place...how could i not get round to it. but i really do have to tear myself away from the tapas bar.

prices are reasonable - the location is like a warung...ceiling fans, wooden tables and a view of the world going by on the always busy Jl. Kunti outside. you can stay for hours here...believe me i know...

Warung Italia,

Jl. Kunti,

Seminyak.

jogja batik...

2009-03-27T12:18:00.001+08:00

Friday 27th March 2009

selamat hari raya nyepi...

2009-03-26T09:54:00.008+08:00

Thursday 26th March 2009

Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that falls on Bali's Lunar New Year (March 26, 2009). It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation.

Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali’s usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.

Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.

so what a contrast...to the way the rest of many of our cultures celebrate a new year...drunk, disorderly, partying...and how beautiful instead to take the opportunity to reflect on your year, in silence, and have hope for a prosperous year ahead. there are many lessons to be learned from the way the Balinese celebrate the coming of their new year. i for one will be enjoying the silence at home...

the BEST place to eat in Jogja...

2009-03-25T17:01:00.007+08:00

Wednesday 25th March 2009

thanks to a very thoughtful friend, we found on our first night his highly recommended choice for dinner in Jogja. it's called Milas Vegetarian restaurant and is absolutely not to be missed. the setting is beautiful - on covered bamboo platforms around a lush garden. and the menu...well, once you open it up and see the delicious treasures that lie within, you immediately start calculating how many nights you'll be in the city so you can fit in eating here as much as possible. with everything being vegetarian, there are options such as tempe burger, tempe steak, rosti, and salads with home-made cheese, to an array of indonesian dishes substituting tofu or tempe for the usual meat...the prices are to die for almost as much as the food...so cheap and yet everything was delicious.

my favourite snack had to be singkong goreng (fried cassava) that were like french fries but so much more flavourful and were served with homemade tomato sauce and chilli. they were thin, crispy and so delicious. other dishes i tried were the tempe burger, gado-gado, milas salad (with good homemade cheese) bakso with tempe balls and nothing failed to satisfy. the only reason we didn't eat here on the last night was because it was closed...sob sob...

Milas Vegetarian Restaurant,
Jl. Prawirotaman 3,

Yogyakarta.

jogja graffiti...a city modernising...

2009-03-24T16:52:00.001+08:00

Tuesday 24th March 2009

mystical borobudur and a still under repair prambanan...

2009-03-23T16:00:00.002+08:00

Monday 23rd March 2009

most people's main purpose in visiting Jogjakarta, is to pay a visit to these two very different religious monuments. one buddhist, the other hindu...

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the then British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.
The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the precise damage". However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

borobudur still holds a special place in my heart...i find it such a place of peace and tranquility and totally loved every moment of being there when i first visited it and again on this trip. the mist as you arrive and make your way up to it, creates this sense of mysticism and it is surrounded by incredible forest and a beautiful park. the monument has been very well restored and taken care of and so much has been preserved, especially the relief and one feels so awed, so dwarfed, by its' magnificent splendour. a very magical place that one shouldn't miss...

prambanan has suffered greatly from the effects of the earthquake. when i was there 10 years ago, people could walk up to each of the temples and go inside. now they are mostly off-limits and the majority of the complex is surrounded by a metal gate and scaffolding is evident around many of the temples. even the restoration work itself seems to be taking painstakingly long (unlike at borobudur where the stones are all engraved with symbols so that they can always be matched up again) the stones at prambanan that have been repaired seem mismatched and like they have been put in places they do not belong. such a shame that such a beautiful complex cannot be injected with the funding it needs so that it can be lovingly restored to its former glory...

nevertheless, you should definitely make these two incredible monuments to different religions a stop if travelling to Jogja...

nasi gudeg...a jogja speciality

2009-03-22T15:31:00.004+08:00

Sunday 22nd March 2009

so while in jogja, the local speciality had to be tasted. it's called nasi gudeg. the main ingredient is unripe jackfruit. this food is a mixture of sweet and delicious flavors because it is cooked with milk squeezed from coconut and sugar. gudeg is served together with krecek fried chili sauce (sambal goreng krecek), and side dish such as chicken meat, eggs, tempe (fermented soybean cake) and tahu (soybean curd) cooked together with the gudeg.

this was a choice for breakfast at the hotel we were staying at in Jogja...and although i am not a big fan of such things so early in the morning, i figured it had to be tried.

the jackfruit dish was interesting...very sweet and almost fel like you were eating a dessert. it was heavy...so that you really didn't want to eat too much of the rice. the chicken was soft and fell off the bone...it had obviously been cooked for a long time. the egg must have also bee n boiled for some time in various spices because it was dark brown on the outside and a lighter brown on the inside. it was soft and full of flavour. the krecek - tahu and tempe was interesting. the tahu had an almost jelly like quality to it, but the tempe was good...still firm and a spicy taste. i can't say that i would want to eat it every morning for breakfast, but it sure was a fascinating array of flavours and textures...

a rollercoaster ride on a Jogja becak...

2009-03-21T15:19:00.001+08:00

Saturday 21st March 2009

ok so a becak is basically a trishaw...the skinny dude sits at the back on his bicycle and cycles you around in a little carriage connected to the bike. and most of these guys are skinny dudes...i mean at one point when we were choosing, gone were any attempts to actually look for a mildly attractive man to pedal you around...no no...we were looking straight at the calf muscles...i mean you gotta know the guy has the stamina to get you to chosen destination.

we make the decision to take the becak...and the guy pulls up. one person gets in and we wonder where the other becak is because two people are NEVER going to fit in there...but lo and behold we are expected to squeeze in together. we wriggle ourselves into as comfortable a position as possible and off we go...it's terrifying...really terrifying...the traffic, the pollution, the noise...you're at ground zero, man and you feel you are in the midst of everything...add to this a certain someone's penchant for having the 'top down' (err, a dodgy canvas cover that at least helps you feel you are in some miserable way shielded from the mayhem) and well you might as well be sitting on the bonnet of anyone's car really...

the guy has power...those legs can go...but you still feel every bump in the road...make that every crack...suspension? what's that?

the journey of 3km feels like a never-ending ride to hell...between smoke belching from every vehicle, motorbikes zooming by, cars over-taking on the other side of the road so close you wonder whether you could just grab on and give becak dude a hand...

but we get there...still in one piece but definitely shaken...and stirred, for that matter. it's a one off experience, right? something you have to do once while in Jogjakarta...so tell me then...how on earth did we end up riding in them almost the entire trip...!

just Jogja-ing around...

2009-03-20T15:10:00.001+08:00

Friday 20th March 2009

i decided as i was on school holidays to re-visit an old haunt of mine...Jogjakarta in Central Java. i first started going there about 11 years ago when i was living in Jakarta and completely fell in love with the sleepiness and gentle vibe of the little city. i had many fantastic trips there back then and when a friend hinted that she wanted to go, i couldn't wait to go back and see all my old hang-outs and visit many beloved spots. unfortunately...as i have been told...one should always be careful of the nostalgia...for things change, cities grow, pollution increases, tourist attractions are damaged by earthquakes or lose their sheen, streets that seemed so happening and full of life, become quiet and tired...but the key is to make fresh memories...and there certainly were many of those...

selamat hari raya galungan...

2009-03-19T14:52:00.001+08:00

Thursday 19th March 2009

wednesday 18th march is Galungan - an important hindu holiday here in Bali. An explanation is in order from Wikipedia...

Galungan is a Balinese holiday that occurs every 210 days and lasts for 10 days. Kuningan is the last day of the holiday. Galungan means "When the Dharma is winning." During this holiday the Balinese gods visit the Earth and leave on Kuningan.

Occurring once in every 210 days in the pawukon (Balinese cycle of days), Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese. During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them. Those families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.

Although Galungan falls on a Wednesday, most Balinese will begin their Galungan 'holiday' the day before, where the family is seen to be busily preparing offerings and cooking for the next day. While the women of the household have been busy for days before creating beautifully woven 'banten' (offerings made from young coconut fronds), the men of our village usually wake up well before dawn to join with their neighbours to slaughter a pig unlucky enough to be chosen to help celebrate this occasion. Then the finely diced pork is mashed to a pulp with a grinding stone, and moulded onto sate sticks that have been already prepared by whittling small sticks of bamboo. Chickens may also be chosen from the collection of free-range chickens that roam around the house compound. Delicate combinations of various vegetables, herbs and spices are also prepared by the men to make up a selection of 'lawar' dishes. While much of this cooking is for use in the offerings to be made at the family temple, by mid-morning, once all the cooking is done, it is time for the first of a series of satisfying feasts from what has been prepared. While the women continue to be kept busy with the preparations of the many offerings to be made at the family temple on the day of Galungan, the men also have another job to do this day, once the cooking is finished. A long bamboo pole, or 'penjor', is made to decorate the entrance to the family compound. By late Tuesday afternoon all over Bali the visitor can see these decorative poles creating a very festive atmosphere in the street.

On Wednesday, the day of Galungan, one will find that most Balinese will try to return to their own ancestral home at some stage during the day, even if they work in another part of the island. This is a very special day for families, where offerings are made to God and to the family ancestors who have come back to rest at this time in their family temple. As well as the family temple, visits are made to the village temple with offerings as well, and to the homes of other families who may have helped the family in some way over the past six months.
The day after Galungan is a time for a holiday, visiting friends, maybe taking the opportunity to head for the mountains for a picnic. Everyone is still seen to be in their 'Sunday best' as they take to the streets to enjoy the festive spirit that Galungan brings to Bali.

it is a beautiful day with streets full of brightly coloured traditional dress, gently swaying penjors and the scent of incense filling the air as offerings are lit and respect paid to ancestors...

so, how do you like your arak?

2009-03-17T17:06:00.005+08:00

Tuesday 17th March 2009

it's st. patrick's day and what better way to celebrate than with a post about alcohol...(what am i insinuating here...that all irish are alcoholics...hell, yeah!) and seeing as i'm in bali...i can ONLY write about THE alcohol to drink here...otherwise known as arak.

so what is it, you might ask...arak is the locally brewed traditional alcohol, colourless and sugarless, brewed from palm sap or rice. it has a 20-50 percent alcohol content...so you know, it doesn't take too long to feel the effects! it can be drank with other liquids and a favourite of mine would be arak madu...arak with honey and lemon juice. it does, however have other purposes beyond the mere intoxication factor. it is used in religious ceremonies such as when it is deliberately spilled on the ground to honour Dewi Sri, the Goddess of Rice.

Arak production originally began in home industries, however there was a crackdown to prevent this in 2004 after some Balinese men died after consuming arak. so now they have licensed sellers. however, the home industries continue as you can see...i mean the licensed sellers are not going to be selling their arak in recycled large aqua bottles! and this is what you can see in the photo. this bottle of arak is from a producer in Karangasem. it is very pure and highly intoxicating. i got it through reliable sources...c'mon i can't reveal my connections!

anyway, the funny thing about this is that i wanna know what genius thought it would be a good idea to put colourless alcohol in a recycled bottle of water? yes, there was someone at my house recently who thought it was a bottle of water and poured out a glass and took a massive gulp of...arak...i did feel bad...heehee...no, really, i did. but it's still there in the water bottle...waiting for the next eejit (as we'd say in ireland) to take a gulp. meanwhile i can still use it for stripping paint off the walls, disinfecting toilets and getting seriously drunk on occasion!

a glass of this stuff is not to be missed while in bali...

sugar descended from heaven...

2009-03-16T16:33:00.005+08:00

Monday 16th March 2009

another great thing about living here is that you constantly make these little discoveries. i mean you can be walking along and discover a little restaurant that you've never seen before, or you can find a shop selling items you never knew existed or you can even just be wandering around the supermarket looking for something totally different and you stumble upon a gem. this is what happened today...i found this charming little container of cinnamon palm sugar. i couldn't resist. it just had to be bought. i think it was almost calling out to me. and what pushed me even more is that it was locally produced. when i'm living here, i feel much happier buying produce that has come from local industries. it gave some nice suggestions on the lid of what you could use it for...making french toast, glazing ham, putting in chai tea and when i opened the lid...

wow! beautiful golden granules met my eyes. and the taste...well because i just had to pop some in my mouth was lovely...a soft crumbly texture...coupled with a warm, aromatic taste. so with not having time to rustle up instant french toast, or being too lazy, i thought that the next best way to have a good sample of it, was to brew a cuppa coffee and pop in the palm sugar and wow! my usual cup of joe was transformed into something so much more flavourful and rich. what a great find!

the company making this wonderful sugar, is called Big Tree Farms and you can have a look at some of the other fine artisan foods they produce and how they help the local community. i love what they are doing, i love their packaging - simple and very organic looking and i want that vanilla palm sugar next...

blissed out at COZY...

2009-03-15T09:48:00.005+08:00

Sunday 15th March 2009

ok, if you're here in Bali and you've never been to COZY, well then, sorry but you just haven't lived...for me, it is THE best place for foot reflexology and i would gladly sell my soul to have a lifetime worth of weekly massages.

so why is it so special...well first of all, you arrive off a busy road to a place of peace and tranquility with cascading waterfalls at the entrance. you take a seat and if you haven't made an appointment, fear not, because you are never left sitting more than 10 minutes to wait for the next available therapist. i do make an appointment, simply because i have fallen in love with the hands of one particular therapist who knows exactly the amount of pressure i like. you choose the kind of reflexology you want...there's anti-stress, insomnia, poor circulation, energising, etc. and you also choose the kind of music you want to listen to on the little mp3 player you're given.

once you are called, you head upstairs to a very comfy chair that faces a calming fish tank, the lights are down low, and the bliss begins.

the massage takes 1.5 hours and includes an hour on your legs and feet plus half an hour on arms, shoulders, neck and head. you can ask for the pressure to be strong, or light, depending on how you like it. i kinda hover somewhere in-between. i like to know i'm being massaged but hey, no need for agony either, right. i mean it's supposed to be relaxing. and it is just right...phones are silenced, people speak in whispers and with your chill out music gently playing in your ear, you just kinda float away. and suddenly the therapist is whispering in your ear that it's over...and with a sigh, you gather yourself back together and prepare to face the world again...a little more prepared and a little less tense.

this is a popular place, when i go there are always people in various stages of arriving, waiting, leaving...and the customers are local and western alike. the prices are incredibly reasonable for the service, the ambience and the experience. my 1.5 hour foot reflexology is about Rp. 80,000. for that price, really how can you resist. they offer lots of other massages and services including facials and manicures/pedicures. i haven't tried anything else so far...i just love the foot reflexology too much...

COZY,

Sunset Road Blok A/3

Kuta

telp: (0361) 7472762

bamboo...it's just you and me again, baby!

2009-03-02T22:14:00.007+08:00

Monday 2nd March 2009

NEVER say never....and aren't i lucky i didn't...i wrote a certain little love post some time back about my tumultuous love affair with bamboo and even though it was rocky that one day i might welcome bamboo back into my life...and lo and behold...a charming bamboo cottage found it's way into my life that i am now renting in Batu Belig in Canggu...with a mere 3 minute walk to the beach. it's perfect. full of character and charm and i just adore coming home to it every evening and find it hard to tear myself away to leave in the morning...and let's face it...isn't that supposed to be the way you feel about the place where you set up home. i am blessed...and bamboo...thank you...i didn't give up on you, nor you me...and we're together again...

why does it always rain on me...?

2009-02-04T20:58:00.004+08:00

Wednesday 4th February 2009

and just when i thought we were well and truly OUT of the rainy season, it comes back with such a vengence that i can hardly believe it. the past few days have been absolute misery...it reminds me of a post way back when i was still in dublin...these grey skies...it just doesn't seem right to be in bali and to see grey skies. and of course, needless to say, it sure ain't a lot of fun being on a motorbike when a torrential downpour strikes...you can't put down the visor because it's tinted and makes everything too dark and when i ride with it up...well my glasses get all spotted with rain...yikes! i like rain when i'm snuggly under my blankie. anyway, the batik above is one of my absolute favourite designs. it is called mega mendung, which means huge rainclouds and comes originally from cirebon in java. when i see it, i remember that rainclouds can be beautiful and no matter what, after every storm, there are clear skies. so here's to the rainclouds...pour down for the rest of the week, but please, please, clear up by saturday morning, so i can have a day at the beach...please?

toot! toot!

2009-01-31T22:33:00.004+08:00

Saturday 31st January 2009

yes, yes, today i feel like i have many things to toot a horn about...first things first...i'm back! yes, finally i am re-connected to the world wide web after an absence of close to a month! such joy...as i have missed blogging so much...serious withdrawal symptoms!

second bit of news to toot about - i have moved house AGAIN! but this time, fingers (toes and eyes) crossed that this will be the last move for awhile. i finally re-opened boxes today that had been sealed up for months and it was like christmas all over again, opening objects wrapped up in newspaper and re-discovering their contents. my house, which is actually a cottage, is so beautiful and magical, that i have fallen hopelessly in love with it already (and i haven't even spent the first night here yet!) it is made of bamboo (yes - i have made my peace and the stormy love affair continues anew!) and is just so full of character and it gets better...it is walking distance from the beach! photos to follow shortly...

third piece of fabulous news to toot about is that i am finally mobile - i have slowly mastered the art of motorbike riding and life has just not been the same since. i never knew that being able to get myself around would bring me such a sense of freedom and pleasure...but then again, i am destined to be the captain of my own ship - so why not a motorbike too. admittedly it's an automatic and all you have to do is hit the gas or brake...but for any of you who have ever been here and experienced bali roads...well you would know what i mean when i say that every day surviving on the alleys and back roads, is a day to rejoice!

so there you have it, a quick update of all the fantastic things i've been celebrating about these past couple of weeks...and there will be more...2009 is off to a tooting good start!

oh, mee rebus...i have missed you...

2009-01-05T00:34:00.004+08:00

Monday 5th January 2009

this trip to Singapore has been a lot about eating many of my favourite dishes...food that i have craved and not always been able to find that easily in Bali. anyway, when i was growing up here there was a food centre called Taman Serasi that served great food. it ended up being closed down - which was such a shame. recently when the botannic gardens were under renovation, they rebuilt a more modern version of a food court and named it Taman Serasi, in the hope of bringing back people.

not so long ago, when visiting the food garden, i discovered an indonesian stall selling mee rebus - an absolute favourite local dish of mine. a little help from wikipedia might be needed here...

Mee rebus (literally boiled noodles in English) is a Malay inspired noodle dish. It is most popular in Indonesia where it is called Mi Celor, Malaysia and Singapore.
The dish is made of yellow egg noodles, with a spicy slightly sweet curry-like gravy. The gravy is made from potatoes, curry powder, water, salted soya beans, dried shrimps, and peanuts. The dish is garnished with a hard boiled egg, calamansi limes, spring onions, Chinese celery, green chillies, fried firm tofu (tau kwa), fried shallots and bean sprouts.

the mee rebus at Taman Serasi is THE best mee rebus i have had in a long time...i have been back a few times during my trip here just to enjoy this dish...the gravy is particularly good...not too thick or thin (as is the case in some places), the noodles done perfectly, lots of fresh green chillies that give bursts of hotness in your mouth...it's so good...truly! and at only $4.50...quite a steal!

another discovery at the same stall, was ayam panggang, which literally translates as roasted chicken. the chicken is roasted with a sauce made of special spices and served with rice, omelette and vegetables. the sauce that the chicken is roasted in is absolutely delicious...a little sweet but perfectly spiced and it has obviously been left to marinate in the sauce for some time, because the chicken is soft and succulent. i could have eaten a few platefuls of this...again at only $4.50, how can you say no?

Taman Serasi Food Garden,

1 Cluny Road,

Singapore.

a lucky rub...

2009-01-04T00:24:00.004+08:00

Sunday 4th January 2009

so the christmas decorations are down already on the streets of singapore...and very hastily being replaced with chinese new year lanterns, cherry blossoms and chinese characters...chinese new year comes early this year, on January 26th and so, as it is celebrated in a big way in singapore...decorations are very important. anyway, while walking through the chinese new year market at bugis the other day...i spied this happy, chubby buddha for sale and just had to give his rotund belly a rub...for luck of course - not some deranged fetish of rubbing men's stomachs, ok! i hope my little rub will bring me much luck, prosperity and good things in 2009 and if you feel so inclined...please feel free to rub away...there just might be enough luck to go around!

get fruity!

2009-01-03T08:11:00.003+08:00

Saturday 3rd January 2009

one of the greatest things about being in Asia (apart from the beaches, weather, culture, etc...) is of course, the fruit! and what better way to start off the year than getting a little more fruity with life...so i'm here to share some of the fabulous ways i get more fruity...and it's definitely pretty exotic, fantastical and very delicious!

mangosteen

longan

star fruit

guava

custard apple

dragon fruit

New Year...new roads to travel...

2009-01-02T10:55:00.004+08:00

Friday 2nd January 2009

i love the start of a new year...it's so full of possibilities, opportunities and just that sense of the unexpected...of what might happen. it's like you are setting out on a new journey...you pack your bag with all the things you think you might need in anticipation, ready yourself for the journey ahead and set off. along the way, you have to expect the unexpected...sometimes it's good, sometimes not...but there are always going to be bumps in the road and you just have to learn to accept them and remember that there'll be plenty of smooth sailing too.

i'm really looking forward to 2009...there are lots of opportunities in the pipeline and it's great to kickstart the year knowing that there's lots to look forward to.

I hope that 2009 brings to one and all lots of exciting opportunities...Happy New Year!

a Happy Christmas from the tropics!

2008-12-25T11:20:00.007+08:00

Thursday 25th December 2008

it's weird...Christmas in the tropics for me...will NEVER feel like Christmas - it's like any year i celebrate it in the tropics...i skip Christmas that year, it just doesn't happen, i can't bring myself to celebrate it. i have tried in past years but it just never felt the same. even now, as i am in Singapore for Christmas, with Orchard Road decked up to the nines with decorations...it's like i don't even see them. as someone who grew up spending every Christmas in Ireland...it just cannot be Christmas for me anywhere else! so what am i thinking about today, what makes Christmas for me...champagne and orange juice for breakfast, the smell of the turkey roasting in the oven, heaps of presents piled under the tree, the pop of crackers being pulled, twinkling lights and sparkling decorations, the warm glow of the fire in the hearth, the crisp cold winter air but mostly loved ones...so far away on this day...but so near in my thoughts...my dear family, i miss you all so much that i hope my thoughts can traverse the miles today and be with you. Christmas just ain't the same without all of you. Happy Christmas everyone...

sunset at seminyak...

2008-11-30T15:59:00.005+08:00

Sunday 30th November 2008

so where is one of the best places in the world to watch the sun drop right into the ocean and create a fireball in the sky as it takes its' last shimmering rays of light away for the day? why seminyak beach of course! it's a little further along the way than kuta and legian, but well worth a visit simply to see one of the most magnificent natural displays of light and colour blaze across the sky. and every sunset is different...no two the same, just like every day is different...it's a fabulous way to bring a close to the daylight hours...to just lie on the beach with your toes in the sand and watch and breathe and remember how tiny we are...earth, our planet, in contrast to the magnificence of the sun...its strength, light, heat and power make us earthlings and our planet seem like mere shadows to its' great existence...and remember that...we are but mere specks of dust compared to the size of the sun...and no matter how much we think we are the centre of our own universe, we are not...so get your toes down to the beach, sink them in the sand and marvel at the wonder of it all...

moringa oleifera...moringa ole-what???

2008-11-20T15:23:00.006+08:00

Thursday 20th November 2008

so what do you do when you find that you have one of the world's most useful trees growing right in your back garden? well you make sure that all those people who aren't in the know...get in the know...because it doesn't get much better than the moringa oleifera, my friends. this tree packs a punch of the most healthy kind. read what wikipedia has to say about it...

Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to simply as Moringa, is the most widely cultivated variety of the genus Moringa. It is of the family Moringaceae. It is an exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree with a variety of potential uses. Considered one of the world’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the Moringa tree can be used for food, or has some other beneficial property.

The leaves are highly nutritious, being a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron and potassium. The leaves are cooked and used like spinach. In addition to being used fresh as a substitute for spinach, its leaves are commonly dried and crushed into a powder, and used in soups and sauces. The tree is a good source for calcium and phosphorus. Moringa leaves contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas, and the protein quality of Moringa leaves rivals that of milk and eggs.

so don't you think, after reading that, you just have to have one of these trees in your garden.. you can use it in soups, salads, casseroles and you get all that incredible goodness..i mean imagine, you might never have to leave home again...everything you need, right there, on one tree...now if only we could get it to grow money...hmmm...

sunlight falling on bamboo...

2008-11-11T07:17:00.008+08:00

Tuesday 11th November 2008

i do love you, bamboo...i really do...the past few months have been a bit rocky between you and me...there have been ups and downs with you...you gave way when i needed you to be strong, you leaked when i needed you for shelter, you cracked when i needed you to remain tough under pressure...i have often felt like saying that i never want to see you again...EVER. but never is such a strong word and despite everything...there might be room for you again in my life, some day. so i vow to think good things about you...to remember how tall and upright you are, how you can bend so flexibly and change your shape and mostly how the sunlight looks as it dances across your smooth exterior. you did not choose the destiny that befell you...you too were pulled from the earth and transplanted here, forever to be a part of a vision you knew nothing about. and so, bamboo, stand tall, feel connected to the earth, remain true...for in the face of all else, these are the things that you can control and know and find solace in when all else fails...i leave you with that thought...i leave you...