You will never believe but from my new room I have wireless internet this morning! I had tried it hopefully when I first moved in walking around my room and patio watching the bars like an American Indian wanders with a water stick or a beachcomber with a metal detector. I was Hopeful but not optimistic as the distance is pretty far. Until this morning I was not able to get a signal. The laptop has to be tilted just right to get it and it’s a weak signal but I’m very excited. Weee! I'm picking up the net from Coffee and Silver even though it is quite a ways away.
Eric, my downstairs neighbor from Holland, loaned me a pair of fancy Phillips wireless headphones to borrow until I leave. I hardly know him but the people are so trusting and nice. Life is good.
John just stopped by and showed me a preview of a new elaborate necklace that I designed. It is jam packed with silver and stones and will sell for a lot more than my other stuff. It looks really cool… I want one for my self. I’m hoping I have time to get three more made.
Later today I'm going to the village of my 16 year-old massage therapist Putu. She is taking me to see her home, village and the waterfall that is in her village. I'm going really local these last few days getting invited to see more family compounds including the rooms inside. Desak, my longtime friend asked me if I wanted to go away for a night with her to another town. I said yes but I’m not sure when I can fit it in as my time here in Bali is starting to run short.
It is now pouring down rain. It rained all morning and into the afternoon the way up until I left on the motorcycle with Putu. She came dressed very sexy for a Balinese, in a cute short white skirt and black sweater with a bright white collar her very long hair trailing beyond her waist in a braided side pony tail. I don’t know how she keeps her clothes so clean washing them by hand in the stream. Most Balinese women wear jeans and a t-shirt or a sarong and a t-shirt. It is rare to see them in skirts unless it is a hotel uniform or suit. There was a light rain falling as we left a little unsteadily, she must only weigh about eighty pounds petite like a china doll with her hair trailing behind us like a kite. Not knowing the protocol for riding with a girl, many women here ride side-saddle (very dangerous) I did not know if I would make her uncomfortable holding her tiny shoulders so I gripped the bar behind the seat. Body language in different cultures is very interesting to me... men friends in Bali show affection very different than the western world putting their arms around each other and or resting their hand on the others leg. In America we might think they were gay if they sat this way. It is also interesting how different it is to ride motorcycles with John, by myself, or with Putu. With John the local boys look at him like… does he have a Western girlfriend and as we drive by slowly the woman tell call out in Bahasa for him to bring me to their shops. When I am alone, the children run following beside me calling “hello” and the adults look at me with surprise, as they don’t often see western girls alone in the countryside on a motorcycle. With Putu the boys whistle, holler, and beep their horns as she goes by… clearly she has a few fans and several boyfriends.
We first went to her family compound which has ten buildings, she kept saying it was a big family; however, she has only one brother and her mother has only three siblings, this sounds small in comparison to the other family compounds I have visited like John’s where he has nine siblings. Her family was sweet… enjoying me taking their photos especially the children who wanted me to take them over and over and show them. We did not stay long in her family home we drove to the waterfall nearby. Putu told me when she was a small child she sold fans at the waterfall… in keeping with tradition her nephew sold me one, she bought me an iced tea from her aunt who runs the warung (small food drink stand) overlooking the waterfall. Next we drove through the local rice paddies and she told me which ones her family tends to. We ran across several of her friends which I got to talk to, I love the way you can just stop and talk to people it is so different than speeding by in a car. Putu showed me the elementary school she went to as a child. Finally before returning home she drove me to the beach… ironically it was the same beach that John took me to last year to see his a house his Uncle has for rent right on the beach. The black sand beach is a local beach and is used mostly for ceremonies, it is littered with bits of trash and the water is black like the sand. The waves are ominous looking as when they crest it is like a big black hole that would swallow you up. When we returned to the massage shop Desak was there with two more cousins, we all talked for a little while before Desak dropped me home.
I wrote this journal entry and tried to find my sweet little internet hot spot to upload it. Bummer… it is no longer there gone like a good dream. I will try again in the morning being optimistic as always.
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