November 22, 2016

November 22, 2016

Well here it is 10:00 a.m and we just lost power for the first time which may be a blessing in disguise for me with this blogging business as it forced me to figure out another way to capture the text without wifi.  So here I am in a word processing document instead which will allow me to edit more easily than it has been typing directly into the blogpost!  Now when you find spelling errors or layout issues....you'll truly know that they are my fault and not the fault of working in a slightly less than friendly online environment.  LOL. How's that for "owning" my posts?!

This morning has been great.  Really this is just the start of day 5 and already we have a little routine worked out.  Our place here is so roomy and with the inside and outside areas we really do have space to do our own thing.  Even just considering the inside space, with the sitting room area between the beds it is as though we have two rooms in there.  We really have to pinch ourselves as we recognize just how lucky we are to have such a great place for such a great price.  Speaking of which....because we are here for such an extended period of time and because we only use the A/C during the nighttime we were able to get an even better price than we had for that first week so to all our friends and family out there.....just know that we really are doing okay on the "staying within the budget" front.

I know that I've been painting a pretty rosy picture of all that there is here and that has been easy to do as it really is an amazing and beautiful place.  Just like anywhere else though, some things have to be forfeited in pursuit of others.  For example, the power being out today....I know you'll all think, "well our power goes down here too" but it is different.  I'm pretty sure this happens quite frequently and so is definitely just accepted as a part of the day.  And then there is that damned squeaky toy and all his cousins (one of which just broke into "song" as I'm typing this).  To get this tropical paradise...you gotta be okay with sharing it with an abundance of nature ranging from those lizards and geckos to ants, centipedes, monkeys, whatever it was the cat ate yesterday, and about a million other things that we have yet to see.  Or....you know how you can just turn on the tap to brush your teeth or get a drink.  Well that's not the case here.  We have to be conscious all the time about water, especially the stuff you drink.  And, like I mentioned yesterday with the uneven ground/sidewalks....as much as WCB and all the safety legislation can make us crazy....boy it's nice to be able to look up while you walk.  Showering is another thing we take for granted at home.  You know how we have room to splash and get clean without thinking about it?  Well, here we have a tub to stand in and a handheld shower.  Now don't get me wrong....it's all perfectly good and at the same time it is very different from the abundance we have on all fronts at home.  I'd be remiss not to mention the sweating too.  Did you know your sweat can sweat?!  Honestly, sometimes the humidity on top of the heat can be overwhelming when you're out.  It's not so bad when you're just sitting around but having to walk (or work) in it isn't all that much fun.  But it is that heat and humidity that provide us with the array of tropical flowers and bushes we have surrounding us in our little oasis so please know this isn't a complaint it is just simply recognition of the fact that we have to give to get.....and isn't that a great life lesson/reminder.  Another 'not so nice' aspect here is the termites.  They're in pretty much all the buildings and so for example on one end of our outdoor couch there is a constant "shower" of termite droppings.  Tiny grains of wood (like sand) fall from the roof and onto the couch so you always have to remember to brush it off before you sit (and maybe you choose not to sit in that exact spot).  And then there is the itching....from mosquitos to the irritation of always being sweaty or the different detergent used for the linens and the falling termite dust....there are plenty of reasons to scratch.

So there....that's all the 'not so nice' bits I can think of to share.  Are you still feeling envious of us on this adventure?  I hope so as I can honestly say that sitting here on the patio right now I am ever so thankful for the opportunity to have the rest of my day as a blank canvas just waiting for me to paint it with whatever tropical colours and tones speak to me at this very moment.  Being in a place like Ubud might have it's "itchy" moments but the calm and serenity that abounds dwarfs those scratchy bits in comparison.  Having the opportunity to experience new people, new culture, new tastes, sights, and sounds leaves both Lynda and I ever so grateful to be on our own unique Balinese journey.

Right next door (behind the tropical trees) is another little rental house.  The fellow who looks after it is currently cleaning and as he does every day he is whistling while he works and occasionally humming a little tune.  I think that about sums it up....this is a happy happy place.

Till sometime later today.....

A few more things to report in on since I last wrote:
1) I have more than $52,000,000.00 in my checking account!  Wahoo!!  (Shhhhhh....don't tell me that its rupiahs and not dollars)
2) The cat definitely didn't eat that damn squeaky toy and in fact I'm pretty sure he's got friends over for a visit tonight!
3) Natural bug spray from the aromatherapy store just down the road seems to be working!  Happy Happy Joy Joy!!!!!
4) Not all spas are created equal.  Lynda looked into one today and just shook her head "no" with the same frightened look on her face that she had when we were in that doctors office in El Nido and he was talking about doing surgery on the desk when needed.  (If you don't know that story...you'll have to go and read the lorrieinphilippines blog.  LOL
5) The bag they used at the aromatherapy store was made out of an old newspaper and it felt very boutique and high end.  Recycle/Reuse in action!
6) We dropped off our laundry across the street today and our total bill for 13 pieces was $3.  Why would anyone ever do their own laundry here?!
7) Today we found some "Bali" cards and bought them just for fun.  Each morning you're supposed to select one out of the bowl and it will tell you your "lesson" or "thing to focus on" for the day.  Today Lynda got 'adventure' and I got 'forgiveness'.  I get the adventure card...we're having a great one of those and this morning while she was out for a walk in the cool quiet part of the day her adventure was that she ran into monkey traffic!  We are located just a few minutes walk from Monkey Forest and neither of us is looking forward to making a visit to that popular destination as neither of us is overly fond of monkeys!  In fact, I'll go so far as to say we really don't like them at all....they're sneaky little buggers and they steal your glasses and jewellery right off your body!  But, we'll likely have to make one trip into the forest while here so I'll leave all of the monkey business for another post.  For now I'll just say that Lynda's run in with 5 of the little buggers was in keeping with her card for adventure.  Not sure who I need to forgive though and I sure hope it isn't Trump cuz I can't seem to make my way there.....oh.....just a minute....I almost forgot.....I'm working on my "unf*!%#withable'ness" while here.  For those of you who are not yet familiar with that term, its definition is: (adj) when you're truly at peace and in touch with yourself, and nothing anyone says or does can bother you, and no negativity or drama can touch you.  Yep, that's a muscle worth working! LOL
8) We have yet to see much rain here even though this is the rainy season.  Today mother nature is sure teasing us though as the skies are overcast and we can hear thunder rolling across the sky (thankfully it's a ways away). The skies did open up the other night while we were at the Guinean cultural performance but we were untouched as the show was under a roof and by the time the show was over so was the rain.

Sitting here listening to the guy next door puttering around and whistling while he works again.  His happy refrain along with the bazillion birds (yes, I'm sure there are at least that many) I can hear singing right now....gotta pinch myself again to make sure this isn't a dream.

Till next time,
Lorrie & Lynda