Spring Water

At that mountain resort in Tabanan Bali mentioned yesterday, we could drink the water from their spring out of the tap. Been a long time. After a two hour walk I went into the cold stream rushing over rocks. Wore a long sleeve shirt  in the morning and evening. Had almost forgotten what it was like.

Ridiculously Beautiful

At a BIWA (Bali International Women's Asso) luncheon, Katrinka won two nights at Bali Eco Spa in scenic Tabanan. We've been here a day so far. Unbelievable. We took the Green Walk this morning of about an hour through mountain jungle coconut, cacao, banana, and other trees. The sky was so clear last night - could see all four stars of the Southern Cross and the Milky Way. Only two hours from the busy city where we live. Must get out more. - dc

Article on a close bud

Danu’s Story - Kicking It in Bali by Ines Wynn in the Bali Advertiser

Danu was my best man at Katrinka's and my wedding. That's him in black on the right. Just click on it and you'll go to the original and can see it better. - dc

kecoa

That's cockroach in Indonesian. I catch one every few days and put it out. Get them with a plastic cup. They're so fast sometimes I smash down the plastic cup and only get one partially and am worried I hurt it. But when I lift the cup a bit they always scamper off full speed till I get them clean under it then slide a then movie DVD plastic envelope under the cup and carry them out. I call it my have-a-heart roach hotel.

Saraswati

Saraswati today. Lots of great gamelan music from the school next door this morning. Katrinka will read to one year old Mary next door in honor of it. Mary's mother is Balinese and father Brit. Yesterday was Mary's Bali birthday (or something) which for some reason is almost a month after her what to me is actual birthday - May 1. We received a whole Bali cake for it - it's a modern tradition. We sliced out a few bites and gave to a room cleaner this morning. He was delighted. Will take home to family for their Saraswati celebration.

Sign seen

Antiques Made to Order - thanks Scott M.

Eating Clay

At lunch with Depak and Hira of Satvika Bhoga (pure food) and Scott M, learned that not only poor Southerners in the US eat Clay. It fills the stomach and is habit forming. Depak said it's done in France for stomach problems. Scott said they sell Clay in the market here in Bali - for eating it's called Ampo here and is associated more with Java. See Wikipedia on Ampo.   

More on Rain

Twice yesterday experienced light rain which is unusual enough in the dry season but looking up there was blue sky, the clouds the rain came from far off. The second time was playing tennis and it went on for about fifteen minutes under clear sky. Don't remember anything quite like that. - dc

Raining

It's been raining some in Bali recently in the middle of the dry season. Pretty hard the other day, a little lake to walk through to get back home. There's been serious flooding and death in Java. This will mean more mozzies as the Aussies call mosquitoes. Bumper year for dengue. 

If something can go wrong

Broken Arrows: Nuclear Weapons Accidents - one list

cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Accidents Happen including Nuclear

Union of Concerned Scientists - End Hair Trigger Alert

cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Nukes are the greatest danger to us all

from Politico - trump with nuclear codes - expert article showing to me how insane it it to have these weapons at all and especially on hair trigger alert as it is now. the people of the world must demand an end to this madness. - dc

cuke page for Species Threat #1 - Nuclear War 

Muslim wedding

Katrinka, our Russian friend Olga, and I went to a little Muslim office to be there with a few others when our friend Leia got married to a man from Java. It was all in - gosh I don't know - Arabic? They just followed what the presiding person read. At the end he told her to kiss her husband's hand. They signed papers. Photos with them and their three month old baby then with us. No music. No hokus pokus. Olga said she got married in Lebanon in '85 and it was exactly the same. Wish Katrinka had gotten a pic of a family that came taking off on their motor scooter - mom, dad, young boy and girl. The The bride, groom, and the three of us took Nyoman Dogen's bemo, like a VW bus with a side open. He'd brought us there. Then we went to a restaurant Leia suggested. Warung Teduh (Shady Restaurant). Good local eats. No one drank booze. Not a bule (white foreigner) place. Picked up the wedding feast tab for the six of us - about 19 bucks. 

High Tides

in south Bali on Sunday morning the 5th - video on the Tolak Reklamasi site devoted to stopping the luxury hotelling of Benoa Bay and its precious mangroves. 

Andrew Atkeison back in Japan

at Fukuoji where Mike Jamvold lived. Here's a page for Fukuoji on his Iron Fulte Song site.

Kitchen Fixins

Praising Katrinka's culinary skill again. There is great food all over here and some of it really cheap. A night or two a week we get wholesome organic dinners with whole grain red rice for example delivered for less than four bucks a meal. But the best is what she makes. Lots of veggies, brown-red rice mix or whole wheat noodles, stuff from around the world, and deftly added spices. Paneer today, tarragon tomorrow.

Muesli

Katrinka makes the best muesli. Pan roasted oats, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, raisins. I pour boiling water on it then add banana slices, almond milk, whole yogurt, maybe a little coconut syrup which is so like maple syrup. To me the biggest drawback of muesli is that the oats are often too uncooked. She just gave a jar of it to the Aussie neighbors here for a month.

Pawai Budaya - Cultural Exhibition

There was an APEKSI event just around the corner down the street this week and on the last day in the afternoon there was a cultural exhibition in the form of a parade. Cities in Indonesia from various islands attended. There were groups walking and of dancers - Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Chinese Buddhist. So many beautiful costumes and intriguing music and rhythm. This photo is from a previous APEKSI meet. Maybe Katrinka will upload some of her shots on Facebook for us to see.

APEKSI, the Asosiasi Pemerintah Kota Seluruh Indonesia, is the Association of the Indonesia Municipalities. Established on 25 May 2000, its existence is based upon the Indonesian laws about political and administrative decentralization (Law 22/1999). - Wikipedia

Bali Green School Visit

Katrinka's post on BIWA FB page

Fish preferring Microplastics dying before reproducing

from the Guardian

Time for a shot

of red ginger syrup, my substitute for a shot of whiskey.