A promising track took us over the brow of a hill to a spectacularly blue ocean
and surround Ubud. On discovering that it was (yet again) purely a set up for the Instahounds, much to the horror of the girls, we embraced wholeheartedly to join vs beating them. Step one, rent a long dress from the closet and change out of cut offs and shredded t-shirt. Having failed to spend the day at a salon in hair and makeup I was never going to rival the dedicated Instacrowd, but we figured the ‘from behind shots might work out OK. It was actually more fun than we thought it might be, and after a certain amount of cajoling we even got a shot or 2 out of the Bella Bean where she engaged (albeit reluctantly) and even offered a smile.
Its the money shot!
I think Millie might have gone whole hog given a different wardrobe option (ie her own).
If I told her how elegant she looks she’d kill me!
Frame It baby Frame It!
For Friday movie night we got all set up around James’s laptop to watch Ferris Bueller’s day off (which somehow seemed fitting given that we has Cooch in the house who has been seeding all sorts of fun mischief with the girls throughout the week!). Bella and Emily made their famous guacamole for us all to enjoy with some nachos, and we settled in to enjoy the show.
Ubud Yoga Barn
we got up in decent time on Sunday morning to go worship at the church of Yoga Barn for their regular Sunday morning Ecstatic Dance. So popular is it that we joined a long queue at 8:45 am along with the Neo-hippies, yogis and other loons-such-as-ourselves to get our numbers (we were 82nd – 84th in line to buy tickets – the girls got in free), and then extracted ourselves to go for brunch (fuel for us, bribes for the girls). The main event kicked off at 11 and consisted of a slow build up of movement to a mixture of tribal, trance and dance beats. It built to a crescendo over 2 hours and then slowed right down until all were lain out prostrate on the floor (or hugging someone) while the DJ brought us down from our high with some soothing guitar music. It was the most bonkers out-there ‘clean’ rave that we’ve ever enjoyed. It sat somewhere between exercise, yoga, self expression and raving. I have to say that as an early adopter I stuck close to the open-sides of the room as the extreme BO closer to the centre became somewhat unbearable. At this point I was (once again) slightly relieved that nudity was strongly discouraged. Having said that, despite extreme sweatiness, everyone had enough self-awareness not to bump into each other (at least not unintentionally!), which is more than can be said for Space in Ibiza! It was a room full of beautiful people of all ages and races losing their inhibitions, and dancing freely which is a precious and rare thing.
Balinese martial arts that involves similar physical techniques to those found in self-defense traditions around the world. But Mepantigan extends the form by also drawing upon Balinese drama, contemporary dance, and gamelan music, fusing fighting with the performing arts to create an entirely new cultural phenomenon. Participants wear uniforms consisting of traditional Balinese clothing, and can compete on the beach, in the mud of rice fields, or in any open space.
in compounds together. You can count the number of families by the number of water pipes in leading in from the street! Within the compound, sub-families have their own detached rooms or small houses, and often contain 3 or 4 generations. As Sarah explained in her guest blog, the older generation are usually taken care of by their eldest son, who’s wife comes to live with them. If a couple only has daughters, they need for one of their daughters to find a husband who is willing to come and live with them vs staying with his own family. There is no dumping old folk in ‘homes’ in Bali!
360° of rice paddys, and we have had the privilege of watching almost an entire cycle of rice production. From this vantage point, and the with help and insights of our wonderful staff Wyan, Augus and Gade, we now understand more deeply how rice acts as the life blood of Bali. It permeates every aspect of Balinese culture and has for at least 2000 years. The ‘Subak’ system of growing rice is much more than a simple agricultural methodology, its simultaneously spiritual and communal.
let the soil (and themselves) rest for up to a few weeks and then they ensure that the fields are flat and properly retaining water.
Bali is an island famous for being laid-back. People work slowly, and have a tenuous relationship with time-keeping at best. This all changes when it comes to rice! When it is planting time, the air is electrified with determination, and everyone comes together to work in the fields and make sure that Bali gets set up for yet another successful rice harvest. The usual relaxed pace is replaced with speed that seems almost impossible. An entire crop can be put into the ground in just a few hours. Planting involves taking shoots that have been cultured in ‘baby beds’, and ‘sticking’ them in the mud.
