2016
Toni Tour Guide rides again
28 September 2016
tNow back in Ubud from another extraordinary trip on the Ombak Putih- Flores to Ambon with Ian Burnet - but those are tales for another "book". Already written in a screed of emails just sent off on my return to "wi-fi land". Sia and Jon are back in the US after a few more days with us in Ubud. Staying on here until the festival starts in a couple of weeks
The thing about being on dry land after a sea voyage, when you wake up you are still in the same place. No new moorage at the foot of a volcano or on the fringe of a coral atoll. Instead, same fields, same grasshoppers, to paraphrase the Indonesian proverb. Mind you, they are lovely fields and grasshoppers here in Ubud.
Hanging here with Josh, Jazz and Rama, watching the rice grow. The new planting, the day before I arrived back, will be well on the way to harvest before I leave at the beginning of November.
The thing about being on dry land after a sea voyage, when you wake up you are still in the same place. No new moorage at the foot of a volcano or on the fringe of a coral atoll. Instead, same fields, same grasshoppers, to paraphrase the Indonesian proverb. Mind you, they are lovely fields and grasshoppers here in Ubud.
Hanging here with Josh, Jazz and Rama, watching the rice grow. The new planting, the day before I arrived back, will be well on the way to harvest before I leave at the beginning of November.
Alas, our regular pool for lap swimming is out of commission so can only use our own little pool for exercises and cooling off.
Made the school run with Josh and Jazz the other day and met her new Grade 5 teacher, Pak Josh, newly arrived from Australia with his family where their last posting was six years on Groote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Jazz is thriving on having a male teacher again as she did when she was at Paddington School two years ago. He seems a wonderfully relaxed Aussie bloke - believes in minimal homework only, which pleases Jazz no end. And he has the same name as her dad!
Interesting people drop in to see us! A couple of days ago it was Scottie, a lad Josh' s age, whom I have seen from time to time over the years at Petra's. He was bringing Rama over to stay with us for a few days. We were regaled for hours with tales of his recent doings and views on life. Always a handsome devil, he took umbrage at someone recently calling him an 'ageing playboy'. The thing is, he is an ageing playboy, a very charming one. With his parentage - Malaysian Tamil father and Swedish NZ mother - he has the looks and international charm to score women and is very reluctant to give up the lifestyle. His brother back in Australia has just had twin daughters and Scottie is beginning to get clucky! But his way of "finding a wife" he tells us, is first to make pots of money and then use it to wine and dine - and no doubt bed - a hundred women until he finds the life partner to suit his idiosyncratic lifestyle and personality. Good luck Scottie. I am sure the candidates will be lining up.
Later in the day we all trooped over to the private badminton court across the road. An amazing bamboo structure of great elegance. Dave, Josh's mate, got permission from his Danish neighbour, the owner, to use it. Dave and his Javanese wife won every game, but Josh and Rama, with Jasmin on the back lines, put up a good fight. Much exercise was had by all - except for me watching from the sidelines.
Made the school run with Josh and Jazz the other day and met her new Grade 5 teacher, Pak Josh, newly arrived from Australia with his family where their last posting was six years on Groote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Jazz is thriving on having a male teacher again as she did when she was at Paddington School two years ago. He seems a wonderfully relaxed Aussie bloke - believes in minimal homework only, which pleases Jazz no end. And he has the same name as her dad!
Interesting people drop in to see us! A couple of days ago it was Scottie, a lad Josh' s age, whom I have seen from time to time over the years at Petra's. He was bringing Rama over to stay with us for a few days. We were regaled for hours with tales of his recent doings and views on life. Always a handsome devil, he took umbrage at someone recently calling him an 'ageing playboy'. The thing is, he is an ageing playboy, a very charming one. With his parentage - Malaysian Tamil father and Swedish NZ mother - he has the looks and international charm to score women and is very reluctant to give up the lifestyle. His brother back in Australia has just had twin daughters and Scottie is beginning to get clucky! But his way of "finding a wife" he tells us, is first to make pots of money and then use it to wine and dine - and no doubt bed - a hundred women until he finds the life partner to suit his idiosyncratic lifestyle and personality. Good luck Scottie. I am sure the candidates will be lining up.
Later in the day we all trooped over to the private badminton court across the road. An amazing bamboo structure of great elegance. Dave, Josh's mate, got permission from his Danish neighbour, the owner, to use it. Dave and his Javanese wife won every game, but Josh and Rama, with Jasmin on the back lines, put up a good fight. Much exercise was had by all - except for me watching from the sidelines.
Last night Yudé, a trainee guide from the recent Ombak Putih trip, had a music gig at Bar Luna, downstairs at Casa Luna. The four of us doubled the audience when we arrived, but more people were coming throughout the evening. Yude's own little instrument that he makes, a 'udelele', a small ukulele type guitar, has a powerful sound. Besides his great singing he was accompanied at various times by mates playing electric guitar, a skin drum, a box drum, but most amazing of all an electric cello played by a Venezuelan. Just an attractive frame with strings - and a backing rhythm he records himself before picking up the bow. We did not get to stay for the whole gig, but we all loved the music, except for Jasmin who was not in the mood to be dragged out for the evening so was determined not to enjoy herself.
So while life in Ubud is very different from the recent Ombak Putih adventure, it manages to throw up some entertaining moments.