Bangkok again, Bali agaiin...

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Trip Start Jan 20, 2008 Previous
Entry Trip End ??? ??, 2010

  Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Sunday, September 14, 2008

Hello everyone! I'm alive and well, pretty well anyways. My time hasn't really been so great since ingrid and i departed, but that was to be expected. I was running mad in Thailand, trying to find vendors and cargo reps, visiting permaculture sites, etc all over about four days time. The unknowns that added to the stress included two 12hr nighttime bus rides and a 15hr 3 flight combo day to Bali, Getting $500 stolen on the second bus trip, almost a complete disaster with paying my vendors and cargo rep, so it would have destroyed everyting i worked on and probably lost my deposits, a moped adventure/nightmare trying to find the permaculture farm while in a downpour at night (shoulda took 30min, took 3hrs) almost ran outa gas and kept having to find more change for a phone booth, which one coin lasted about 30 seconds, so it took about a dozen call backs to get the farmer, Jeff, to understand where i was and come get me), a 13 match 5hr Muay Thai Boxing match where i almost saw my first "man killed right before my eyes" - i really thought he was dead-it took about 3 full minutes to wake him, even after they quickly pulled his limp body from the ring. Now you know why i haven't felt quite ready to blog.

 Since i've come to Bali, it's been a little better. I went to get my moped from Lars and we have some beers over the stories about "grandma" as they amusingly call it. Most are afraid to ride it. The suspension is like an old caddy's, unresponsive with a nice slow bobbing as you hit bumps and the brakes are similar, with the front one being a squealer and the back needing a good slam down from your heel to stop in a timely manner. It's all rusty in all the metal parts, so it's a real eye sore. Lars father visitiing drove it one day, and then asked Lars why all the Balianese stared at him when he was at traffic lights? Balianese love and treat their motorbikes better than they do their own family. They LOVE their family.  He rented a bike the next day. I wish i could ship her back to the states cause she's like a beautiful old dog to me. We went through so much together. oh well.

I also finally got the full ExPat experience the last two nights in Bali. My friend from Maimi, Steffen came into town from Jakarta. He had some clients and friends in town as well. They were older businessmen who come for what most older men come for all over asia...young women. Not my scene, but they were all nice, i didn't pay for a drink or even dinner the whole night.. I had to bail after a while once the hunting really started. I hadn't really been to clubs since my Miami days. I don't miss them. I walked home on the beach to an almost full moon. Absolutely gorgeous. The previous night we went to the most popular one on the beach front road, and ended up meeting up with his real estate agent who was going to show him some property the following day. She had a friend who was having a birthday celebration. They and another guy were drunk and maybe on some thing else. She was a good connection for Steffen, and it was my first time to see him in 9 years. If not i would have bailed on him after about two minutes of those two. The birthday girl said about two sentences to me the whole time, which would have been nice, but she said them alternately about twenty times in a row. "You're so American!", and believe it or not, I don't remember the other one. I was at my maximum capacity for tuning out without being completely rude. It must have been me, cause it looked like Steffen was having normal conversation with the other one, but when birthday left, after crying for about 10 minutes to her friends...maybe i accidently broke the "tuning out without being completely rude" barrier. I don't know. But when she did finally leave, i thought, " Now things will be a little more fun and interesting", but noooooo.  This other gal says to me, " I love your nose." in a starring i want to eat you for dessert kinda way. The compliment was very nice, but also made me a bit uncomfortable. But I said "Thanks", and meant it.Then like the other gal, she kept saying it. And i kept saying, Ahhh, thanks. and other "I'm embarrassed" kind of gestures. But she didn't get the hints I think they both had drug induced Alzhiemers or something. After a while i just looked at her when she said it, but she would just stare back her attempt at a sensual gaze. After about the twentieth time, i finally said to Steffen, " We gotta go!" He asked me to go look at property with him the next day, but i just gave him that look of "Are you kiddin' me?" I guess it does make for good stories though.

Recovering from two pretty late nights with Steffen, I'm looking forward to doing my two favorite activities the rest of my time here, surfing and beach volleyball. I haven't surfed yet and finally played some ball this evening. It's getting pretty exciting thinking about coming home. I can't wait to see you all. It will be very strange without Ingird. Sometimes the best things in life, you must wait for. That is definitely the case here.

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