Saturday, May 21, 2016

Friday May 20, Saturday May 21, Sunday May 22 – Updating Blog and Gratitude


We have spent the time since Laura left relaxing. I have been furiously writing to update my blog and now it is updated, and I have almost fulfilled my “reporting” responsibilities to my friends!!  On Saturday Ray went to meet a chap about buying real estate. Bali would be a lovely place to spend 3 months out of our cold winters! But we are not seriously thinking of buying!!! It was more to try and understand the ownership structure as non-residents can’t own land. Our thoughts were confirmed: it would be a mine field!!




Now Ray and I are on our own, and celebrating our last few days in Bali. It has been amazing! We are filled with gratitude to have been able to stay here this long, have our friends visit, and experience so much of the island. We have enjoyed the beautiful villa complete with geckos; the intellectual capacity of the owners – the books, the London Review, the Economist and the artistic attention to detail with all garden and house ornaments; the warm, friendly personality of the Balinese people and their beautiful wide open smiles; the Balinese culture with its healthy mixture of each of Hindu, Buddhism, and Animism; the Balinese countryside – the rice fields, the mountains, and the lakes; the spirituality of our favourite temples Gunung Kawi, Tirta Empul, Pura Ulun Danu Beratan di Dataran , Puru Taman Ayun,  Pura Luhur Batukau, and Pura Luhur Uluwatu; the colourful and expressive traditional Legong and Barong dancing; yoga classes; the cheeky monkeys; the butterflies and orchids in the garden at the villa; our Ubud rice field walks, and so much more including the warmth and the ability to go anywhere, any time and not have to think about a sweater, just to have the warm air brushing over my skin!

People ask if we are ready to come home: that is a difficult question. We won’t miss the constant exhaust fumes, smoke from the rice field fires, and smelly bathrooms!! And it is certainly more noisy here than Squamish or Uxbridge. Yes, we are dying to see Alanna and Dan, and our friends, and most of all holding Alanna and giving her a big, big hug and resuming our “girls nights” and our chats. I am looking forward to finding something through which I can make a “contribution” to society, and to finding some routine in life – i.e. getting back to exercising regularly; life can be a little “shallow” here, and I am looking forward to having more depth; Ray is looking forward to a golf game. Maybe we are both missing the feeling of “settlement” but I think that both of us will feel a wistfulness about leaving.

And….we are looking forward to our 3 days in Hong Kong with our friends Catherine and Jamie!  Then home!




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