Archive for November 24th, 2006
There’s no accounting for taste, and very often people wants the exact opposite of what’s around them. This evening while visiting my friend Palu, who has a surfboard shop on Poppies II in Kuta, I chatted with his staff.
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Made is 20, from Amlapura in East Bali. She likes watching movies, traditional Balinese dancing and is a Libra. She told me she wants a foreign boyfriend, as locals aren’t the ticket. I asked Made where the boyfriend should be from and she said, Australia, Ireland, Holland, it doesn’t matter as long as he’s good.
So all you single guys, here’s someone who might appreciate your company. If you want to contact Made, or even ask about surfboards, email : palusurfboards@hotmail.com
Made speaks Englsih, likes a drink and has a fulltime job.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 24th, 2006
One of my favourite holidays is Thanksgiving, and I’m not even a Yank. Thanksgiving occurs on the 4th thursday in November and is a one day holiday.
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Of course this was a clever move by the creators of Thanksgiving. They understood, that after eating and drinking all day thursday, no one is going to work on friday, then there’s the weekend.
As a foreigner in a country of immigrants, its entirely possible to feel part of the show. Taking a day to reflect being in a new place, and enjoying the company of friends, sharing food and drinks in a non-relgious environment, really is cool.
Here in Bali many of us are in a similar position, but there is no Thanksgiving. Maybe Nyepi day is the closest thing we have. During Nyepi, you cannot leave your house for 24 hours, and that forces people to be somewhat reflective.
I know from travelling around the world, that Thanksgiving is the one day, where Americans feel homesick, partly for the relatives and partly for the food.
Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans, from us here at Baliblog
source : www.baliblog.com
November 24th, 2006
One of the best things about coming to Bali is how much you get for your money. This all starts at the Money Changer, when you hand over your stack of dollars / Euros and try to count the monoploy money in front of you.
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At present you can get a guest house room in Kuta for 50,000rp, a pizza for 25,000rp, a small beer at Circle K for 6,500rp.
Here are some foreign currencies and their rupiah value.
1 US Dollar = 9,124.09 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Australian Dollar = 7,053.28 Indonesian Rupiah
1 British Pound = 17,389.9 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Cuban Peso = 410.584 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Euro = 11,751.6 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Japanese Yen = 77.75877 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Kazakhstan Tenge = 74.65670 Indonesian Rupiah
1 Singapore Dollar = 5,863.13 Indonesian Rupiah
1 South-Korean Won = 9.92336 Indonesian Rupiah
Here at Global in Kerobokan you get an hour online for 7,000rp. Just makes you want to jump on a plane and head to Bali!
source : www.baliblog.com
November 24th, 2006
BaliWaves is a surf website that has been around since 1999. They have started doing their bit to help Balinese orphans, so I thought I’d give them a plug.
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A while ago I talked about doing something, to help Balinese orphans, I don’t know whether I’m telepathic, or there are a doxen peope already doing this, but
Baliwaves has started their own thing. Sponsoring a child to get education is a wonderful thing and the
International Humanity Foundation helps to do that. Good on the surf rats for putting that link on their site.
For me I was thinking aout something more local, that did not involve cash money. More like helping foreign teachers come here to volunteer their time, getting experience themselves. Who knows, maybe I should start a neighborhood recycling program. I meet so many foreign guys out here, who are single and who have nothing to do, apart from drink and chase tail. Maybe I should round some up and get them into action. Plenty of things need fixing around here. That’s another can of worms, ‘do we have the right to go around fixing things in another country’?
source : www.baliblog.com
November 24th, 2006
Galungan is the most important ceremony of the year (210 day lunar cycle), for Balinese people. Always on a wednesday, Galungan marks the time when ancestors return to Earth, and are celebrated with ceremony, dance and feasting.
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One of the best things about Galungan for me, is that every house in Bali, will make and erect a penjor (bamboo pole, with hanging offering). Driving around Bali in the days before Galungan, you will see kids and adults, sitting by the side of the road, making their penjor. To a Balinese kid, it must be like a Christmas tree to westerners.
For tourists visiting Bali, the main thing you will notice, apart from the penjors, will be shops / restaurants are closed. Places like Cafe Moka, that need a large staff, made up of almost entirely Balinese people, from villages in different parts of the island, close for 2-3 days. In the Kuta area, many shops and restaurants will be closed. Don’t panic though, you will still be able to find food places, internet cafes and night spots open.
source : www.baliblog.com
November 24th, 2006
