Archive for December 21st, 2006
Bali has incorporated ideas from all over the world into something called ‘Bali Style’ That goes for interior design and gardens, but in a way, Bali is a melting pot for other ideas, such a food. One of those imported ideas is the lassi, from India. A lassi is a drink made with water, yoghurt, honey and fruit. It is blended and served in a glass. My favourites are banana lassi and mango lassi. The consistency is rather like a thin milkshake, (only more healthy) and they can really hold you over till the next meal.
Mango season is October onwards pretty much, so you can’t order a mango lassi is July. Today at lunchtime, Warung Max served up some okay lassies, which we enjoyed, kids love them too.
Just as the Wikipedia article says, there is a version called a bhang lassi, which is served in India, the origin of the drink. I’ve had one or 2 and they definitely live up to the billing. Not found in Bali alas. One place I like to go for a cheap and good lassi, is Bamboo Corner, on Poppies I. Last time I went they cost 7,000rp.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Phones in Bali are super easy. You buy a SIM card at one of the many places selling it, and together with some units of ‘pulsa’ (credit, available in 25,000rp, 50,000rp, 100,000rp blocks) can be in action fast. That is of course, if you are able to register your phone. I bought my new SIM cards for the 2 spare phones my friends from Oregon have, from the booth outside Bintang supermarket. The attendent told me I had to register and could not use the phone until that time. Last night at a Thai food place on Jl. Padma, my sister in-law Ningrum, told me I can use the phone, but have 3 days to register it, otherwise I’ll lose the number. She has managed to register one of the phones, the other has some problem with it.
Anyway, having a local friend who is savvy really helps. Ningrum is a trip. She works as a receptionist at a healing center 6 days a week, earning good money. I told Ollie from Oregon (sounds like some kind of Forrest Gump), that Ningrum is an expert in consumer products, especially cell phones and motorbikes. Ask her about the economy, world affairs, or sports and she won’t have clue. Reciting the specs on Nokia’s whole range, no worries. How many miles you get per liter, on any Honda motorbike, easy. Info on cost, reliability and financing, also possible. I took the opportunity to quiz her on new Honda’s, and she told me one of the latest bikes has a micro processor, like the cars, that tracks some of the vehicles data for a mechanic. She reckons Honda’s have the best reliability over Suzuki and other brands and also the best mileagle. She told me she didn’t think Tiger’s (200CC) stood up to the pounding of potholes very well. Anyway I’ll pick up the cell phone today and somebody will be able to contact me easier.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
My situation right now in Bali, is having friends visit, who like hving me show them around. I like exploring Bali and feel lucky to be here, but showing people around is exhausting. My 2 days with my friends included a day at a scorching hot beach, followed by a hot, dusty trawl through Legian and Kuta, looking for the cheapest deal on AC rooms. It occurs to me, that group dynamics is an endlessly fascinating subject.
Â
When you travel, the number of people you go with, will have a huge impact on your trip. The fewer people means more mobility, the greater number means the harder it will be to get anything done, whether it be going out for a meal of exploring. I said to Toby this evening, its a shame we can’t just jump on my motorbike, and go traveling.
In our group there are 4 adults and 1 kid. Two of us have major commitments. Toby takes care of his daughter Maya, 24/7. If she needs a nap, everything stops. I have my website and need to get online, meaning there is a stress to type stuff and get to an internet cafe, after doing all the stuff in the day.
Tonight we were talking about how we could maximize our time. Maya is awake usually during daylight hours, meaning 6am-6.30pm in Bali, after that its lights out. For me these big sessions in the sun and heat, mean a nap at 4pm, followed by waking up like a dead body, and getting into my work sometime later.
Tommorow we’re going to Ubud, which has plenty of guest houses, places to eat and internet access, some of it even useable. I hope to show my friends around a bit, take a dip in the river, learn more about the challenges of family travel (I have a family, but for some reason for us its easy) and manage to keep pumping out content, for all the info hungry Baliblog readers. Yeeah!!!
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006
Bali Nine member Martin Stevens, plans to marry the lady who bring him breakfast in bed. That might be stetching it a bit far, but its definitely breakfast in jail. I don’t blame him, hell if I was on death row in a foreign country, I’d probably marry Mal Meninga (Brian Bosworth for you Yanks) if he brought me breakfast everyday. You’re never going to to be alone with them anyway, so who cares?
Steven’s girl is a 31 year old former Muslim from Java, who converted to Christianity. So looking at the situation objectively, we have a couple of very needy people, who take comfort in unrealistic salvations.
Pro’s for him: Free breakfast…for a long time
Con’s for him: She might run into a nag and there’s no escape
Pro’s for her: Aussie passport. Aussie relo’s. Access to the prison ‘breakfast market’.
Con’s for her: No free lunch, she’s got to make him lunch. Of all the Aussies who visit Bali, this one really isn’t ‘going anywhere’.
Good luck to both of them.
source : www.baliblog.com
December 21st, 2006