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Saturday, May 29, 2010

Water Lily

We're saying farewell to Bali and Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the all-in-one God that creates and sustains everything on the Island.  We're trying to imprint it's images and music so that we can recreate some of it at home. 

'
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Cotton Fields Bali Style

We were serenaded by the ground staff at Bali's international airport.  The effect was devastating to the boarding process because people stopped, like me, to video and jump in for a final tourist photo.  William couldn't recognize the song.  Grin.
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Waiting in Bali

Good bye Bali
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Friday, May 28, 2010

Feisty Squirrle


YouTube Video

-- Posted from my iPhone
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Shoppers Remorse


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-- Posted from my iPhone
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The morning monitor

The Monitor lizard that begs for food every morning. Feisty thing.

YouTube Video

-- Posted from my iPhone
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Walking on water (Lillies)


YouTube Video

-- Posted from my iPhone
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Sanur Bali










-- Posted from my iPhone
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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Jalan Monke Forest

180 degrees Ubud main shopping area. Road to the monkey forest temple


-- Posted from my iPhone
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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

In a Balinese garden

Last year my friend Will and I went to Bali.  I was remembering our trip when communicating with folk interested in going along this year 2011 in August/September.  I'm excited.  The Center in Kansas City is also marketing the trip and between Santa Rosa and Kansas City (and really anyone who would like to go along) I'm hoping to go back to Bali.
Here are the notes and photos from our trip 2010:

On the way to our Eco tour on bicycles we stopped at a coffee making operation..the one where the weasel like creature eats the coffee bean and digests the skin and excretes the bean and then it's roasted into the most expensive coffee of all. I didn't try it.




The gardens use space carefully with a ginger, coffee, ginseng, lemongrass all growing next to each other. It is so fertile that gardeners can just push a bit of root into the ground and it starts to grow.




Massive new fern growth looks like an alien thingy




Bees kept in an open bamboo tube seem perfectly happy to pose for photos





For more information about the 2011 trip, click here

For more posts and photos related to Bali, click here

 

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Sunday, May 23, 2010

A Trip to the Market


-- Posted from my iPhone
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Good Luck

For information about our upcoming trip click here

Note from our 2010 trip:

We had the good fortune to be taken into a temple festival. The final day of the every six months Galangan and Kuningan. We prayed in the main spots of the temple and were distracted from our pilgrammage by a dance enactment of the Mahabharata. It seems to westerner that nothing is going on but indeed all that walking about and posturing IS the dance. Then good luck: a procession interrupted everything bringing what I'd call the Ark of the Covenant equivalent into the middle of everything. Incredible. No photos of it. It didn't seem respectful to film.

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Indonesian Breakfast

Happy Galumgan and Kuningan!



The whole island is celebrating today. Celebrating the victory of virtue over evil. Ten days of celebrating culminates today. This was such an important event in the scheme of things that God Himself came down to earth. Sanghyang Widi, supreme being, God of gods, eternal Presence, and is here today too for the featival. So the temples are packed all day long.

We are going too.

In traditional Balinese temple dress.

Photos?

I think not.
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On the road to Ubud

We pass through the statue carving village.

YouTube Video
-- Posted from my iPhone

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Infinity

William contemplates infinity. He is going to need it. The trip to Ubud later in the afternoon is going to scare him. I know because we just got back and he is huddled in the corner of the room mumbling 'no I don't want a taxi.'




-- Posted from my iPhone
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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Onward

We leave for Ubud today. Saying farewell to our so far favorite gardens.

Hope is not dead. The world seems alive and optimistic. Even in the midst of intense challenges I have found hope, aliveness and optimism.

Talking to people from different countries is mind expanding. Learning to review the things considered urgent at home is waking me up to a larger world view again.

Good morning!



-- Posted from my iPhone
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

On the way...

After breakfast we took a stroll to Sanur Town before the tourists wake up. Ahhh! The merchants aren't yet revved up to sell things. It's cool and humid and we don't even care that the electicity in our room keeps going out. I haven't shaved in days.



Posted from my iPhone
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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Here, put this on it!

My father was like the father in My Big Fat Greek wedding who applied some household cleaner to every cut, sting, bruise and pain. I can't remember my father's version of the Windex used in the movie, but it was the same thing: an unyielding confidence in his secret formula. He was so convincing that from time to time I would find myself recommending to friends the miracle cure of a touch of whatever it was to reduce the swelling, remove the redness, fix it. You'll be OK. Just watch.

William gave me a look today when I embodied my father and his secret potion response. William was mentioning some skin irritation and before he was done speaking I was reaching into my pocket for the ever available-does-all essential oil. I didn't even know which was the lucky bottle about to be recommended, yet I knew that it would definitely meet William's need.

William just looked at me and I found it difficult not to chuckle. I had done this before with an ointment from my youth, maybe it was the one my dad loved, recommending it for everything. It got to the point where William would tease me relentlessly "its also amazing as a spaghetti SAUCE!!!"

By the way you can cook with essential oil you know. Just saying.

I like seeing the world through rose scented filters. I love the confidence of those cure touting mothers and fathers "here put this on. I've got something that will help everything."

I know its not the oil or the ointment. Its what my father had and he gave to me like my grandmother gave it to us and I give it away when I can.

It's everywhere this unsupportable hopefulness: when you are down and troubled. All those who are heavy laden. When you walk through a storm. If we hold on together.

Nothings gonna harm you. I will be there. I will give you rest. You'll not walk alone. I know our dreams will never die? Not while I'm around.

Frankincense and Lavender were in my pocket. Together, why they are literraly infallible. Just one drop of each on the spot that's ailing you and .....everything will be ok.

All is well. All is exceedingly well. And all is well.



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Three degrees south of the e

Rerouted through singapor we spend seven hours in it's airport -it has a sunflower rooftop garden. 3 degrees south of the equator makes some hot sun. We may have to go back inside to the endless miles of mall-airport - designer labels, names, names, names.

-- Posted from my iPhone





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Monday, May 17, 2010

Please Read the Instructions

Hundreds of people asleep on the floors or in chairs carefully designed to prevent sleeping.

I have an inflatable neck pillow for just such times. I am squished under an arm rest at the waist with my head dangling over the end of one of the three seats I'm hogging. William thinks I haven't understood the instructions on my blow up pillow. He says it's backwards. I'm in no mood to explain the clear advantage I have discovered using it this way.

Cathay Pacific boarding process is starting. It seems to be just like every other time. "please remain seated" is followed by a determined rush of standings!!! "Let me on first, let me on!"

"I am not like them," I tell myself.

'We are one' trickles into my now-drunk-from-too-tired mind - so I practice: 'where do I ignor instructions when I want preferential treatment?'




Four hours late. Definitely will miss my connecting flight. The ground staff continue to be firm and curteous, "a lovely hotel in Hong Kong, maybe" - they say. I dint ask "lovelier than Bali?" I am not in my body. I do ask myself, "Where am I firm and curteous when people ask me question intending to convey their disappointment?"

I can "see" the ground staff now. They are tired too now. Also with the crew it's the same. They are late too now. They still have 14 hours ahead. I want them to care about my vacation, but I don't yet care about them. They are faultless in their curtesy albeit that they cannot hide the effort.

Maybe they would enjoy it if I shut up.

Oh my g-- I'm going to Hong Kong with my pal William, and then to Bali and and and..... I should have read the instructions first. Eh?

In coach treasured await: power outlets in every chair!!!!!





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Jade - the resplendent stone




What shall we do for three hours? Ah. Look. An airport display. One am in sfo. Two more hours to go. Nobody seems to want to be here. Everyone seems to want to be somewhere else.

Most of the pieces are 1800-1900's ish. Delicate, intricate. Birds and vases. Incense burners and wrist rests (to help steady the scribe hand). Green jade. White jade. Purple and brownish.

Still two more hours to go.




Location:Robert Pl,Millbrae,United States

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Delayed

Edward and William chomping down a garden burger and onion rings with a "we are delayed three hours and you're going to miss your connecting flight to paradise coupon" from Cathay Pacific.


Don't worry, they say. We might put you up in a lovely hotel in Hong Kong. They are trying to be charming. I'm trying to practice what I preached today. It's all very trying.


Hong Kong!


I like Hong Kong but it's not Bali.


Chris is staying at my home with Andrew. (I love hong kong but it really isn't Bali).


I live and breath and move in a Universe that is for me. This delay is for me. Hk is for me.






 
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Have Facbeook?

Hello! I'm looking for someone to help me maintain the Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa Facebook group page - if you are interested, please contact me. I'm looking for someone who is willing to invest an hour a week (sometimes less) doing very specific tasks. If you are reliable, love the Center, know your wa...y around the web and want to help... I would love to hear from you.

You must have your own Facebook account and it doesn't matter where you're located, long as you can get to the web.  :)

Love,

Edward.
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