Busy in Bali!

The past week has been incredibly busy, as always, in Bali. Studying Indonesian and many interesting lecturers aside, I've been on quite the adventure this past week. On Friday, I finished my first batik piece, which is really exciting! Later we went to free community yoga and had dinner at a fair trade, organic restaraunt called Kafe.

The next morning, we left at 4 am for Amed, a beach city on the coast, and were fortunate to get there just in time to watch the sunrise on the beach. After chit chatting with some Balinese on the beach, we decided to walk around a bit early on. I found a really nice eco-dive shop and decided to check out the prices and dives. Fortunately, there was a dive going to the Liberty wreck (in 1963, this USA tanker was pushed into the sea but the eruption from Mt. Agung and is now one of Bali's most popular dive sites). I went on two dives, and equipment, travel, dive guide, and lunch were all included...for $54!!!! It was SO amazing! I was down 26 meters (the deepest I've ever dove) for 51 minutes and the second dive at 19 meters for 55 minutes. We saw TONS of colorful fish, and was able to swim in and out of the wreck. We also saw eels, sea urchins and really cool coral. Unfortunately, the visibility wasn't completely ideal, but it's the rainy season, and it was still amazing. The other girls came with and went snorkeling.

Later we got a ride to the base of a mountain not too far away and hiked up to the middle temple of Pura Lempuyang. After about 2 km of hiking, we finally made it to the 1,700 stair climb to the temple. It was raining pretty heavily and getting dark, but we eventually made it to the temple we were going to stay at. After watching the sunset and praying, we set up camp in a small bamboo structure and all cuddled to stay warm, yes nights in Bali on mountains are a bit chilly. We wrapped up tight in our sarongs and slept alright. Around 9 p.m., we were woken up by a group of young people who came to the temple to meditate and chant/make offerings. It was a really great experience to hear the rituals after sunset. The next morning, we watched the sunrise, packed up, and as we were praying, we turned around and a priest that we'd seen on the way down the day before was standing there. He was very nice and hiked the rest of the way with us to the temple on the top of the mountain which was only about 15 minutes further, who knew? When we got there, we were the only ones and could see a gorgeous view of Bali (rice paddies, ocean, beach, rivers, villages, and jungle). He invited us to meditate in front of a shrine in the temple, so we all sat down, closed our eyes, and a few minutes later, we smelled incense and heard him chanting in a low, quiet voice. He sang/rang a bell for awhile and then told us to take a flower from the offerings he'd prepared for us, hold it in next to our foreheads in a prayer position and then put it on our heads. He chanted, then we put two flowers behind our ears; he chanted, and we threw one flower on the ground. Then he came around and splashed us with holy water, and we made cups with our hands and drank the water three times, then washed our heads with it three times. Later he took sticky rice and put it on our foreheads, temples, and necks. We all sat with our thoughts for another 20 minutes or so before hiking back down. The priest chanted in Indonesian, but we caught phrases, and he said a special prayer for the students from America. It was amazing. When we hiked down we saw TONS of people in their traditional clothing, so we just happened to miss the crowd. Later we got a ride to Padangbay, another white sand beach town, had lunch, and decided we wanted to be by a pool instead of being all sandy, so we went to Candi Dasa and hung out at a nice hotel that our friend's parents were staying at. It was a great way to end the weekend. I had a lot of homework to do though and literally fell asleep with my clothes/light on I was so tired.

On Monday we had speakers on traditional healing (Balian) and public health, in addition to Bahasa Indonesian. Afterwards we went into Ubud and took a friend to get ice cream for her birthday. Later on, I had more treats from my Ibu and worked on some homework/played cards with my friends. On Tuesday, we had Indonesian tutorials, lunch, and then I headed into Ubud to start my second batik piece. After working for several hours, I went home to visit with my family. It was Tilem (new moon), so there were a lot of ceremonies being performed at my family compound's temple, and....a feast. I ate so much I was about to burst, and then had some Balinese cake. The food here is absolutely delicious, so I am not complaining.

After Bahasa Indonesian on Wednesday, the group headed to our Academic Directors' house for a lecture on Balinese history and lunch. Later we went to Denpasar for the beginning of our educational excursion. We were completely spoiled at our hotel with hot water, a pool, and tv (Mulan and Hocus Pocus were on...very exciting!) Later we went to a nice restaraunt for dinner with the dean of Udayana University in Denpasar. The next morning, we had Indonesian, then a speaker on women in Bali, which was incredibly interesting. For lunch, we had Pizza Hut (Fish and Chips pizza, veggie pizza, and meat lovers with bologna). It was definitely a treat. Later we had a speaker on the Balinese language and met with a group of Balinese students from the English department at Udayana University. It was like speed-dating. Our director would stand up and clap her hands when it was time to switch partners, but it was a lot of fun! They were all very interesting, and it was a good experience to practice both Indonesian and English with each other. Later, we went back to the hotel for a rest. Because my camera was broken, I had to buy a new one, but am very happy to be taking pictures again! For dinner, we went to another nice restaraunt and later visited the school our language teacher teaches English at and met with 30 students in a similar manner as before. It was definitely a good experience. After that, we visited a 24 hour market in Denpasar to experience the "real night life of Bali," as our director would call it. We had jackfruit, black rice pudding, and a fruit that looks like an artichoke, mmm! On Friday, we had speakers on traditional healing and Balinese rituals, and later went to Sanur for lunch and to check into our hotel. Sanur is a city on the coast with a pretty white sand beach protected by a reef. We spent the evening relaxing by the pool, but later on a friend of mine sprained her ankle really bad and we made a trip to the hospital in Denpasar at 2 am! She is alright now, and the hospital staff was very kind.

Today, we are going to go to southern Bali to Uluwatu and a nearby beach called Padong Padong. I'm really looking forward to it! I hope all is well back home, and as always, please keep writing to let me know how life is in Minnesota and abroad.

Kristal

One Whirlwind of a Week

Everyday in Bali seems to get busier and busier, but I absolutely love it! Last Wednesday night, a group of us went to see a Kecak dance, which consists of over 100 performers. A large group of men wearing black and white checkered sarongs form a circle and provide a beat during the entire performance. The beginning was a dance with several people telling a story about a monkey, deer, and other things we weren't really sure of. The costumes were incredibly intricate, as were the masks/dances. After the story, we saw two trance dances. One with two little girls, I'd guess less than 12, that danced with their eyes closed the entire time while a group of women sang behind them. In the second trance dance, a man in a horse costume kicked flaming coals around in bare feet! It was really interesting. after getting caught in the rain and going to a free trade, organic cafe called kafe for dinner, we went home.

On Thursday, we had Bahasa Indonesian, and then went to visit a topeng maskmaker, which was beyond gorgeous. Maskmaking is a really intricate process. From a block of wood (in between hard and soft, so it is easy to carve, but very strong). The make uses an ax to cut to the exact width, lenth, and depth of the mask. Next he uses a carved tool etch out the approximate design. After that, he smooths the entire thing, while holding it with his feet. After sanding, he applies appx 40-50 layers of paint to emphasize the color. The masks are used in traditional dances/ceremonies. The maskmaker we visited in incredibly famous throughout Bali, so we were really lucky.

Later we made Balinese offerings by weaving leaves, holding them together with toothpicks and adding flowers. Afterwards, we visited a dalong (performer) of Wayan Kulit (shadow puppet theater). He, in essence, is the same rank as a Balinese priest, because his performances can purify those that watch. He speaks high, mid, and low Balinese for the many different characters. While there, we saw hundreds of different puppets, all of which he has different voices for, and the musical instruments used. He didn't speak any English, however, so we had Ari translate.

On Friday, we had a Bahasa Indonesian quiz and then visited a nearby museum with hundreds of ancient Balinese artifacts. After that, the group went into Ubud to see one of the only women's art galleries in Asia. We met with the founder, had a tour, and had the opportunity to ask a lot of different questions. It was fascinating. Later we were treated to lunch at a fancy restaraunt named Nomad and definitely had our fill of good food. As soon as we got back to Bedulu, we quick packed and were on the road to southern Bali to the beach city Semanyak. We spent the weekend on the beach, learning to surf, and hanging out for my friend's birthday. It was fun, but was overrun by tourists. Most of Bali that we see is pretty well preserved from tourism, so seeing more Australians than Indonesians was strange.

On Sunday, we made the trip home, and I spent some quality time with my family. My Bapak taught me how to play gamelan music, and my Ibu taught me how to dance. A.) I am not very good and B.) I found out that she'd been a dancer for 30 years! I also had over four hours of homework to do, ugh.

Monday was a pretty laid back, but long day. We had BI, then a lecture from the dean of the University of Udayana on archaeology, and after lunch, went to the famous Neka art museum in Ubud for a tour from the curator. We saw a lot of famous pieces, and we were really fortunate to have such a knowledgeable guide. After bathing, dinner, spending time with my family, and playing Rummy 500, I was exhausted.

Yesterday, we had class, and then I was able to take a ceramic lesson from a local teacher. We started by sifting special soil until it was very fine. After adding water, we kneaded it until it was very dougy and broke it up into chunks. Next I put the mixture onto a hand wheel, and with the help of my teacher, I made almost 20 pieces (bowls, plates, and star/heart/flower containers). It was awesome! After dinner last night a couple of us went into Ubud to listen to both Gamelan and Reggae music, it was a blast.

Today I had a BI tutorial and have since been in Ubud taking Batik lessons. Batik is essentially cloth designed with wax and dye. It is a really intricate and time consuming project, but is very interesting and fun. I worked on mine for about four hours today and am no where close to being finished! I will hopefully go back soon to work on it.

I am going to do my best to update my blog every Wednesday, so please keep looking for posts! Thanks and please email me at kdsawatzke@gmail.com to let me know how you're doing!

Kristal
Anak Agung Mirah
(the Balinese name my Ibu gave me. Mirah in Indonesian means Ruby...and she had no idea how important that name (of my great grandma) is to me and my family!!

Saya sudah tinggal di Bali selama kira-kira dua minggu! (I've already been in Bali for about two weeks!)

Selamat Pagi-

I apologize in advance for the length of this first post, but I will do my best to be brief. I have spent about two weeks in Bali and have had more adventures than I ever thought possible. After a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong and a 5 hour connecting flight to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, I caught the first glimpse of the paradise I was to be living in for almost four months.

Our orientation period was spent in a small village in the SE of Bali...in a palace! The nine students, myself included, and our academic directors were fortunate enough to live with a royal family for the beginning of our study abroad experience. Balinese architecture is fascinating. Family compounds are scattered all throughout villages and include several buildings including a temple, kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms.

While in Kerambitan, we studied Bahasa Indonesian for five hours a day in order to prepare for the upcoming months. After only a few days of speaking the language, we were dropped off one by one in neighboring villages, of which we had no idea existed. The goal of the exercise was the use what Indonesian we could muster up and interact with the people. I met a very nice family who owned a warung (sm. convenient store) and took an hour out of their day to listen to this mumbling American mahasiswa (university student). It was an amazing experience!

In addition, we were INCREDIBLY fortunate to be staying at the palace during a royal wedding! We attended and saw many processions, rituals, and dances throughout the week. In order to do so, we needed to wear pakian adat (traditional clothing) which we purchased by bargaining the the nearby market. I paid $10 for a lacy top, sarong, sash, and corset (yes, all the women wear them). It was BEYOND amazing! We also found some time to visit/have class on the nearby black sand beach...gorgeous. Nearing the end of orientation, we visited the temple on the rock, Tanah Lot, for coconut drinks and sunset. Not a bad way to end the week!

After many hours of classes and preparation for Bedulu (the village I currently live in), we broke off into small groups and had to find bemos (public transportation vans) to the village. After a few hours, we made it safe and sound and met our host families, but had to say a speech in Indonesian in front of everyone first! In my compound, there are four different families living there, but my immediate family consists of my Ibu (mother) Agung Putri, Bapak (father), Laki-Laki (brother-Gide), Ipar Perempuan (sister-in law), and their children, a girl age 5, and a boy age 3. I have my own room and am only 10 minutes away from the program center where we take classes. Everyone in Bali is expected to bathe (mandi) twice a day, and in my family, this is done by a full basin of cold water and a cup to pour; my bathroom also has a squatter.

To say that I have been overfed in Bali is the understatement of the century! Lagi lagi..silahken lagi (more, more, please more). This is especially true at my homestay. For instance, my first breakfast consisted of nasi (rice), ayum (chicken), sayur (veggies), talur (egg), pisang (bananas), rambutan (amazing fruit), tempeh, water, coffee, and Balinese cake....for breakfast! I love the food here. We eat rice with every meal, and it is a tad spicy, cooked in oil/fried, but delicious. Interestingly, my family makes all the food in the morning and lets it sit out all day, eating it when they are hungry. Needless to say, I am developing a strong stomach.

The Balinese are by far the most friendly group of people I have ever met. I never pass someone without a smile, good morning, and "ke mana" (where are you going)? They are very curious, but so kind. I have been blessed with an incredible host family, and my academic directors, Ari, Pak Tom, Yudi, and my language gurus (teachers) Pak Wayan and Pak Suastra are beyond amazing. Needless to say, I love Bali.

Since arriving in Bedulu, we have visited the nearby expat city of Ubud, which has all the comforts of the western world (internet, ice lattes, bagels, etc.) should we want them, but it also sports a monkey forest and many live performing arts. Yesterday, I must admit, I was a complete tourist and got a massage, facial, manicure, and pedicure for $14, but the group enjoyed it! In addition to classes every morning, the group has also been to Denpasar, had a scavenger hunt in Ubud (for items unknown to us :), attended a lecture at a theater, saw and practiced traditional Balinese dance, went to Pontai (beach) Lebih, visited Go Agaja (elephant cave), and another temple set in the jungle/rice paddies. I also had the opportunity to go fishing on the air laut (ocean) with my host brother a few days ago! We left at 5 a.m., went to a traditional market for food/bait, and went out on the ocean in a boat no wider than me, and saw the sunrise. After over 8 hours, several cups of coffee, and over 100 colorful fish later, we headed back home.

There is no interenet in Bedulu and Kerambitan, so I will do my best to update whenever I come to Ubud. I hope all is well back home, and although I live in paradise, I do miss everyone, especially since I am an auntie today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Happy Birthday baby and congrats Turner and Chelsey!) That being said, please feel free to email me at kdsawatzke@gmail.com whenever you have a spare moment....even if it's to tell me that my dog is getting fat or it's cold in MN.

Needless to say, this is only a VERY small list of everything we've done so far. I would love to elaborate on details, but fear that my life in Bali would soon turn into a novel. Essentially, I am constantly surrounded by gorgeous, serene landscape, enjoy mid-80 degree weather, and have the opportunity to experience an increddibly rich and diverse culture...everyday.

Sumpai Jumpa,

Kristal