Meat and Cheese

Yesterday was a gloomy day. I was struggling with my thesis, with our plans and was faced with that overwhelming 'what's the point?' feeling. And then this morning I wake up and find that we have been given placement in Osaka and start work September 6th. Obviously my anxiety has the power to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

Last night I felt flat and sick. I have been eating so much cheese and cured Italian meats lately. An abnormal amount for a person who lives in an Asian country. When my Mum visited a few weeks ago I asked her to bring some cheese, meaning maybe like a wedge of brie and a block of parmesan. Cheese is very expensive here and I was missing it. She brought 23 kg of cheese. 23 kg. The entire check in baggage allowance was used on cheese, salami, prosciutto, dip and antipasto. We have far, far too much for two people. If we had a case of wine, we could easily open a Northern Italian style Osteria. Instead I have been cooking obscene amounts of cheese and bacon laden pasta dishes.

So last night I really, really felt like a big plate of vegetables. Whilst looking for a new place to live the other day, we came across Bali Buddha- an organic, mostly vegan restaurant and store. It is the only place around here that sells real bread- Indonesia is famous for white square crustless bread that has 'sugar' listed as the second ingredient. They also sell things like raw chocolate tarts, bagels and spirulina cashew balls. All very, very yummy. We went back last night and I had a massive plate of stir fry vegetables, minestrone soup and a green, sludgy detox drink. IT WAS AWESOME. And I immediately felt better.

Today we're back to eating mortadella, salami and goats cheese.

New digs

We have to leave this house in two weeks when the owner comes back and we're going to Nusa Penida- an island full of witch doctors and no tourist infrastructure whatsoever for a couple of weeks and then we don't know what we're doing. I thought we would be leaving mid-July and heading to Japan, but that's been delayed and we have no idea when or where in Japan we're supposed to be working so I think it's easier to stay where it's warmer and cheaper and wait it out.

Yesterday we started looking for somewhere else to live, riding around following leads and calling numbers from message boards. But it's high season and most villas are being leased already or the owners are in town for the summer. There are bungalows and studios and really crappy local houses... we've seen some pretty terrible places and some just okay ones- there are a few options, but nothing... perfect. Nothing as good as where we are now. I would prefer to stay in this area, near the beach, but we do have the option of going back to Ubud where we lived two years ago, up in the mountains on the edge of the cliff.

I feel unsettled and unsure and worried, which is weird because for the past month I have felt more at home than I did in two years of Melbourne living. I hate being in limbo- I wish someone would confirm what's happening in Japan so we can start planning the next year of our lives.

Best massage EVA

I've had a few massages in Bali... but today's was by far the best. I've had lots at the beach, where you lie on a deck chair and they rub the sand into your skin so you get an exfoliating scrub at the same time. Some of them have been okay... the last one was pretty awful. Today I went to a real salon and lay in an airconditioned room and was pummelled and pulled and twisted for an hour for about $15. It was amaaaaaaazing. The guy knew exactly what he was doing- it was just the right amount of pain and pleasure. Because I have arthritis in my feet and all my joints don't work like they're supposed to, I am usually wary of hard, full body massages, but he did it perfectly.

Sigh.

I'm so relaxed right now...

Afterwards I went to the bikini shop next door and bought two new bikinis.



I got both for about AUD$65, they are excellent quality and really good cut. Oh course they look better in real life because I take crappy photos!

There is a bar/ cafe/ motocycle workshop around the corner from our house called Dues Ex Machina- if you are ever near Echo Beach I highly recommend checking it out. There are surfboards, custom motorcycles, an art gallery and the vibe is very Surry Hills (NSW)/ Fitzroy (VIC). Since it's only a short walk away we go there often for dinner, breakfast and coffee. They have amazing sticky sweet garlicky endamame. I LOVE ENDAMAME. I love saying Endamame.


This is a blueberry margarita. It was like alcoholic icecream.


We had to go to Legian to run some errands the other day and ended up having a quick swim at Double Six. I was immediately swarmed by ladies and ended up with a mani, pedi and new bracelets. I got excellent prices for bargaining in Indonesian and had about four people working on me at once.

It's so tacky down there... but tempting. You can get a chair and someone to bring you beer or icecream and waste a whole afternoon.

What I've been doing in Bali

Eating lots of banana pancakes...


and lounging around with buckets of Heieneken. This was taken at Cocoon in Legian.

This is our house in Echo Beach. It is two storey, but only looks like one in this picture. It's very open planned, with big couches, lot of graphic art and a big rain shower. It is five times the size of our apartment in Melbourne and costs the equivalent of one week's rent for a month. Including maid and gardener.


This is the bedroom... with a big stone bath. I sit here in the afternoons and read.

This is the view from the upstairs window... rice paddies.

Last week my mum and brother came for a few days and we headed East to Padangbai- a port town with lots of seafood and boats. We stayed at Bloo Lagoon- an eco resort up on a hill that overlooks the Blue Lagoon beach- a white sand beach with amazing snorkelling. Bloo Lagoon is unlike any hotel I've ever been to- all the villas are opened to the elements with outside bathrooms and limited walls. You literally have a 360 degree view of the ocean.

On the way back to drop Mum at the airport we went to the Ayana Resort to visit the Rock Bar for sunset. I don't have any photos of it, but the website does it justice- a cliff top open air bar with beautiful cocktails, food and music.
http://www.ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/wp/

www.bloolagoon.com