Lazy days

Dedicated to Jaime Rose... I'm sorry it's not more enthralling!

Well the last three days around Ubud have been rather lazy and pretty perfect really... Jen and I missed meeting back up on Sunday before she had to go back to her Eco- lodge (something that happens here without the convenience of cell phones), so headed to the juice bar for another fruity drink. Ran into Kimberly there and ended up spending a large portion of the day poolside at her homestay. Walked around later and showed her the free yoga place I found tucked behind the monkey sanctuary. We went to dinner and then snuggled onto her bed to watch a chick flick she had picked up. Used her computer for a very sketchy video chat with Andy in china and then headed home to bed at the absurd hour of 10:30pm... Latest yet!

Yesterday I woke up to swollen glands and achey muscles. Downed a bunch of emergenC and vitamins and was determined to kick this thing before it got out of hand. Chugged a carrot apple ginger juice, got some lunch, went back home and just straight chilled. Met back up with Kimberly and took the same walk down to the yoga place for a class. Quick background: When I first found this place, I went in and talked to one of the guys who told me that all the yoga was off until the holiday was over. He told me to come back on Monday and join that class. When I looked later, I saw that Monday is senior's yoga. 'Well', we figured, 'I'm sure it's fine since he invited us, right? we'll just go and see what happens.' We were the first ones to come in, roll out our mats and wait for the class. A couple minutes later, there was a mob of elders walking in... I mean like 50-60 old Balinese people just waltzing in with their toothless smiles and yoga clothes on. We were blown away! We quickly gave up our mats to those around us and excused ourselves from the floor and continued to watch them float in. A few came over and talked to us and were just the most wholesome people- we didn't need to understand them to realize that. The two instructors finally arrived... We explained our situation and they invited us to stay if we like (apparently this was a small class today because oolong is this weekend) but we really felt bad cramping the elders scene. Emma, the British instructor, told us she would do a class for us tomorrow with two others that inquired about the class. We thanked them both and were on our way. Grabbed a quick dinner after that and then home where I was out before 9 with the help of some sleeping pills.

Today, got up, ate some breakfast, downed more emergenC and finally got some motivation to grab my yoga clothes and head towards Kimberly's. We were both a bit hesitant about yoga today as I was still not feeling well and it had just stopped raining, but motivated eachother to get our shit together and go. Found Emma and figured out that the other couple bailed so it was just Kimberly and I with this amazing yoga teacher. We practiced for probably an hour and a half and then she showed us around the compound. This whole establishment was gorgeous. Started by an American woman who studied eastern medicine and taught children how to do yoga after the tsunami in India, this place gives children a free place to do yoga 4 days/week. The elders get it on Monday and then it's open classes the rest of the week. Complete with 4 sacred cows, a veggie, fruit and flowers-for-ceremonies garden and a luxurious bungalow style house and pool, this American woman lives here the majority of the time and wants to rent the house out to visitors to help fund the whole organization the rest of the time. It really is a fantastic facility and organization.

After yoga and a lunch of amazing gado-gado, took a trip down to the market. I have been wanting to try some of these odd looking fruits I have been seeing everywhere, and also have been feeling bad that I haven't gotten gifts for anyone back home. Yea well I'm sorry to all of you back home, but you are probably not getting anything from Bali. You all are aware of how much I hate shopping, right? I spite it... Really. Well imagine shopping in a crowded, hot maze of a market where you get grabbed and asked a gazillion different questions. I learned how to haggle pretty quickly after the fruit lady ripped me off and I found out I'm actually quite good at it as I would just get frustrated and walk away (this is where they give in and accept your price and yell and run and follow you when you don't stop). Plus I wasn't sure to get anyone when I had to choose between huge metal and wood carved buddahs, bintang (the local beer) tshirts and koosies, butterfly kites and phallic bottle openers. Sorry y'all! So yes, in conclusion, I walked away with a mango, a passionfruit, a wierd purple ball with this sweet clear fruit in the middle, a strawberry shaped fruit with a snakeskin outside and a purse/bag that will serve as a better everyday bag for me than this bulky thing I'm carrying around. More pool time, dinner at the same place we ate lunch at (so amazing and cheap!) and dessert and wifi now at the juice bar. Just said my farewells to Kimberly as she leaves for the Gili Islands tomorrow, and trying to decide how I will spend my last whole day in Ubud.

That's all I got. I'm sorry it's not more entertaining but it has been perfect. It's kinda like being on summer vacation again in your home town. I know my way around, have no real commitment to life, run into people I know every now and again and have even gotten to the point where a few of the transport guys just say hello to me instead of "taxi? no, how bout tomorrow?" It's the little things like that... Ya know?

Other random, recent observations and thoughts:

I am pretty sure there is no weather guy on this entire island... Everytime I check the weather it tells me a high around 88 and a low around 77. The current weather, the week long forecast, the 10 day- all the same. But it has rained the last 3 nights and today it even lasted into the morning??? If any American weatherman is out of a job, I'm pretty sure there is an opening here! Also, when I do check the weather, I always look up Tahoe, Boulder, Austin, and Seattle and I am so happy (and a bit envious!) to see the snow falling consistantly in CO and Tahoe... Enjoy it guys and gals!

For you JAIME: I have decided to confirm with Felix for the month of Jan. I will be volunteering in Cambodia for a month with the Cambodian Children's Painting Project. It's an amazing program and I am excited that Jaime has put me in touch with them.

If you want to check out CCPP more:

http://www.letuscreatecambodia.org/Welcome.html

That's it! All my love!