Hello from New Zealand!
It is freezing here right now. Rainy, gray and just plain cold. The van is dripping and soggy and the clouds are covering all the amazing views. But, despite the current weather, I have managed to stay happy and....relatively dry. So far, I have completely enjoyed my time in New Zealand. I feel so free. We have our own transportation and accommodation with us all the time, and our days are open to whatever we want to make of them. For one week, we stayed at an organic farm on the far south end of the island doing work in exchange for food and accommodation. We spent about four hours per day harvesting vegetables and doing odd jobs around the farm. One day we spent nearly the whole time "slug slicing," hunting through the green house on our hands and knees and killing as many slugs as we could find. It was pretty disgusting. I don't care to slug slice ever again. The food at the farm was delicious. Lots of fresh veggies and some of the purplest potatoes I have ever seen. We got to eat beef and pork that was raised on the farm and killed only weeks before we arrived.
In the last week, we left the organic farm we had been doing a work exchange with and headed into the mountains. I immediately realized just how much I have missed being in the mountains! In and around Queenstown the mountains are jagged and dramatic, with sharp, snow capped peaks and shear, rocky slopes. I find myself gaping out of the van window. We stop at every other rest stop to admire the view and snap a few pictures. Enough with the ocean! Just leave me in the mountains!
So as not to pass up any sight seeing or amazing views, Cailin and I decided to take in the landscape in an extreme manner. New Zealand in known for its extreme sports and we could not resist the opportunity to go skydiving. That's right. Skydiving! I have never imagined myself actually doing something as crazy as that, but I did, and I have to say, it was amazing!! I stumbled into the skydiving office only two hours after booking the tickets and watched a good ten minutes of footage of other people jumping out of planes. This, I guess, was supposed to make us feel safe about what we were soon going to be doing. I admired the views as we drove out to the jump site, not really thinking about what was to come. If I was nervous at all though, it quickly wore off over the next two hours as we waited for our turn. The ride up to 12,000 ft in the tiny plane went quickly and before I knew it, I was the first one in line to jump out. Securely strapped to my "tandem master" (a man who has plummeted to the ground from a plane exactly 1,245 times before this) I actually felt pretty safe. I stared up into the blue sky above as I was dangled over the edge of the plane and then smoothly pushed out into the open air.
I wasn't so much scarred as excited. Once my stomach settled back down out of my throat, i gasped at the view below me and the amazing feeling in my body. It didn't feel like falling. The wind was rushing up at me and my eyes were watering despite the goggles, but I felt suspended in the air. It was so exhilarating! Before I knew it, my tandem master had let out the parachute and suddenly we were floating, and the rushing in my head stopped. It was soooo beautiful! I got to enjoy the parachute for a very short 5 minutes before landing safely back on the ground.
The whole, long trip is beginning to wrap itself up. It is hard to believe we have just one week before we return home to the the U.S. I'm full of mixed emotions. I'm looking forward to coming home, seeing everyone again, staying in one place with a hot shower readily available, and the warm weather. But at the same time, its weird to think that the trip is almost over. I feel reluctant to stop traveling, and (of course) there is so much left to see! I can't imagine what kind of changes await me at home and I think I am yet to find out just how much I have changed over the past 6 months. But for now, we set about the task of selling our van. Wish us luck!
See everyone soon soon soon!
Lots of love,
Misra
4.22.2008
In the land of the Kiwi
Hello!
Cailin is back in the writer's saddle again after a prolonged case of the "oh--shoot. what do I write about? ick. I just don't want to write." Misra's done a pretty good job of keepin' y'all informed, though. Now it's my turn.
We've been in New Zealand for about two weeks, now, and I've been enjoying my time here very much. At the moment, I'm at an internet cafe in the town of Takaka at the tip top of the Southern Island in the Golden Bay area where it's just gorgeous! The town reminds me of Boulder--has that free-spirit, creative and friendly feeling to it. People walk around barefoot on the streets and say hello and smile as they pass on the trails. I love it! Such a difference from Indonesia.
A few days ago Mis and I went a bit further north of here to Cape Farewell in search of a good beach to explore. We ended up on a trail to Wharariki Beach which is now one of my most favorite places on the planet. As I walked over the ridge of large dunes covered in flowing sea-grass, I saw the expansive stretch of dark, wet beach at low tide. The strength of the wind took my breath away and caused the loose sand to whip and dance across the entire length of the beach before continuing up and over the dunes. So beautiful. So unbelievably beautiful. I could not stop smiling, clapping and twirling with delight as I walked barefoot, camera in hand, hair whipped away from my face and sharp granules of white sand stinging my legs. The mesmerizing, ever-shifting designs the sands created reminded me of film clips I've seen of snow being blown over vast expanses if ice in the antarctic cold. The whole beach seemed to be moving--like it was alive. There were plenty of caves and tunnels left out to dry by the low tide to explore and, boy--did we explore, but we had the time of our lives just walking into the powerful winds on the beach. Leaning into it, jumping, dancing, kicking up sand and watching it disappear. Experiencing the raw power. In the caves we crawled and laughed and sang--I haven't had so much fun, laughed and smiled so much, in a while.
Here in New Zealand I find myself constantly exclaiming at the beauty of the land every time I look around me. (Ahh. This music playing in the cafe is fung-key. mmm. I like it! anyways...)
Leaving Bali was more difficult than I'd expected it to be and I was sort of pretending that it wasn't happening up to the last hour before I had to go. Like Misra said earlier, I also felt like I was at home in the Ashram--I had a familiar rythem of my days, people I spent time with, working at the clinic.... What really made Bali so hard to leave was the people. The staff at the clinic were so appreciative and sad that Misra and I were moving on. They are such kind-hearted people and their work does so much for the women and families that come into Bumi Sehat. And the volunteers at the Ashram who had become a little family--so love them. They are all such powerful women. With all of my goodbyes, there was the question "You will come back to Bali soon?" to which I would reply " I really don't know--maybe." I have been thoroughly juiced by my time in Bali at the birthing clinic. Just about every birth I was at I would describe as "intense"--many of them had severe complications and some of mothers in labor had to be transported to the hospital because they needed emergency surgery. The energy of the clinic is such an intense one that I could not help but carry some of that intensity into my own life and be tossed and tumbled by it--I love what it did to me. I don't know if I'll ever go back to Bali. It's not clear to me. Bye bye Bali.
Arriving in Christchurch, NZ was a bit rough due to the absence of our beloved backpacks for a whole three days, but we were back on our feet in no time. We are moving freely around the South Island in Delila--our 1989 Toyota Town Ace diesel van with a whole lot of character. We've been partaking in this wonderful way of life the Kiwis dub "freedom camping" where we pretty much pull over anywhere we fancy and spend the night there, no worries. So far, we've found some stunning spots on east coast beaches and enjoy the searching process as well. We live during the daylight and sleep with the sun: just like camping. We've been cooking great meals with the gear which came with Delila--budget, but scrumptious: you know how we cook! Singing because Misra's Ipod's dead...we've been hiking pretty much every single day since leaving Christchurch and it feels GREAT to be out and active! Two night's ago we hiked into a hut in the Abel Tasman National Park Coastal Track and that was really great. Everything is so beautiful, lush and green. In the beginning, Misra and I were definitely experiencing the culture shock with so many white people, the accents, the prices and weather change--BRRR it's COLD here! Also, we're totally diggin' living the free-spirit-come-and-go-wherever-and-whenever-we-please-'cause-we-can life. The night skies are brilliant here and I wish I knew how to play guitar because then I'd really be set. Misra and I are looking forward to experiencing some nice hot-springs, whale watching and some volunteering on an organic farm down south. I hope you are all doing well wherever you may be reading this--sorry I've been a bit out of the picture reporting out on this blog. Time is flying by and I find there's about 3 weeks until we fly home. Take care everyone!
Namaste,
Cheers,
Sampai Jumpa,
Huge hugs,
Love,
Cailin
Cailin is back in the writer's saddle again after a prolonged case of the "oh--shoot. what do I write about? ick. I just don't want to write." Misra's done a pretty good job of keepin' y'all informed, though. Now it's my turn.
We've been in New Zealand for about two weeks, now, and I've been enjoying my time here very much. At the moment, I'm at an internet cafe in the town of Takaka at the tip top of the Southern Island in the Golden Bay area where it's just gorgeous! The town reminds me of Boulder--has that free-spirit, creative and friendly feeling to it. People walk around barefoot on the streets and say hello and smile as they pass on the trails. I love it! Such a difference from Indonesia.
A few days ago Mis and I went a bit further north of here to Cape Farewell in search of a good beach to explore. We ended up on a trail to Wharariki Beach which is now one of my most favorite places on the planet. As I walked over the ridge of large dunes covered in flowing sea-grass, I saw the expansive stretch of dark, wet beach at low tide. The strength of the wind took my breath away and caused the loose sand to whip and dance across the entire length of the beach before continuing up and over the dunes. So beautiful. So unbelievably beautiful. I could not stop smiling, clapping and twirling with delight as I walked barefoot, camera in hand, hair whipped away from my face and sharp granules of white sand stinging my legs. The mesmerizing, ever-shifting designs the sands created reminded me of film clips I've seen of snow being blown over vast expanses if ice in the antarctic cold. The whole beach seemed to be moving--like it was alive. There were plenty of caves and tunnels left out to dry by the low tide to explore and, boy--did we explore, but we had the time of our lives just walking into the powerful winds on the beach. Leaning into it, jumping, dancing, kicking up sand and watching it disappear. Experiencing the raw power. In the caves we crawled and laughed and sang--I haven't had so much fun, laughed and smiled so much, in a while.
Here in New Zealand I find myself constantly exclaiming at the beauty of the land every time I look around me. (Ahh. This music playing in the cafe is fung-key. mmm. I like it! anyways...)
Leaving Bali was more difficult than I'd expected it to be and I was sort of pretending that it wasn't happening up to the last hour before I had to go. Like Misra said earlier, I also felt like I was at home in the Ashram--I had a familiar rythem of my days, people I spent time with, working at the clinic.... What really made Bali so hard to leave was the people. The staff at the clinic were so appreciative and sad that Misra and I were moving on. They are such kind-hearted people and their work does so much for the women and families that come into Bumi Sehat. And the volunteers at the Ashram who had become a little family--so love them. They are all such powerful women. With all of my goodbyes, there was the question "You will come back to Bali soon?" to which I would reply " I really don't know--maybe." I have been thoroughly juiced by my time in Bali at the birthing clinic. Just about every birth I was at I would describe as "intense"--many of them had severe complications and some of mothers in labor had to be transported to the hospital because they needed emergency surgery. The energy of the clinic is such an intense one that I could not help but carry some of that intensity into my own life and be tossed and tumbled by it--I love what it did to me. I don't know if I'll ever go back to Bali. It's not clear to me. Bye bye Bali.
Arriving in Christchurch, NZ was a bit rough due to the absence of our beloved backpacks for a whole three days, but we were back on our feet in no time. We are moving freely around the South Island in Delila--our 1989 Toyota Town Ace diesel van with a whole lot of character. We've been partaking in this wonderful way of life the Kiwis dub "freedom camping" where we pretty much pull over anywhere we fancy and spend the night there, no worries. So far, we've found some stunning spots on east coast beaches and enjoy the searching process as well. We live during the daylight and sleep with the sun: just like camping. We've been cooking great meals with the gear which came with Delila--budget, but scrumptious: you know how we cook! Singing because Misra's Ipod's dead...we've been hiking pretty much every single day since leaving Christchurch and it feels GREAT to be out and active! Two night's ago we hiked into a hut in the Abel Tasman National Park Coastal Track and that was really great. Everything is so beautiful, lush and green. In the beginning, Misra and I were definitely experiencing the culture shock with so many white people, the accents, the prices and weather change--BRRR it's COLD here! Also, we're totally diggin' living the free-spirit-come-and-go-wherever-and-whenever-we-please-'cause-we-can life. The night skies are brilliant here and I wish I knew how to play guitar because then I'd really be set. Misra and I are looking forward to experiencing some nice hot-springs, whale watching and some volunteering on an organic farm down south. I hope you are all doing well wherever you may be reading this--sorry I've been a bit out of the picture reporting out on this blog. Time is flying by and I find there's about 3 weeks until we fly home. Take care everyone!
Namaste,
Cheers,
Sampai Jumpa,
Huge hugs,
Love,
Cailin
4.03.2008
New Zealand on the Horizon!!
Selamat Sore! (good afternoon)
Sadly our time in Bali is quickly disappearing. We have only two full days left before we board the plane to New Zealand. So much to do and so little time! I have mixed feelings about leaving. I love living in Bali and it has become a comfortable home for me. After being here for only two months, it feels like so much time has passed. Thailand and Cambodia seem like a lifetime away. I will miss all of the people here, the office staff, the Indonesian midwives, the cleaners (one of which is supposed to teach me how to make pisang goreng--fried bananas before i leave) and especially all the volunteers I have become so close to living at the Ashram. When, if ever, will i be able to see these amazing people again? There are also many cute pregnant women I would love to see birth their children, but I will be gone before they are due. One in particular is a woman named Kadek. The restaurant she cooks at is one of Cailin and my favorites and we go there all the time. We have made good friends with Kadek and it would be so nice to be at the birth of a woman I have gotten to know. We'll see what happens though. Who knows what could happen in the next two days!
Yesterday in prenatals I got to feel all the pregnant womens' bellies to try and determine the position of their babies. It was so neat! At first I had no idea what I was feeling. You can prod around and feel different bumps in places but how in the world are you supposed to be able to tell what's what? After a few bellies though I was able to tell where the baby's back and head were and determine which direction the baby was facing. All the mothers just laid on the bed and smiled at me.
Although I am very sad to leave, I know both Cailin and I are ready to go. I'm itching to get on the road again and begin the next adventure. New Zealand calls! Its time for a change of scenery and a change of pace. We are both trying to prepare ourselves for the cold weather ahead. New Zealand will be in late fall when we arrive. After traveling in tropical countries for the last 4 months it going to feel really cold. Brrrrrrr! But what better place to buy wool sweaters and socks right? I'm really looking forward to eating some really good lamb too. I've had almost no red meat this whole trip. The carnivore in me is starving.
Anyway, hope all is well on the other side of the world! You have all been in my thoughts.
Love Misra
Sadly our time in Bali is quickly disappearing. We have only two full days left before we board the plane to New Zealand. So much to do and so little time! I have mixed feelings about leaving. I love living in Bali and it has become a comfortable home for me. After being here for only two months, it feels like so much time has passed. Thailand and Cambodia seem like a lifetime away. I will miss all of the people here, the office staff, the Indonesian midwives, the cleaners (one of which is supposed to teach me how to make pisang goreng--fried bananas before i leave) and especially all the volunteers I have become so close to living at the Ashram. When, if ever, will i be able to see these amazing people again? There are also many cute pregnant women I would love to see birth their children, but I will be gone before they are due. One in particular is a woman named Kadek. The restaurant she cooks at is one of Cailin and my favorites and we go there all the time. We have made good friends with Kadek and it would be so nice to be at the birth of a woman I have gotten to know. We'll see what happens though. Who knows what could happen in the next two days!
Yesterday in prenatals I got to feel all the pregnant womens' bellies to try and determine the position of their babies. It was so neat! At first I had no idea what I was feeling. You can prod around and feel different bumps in places but how in the world are you supposed to be able to tell what's what? After a few bellies though I was able to tell where the baby's back and head were and determine which direction the baby was facing. All the mothers just laid on the bed and smiled at me.
Although I am very sad to leave, I know both Cailin and I are ready to go. I'm itching to get on the road again and begin the next adventure. New Zealand calls! Its time for a change of scenery and a change of pace. We are both trying to prepare ourselves for the cold weather ahead. New Zealand will be in late fall when we arrive. After traveling in tropical countries for the last 4 months it going to feel really cold. Brrrrrrr! But what better place to buy wool sweaters and socks right? I'm really looking forward to eating some really good lamb too. I've had almost no red meat this whole trip. The carnivore in me is starving.
Anyway, hope all is well on the other side of the world! You have all been in my thoughts.
Love Misra
3.19.2008
The Hoho Haha Dance
Hello Everyone!
So, I just sat down to up-date the blog when I was swept up into the fastest birth I have every seen! When i sat down, the woman who was in labor was not very far along, but then one of the midwives came in and told me she was already ready to push. I rushed into the room and a baby girl was born within three minutes! Three minutes! WOW! I have seen some pretty fast deliveries but this is definitely the fastest by far! The clinic has been slow lately, but everyone is bracing themselves for the flood because there are 75 babies due in March. We are halfway through the month and the clinic has been pretty quiet, so its looking like a ton of babies are going to come at once!
Its been amazing to be back in the birth energy. Its so powerful. Every time I enter the birth room I learn something new, and every time I leave I feel elated and exuberant. Once you enter that room there is no telling what could happen or how long it will be until you come out again. In addition to births, the clinic has been thriving with activity. One morning I walked over to check in before breakfast and found myself involved in a minor surgery for the next few hours. A young girl was there with a cyst on her arm the size of a ping pong ball. Robin (the founder of Bumi Sehat) and Sara, a visiting midwife from the States, were bustling around excitedly preparing to remove the cyst. Only in a place like this do you find people who thoroughly enjoy cutting tumors out of peoples arms and then stitching them back up again. I watched wide-eyed as Sara made an incision on top of the cyst and then carefully removed the mass. It looked like a sack full of gray cottage cheese. Surprisingly I made it through the surgery with out getting queasy, (I'm not sure how I managed this feat) but I was very glad that I had not eaten breakfast before hand.
But not every wild experience at Bumi Sehat is bloody and gory. A few nights later, I was sitting in the acupuncture room taking blood pressures for prenatals when I notice that everyone is gathering in the parking lot in front of the clinic. I follow along and watch as a smiling, bald, Indian man leads everyone in these ridiculous activities. I notice that all of the exercises have to do with laughing. Soon everyone in the parking lot is laughing. Robin spots me and tells me this is laughter yoga. Its happening up the street right now and I have to go. No don't worry about the blood pressures, someone else will take care of those, but I must go to this. Bewildered, I walk to the yoga center up the road and join at least 100 hysterically laughing Balinese. The Balinese people there are ranging from energetic little kids to stooped over, withered grandmas. And everyone is practically rolling on the floor with laughter. I join the crowd and watch as the Indian man, who largely resembles Uncle Fester from the Adam's Family, leads everyone in more of the laughter exercises. I felt like I stepped into the twilight zone, it was so bazaar. The sound of the laughter was deafening. I could not help but start laughing myself.
Eventually, someone put music on and everyone started dancing. I mean everyone. No one in the room was standing on the sides looking awkward, every person was jumping and moving to the music. After a few songs, the Indian man had us all sit down for what he called "free laughter." Its where you merely sit and laugh. That's all there is too it. After about 5 minutes of this, he has us close our eyes and take deep breaths, but even he cannot stay serious and starts to giggle and laugh again. I later learned that this man is the one who invented laughing yoga and the Laughter Club. It started in India with only one Laughter club gathering everyday to laugh with each other and now there are over 6,000 different laughing clubs all over India. People claim it has cured them of all sorts of pain and ailments. In India when a doctor has a patient who it suffering from depression he calls up this man to find out where the nearest laughter club is. I have never been a part of something so strange and amazing in my life. If any of you ever gets the chance to take part in laughter yoga, seize the opportunity. Its not something to miss. And it makes you feel incredibly good afterwards.
I just never know what the day will bring when I wake up in the morning.
Love Misra
So, I just sat down to up-date the blog when I was swept up into the fastest birth I have every seen! When i sat down, the woman who was in labor was not very far along, but then one of the midwives came in and told me she was already ready to push. I rushed into the room and a baby girl was born within three minutes! Three minutes! WOW! I have seen some pretty fast deliveries but this is definitely the fastest by far! The clinic has been slow lately, but everyone is bracing themselves for the flood because there are 75 babies due in March. We are halfway through the month and the clinic has been pretty quiet, so its looking like a ton of babies are going to come at once!
Its been amazing to be back in the birth energy. Its so powerful. Every time I enter the birth room I learn something new, and every time I leave I feel elated and exuberant. Once you enter that room there is no telling what could happen or how long it will be until you come out again. In addition to births, the clinic has been thriving with activity. One morning I walked over to check in before breakfast and found myself involved in a minor surgery for the next few hours. A young girl was there with a cyst on her arm the size of a ping pong ball. Robin (the founder of Bumi Sehat) and Sara, a visiting midwife from the States, were bustling around excitedly preparing to remove the cyst. Only in a place like this do you find people who thoroughly enjoy cutting tumors out of peoples arms and then stitching them back up again. I watched wide-eyed as Sara made an incision on top of the cyst and then carefully removed the mass. It looked like a sack full of gray cottage cheese. Surprisingly I made it through the surgery with out getting queasy, (I'm not sure how I managed this feat) but I was very glad that I had not eaten breakfast before hand.
But not every wild experience at Bumi Sehat is bloody and gory. A few nights later, I was sitting in the acupuncture room taking blood pressures for prenatals when I notice that everyone is gathering in the parking lot in front of the clinic. I follow along and watch as a smiling, bald, Indian man leads everyone in these ridiculous activities. I notice that all of the exercises have to do with laughing. Soon everyone in the parking lot is laughing. Robin spots me and tells me this is laughter yoga. Its happening up the street right now and I have to go. No don't worry about the blood pressures, someone else will take care of those, but I must go to this. Bewildered, I walk to the yoga center up the road and join at least 100 hysterically laughing Balinese. The Balinese people there are ranging from energetic little kids to stooped over, withered grandmas. And everyone is practically rolling on the floor with laughter. I join the crowd and watch as the Indian man, who largely resembles Uncle Fester from the Adam's Family, leads everyone in more of the laughter exercises. I felt like I stepped into the twilight zone, it was so bazaar. The sound of the laughter was deafening. I could not help but start laughing myself.
Eventually, someone put music on and everyone started dancing. I mean everyone. No one in the room was standing on the sides looking awkward, every person was jumping and moving to the music. After a few songs, the Indian man had us all sit down for what he called "free laughter." Its where you merely sit and laugh. That's all there is too it. After about 5 minutes of this, he has us close our eyes and take deep breaths, but even he cannot stay serious and starts to giggle and laugh again. I later learned that this man is the one who invented laughing yoga and the Laughter Club. It started in India with only one Laughter club gathering everyday to laugh with each other and now there are over 6,000 different laughing clubs all over India. People claim it has cured them of all sorts of pain and ailments. In India when a doctor has a patient who it suffering from depression he calls up this man to find out where the nearest laughter club is. I have never been a part of something so strange and amazing in my life. If any of you ever gets the chance to take part in laughter yoga, seize the opportunity. Its not something to miss. And it makes you feel incredibly good afterwards.
I just never know what the day will bring when I wake up in the morning.
Love Misra
Title: _____________....in Bali (we have no clue)
Hello Hello!
So, it's been a while. A lot has happened. Where to begin? In the beginning? Let's try it.
On Valentine's Day, we arrived in Bali after a gruelling 16-turned-21 hour long bus ride from Yogya. Sweaty, tired and stinky we were immediately swept-up into the chaotic clinic life of the Yayasan Bumi Sehat birth clinic. It was very nice to be back in familiar territory since we'd been to Ubud several times before coming to land this last time.
When we arrived, the clinic was bursting with other volunteers and yet there was still plenty to do. There were lots of babies being born and people needing treatment for various ailments. In one 24-hour stretch, we welcomed a total of 7 new babies into the world--wow. We've been helping out as best we can by taking blood pressures at pre-natals, assisting in births, leading organizational projects and lending a hand at the accupuncture clinics lead by one crazy lady, Dr. Bobbi. This woman deserves her own T.V. show or maybe her own chapter in one of David Sedaris' books. She gives and gives, treats and treats, talks and talks and talks--boy, she is a trip to be around. After spending some odd 4 years in Bali, her Indonesian is...shall we say...lacking? But that does not stop her from telling every Indonesian patient to lay off the "goreng goreng" (fried fried [food]) and eat lots of "sayur hijao" (green veggies) or from scolding men for smoking when they come in for fertility treatments; "I make the sperm and you just go home and kill them again! You must quit smoking or no more treatment!" They all smile and nod (so smart). Anyways....moving on.
One day, Misra's bagging prenatal vitamins (a neverending project), Cailin's in a birth and who should casually plop himself down on the couch, but one Michael Franti. That's right. Turns out he's good friends with Robin Lim, the founder of Bumi Sehat, and he's putting on a small benefit concert with all proceeds going to the Bumi Sehat clinic---and we're invited. We had a private performance of around 80 people and dinner at a gorgeous venue on the beach of Seminyak, Bali and a larger concert to follow. Michael put on a great show--he is a very charismatic, loving, generous man(not to mention an incredible and inspiring musician). In fact, we're having trouble describing him--finding the right words to encompass his....well, just him. The night generated over 25,000 US dollars for Yayasan Bumi Sehat--funds that are badly needed to build a new facility big enough to hold this thriving and growing foundation. Terimakasih banyak, Michael! Thank you very much.
Oops, time's running out and it's really really hot in this internet cafe. Not to worry, we'll be sure to finish catching y'all up to speed SOON. Sip on this and you can gulp up a few more entries in the very near future.
Lots of love,
Misra and Cailin
So, it's been a while. A lot has happened. Where to begin? In the beginning? Let's try it.
On Valentine's Day, we arrived in Bali after a gruelling 16-turned-21 hour long bus ride from Yogya. Sweaty, tired and stinky we were immediately swept-up into the chaotic clinic life of the Yayasan Bumi Sehat birth clinic. It was very nice to be back in familiar territory since we'd been to Ubud several times before coming to land this last time.
When we arrived, the clinic was bursting with other volunteers and yet there was still plenty to do. There were lots of babies being born and people needing treatment for various ailments. In one 24-hour stretch, we welcomed a total of 7 new babies into the world--wow. We've been helping out as best we can by taking blood pressures at pre-natals, assisting in births, leading organizational projects and lending a hand at the accupuncture clinics lead by one crazy lady, Dr. Bobbi. This woman deserves her own T.V. show or maybe her own chapter in one of David Sedaris' books. She gives and gives, treats and treats, talks and talks and talks--boy, she is a trip to be around. After spending some odd 4 years in Bali, her Indonesian is...shall we say...lacking? But that does not stop her from telling every Indonesian patient to lay off the "goreng goreng" (fried fried [food]) and eat lots of "sayur hijao" (green veggies) or from scolding men for smoking when they come in for fertility treatments; "I make the sperm and you just go home and kill them again! You must quit smoking or no more treatment!" They all smile and nod (so smart). Anyways....moving on.
One day, Misra's bagging prenatal vitamins (a neverending project), Cailin's in a birth and who should casually plop himself down on the couch, but one Michael Franti. That's right. Turns out he's good friends with Robin Lim, the founder of Bumi Sehat, and he's putting on a small benefit concert with all proceeds going to the Bumi Sehat clinic---and we're invited. We had a private performance of around 80 people and dinner at a gorgeous venue on the beach of Seminyak, Bali and a larger concert to follow. Michael put on a great show--he is a very charismatic, loving, generous man(not to mention an incredible and inspiring musician). In fact, we're having trouble describing him--finding the right words to encompass his....well, just him. The night generated over 25,000 US dollars for Yayasan Bumi Sehat--funds that are badly needed to build a new facility big enough to hold this thriving and growing foundation. Terimakasih banyak, Michael! Thank you very much.
Oops, time's running out and it's really really hot in this internet cafe. Not to worry, we'll be sure to finish catching y'all up to speed SOON. Sip on this and you can gulp up a few more entries in the very near future.
Lots of love,
Misra and Cailin
2.12.2008
What a Lovely Pinky Day (valentines day add in Yogya)
Hello hello! Remember us? Yes, we know it's been a little while, but, though we came close, we did not drop off the face of the earth. Thought you should know. okay. that's all-- bye.
Only kidding.
Okay, wow--it's been, what, a month? no, not quite. Three weeks? Yeah, almost a month since our last post and, of course, there is much to tell. At the moment, it is 10 at night in the city of Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta and nicknamed "Yogya") in central Java, where we have spent a very exciting and satisfying five days exploring the labyrinthian streets, the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, and the markets. Our first morning in Yogya, we stumbled off our 16-hour overnight bus from Bali around 6 a.m. Though we were rather sleep-deprived, we immediately ventured out to the bird market. We walked through alleys of brightly-colored cages containing, not just pretty songbirds by the dozens, but also roosters, bats, pidgeons, squirrels, hamsters, geckos, puppies and rabbits. What a zoo! So much to take in. Thoughts about animal treatment took the backseat while we simply tried to see everything around us. Beside the bird cages, there were large baskets of squirming grubs, crates of crickets and trays of rice mixed with live ants--what treats! PetsMart has got nothing on these guys! The main business in the bird markets are pidgeons, which are trained as a hobby by many who proudly showed us their fine feathered friends.
While on the subject of markets, today we came upon one of the best yet. Right in the center of town, taking up at least two city blocks, this three-story tall market was chock-full of everything you could possibly want. From underwear and toe-socks to spices and fresh produce to cleaning supplies and beautiful muslim headscarves--it's all there. We squeezed between the numerous stalls, trying to get a good glimpse of everything and walk at the same time. Men were carrying five bags of rice on their backs and old women hunched-over under the weight of coconut-filled sacks. Huge piles of fresh ginger, overflowing baskets of green limes, red chili-peppers, purple shallots and enormous bundles of the biggest sticks of cinnamon either of us has ever seen...ever. It was a pretty neat feeling to be the only Westerners ("bule"s) in this local market: a treasure.
rewind a few weeks...
Afer two weeks on Lombok, we slowly made our way up through the clouds to a tiny mountain village called Candi Kuning. The cool air was very refreshing and reminded us of the scrumptious mountain air back home, except more humid. Our plan was to hike to the top of an ancient volcanic cone (sounds neat, don't it?) called Mt. Catur. On the morning of the hike, we woke up early to beat the inevidable afternoon rain, bought some snacks at the market and set off. The trail head was supposed to be easy to find. umm. okay.... we think we found the right one...? Our spirits high, we tramped down soggy jungle trail after soggy jungle trail. Each one ending either in wildly-lush, green overgrowth or wandered steeply down the mountain (and we wanted to go up, right?). Anyways, we had a blast. The jungle was beautiful with hairy vines, fiddlehead-ferns, exotic flowers and everyplant seemed to be growing and thriving right on top of another one. Have you ever heard of a jungle leech? Well, Misra hadn't. We got up-close and a little too personal with these sneaky bastards. Fortunately the worst was done only to our pants and shoes while our blood remained un-sampled. We never made it to the top of the mountain, but enjoyed bushwacking, rambling through mud-holes and passing rural farms.
So, folks. That's all we've got time for. It's difficult trying to decide what to share and what to keep as juicy stories for when we get home. Tomorrow we board another 16-hour overnight bus back to Bali and we will soon be at the clinic and beginning our volunteer work. You can check out the link on the right of the blogpage under Yayasan Bumi Sehat for more info on where we will be spending the next seven weeks. Hope you are all doing well. Stay warm! (Ha!)
alright,
Love to all of you and Happy Valentines Day
C and M
Only kidding.
Okay, wow--it's been, what, a month? no, not quite. Three weeks? Yeah, almost a month since our last post and, of course, there is much to tell. At the moment, it is 10 at night in the city of Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta and nicknamed "Yogya") in central Java, where we have spent a very exciting and satisfying five days exploring the labyrinthian streets, the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, and the markets. Our first morning in Yogya, we stumbled off our 16-hour overnight bus from Bali around 6 a.m. Though we were rather sleep-deprived, we immediately ventured out to the bird market. We walked through alleys of brightly-colored cages containing, not just pretty songbirds by the dozens, but also roosters, bats, pidgeons, squirrels, hamsters, geckos, puppies and rabbits. What a zoo! So much to take in. Thoughts about animal treatment took the backseat while we simply tried to see everything around us. Beside the bird cages, there were large baskets of squirming grubs, crates of crickets and trays of rice mixed with live ants--what treats! PetsMart has got nothing on these guys! The main business in the bird markets are pidgeons, which are trained as a hobby by many who proudly showed us their fine feathered friends.
While on the subject of markets, today we came upon one of the best yet. Right in the center of town, taking up at least two city blocks, this three-story tall market was chock-full of everything you could possibly want. From underwear and toe-socks to spices and fresh produce to cleaning supplies and beautiful muslim headscarves--it's all there. We squeezed between the numerous stalls, trying to get a good glimpse of everything and walk at the same time. Men were carrying five bags of rice on their backs and old women hunched-over under the weight of coconut-filled sacks. Huge piles of fresh ginger, overflowing baskets of green limes, red chili-peppers, purple shallots and enormous bundles of the biggest sticks of cinnamon either of us has ever seen...ever. It was a pretty neat feeling to be the only Westerners ("bule"s) in this local market: a treasure.
rewind a few weeks...
Afer two weeks on Lombok, we slowly made our way up through the clouds to a tiny mountain village called Candi Kuning. The cool air was very refreshing and reminded us of the scrumptious mountain air back home, except more humid. Our plan was to hike to the top of an ancient volcanic cone (sounds neat, don't it?) called Mt. Catur. On the morning of the hike, we woke up early to beat the inevidable afternoon rain, bought some snacks at the market and set off. The trail head was supposed to be easy to find. umm. okay.... we think we found the right one...? Our spirits high, we tramped down soggy jungle trail after soggy jungle trail. Each one ending either in wildly-lush, green overgrowth or wandered steeply down the mountain (and we wanted to go up, right?). Anyways, we had a blast. The jungle was beautiful with hairy vines, fiddlehead-ferns, exotic flowers and everyplant seemed to be growing and thriving right on top of another one. Have you ever heard of a jungle leech? Well, Misra hadn't. We got up-close and a little too personal with these sneaky bastards. Fortunately the worst was done only to our pants and shoes while our blood remained un-sampled. We never made it to the top of the mountain, but enjoyed bushwacking, rambling through mud-holes and passing rural farms.
So, folks. That's all we've got time for. It's difficult trying to decide what to share and what to keep as juicy stories for when we get home. Tomorrow we board another 16-hour overnight bus back to Bali and we will soon be at the clinic and beginning our volunteer work. You can check out the link on the right of the blogpage under Yayasan Bumi Sehat for more info on where we will be spending the next seven weeks. Hope you are all doing well. Stay warm! (Ha!)
alright,
Love to all of you and Happy Valentines Day
C and M
1.14.2008
"Transport??"
Selamat sore,
In other words—good afternoon.
It’s us again. But THIS time we are reaching out from Ubud, Bali; a breath of fresh air after our dusty trails in Cambodia and polluted cities of Thailand. Everything is beautifully green and covered in moss. Little carved faces peek out at us from every corner and entrance to family compounds—many with ceremonial offerings of white rice and flowers. We are happy to be here, though it was quite a wild ride to reach this point on the map.
Shortly after our last update when we were in Siem Reap, we made a quick dash to the capital city of Phnom Penh. In our short visit, we went to the Killing Fields memorial site; a place where great numbers of people were executed during the genocide of the Pol Pot regime.
“Today Misra and I visited the killing fields just outside of the Phnom Penh. What an intense experience. There is a large, glass stupa encasing about 800 human skulls of the 17,000-plus people who were sistematically slaughtered and dumped into mass graves (mostly cambodians, but a fair number of foreigners, too.) Within the first five minutes of being at the memorial, I was physically affected to the extent that I really believed I was going to puke. I was shaking and almost started to cry---definitely shaken up. There were large, filled-in pits where the bodies were deposited and even on the dirt pathways I could see were bones poked through the earth and had been worn away by the feet of many tourists. Shards of tattered clothing were everywhere--lodged in the ground and raked into piles here and there. What a way to start my morning! Also, in the middle of the site, there is a huge, old and gorgeous tree which is called the Magic Tree--it looks like a wise old thing and one of the only friendly ones in sight. Well, the Magic Tree was used as a stand for large loud-speakers that would radiate a loud noise (uspecified) to drown out the moans of the tortured and dying prisoners---men, women, children, educated people, "weak people" with glasses or physical dissabilities, monks and foreigners. There were signs that even shared the fact soldiers would bludgeon the heads of the prisoners to kill them so they could save their precious bullets for other uses. Augh! How aweful! It makes me so sad! I felt that it was a very important place to visit...almost as if I had a responsibility to do so--not quite sure why.
Please don't let this put a damper on your day.” --from one of Cailin’s emails
Afterwards, we made our way back to Bangkok in time to catch our flight to Denpasar, Bali. Except…it didn’t quite work out the way we planned. Rising bright and early on the morning of our departure, we took a taxi to the airport. There we discovered—oh no!-- the departure time printed on our travel itinerary was off by one hour. We had missed our check-in cut-off by ten minutes, thus missing our flight to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and connecting flight to Bali. Bummer. After arguing with the check-in lady (“please, please let us through—we can run—we can still make our flight!”), she was firm in saying there was nothing she could do and pointed us towards the sales counter. In the end, we each bought ourselves two new plane tickets , waited in the BKK airport for seven hours, boarded our flight after an additional hour of delay and landed in Kuala Lampur for an overnight-layover (no flights left for Bali until the next morning) just in time for dinner.
Where to eat? Well we’ve got McDonalds or Asian Food. Asian Food it is! What’s on the menu? Well, looks like we’ve got a lot of options to choose from—that’s nice. Oh. You’ve only got Nasi Lemak? Fresh out of EVERYTHING else? Hmm. Nasi Lemak or Nasi Lemak? We’ll take two of the Nasi Lemak, please.
Stuffed on Nasi Lemak (white rice with fried egg, peanuts, and some beef chunks with sauce), we found this airport was also fresh out of seats and any place to sleep. We spent a very strange, very long, very uncomfortable and rather amusing night on the cold, hard tiled floor of the only terminal in the entire airport. We couldn’t help but notice the large sign hanging from the ceiling boasting “Low-cost terminal of the year”—woopdeedoo. Luckily we survived the night. Any future airport slumber parties will probably be very cush in comparison.
Since our arrival in Ubud, Bali, we’ve been thoroughly enjoying the following: scrumptious food, a working toilet, free breakfasts included with accommodation, very friendly people, a lively market, dances, loads of fresh fruit, ample sleep, and the amazing artistry of the Balinese (among many other things). We have enjoyed a silversmithing course where we made some silver jewelry—foot-pedal-powered blowtorch and all. Last night we went to see a Kecak (Ke-chek) fire and trance dance which told the story of the Ramayana with amazing dancers and costumes. The only music was the rhythmic voices of over one-hundred men dressed in checkered sarongs and sitting in concentric circles around the dancers. This was followed by a man dressed as a horse who was in some sort of trance and danced through a fire of coconut husks—prancing over red-hot coals for a good five or ten minutes. We saw the sooty, but unharmed feet of the dancer afterwards—ouch?
Thursday morning we leave for the Gili Islands of Lombok (the island just east of Bali)—by evening we should be settled in on one of the three islands. We have until mid-February to travel through Lombok, Eastern Java and elsewhere in Bali before we return to Ubud to volunteer at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat birthing clinic. Hope all of you are enjoying this new year!
Best wishes, love, everything good, cheers, “mimpi manis”,
Us
In other words—good afternoon.
It’s us again. But THIS time we are reaching out from Ubud, Bali; a breath of fresh air after our dusty trails in Cambodia and polluted cities of Thailand. Everything is beautifully green and covered in moss. Little carved faces peek out at us from every corner and entrance to family compounds—many with ceremonial offerings of white rice and flowers. We are happy to be here, though it was quite a wild ride to reach this point on the map.
Shortly after our last update when we were in Siem Reap, we made a quick dash to the capital city of Phnom Penh. In our short visit, we went to the Killing Fields memorial site; a place where great numbers of people were executed during the genocide of the Pol Pot regime.
“Today Misra and I visited the killing fields just outside of the Phnom Penh. What an intense experience. There is a large, glass stupa encasing about 800 human skulls of the 17,000-plus people who were sistematically slaughtered and dumped into mass graves (mostly cambodians, but a fair number of foreigners, too.) Within the first five minutes of being at the memorial, I was physically affected to the extent that I really believed I was going to puke. I was shaking and almost started to cry---definitely shaken up. There were large, filled-in pits where the bodies were deposited and even on the dirt pathways I could see were bones poked through the earth and had been worn away by the feet of many tourists. Shards of tattered clothing were everywhere--lodged in the ground and raked into piles here and there. What a way to start my morning! Also, in the middle of the site, there is a huge, old and gorgeous tree which is called the Magic Tree--it looks like a wise old thing and one of the only friendly ones in sight. Well, the Magic Tree was used as a stand for large loud-speakers that would radiate a loud noise (uspecified) to drown out the moans of the tortured and dying prisoners---men, women, children, educated people, "weak people" with glasses or physical dissabilities, monks and foreigners. There were signs that even shared the fact soldiers would bludgeon the heads of the prisoners to kill them so they could save their precious bullets for other uses. Augh! How aweful! It makes me so sad! I felt that it was a very important place to visit...almost as if I had a responsibility to do so--not quite sure why.
Please don't let this put a damper on your day.” --from one of Cailin’s emails
Afterwards, we made our way back to Bangkok in time to catch our flight to Denpasar, Bali. Except…it didn’t quite work out the way we planned. Rising bright and early on the morning of our departure, we took a taxi to the airport. There we discovered—oh no!-- the departure time printed on our travel itinerary was off by one hour. We had missed our check-in cut-off by ten minutes, thus missing our flight to Kuala Lampur, Malaysia and connecting flight to Bali. Bummer. After arguing with the check-in lady (“please, please let us through—we can run—we can still make our flight!”), she was firm in saying there was nothing she could do and pointed us towards the sales counter. In the end, we each bought ourselves two new plane tickets , waited in the BKK airport for seven hours, boarded our flight after an additional hour of delay and landed in Kuala Lampur for an overnight-layover (no flights left for Bali until the next morning) just in time for dinner.
Where to eat? Well we’ve got McDonalds or Asian Food. Asian Food it is! What’s on the menu? Well, looks like we’ve got a lot of options to choose from—that’s nice. Oh. You’ve only got Nasi Lemak? Fresh out of EVERYTHING else? Hmm. Nasi Lemak or Nasi Lemak? We’ll take two of the Nasi Lemak, please.
Stuffed on Nasi Lemak (white rice with fried egg, peanuts, and some beef chunks with sauce), we found this airport was also fresh out of seats and any place to sleep. We spent a very strange, very long, very uncomfortable and rather amusing night on the cold, hard tiled floor of the only terminal in the entire airport. We couldn’t help but notice the large sign hanging from the ceiling boasting “Low-cost terminal of the year”—woopdeedoo. Luckily we survived the night. Any future airport slumber parties will probably be very cush in comparison.
Since our arrival in Ubud, Bali, we’ve been thoroughly enjoying the following: scrumptious food, a working toilet, free breakfasts included with accommodation, very friendly people, a lively market, dances, loads of fresh fruit, ample sleep, and the amazing artistry of the Balinese (among many other things). We have enjoyed a silversmithing course where we made some silver jewelry—foot-pedal-powered blowtorch and all. Last night we went to see a Kecak (Ke-chek) fire and trance dance which told the story of the Ramayana with amazing dancers and costumes. The only music was the rhythmic voices of over one-hundred men dressed in checkered sarongs and sitting in concentric circles around the dancers. This was followed by a man dressed as a horse who was in some sort of trance and danced through a fire of coconut husks—prancing over red-hot coals for a good five or ten minutes. We saw the sooty, but unharmed feet of the dancer afterwards—ouch?
Thursday morning we leave for the Gili Islands of Lombok (the island just east of Bali)—by evening we should be settled in on one of the three islands. We have until mid-February to travel through Lombok, Eastern Java and elsewhere in Bali before we return to Ubud to volunteer at the Yayasan Bumi Sehat birthing clinic. Hope all of you are enjoying this new year!
Best wishes, love, everything good, cheers, “mimpi manis”,
Us
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