FINALLY BACK TO BALI AGAIN!!!

We left Bali in June and did not make it back here until December. Lots of things happened, too many to mention. Remy was homeschooled for 4 months. Some of that was interesting, but mostly she was very lonely and I was very frazzled. So nice to be back to Green School where there has been much improvement. Our holiday card was fun this year as Remy's impending teenage years seem to be reflecting grunge. So everyone Happy New Year, Happy Valentines Day and Happy Chinese New Year. I am going to make an effort to get this blog back on track

.

A Year Ends at Green School in Bali

I took a chance and enrolled Remy into The Green School in Bali even though it was still an idea, not really anything tangible. It's hard to believe a whole year has passed. Even though this year was full of bumps and bruises, rhetorically and literally, I still think it was a good idea. Sometimes taking a leap and just experiencing life without too much thought is such a good idea. Maybe she could have learned more academically. But in the grand scheme of things, isn't it fantastic to connect with friends and teachers from all over the world, learn in an outdoor setting, run wild in the jungle, and just really feel free at this time in her life. Sure it's not forever, but I think a couple of years at green school will give her experiences that will live on in her mind forever.
We did not get to use this building this year, but can't wait for next year. This will be our library and creative arts area.
It kind or reminds me of a Dr. Seuss movie. Definitely not the school we knew as children.

Pretty much, the whole school is bamboo. The buildings, the desks, the chairs, even the basketball hoop and the soccer goals. Even the school maintenance truck. That I still need a photo of...
And though we were beginning to wonder, yes they did even have lessons. Most of them not in the traditional way, but I would say some interesting styles of learning were utilized here.
Remy has been immortalized forever with her name carved in bamboo in the heart of school

No, I was not kidding when I told all of you that it was like Lord of the Flies with a bunch of children running wild in the jungle. I know it seems wild, but who wouldn't want to experience this as a child.
So, we survived a year at green school. And I'm ready to do it again. I expect there could be a few more rules next year, much to Remy's dismay, and maybe a little more attention to academics, let's hope so. It will still be a totally unique experience and something to remember for a lifetime.

Living in a Grass Roof Bungalow in Bali

Our bungalow in Bali has a grass roof. 18 years ago when I built this place I thought the notion of living in a grass roof mud house in Bali was exotic and romantic. And even now, I still appreciate the beauty and ingenuity of traditional building materials and the reasons behind them. The grass roof keeps the house cooler. The roof is made from alang alang grass and bamboo which are both very renewable resources.


However I’ve gotten older and more in need of comfort, having a whole food chain living in the roof has become a bit of a nuisance. The big geckos eat the little lizards, the geckos and lizards eat the spiders and roaches. Oh, the tom cats walk across the roof at night looking for mice and sometimes finding and eating them. The snakes eat the frogs and lizards. I’m sure all or most of the above eat the mosquitoes, but mostly the mosquitoes eat us. And the ants just annoy us. It’s just normal now to feel ants crawling on us and we just grab them and throw them off. You wake in the night and they are crawling on you, you go to the bathroom and they are on the toilet seat. If you leave any food out whatsoever for more than 5 seconds they arrive in droves.

The good news is Remy is finally getting used to it and I can tolerate it. Just before we left the states, I was in bed and she was in her room and she yelled, Mom, there’s a fly in my room. I said, we’re moving to Bali in two weeks where there will be at least 20 varieties of insects and reptiles living in your room. What do you want me to do?

So, we have learned to adjust to living with the elements. As my daughter approaches her teenage years, I don’t really see too much diva attitude emerging. Her school is in the jungle so the children often come home covered in dirt and mud with holes in their clothes. Maybe this is preferable to wearing designer clothes and being overly concerned with perfect hair. Life is a bit rugged, and I’m not sure I want to live like this forever, but for now, it’s our life and we’re happy here. Sure, I’m looking forward to this summer in the states and the prospect of sleeping in a cool room with a bed not covered with a mosquito net, but I’ll still be looking forward to coming back home to our little bungalow in paradise.

Nyepi Day in Bali

The Balinese do a Purification Ceremony on the Beach the Day Before Nyepi

Last week the Balinese celebrated their New Year which is called Nyepi. Unlike the West where New Years involves drinking, partying, loud music and lots of food, here in Bali Nyepi is a day of silence where you reflect on the year that has passed and the one that will follow. The airports, seaports and roadways are closed. No one is allowed to turn on TV, computers, stereos, or video games. No cooking is allowed or no fires. At night no lights can be turned on. I loved exposing my 12 year old to this phenomenon. Can you imagine a thriving busy tourist island of over 3 million people shutting down completely?

Wow, what a beautiful day. The first thing you always do on Nyepi when you wake up is run outside and listen to the silence. Have you ever been anywhere, where there was no distant sound of a car or an airplane for 24 hours? It's different than being in an isolated silent place. It's being in the middle of a busy town with absolute silence. Remy and I had a great long conversation, wrote in our journals, meditated (Remy was a little antsy for that),read and ate cold pre-cooked food in the fridge. And at night, we carefully negotiated our way out to the garden to observe an unbelievable night sky. The pitch black darkness of the island created one of the most dense skys I have ever observed. It was an absolute forest of stars. I've never seen the sky have so many dimensions. I have to say Nyepi is my favorite day of the year. The only thing that could make it better would be if the world could join us here on bali island and engage in a day of quiet reflection, while at the same time conserving an amount of electricity and c20 gases more than we can probably fathom.

Moving to Bali and Big Changes Ahead

Moving to Bali again was more difficult than when Remy was younger. Now she had good friends and was moving on to the middle school years. I had to promise her a dog, something we could never have due to spending the summer in Bali every year. And also the promise of an exotic school in the jungle on a river. The school boasted such adventures as an organic chocolate factory run by the students and a high ropes course. So, due to economic duress after my retail store closed the doors and my wholesale business was rapidly declining, we rented our home, packed and sold all our belongings and left our cozy life.
We were in for some changes. First we were leaving a 3 bedroom, 3 bath house with a loft and moving into a 2 room grass roof - mud wall bungalow. At least it has a great garden and only a few yards from the beach.

Then just the elements of nature that live with you when you live in a grass roof house. The ants, mosquitos, spiders, not to mention the occasional snake or bat that makes it way inside through the openings of the roof. But we're adjusting, though it's taken some time. My daughter has an old Indonesian daybed she sleeps in, in the living room area. I have a teensy cubicle of a room. We don't have much stuff as no where to put anything. But I have to say sometimes less is more. I think it is a valuable lesson for Remy and I to learn to live with less.
I also think when we do return to the States to live in a normal size house, we will really have learned how to appreciate it.
Make sure and go to www.singlemominbali.com for recipes and more information about Bali.

Finally Made It

So, finally getting this blog up and running. We have been in Bali for a few months now and I've had so much to share but it just took awhile to get the site going as I wanted it to be more than
just a blog and also share recipes and remedies and information about Bali. It's almost ready and
I'll start posting soon. You'll have to go direct to www.singlemominbali.com to access the recipes and remedies.