I want to make this quick blog post before I get moving this morning.
It has come to my attention that only two postings have been successfully posted in this blog since I arrived in Bali. Somehow a blog is missing, and I don't have it backed up anywhere. I will deal with that at a later time. Some of what I am about to write was in that post.
I am heading back to Los Angeles on Monday. I expected this due to a visa limitation as I near my two month mark. I will be home for one month, and at that time I will make the final decision as to whether or not I am returning. At the present time I am confident that I will be returning. I was given options for alternatives to returning to Los Angeles, but the month back home will be most welcome. My hair, which I finally cut short for the trip, is not so short anymore, and the haircut I got by a very beautiful local woman was not as beautiful as she is. I look a lot less like a sheepdog but more like a poodle. And as for any photos you might encounter online, I have sworn to disavow any knowledge of their existence.
For the most part I have been working with adults in Conversational English, but should I decide to return, I will be working with children. I have enjoyed my fellow volunteers, the teachers and the students. Pastor Rob is here, but he is leaving next week. I believe this is his fifth visit here, and he's looking forward to his sixth around the time I return. Rob and his church have made a lot of the arrangements for flights and guesthouse accommodations.
I hope to make another post before I go home. I don't want to lost another post, so I will see how this works.
Always in a rush...
MJM
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
A long-overdue update.
I'm sorry for the delay in posting in this blog. I have been experiencing a lot of problems getting to my email and to Blogger. I have attempted to reply to emails but I don't get any confirmation of email sent. I have been experiencing a very slow response time at best. I consider myself fortunate in that I was able to connect tonight, only through extreme patience and perseverance. I was able to read about half of my emails, but I have also kept them in my inbox to read again in the evening.
All is going well. My schedule is completely flexible, but I am enjoying doing what I can, and I have been able to stick to a routine, which is appreciated by the class. I am enjoying the teaching I've been doing, and the free time has been wonderful. I am enjoying the beach...still haven't taken the surfing lessons I have been promised, but I will do that before I leave.
David's last day is Thursday. I tried to enter a post stating that David would not be here for the entire four months, but I was unable to post it. His being here has made this paradise truly paradise. He has provided me with the support I needed when I was feeling down. I have had a few down days, but this is due to my being so far away from home. Fortunately, however, the down days are few and not long lasting.
I knew I had gotten into a routine the day David asked me if I was going to post in my blog, and I said that I had nothing new to report. That isn't quite true. We have done some fishing, and we got to meet some of the local fishermen. As you would imagine, fish is a staple here; so is rice. In other words, their fish is like our chicken. You can cook it so many ways, but I want to make this perfectly clear, folks. It doesn't taste like chicken.
I will need to look up a recipe for a salad we had. It was cold, and it had rice, some vegetables of varying color, and chunks of fish. It was almost like a seafood salad that we might buy at Ralph's, but I have not been able to find a Ralph's here. I heard a rumor that McDonald's serves Big Macs made out of fish. Um...no. I wonder what they serve at KFC!
There are a lot of Chinese, or what urbanites call "Asian" restaurants. Some of the local dishes are difficult to identify, but I had a grilled fish that was wrapped in banana leaves and had a salty seasoning on it. It was served with a fried rice side dish with lumps of fish in it. It was very good. Once back in LA I will see what I can find, but David has already sent recipes back to the restaurant for testing. Can't wait!
We found it interesting that Balinese restaurants that serve Balinese food are nearly non-existent. Ginger, sesame seed oil, pepper, cloves, onion, lemon and cumin are favorite flavorings that will surely please your discriminating palate and offer your senses a feel for the flavors of paradise. One bite and you can feel the warm tropical breezes of the beaches of Bali. Sound good? I might use that when I announce the Balinese Grilled Snapper special. I hope it works in Los Angeles! However...armed with recipes and cooking tips, you Angelinos will want to keep your eyes open for some new specials. I hate burping ginger.
I am still scheduled to leave in mid-November, date uncertain right now. I haven't gotten tired of the boring weather and scenery yet. But what I wouldn't do for some prime rib!
I mentioned to someone that our accommodations are small, about 12 X 20, not much bigger than an RV, but it is comfortable and quiet. It will be much quieter after Thursday, but I'm trying not to think about that.
Rob should be here next week. I wonder what kind of entrance he'll make. He won't be far from here, so I look forward to some of his stories and a few laughs. And as I've learned, it only gets better.
That's it for today. I want to be over at the classroom by 10:30 and my ride will be here shortly.
Peace!
All is going well. My schedule is completely flexible, but I am enjoying doing what I can, and I have been able to stick to a routine, which is appreciated by the class. I am enjoying the teaching I've been doing, and the free time has been wonderful. I am enjoying the beach...still haven't taken the surfing lessons I have been promised, but I will do that before I leave.
David's last day is Thursday. I tried to enter a post stating that David would not be here for the entire four months, but I was unable to post it. His being here has made this paradise truly paradise. He has provided me with the support I needed when I was feeling down. I have had a few down days, but this is due to my being so far away from home. Fortunately, however, the down days are few and not long lasting.
I knew I had gotten into a routine the day David asked me if I was going to post in my blog, and I said that I had nothing new to report. That isn't quite true. We have done some fishing, and we got to meet some of the local fishermen. As you would imagine, fish is a staple here; so is rice. In other words, their fish is like our chicken. You can cook it so many ways, but I want to make this perfectly clear, folks. It doesn't taste like chicken.
I will need to look up a recipe for a salad we had. It was cold, and it had rice, some vegetables of varying color, and chunks of fish. It was almost like a seafood salad that we might buy at Ralph's, but I have not been able to find a Ralph's here. I heard a rumor that McDonald's serves Big Macs made out of fish. Um...no. I wonder what they serve at KFC!
There are a lot of Chinese, or what urbanites call "Asian" restaurants. Some of the local dishes are difficult to identify, but I had a grilled fish that was wrapped in banana leaves and had a salty seasoning on it. It was served with a fried rice side dish with lumps of fish in it. It was very good. Once back in LA I will see what I can find, but David has already sent recipes back to the restaurant for testing. Can't wait!
We found it interesting that Balinese restaurants that serve Balinese food are nearly non-existent. Ginger, sesame seed oil, pepper, cloves, onion, lemon and cumin are favorite flavorings that will surely please your discriminating palate and offer your senses a feel for the flavors of paradise. One bite and you can feel the warm tropical breezes of the beaches of Bali. Sound good? I might use that when I announce the Balinese Grilled Snapper special. I hope it works in Los Angeles! However...armed with recipes and cooking tips, you Angelinos will want to keep your eyes open for some new specials. I hate burping ginger.
I am still scheduled to leave in mid-November, date uncertain right now. I haven't gotten tired of the boring weather and scenery yet. But what I wouldn't do for some prime rib!
I mentioned to someone that our accommodations are small, about 12 X 20, not much bigger than an RV, but it is comfortable and quiet. It will be much quieter after Thursday, but I'm trying not to think about that.
Rob should be here next week. I wonder what kind of entrance he'll make. He won't be far from here, so I look forward to some of his stories and a few laughs. And as I've learned, it only gets better.
That's it for today. I want to be over at the classroom by 10:30 and my ride will be here shortly.
Peace!
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