'News' Category
Fire
This year we were given an incredible gift.
Three weeks ago, we received a telephone call that the forests in which houses, that were built over 30 years ago by Pedro and his friends, were ablaze. Firefighters were, at great risk to themselves, trying to control what was truly a dangerous situation. We were told that [...]Christmas & New Year
Pauline wishes everybody a belated Merry Christmas and a premature Happy New Year. She would also like to thanks everyone who visited the site since its recent inception. At the moment I am dealing with the heat of an Australian summer, in an area with very limited internet access. Hence the sporadic contact. Thanks you, [...]
Water
The sizzling Australian heat has finally been drenched with a deluge of such refreshing rain that I couldn’t resist the urge to leave the shelter of the house to stand under the downpour. What a relief! I felt as if I was standing under a massive waterfall far in the deepest jungle. I’ve always loved [...]
Australian Summer & Swooning Ladies
At the moment I’m melting in the heat of the Australian Summer. Oh for a breath of the lovely cold air of an Irish Winter!
My brain seems to be reduced to some kind of jelly-like substance that makes me feel like one of those ‘swooning ladies’ of olden times. There is no doubt that this [...]Bali Ants
Something that’s not mentioned in any of the brochures I’ve read about the ‘Paradise Island of the Gods’ that is Bali, concerns the ant population. These tiny creatures constitute, as far as I know, one of the largest communities in Bali.
I am often reminded of their presence, especially early in the morning, as I walk [...]Bali Baptism cont.
Bali Baptism cont.
It so happened that Tanya, the daughter of one of my closest friends from University arrived to stay with us. It was, in a manner of speaking, for her, a very important pilgrimage. Her Mother, Jeannette was born in Indonesia and was adopted when she was very young, by Marten Toonder and his [...]Bali Baptism
For many years the only access to the giant ‘basket’ in which we live was a narrow path through the rice fields. It was about a foot wide and served as an excellent exercise in mindfulness. A single moment of inattention could all too easily result in what was affectionately known as The Bali Baptism.
There [...]Eat Pray Love
The big buzz of the moment here in Ubud is now the filming of the best seller ‘Eat Pray Love’. Rumours abound and stories flood the coconut telephone. Julia Roberts is playing the main character and Javier Bardem has been cast in the role of the romantic hero. The word is that Brad Pitt is [...]
Writer’s Festival, Ubud
The fast becoming famous Writer’s Festival has been and gone. Ubud was flooded with various members of the world’s intelligentsia.
Due to a rather nasty fall, in which I was rendered incapable of walking very far or sitting for more than a few minutes at a time, I was unable to go to the festival.
I did [...]When I came to Bali…
When I came to Bali all those years ago, life was dramatically different. First electricity was almost unknown. There was, for example one small light bulb outside the Puri Agung (King’s Palace) on the Main Street in Ubud. As far as I know that was it. The light at night was provided by lamps that [...]
