But first, thank you for your love and prayers for Jack. I am happy to report, that he is doing well......drugs are good. Very Very good.
So what is up with the care taker of the home being named Wayan, our drivers named Wayan, and our healers named Wayan, the guy that runs the corner shop is named Wayan....... Well here is how the name game is done in Bali:
Almost everyone is called Wayan, Made, Nyoman, or Ketut. These simply mean, first born, second born, third born, and fourth born. If the family should have a fifth child, ( which is highly uncommon here) they begin again with Wayan. They will also be given a private name, but will always be Introduced as, and refered to as one of these four. I am not sure how they keep it all straight, but they do. When I talk to Nyoman about Wayan, she knows some how which one I am speaking about.
I haven't written, or wined, much about the food here, and that's because I am very happy with the eating choices in Bali. The tropical climate and volcanic soil has blessed Bali with a superb range of fruits and veggies. It is still not the abundance we have at home due to the fact that they eat only what is in season and do not import much of anything. I have seen wine imported from Chili and Australia, along with a few speciality items, like kettle chips, but at $12 a bag, my chip craving could not be justified. I have never seen any fruits or veggies from another country. There are tons of great, healthy, even organic, places to eat in Ubud. So my pallet has been pleasantly satisfied while living here. But, just like Mexico, one has to be careful with food, by washing everything three times over, and cooking most things helps too. Eating raw is not advised, and drinking water, other then from a bottle is definitely not advised.
The wide range of eateries in Ubud has been created by tourism. In fact, Ubud is really just a tourist city. But despite all the shops, touristy attractions, traffic, and the negative aspects of tourism, the Balinese culture is alive and well. I admit, being a first time traveller to Bali, I was expecting a tropical, spiritual paradise and was quickly disillusioned by the inadequate infrastructure (again....driving here is a nightmare) and the overt commercialism took me by surprise. But......after almost two months here, I have grown to really love the streets of Ubud. Seeing the offerings placed daily at every store front, every home alter, every gas station even, it reminds me to look beyond all the surface sights and deeper into the heart of what Bali is all about. It is about devotion......Serious devotion to their religion, family and community. They really seem unaffected by tourism and have actually embraced all the travelers trampling around their temples. It hasn't changed whom they are or how they live, and that is a beautiful thing.
Photo posted: This guy adorns many home fronts, many temples, and you can find him any where one would want to scare evil demons away.
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