Musings

Happy Balinese New Year or Selemat Hari Raya Nyepi!!! Today is the day of silence in the land of lush cacophony of sounds from motorbikes, guttural laughter, temple bells and prayers, birds, frogs & geckos galore, and the constant chatter of locals in both deep and casual conversations. For 24 hours, no one - and I mean no one - leaves their family compounds to venture out on the streets to work or to hang with friend (no planes land or take off, no traffic/cars on the road) as it is the day that the Balinese believe that they must fool the gods into believing the island is abandon so that the "low spirits" will leave them in peace and saunter off to find other places to exist and wreak havoc on for the next year.

It is Sunday here, late in the afternoon, and I can't believe I have been here for one day more than a week - it feels like years. Actually it has been 24 years since I first arrived here and last night I stayed over at one of my favorite places in Bali, a magical spot up in Kintamani that I first visited on one of my very first trips back oh so long ago. Perched on the rim of the calderas is my friends/families home/hotel where we had an art opening/party for one of my dear friends Kerry - and danced away the night to "the best band in Bali" (it really was fantastic) as the clouds rolled in, totally ensconcing us. Kintamani has never seen a party like that before.

I am honestly sitting down for the first time since I arrived in Bali a bit over two weeks ago to send my annual love letter from Bali home. Life has been fuller than usual for me here this year, as I have been working 10 hour days to get my shopping done with dinner visits with friends thrown in for balance at the end of the day. When you see me, my left arm will be the only thing tanned because I have been in the car so much my tan is only from my left shoulder down to my fingertips. But of course the rest of me is glowing from within.

I awoke early early this morning from a partial jet lag dream, or so I thought. In truth, much of my existence in Bali hangs between this dreamy sweaty hard to believe this is happening state and YES - this really happening? I continue to pinch myself to see if I am awake - and to be as awake as I can.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Today is the Balinese New Year, 1929 and it is my favorite holiday in Bali. I haven't been here for NYEPI for 6 years so you can imagine my delight that I found out that my trip this year overlapped with it and I would be forced to take a day off from all my running around and stop, stay home, and be still in accordance with the local customs. Something we hardly ever get to do in the West, except on Shabbat, if one really honored that tradition.