We woke up to rain, slow dripping rain, with occasional thunder (and some rolling thunder that goes on and on for several minutes at a time).
So it has been a slow day, with most of our time spent in our room. Reading, napping, looking up things to do in Bali, and what to do when we leave the country and head elsewhere - the exciting business side of living on the road.
I went out exploring a little bit and for a bite of lunch - there's a nice restaurant across the main street (after walking down two winding alleys) - and our friendly waitress who recognized me asked where is the
mister? I explained that I was hungry, he wasn't, and so I was out and he was home. We chatted a bit - people are always interested in where we came from, and about how long it would take to get from there to here. (I'm guessing maybe 30 hours or so.)Anyway, this place has two statues flanking the front entrance, and today the grey stone figures (looking even greyer in the grey rainy weather) were decorated with beautiful flame orange chrysanthemums and creamy yellow frangipani - just gorgeous against the
backdrop of all that grey! (I think these are either fertility gods/goddesses, or they are the original two gods/goddesses who gave birth to the rest of the panoply of gods/goddesses.) It was just a bright and cheery bit of colour on this gloomy grey day.
I found a rice field on my way back, just a little bit further down the alley instead of where we normally turn - although it appears the rice has
been harvested. There's a school to the left of the rice paddy, and lovely roofs beyond. I also found some more bungalows - they aren't always detached little cottages, the way we usually would describe a bungalow. Here, it's more of a guest accommodation with a private entrance and balcony or patio, with en suite facilities (as opposed to dorm-style bedrooms
and shared bathrooms). Because 
so many people come to Ubud for the culture (and the yoga, this is a center for yoga classes and training), there are all 
kinds of 
accommodations. The entire bungalow concept is great, because people can stay in traditional settings but still have privacy (rather than a home-stay). And of course, the staff are friendlier in smaller places, and have time to talk so that we can learn more about this province and this country. While meeting other guests who have similar values when travelling. At least, that was our rationale.I got back to our place, and the men were working on fixing up the bungalow next to ours - similarly divided into two or
three single-sized guest rooms downstairs, and two larger units upstairs. Go, the youngest of the staff here, explained that they're renovating the rooms - the smaller rooms have had the bamboo removed and the walls painted white, to make the rooms feel bigger. They've retiled, etc. Today, he and another man were repainting the furniture - they painted the entire carved surface a rich lacquer red (bright Chinese red for my painter friends), and then they go back and paint gold on the raised surfaces. It was fascinating to watch, and Go said it was fine to take photos while he worked.
I have to add that while "Go" seems like a funny name to English speakers, the Balinese method of naming children is confusing. There are only four names for children, and they are used in sequence (regardless of gender) although the actual name changes depending on the family's caste: -Wayan, Putu, Gede for 1st born male child -Wayan, Putu, Iluh for 1st born female child
-Made, Kadek for 2nd born male child -Made, Kadek, Nengah for 2nd born female child.
-Nyoman, Komang for 3rd born male and female children
-Ketut for 4th born male or female children
-Fifth child cycles back to Wayan, etc.
Confusing, huh? I can only imagine how crazy it might be in a classroom! Fortunately, these birth order names are used as first names, and people have a second (or middle) name that is more commonly used. People may also have a third name. And then of course there is the last name, the family name.
So while Go is the second son, and his first name is Made, he uses his second name, Go.
I guess it helps if you think of it as just a name that tells birth order - so I might be Made Phebe, but it translates to "Second Child Phebe." Makes sense, right?
Anyway, that's our rainy day - slow, relaxing, and since it's Bali, there are still bright pops of colour. And always more to learn.
No comments:
Post a Comment