Everyday life in Bali

By Anita: 

Everyday living in Bali is  a bit different than our usual routine.  Our house is on the corner beside a rice field.  This week, we’ve been watching as the workers harvest the rice, first by hand and then finish it up with a large machine.  (Clearly, I need to find someone who can explain this process to me a little better.)    




In a vacant lot two doors down are some Balinese cows 
and chickens that roam the street.   Our eggs come from these house chickens that roam freely in Bali. We don’t have to pay extra for these organic, free range eggs!  On my walk this morning, a mother hen and her chicks scooted across the path in front of me.  I wasn’t a quick enough draw with my camera to catch them before they disappeared into the bushes.  

As Don has said - it’s hot here - imagine the temps and humidity of Charleston in summer.  Many places in Bali are not air conditioned  - except for the tourist places - so by 9 a.m. we’re pretty much coated with a fine sheen of sweat that just increases throughout the day.  But we’re learning to sweat gracefully.  Ha!

Our house is small but nice -

 with one bedroom and an office.   The bedroom and office have air conditioning  - which is helpful for writing and working and for sleeping at night.  The open doors in the living room and kitchen sometimes pick up a breeze  but it still gets quite hot  (ok... really hot) in the afternoon.  

Our kitchen has a two burner propane stove and a toaster oven - and a rice cooker.  

Since tap water here is not drinking water ( at least not for Westerners), we have a giant bottled water dispenser.  I think we’re going to set a record for the most water jugs two people can go through in a week.  

We share the house with a variety of small lizards.  Lizards in the shower take a little getting used to.  Our bathroom shower has enough hot water for me to either wash my hair or shave my legs - a lesson in clarifying your priorities.   And we do have a western style toilet -even though I’m getting used to the squatty potties. 

We do have internet now but instead of paying by the month, we pay by the amount used.  You become aware of how much time you spend aimlessly surfing the net and just leaving the internet on while you’re off making a cup of tea or cooking dinner.   The thing we don’t have right now is television - and those of you who know Don Flowers know he is going through news, sports and The Voice withdrawal. 

By far, the best thing about our little house is our pembantu, Ilou.  A pembantu is a house helper.  Ilou has helped us do everything from paying for electricity and drinking water to cooking some fabulous Balinese food for us for lunch.  She shakes her head at us when we don’t know what to do,  then tells us what to do, and translates for the visitors who show up at our door.    

It's a slower pace of life here - not so driven and rushed.  People take their time about life.  Not a bad plan at all.