Stokes in Bali 2023

[blog takeover by Leah] Would you rather … … be a gecko that can climb walls or a monkey that can leap rooftops in a single bound? I started to use a quote to follow Brice’s lead.  Not a poet but Van Gogh seemed appropriate… he took off his ear; I took off the top of my toe.  Happy to share the gory pics to any of you rubber neckers – it’s pretty gnarly.  A night or two ago I tried to take out a small but mighty garden gnome with big teeth on our walk home from our new fish BBQ sunset on the beach ritual.  Not intentionally of course, it was dark and we were giddy from the best sunset ever and finally catching that live band Brice wanted.  The music here has been lackluster albeit entertaining… think “brown eyeS girl” and “Imma Creup”.  Their English is way better than my Balinese and bonus: their happy hearts paired with the curiosity of the Australians in Bingin is contagious. So instead of surf lessons and being on the beach with my toes in the sand appreciating surfer bods, butt fl

For all of you Star Trek “Trekkies”, the voice of Captain James T. (Tiberius) Kirk has been swimming in my head as I make these rando blog updates.  He always started the show with some sort of ominous foreshadowing, but that’s not the case here in Bali.  We continue to explore and dive into cultural experiences, without spreading ourselves too thin or getting sucked into a bunch of tourist traps. Got to protect time for all of those inexpensive 2+ hour massages and lounging by the pool. Attended a local shadow puppet show, referred to as “wayang”.  See pic below.  It’s basically a one-man show (but with a number of assistants handing him different characters) where he’s behind a torch-lit screen … and he grabs multiple puppets to tell a story of good and evil.  99% of the show is not in English.  But they do a nice job of teeing up the plot, and we were able to follow along for the most part.  It’s a small outdoor venue with about 15-20 people in attendance.  Highlight of this post wa

Starting off with a thank you to cousin Suzi Cook and fam for the much needed lip balm and sunscreen lotion, and additional premium face sunscreen from aunt Brenda and uncle Court.  I don’t need more wrinkles than I currently have.  Additional thanks to sister Kelsey and brother-in-law Kevin for the top notch writing pens and travel journal. Been putting both to good use while capturing stories and memories to share.  Lastly, hearty high-five to my friend + work colleague, Ann Marie, for the stack of UX Catalyst stickers I’ve been plastering across Bali. Everyone needs a spark, even in Indonesia. Today’s post is a big one. Too many stories to share, but will take a shot at sharing the highlights. Leah and I visited a “healer” on Monday.  Sounds pretty out-there, and it was.   His name is Martin and explained the history behind the merging of Hindu religion with the Balinese culture + customs. What is practiced today is more of a mash up over time, with a focus on nature and community.

Written in 1856 by Walt Whitman, perhaps my favorite poem. It’s long, and I won’t recite in entirety.  Walt is encouraging us all to find moments to break free, explore and step away to travel. And he concludes by inviting … almost pleading … that we join him on the open road.  Count me in. Song of the Open Road (modified and shortened version … apologies Walt) Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good fortune, Henceforth I whimper no more,  postpone no more, need nothing, Strong and content I travel the open road. You road I enter upon and look around, I believe you are not all that is here, I believe that much unseen is also here. Here is realization, Here is a man tallied —  he realizes  here is what he has in him, The past, the future, majesty, love If they are vacant of you, you are vacant of them.  Gently, but with undeniable wil

Arrived in the town of Ubud, here in Bali. Long flight from Denver to SF, from SF to Singapore, from Singapore to Bali. Pretty smooth travel overall, and had plenty of time to catch up on TV/Movies that we had on our to-watch list (Ex: Veep with with Julia Louis-Dreyfus is funnier than I remember).  Here’s Leah geared up ready for the long 17 hour leg to Singapore.  We FaceTimed with parents and sister today to let them know all is well.  Frankly, I don’t know how it could be better … weather is nice, high 80’s and light breeze … and Balinese people are super friendly and willing to share stories from their history, culture and local events. One event that is on the horizon is Nyepi (pronounced Nep-yee … I think) on Wednesday March 22.  It’s translated into “Silent Day” where the airport is shut down, internet is shut down, supposed to only use electricity for emergency … the island will be “dark.”  And despite the perceived inconvenience of stepping away from gadgets, this is a good t