Thoughts on Life in Bali

Ceremonial dress

Every day so much happens here that I can't take it all in or process it all.  Life is so raw.  Today we were heading to school and we were driving behind a truck with a large three level cage full of chickens and Owen wanted to talk about the treatment of animals and how they are kept.  Yesterday, we happened upon a cremation and Henry had all kinds of questions about death and burials.  Life is also so filled with ceremony and spirituality.  When I was coloring with Henry yesterday I asked him if I should color a part of the butterfly wing blue and he said, "let me see what the wind says.". At snack time today, Owen told me they had a rice ceremony earlier today in class and made offerings so the rice harvest would be good.  These are just a few examples but it happens all the time.

It is great, but I am tired.  It feels full.  I have also discovered that people who move abroad are doers.   At home I feel like we are the ones who are often doing, going places and are full of activity.  Here I have a hard time keeping up.  Some days we just have to stay at home and swim, read and color to recharge for what lies outside our doors.  Next week over the Galungan holiday we are going to Gili Air, a small island off the coast of Lombok, about a 1.5 hour boat ride away.  What started out as a trip with 2 families has turned into a group of 37 people and I wouldn't be surprised if it grows more.  I am organizing the boat trip since our driver is friends with the boat guy and he is getting us a great deal.  I feel like I need a spreadsheet to make sure I keep track of everyone, who is going round trip or leaving early. 
  
Life here is also filled with so much more risk than at home.  Just walking down the street or driving in the car is exhilarating and filled with risk.  Car seats are non-existent and seat belts are not a given. Families of four on mopeds are regularly seen weaving in and out of traffic with a toddler standing in front of the driver and the baby in the moms arms, no helmets on any of them. After you have been here for awhile, I sense you get used to the daily risks and they become a way of life.  What feels risky to me now, is totally normal.  It is wild.

Rock said to me this weekend, "it feels like we are in a video game.". So much to filter through to figure out which path to take both figuratively and literally.