Shame on me! It's been a week since my last post and I had planned to post 2 blogs per week. Shame! It's also 4 weeks since I left Adelaide. Time is slipping by rapidly. I suppose I could split this posting and claim 2 posts this week - but that wouldn't count. So ... it's a biggie.
In some ways it's been just another week and although full, not necessarily full of things which are especially newsworthy, so I've bundled together something from last week with the news of this week. Most readers wouldn't know, those pictured would, and they might think that I've lost track of a week, so I'll confess now to "bundling" the weeks. Our "base load" is taking the "Matriculation English" classes for the new students before they can start the new Semester, and encouraging staff and those students who are around before classes start to engage in some English conversation. Laurel has distributed dozens of little "Can we please speak English for 5 minutes?" signs around the office work places and where students gather, and for many it has "broken the ice". That's our regular and ongoing activity, and what follows is news of what is out of the ordinary for us.
Two weeks ago I and Laurel, my English teacher colleague and fellow Adelaidean, went to watch two of our University students compete in a cooking completion. They are not "Food Preparation" students, they are studying a B.Ec. degree in Hotel Management, but cooking is a passion. There was a "theme" to the competition - all dishes had to be based on "bean curd" (tahu, tofu etc). I could not see this being particularly interesting, but I was wrong!
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Yustina and Adji in action, and their winning 4 course dinner. |
Their presentation matched the food quality, and they won the prize (no pix - presented at a later date). Well done. Yusti and Adji were behind the farewell barbecue arranged and catered for by several students last year.
Just to show me that their "bean curd" dishes were edible as well as attractive they came to our communal kitchen and prepared 3 of the 4 courses for us. Laurel and I, Yusti, Adji and Vivi enjoyed a banquet (compared to our usual fare) of Thai style Tom Yang soup with tahu, a "cordon bleu" with tofu in place of veal, and a strawberry fruit pudding. It was a wonderful, friendly gathering and I hope they will treat us to another such occasion (hint, hint!). Thankyou Yusti and Adji.
We salute our cook - Yustina. She's rightly proud of this attractive and delicious dessert. |
Look, no students - a rare sight, even on weekends (photos from previous visits) |
The old motor bike racks along the eastern fence line have gone and the space now sports a long block of shutter-fronted "lockups". At the end closest to the main gate and lobby (for those who know the campus) is the new photocopy and offset print shop. It's currently very busy as students about to graduate print cpies of their now-approved theses, and staff prepare course notes for the semester which starts in August. All the other spaces hold small warungs, eating spaces, and a little store. It's already starting to get busy.![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdaqpeSjqwqzvyB33O3GCM8eRZJU4_c5i3L0Qj2W7hVQad2HY5yY9oVuOa9mPiN0NOsO6U8CHiQWJlWjF4o1_ebEZ2NmVqTRlZ-pQyAgrSeNT2y6MWP1xpjA6URS8AgnUJE7Z6SRfAnkW/s640/blog_temp.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdaqpeSjqwqzvyB33O3GCM8eRZJU4_c5i3L0Qj2W7hVQad2HY5yY9oVuOa9mPiN0NOsO6U8CHiQWJlWjF4o1_ebEZ2NmVqTRlZ-pQyAgrSeNT2y6MWP1xpjA6URS8AgnUJE7Z6SRfAnkW/s640/blog_temp.jpg)
Look, up in the sky: it's a bird ..... etc. Well, no "Superman" but an increasing number of kites are appearing now that the winds have started blowing steadily from the east as is normal for this time of the year. In the past month there have been many days with no kites visible, but now they are taking to the skies again. Many will stay aloft for 5 or 6 weeks, perhaps longer. When the winds drop they may fall down, but in past years the east wind blew for a couple of months and the kites stayed up there. Mid-week a huge black "eagle" appeared high above the rice field just to the west of the campus. Because of its height it's hard to estimate its size accurately, but I'd guess it is more than 2 metres across. It's an impressive sight. Each week more will appear and on weekends I'll again see trucks carrying teams of villagers holding on to their large communal kites as they travel to the kite grounds to launch them.
See my blog of August 2011 "What's up - kites, of course"
Whilst Laurel and I are volunteers and support ourselves here, we are each provided with a comfortable large room and occasionally we enjoy "fringe benefits". Last Monday evening we enjoyed one such benefit when we joined the "cultural night and dinner" provided to honour the visit of a team from the "EMS" (Evangelical Mission Solidarity), a Stuttgart based organisation representing many German churches. The EMS and its constituent churches is a partner of the GKPB (The Protestant Christian Church in Bali), as is my own denomination, the Uniting Church of Australia, and has given a great deal of support to the GKPB. The German guests, the Bishop and many members of the governing Synod, many staff of the university, and some associates, assembled in the training restaurant. After some welcoming remarks we were treated to 2 graceful dances performed by girls from the nearby Widya Asih 4 Orphanage (many of the girls are present or past scholars of the University and training college). The first was a dance of welcome displaying the characteristic Balinese dance elements and the second was a recent liturgical dance representing the angels announcing the gospel ("good news") to the people of Bali.
Dancers welcome guests in traditional Balinese style |
The Rektor, Dr Nyandra (rt), presents a momento to EMS delegation leader Rev Jurgen Reichel and Hans translates. |
Our "angels" spread the good news of the gospel across Bali |
The graceful welcome and "angel" dances were performed to recorded music. The final dance, the "Janger", was the longest and most vigorous, and it was accompanied by the wonderful sound of a gamelang band in full flight. It was the first time I've seen such an energetic, foot-stomping dance with a band really "belting it out". It was sheer excitement, Balinese style!
The 6 male and 6 female "Janger" dancers file in. The foot-stomping of the larger male dancers really rocked the building! |
The girls show some of the more graceful moves whilst the men at the rear keep up a steady stomping rhythm |
The male "Janger" dancers slap out the rhythm. Our dinner waits in the background. |
This was an exciting and colourful start to our "cultural night". The dinner which followed presented another aspect of Balinese culture. Around campus it's almost a case of "food with everything". It was a wonderful evening.
On Thursday evening (18/7/13) whilst in our rooftop garden just before sunset I saw something I've never seen before. Usually tropical haze, low cloud, or just plain smoke obscures everything more than a kilometre away. Not on this night. Gunung Agung (Mt Agung), the highest and 'chief' mountain in Bali, was visible to the north east. In about 11 months spread across 4 visits I've only once caught a glimpse of it first thing in the morning, but never in the evening. It's over 30 km away and usually well hidden. Not only Agung, but also the two smaller mountains to its north-west were also visible. And if that was not unusual enough, far in the west, the setting sun was lighting up a mountain most of the way to the western tip of Bali. We had to consult a map to work out what we had seen, and it was almost too difficult to believe, but we had indeed seen something amazing.
On Thursday evening (18/7/13) whilst in our rooftop garden just before sunset I saw something I've never seen before. Usually tropical haze, low cloud, or just plain smoke obscures everything more than a kilometre away. Not on this night. Gunung Agung (Mt Agung), the highest and 'chief' mountain in Bali, was visible to the north east. In about 11 months spread across 4 visits I've only once caught a glimpse of it first thing in the morning, but never in the evening. It's over 30 km away and usually well hidden. Not only Agung, but also the two smaller mountains to its north-west were also visible. And if that was not unusual enough, far in the west, the setting sun was lighting up a mountain most of the way to the western tip of Bali. We had to consult a map to work out what we had seen, and it was almost too difficult to believe, but we had indeed seen something amazing.
Gunung Agung, Bali's highest mountain, seen from the rooftop garden, Universitas Dhyana Pura. The power cables just could not be avoided. |
In my blog of last Friday I noted the arrival of the new "access points" for the University Wifi. During the week the plain covers of the devices were replaced with customised covers and I suspected that the new service would soon arrive. Well, it's here!!! Laurel and I are "trialling" the system to ensure it is working properly prior to the official commissioning, and for us it's a labour of love. What a relief it is to have a service which operates a bit faster than a carrier pigeon with a broken wing.
After years of slow communications, this is a beautiful sight |
That's been weeks 3 and 4 at Undhira Bali. We are looking forward to a weekend outing, and then another week in our wonderful world of English conversation where we try explain some of the peculiarities of the English language and demonstrate to our staff and students how to pronounce sounds unfamiliar to them - especially "th" and "v" sounds.
Best wishes and "sampai jumpa"
Paul in Bali
PS
Although it's not "campus activity", I should acknowledge the enjoyable dinner of home-prepared "spaghetti marinara" I shared with my friends Hans and Imelda Mbot on Wednesday. Imelda lived and studied in Italy for several years and knows a thing or two about how to prepare good pasta. Thanks for the meal, the company, and the long but extremely cautious motorcycle ride from and back to campus (I didn't shut my eyes, scream or gasp once).
After a home cooked dinner with Hans and Imelda. Note my "casual crouch" so I'm the right height for the photo frame. |
Lovely to catch up with your blog again and to remember visiting you on your very first appointment! I'm so glad that we share that real love for Balinese people, and desire to work with what they're doing, especially our christian brothers and sisters there. My second "Bali Son" (brother of Mariasa from Blimbingsari Widhya Asih orphanage who is nearly finished second year of Theological studies for the GKPB at Satya Wacana Christian uni in Salatiga, Java, and who came to live with us in Australia and at UnitingWorld for 2months) is also studying hotel management and cooking at Undhira!
ReplyDeleteHi Roz
DeleteThanks for your comments and story. We are currently teaching English to the "Matrikulasi" students before the new semester starts. Once all students return for the start of lessons I'll look for Daniel. I can't reply to you directly as I only have your old UW mail address. This "comment" box doesn't capture the sender's address.
Regards
Paul
Daniel's full name is I Nengah Daniel Suparta and he's about to start semester 2 of 1st year. His English is pretty limited
ReplyDeleteSorry there seems to be a glitch here, but Daniel did win a traditional foods competition there at Undhira last semester with his Balinese sates, and there were photos of him up on the rooftop garden where you stay! I recognised it from his photo which he showed me! I know that if you told him that you are friends of mine, which you are!, he would love to cook for you if you provide him with some money for ingredients and a bus fare back to his accommodation! He really is a lovely young man, and more shy with his English
ReplyDeleteThan his older brother! But a baptised Christian with little family except Melaya orphanage Widhya Asih, and a dream to be a cooking TEACHER, which will require him to work on his English!!!! Feel free to pursue him and say "Mam said you must practise talking with us!" Hahahahahah aha lots of love and prayers to you both, and envy in a Christian sort of way! One day we hope to be in Indonesia. For longer stretches of time. 1 or 2 weeks at a time is lovely but nearly kills me to leave.
ReplyDeleteHi Paul, Cousin Denis here. I have been keeping an eye out for your startup blog, and found that you kicked it off a couple of weeks ago. Great info and not surprised that change is occuring though it would be huge to the state when Kath & I were there 20 years ago! I have started my own blog after the get together at your place see http://denisevgarage.blogspot.com.au/. Its ofthe conversion to electric of a small Daewoo Matiz . I have subscribed to your blog so will note each update - Cheers & The Crows won today in a nail biter! deniswooldridge@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteGreat blog entry Paul, nice pics of the dancers and Mt Agung. I loved how mountainous Bali is, especially in the center of the island. Lovina looked stunning from the sea with it's black beach and mountain backdrop. I know what you mean about time flying by when your away, must be enjoying it for this to happen. Lucky having some nice meals cooked for you! Chris
ReplyDelete