Bits and Pieces

This has been a fairly unusual visit for me as there have been few excursions, and I've seen very little which is new and not previously reported during previous visits.  That's meant I've written very little as I've been reluctant to repeat myself (at least not too often).

I've been to Seminyak three times now with my on-campus neighbour Lin (a young man from Myanmar working for a company in Singapore implementing a project on campus).  On one occasion there were wild seas which made conditions far too dangerous for swimmers and even surfers.  On the other 2 occasions conditions were just perfect for sitting on the beach with a snack and a drink, watching the vendors, and waiting for the sun to set.  Here "people watching" can be interesting, and occasionally surprising.

Sunset on the beach at Seminyak - always a colourful affair

Kites for sale - in a variety of sizes and colours.

"And as the sun sinks slowly in the west ......".  Well, that's
the standard comment, but here the sun quickly drops
below the horizon.  There's not much time to capture it.

After the Wisuda I stayed 2 nights at the Sanur hotel where the ceremony was held.  It was a quiet and lazy time, and I walked several kilometers (in total) up and down the beach.

Outrigger canoes drawn up on the beach

A section of the beach at Sanur.  The Balinese pavilions
 are ideal for sitting in the shade, perhaps catching a
gentle sea breeze and watching the world pass by.

(2013 photo).  I hoped I would see some of these sailing canoes
again this year, and was ready to pay for a short sail, but there
were none, and the cost of individual hire on arrangement was too high.

Enjoying the view.  Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel is the large
 building in the background.  It was built in the 60s and it
provoked so much opposition that now the approach is for
nothing taller than the coconut palms along the foreshore.
I support that approach.  The hotel is much too visible.

It shouldn't happen to a duck ....

I support humane treatment for animals and poultry, but such concerns are not necessarily shared here.  Farmed animals and pets are viewed in a rather different manner.  During a recent early morning taxi ride into Denpasar I could hear a lot of "quacking" - not something I expected along a busy road.  Soon a couple of motor cycles went past and I saw where the noise was coming from.  I can count about 30 ducks tied by the feet to the rear of this motor cycle speeding through the traffic.  They don't look happy.  The taxi driver was also surprised - that I should be concerned and take a photo.  It was a novelty but not in a good sense of the word.

Poor ducks - not a comfortable ride for them.

Family members, priest and "banjar" officials (the "grass roots" level in
local community government) sit on the front porch of a house in a
compound off a small alley to discuss terms for a traditional marriage.

Most weeks I walk past this corner two or three times.  The narrow street pictured here borders an open space on which the local fair is currently being staged.  My room overlooks the site of the fair perhaps 400-500 yards away.  I can certainly hear the very loud music every night (until 10 at latest, so it's not a real disturbance).  I know that occasionally cows graze on the field as I've seen the evidence but I was surprised when I saw about a dozen cows scattered along the verges (I can hardly call them "footpaths").  They are rarely tethered but they rarely wander far.   The horns on Balinese cattle don't appear to be well designed for defence.  They curve around and point inwards to the animal's skull, just beside its eyes rather than towards an attacker.

The faulty pump supplying water to the pressure tank on our roof has now been fixed, but for about a week we had regular problems.  On occasion we'd lose all water (kitchen; bathroom sink and shower, toilet) for up to 2 days, forcing us to haul water or store it in buckets when available so we would have some during outages.  Last Sunday afternoon the maintenance engineer came to my room to announce that we again had water (for a while).  To demonstrate that the water had indeed been restored he turned on the shower and the sink taps.  I don't know why but he also reached for the tap feeding the toilet cistern. 

Unfortunately it came away in his hand sending a jet of water across the bathroom and out into my bedroom.  He raced away to find the isolating valve but for 10 minutes, or more, water under pressure first flooded the bathroom (no problems there)  and then spread across the floor of my bedroom. 

I got everything up off the floor and watched as the water crept around then under the bed, under the cupboards, behind the desk, and so on.  Soon I had about 2 cm of water across the whole floor, more where the water poured from the bathroom.  Eventually the tap was turned off and a stopper fitted to the broken tap socket.  Then the 2 maintenance engineers and I spent an hour mopping up water.  Water under and behind large objects continued to seep out for a couple of hours after the bulk of the water had been removed.  It was not the way I expected to spend my afternoon.  The pump has now been repaired and water is flowing normally.

Reflections in the water on my floor.  Of course the floor slopes
away from the corridor doorway, so the water flows into the room,
and not into the corridor where it could be easily dealt with.

A bit of Sunday afternoon mopping up.

Mopping and bailing water from my floor.

Paul in Bali
26/09/2014

Another Wisuda (graduation)

Wisuda of Universitas Dhyana Pura

On Friday September 5th, 2014, Universitas Dhyana Pura ("Undhira Bali") held its 3rd "Wisuda" (Graduation Ceremony) at the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel.  If you've read my blog entries of past year's visits you may recall that I've previously written about Wisudas before.  I've attended several.  In 2011 I attended the 26th and the 7th.  The 26th was for the PPLP, the original vocational training institution which was to develop into Undhira Bali.  Also in 2011 I attended the 7th Wisuda - for the STIM, the management department which granted B.Economics degrees.  In 2011 the new University was born and received its official charter.  Now all students, regardless of faculty and course within Undhira, graduate at a combined ceremony, and this year the Wisuda was entitled "3rd Wisuda" to recognise the new institution which celebrated its 3rd birthday shortly before  my arrival this year.  So, now it's all been explained.

Students were rehearsing their roles (e.g. choir, "welcomers", ceremonial escort and dancers etc.) for quite some time before the ceremony.  Last and this year I taught 2 of the students selected in the dance ensemble, so I went back stage to wish them well before their performance - it was hard to recognise them as they had been made up in the traditional dancer style.  Apart from some variation in height they looked much the same, which was, of course, the intention of the costume and make-up.   For some it was their first performance in front of such a large audience, but they all performed very well.

Suci Mertaningsih, an "English Studies" student
dressed in traditional costume (with added Undhira
logos).  Not quite her normal classroom appearance.

Suci in the Undhira traditional dance troupe costume

It was a real delight and satisfying occasion to see these young men and women graduate.  Many of them I had taught for several weeks in 2010 and 2011, and a few I had seen regularly during my 2012 and 2013 visits to teach at Undhira. 

Although my seat in the centre of the second row was deal for watching the dancing and general proceedings it meant that at the moment when students were presented with their degrees they had their backs to me.  Thus I have no photos of the actual presentations (or just an occasional bowed back).

Excited students let off some steam before the graduation ceremony

No longer young lads in the classroom, but soon-to-be young
graduates.  Steven (right) was captain of the debating team
 which I accompanied to the National Championships last year.

Daniel (left, partly hidden by his tassel) was
a regular at my film nights and shared meals.

Our students perform a traditional welcome dance to open the ceremony

Is that Suci?  It's rather hard to tell!

Dancers, with the Rektor and the two Vice-Rektors.

For 2 years she's sung in the choir.  This year
Kesy conducted the choir.  Here she is
leading the audience in the National Anthem.

Two representative students lead the new graduates in
an oath of allegiance to the Nation and to the University.
(Ika, on the right, was a student of mine for 2 years)

I've had many conversations with these 3 young men:
left to right:  Steven, Daniel and Julius

Professor John Vong, Vice Director of the Financial IT Academy
of the Singapore Management University spoke about the pilot
project on campus to allow students (and staff) to carry out a
range of small financial transactions outside of the normal
banking system (and thus incur no or just very low charges).

Dr Goh, also of the SMU, presents a certificate to the Rektor

After the ceremony students members of the escort
pose for photos.  The conch shells were blown as signals.

Paul in Bali
19/09/2014

An agricultural day with an artistic difference

Back in August, which now sees a distant memory, Pak Sidhi Turker and Bu Putu took me to a "field day".  In Australia we'd call this sort of event a "field day" but this was held on the road approach to the Tukad Bangkung Bridge, not a field.  

This bridge is one of the highest in Asia, certainly the highest in Indonesia.  It was opened in 2006 and connects three districts in the Regency of Bandung.  My town of Dalung is in this Regency.  It's 360 meters long and 71 meters high at its tallest point.

Approaching the exhibits

I really had no idea of what I would see and was certainly curious.  The exhibits were creative and most definitely unusual and unexpected.  Many schools, colleges, local government departments and community groups had prepared exhibits, and in some cases offered seeds, produce or plants for sale.  The "sculptures" were, at the same time, impressive, ingenious and amusing.

An interesting idea for a watering system for intensive
seedling cultivation.    The water goes in at the top and finds
 its way to the bottom, watering all the plants on the way through.

The Big Rooster.  See next picture for surface details.

The rooster is shaped from styrofoam and given
its colour by the application of corn kernels,
legumes and rice of different colours.  

Why stop at roosters when you can depict villagers
carrying loads and herding their ducks along the way.

White and grey ducks from rice over foam.

I suppose it's natural as an English teacher to notice
the curious use of English in signs like these.

This was a large statue  I love the garland of chillies around his neck.

A pair of buffaloes draw a traditional plow.

Another interesting art work.

Another mythological creature from Balinese Hindu religious tales.

Again, a large sculpture decorated with grains
 and seeds to give the required colours.

An entrance gateway to a display and sales area.
The gateway is made from woven matting.

 In addition to the many places displaying and selling seedlings or grains there were a few places promoting other products such as locally produced dark chocolate, or stays in eco-retreats and villages.  It was a short but interesting visit, and I doubt I'll see anything quite like it again.

Paul in Bali

September 2014

Better late than never! The first for 2014

After a shamefully long delay I've begun the first entry for 2014.  "Better late than never!" is the popular saying, and I hope that proves to be true.  I could offer several excuses (laziness being one) but the main reasons were that (1) I was working on my "Europe again" photos and blog and didn't want to switch focus; and (2) that after 4 previous trips I felt I had not yet seen anything new to write about.  I didn't want to repeat past blogs.

Now "Europe is finished (except for the possible addition of "Singapore" as a kind of "postscript") and I've mentally kicked myself for waiting so long.  It's time to let you know that I am back in Bali again, and I'm still alive.

The 24 entries in our "Europe" blog can be found at:
  http://paul-and-judy-again.blogspot.com.au/

This is my fifth term as a volunteer teacher and conversation coach at the Universitas Dhyana Pura (known as Undhira Bali).  In 2010 I came here for what I thought would be a "one off" assignment for Uniting World (an agency of the Uniting Church of Australia) and the GKPB (Protestant Christian Church of Bali).  I returned, and then retuned again.  Now this is trip 5, and more than likely the last.  It'll be the end of a most enjoyable era for me.

After 5 weeks in Europe and Singapore with Judy we split paths in Singapore and she returned home to family - and work!  I went to Chiang Mai for 5 days to visit my god-daughter Little, her husband Joe, and to see the new baby "LJ". 

From Chiang Mai I travelled on to Bali after a plane change in Singapore, and settled in to my familiar room on Thursday 7th August.  Today is day 38 of my 68-day stay, so I'm just over half way through.  The town of Dalung has changed a little - some familiar shops gone, some more fields built over for housing, and traffic even worse than before.  On campus the big difference is the departure of the "Harapan" (vocational school) students.  They are now squeezed into their new (2011) building which is running morning and afternoon shifts.  A new building is going up for them on what last year was a car/motor cycle park, and before that a rice field.  The rice field I watched attentively in 2010 has been a vegetable field for about 3 years.  (see Blog in 2010). 

View from my window in 2012.  Everything to
the right of the extended fence line is now
a building site with the workmen's barracks.

View in 2013.  The trees are growing and blocking the
view.  The rice field seen in the 2012 image is now a field
of grey-white gravel spread out to make a car/bike park.

The view on 27th August.  I've counted 42 workmen on site at times.

By 5th September the workmen are preparing for the first floor concrete pour.

Little Java.  The camp for the on-site workers.

The high school's departure from Block A (the northern building) has returned much needed office, classroom and laboratory space to the University.  Now staff are expanding from their previously cramped, poor office space into something more suitable.  I must regularly redraw my mental map of where everybody is located, and also walk a lot further during the day to meet people.

I arrived on campus half way through the "Matrikulasi Inggris" teaching period. All new students must take the 12-class course on basic English before they can undertake their chosen field of study.  Standards range from the "wonderfully impressive", down through "adequate", "understandable with patience" to "downright disappointing".  It comes as no surprise that those at the bottom end are also the least inclined to participate in even the simplest and most basic teaching activities.  After the end of that preparatory period the new students were put through a week of gruelling activities during OKK (orientation week).  

Then there was a week's break as registrations and teaching schedules were finalised.  Now we have completed 2 weeks of lectures.  The new Semester is well and truly underway.  I see many familiar faces from past years, but i'm missing some old favourites.  The students of the first 3 classes I taught in 2010 graduated last week (blog entry to come!) and it was a joy to see them as new and aspiring graduates.  Still, I'll miss the regular chats with them, and their presence at my regular "movie nights".

Now that I've overcome my writer's block I'll avoid the temptation to start another topic.  That can be the subject of the next blog.  Until then, "sampai jumpa"

Paul in Bali
Dalung
September 2014