Bali, Hi.

Bali is lovely. It's always been. I know there is a lot of bad things in the press lately about the dangers here, but to me it's still a wonderful place to be. This is my third time here, and I would not hesitate to return. The weather has not been perfect, but by that I mean there's been a few clouds. It's a lot better than what North America is going through, that's for sure.

I am staying in a small villa called "Serene Villa Lotus", and serene it is. This is a small oasis amidst the bustling village of Seminyak. Like many villas, it's set quite far back from the road, with high walls and hedges. I don't really see or hear any outside traffic, except when taxi drops in and honks. The private villa that I am in is a small 2 person version, in a larger complex that contains villas that would hold 8 people comfortably. I have my own personal Butler that looks after me at the ring of a phone, 24/7. I order breakfast the night before, and he arrives at the requested time to cook it for me, then leaves. I've had dreams of this, only I assumed the houseboy would be younger. =)

One of the things that strikes me most about Bali, is how the outside view of Bali is different from the inside view. What I mean is that if you only see the streets of Seminyak, and not the Villa or shop interiors, you will not see the real Bali. Bali is widely known for what is cleverly called "Bali Style", which is a clean, simple design concept with little clutter, solid colours and a mix of old Indonesian relics with modern fixtures. But the streets are total chaos. Traffic is snarled all the time, the roads are just slightly better than horrible, and being a pedestrian is dangerous. It's a wonder people manage to stay so calm and serene.

Speaking of calm...what is it with the quality of wait staff in most of Asia? I guess I am pretty spoiled with the restaurant services in Vancouver that I take anything less than equal to be inferior. I know, I know. I should not do the comparison and complain thing, since I am emigrating to Asia somewhere. But the restaurant staff here are really inept. Bali is quite bad. It's impossible to get the attention of a waiter, in most cases. Once, in Sabah, I was eating a meal with Gil, and they brought his food, and after about 15 minutes of waiting for mine (and he finished his), the waitress said "Oh, did you want something too?". It's almost like you are an intrusion into their personal time.

I head to Sydney, Australia tomorrow. I have been to Sydney before, but that was in Nova Scotia. So this one might be a little different. I've never been to Australia before, but I have to say, I am really looking forward to it. It's never really attracted me in the past, but who knows? Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy it very much. Of course, it is summer in Australia now, so that will add to it's splendour. I will be in Sydney for 8 days, then I may hop over to Melbourne, and then up to New Zealand for a weekend. After that, who knows?

The pic attached is of a guy here named Reza. He has a classic Indonesian look in his face, with strong features and soft eyes with big lashes. He was easy to photograph, and has a quiet demeanor that is typical of the Balinese people.