Green School, Ubud, Bali Post #4

This is the Green School that my friend Callais goes to.  It is in Ubud, Bali and pretty cool.  The class rooms are made of bamboo and palm leaves and always outdoors.  The only airconditioning is in the ATM kiosk.  Here I am outside Grade 5.

 This is a classroom.  The lecture area is this cool round desk with the teacher in the middle.  The design is too keep the students cool.

This is the main part of the school and the high school is upstairs.

This is a new classroom being built.  So neat to see how the frame is made.

Callais Desk

The school raises endangered species and the critters are cared for by the students.  These are Bali Sway Back Pigs and were nearly extinct. My favorite guys, they were sooooo cute.

This was a protected bird.  I forgot the name.

These monkeys are also protected and they didn't have any for me to see, but they are the smallest monkey in the world. 

I got to spend some time at the school and of course jumped into the sports with the students. 

Every boy is from some other part of the world, but give us a soccer ball and a bamboo net, we're good! The secret to Global Peace!

Hope you enjoyed this post.  Next is "Hanging Out in Bali"

Gods and Demons

Gods and Demons are worshiped several times a day by giving offerings for good will, karma and safety. 

offerings for demons intersection for safe crossingsdemons at stairs for safety

 These below are called Pandora.  Above is a offering temple.  Both are placed at every building, some times several offering temples are in a home.  The villa we stayed at had 4.   The women place offerings in the temples, Pandoras, and on the ground (for demons) for good karma.  

Temples are like churches where the people gather for worship and have ceremonies several times daily. 

smaller temples are between buildings for quick drive by worshiping needs.  Mom is lost and asking the gods for directions. 

Beaches have temples for the gods want the best views......and they may like to surf.

Buddas are very popular and are worshiped daily.  This Budda is at our villa and even the trees are sacred and blessed for protection. 

This is a sacred rock at our villa.  It is blessed daily with offerings for the gods.  Dressed up for special occasions too.  Nice skirt.

This is a genish god of protection.  there is a whole story about this guy....but i am not the best to tell it.

Me at a temple at the safari park making offering to not get eaten by Komodo Dragons.

beautiful temple

Men gathered at temple after ceremony and women making offerings at temple and roads.

I am very blessed and protected with great Budda watching over me.

This day is "Metal" day where everything made of metal is blessed.  Every car, motorbike, even fridge, stove, oven, furnace.  Mom's computer got blessed, but it still blew up.   Guess she didn't make the gods happy with her offerings.  

I am blessing the motorbike

My final day in Bali and I am giving offerings to the gods for safe travel home and thanking them for my wonderful and safe visit in their land.  Phew.....the gods like me.  Oh, so do the Demons.  Hee Hee

Getting Around Bali - Post #2

Intersection Traffic. 

Off to work

Baby no helmut.

Mom is protected!

Kid double decker sandwich

She won't be too cute if mom crashes

BALLOONS!  Check out Spongebob.

Door to door mat delivery! 

Women carry the heavy loads.  What balance.

Pizza Hut and a truck of men.

The only way to know where you are going.  No addresses. 

Bali is filled with unique traffic.  Motorcycles are the best way to get around cause the traffic is so bad that a car takes forever.  The rules of the road are confusing and the amount of people coming from all directions makes travelling in Bali quite scary.  The motorbikes move like swarms of fish, they just know how to travel in crowded groups.  There are strange and funny things I saw while driving around.  First, children don't wear helmuts.  The parents do, but they carry their babies and it is sooooo scary.  The people are always so happy and smiling.  Everything is carried on the motorbike.  Donuts, chickens, door mats, balloons are delivered or sole door to door (or car to car) via bike.  Women carry the heavy stuff and there are lots of women carry engines.  Don't know why.  They also carry baskets of bricks and stones and deliver fish on their heads.  The villas don't have addresses.  Just the name of the village and there are intersections with villa signs on them.  One just follows the signs to the next interesecton.  If one of your villa signs falls down, then your guests won't be able to find you.   Next post is about "Offerings"  Enjoy. 

Bali Part 1 -Rice Fields

I am staying at my friends Callais Harrision's home in Bali with my mom.  Callais and I went to school together in Caulfeild, West Vancouver and we are both just finished 5th grade.   Her family moved to Bali last year.  Mom and Callais Mom, Kimberly, are good friends and we can visit and stay with them at their Villa Kavaya in Canguu.  Near Echo Beach.  The first thing I was very interested in is the rice fields.  We took a bike ride through them and mom loves riding a moped through them every morning to go to the beach or yoga class.  Some people are very protective of their rice from the birds, hence the picture of the the rice field with all the ribbons and scarecrows.  That rice farmer acts like those dads in Vancouver that treat their front lawns like golf courses!  Rice farming is very hard work and needs to be done by hand and in mud. Workers don't make much money and women carry all rocks and mud in baskets on their heads.    I think rice fields are very beautiful, especially when cascading down a hill or in the sunset.  I like the green rice fields contrast with the white lime roads surrounding.   Enjoy the pictures.