The Regency Club

The perqs that came with my room included breakfast, snacks and drinks all day, and a 2 hour happy hour every evening. The setting was fabulous, the Balineasian workers unfailingly polite and helpful, and the food was wonderful. The pink and white water lillies were blooming, and every morning they lighted incense in the basket of mixed flowers. I asked what kind of incense it was because I liked the smell so much, and they brought me a sample of Frangipani. I tried my best to get some of the same, but I could not find any. One evening I watched an alligator step out of the water, climb a retaining wall, slip into the grass, and minutes later do the reverse. I thought I had seen his head the first night while the birds and frogs were shrieking at him, but I was truly convinced of his presence after I saw him walk under one of tables on the terrace.

My last walk on Saturday morning I took a terrible fall on the brick walk trying to avoid an Indian man and his daughter while, unbeknowst to me, a crazy bicyclist came up behind me without ringing his bell. The Indian man told me I needed to be more careful...if I hadn't been bleeding profusely, I think I might have punched him out! Restaurant people helped me stop the bleeding, and I walked the two miles back to my room feeling sorry for myself. I remember telling all the Hindu gods I passed thank you for only blood and bruises...and thankfully no broken bones. I am a sorry, sore mess today, but glad to be home in one piece. And just think: I have a souvenir scar from Bali! Next up is Hawaii...and I started my final packing today!

My trip to Ubud

Friday afternoon I hired a car and driver for 6 hours to make the trip to Ubud, the supposed art center of Bali. Of course, the driver stopped at "factories" along the way...he has to get his cut somehow! The batik factory was a tourist trap, and I asked him not to take me to another location where there were only fixed prices. We drove through a section that had miles and miles of silversmiths...something I was not interested in. He took me to an art co-op after miles and miles of stores selling paintings. I would love to have had a couple of the paintings, but the prices were simply too high...no more paintings for me! Maybe next time??? We finally made it to Ubud, and it was PACKED with tourists. There is an extensive market on one side of the street. It is a filthy place where sellers and helpers yell at you, touch you, grab you, and chase you to get you to buy. Didn't I say I hate to bargain??? I had some things in mind, so it was a little easier to walk by the stands that held "stuff" that I was not in the least bit interested in. I still shopped and walked for over 3 hours in the relentless heat before I had a late lunch of Bintang (ice cold Indonesian beer...and I don't even like beer!) and Gado Gado (a vegetable salad served with very spicy peanut sauce) in an open air restaurant (picture included). I left the restaurant to walk across the street to see the King's Palace (pictures included). Every state has a "King" and a palace...old, venerable places where worship services and celebrations are held. A series of festivals starts June 7 that includes Indonesian musicians and dancers leading the celebrations in the courtyards. I'm sorry I missed that, but I did hear gamalan and bamboo music everywhere..live, recorded, you name it...and I loved it.

The morning walk on Sanur beach

I can honestly say that I had breakfast time, walking time, beach time, shopping time, and happy hour time every single day. I can only sun during the morning hours (think fish-belly white body after 5 months in the rainy, Taiwanese weather). I walked out of the hotel after sunning to visit the little shops along the drive at Sanur Beach where I stayed. Kuta beach is still the 24 hour a day party beach where everyone parties the day and night away; the other newly developed beach has exclusive new hotel chains. The Bali Hyatt ran a bus to the Grand Hyatt every 2 hours, but I simply did not have time to go. I frankly do not know how any one can make a living in the endless number of small shops. Did I say I hate to bargain? It's the ONLY way to buy anything in Bali..."What you pay, ah? What your best price?" Just give me your best price to start with, PLEASE!

The second day I took my camera with me on my morning walk. You really cannot walk on the brown sand, as you simply sink in and get no traction. There is a brick walk from one end of the beach to the other, a walk of about 40 minutes one-way that I took every morning. The pictures give you an idea of why one would and would NOT like to live on Sanur beach in Bali. I did not take pictures of the worst conditions, but poverty still abounds. I include pictures of the Hindu gods which everyone has at their homes, places of businesses, and innumerable temples. The Balineasian people are very spiritual and superstitious and strongly believe in reincarnation. They take very good care of their gods, and place fresh flowers and burn incense every day without fail. There are huge gods, statues, and fountains at every intersection. You will note that I am also fascinated by the "doorways" to homes on the beach. My "special" house picture is entirely open on the front. The owner sits outdoors and eats outdoors in spectacular carved Balineasian and bamboo furniture and cushions. The owner used Wayang leather puppets in the windows as "curtains." I'm sure the puppet shadows are incredible as the sun sets. Can you tell I loved my beach walk every morning? And I ended every walk back at Frangipangi Court where I stayed. Then it was on to breakfast...the beach...you get it...

On the Road to Bali

The road to Bali was tortuously long (can you say stand in line for over an hour in an un-air conditioned immigration line after paying US$25 for the privilege of entering the country?). The management said that my room was not ready, but they would put me in a "temporary" room (check out is at noon, I arrived at 5...sorry, but I refused a temporary room). They finally found a Regency Club room with a view...the one I had ordered on line. Unfortunately, the internet did not work after I lugged my netbook with me so I could have access to the "free" wireless. Five hours of work later, the internet was available, but it was going to cost me an extra $15 an hour....sorry, I have never had to pay such an exorbitant internet fee, and I actually lived without the internet for three whole days! As it turned out, it was worth all the wait AND I made it to the Regency Club for happy hour. And now some pictures of check-in and the surrounding territory at the Bali Hyatt...

Graduation Week at YZU

The campus has bloomed with banners, posters, archways, and pictures honoring the spring graduates. I couldn't help but take pictures, but had to ask Tinsley, my RA, what the banners said. Although each color represents a word or idea in Mandarin, taken together they say the future is bright and beautiful. That's the Mandarin version of "The future's so bright, I have to wear shades!" I told him I wanted one of the banners for my TAMUCC office, but he laughed and said he didn't think he could do that for me!

One of the students sat in on my first day of class then went to OU for the semester. He just returned and came to the UG class this morning. He went to church at OCU every Sunday (my OKC university). He traveled many places that I am familiar with including Arkansas, Kansas City, Dallas, and the long drive to Florida (in his case, Panama City where he observed a naked man jumping on a mattress in the moonlight!). I really enjoyed talking with him about the classes he took and the different teaching styles he experienced. He followed me and sat closely as I worked with each team and their pending final presentations. He indicated the opportunity costs of leaving the class were high, and he wished he could have taken it. That was a nice compliment! Another student has been talking about all the things we have been doing and all the things she has been learning with other professors (including one who "graduated from Yale"). She is now heading a project to videotape the presentations. One copy will go to the President, another copy will go to my Chair, Jane Lai, another copy will come to me, and they may use it for future advertising...although no one else will be doing the same kinds of projects as I have been doing! It's all a great way to end the semester on a very positive note!