Aunty Grace Kupuka’a would be so proud that Ryan and I found an entire patch of red lauhala fruit lining Thomas beach near the famous surf break Padang. Vibrant red fruit, rarely found in Hawaii hung like Christmas ornaments. Speaking of plants, Ryan and I happened upon a Balinese nursery near our home. The driveway was lined with bougainvillea, jade, ferns, plumeria trees, varieties of orchids, and other land scapeing plants. A young man came out to greet us. I asked if he had any vegetable plants and he guided us to his father who was consulting with another customer underneath three large lauhala trees. His father seemed a gentle soul, gardener, agriculturalist, ultra-connected to the land, life. You could see the tremendous glow in his eyes, surrounded by all that he loved, plants and his son. Nyoman was his name. Theo was his son’s name. Theo also turned out to be quite an artist as his father proudly brought out various paintings, one of a Balinese couple performing a unique Balinese dance, one of three women on three canoes organizing the days produce and catch, and another of the last super of Jesus Christ. The paintings were vibrant and life-like. Theo studied at an art school in the busy city of Denpasar and his studio was surrounded by his father’s flaura and fauna. What a lovely place to contemplate, paint, be at peace. Ryan and I agreed to purchase a painting before we left.
I then continued to explain to Nyoman that I was interested in tomato plants or basil or rather anything that could be consumed. Nyoman showed us a papaya tree and some pepper plants. He asked if Ryan and I lived in Bali, but we explained that we were from Hawaii and would not have enough room for a papaya tree. He proceeded to ask, “So which better, Bali or Hawaii?” Ryan and I looked at each other and said, “Both.” “Although Bali has great surf and is less expensive,” Ryan explained. Nyoman nodded his head and said, “Well, here in Bali, you don’t need much, just enough money to purchase rice…life is simple in Bali, I have garden…banana, tomato, papaya…that’s all I need you see, no need much in Bali.” “You live off of the land, “ I said smiling back at him. “Yes, of course, that’s what we do in Bali.” Nyoman had little plastic bags that he had turned into small plant starters filled with cow manure and soil. He graciously gave two to Ryan and I. His son Theo ran to the back of the fenced garden and grabbed three started tomato plants. “I don’t know what kind tomato, but you have.” I was overjoyed, ecstatic that I could begin a tiny garden, here in Bali. Ryan and I offered to pay a little to Nyoman, but he refused. “Later, when you come back.” “We’ll be back,” Ryan said and we walked out of the driveway, mounted our motor-bike, and headed back home to Galih Homestay.
At home I cut out the bottoms of three large water bottles. Ryan poked four holes at the bottom of each one. I filled the three with soil and placed the baby tomato plants in each. My landlord also saved the basil stems I had gathered from a restaurant I had eaten at before we had left for west Bali. It was still in the same cut out bottom of the water bottle. One stem had rooted and so I planted that stem into one of the plastic bag starter’s that Nyoman gave. I now have three tomato plants and one basil. That’s a start! I will donate the four to my landlord when we depart from Bali!
Let’s see, other adventures…well I got my nails done with Mike before he left. This is how it happened. Mike and I were walking in the busy, crazy town of Kuta. It’s kind of like the International Marketplace in Waikiki, but on steroids! “You buy, you buy,” is all you hear. “You bring me luck, I give morning price, you buy now!” Everyone seemed much pushier than I rememberd. This was the “off” season I guess, but it seemed just as crowded with tourist! Ryan avoided the mess, getting a chance to peacefully sleep through the morning and early afternoon because of a slight hang-over in Mikes new hotel room near the shopping mayhem. Mike needed to purchase a few gifts before heading back to Hawaii and so we attempted a place called Poppies I…right next to Poppies II. Alley upon alley of vendors stood waiting for the next victim to hound and sell their trinkets, watches, clothing, books, jewelry, sunglasses…it’s really overwhelming. I just kept seeing the same thing over and over and over again, like a merri-go-round of stuff. Most were junks, but others were really well-crafted and unique. I found “which vendor” I wanted to purchase from and we continued on just to see if there were other special deals at other vendors. I stopped to look at herb pounders made out of marble and suddenly a woman came and grabbed my wrist. She began to tie a black, braided leather bracelet on my wrist. “I don’t want this miss, I don’t want this,” “Why you scared, I bring you luck…” Without a moment really to escape she hurried me to the back of her clothing joint and began to paint my nails. “What are you doing?” I exclaimed trying to pull away my fingers. “I paint good-luck Bali flower on your nail.” I thought, oh how sweet, this must be free! It began as one finger, then two, three…all ten…two women now working on my fingers and Mikes! They didn’t draw flowers on his fingers, but glassed them over with clear polish. I thought, Bali really is the land of smiles. She then pointed to her offering near her table that had a $10,000 rupiah ($1.00 USD) placed on it. “You see that, you pay now, you both pay $100,000 rupiah ($10.00 USD) each, you bring me luck!” “Excuse me!” I said, “You forced me to do this! Why should I have to pay?” At this point 7 money hungry women now surrounded Mike and I and demanded that we pay. They all looked like they were ready to attack! What should we do? I tried to calmly think to myself, we were surrounded, in the way back of the store, should I explode and say that I will bring the issue to the United States Embassy? No, it’s too far…um…scared and worried Mike offered $20,000 rupiah and one woman exclaimed, “I can’t even buy water with this!” I then said, “You know, we didn’t want this! You forced us to do this! How can this be luck! You tried to create your own luck and you know what…this will probably bring bad luck!” None of the women looked at me as I was trying to defend Mike and I. They all crowded Mike at this point because they thought he had all the money as I guess my husband or something. Mike then slapped altogether $150,000 rupiah ($15.00 USD) in the hand of the girl and said, “Get off of me! Don’t touch me!” I then gave probably one of the meanest stink eyes I could give and ran out of there. One of the women yelled back at us, “Why you so mad?” And that is how Mike and I got our nails done.
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