Rubber time

Hmm, all the Bali coffee in the world would not have been enough for me today to successfully brave the stupid scary Bali waves! Don't get me wrong, I did try but I failed! I got a few extra scars to add to my collection but basically it was a big fat wave wash-out! Kelly Slater need not worry, I won't be any threat to him just yet! On the bright side I survived not only the killer waves but also the most polluted sea I've ever seen in my life (not that I want to paint the beaches here in a bad light but get the wrong beach on the wrong tide turn and it is just a mass of brown scum with things that definitely do not belong in the sea floating by). I think the pollution flows in from rivers and is quite sad to see it so bad. We're just blissfully working on a 4 hour rule - basically if we haven't died after 4 hours then chances are we escaped any long term effects! Probably not a fool proof rule but it's keeping us happy for now.

Everybody else may come here for the waves or the Bintang (local beer) or the culture (all of which are great) but I think probably my favourite thing so far is the Bali "Rubber time" - nobody is on a schedule, things just happen when they happen. It is a lovely peaceful, stress-free way to live and one that I have embraced wholeheartedly! Lets be honest, I wasn't exactly miss super rushed stress head before so I have now slowed to a near stop pace which is driving Brett mad (but hey, he gives away my food!!). The Balinese have a saying that is p'lang, p'lang which means slowly slowly and may just be my new life moto.

I have just had my first experience of using a toilet that is just a hole in the floor right here in this very internet cafe (surprisingly easy to use thanks to years of training living in the countryside and weeing in fields). We also had our first rice meal with no cutlery - I got complimented that I eat naturally with my fingers just like a local - sorry ma but years of drumming good table manners into me and clearly it's my destiny to eat with my fingers! I think it my ability came less from skill and more from the fact that I had mosquito repellent all over my fingers which tasted disgusting so I had to sort of throw food into my mouth. But hey, you take compliments when you can get them!

Now it's our last night of surf camp so we're going back for a Bintang and some sleep.