Continuing from previous Ubud post.......
I eventually got in touch with Odeck, owner of Bettelnut, where I will be DJing this Saturday. I found the restaurant sometime after 5pm yesterday. The traffic in Ubud was at a standstill. It seems that people literally leave their cars idling in the road while they go and shop for their groceries, take a nap, play chess, etc. I'm not complaining. I'm famous for taking my damn sweet time too, so who am I to make a fuss?
I was met with supreme kindness at Bettelnut by the head Chef, who told me Odeck was at his villa and I would be escorted on a bike. His villa was a good 30 minutes from the main part of Ubud. Again there I was on the back of a scooter, whizzing and weaving in and around perfect valleys of thick green jungle. Balanced on my back in a giant rucksack, my laptop and Canon camera. In my right hand, a plastic bag with a small box which held 2 miniature chocolate cheesecakes, a gift for Odeck and his wife.
Although it took me a good part of the day to arrive, and I missed the actual lunch portion of the party due to traffic and island time, it was well worth the wait. Absolutely, completely, ridiculously worth the wait. His house stands at the top of a valley, with a large green lawn that looks over miles and miles of palm tree's and thick, lush jungle.
The house, stunning. I am a huge fan of architecture and design. Plainly put, I am a huge fan of well thought out space and simple luxury. I entered and walked into the largest "open" room I have ever seen. Beautiful dark marble floors and exotically carved Balinese wood for the posts and frame of the ceiling. I met Odeck and his beautiful wife Tara, who is originally from Oregon. We got along right off the bat. She handed me a guava juice with fresh kaffir lime. Delicious.
There were only a few friends left at the party, who were leaving just as I was arriving. This group reminds me of my parents friends, kind happy faces, dressed in loose linen shirts and pants. Friendly, non-pretentious, yet posh, with a splash of hippie. Love it.
I was offered dinner, as there was a beautiful spread of food left over from the day. I arranged a plate for myself: red rice, chicken satay, tempeh and a vegetable something-rather. Odeck, Tara and I sat down and chatted. They share the house with 4 dogs and many frogs. In fact, Tara joked that they live in the frogs' house. When you live in a house with no walls, the animals come and go as they please. I really love that.
As I ate we chatted about many things, such as how Tara and Odeck met while Tara was traveling through Indonesia 10 years ago with a friend. We chatted about culture, music, Balinese properties and design, and the language. All in all, they are just fabulous. Extremely kind, honest, young-hearted and all in all, really cool.
When I asked Odeck what kind of music he wants me to play.... he is the client, so I want to make him happy.... he said "anything you like". This made me smile. I know exactly what I will play. Sexy, loungey, beachy house tunes. Can't wait.
After our meeting, Tara kindly drove me back down to the central part of Ubud. We said our goodbyes and I met up with my friend Bop, a super cool Indonesian who runs an eco-hotel here ( more on that later ). I took him for dinner, crashed on his couch, and spent the morning in the Monkey Forest with 500 monkeys. ( More on that later too )
I spent the afternoon Skyping with one of my best girlfriends back in Vancouver. Around 6pm, I hired a driver to take me back to Seminyak. 2 hours. $15. Not bad for a nice car, AC and a great sound system. I made friends with my driver, 26 year old Wayan, who taught me some Indonesian on the way. See below.
All in all, a wonderful 36 hours in Ubud. I can't wait to go back on Saturday and DJ at Bettelnut. I will get some pictures of the restaurant, and hopefully Odeck's house, if he lets me ;)
Check out Odeck and his business ventures at: http://www.dekco.com/
Until next time, here's some Indo for you to learn:
Siapa anda = Who are you?
Ada apa = What's up?
Anda sangat baik = You're very kind
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