Time

PrettyLights - We Must Go On - HD Music Video (official)

seabear - seashell

Music On, World Off

Emily Wells - Take it Easy San Francisco

The Winds Of Change ❤

Hello Everyone!

I've been slacking on the posts this week, but I put up a soul-baring video of myself the other day, so hopefully you can forgive me.

It's Saturday morning and change is in the air. The winds of change have been literally blowing all week actually. It was the Chinese New Year and also the Lunar New Year. I feel it and am taking action in my own life.

Today I move into my new little apartment. I've been packing and un-packing my suitcase for 8 weeks now, bouncing from place to place every few weeks. Today, I unpack and will set up in a actual "home". From the moment I walked into the new room, it felt perfect. The energy and feng shui was warm, positive and inviting. I am very excited to set up my cherished belongings on the dresser in my new room: pictures, cards, shells, jewelry and presents from my dear friends. My little "Bali Shrine of Love."

I've even got half a coconut husk to add to the mix. My first Bali coconut. I woke just before 7am yesterday morning, threw on a dress and my sunglasses and headed out the door. My Mum had told me about a beautiful walk through the rice fields, and what better time to do it than in the quiet hours of the morning.

A perfect path winding through palm trees, with rice fields on either side, lay before me. So absolutely beautiful. I can't wait until I am settled with the puppy and can take her up there in the mornings.

Along my walk, I passed a man who was standing by a small hut, filled with coconuts. He offered me one. 10,000 rupiah. A dollar. Yes! I was thirsty. The man grinned from ear to ear as he took his machete to a young green coconut. Toothless, I might add. Placing a straw in it, he passed it to me. I drank. Pure, sweet, organic, blissful goodness. I sat with my giant coconut and watched the sunrise over the rice fields.

It was a moment of pure happiness. This is why I left Vancouver. This is why I never felt right in my 9-5 office job downtown. This is why I went out the back of the building and smoked and looked up at the concrete and metal and thought to myself "I don't belong here. I belong somewhere else". This is why I ditched the guy back in June. We were so incompatible. What was I thinking?

This is why I bought a plane ticket and boarded a plane on November 30th. This is freedom. This is adventure. This is living my truth and living my choices. I am truly living my life for me and no one else. I am living my dream. I am excited for the future and what and who it will bring. Life is mysterious and beautiful and these precious moments are unfolding just as they should.

After I drank the juice, my coconut man offered to carve some of the meat out, so I ate some of that too. So amazing. He pointed to the lemongrass and citronella, growing at my feet. God, I love this island.

My other experience this week was going to an absolutely beautiful and luxurious wedding. I will post pictures in a bit. The Balinese bride looked like a princess. The music was great. The offerings to the gods were plentiful. Fruit, cakes, meat, flowers. Stunning. I tried Betelnut ( of the cava family ) and it turned my mouth red. I also ate a porcupine satay. Porcupine? Yes. Like kobe beef. Wonderful, tender, flavorful.....

I have to go finish packing now. It's sunny and beautiful today. The Balinese calendar even says the 28th is a good day to make a home :)

A huge thank you to everyone who is reading. Thank you for your support, love and words of encouragement. I appreciate every single person who is reading. Thank you ❤ And to my close friends, you know who you are....... You are in my thoughts and heart always, wherever I go. Love you guys so much.

Peace, Love, Foundation, Family.

Lots of Love, Kate

If You Don't Ask, The Answer Is Always No

Balinese Wedding-Bound

It Always Seems Impossible Until It Is DONE

Bali Chick - Losing my Youtube Virginity

Green Village Bali - My Dream Home

I had the pleasure today of accompanying my new friend who is an architect to "The Green Village" in Bali. She has spent her 20's in London, designing high-end flats. Now currently living in Australia, she - who will go unnamed - has come to Bali to see how they build with bamboo.

I found my dream home today and also had the pleasure of sitting down with Elora Hardy, the CEO and lead designer for Green Village. Elora is daughter of the famous jeweler and business man John Hardy, who recently built the widely publicized and successful international "Green School" 25 minutes from Ubud, Bali. Elora was born in Bali and educated in the U.S. and got some major experience and exposure working as a sole print designer for fashion icon, Donna Karan, in New York City. Elora is beautiful, high-energy, humble and absolutely sweet. I look forward to hanging out with her again, seeing as I have now found a home in Ubud. It's no Green Village, but it's perfect for the time being.

Upon arriving at Green Village, my architect friend and I were offered fresh hand towels and a glass of cold coconut water. Heaven. We got to tour two of the homes, one which was a show home and is still for sale $400,000 US. 

Everything from the floors and the counters to the beams and the walls are made of various sizes of bamboo. Elora told me 5 different species are used, which are grown on Bali and also imported from Java. A small amount of concrete is used during construction to pour into the base of the large bamboo beams, so that they have a solid foundation in the rock that is used. The bamboo is treated before building to protect it from sun, rain and insects. Walking around this beautiful home today was surreal. The detail and attention to craftsmanship is truly world class.

I kept day-dreaming about waking in the master bedroom, having a shower in the open air, and enjoying a coffee or perhaps doing yoga. Absolute peace. With the palm trees swaying in the background, and the fresh coconut juice......  sigh. I have my work cut out for me!

Check out the pictures and please click on the website below for more information.

<3 Bali Chick

Green Village Website: www.greenvillagebali.com/

Green School Website: www.greenschool.org

Interview with Elora Hardy for The Yak Magazine ( Bali ) :

www.greenvillagebali.com/2011/12/green-village-on-the-yak-magazine/

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Liquid Art Gallery

Walking along Monkey Forest Road today, I passed a photograph display that caught my attention. A single droplet of water, splashing into a perfect horizon.... of water. At the entrance, water cascading smoothly down a mirror. Curious, I climbed the stairs to the "Liquid Art Gallery."

The gallery was empty. I had it all to myself. I was met by a lovely Indonesian man, the host, who warmly welcomed me to the room. I asked him where the photographer was from. "Canada", he responded. Brilliant.

The photographer, Stephan Max Reinhold, is a Canadian currently living in Bali. He is a retired lawyer who studied and worked his practice in Calgary. Since the age of 9, he has had an interest in photography and through high school worked at a camera specialty store in Edmonton. One hot afternoon, as he was swimming in the pool, a rainstorm started. With the surface at eye level, Max watched how the raindrops impacted, splashed and rebounded into the pool. He was captivated and it planted a creative seed within him.

Stephan began to experiment, and being a perfectionist, he fine-tuned the method of how to photograph the life cycle of a single drop into liquid. He works with many different mediums, from milk and whipping cream to ink and food coloring. Flowers, postcards, art paper, fabric or other mediums are also added behind the shot to add vibrant colors and unique details to the drops. His images have a beautiful almost cosmic-like effect.

Shot with a Canon IDs Mark II, with 16.7 million pixels. The lens: and 18mm f3.5 macro lens, usually at f32. The flash fires at a whopping 1/15,000 of a second ( 67 microseconds ). These images are NOT digitally altered, which makes them so mysterious and beautiful.

Printed on Epson canvas, ranging in a wide selection of sizes, you can purchase his prints anywhere from $10 - $600.

Check out his website at: www.liquid-art-gallery.com

 

Thoughts for Mike Grefner

This post isn't about Bali, but on a man who has gone missing in Whistler, BC, Canada. Mike Grefner has been missing now for almost 72 hours and with over 1200 people on his Facebook Page, many efforts both online and on the streets are being carried out now across Canada. Thanks to everyone who is sharing, searching, postering.

I don't know you that well, but over the years and in our encounters through the club scene, I have seen in your eyes and know in your soul, you are one of a kind and see the things most people miss. You are a deeply spiritual man, yet in the eye of the public. How one balances both is a delicate task. I know because I do it myself. Mike, we've been chatting in the past 8 weeks. You told me how you wanted to get out of Whistler and maybe come to Bali.

In your message on December 11th... you wrote to me: "I hope you are still there in 6 months plus, because that's about how long it may take me to gather funds and proper papers... I think we could mesh on a meta-level and up our games massively, not relying on one another, but inspiring one another... a thought that is growing... could be the booze."

The question on everyones mind.... Are you OK? When I read that you were wasted and drunk-dialing at 5am after your gig, a wave of sadness came over me. I've met you in previous times, where you were on a sobriety high, free from alcohol and seeing so clearly. God knows that I have been that drunk chick, sitting on a street somewhere, drunk dialing my loved ones in the early morning hours, thinking to myself I am seeing clearly and ok. I was not. I was deeply unhappy. I have suffered depression, quit drinking for a year, only to start again..... I am back to not drinking. Have you been depressed? Have you been unhappy?

I wish everyone... your friends, your family, now strangers could just find you. I know every effort possible is being made. I had a friend go missing two months ago....... I was part of that search, so I feel those who are out on the streets, putting up the posters and tracking his last moves. Trying to find new tips... new information.... a missed call... a bank withdrawal.... anything that can lead to your safe return.

Halfway around the globe and a day ahead of you guys back in Canada..... but with my ginger tea and clove cigarette.... I sit and listen to the wind rustle the leaves of the bamboo and I am praying.

Maybe you ran away. Maybe it became too much and you didn't know how to say goodbye or how to let go. Everyone wants to run away sometimes, so if that is the case, no one is going to be mad.

Time will tell. I so hope you can make it here to Bali one day. You're a spiritual anomoly, brother. Believing in you wherever you are and sending you strength from here ❤

Ubud Market - Shopping with the Locals at 6am

Thunder Storms, Ginger Tea and 3 Strokes of Good Luck ❤

I spent the good part of the day in bed, drifting in and out of sleep and basking in uncomfortable cold sweats. Lovely. Most likely food poisoning. The rains came this afternoon and the lightning crackled and the thunder boomed. I nursed myself back to health with some comforting ginger tea.

My luck took a change for the better when I checked my email at 5pm and received a very positive email from a lovely friend. I then had the energy to take a walk up to the rice fields. Heading home, I stopped at a restaurant where my parents and I have eaten a few times, owned by a delightful couple. The husband had told me his friend had a room for rent, so right then and there he took me to his nephews house to show me the apartment. It is absolutely perfect.

The room is on the second level with a view of palms and the main part of Ubud. A huge bed with beautiful white Balinese fabric hung from the ceiling. A fancy way to say "mosquito netting". The bathroom is brand new and has a BATH! There is a TON of closet space, a fan and even a beautiful terrace out the front with a table and two chairs overlooking the gardens below. I am taking it. So happy.

My third bit of "luck". I have been given a puppy! I spotted her wandering aimlessly in the busy road and scooped her up into my arms. A whole family came out to greet me. A man, two women both with babies on their hips, and three little girls. One of the women looked at me and the little black puppy licking my face..... "You like her?" I nodded. "You have! Free gift!", she said with a beaming smile. I said thank you and that I would have to sleep on it. But really, how can I say no?! At least we can give each other love for the next few months, and she will be safe with me and not running around on the street!

Off to have a beer with my Ubudian friend "Bop". I ❤ Ubud.

Balinese School Girls ❤

I took these the other day. I absolutely ❤ these photos. These little Balinese school girls were so adorably cute and couldn't be more willing to get their photo taken. So cute ❤

Listen To Your Dreams

Foster The People - I Would Do Anything For You (Strange Talk Remix)

Nadi's Herbal in Ubud - Ayurvedic and Organic Products

I had plans on sleeping in this morning, but was awoken by the roosters just after 830am. I headed out for a walk before it got too hot. On the main street, I passed "Nadi's Herbal", and was greeted by a happy looking middle-aged Indonesian man. I said I would come back later. 30 seconds later, I turned around.... and went to check out the store as I was interested in finding out about the "herbal walks" they offered.

The man, who introduced himself as Weca, offered me a cup of tea. He said anyone who comes through the door is family, so they are treated that way. The delicious tea was made of lemongrass, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, star anise, cat whiskers leaf and a special herb called gotu cola.

Gotu Cola has been called "the fountain of life" because legend has it that an ancient Chinese herbalist lived for more than 200 years as a result of taking gotu kola. Gotu kola is a perennial plant native to India, Japan, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the South Pacific. A member of the parsley family, it has no taste or smell.

I perused the selection of items in the store. All organic and derived from local plants and herbs. The body lotions are made from natural ayurvedic herbs, fresh coconut oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, seaweed and beeswax.

As I continued to check out all the products in the little store, Weca gently took my hand and started to massage between my thumb and index finger. Steady pressure, almost acupressure. It hurt! He gestured for me to sit down and for the next 40 minutes or so, applied pressure to my hand, elbow and then the back of my neck. He stimulated some sort of organ, because I started to sweat out all the wine I had drank the night before. Afterwards, I was very relaxed and felt totally balanced.

I purchased a small container of "Bali Moon", which is body lotion made with tulsyi, amla, bibhitaki, haritaki, spring water, cocoa butter, aloe vera, seaweed and rose fragrance. I also bought 2 face products, one being a "wild white tumeric" facial scrub, and the other being a "wild yam" clay mask.

Today planted a seed within me, so to speak. I have a new passion for ayurvedic herbs and medicines. I am going to go on the herb walk and learn about the local medicinal plants and herbs and how to prepare them. Now, a shower and then Bali Moon cream all over my body before bed. Namaste.

Check out Nadi's Herbal website here: www.baliherbalwalk.com

Their range includes; a massage oil made according to traditional Balinese methods, a natural insect repellent, candles made from coconut wax and tree resins, bath and massage salts based on sea salt with plant extracts, body scrubs made with local healing tus and many more products for home and spa.

Kute Blackson | Boundless Bliss: The Bali Breakthrough Experience

A Health Kick at Bumbu Bali Restaurant in Ubud

Just off Jalan Raya, Bumbu Bali is a Balinese, Indian and Vegetarian restaurant. I've just ordered a Honeydew Melon and Coconut juice, which I can hear being blended up in the kitchen as I write this. I've also ordered the Super B Salad, which will hopefully somehow counteract the effects of all the Nasi Goreng I've been eating. This menu is more Indian / Balinese than traditional Balinese, but delicious is a universal language, isn't it?

The Super B Salad: "A real vitamin boost. Avocado, red peppers, mushrooms, prunes, banana, cashew, parsley, tofu, wheat germ, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds on a bed of mixed greens."

This sounds spectacularly delicious and absolutely bursting with health, doesn't it? I will let you know how it is :)   The Honeydew / Coconut juice is amazing. So fresh, so sweet, so refreshing.

Other items on the menu to make your mouth water: Strawberry and Banana Juice with Cinnamon, Rosewater and Cardamom Lassie, Gingered Pumpkin Soup with apple and cranberry chutney, Tuna Sambal Matah: Grilled fish topped with chopped chillies, shallots, lemon grass and ginger served on yellow rice with Lawar ( vegetables )

My salad has arrived. I take my first bite..... pure flavor and pure health. Yes! Really, really good with the banana and sesame seeds. Yum!

Morning in Ubud and Warung River View

I woke this morning at 730am and decided to go for a walk. The streets were wet from the rain the night before and smelled clean and fresh. On the street, dogs and roosters wandered freely. Indonesians sweept the front of their houses. They really, really love to sweep here I have found. They do it with a long bristle brush and it makes a satisfying scratching sound against the pavement.

Stopping at a cafe, I picked up a Bali Kofe ( to go!! ) and walked towards the markets. Beautiful old happy wrinkled faces smiled at me as I walked past and they set up their goods for sale. The real local market in Ubud starts at 6am, so I later realized they were packing up, not setting up for the day. Tomorrow, my parents and I will go back at 6am and check out the true local market.

Later on, my parents and I stopped at Warung River View for lunch. "Warung" means restaurant in Indonesian. The resturant sits high on a cliff overlooking one of Ubud's rivers below. The tables are in little individual huts, all with an amazing view of the landscape. I had the classic Indo dish, Beef Rendang, which has been explained by CNN as one of the "World's 50 most delicious foods". My first introduction to it was nothing short of incredible. Rich, flavorful broth with beef, beans, carrots and potatoes served on a bed of rice. I also enjoyed a fresh watermelon juice. Those 2 items: 30,000 Rupiah - around $3 CAD. I will definitely go back.

Warung river View
Jalan Raya - Ubud, Bali
Phone: (0361) 975574

Jalanan - A documentary film which explores modern-day Jakarta at street level through the lives and distinctive sub-culture of the city’s gifted bus musicians.

www.jalananmovie.com

"JALANAN (“Streetside”) is a feature-length musical documentary that tells the captivating story of Boni, Ho and Titi - three gifted, charismatic bus musicians in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The documentary intimately portrays the young musicians’ lives and distinctive cheeky sub-culture, while also painting a striking portrait of Indonesia’s frantic capital city that is at once raw, humorous and brutally honest.

JALANAN accompanies the three characters as they perform songs of social angst on commuter buses, debate politics and crime by the roadside and flee their sewage underpass home during a monsoon flash flood. It follows them back to their distant home villages in East Java and exposes the injustices and dangers they face in their adopted city.

Above all, JALANAN is the story of marginalized youngsters struggling to lead meaningful, independent lives in a huge, oppressive city that is being overrun by the effects of globalization. A powerful, real-life soundtrack of the musicians’ original compositions accompanies the film throughout."

The Woman Who Walks Alone ❤

Pondok Kecil in Ubud

When my parents and I arrived in Ubud yesterday afternoon, Wayan, my friend and driver, took us to his friend Madek's villa. It was absolutely stunning. 2 bedrooms overlooking rice fields and palms. We decided it was too far out of the town, so we were offered another option closer to town. Walking back to the car, heavy rain started and we got soaked through. Laughing and drenched, we got back into the car and headed to the villa owners' other property closer to central Ubud.

Madek owns Pondok Kecil. A very small and very private few rooms just off the main road. He gave us an amazing deal, 150,000 Rupiah for each room per night. About $15 CAD. Bed, shower, fan and a lovely breakfast was just served to us. Fresh fruit, coffee and a tomato and egg sandwich. Madek has owned these properties for 25 years, which he built "little by little". He has the kindest eyes I have ever seen. Truly a gem. He has invited us to a traditional Hindi ceremony at one of the temples this afternoon. I absolutely recommend Pondok Kecil if you are planning to stay in Ubud. It's quiet, peaceful and simply lovely.

Shower time now, then off to the market.

Destiny in Bali

Kuta in a Nutshell

Kuta is a corporatized, digitized and colorized madness. It's fast, cheap and easy like a dirty hooker. It's the Las Vegas and Bangkok of Bali, rolled into one. Kuta is the loud, busy, hustling and bustling part of Bali right on the beach. Canadians go to Mexico for vacations, Australia comes to Kuta. The surfing is pretty good, but the beaches are filthy with washed-up garbage and coconuts from faraway lands. The traffic is busy. The bikes are fast, cheap and readily available. The nightclubs go all night long. You can't go 5 steps without an Indo asking if you want a "Transport, motorbike", gesturing with his hands pretending to drive a scooter.

The dogs wander the streets freely. Happy, smelly, dirty, unfixed and smiling dog couples. They stick together and eat together, foraging restaurant garbage and any other tourist scraps they can find. The boys with their balls hanging and the girls with droopy dog nipples, showing a lifetime of puppy-producing. I have been told that Indonesians do not believe in fixing their animals. This can open up a can of worms, so I am going to keep my mouth shut on this one. Hey..... I like puppies.

To some Kuta is home, so sorry if I offend you. Kuta is just not my style. I'm about the green and spiritual stuff. I want to experience real Bali and learn about the culture, not get sucked into the Kuta party vortex. If you want to see people puking, sleeping on the streets, crashing their bikes, swearing and yelling...... head out for a night in Kuta. There is no shortage of drunken, underage and shirtless Australian boys. If that's your thing.

On the bright side, if you are looking for mass amounts of hotels, restaurants and shopping, Kuta is the place to be. The beach vendors are really lovely, so sit down and have a Bintang or two with a local and ask them about their life. Head to La Plancha or La Barca on the beach for cool vibes, sweet beats and cold cocktails at sunset.

Over and out! XO Bali Chick

Hotel Kumala in Kuta, Bali

A gem of a hotel located right in the heart of Kuta. 10 minutes from the airport and a 5 minute walk to the beach. Beautiful, lush landscaped grounds surround the hotel with palms, frangipani, orchids, fountains and 2 swimming pools. A large room with a double bed, AC and hot water shower is around $30 CAD for the night. Breakfast included: Coffee or tea, toast with an assortment of jams and a beautiful spread of fresh fruit... Papaya, pineapple and watermelon. The staff are extremely friendly and very, very helpful. This hotel will definitely be my go-to place the next time I stay in Kuta.

Hotel Kumala
Jl. Werkudara,
Legian Kaja,
Kuta 80361, Bali,
Indonesia
Telephone:
(62-361)732186
Website: www.hotelkumala.com
For reservations: gkumala@indosat.net.id  

Postcards from Balian Beach, Bali

I've been advised from my best friend that I need to upload more pictures... and Ricky, you are absolutely right! Here are 4 pictures on my recent trip to Balian Beach, the super chilled out and off-the-map surf village. The weather was cloudy, but it was so so beautiful :) The pool is at Pondok Pataya : www.baliansurf.com